CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37: HER NAME IS SERIN

The sound that cut him off wasn’t a voice. It was a crack.

Meical’s fist connected with his face before anyone could blink.

Dorian stumbled, crashing into the marble floor with a groan.

Fuck! I hate this man. Meical thought to himself.

Veynar shouted "How dare you!" but Meical’s other hand shot out, grabbing him by the collar and sending him sprawling beside his son with a heavy thud.

Gasps echoed through the chamber. The guards stiffened but didn’t move, even they looked uncertain whether to interfere.

Radomir leaned forward slowly, the wine forgotten. His voice was low. "Meical, Meical...we talk with our words here.."

Meical straightened, breathing slow but heavy, his knuckles bloodied. "Your Majesty."

"I asked for an explanation.." Radomir said. "Not a demonstration."

Veynar groaned, trying to lift himself up. "You see? You see what kind of man he is? He acts without cause, like a rabid animal."

Meical’s jaw flexed. He turned to Radomir. "You really want to know the cause?"

The hall went silent.

Radomir’s tone softened, curious but cold. "Enlighten me."

Meical’s eyes burned. "These bastards assaulted my wife."

The words hit the air like a sword dropped point-first.

They did what?! To who?!

Radomir’s wine cup slipped from his hand, shattering against the steps. "What did you say?"

Meical took a step closer, his voice breaking through the stillness.

"They touched him and made him cry. And you ask me why I struck them?"

Radomir rose from his throne, eyes wide with fury,not just rage, but something darker, personal. "You mean Kaizar?" His voice trembled. "They touched Kaizar?"

Meical nodded once. "If they weren’t your subjects, Your Majesty, they’d already be corpses."

Radomir’s hand clenched around the armrest of his throne, veins rising along his neck.

"Guards!" he bellowed, his voice booming across the hall. "Take them. Drag them to the dungeons."

Veynar froze, color draining from his face. "Your Majesty, wait, we.."

Radomir’s eyes blazed. "You dare defile what’s mine.."

Meical’s head snapped toward him. "Yours?" His tone was sharp, dangerous. "He’s my wife. Don’t forget your place."

The hall went still again.

Radomir’s glare met Meical’s, burning. Two men bound by the same obsession, standing on opposite sides of fury.

And as the guards dragged Veynar and Dorian screaming from the hall, the air between them tightened, thick with anger, jealousy, and something neither dared name.

Radomir’s jaw tightened, his fingers curling against the edge of his throne as the last echoes of Veynar’s and Dorian’s cries faded from the hall.

His eyes locked on Meical, and the warmth in them, that pretense of sympathy...vanished.

"Mind your tone, Meical.." he said, voice low and sharp. "Do not forget who stands before you. You may be his husband, but I am your king. Do not push your luck."

Meical bowed his head slightly, but the gesture was more restraint than respect. "I’ve never forgotten that, Your Majesty."

Radomir rose from his throne, each step deliberate, his crimson cloak dragging behind him like spilled blood. "Then remember this too, Kaizar doesn’t care for you. He plays his games, charms whoever he pleases, and you’re just convenient. Don’t act so high and mighty as if you’re the one he’s chosen."

The words were venom, and they hit their mark. Meical’s hands tightened into fists at his sides. He said nothing for a long moment. The truth in those words stung, all morning, Kaizar had barely spoken to him, he feared for the worst.

Radomir smiled faintly, as if savoring the silence. "See? Even now, you know I’m right."

But Meical finally looked up, meeting the king’s gaze with an icy calm. "Perhaps. But whether he loves me or not, he is still mine. My wife. Not yours."

The hall seemed to shrink around them.

Meical turned away, his cloak brushing against the marble as he strode for the door. "Take your eyes off a married man, Your Majesty. You have a kingdom to tend to. Try doing that instead of lusting after someone you can’t have."

Radomir’s nostrils flared. "Watch your mouth!"

Meical didn’t answer. The door slammed behind him, echoing like a final insult.

Outside, the cold air hit his face. He drew a long breath, forcing himself to calm. There was no point in returning home yet, Kaizar wouldn’t want to see him.

The carriage rolled forward, wheels rattling against cobblestone. Meical’s gaze lingered on the city through the narrow window, on the cracked walls, the crowded stalls, the faint smell of poverty that no royal decree could ever wash away.

By the time they reached the court hall, a long queue had already formed outside, villagers clutching petitions, tradesmen with ledgers, mothers with tired eyes and hungry children.

Meical stepped down, his presence cutting through the murmurs. He didn’t bark orders or flaunt his title, he simply walked past them and into the dim hall, where the air was thick with voices pleading for help.

He listened, case by case, from stolen land to unpaid wages. Some he resolved on the spot, others he recorded for further review.

His words were sharp but fair, measured with the same restraint he’d used against Radomir’s venom.

It wasn’t glamourous work but it kept his hands busy, and his mind off Kaizar.

---

Meanwhile, back at the mansion.

The heavy doors opened as Min-jae and Vanadis stepped in, the scent of polished wood and incense drifting faintly through the hall.

The maids hurried over to greet them with soft smiles and careful curtsies.

One of them, a petite girl with warm brown eyes, stepped forward to help Min-jae remove his coat. "Welcome back, madame. Would you like lunch prepared? You skipped breakfast this morning."

Min-jae blinked, studying her face. It took a moment to place her, she was the same maid who had entered his room the first night he arrived here or was it the second day?

"What’s your name?" he asked, his tone calm but curious.

She looked startled for a moment, then smiled shyly. "Serin, my lord."

"Serin.." Min-jae repeated, testing the sound of it. "That’s a pretty name." He nodded slightly.

"Yes, I’ll have lunch. And... is there a greenhouse or perhaps a shed somewhere on the property? I need a place for some work."

"There’s a shed near the back gardens.." Serin replied, instantly brightening. "It’s usually used for storage, but it’s clean. I can show you, if you like!"