Chapter 2-The Men Who Vanished

“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.

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