Inside Hoseok's Seoul apartment

Kyla's hands carefully grasped the small fruit basket when she trudged past the people climbing the stone staircase. The flowy peach-toned skirt wrapped around her petite waist danced across the hallways of the building.

She finally stood in front of Hoseok's apartment, and with a long inhale, she rang the bell. After a few minutes of wait, Mrs Jung opened the door and when her eyes met Kyla's, a pleasant smile quickly curled up across her lips.

After exchanging a smile, Kyla stepped inside the apartment and handed the fruit basket to Hoseok's mother.

"Oh, there wasn't a need for this, Kyla." Mrs Jung said while sitting on the couch and gesturing for Kyla to get seated as well.

"It's fine, Mrs Jung. How are you by the way?" Kyla asked while tugging a strand of her blue highlights behind her ear.

"All thanks to you that I'm fine now. If that day you didn't knock on my door, I wonder what would've happened to me?... Thank you, Kyla."

A proud and genuine smile lined Kyla's red-tinted lips as she thought about winning over Mrs Jung.

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Inside the royal court of Kim clan

When Jeong Ho's eyes met Namjoon, his heart quickened, and a flicker of recognition sparkled in his chest. He had seen those eyes before, in fleeting moments shared long ago.

As soon as Namjoon stepped inside the royal court Taehyung's posture stiffened, his hands travelled towards the sides of his thighs as they slowly formed into a fist. His brows slightly furrowed as he witnessed his half-brother walking in a long black trench coat, slick back hairs and an aura that demanded respect and radiated dominance.

Namjoon's mind constantly revolved around the fact that he is related to the King. Losing focus he tried his best to maintain his professionalism as the Head of the Defence Department when the King's voice echoed inside the royal hall and ordered the sentries to bring the perpetrators.

The royal guard bowed before he went out of the court to fetch Min Yoongi and his disciples while Y/n and Hoseok scattered away from Namjoon who still stood in front of the King.

"Your majesty, how have you been?" Namjoon asked while glancing at the marble floor.

"I'm doing well. Anything to report on who shot the arrow?"

"I sincerely apologise for the late progress, Your Majesty. We only managed to find that those arrows were from a local store in our market but the owner of the shop didn't remember the face of the buyer, nor did he keep the records of the purchases. "

The King sighed, "I see... get seated everyone."

As per the King's demand, everyone got seated on the cushioned chairs provided in the hall. The chairs were dispersed on both sides of the aisle which led towards the throne, with three chairs on each side.

Taehyung sat closest to the King's throne while SeokJin was beside him the whole time. Y/n and Hoseok sat on the opposite side leaving the closest chair, opposite to Taehyung, empty.

As Namjoon was the last one to sit, he was hesitant to get seated closest to the King and right in front of the Crown Prince whose eyes were stuck on him as he felt him sending daggers on his back. Namjoon proceeded to opt for the farthest one, beside SeokJin but the King's command stopped him in his tracks.

"You can sit here, Namjoon," King added while pointing towards the empty chair in front of his younger son. Taehyung's gaze darted towards his father before he shifted them to the floor.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Namjoon followed the  King's order and briefly glanced towards Taehyung before his eyes met with SeokJin. The tension building inside the royal court settled as the door slid open and everyone's mind shifted to the criminals entering the room.

The black King and his mates entered the grand room like a procession of criminals, their wrists cuffed with spelt shackles that clinked like ominous bells.

Yoongi was leading the three men behind him, his once-proud customised tuxedo now hung in tatters around his frame. His head was held high, defiance etched into his features, though the dullness in his eyes spoke of the battle he lost, he still chose to wear a smirk that seemed to mock the very idea of punishment.

Jihoon was the second one to enter the courtroom; with each step, he flickered his gaze around the court, and it eventually landed on Y/n and Hoseok. His eyes softened as a wave of guilt washed over his body.

Y/n's heart suddenly thumped faster when her mind started flashing the memories of that cursed day in front of her eyes. A surge of emotions like sadness, betrayal and fear took over her senses when she saw Jihoon.

