Chapter 4-The King’s Favorite Disaster

“Seo Jaemin slapped a director?”

“No, no,” the assistant whispered frantically, “he threw the script at him first.”

Inside Arden Studios, complete chaos had erupted.

A famous director stood red-faced in the middle of the set while producers desperately tried calming everyone down.

Meanwhile, Seo Jaemin sat comfortably in his chair drinking iced coffee like he wasn’t the reason several executives looked ready to die.

“The kissing scene stays,” the director snapped.

Jaemin looked unimpressed. “Then find another actor.”

“You signed the contract!”

“And?”

“You can’t just refuse scenes because you’re in a bad mood!”

Jaemin slowly lowered his sunglasses.

The set instantly went quieter.

“You wrote my character cheating on his boyfriend with a woman in the middle of the plot,” Jaemin said flatly. “It’s stupid.”

“It’s realistic!”

“It’s ugly writing.”

The director laughed angrily. “You think because your family owns half the industry you can control everything?”

“Yes.”

Silence.

Several staff members physically looked away.

Because the worst part?

He wasn’t wrong.

The director stepped closer. “You spoiled little—”

A loud crack echoed across the set.

Everyone froze.

The script had hit the director directly in the face.

Jaemin stood up slowly.

Beautiful.

Cold.

Dangerous in a completely different way than Cassian.

“Watch your tone,” he said lazily. “You’re employed because I liked your previous work. Don’t misunderstand your position.”

The director looked furious enough to explode.

Jaemin already turned away.

“Manager. Fire him.”

“Y-Young master—”

“Actually no.” Jaemin paused thoughtfully. “Blacklist him too. I’m annoyed.”

The director lunged forward instantly. “You arrogant bitch—!”

Three bodyguards slammed him into the floor before he could even get close.

The entire set fell silent.

Jaemin blinked once.

“Oh.” He looked mildly curious. “Did he almost touch me?”

One producer nearly collapsed from stress.

“Y-Young master please calm down—”

Jaemin ignored him and walked away.

His phone buzzed before he reached the elevator.

♔ — Did someone yell at you?

Jaemin looked up instinctively.

A camera drone hovered outside the studio building.

He burst out laughing.

Paranoid bastard.

— Are you spying on me again?

The reply came immediately.

♔ — Yes.

Jaemin shook his head smiling.

Absolutely hopeless.

—

Inside the royal palace, Cassian watched the studio footage in silence.

Director Choi screaming.

Jaemin throwing the script.

The near lunge.

The almost-contact.

Something dark settled in his chest instantly.

The security director stood nearby carefully.

“Should we handle it, Your Majesty?”

Cassian replayed the clip once more.

Jaemin looked annoyed.

Not frightened.

That mattered.

Still—

The thought of someone almost touching him violently made Cassian’s pulse turn ugly.

“Destroy him.”

The director bowed immediately. “Understood.”

“Financially first.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Cassian’s eyes stayed on the paused image of Jaemin.

Beautiful even when angry.

Spoiled.

Cruel.

Untouchable.

Mine.

The thought appeared naturally now.

Too naturally.

Cassian closed his eyes briefly.

He still remembered the first time he met Jaemin.

Ten years old.

Bruised ribs hidden beneath royal clothing.

Bleeding lip.

Standing alone during a palace banquet while nobles whispered about which royal consort would replace his mother next.

Then a smaller boy had walked straight toward him carrying strawberry cake.

“You look scary.”

Cassian thought the child was mocking him.

Instead, the boy sat beside him casually.

“My brother says scary people are lonely.”

Cassian had stared silently.

The boy held out the cake plate.

“You can have one.”

Nobody had ever offered him something just because they wanted to before.

Cassian remembered asking stiffly, “Why?”

The little boy looked confused.

“Because you look sad.”

That was it.

That single moment ruined his entire life permanently.

Because from then on, Cassian’s world divided into two things:

Seo Jaemin.

And everyone else.

—

That night, Jaemin attended an underground celebrity party hosted in a private penthouse club.

Loud music.

Drugs hidden poorly.

Beautiful rich people pretending they weren’t empty.

Jaemin fit perfectly among them.

A model wrapped around his arm while he drank lazily on the couch.

“Jaemin,” she whined, “you ignored me for three weeks.”

“I was busy.”

“With what?”

He shrugged. “Existing.”

Several people nearby laughed.

One idol whispered under his breath, “God, he’s hot.”

Jaemin heard it.

Ignored it.

A famous singer suddenly sat beside him with a grin. “You’re trending again.”

“Mm?”

“The director thing.”

The singer showed him his phone.

[SEO JAEMIN THREW SCRIPT AT DIRECTOR]

[Director Choi dropped from three brand deals in one afternoon]

[His company stock is crashing??]

Jaemin blinked slowly.

Ah.

Cassian moved fast today.

The singer whistled. “Seriously, who protects you this much?”

Jaemin smiled faintly into his drink.

If only you knew.

A hand suddenly touched Jaemin’s thigh casually.

The model beside him pouted. “Pay attention to me.”

Jaemin looked down lazily.

Pretty.

Clingy.

Temporary.

He leaned closer enough to make her blush.

Then—

The entire penthouse quieted subtly.

Jaemin already knew why before turning around.

Cassian had arrived.

Black gloves.

Black coat.

Royal guards behind him.

The atmosphere shifted instantly into something suffocating.

People bowed automatically.

Nobody told them to.

Cassian’s gaze moved across the room once.

Then landed on the hand still resting on Jaemin’s thigh.

Silence.

The model went pale immediately and pulled away.

Smart.

Cassian walked over slowly.

Jaemin looked amused. “You tracked me again?”

“Yes.”

“So honest.”

Cassian ignored everyone else completely and looked down at him.

“You left dinner untouched.”

Several nearby celebrities exchanged horrified looks.

The king came here because Jaemin skipped dinner?

Jaemin sighed dramatically. “You sound like my grandmother.”

“You’ll get stomach pain later.”

“I hate when you’re right.”

Cassian finally sat beside him.

Close.

Claiming space naturally.

The singer who had been next to Jaemin stood up so fast he almost tripped.

Jaemin laughed quietly at the panic around them.

Cassian looked at the alcohol bottles on the table.

Then at the powder discreetly hidden nearby.

His expression cooled several degrees.

“Out.”

Nobody argued.

Within seconds the massive penthouse started emptying rapidly.

Jaemin watched with amusement. “You ruin all my fun.”

“You call this fun?”

“What else would I call it?”

Cassian looked at him for a long moment.

Then quietly:

“You looked bored.”

Jaemin paused slightly.

Because that was true.

Cassian always noticed.

Even when Jaemin smiled and laughed and flirted and touched people freely—

Cassian always noticed the emptiness underneath.

Annoying man.

The room emptied completely until only guards remained outside.

Jaemin stretched lazily across the couch. “Now what?”

Cassian removed his gloves slowly.

“Come to the palace tonight.”

“Hm?”

“I had the west wing renovated again.”

Jaemin narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “You redecorated because I said the couches were ugly once?”

“Yes.”

“Cassian.”

“You’ll like them now.”

Jaemin stared at him before laughing helplessly.

Really.

This king was beyond saving.

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