Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Ouch. Yoongi rubbed the back of his head. It was throbbing, and his headache was killing him. Sitting up, he looked around. Where in the world was he? The entire room was foreign to him, even the bed he was sitting in. Never in his life had he seen anything like this before. He just never had the money to afford such luxuries, so why was the room adorned with expensive-looking furniture? The bed he was currently in had a willowy canopy, and the room was as large as his apartment. Turning his head a little, he gasped. Why did he look so young and supple? Yoongi’s skin looked smooth, unlike how he remembered it this morning. Thank goodness they hadn’t done anything too weird to him though.

In fact, what happened? The last thing he remembered was trying to swerve on his scooter to avoid hitting a truck. Did someone take him home and treat him? There was no way his delivery job could pay off the medical fees the other person had no doubt suffered, so he would have to pay them back another way. For now, maybe it was best that he left silently and quickly and paid back the debt later on in life. Yeah. That sounded fine. As he rustled his sheets, he looked down at himself. Mental reminder to change out of the weird eighteenth-century nightwear he had on right now. Opening up the gigantic windows to hopefully jump out of what looked like the second floor of this mansion, he winced as it creaked and squeaked horribly. Well, there went his chance. Just in time, a young and fresh-faced boy burst into the room holding a wobbling pile of sheets. He looked even shorter than the already too-short Yoongi, and his eyes which had a slight droop widened. Curiously, his hair was a soft shade of pink. 

“Master Yoongi! You’re awake!” The boy’s plump mouth dropped, and he tossed all the linens onto the floor as he ran out of the room in a panic.

What was up with that? Did they take a look at his ID when he wasn’t awake? Speaking of his ID, he couldn’t see any of his belongings anywhere in the room. Whoever this house belonged to was clearly affluent, so they would have no incentive for stealing his bag, which probably only had a few measly dollars in cash and some trash stashed inside. His phone barely worked anyway, so he wouldn’t be surprised if it had smashed to bits in the crash. It was no use, he left no luxury pillow unturned in his search, yet-nothing. Absolutely nothing of his was here. Hearing a noise behind him, Yoongi spun to see the boy from before, looking a lot more meek with a plate of some sort in his hands.

“Who are you?”

“Park Jimin. I’m sorry if I offended you master Yoongi, p-please don’t punish me!” Jimin hurriedly bowed down, tucking his head under his folded arms, and his entire body was shaking. Huh? What was going on? Yoongi crouched down, kneeling in front of the boy.

“Why are you doing that Jimin? I’m not angry, so please quickly get up.” Jimin whipped his head up, his sakura coloured hair flying into Yoongi’s still open mouth.

“Pffff!” That was pretty gross, but he probably couldn’t help it, with how fast his head had come up. Jimin apologized profusely again, and the two went back and forth apologizing for a moment until Yoongi burst out laughing. Jimin just looked like he had seen someone die in front of him. That wasn’t very nice, Yoongi frowned.

“Do you really not remember anything young master?”

“Don’t know who the young master is, but if this is a prank you can take out the cameras now. It was pretty funny though,” Yoongi said while spinning around, squinting his eyes to try and spot the hidden cameras. Oddly enough, his eyesight must’ve gotten better without him noticing, because he didn’t have his glasses on, yet the images were very clear. 

“I don’t know what you’re saying, young master. I’ll let the duke know you have amnesia.” With that, Jimin left the plate of food on the dresser with the huge vanity, and he scurried away through the door.

Yoongi was absolutely perplexed. There was no reality TV show he remembered with premises like this, and although he wasn’t up to date with the trends he didn’t think any show could get away with kidnapping. So where in the fresh hell was he? From the surroundings alone, he would think he travelled back in time, but everything looked too different, not to mention the house decorations were western style but Jimin had spoken to him in modern Korean. Yoongi was no idiot, but he had absolutely no fucking clue what was going on. He had no idea who Jimin was, but it seemed Jimin knew exactly who Yoongi was.

