The Kingdom of Elarion loved two things more than religion.

The Crown.

And Seo Jaemin Arden.

Sometimes not even in that order.

“Jaemin, look here!”

“Seo Jaemin! Over here!”

“Baby, I skipped work for you!”

The actor lowered his sunglasses just enough to wink at the screaming crowd outside the airport. Hundreds screamed louder instantly.

Phones flashed.

Security panicked.

Jaemin laughed.

He looked expensive even breathing.

Silver rings on pale fingers. Black silk shirt half unbuttoned. Long coat dragging behind him like he was entering a drama scene instead of arriving from Milan Fashion Week.

“Move,” his manager hissed at the guards. “If he gets scratched, Chairman Arden will kill all of us.”

Jaemin snorted. “My brother first.”

That was true.

Seo Minhyuk Arden was far scarier than their father.

The Arden family stood just below royalty in Elarion, but everyone knew money spoke louder than crowns now. The royal family ruled the country.

The Arden family owned half of it.

Banks.

Media.

Luxury brands.

Hospitals.

Film companies.

Defense shares nobody openly discussed.

And at the center of that monstrous empire was the family’s youngest son.

Spoiled beyond reason.

Protected beyond morality.

Loved beyond sanity.

Seo Jaemin smiled lazily at fans while walking backward.

A bodyguard looked ready to faint. “Young master, please watch the stairs—”

Too late.

Jaemin missed a step.

Several people gasped.

Before he could even steady himself, four guards grabbed him like the nation would collapse if he bruised his knee.

Jaemin burst out laughing.

“You’d think I got shot.”

“Young master,” the oldest guard muttered with deep pain in his eyes, “last time you got a fever, Chairman Seo had six doctors investigated.”

“That wasn’t my fault.”

“You licked ice sculptures at an event.”

Jaemin shrugged. “They looked refreshing.”

The guards looked exhausted.

Fans looked enchanted.

That was Seo Jaemin.

A walking disaster everyone adored anyway.

Especially one person.

—

Inside the royal palace, silence ruled like law.

Black marble floors.

Gold ceilings.

Cold air.

Servants who bowed without speaking.

And at the end of the massive hall sat the youngest king in Elarion’s history.

King Cassian Valerius de Elarion.

Twenty-nine years old.

Beautiful enough to make headlines.

Cruel enough to silence them.

The ministers stood trembling before him.

Cassian flipped through documents lazily.

“Minister Han.”

The old man nearly jumped. “Y-Your Majesty.”

“You embezzled government funds.”

Silence.

Then the minister shakily fell to his knees. “Your Majesty, I can explain—”

“Mm.”

Cassian signed another paper.

“Execute him.”

The room froze.

The minister’s face drained white. “Y-Your Majesty?!”

Cassian finally looked up.

Cold gray eyes.

Emotionless.

“You used money meant for orphan support programs to buy a third estate home for your mistress.” He tilted his head slightly. “Why would I let you live?”

“Please—”

“Take him away.”

Royal guards dragged the screaming man out.

Nobody dared speak.

Cassian leaned back in his throne, bored already.

Then his secretary hurried inside carefully.

“Your Majesty.”

“What.”

“The airport footage of Young Master Arden is trending again.”

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Ministers lowered their heads further.

Cassian held out his hand silently.

The secretary gave him the tablet.

A video played.

Jaemin laughing.

Jaemin teasing guards.

Jaemin nearly falling.

Cassian’s expression darkened immediately.

“Who designed those stairs?”

“…Your Majesty?”

“The airport stairs.”

Silence.

The secretary swallowed.

“I want the architect investigated.”

“…Understood.”

The ministers stared at the floor harder.

Because this—

This was the terrifying part about the king.

He could order executions without blinking.

Yet one tiny stumble from Seo Jaemin could ruin someone’s career.

Cassian replayed the clip once more.

Jaemin’s smile softened his entire face unconsciously.

The secretary pretended not to notice.

