CHAPTER 112: CHAPTER 112:THE FIRST I EVER BEGGED TO STAY

Meical was consumed by a whirlwind of emotions, the weight of decades of longing and rejection crashing down on him like a tidal wave. He felt like he was drowning in his pain, unable to catch his breath.

The beauty of the garden around him - the vibrant roses, the warm sunshine, the gentle breeze - seemed to mock him, a cruel reminder of the turmoil raging inside.

He turned away from Tatiana, his vision blurred by tears, and stumbled away, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

His mind was a jumbled mess, but one thought kept surfacing: Min-jae.

He needed Min-jae, needed his calm, his steady presence.

He found Min-jae in the courtyard, standing tall and serene, his eyes fixed on the sky. Meical’s heart ached with gratitude as he saw him, and he couldn’t help but run to him, throwing himself into Min-jae’s arms.

Min-jae’s gentle voice was a soothing balm to his battered soul. "Did you speak to your family?" he asked, his words a gentle probe into Meical’s raw emotions.

Meical nodded, his face buried in Min-jae’s shoulder, unable to speak.

"Did she hurt you?" Min-jae asked, his voice laced with concern.

Meical nodded again, his body shaking with sobs.

"Did you get the closure you needed?" Min-jae’s question was a gentle whisper, and Meical nodded once more.

A small nod was all Min-jae needed. "Then it’s fine.." he said, his voice soft but firm. "You don’t need her."

Meical lifted his tear-stained face, his eyes pleading. "Kaizar... please don’t leave me," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "If you want to leave... don’t leave me behind."

Min-jae’s expression clouded, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face.

He was a being from another world, bound by rules and constraints Meical couldn’t understand.

He couldn’t promise permanence, couldn’t assure Meical that he would never leave.

But he didn’t need to. With a gentle touch, he guided Meical back to their room, his presence a comforting anchor in the storm. Meical’s tears continued to fall, but Min-jae’s calm, steady gaze kept him grounded.

As they stood together, Meical’s lips found Min-jae’s, the kiss a desperate, an urgent plea for comfort and reassurance.

Min-jae’s arms wrapped around him, holding him tight, letting Meical pour out his fear, his pain, and his longing.

"I’m here," Min-jae whispered, his voice a gentle promise. "I’m not going anywhere."

Meical clung to him, letting the words wash over him, letting himself believe.

Slowly, his sobs subsided, his tears drying on his cheeks. He lifted his head, his eyes still shining with vulnerability.

"I’m... I’m okay now.." he whispered, his voice hoarse. "As long as you’re here, I... I can be okay."

Min-jae’s hold tightened, his eyes filled with a deep, unwavering commitment. "You don’t need anyone else.." he said, his voice soft but resolute. "Not her, not them. "

Meical pulled back, his eyes locking onto Min-jae’s, red-rimmed and wet with tears.

His face was etched with desperation, every line trembling with vulnerability. "Promise me.." he whispered, the words seeming to rip from his chest. "Promise me you won’t leave. Promise me you’ll stay with me... and that you’ll love me too. Even if it’s pathetic, just tell me something I can hold unto.."

Min-jae’s gaze held Meical’s, his expression softening with a mix of emotions.

He raised a hand, his fingers brushing away the tears on Meical’s cheeks with a gentle reverence.

His thumb lingered beneath Meical’s eye as he let out a slow, tired sigh, one that trembled with a hint of conflict.

"Meical..." Min-jae’s voice was a gentle whisper, "I don’t know what’s worse." He paused, his words softening further. "Lying to you just to soothe you... or telling you the truth even if it breaks something inside you."

Meical’s breath caught, but Min-jae continued to gently wipe away his tears, one by one. "I love you.." he said, his voice plain, steady, and devastating in its honesty.

"I’m madly in love with you. If it were only up to me, I would stay with you until I’m old and wrinkled and useless. I would grow old beside you, die beside you... I would choose that happiness without thinking."