Namjoon, Hoseok and SeokJin's eyes were fixed on her, as they expected this kind of reaction, but Hoseok, being the closest one to Y/n, gently pressed her hand together with his. Jihoon lowered his head in guilt upon witnessing her reaction while Y/n glanced towards Hoseok assuring him that she was fine.

Behind Jihoon came Jimin and Jeongguk. Neither did Jimin have the will to face anyone, nor was he yet ready to surrender to the judgment awaiting him.

Jeongguk, being the eager one to get involved in a battle and his constantly rising fighter instincts, suffered the most wounds and tattered clothes. The tattoos peeking from the ripped sleeve of his black t-shirt looked like a map of misfortune.

His expression was one of resignation, an acceptance of fate that weighed heavily on his broad shoulders. Yet, beneath that exterior lay a flicker of rebellion, a lingering hope that this day might not end in despair.

"BOW DOWN!" One of the sentries guarding them aggressively commanded, but a hushed silence fell over the court as the King raised a hand, his expression inscrutable.

"The guards can leave."

"But father! It's not safe, they can play any trick on us."

"Guards, leave." The King commanded while ignoring Taehyung's concern gaining a scoff from Yoongi.

After the guards left, Jeong Ho instructed SeokJin to announce the rules, and SeokJin quickly proceeded to explain the importance of the oath, emphasizing the legal obligation to tell the truth. He reminded the witnesses that lying under oath can result in severe penalties.

After SeokJin had wrapped up the speech, Jeong Ho's eyes lingered from person to person and got stuck on the petite human sitting in an anxious posture.

"Miss Y/n, let us start with you."

The sudden call of her name made Y/n startled, but she managed to mouth a yes.

"Please introduce yourself."

Y/n nodded, and with a hint of trepidation, she announced the basic information about her.

"How did you end up here?" Jeong Ho curiously asked as he folded his arms together, leaning forward with interest.

"These two pushed me inside the portal," Y/n said while pointing at Jimin and Jeongguk. The sudden allegation made the two gumihos' expressions stunned with terror as they gulped hard.

"Well that's something new to hear, but how were you able to see the portal, is my question." The King clarified and Y/n glanced at Namjoon. He slowly blinked his eyes in assurance making Y/n answer the question.

"I accidentally gulped a gumiho's bead, Your Majesty."

"Who's?"

"Uhm, Namjoon's."

The King eyed Namjoon for a moment before he lined his lips together in confusion, "Namjoon, did you two know each other? And why were you wandering in the human world despite being the Head of the Defence Department?"

Namjoon's expression became denser; he stood up and walked forward; for a moment, he fell out of words before he spoke with dubiety, "I had a reason, Your Majesty. "

"Look, Namjoon, I do not intend to want you to reveal your reason, but as for the need of the situation, it's necessary to know everything before ending up in a conclusion. Do you agree with me?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. "

"Then tell us how it happened; I assure you that nobody will judge you."

The softness in Jeong Ho's voice while talking to Namjoon filled Taehyung's heart with uneasiness and jealousy. The unexpected appearance of his half-brother in his father's life was making him insecure and afraid to lose the only source of parental love he had.

Namjoon glanced into his father's mystic orbs while he finally mustered up the courage to speak, "I went there in search of my birth mother."

The King's eyes were now sharply fixed in his direction. A hint of sadness brushed Jeong Ho's heart; his eyes were filled with regret as he gazed into Namjoon's orbs. For a while, the father and the son kept gazing into each other's soul, indicating the rising questions, in search of answers or maybe finding comfort in each other.

"I also heard you met your friend, Jung Hoseok, who's a hybrid residing in the human world. How?"

"It was a coincidental meet-up in the forest, Your Majesty. And then I asked him for a favour, to gather information about my mother. "

"Mr Jung, is this true?" The King inquired.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Hoseok replied in confirmation, making Kim Jeong Ho stare at the still corner of the hall; he crinkled his brows together as if connecting the dots and figuring out the next question. A few seconds later, he finally questioned, but this time, it was thrown in the direction of the black King.

"Min Yoongi, from what you intended to do, it looked like a well-planned occurrence. Considering Y/n accidentally gulped Namjoon's bead, you were aware of every step, so tell me, who was helping you from behind?" The King asked, his attention, now on the perpetrator.

