Ji-hwan should have known that the king would not be satisfied with one test alone.
Since that night, Seong-min had become more brazen. The king made excuses to keep him near—hesitant looks, careless touches, innocuous-sounding remarks that made Ji-hwan's heart pound despite himself.
And today was no exception.
Seong-min leaned against the open window, the golden light shadowing his angular features. Ji-hwan stayed in his seat, reading from a freshly written policy.
"…if restrictions on trade are removed, it may—"
"I have something to ask."
Seong-min cut him off.
Ji-hwan looked up. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
The king smiled at him, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Have we ever met?"
Ji-hwan's breath caught.
Seong-min smiled, a slow and deliberate one. "You respond as if you know me well. You read my moods, my choices."
Ji-hwan strained his expression into careful neutrality. "I merely observe, Your Majesty."
Seong-min advanced another step. "Ah. And it's merely observation."
He paused just behind Ji-hwan's chair, fingers trailing across the carved wood. Ji-hwan sensed the heat of his presence, his own heartbeat betraying him.
Seong-min leaned in, his voice a whisper against Ji-hwan's ear.
"Then… what do you see now?"
Ji-hwan tightened his fists. Damn him.
Seong-min was playing with him, pushing him to his limits by testing his restraint, relishing the hunt.
Ji-hwan breathed in deeply and shifted a little bit, their lips inches from each other.
"That Your Majesty delights in watching me get flustered," he retorted suavely.
Seong-min's smile expanded. "Very good."
Ji-hwan had won the battle of this round—but how long could he sustain this game?