Well, Yoongi wouldn’t find anything out on an empty stomach. He sat at the delicately carved vanity and dug in. The meal itself was pretty western, featuring just a simple soup and some soft bread, but Yoongi enjoyed it immensely. Being a broke college student who didn’t have supportive parents unsurprisingly didn’t pay well at all, so Yoongi often skipped meals. Peering at himself in the huge, shiny mirror on the vanity, at least he didn’t look as sickly as he did before. This alternate universe might not be so bad if he was filthy stinking rich, no matter how much Yoongi hated capitalism before. Yoongi might as well cry his heart out in his expensive canopy bed with soft sheets instead of crying in his dirty bottom-of-the-line apartment. At the sound of a knock, Yoongi turned to see Jimin accompanied by two people much taller than he was. The duke and the duchess, he guessed based on how extravagantly they were dressed.

“Yoongi. How do you feel?” The duke began. The duchess stood still for just a moment before her eyes welled up with tears and she rushed forward, hugging him with an absurd amount of strength. Although Yoongi had no idea what was going on, he clearly wasn’t the Yoongi he knew, and these two were probably his parents. Awkwardly, Yoongi wrapped his arms around the woman, rubbing her back as she wept silently into his shoulder. 

“I feel alright. I don’t know where we are though…” He trailed off, hoping someone would fill in. Thankfully, Jimin took the hint.

“Duke, after he took a tumble I believe Yoongi has amnesia. When he awoke, his behaviours were abnormal and he could not recall who I was.” Wow. Talk about rude. At this, Yoongi frowned slightly. What in the world was so abnormal about how he acted when he woke up? He ran the entire morning back, and the only thing he could consider abnormal was the discussion of film, which likely didn’t exist in this universe, or the apology battle between him and Jimin. Somehow, he doubted that those situations were what Jimin was talking about. He would have to ask Jimin later.

“How long do you think you’ll take to remember?” The duke was curt, although not necessarily rude. Honestly, Yoongi wasn’t sure. How long would he need to learn everything this Yoongi knew? Based on his confused look, the duke sighed.

“I’ll assign you a tutor, and we’ll play it by ear.”

“Thank you.” Yoongi still wasn’t sure if he should call the duke and duchess his father and mother, but he could work up to it if it was what they liked. He had to pay them back for this lavish lifestyle anyways.

Jimin lingered in the room, presumably to take the food Yoongi had left sitting out. In order to stall him and ask his own questions, Yoongi sat, playing with the rest of his soup. 

“Jimin.” Jimin visibly startled, jumping up a little. Jesus, was Yoongi that scary?

“You can relax. Don’t call me ‘master’ either, it’s weird.”

“B-but!”

“No buts! I won’t respond if you don’t call me Yoongi. Give it a try. Right now,” Yoongi insisted.

After several minutes of silence, Yoongi heard Jimin quietly mutter “Yoongi”, and he smiled, pleased at his breakthrough. Perhaps Jimin could be Yoongi’s friend. He never had the time to go out with friends in university, much too occupied with trying to earn money and not drown in his debts. It would be nice to have a friend.

“Why are you so scared of me? I noticed you were frightened when I addressed you. Speak freely, or else I won’t know what’s wrong.”

“I’m just a new hire, b-but other footmen who have been assigned to you have always terminated their contracts within a year of their hire. I used to work in the gardens, but I would hear stories about how you treated them.” Jimin was shaking violently now, so much that Yoongi had to stand up and guide him to take a seat. This only made things worse, but at least the poor thing didn’t look like he’d collapse.

“How would I treat them? Elaborate.”

