* * *
I was eating lunch—coffee and a steamed bun—feeling pretty smug after sneaking a look at Seojoo, when disaster struck.
A lunatic, covered in blood, suddenly charged at me.
I’d only just sat down outside the convenience store when I noticed something off.
Who the hell is that?
A complete stranger is running straight at me?
I was trying to lie low so Minhyuk wouldn’t find out I’d left the palace—and now this weird guy is coming straight for me?
To make matters worse, Minhyuk called right then.
— Concubine. Have you had lunch?
“Yes, I ate early. I’m having coffee righ—wait, what?”
Wait, what’s up with that guy?
Why does it feel like I’m his target?
And when I get these feelings, I’m never wrong.
He is coming for me, isn’t he?
I hesitated and grabbed Hyunwook’s arm.
Even before I could fully process what was happening, Hyunwook had stepped in front of me, eyes sharp and alert, shielding me completely.
He scanned the threat with a furrowed brow.
But seriously—what is that red stuff all over that guy’s hands and face?
I couldn’t even answer Minhyuk properly because I was too distracted by the guy charging at me.
And in the blink of an eye, he slipped right past Hyunwook and grabbed me in a crushing hug.
Oh my god, he was so strong I thought my neck would snap.
“AAACK! That HURTS!”
“Concubine!”
— What?! What’s happening?! Are you okay?!
I could hear Joo Minhyuk yelling, but that wasn’t the problem right now.
Wh-What is this?
Blood?
That wasn’t fresh blood streaming down his face—it had already stopped and dried.
His eyes, glowing sharply amid all that, made me instinctively flinch.
The dried blood was grotesque enough, but he was also smiling like a lunatic.
And—wait, where the hell is he touching?
“It hurts! Ahhh! Where do you think you’re groping?! Agh!”
His hand, caked with dried blood just like his face, slowly slid over my back and waist.
I screamed like a madman, goosebumps crawling over my skin from the touch of this crazy bastard.
Stop touching me!
—What? Groping? Did he just grope you?
“Don’t touch me!”
Even as I screamed not to touch me, he kept running his hand all over my back, forcing me to stomp my feet in protest and cling to Hyunwook.
No matter how hard Hyunwook tried to pull him off me, the guy just tightened his grip and clung to me like a vise.
“If you don’t let go of him this instant, I will kill you!”
“Hey! It really hurts! Get off! Who even are you?!”
Hyunwook’s harsh shout mixed with my scream, and on top of that, Joo Minhyuk’s voice blared out from the phone, which I’d completely forgotten about.
It was pure chaos.
And in the middle of it all, this guy calmly holding onto me like nothing was wrong—what kind of mental state is he in?
—Cha Haejoo! What’s going on?! Say something!
I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
It was like I was being constricted by a giant snake.
Forget the groping—he was squeezing me so hard it felt like my bones might break.
Why is he so strong?
And why is he clinging like he’s… enjoying this?
Joo Minhyuk kept yelling through the phone, and I was on the verge of shutting it off altogether.
If this guy doesn’t let go, Minhyuk’s gonna have a complete meltdown—and poor Hyunwook might get killed in the process.
“Concubine Jaga! Oh my god, I finally found you! I broke out through the window! I’ve been searching everywhere to meet you!”
Wait—Concubine Jaga? He knows me?
He called me that—Concubine Jaga—clearly.
My whole body stiffened at the title, and I stopped trying to escape his grip.
Cold sweat trickled down my back and forehead.
There’s no way he could recognize me just from those leaked photos at the beach.
I leaned in closer to get a better look at his face.
“…It’s embarrassing when you look at me like that.”
Shut it.
You’re covered in dried blood.
Now is not the time to act shy.
I can’t even recognize your face like this.
But your voice… I’ve heard it somewhere before.
And if he’s bleeding that badly, doesn’t that mean he’s injured?
How the hell was he wandering the streets like that?
“Can you let me go first? And stop touching my back and stomach!”
—What?!
Crap, Joo Minhyuk’s still on the line?!
I couldn’t take it anymore—the way this guy was touching me made my skin crawl.
I shouted out.
But something’s off.
When Minhyuk touched me before, it didn’t feel this bad.
Maybe it’s because we’re both Omegas?
This guy though—it’s unbearable.
I want to get away now.
And his reaction is just ridiculous.
“Why?”
‘Why?’
What the hell kind of response is why?!
Shouldn’t it be “I’m sorry”?
Thankfully, Hyunwook didn’t miss the moment and forcefully pulled him off me, shielding me behind his back.
Ugh, I’m exhausted.
“You’re supposed to say ‘I’m sorry,’ not ‘why.’ What kind of person grabs a stranger like that?”
“Because I wanted to touch you.”
…?
“I kept wanting to see you again, and when I finally did, I wanted to touch you. So I just touched you for a bit… We have to eat ice cream together again. I searched everywhere that day, but I couldn’t find you. I’ve been looking.”
