Taemin used to wake every morning at 4h30. He’d do the rounds. Catch up on paperwork, update the household schedule, fire off emails to the other households he knew were ignored and then start all over again the next day.

But now he woke at 9. He didn’t have a job to get to. He’d was fired and the old House Master had returned. He didn’t mind. He’d been a lousy HM anyway. Let Namjoon, that old goat run around after Lee Soo-hyuk and his brat of a son.

He was on his second espresso and reading the Financial Times when the doorbell rang. When the familiar image appeared on the security camera, he couldn’t help the smile. He felt a little thrill of anticipation as he straightened his shirt and ran a hand through his hair. Then very calmly he opened the door. September stood on the other side, dressed smartly in the purple blazer of the Song Estate, the goldcrest gleaming back at him. A reminder of the power behind the symbol. 

September stood to one side and there he was, the man Taemin had hoped would find him. The one who wielded real power. The Kingmaker. Sehun raised a brow, “Leisure becomes you, Taemin ssi”

“Everything wears well on you Sehunah.”

“May I come in?”

“I don’t allow dogs in my home. Even if they are well trained.” Taemin didn’t meet September’s eyes.

Sehun nodded. September folded her arms behind her back and waited. Taemin smiled smugly as he closed the door in her face. He knew how it killed her to let her precious Director enter the lion’s den.

Sehun took off his gloves as he surveyed the apartment. It was tasteful.

“Would you like coffee?”

“As long as it’s not poisoned.” Sehun crossed to the window.

“It won’t be.” Taemin crossed to the espresso machine and popped in a pod.

“This is a good view.”

“Thank you.” Taemin came to stand beside him. He held out the coffee. Sehun took the cup, with the saucer. It was not lost on Taemin. Sehun did not see him as a servant anymore.“You must have a lot of questions.”

“What do you think will be my first?” Sehun had let the coffee settle, his nose was keen and trained, he smelt the coffee before he took the first sip. He let it settle in his mouth before he swallowed.

“I want to say why but that’s beneath you. Kai asked that of me. But you won’t.”

“I would say the why was pretty obvious and generic. I could ask you to unpack the why, but then I’d get bored listening to you monologue.”

Taemin was genuinely having fun. “I’m interested what your first question to me will be.”

“Is Wu Yifan alive?”

“He is.”

“Return him before the Golden Quill Competition”

“That is not in my hands.”

“Everything it seems is in your hands.”

“Not everything,” Taemin observed the empty coffee cup. If Sehun asked him about Yifan, then should he assume Sehun knew about Lilly? Was that what he was telling him? Taemin couldn’t risk asking, “I want you to know how much I respect you. You, Min Chen and Jung Kyungsoo are very capable.”

“I’m a little insulted.” Sehun sighed.  

“I wouldn’t approach Min Chen and Jung Kyungsoo not because you are corruptible, but because one is too interested in quiet diplomacy, while the other is stubborn and both fail to see the bigger picture. The Consortium is poisoned