Meical’s lips parted, his eyes widening with a fragile, desperate hope. "But.." Min-jae continued, his voice gentle, "I can’t promise you forever. Not when I don’t know what waits for me. Not when I don’t know if I’ll be taken, or moved, or called somewhere you can’t follow."

He could he just abandoned his family.

Pain flickered through Meical’s eyes, raw and sharp, but he didn’t look away. Min-jae cupped his face, holding him with a careful, gentle touch.

"For now.." he whispered, his forehead touching Meical’s, "I am right here. I am not leaving. Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Not as long as I can choose to stay."

Meical finally stopped moving. The trembling had faded, the sobs had subsided, and he just... laid there, forehead pressed against Min‑jae’s lap.

His arms were limp, his chest still rising and falling, but the tension in his shoulders remained.

Min‑jae’s fingers threaded through his hair, rubbing slow circles into the roots, letting the warmth of his hand seep into Meical’s skin.

He didn’t speak for a long moment, letting the silence settle around them, letting the world outside the room fall away.

"You’re heavier than you look ." Min‑jae said finally, voice soft, teasing just enough to make the air feel lighter. "I might need a pillow next time."

Meical didn’t respond, but the faint twitch of his lips betrayed the smallest spark of a smile.

"I’ve been thinking.." Min‑jae continued, fingers brushing along Meical’s temple "You’ve taken all my firsts, did I take any of your firsts? Is there anything that’s just us?"

Meical wasn’t exactly the innocent type and in the novel Seraphine wasn’t the only woman he slept with.

Meical blinked at him, still half‑curled on his lap, confused for a heartbeat before the meaning of Min‑jae’s question settled.

"You’ve taken all my firsts.." Min‑jae murmured, fingers gliding through his hair. "Did I take any of yours? Is there anything that’s just us?"

Meical’s breath caught.

Not because the question hurt but because it was embarrassingly easy to answer.

He lowered his eyes, cheeks warm, voice small in a way it never was with anyone else.

"...Yes."

Min‑jae’s hand paused. "Oh? Which ones?"

Meical hesitated, the words sticking in his throat, but Min‑jae’s touch steadied him.

He exhaled slowly.

"You were my first dance.." he said quietly. "No one’s ever danced with me before you. Not once."

Min‑jae’s lips softened into a real smile.

"And..." Meical swallowed. "You were the first person to make me laugh without me forcing it. Not the polite laugh I give at banquets. Not the empty one I use when I want people to leave me alone. A real laugh."

Min‑jae’s eyes warmed, his thumb brushing Meical’s cheek.

Meical continued, voice even softer now, almost shy, almost boyish.

"And... you’re the first person I ever fell asleep beside.." he whispered. "Not because I was drunk or out of guilt. Just... trusting you was enough to close my eyes."

A pause.

"...And you’re the first person I ever begged to stay."

His fingers tightened on Min‑jae’s sleeve, timid and desperate all at once.

"So yes.." he breathed, barely above a whisper. "You took a lot of my firsts. More than you can ever imagine."

Min-jae smiled, that was reassuring to hear.

"Does hearing that make you happy?"

Min-jae blushed, he didn’t want to admit that it did make him happy.

He didn’t reply Meical, he found it crazy that he had confessed to Meical today.

Was he really ready to let go of his family?

Was it really possible for him to go back to his original world?

He didn’t know if he should harbor anymore hope.

He didn’t know if it was right to live this short term happiness, what if he didn’t want to leave Meical after all this.

"You aren’t say anything. Is there something wrong? You can tell me anything.."

Min-jae sighed, well he shouldn’t worry about that now.

He believed there was still time.

For now, he should focus on taking Seraphine down.

Next would be to start his businesses proper and build his lands in the north.

He also need to support Meical when it was time for him run for King ship.

"It’s nothing, I was just making plans. It’s going to get busy really soon. Best to prepare my mind.."

Saar should be heading back with some report by now. He hoped it’d be using information.