Everyone in the palace knew.

Nobody spoke of it.

Not after what happened to Prince Adrian.

Cassian’s older half-brother had once drunkenly called Jaemin “pretty enough to share.”

Three days later, Adrian lost all military authority and disappeared from public view permanently.

The former king blamed political instability.

The royal family knew better.

Cassian closed the tablet gently.

“Prepare the west wing.”

The secretary blinked.

“…For Young Master Arden?”

Cassian’s voice lowered slightly.

“He hates the lavender scent they used last time.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And replace the chef.”

“…The chef?”

“He put mushrooms in Jaemin’s pasta.”

The secretary silently wrote everything down.

Because King Cassian remembered every single thing about Seo Jaemin.

Every allergy.

Every habit.

Every expression.

Every lover.

Especially the lovers.

A minister once asked why certain celebrities mysteriously vanished from entertainment after dating Jaemin.

Cassian had smiled.

The minister retired the next day.

—

That evening, the retired royal family attended a formal banquet inside the palace.

Former King Leopold de Elarion sat stiffly in his wheelchair.

Beside him sat Queen Evelyne.

Beautiful.

Elegant.

Empty-eyed.

Cassian ignored both of them.

The former king’s hand trembled with fury watching his son command the room.

He used to own this palace.

Now even servants ignored him.

Because everyone knew why he sat in that wheelchair.

Nobody had proof.

But everyone knew.

Cassian entered the banquet hall wearing black military-form formalwear.

Instant silence.

Absolute authority followed him naturally now.

Leopold’s jaw tightened.

“You’ve grown arrogant.”

Cassian didn’t even look at him.

“No,” he said calmly. “I simply no longer pretend to respect you.”

Queen Evelyne immediately stepped in nervously.

“Cassian, your father only means—”

“He is not my father.”

Silence dropped heavily.

The queen paled.

Cassian finally looked at her.

“You once told me to endure beatings quietly so he wouldn’t replace you with another queen.” His smile was faint and cruel. “Congratulations. You kept your title.”

Her eyes reddened instantly.

Cassian walked past them.

Unmoved.

Untouched.

Until—

“Jaejae!”

The entire atmosphere shifted.

Seo Jaemin had arrived.

Late.

Of course.

He walked into the royal banquet like it belonged to him.

And maybe it did.

The former nobles looked irritated.

The younger generation looked obsessed.

Cassian looked alive for the first time all evening.

Jaemin grinned brightly upon seeing him.

“Your Majesty.”

Cassian stepped down from the platform himself.

A king.

Walking first.

Toward one man.

Whispers exploded instantly.

Jaemin laughed softly. “People are staring again.”

“Let them.”

Cassian adjusted the collar of Jaemin’s coat naturally.

“Why didn’t you answer my calls?”

“I was sleeping.”

“You posted on social media two hours ago.”

Jaemin smiled shamelessly. “Caught me.”

Cassian looked at him for a long moment.

Completely helpless.

Seo Minhyuk Arden entered behind his younger brother then, tall and composed in a dark suit.

Unlike Jaemin’s playful beauty, Minhyuk carried quiet danger.

He greeted the king casually.

“Your Majesty.”

“Chairman Seo.”

The two men shook hands.

An alliance stronger than most governments.

Minhyuk glanced between them knowingly.

“You still haven’t confessed?”

Cassian’s expression remained calm.

Jaemin looked scandalized. Even though they were whispering, he heard it.

“You’ve been in love since age twelve. At this point even the palace ghosts know.”

Several nearby nobles choked violently.

Cassian merely sipped his wine.

Jaemin rolled his eyes dramatically.

Cassian finally spoke quietly.

“I can wait.”

Jaemin froze for half a second.

Because that tone

That terrifyingly patient tone

Always made him feel strange.

As if Cassian could wait forever.

Or destroy the world tomorrow.

Depending entirely on him.

And honestly?

That devotion scared Jaemin a little.

