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“Yeong,” the King greets, half way through a yawn. “Right on time, you’re too good at this. Did you hide some more cameras again?”
Electing to ignore him, Yeong continues on his careful inspection of the room. He runs a hand along the window sill, checks the locks. Still firm, that’s good. He moves on to the closet next.
“Planning on stealing some clothes? I’ve got a few suits that would look good on you. You haven’t bought any new ones in a while,” the King says, pulling on his robe. He wanders over to where Yeong is scanning every inch of the closet.
As Yeong is pulling out the drawers, the King leans over and plucks out an intricately patterned black tie. Yeong already knows what’s coming and ducks out of the way the second he tries to loop it around Yeong’s neck.
“No,” Yeong commands, countering every step forward with one step back. “I haven’t checked the closet yet.”
“You can wear it while you check,” the King replies with a smile. His excitement matches Yeong’s equal irritation.
“I’m not wearing it,” Yeong disagrees, thankful for the ridiculous size of the closet. He moves around the King’s second attack with ease.
“Come on, you didn’t wear the one I wanted you to wear yesterday,” the King complains with a pout. “This one looks way more normal, Yeong. No one will even notice!”
The bodyguard eyes up the tie, which seems to have the outline of roses stitched into it. The thread is a dark navy, blending in with the black. Yeong will admit that it is an improvement to yesterday. Anything is an improvement to yesterday.
Wordlessly, he snatches the tie out of the King’s hands. He puts it over his neck and begins to tie it, backing away from the King who keeps on reaching like he wants to do it himself.
“So difficult,” the King murmurs, sighing. Despite his saddened tone, Yeong can see the mischievous grin tugging at his lips. Yeong looks at the King with suspicion, beginning to regret his compliance.
Strangely, the King leans against the wall comfortably and allows Yeong to finish his security sweep with only some small interruptions. As soon as Yeong calls in the staff to help prepare the King for his day, Yeong gets kicked out. Not unusual, but…
Yeong runs his fingers along the tie in thought.
Suspicious.
While he waits, he checks in with his team. They update him on some tabloid article that’s caught the attention of a few rabid royalists, who have since started a small gathering on the outskirts of the palace grounds. Harmless, one of his team says. Annoying, mutters another.
Yeong runs the timetable for the day over with the new information, then pulls out his phone to make some minor adjustments. He barely has time to skim read his emails before the King makes a dramatic appearance.
Normally he strides off to the kitchen leaving Yeong to catch up, but today the King pauses and turns towards him with a smug grin. Yeong immediately spots what is going on and quietly curses himself for letting himself get caught up in this.
“Do you like it?” the King says, tugging at his own tie. It’s a copy of Yeong’s, same flower pattern, but in red.
Yeong hates it.
Reasonably, Yeong walks away as fast as he can without looking like he is trying to escape. He ignores the footsteps which quickly catch up with a practiced ease.
“Is that a couple’s tie?” Yeong hears through his earpiece.
Taking a deep breath, Yeong reminds himself that it would be treason to strangle his King.