I am sitting on the edge of our bed as I wait for him. The room was dark. I didn't bother myself to turn on the lights because the pulsating beats of my heart are more powerful than my care to the surroundings. Tapping my feet, biting my finger, and bathing cold sweats, that’s what I am right now. The door of our room opened, I’ve heard it closing before the light illuminates the room. My head is low as I watched his feet inching closer by seconds. He stopped when he was about 3 feet apart from me. I slowly lift my head to look at him as my eyes are wide as you can imagine. I’m silently panicking even though I know I really don’t do silly things with Taeran. Why am I always nervous around him? Why am I always nervous when it’s him? I am now looking at Mino’s hard expression. I can almost hear the repeated clicks of bones as his jaw was clenched tightly indicating how angry he was. His eyes is dark, his iris was pitch black. “I’m sorry.” I started, but he was still just standing there pinning me with his stare. It was as if my apology is not enough to calm him. He was waiting for a reasonable explanation. “Uh, I know you said not to see him yet without you”, I inhaled “but I just want to made friends here and…and what you saw earlier…” I tried to look at him in the eyes again, I saw how his jaw clenched harder like he was controlling something to not explode within him. He tilted his head sideway, his eyebrow raised in menacing way and his eyes is still dark but he looks like he’s challenging me to give him an answer that will satisfy him. “Mino I promise, what you saw earlier is not what you think it is. He was just removing something from my face!” He shifted his position as he sneer without humor. “Oh?” he said as he smirked. “Believe me.” I quietly said.

He slowly walks towards me who is still sitting on the bed. He bent down as he trapped me on the bed with both of his hands. “But you were too close.” He said playfully near my face. “I don’t want to see you being that close to anyone....but me” He whispers near my ear as I was stilled on my position, eyes looking forward. He lifted his one hand and cupped my neck side and slides it until it stopped. His face inched closer and closer to it.

I shivered as I felt his lips planted itself on my neck, then he breathed. “M-m-mino…” I breathlessly said. He doesn’t answer, instead his lips started moving, he was my neck as his other hand caress the other side of my neck. He groaned lightly as he and until I felt him biting me there. “Aw!” I felt him smirk under my skin. Holy mother of cheesecake I am still sitting on the bed! He slowly s the few button of my royal dress shirt. His lips travelled to my throat as he continuous to every part of my skin his lips have touched. He slowly the part of my throat where my adam’s apple is. His fingers slide through my collarbones with his lips. I unconsciously let out a sound, that is too sensually when his kisses go further and further down until it was at the upper part of my chest. That’s when he stopped. He adjusted his face to look at me. It was still wearing a pissed expression but now with a hint of victory. “I don’t mind you having a friend, but next time listen to me when I told you I’m going to get to know him first before you spend your little precious time with any bastard you want.” He started buttoning again my shirt. Button by button. I am breathing heavily as I look at him with the expression I don’t know what. But I’m sure I look like someone who is under a spell.  “So behave.” He said at last before planting a soft kiss on my forehead. “So now let’s sleep.”  ! I’m hard!

Mino gave me the permission to meet Taeran when the morning came. But I can see that he was still reluctant with the idea. I appreciated the fact that he still wants me to enjoy my life here at the palace, even though it’s not easy for him.

I go to the field where Taeran is training and watching his battalion. I see lots of knights using their swords, some are doing martial arts, some are practicing medical works and many more. I spot Taeran talking to a girl that also looks like a leader of a battalion base on her uniform. I am doubting if I should interrupt them but Taeran spots me when he looks my way. His face brightened upon recognizing me. He literally ran, as usual, towards me. “Jinu!” He pants when he reached my side. The sun is strong so as the wind. He looks so pretty as the wind blows his hair with his hands on his hips as he’s breathing all the air he could get. “Hi.” I cheerfully greet. I waved my right hand to him like a child upon seeing him fine. He grins. I immediately lose my attention to him when I notice the woman he was talking to earlier follows him to his side. She bowed at me before extending her hands to me. “Lilianna Rocheli, Prince. 8th battalion leader.”

Oh. “Jinuven Luciano.” I shaked her hands. I looked at Taeran again, he was smiling ear to ear. “She’s my friend, don’t be jealous boo.” He teased. I rolled my eyes. “Even the ants won’t get jealous with you brother.” I heard Lilianna laughed so hard. “Maybe I should call the palace guards, I think I just witnessed a murder.” She said while laughing. I smirked. Taeran sassily pouts with his arms crossed together at his chest. That’s when I couldn’t hide my laugh. This child, really. But I stopped laughing when I saw his bruise near his lips. “What happened there?” I touched it gently before looking at his eyes. Did Mino do it? “Oh no prince, I know what you’re thinking.” “It’s not from the emperor. Though I admit he was really angry last night. But he just warned me to stay on my boundary which I don’t understand what he means.”