Which was exactly why he kept pretending not to understand it.

“Seo Jaemin spotted leaving actor Lee Wooshin’s penthouse at 2AM!”

“Nation’s sweetheart or national red flag?”

“Netizens react to Jaemin’s newest dating scandal!”

Jaemin stared at the giant screen inside the makeup studio while getting his hair fixed.

“…That headline is boring.”

His stylist nearly cried. “Young master, please focus. We’re live in ten minutes.”

“Mm.”

“Also Chairman Seo said not to flirt with the host again.”

Jaemin looked offended. “I never flirt.”

The entire room went silent.

Even the makeup artists looked unconvinced.

Jaemin clicked his tongue.

“Why’s everyone staring at me like that?”

Because three hosts, one singer, two actors, and a billionaire’s son had all publicly embarrassed themselves over him in the last two years alone.

One cried during a livestream.

Another got drunk and tattooed Jaemin’s initials on his chest.

One vanished entirely.

That last one was actor Kang Minwoo.

Nobody knew where he went.

Officially, he retired from entertainment due to “mental health concerns.”

Unofficially?

People whispered.

Because Minwoo disappeared three days after publicly saying he wanted to marry Jaemin.

Jaemin still remembered Cassian’s face that night.

Calm.

Smiling.

Asking softly, “Do you love him?”

Jaemin had laughed.

“No.”

And Kang Minwoo vanished by the end of the week.

The funny thing?

Jaemin never asked where he went.

Not because he didn’t know.

But because he did.

His stylist whispered carefully, “Young master… are you still seeing Actor Lee?”

Jaemin checked his nails lazily.

“Probably not.”

“Probably?”

“He started asking emotional questions.”

“Oh.”

That explained enough.

Jaemin got bored very quickly.

People fascinated him easily.

Then disappointed him just as fast.

Everyone wanted something eventually.

Love.

Commitment.

Status.

Possession.

Even people who claimed they adored him ended up becoming greedy.

Everyone except Cassian.

Cassian never demanded.

Never cornered him.

Never asked for promises.

He simply stayed.

Terrifyingly so.

Like breathing.

Like fate.

Like a monster sitting patiently at his doorstep waiting to be invited inside.

And Jaemin

Well.

Jaemin liked being loved.

—

Inside the royal palace, someone screamed.

“Your Majesty, please! I swear nothing happened!”

Cassian sat quietly across from actor Lee Wooshin.

The man looked seconds from collapsing.

Royal guards stood behind him silently.

Cassian stirred his tea once.

“Did you touch him?”

“N-No!”

“Did Jaemin touch you?”

Wooshin hesitated.

A mistake.

Cassian smiled faintly.

Ah.

So Jaemin did touch him.

Something ugly moved behind the king’s eyes.

Wooshin immediately panicked. “Your Majesty, it was nothing serious! He gets affectionate when drunk, everyone knows that”

Cassian’s teacup cracked.

The room fell dead silent.

The actor went pale.

Cassian looked down at the broken porcelain in mild annoyance.

“You kissed him.”

It wasn’t a question.

Wooshin started trembling violently.

Cassian leaned back slowly.

“Do you know,” he said softly, “what kind of thoughts I have whenever Jaemin smiles at other people?”

No answer.

Wooshin couldn’t even breathe properly.

Cassian’s voice remained calm.

“I imagine killing them.”

The actor nearly collapsed.

“And yet,” Cassian continued, “I have tolerated your existence for three months. Do you know why?”

Wooshin shakily whispered, “Because… because Young Master Seo likes me?”

Cassian smiled.

“No.”

That answer was somehow worse.

“Because Jaemin gets bored quickly.”

The king stood.

Tall.

Elegant.

Terrifying.

“So I simply wait.”

Wooshin dropped to his knees instantly. “Your Majesty please—”

“Leave Elarion.”

Silence.

Cassian adjusted his gloves.

“If Jaemin sees your face again, I will personally bury you beneath the palace.”