“Some of them c-came back to the servant’s quarters with b-burn marks and whipping scars. They never spoke of it, but w-we mostly knew what was going on.” Jimin had stopped shaking now but he was hiccuping, and he covered his mouth to try and cover it. Yoongi just waited patiently for the hiccups to subside and for Jimin to continue. He was shocked though, he couldn’t believe anyone could be so cruel. Well, that wasn’t true. Being a minimum wage worker sucked ass, and he could totally see how an evil employer could do such despicable things in a universe without worker protection laws. At least he was here now, and he would never do these things again. Sorry to the old Yoongi, but this Yoongi knew about civil and workers rights.

“The duke assigned me here because I’m an orphan who was raised at the mansion. I’ve worked my entire life, and I’m the only one close enough in age to you that the duke felt comfortable with transferring. Today is my second day working for you, but your first time meeting me. You were out like a light without any sign of waking up after you tripped on the stairs outside and bumped your head. Sorry for not introducing myself properly, but you already know my name. I’ll be your footman from now on.”

The headache when he woke up made sense if it was a bump that was dangerous enough to knock out the original Yoongi and cause his soul to leave his body, allowing current Yoongi to infiltrate. It was nice that this kid’s name was also Yoongi though. That was the only explanation Yoongi had. If anyone from his life before heard what he was thinking, he would surely be shunned as a madman, but this web novel-esque explanation was all he had going for him. While Jimin was here, he might as well try to learn as much as he could.

“You can rest assured that none of that punishment will happen again. I will be fair,” Yoongi insisted. Although the dubious look on Jimin’s face was a little offensive, Yoongi felt it was fair if he considered the way this body’s previous soul had treated the workers. “You can doubt me, but I promise. I will prove myself somehow, and we can be on closer terms. For now, tell me about myself, for I know nothing.”

Jimin tapped his chin cutely, swinging his legs back and forth as he spoke. “Well, you’re the only child of the duke and duchess Min. You aren’t their biological child; I think you were adopted around the same time I was born. The couple cannot have a child but the duke notoriously loves his wife, who deeply desired a child, so from what I know of servant gossip, you were picked up off the street as a child beggar, and given a new life. The duke has been largely out of your life, busy with the work of the land, but the duchess has spoiled you. She has been your formal tutor for the last ten or so years, so this will be the first time you have an out of estate tutor.”

How ironic. The story of this body mirrored his situation now. Based on what Jimin told him, this body was probably at the tender age of twelve or thirteen. He was practically still a baby, in his university-worn eyes. That explained the soft skin.

“Do you know anything else? Not even about me, but about where we are right now is good too.”

“I’ve never had a formal education, but the Min estate is the largest in the kingdom. The duke is on good terms with the king, and the Min family is affluent and very wealthy. Visitors from out of our estate’s land often comment about the fair treatment here in comparison to the capital. The duke is a very honourable man. Hmm…” 

“What about the capital?”

“I’ve never been, but it is not too far from the mansion. In terms of land, it’s a lot less than the Min estate, but there are a lot more people. The capital houses the royal family, and it’s the area where a lot of merchants and magicians gather for their work.”

“Hold on. Magic?” That was awesome. Yoongi had been obsessed with video games in his youth, so this was like a dream come true for little Yoongi.

“I suppose you’ve forgotten that as well. Everyone in the land has been blessed with magic. The amount varies though. A proper diagnostic is offered to noble families, but because duchess Min has been schooling you, you’ve never taken one. You can just summon what you want as long as it is in your power. See?” Jimin opened his palm and a little sphere of clear water floated above it. Yoongi was mesmerized. 

How would magic work in this world? Jimin didn’t chant, so Yoongi tried to mimic what he had done. Holding out his fist, Yoongi imagined a small cherry blossom in his head. The flower was delicately pink, with five petals attached to the yellow stamen. He felt pressure in his palm, and to his surprise, sakura petals had erupted everywhere. Jimin was shrieking, in delight or in fear, Yoongi wasn’t sure. Well, this would be hard to clean up. Other servants were rushing into the room as well, shocked at the display they saw. The petals all floated their way out of the room through the window Yoongi had opened when he woke up, but the duke and duchess seemed to be at a loss for words as well.