“Then where is it from?” He sighed and shyly scratched his head. I saw Lilianna shakes her head while smirking as if she knew what really happened. “Uh you know we got home late night already right? I forgot that I told my battalion that I will be back at the field quickly to monitor them…..” “But yeah, as I said, I forgot. So our very head of the knights have heard about that and he gave me a lesson for my irresponsibleness hehe.” He was blushing so much. He looks like an apple. I looked at him in disbelief and guilt. I want to laugh so so hard, but I remembered I am also the reason why he forgot it. But damn it, it’s so hard to contain it. He is so fool. I playfully shakes my head as I looked at him with amusement. “Stop that Jinu I swear!” He shouts like a child being bullied. We all laughed together.

We were sitting at the bench at the side of the field as we watched the knights. I don’t mind Lilianna being with us, I felt comfortable with him though she was a bit cold. I learned that’s how she really is, as what Taeran also said a while ago, earning a smack on the head from Lilianna. I also learned they were childhood friends. “Prince Jinu, what’s that on your neck?” Lilianna asked.  “Is that a hickey?” She looks like she regretted asking it after she confirmed what it was, . I forgot Mino put these here. Damn. Damn. Damn. My feet got weak from embarrassment and shock. I looked like a spaghetti now, no. I am a carbonara since all my blood got drained from nervousness. Damn you Minocius! I looked at Taeran but weirdly he was just staring at me with his blank expression. He doesn’t say anything. That’s what happened before he called out Lilianna that they need to go back now to do their jobs. He bid me goodbye without looking at me. For some odd reasons, he’s cold to me. After that I also went back inside the palace and tried reading books from the library.

I didn’t realize the time until one of the butlers called me that the emperor is looking for me and he’s waiting at me in our room. “Why?”

“The emperor said the palace’s strategy team is expected to have a meeting with you my prince. It is about the help you promise the emperor you will give to prevent losing from the war as the exchange of your stay here.” Oh. So this butler knows why I’m here. Maybe he’s one of the trusted people of the emperor.  “Okay.” I smiled at him before heading to Mino.

I am still upset with what Mino have done to my neck. I mean, I like it but still. That was embarrassing. I saw him standing near the window. I walk hurriedly towards him. His eyebrows furrowed while looking at my expression. I know I look pissed. "Is there a problem?" He carefully asked. "The hickeys! Taeran saw them!" His confused expression turns into a playful and triumph grin. "What's wrong with that?" He raised his eyebrow at me. I looked at him in disbelief. I don't even know where I got my courage to do that. I turned my back from him and walks to the walk in closet. It's not that I hate him, but I'm embarrassed both from Taeran and of course him. I stopped on my tracks when he hugged my waist from my back. "Baby..." he said breathlessly. "I'm sorry for acting impulsively. Hmm?" He nuzzled my neck and as I looked at my side, his eyes were closed. "Why did you do that?" He lifted his chin from my neck. "I don't want other man or woman touching you like that, like last night. I just want them to know." "And why is that?" I don't know but I'm curious, and I felt my heart beats rapidly as I asked that. I saw his lips form in a straight line. "I just hate it Jinu."

He told me he will go first to the meeting room and that I will just follow him after I take a shower. After showering I changed my clothes. I went out our room and walks my way to the room where Mino and the strategy team is waiting.

The two guards outside the meeting room opened the two huge doors slowly. The people inside the room looked my way. I gulped as I bowed my head to them as a sign of respect. I saw Mino sitting at the center edge of the long table. I made my way towards the only seat available, beside Mino. As I sit at the elegant wooden chair, Mino puts his left arm at the back of my chair in a possessive stance. “Okay let’s start.” He said as he let me put out my ideas to the people we’re all facing. Thank goodness I have read the novel and I know what will happen on the wars that the palace will face. I used that knowledge to help them prevent losing the upcoming possible wars that will harm the palace. I’m slowly getting confident and comfortable talking with them about the plans, but not with Mino. He places his one hand at my thigh and caresses it from time to time. I know he does not mean anything ual from it. I don’t know if it’s just because he’s too gentle and his hand went higher or it might be from my undeniable ual attraction to him that I quietly lets out a moan. He looks like he was shocked when he heard it as he stop caressing my thigh. Thankfully it’s not that loud for other people inside the room to hear. He shifted on his seat and crosses his legs. He removed his hands from my thigh and wrapped it around my waist tightly but not to the point of hurting me. He was like a lion marking his territory. While he is talking to the team, he is feeling my waist up and down like a guardian calming his child. The meeting had ended after a couple of hours. The strategy team walks out the room one by one until we decided to follow.

Mino holds my hand as we exited the room side by side. “I heard that.” He said after a while. That made me confuse. It takes me a couple of minutes to remember. After figuring out what he meant, I felt the heat crawled out its way to my cheeks. I’ve been blushing multiple times this day! Shame on you Jinu! I heard him laugh as his hand holds mine tighter and we walked slowly on our way to our room.