Wooshin looked genuinely horrified.

Not because he thought the king was exaggerating.

Because he knew he wasn’t.

—

Meanwhile, Jaemin sat in his dressing room scrolling through social media.

Then paused.

Actor Lee Wooshin’s official account had uploaded a statement.

“I have decided to continue my career overseas. Thank you for supporting me all this time.”

Jaemin stared at it for three seconds.

Then smiled slowly.

“Ah.”

His manager looked confused. “What?”

“Nothing.”

Jaemin typed a message casually.

To: Cassian ♔

- You’re scary.

The typing bubble appeared immediately.

Cassian replied.

♔ — I don’t know what you mean.

Jaemin laughed out loud.

His manager looked traumatized already. “Why are you smiling like that?”

Jaemin ignored him.

Instead he sent another message.

— Nothing

Cassian replied instantly again.

♔ — Are you afraid of me?

Jaemin’s smile deepened slightly.

Because that question again.

Always that question hidden underneath everything else.

Are you afraid of me?

Will you leave too?

Will you hate me if you see the ugly parts?

Jaemin tapped his fingers lazily against the couch.

Then typed:

— No. You’re cute.

Several thousand won worth of imported fountain pens fell to the palace floor at once.

Because King Cassian de Elarion forgot how to hold things properly for a moment.

The secretary standing nearby closed his eyes slowly.

“…Your Majesty?”

Cassian stared at the message.

Cute.

Jaemin called him cute.

His pulse became uneven.

Ridiculous.

One word from that man could still destroy him completely.

The secretary quietly picked up the fallen pens.

“Should I postpone tonight’s cabinet meeting?”

“…No.”

Cassian stood calmly.

Completely composed again.

Only his reddened ears betrayed him.

The secretary pretended not to notice if he valued his life.

—

That night, Jaemin attended an elite industry afterparty on the top floor of a luxury hotel.

Music.

Champagne.

Models.

Actors.

Politicians pretending not to stare at him.

Jaemin sat sideways on a velvet couch while a famous actress fed him strawberries dramatically for social media.

He accepted them lazily.

Comments exploded online instantly.

[HE’S SO PRETTY I’M DYING]

[His waist????]

[Someone save the actress from King Cassian 😭]

[The king is sharpening swords somewhere]

Jaemin laughed reading that last comment.

Honestly, the public had become weirdly accepting of Cassian’s obsession.

Probably because the king never denied it.

Reporters once asked if he favored Seo Jaemin excessively.

Cassian replied:

“Excessively?”

The reporter lost his job the next day.

Jaemin suddenly felt someone sit beside him.

Warm.

Familiar.

Dangerous.

Cassian.

The entire VIP lounge froze subtly.

Jaemin didn’t even look surprised.

“You’re late.”

“I had work.”

“Murder?”

Cassian glanced at him calmly.

“Government matters.”

“Same thing.”

The actress quietly moved away immediately.

Smart woman.

Cassian loosened his gloves slowly.

“You drank.”

“You sound like my brother.”

“He’s right.”

Jaemin finally turned toward him fully.

God.

Cassian really was beautiful.

Sharp black hair.

Cold gray eyes.

Royal elegance soaked in violence.

The kind of man who looked untouchable.

Except Jaemin had been touching him since childhood.

Cassian looked at the half-empty champagne glass.

“You mixed alcohol again.”

“And?”

“You’ll wake up sick.”

Jaemin rolled his eyes. “You sound married already.”

Silence.

A dangerous silence.

Jaemin immediately realized what he accidentally said.

Cassian looked at him steadily now.

Too steadily.

The air changed.

Even people across the room sensed it somehow.

Jaemin clicked his tongue internally.

Ah.

There it is again.

That terrifying devotion.

That quiet hope Cassian never spoke aloud directly.

Jaemin suddenly smiled lazily and leaned closer on purpose.

“Your Majesty.”

Cassian’s gaze darkened instantly.

“You smell jealous.”