“Did you do this?” The duchess asked, looking excited.

“Yeah mom. I did,” it slipped out of Yoongi’s mouth. He hadn’t meant to call her mom, but the warmth she exuded just made it feel natural. Thankfully, she didn’t look angry, she just laughed tearfully and picked him up, spinning him around in the dancing petals.

“Call me that from now on,” she insisted firmly, with a sparkle in her eyes that let Yoongi know he wouldn’t get out of it.

“Yeah, I will,” he laughed. The duke looked on with a fond and softened expression that Yoongi couldn’t see very well.

The petals had caused a commotion in the mansion, and Yoongi and Jimin had to sweep up any of the remaining mess, but it was fun. Before Yoongi was tucked into bed dutifully by Jimin, Yoongi asked Jimin to accompany him to play with magic out in front of the mansion the next day. Jimin agreed, blushing a little and looking down. He was super cute, Yoongi decided, and he would treat him like the little brother he never had. Yoongi also knew Jimin had never received a formal education, so he could probably retire early in the evenings and try to teach him to read and write. Being illiterate was unfortunate, whether in this universe or Yoongi’s old one.

Although Yoongi had accepted his situation quite readily, his body seemed different. At the break of dawn, Yoongi’s eyes flipped open of their own accord. He had to sigh. Why couldn’t he sleep in even when he became the son of a wealthy family with no worries in the world? Well, now that he was up, he had better do something with his time. The clock said it was barely past six in the morning, and even if Jimin was a dedicated servant, there was no way a ten year old boy would be up anytime soon. Yoongi wasn’t feeling particularly hungry either due to being fed a huge steak dinner and snacking on baked goods the entire day before. He flipped back his blankets and slipped his shoes into fur lined slippers so as to not shock his bare feet on the cold stone and wood floors in the mansion.

He had never looked outside of his room, and this was a good time to do so. The entire mansion seemed to be asleep, so Yoongi spared a glance both ways when he was out of his door before tiptoeing into the long halls. They were lined with a long soft rug dyed a deep burgundy colour, and there were random cabinets with flower vases set up along both sides of the hall. There was a ridiculous number of gigantic windows, so as his shadow was cast against the painted wall, Yoongi turned to admire the sunrise. The yellow-gold in his view reminded him of the landscape he would often see on his way to his first job in the mornings before his eight o’clock class, and the scene was so familiar he felt a tear trickle down his cheek. He had no way to get back, and he had already accepted his situation. With the light of the sun becoming more and more gold, he became more resolute in his decision to change his life for the better, wherever he was. It was beautiful, and Yoongi knew as long as he was here, he had a responsibility to the people living in his vast land. Although just a young child, he had a ways to go.

Continuing his way down the hall, he passed many curious rooms. The door to the duke’s study was slightly ajar, and Yoongi pushed it open just a little. Inside he saw bookshelves stacked to the top with books, and a wide desk covered in files. In the center, there were two rustic-looking couches facing each other with a geode topped coffee table in the center. It was likely the area where the duke would meet his guests. Seeing that there was still a figure hunched at the desk, Yoongi creeped closer to see that it was the duke passed out on top of his working files. The duke was deserving of his title as a competent and kind ruler, Yoongi thought. He retrieved a thin blanket draped over the back of one of the sofas and attempted to put it on the duke’s body. As best as his tiny body could, anyway. With one last glance at the grand room, he continued on.

Many of the rooms were storage, with some of the shelves being chock full of boxes and files. Although curious, Yoongi was too afraid that he would mess up the organization to touch anything, so he merely observed and moved on. His room was at one end of the hall, and at the other end he could see a large curtain. Running over there in excitement, Yoongi pulled the string to wave aside the heavy drapes as silently as he could, and he gasped. It was a huge painting. The duke was standing behind a red velvet chair, and the duchess was dressed in a beautiful frilly red dress, one that went with her brown hair perfectly. In her lap was a tiny version of Yoongi, even smaller than he was now. Even Yoongi had to admit it was a cute painting, so much so that he had to cover it again because he was blushing so furiously. 