Ice cream? If he’s talking about ice cream…
—You insane bastard. Han Heeseong, you better pray I don’t kill you the second I get back to Korea! How dare you touch the Emperor’s Concubine—
Han Heeseong? What? Han Heeseong?!
Hearing that name from Joo Minhyuk on the phone was already a shock—but what happened next was even more insane.
Han Heeseong reached for the phone that was rolling around on the table and hung up on him.
“Concubine Jaga, can I put my number into your phone? Let’s exchange contacts. My father locked me up in my room, and I even broke the window to escape. I’m so happy to finally meet you.”
“…You’re Han Heeseong?”
Yeong Hwagung?
I blinked at him in disbelief, staring into his face.
Those long, monolid eyes.
That sharp nose.
Oh god.
He really is Han Heeseong of Yeong Hwagung.
And he’s happy to see me?
What the hell is happening?
“Then the person who ate ice cream with me that day… was…”
“Me! It was me, Jaga. I missed you.”
He’s looking all bashful with a face covered in dried blood, and honestly, it’s just creepy.
Don’t act shy with that face.
Ugh. Judging by everything he’s done, this guy is not mentally stable.
First thing’s first—I need to clean him up and figure out what’s going on.
I decided to take Han Heeseong to the nearest pharmacy to treat his wounds and get an explanation.
But I didn’t get the chance.
From the direction of the palace, a group of men in black suits appeared, wearing badges marked with the royal crest.
Joo Minhyuk’s royal guards.
He must have called them.
They surrounded us, gave me a respectful nod, then approached Han Heeseong.
“Please come with us. His Majesty has ordered that you be immediately separated from the Daebin Palace and escorted home. You are to be placed under house arrest until further notice.”
“House arrest?”
The man nodded in response to my question. Joo Minhyuk’s pissed.
Did I go too far earlier?
Did I yell too much?
Han Heeseong stood silently, and for some reason, I felt a bit bad for him.
He broke a window to get out, so he was probably locked up even before this.
I was worried they might rough him up on the way back, so I spoke up.
“He may have gone overboard, but… he just wanted to see me. So please don’t treat him too harshly. Make sure he gets home safely.”
“Yes. We will, Concubine Jaga.”
“…I don’t want to go. I wanted to see you. I couldn’t enter the palace, and you were never on the road… I know I was rude. I’m sorry. But still…”
Why is he looking at me with those eyes and speaking to me in that desperate voice?
What possible reason could he have to look at me like that?
We were rivals.
He’s Yeong Hwagung, the one who was supposed to take my place.
And now he’s looking at me so longingly…
What is he missing in his life that he’d act like this toward me just from a few brief words?
“Go home for now. I’m the Emperor’s Concubine, and the truth is, you went too far today.”
“…Okay.”
“Let’s exchange numbers. I’ll give you mine.”
“Really?”
“Jaga, no! You can’t! If His Majesty finds out—!”
Hyunwook panicked and tried to stop me.
I knew. Of course I knew.
Minhyuk would absolutely lose his mind again.
But right now, more than that, I wanted to know why Han Heeseong—Yeong Hwagung—was acting this way toward me.
To find out, I had to get his number.
What is he thinking?
What does he feel when he approaches me—especially like this?
I need to know the truth.
I watched his retreating figure as he kept glancing back at me, feeling a strange heaviness in my chest.
‘Ugh. What the…? Why does my body feel so heavy?’
Did I get sleep paralysis from all the crazy stuff that happened today?
Everything was so overwhelming I almost forgot I ran into Seojoo.
I didn’t manage to fall asleep until dawn, and even then, I woke up to this strange weight pressing down on me.
‘Huh? What now?’
Is this some new ghost trick—groping people in their sleep?
Why is everyone acting like they have to touch me these days?
I jolted awake when I felt a warm hand slipping inside my pajamas.
…Warm? That means it’s not a ghost.
The hand didn’t stop. It firmly kneaded my stomach and waist like it was working dough.
‘Wh-What is this…?’
There was nothing cautious about the touch—just bold and unashamed.
“…You’re awake now? I came earlier, but you just opened your eyes?”
“Your Majesty?”
Joo Minhyuk?!
I had no idea when he got here—but there he was, casually, shamelessly touching my body like it was his.
“That lunatic—where did he touch you, huh? Han Heeseong, that bastard—where exactly did he lay his filthy hands on you? Tell me. On the way here, I was losing my damn mind just thinking about it.”
Joo Minhyuk buried his nose in the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply.
Ugh—soy sauce marinated crab again?
Still… how is it that even acting like a total perv, he still looks stupidly handsome?
Something’s wrong with me.
When Han Heeseong touched me earlier, I hated it so much I broke out in goosebumps.
But now? Not even close.
Not only did I not hate it—I wanted more.
Maybe that sly fox in me had woken up again.
I could tell by the nonsense spilling out of my mouth.
“…Even here?”
I guided Joo Minhyuk’s hand to a place even Han Heeseong hadn’t dared touch.
* * *