Cassian answered calmly.

“I am jealous.”

Direct.

Honest.

As always.

Jaemin stared at him for a second before laughing softly.

Really.

This man was doomed beyond repair.

“You’re not listening to me.”

“I am.”

“You just called my dog ugly.”

Seo Jaemin lay sprawled across the massive hotel suite bed wearing nothing except a half-open robe while actor Cha Dohyun glared at him from the couch.

Jaemin blinked lazily.

“Because it is.”

“That’s a purebred Maltese!”

“It looks anxious.”

Dohyun stared at him in disbelief before laughing despite himself.

That happened a lot around Jaemin.

People arrived cautious.

Then stayed too long.

The actor walked over and climbed onto the bed beside him. “You know, sometimes I wonder if you actually like anybody.”

Jaemin looked up from his phone.

“What a weird thing to ask after sex.”

“You didn’t even let me cuddle after.”

“Because you’re sweaty.”

“Wow.”

Jaemin grinned.

Dohyun sighed dramatically and poked his waist. “You’re horrible.”

“Yet you came back.”

“That’s because your face should be illegal.”

“Mm. True.”

Dohyun laughed again helplessly.

That was another problem with Seo Jaemin.

Even when he acted awful, people still liked him.

Too much.

Enough to ruin themselves over it.

His phone buzzed.

Unknown Number.

Jaemin answered casually. “Hello?”

Silence.

Then a terrified male voice whispered:

“Please tell His Majesty to stop.”

Jaemin paused.

Ah.

Another one.

He rolled onto his back lazily while staring at the ceiling.

“Who is this?”

“You know who.”

The voice sounded close to tears now.

“He had people following me for weeks— my manager disappeared— I already left the country, what more does he want?!”

Dohyun looked over curiously. “Who’s that?”

Jaemin waved him off.

On the phone, the man continued shakily:

“I swear I never touched you after that night—”

Click.

The call ended.

Dohyun raised an eyebrow. “Ex?”

“Something like that.”

“You attract crazy people.”

Jaemin smiled faintly at that.

If only they knew.

—

Inside the royal palace, Crown Security Director Park stood rigidly before the king.

“Your Majesty. Actor Cha Dohyun entered Young Master Arden’s hotel suite at 9:14 PM.”

Cassian signed documents calmly.

“And?”

“He has not left yet.”

Silence.

The room temperature seemed to drop.

The director lowered his head further.

Cassian finally asked quietly, “Did Jaemin eat dinner?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Answer.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“What did he eat?”

The director immediately checked his tablet. “Seafood risotto. Strawberry cake. Champagne.”

Cassian’s expression hardened slightly.

“He mixed alcohol again.”

Nobody responded.

Because the terrifying thing was this:

The king never asked the important question first.

Not: Did they sleep together?

Not: Was Jaemin intimate with him?

Not even: Who is the man?

No.

Cassian always cared about Jaemin himself first.

Whether he ate.

Whether he slept enough.

Whether he smiled genuinely.

Only afterward came the violence.

Cassian leaned back slowly.

“Background check.”

“Already completed.”

“Read it.”

“Cha Dohyun. Twenty-eight. Actor. No political connections. Two younger sisters. Mother deceased.”

Cassian listened silently.

The director hesitated before continuing carefully.

“He has spent the night with Young Master Arden seven times in the last two months.”

A long silence followed.

Cassian’s face remained unreadable.

Only the slight tapping of his finger against the armrest betrayed anything.

Seven times.

Seven.

The director felt sweat gathering down his spine.

Because everyone knew the king’s obsession had worsened after becoming monarch.

Cassian suddenly spoke.

“Did Jaemin smile today?”

The question came out softer than expected.

The director blinked slightly before answering.

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Was it genuine?”

“…It appeared so.”

Cassian closed his eyes briefly.

That was enough.

For now.

“Continue surveillance.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Oh.” Cassian opened his eyes again. “Make sure Dohyun’s upcoming film funding gets approved.”