Returning to the center of the hall, Yoongi saw stairs that presumably lead to the front doors of the mansion. A huge chandelier hung atop the staircase, and even with the lights off, Yoongi could see the precious reflection of the gems that hung from its frame. The sunlight struck them in a way that caused rainbows to be cast all over the stone floors and the walls. Glancing up, Yoongi noticed that the golden rays of the sun had become much more white, and that meant Jimin was likely waking up and on his way to Yoongi’s room. Yoongi rushed back to his room, tucking himself in and breathing as slowly as possible. His heart sped up when he heard the soft footsteps of his footman approaching his bed. Jimin placed something heavy on the bedside table, and from the sloshing sounds he heard, Yoongi could deduce that it was probably a wash bin. It was completely silent for a second. Maybe Jimin was psyching himself up to wake Yoongi?

“Wake up young master. I can tell you’re awake,” Jimin’s voice was completely flat, devoid of any humour whatsoever. If anyone saw them at this moment, it would cast serious doubts about which of the two was the older one.

Much like a child, Yoongi whined. “That’s not my name and you know it.” Jimin sighed audibly, as if he was an incredibly tired mother trying to coerce her son into eating something he didn’t like.

“No one sleeps like that Yoongi. Let’s get up and wash your face.”

Pleased at hearing his name, Yoongi sat up suddenly. “Yes. Let’s.”

Jimin’s soft hands helped Yoongi wipe his wondrously clear skin before Jimin uncourtestly wiped his wet hands all over Yoongi’s luxury blanket. For a moment, he considered objecting, but he was too glad to see Jimin loosen up around him to ruin it. 

“Would you like to eat with the duke and duchess?”

“Yeah, I would,” Yoongi smiled softly. Although they may not be his, or this body’s owner’s real parents, it was clear they loved and took special care of him. Showing up for a mere meal was only a small means of paying back their kindness.

As Jimin attempted to help Yoongi into his garments for the day, Yoongi startled. He forgot that servants usually did this, and Jimin was his personal footman no less. After some heated arguing, Jimin reluctantly left the room while Yoongi tried to figure out the contraption that was his clothing. It was a simple flowy white shirt and some pants, but the shirt was almost embarrassingly frilly. In his past life, Yoongi had really indulged in cutesy items, but he never showed the public because it was frowned upon for men to do so. Thankfully, things seemed different here. After putting on the small house crest pendant at his heart, he spun around in front of the mirror by his bedside. The frills and white lace danced in the sunlight that bounced off his body, and he felt that he looked just as good as he felt. 

Practically skipping out of the room, Yoongi spotted Jimin, who was dutifully standing by his door. Although it wasn’t immediately obvious, even Jimin seemed to enjoy how his outfit looked on him. After leading Yoongi through the hall, they descended the stairs and into one of the first floor rooms. Jimin left after making a hand gesture as if to indicate for him to enter the room on his own. The duke may be very liberal, but a servant joining the main family at the dining table may be too strange after all. Yoongi expected to see a long table which would separate the ducal couple by several feet in the center, it was very much a normal dining table. Still larger than Yoongi had seen in his life before, but small enough that the duke could sit at the head of the table with the duchess by his side and there wouldn’t be a dozen or so spots left empty. 

The duchess visibly brightened up when she saw him, beckoning for him to sit on the other side of the duke, across from her. Breakfast had not been served yet, but the servants seemed to be waiting for Yoongi to have a seat before leaving and presumably bringing the meal. From what he remembered of western-style restaurants in the past, Yoongi sat and draped the napkin across his lap in the most graceful manner he could manage. 

“How did you sleep last night, Yoongi dear?” The duchess was really fond of her son. It showed in the way her eyes couldn’t contain her adoring manner.

