Meical's hand lingered at Min-jae's lower back as they walked through the castle corridors, his voice low.
"What happened inside?"
Min-jae tilted his head up at him, lips quirking. "Let's just say the king's desperation is profitable. We'll have Taygren lands in the north and ten million coins soon enough."
Meical's eyes narrowed slightly. "And you trust him to deliver?"
"I don't trust men.." Min-jae replied smoothly. "But I trust leverage."
Before Meical could respond, Min-jae caught sight of a familiar face across the courtyard, a young woman in a soft blue gown, speaking with a maid.
Her hair was swept into a simple knot, no gaudy jewels, no overdone makeup. She wasn't trying to stand out, but Min-jae noticed the way her eyes kept darting to the throne room doors, like she was waiting for someone.
"Wait here.." Min-jae murmured to Meical without looking at him, and strode away.
"Lady Syris.." he greeted when he reached her.
She blinked in surprise before dipping into a polite curtsy. "Lord Chancellor."
He smiled faintly. "Such formality… I'd thought you were more genuine than the rest."
She frowned slightly at that. "I don't pretend to be anything I'm not."
"Good.." Min-jae said, leaning just a touch closer, enough to make her tense. "Then I'll be honest too."
He pulled her to the corner, then held her hand. "You like the king don't you?"
Her eyes widened. "Wh–what?"
"Do you love him?" he repeated, calm as if asking about the weather.
Her cheeks flushed. "That's… I… You can't just ask..."
"I can.." he cut in smoothly. "And I did. Answer me."
Syris hesitated, then nodded once with a sigh "I love him but I'm well aware that he's in love with you.."
Min-jae shook his head "Listen up, see the ring on my finger? I'm married, there's no way I would ever be with him. But I'm going to help you, teach you how to seduce the king and win his heart. You just have to as I say.."
Syris took a step back, what was he planning?
"Why are you helping me?" she asked, she knew Kaizar was a mysterious and even the king made sure not to upset him.
"To get him off my back, his love for me is an hassle but also to protect him. You see bad things will happen to him if he doesn't have a heir and that's why you have to help him. If I make you only seduce him, then your marriage would be rather toxic and unhealthy. So I'll make him fall in love with you, and you'll give him an heir. That's my last gift to him.."
Syris stared at him, taken aback by the strange mix of cold calculation and… sincerity in his tone. "Your… last gift?"
Min-jae released her hand and stepped back, eyes cool again. "Yes. Because once he has you, I'll be free to live without his shadow hanging over me." He tilted his head, almost smirking. "And he'll be alive to see another spring."
Syris's pulse quickened. "You're serious about this."
"Deadly." His gaze flicked past her.
Syris stood frozen for a moment as Min-jae turned to leave, but he stopped just before stepping back into the corridor.
"Oh, one more thing.." he said without looking back. "Come to the Governor's estate tomorrow at noon. Ask for the Chancellor at the gate, and don't tell a soul why you're coming."
She blinked. "The Governor's… estate?"
"Yes." He finally glanced over his shoulder, expression cool but commanding. "If you want my help, you'll do as I say. If not, forget this conversation ever happened."
And then he was gone.
Outside, Meical was waiting, arms folded, his stance sharp and controlled as ever. His eyes swept over Min-jae's fitted, high-collared coat and embroidered sleeves as he approached, but he said nothing, only opened the carriage door. Min-jae climbed in with effortless poise, the long coat of his outfit brushing the polished wood, and Meical followed in.
As the carriage lurched forward, Meical finally asked, "The Governor's estate? You're inviting guests now?"
Min-jae eyes narrowed, how much of their conversation did he hear?.
"Yes, ours.." Min-jae replied lazily, resting an elbow on the window frame. "You don't mind me inviting someone, do you? She's harmless."
Meical's gaze lingered on him, steady and probing. "Harmless women don't usually get private invitations..."
Min-jae's lips curved in a sly smile, eyes gleaming with calculation. "She doesn't interest me. But she'll be very interesting to someone else soon enough."
The carriage jolted suddenly, rocking them in their seats before grinding to a halt.
"What now?" Min-jae muttered, annoyed.
The driver called back nervously, "My lord, something's in the way!"
Meical pushed the door open, stepping down with his usual composed stride. Min-jae followed, his coat brushing the carriage edge as he landed beside him.
In front of the wheels, crouched and staring up with luminous amber eyes, was a sleek cat with ticked fur in shades of gold and russet. Its long tail twitched lazily, completely unbothered by the carriage or the men looming above it.
Min-jae blinked, then crouched slightly, recognition sparking in his expression. "An Abyssinian… What on earth is one doing this far south?"
The cat meowed softly, padding forward with curious confidence. Min-jae's eyes softened despite himself. "Look at you… aren't you a pretty thing?" He extended a hand, and the cat rubbed against it almost immediately, purring.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Cute. I like it. I'm keeping it."
Meical's frown was instant. "No."
Min-jae looked up, scandalized. "No? Excuse me, this creature practically chose me. It's fate."
"It's a stray.." Meical said flatly. "We don't know where it came from or what disease it could carry. It stays here."
Min-jae scooped the cat up into his arms anyway, ignoring him. The little animal purred louder, curling comfortably against his chest. "See? He likes me. And I like him. That's all that matters."
Meical's jaw tightened. "Kaizar. We're not keeping it."
Min-jae smirked, stroking the cat lazily. "Listen up mister. You've stuffed me into corsets until I couldn't breathe, gowns until I tripped every other step, and heels that nearly killed me. I endured it. But this—" he lifted the cat slightly, as if presenting proof—"is non-negotiable. Unless you want to get into a little fight..."
Meical pinched the bridge of his nose, silent, visibly restraining himself.
Min-jae breezed past him and climbed back into the carriage, the Abyssinian curled contentedly in his lap. "Thank you for your support, Governor.." he said airily. "I knew you'd understand."
The cat flicked its tail once, purring louder, smug as if it had just won the battle on his behalf.