The director froze.

“…Approved?”

Cassian’s voice stayed calm.

“Jaemin likes his face currently.” A pause. “It would upset him if the man disappeared too quickly.”

The director nearly stopped breathing.

Too quickly.

Meaning eventually—

“Understood.”

—

The next morning, Jaemin arrived at Arden Grand Media still wearing sunglasses indoors.

Employees bowed immediately.

“Good morning, Young Master.”

“Morning.”

“Young Master, the board meeting—”

“Sounds boring.”

“It involves your movie investment.”

“Still boring.”

Nobody dared argue.

Because this company existed largely to support his acting career anyway.

A female employee suddenly rushed over nervously. “Young Master Seo!”

Jaemin looked over.

She immediately bowed ninety degrees.

“Thank you for helping my daughter last month!”

Ah.

That.

Jaemin vaguely remembered paying hospital bills for a sick child after overhearing staff talking.

He shrugged casually. “Is she okay now?”

The woman’s eyes reddened instantly. “Yes, thanks to you.”

Jaemin nodded lazily and kept walking.

Like it meant nothing.

The employees watched him quietly afterward.

Spoiled.

Arrogant.

Disastrous.

But also strangely kind in random moments.

That was why the public stayed obsessed despite everything.

Even his scandals became entertaining instead of career-ending.

His manager hurried after him anxiously.

“Young master, there’s another dating rumor.”

“Again?”

“You were photographed kissing Cha Dohyun.”

Jaemin hummed. “Was it a good angle?”

“…That’s your concern?”

“Obviously.”

The manager looked exhausted beyond salvation.

“Young master, His Majesty attended a military council this morning.”

“And?”

“…And three entertainment executives resigned suddenly afterward.”

Jaemin hid his smile behind his coffee cup.

Poor people.

Really.

They should learn not to get emotionally attached to him.

—

That evening, Cassian attended a state dinner with foreign diplomats.

Cold.

Elegant.

Untouchable.

A queen from another nation smiled at him flirtatiously during conversation.

Cassian barely acknowledged her existence.

Then his phone vibrated once.

A message from Jaemin.

A single photo.

Jaemin lying on a couch in loose pajamas, hair messy, holding a wine glass while glaring at the camera.

Caption:

— insomnia.

Cassian stared at the image for several seconds.

The diplomats kept talking nervously around him.

The queen smiled again. “Your Majesty, are you listening?”

“No.”

Silence.

The queen looked embarrassed.

Cassian stood abruptly.

“End the dinner.”

Officials panicked instantly.

“Y-Your Majesty?!”

“I’m leaving.”

“But the diplomatic negotiations—”

Cassian was already walking away.

Nothing in the world mattered more at that moment than Jaemin being unable to sleep.

—

An hour later, Jaemin heard movement on his penthouse balcony.

He didn’t look surprised.

Cassian stepped inside dressed in black formalwear straight from the palace.

“Your security is terrible,” the king said calmly.

Jaemin snorted from the couch. “You trained half of them.”

True.

Cassian walked closer slowly.

“You drank again.”

“You say that every time you see me.”

“And every time you ignore me.”

Jaemin stretched lazily. “Then stop talking.”

Cassian looked at him quietly.

God.

There it was again.

That gaze.

Too devoted.

Too patient.

Like a starving animal pretending to behave.

Jaemin knew that look well by now.

So instead of acknowledging it, he simply held out his wine glass.

“Pour me another.”

Cassian took the glass immediately.

No hesitation.

No anger.

No dignity.

Just complete obedience where Jaemin was concerned.

The king poured the wine carefully before sitting beside him.

Close enough for warmth.

Far enough not to scare him away.

Jaemin watched the city lights silently.

Then casually rested his head against Cassian’s shoulder for a moment.

A tiny thing.

Thoughtless.

Natural.

But Cassian went completely still.

Jaemin almost smiled.

Honestly.

This man was too easy sometimes.