“I slept very well, thank you mother.” Flashing the duchess his signature gummy smile, he could practically see her mentally swoon with her hand dramatically pressed to her forehead. The image made him smile to himself; she really was a loving mother, but an eternally youthful soul.

As the servants began to serve their meals, Yoongi thanked them. It looked like a simple meal of toast with a side of eggs and sausages, but he had never gotten the chance to eat like this in the past, so he was grateful. Seeing him eat so well to the point that his cheeks were stuffed like chipmunks, the duchess giggled behind her hand and even the duke smiled. For the first time in a while, Yoongi felt perfect. He wasn’t hungry, and he was in a warm place.

“Ahem,” the duke coughed. Yoongi turned to look at him and tilt his head in question. “Did you come in during the night to my study, wife?”

Still busy with her morning meal, the duchess simply shook her head, turning her attention back to the remaining food she had on her plate. The duke just hummed under his breath with a questioning tone, and Yoongi thought it wouldn’t hurt to fess up.

“Actually, that was me. I woke up earlier and was exploring the mansion since I don’t know where anything is anymore. Sorry about that da-duke,” he quickly fixed his mistake and hung his head. Perhaps he would get in trouble for wandering, but he really didn’t touch any of his files or mess around in the storage rooms!

After several moments in silence, Yoongi spared a peek up. The duke didn’t look angry at all, so that was a lifesaver. Before Yoongi could dissect his facial expression any further, a large arm covered his view. The duke was patting his head.

“I’m not angry. In fact, I’m really happy that you care for us, even if it’s a small gesture like this. So, don’t say you’re sorry about this kind of stuff again. This place is yours as much as it is ours. Also, call me dad.” Surprised, Yoongi looked up as the duke took his hand away, and he saw the softest expression he had seen on the duke so far. He was really lucky, huh.

“Okay, dad.” Yoongi could feel blood rushing to his warming cheeks, so he mumbled a word of gratitude before pushing his chair away and rushing upstairs to fling himself on his bed. It was really mortifying to do that, and Yoongi had been away from his family for so long that this ducal couple made him feel filled to the brim with love. In the past, his family hadn’t thought highly of his moving away and going to university, but he was insistent on the idea, and they eventually cut ties. Being cared for felt nice, Yoongi thought. He had to repay the couple somehow, but there was no way they were missing any one tangible item, so all he could hope to do to honour them was to try his best in his studies and honour the name.

Speaking of studies, didn’t the duke say he was going to bring a tutor to the mansion? Yoongi lifted himself up from the bed, taking a brief moment to admire how he had eaten so cleanly with his tiny hands that not even a speck of sauce had made its home on his pure white shirt. Seriously, if he wasn’t in his twenties in this small body, there would be no way this shirt would’ve stayed clean. Recalling his morning walk, Yoongi ended up at the study, figuring this would be the place the duke was most likely to be. Unlike a few hours ago, Yoongi raised his small fist to knock.

“Come in!” Pressing the handle on the heavy wooden door, Yoongi saw the duke set down his ink pens to look at him. Standing felt a little awkward, so Yoongi stepped inside and took a seat at one of the couches, noting the folded blanket placed on top of the one across from him. 

“What’s the matter, my son?” God, that felt good to hear. 

“There’s no hurry, but when is the tutor you mentioned going to come to the mansion?”

“In fact, I’ve got a list right here. I was going to choose for you, but seeing that you’re already here, would you like to help me with my work?” Yoongi nodded his head. This could be his first test to repay their kindness! “Perfect. Just flip through the candidates list, and tell me who you would like to teach you.”

Retrieving the pile from the duke’s hands, Yoongi sat at the couch again, allowing his feet to dangle. The alphabet here was like Korea’s, so that was a relief, and from the way the duke spoke, it seemed like the previous Yoongi was able to read to a fairly high level anyway. Setting down part of the hefty pile onto the geode table surface, Yoongi began to flip through the pile. Many of the candidates were distinguished teachers of other noble families, with one of them even being the previous tutor for the king. Though it was tempting to get someone out of the world just to see how fun it could be, Yoongi thought he should take his time and pick someone he actually liked. The duchess probably had her own work to do like managing the house’s finances and holding social parties, so he would need to pick someone he wouldn’t send away immediately. In spite of all the candidates being from noble birth, or having impressive work histories, one application caught his eye. 