Yoongi's gaze darted towards the King, a hint of hatred visible in his eyes. A scoff escaped from his mouth before he blurted in a less audible voice, "I have my ways."

"MIN YOONGI!"

Taehyung gritted his teeth before standing up, ready to land a punch on the black King's pale features.

"Your Highness!" SeokJin gushed over to grab Taehyung by his shoulder and arm. He then proceeded to pull him back on his chair while the King disappointingly gazed in their direction.

"Prince Taehyung, if you're sitting here while ignoring the fact that the royal court is not a place to use violence, then you may leave." Jeong Ho warned his son before he shifted his attention towards Yoongi again.

"Yoongi, the more it's easier for us, the more it will be easier for you. If you still insist on staying silent, then I'll have to instruct my guards to peel that thick skin of yours until you're ready to speak!"

Even though the brutal threat sent a shiver down his spine, Yoongi maintained his evil smile, "Jihoon gave me information about the things happening with Y/n and Hoseok while there was this person from the Defence Department who gave us information."

Yoongi said and further added while grunting, "How dumb," he mumbled while glancing at Namjoon.

"Maybe you were helping us indirectly," Yoongi said as his gaze was stuck on Namjoon, "By revealing details to your assistant... In Gyeop," his voice was gruff but honest, and it resonated with a truth that hung uncomfortably in the air.

It took some seconds when Namjoon's initially crinkled brows went wide in realisation while Yoongi smirked, the scar on his left eye accentuating his evil gesture.

The room remained still, and hearts raced as they absorbed the gravity of the betrayal revealed.

"How did he agree?" The head of the Defence Department clenched his fists tightly, reducing his urge to go find In Gyeop and decapitate him.

"What will I get in return," Yoongi added before turning his attention towards the throne and continued, "The King's soul?"

"MIN YOONGI!"

"MIN YOONGI!"

Namjoon and Taehyung's voices echoed from opposite sides of the aisle as they both simultaneously glared in Yoongi's direction.

"Oh, no," Jimin mumbled under his breath as the corners of his mouth turned downwards when he shook his head in disappointment.

"Hyung stop! This is not who you were!" Jihoon claimed. At the moment, the only difference between his feature's striking similarity and the black King's was that his features carried a look of anguish and remorse, while Yoongi lacked both.

The King was extraordinarily calm, Taehyung couldn't believe it and nor did SeokJin and Namjoon. Maybe he was prepared for something like this, or maybe the poison was finally showing its symptoms.

After a long sigh, Jeong Ho finally spoke,  "Yoongi, my dear, even if the friendship between me and your father was ruined in the end, but I can assure you that your father is not appreciating you from the heavens."

Yoongi's orbs twitched and darted towards the King. At the mention of his deceased father, Yoongi felt an ache in his heart; his eyes were now filled with tears of desire, searching for a father's affection.

"Yoongi-ah, you don't have to do this to yourself. Do not pretend to be someone whom you're not," the King said, sadness hinting in his voice. The warmth radiating from Jeong Ho's voice felt like a balm on his troubled spirit.

However, Yoongi was not yet ready to accept this as according to him, Jeong Ho was someone because of whom there was a void in his relationship with his father that left him yearning for connection.

"I'll reveal everything, Your Majesty," Jihoon mentioned while Jimin and Jeongguk nodded.

"We made a pact with In Gyeop for gold and power," Jihoon declared while Yoongi silently listened, his head hung low.

"It all started when, one day in the royal garden, the Crown Prince was taking lessons from His Majesty. In Gyeop was supposed to take the signatures of His Majesty on a document sent by the Head of the Defence Department. The pact was on, and it turned out to be a great opportunity to learn new information. He eavesdropped the conversation and learned about the human who saved the injured King from dying in childhood."

"LEE HAE JUN." Jeongguk suddenly exclaimed.

"And then it was an easy task for us to gain information about this human. We found out that he was–"

✧

A/n: so so something more is revealed and many more things are yet to get revealed. I'm sorry for the late updates guys, I'm trying to manage everything that's going on. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, btw what do you guys think will happen to that scowldog In Gyeop?
Tell me in the comments section.
And don't forget to vote! This is a warning!