First off, Yoongi could even feel the difference between this application and the rest. This paper seemed thin, unlike the sturdy and expensive paper the rest of the applicants had used. Quickly skimming over the resume, Yoongi felt himself smile. This person was the one. This person was of common birth, but had graduated from the capital’s top magic and academic academy at the top of the class. It stated in his application that those four years at the academy were funded by a scholarship he had been awarded. Perhaps even more than the rest of the applicants, this person was more impressive. The other clipped papers on the desk stated multiple tutees, but this person lacked any. They made up for it in their lengthy volunteer work for the government and the capital. No doubt they would have the street smarts Yoongi so desperately needed.

Setting aside this “Kim Namjoon”’s paper, Yoongi picked up the others and tapped them against the table to get them straight again before taking them back to the duke. 

“Have you picked?” The duke looked up for a moment, searching Yoongi’s face, but he was confident in his choice. That must’ve been reflected, as the duke looked satisfied as well, taking the pile from him and quickly scanning the one Yoongi had set aside.

“This man is of commoner birth. Is that alright?”

“Yep! He can probably teach me much about day to day life in the capital, and he is clearly not lacking in the smarts department. I’m of commoner birth too,” he teased. The duke certainly didn’t mind, but he most likely wanted to make sure that this was the tutor Yoongi wanted for sure. He appreciated the thought though.

“Alright. Seems like he doesn’t live far from here, so why don’t we set a meeting date for tomorrow afternoon? After afternoon tea of course,” he chuckled. Yoongi nodded, and thanked the duke. Before he left, he thought of etiquette in this universe and before he could chicken out, he bowed low. As he stepped out, he could hear the duke snicker, so Yoongi decided to head out as soon as possible.

Lunch was as delicious as breakfast, and Yoongi had taken the opportunity to try and teach Jimin to read. Writing was another affair, but reading could be his first goal. After all, Jimin’s exclusive job was to be a footman and because Yoongi was very satisfied with his life now, he was not fussy enough to warrant Jimin staying by his side constantly. With the picture books and story books he could procure from the Min’s extensive library, he invited Jimin to his room and sat at the couch. By the time the two had exhausted their supply of cookies for snacks, Yoongi had introduced the korean alphabet to Jimin, and asked him to study it. Jimin left with a small note Yoongi wrote the alphabet down on, and a message to head outside for tea time with the duchess.

Outside! Yoongi had totally forgotten his promise to Jimin to play outside and test their powers in the grand scheme of things and the busyness of his day, but he could do it as soon as tea time was over. He couldn’t show the duchess a sight as shameful as him prancing around in their front garden, after all. Yoongi quickly put on a brown vest with gold embroidering to head out for tea.

The duchess was already sitting down. She had changed from her pink dress from the morning to a lavender purple dress. No matter, she suited both perfectly, Yoongi thought. He brushed his pants off before sitting, and her eyes were naturally already curved up from smiling at him from above her teacup. It accentuated her laugh lines around her eyes so beautifully. Wordlessly, she daintily poured him a cup of what looked like earl grey tea as he watched. After testing it out, Yoongi decided to add some sugar to his cup as the two snacked on the finger sandwiches and ladyfingers at the small display carousel. Yoongi had some laughs together with her, but the gentle winds of the afternoon combined with the pretty display no doubt painted an image that was ethereal. Without fully grasping what previous Yoongi was like, he would never be able to make the ducal couple happy, but when he expressed his fear, the duchess only comforted him.

“We will love you either way.”

That was what Yoongi needed to hear. The duchess pouted cutely when he recounted the story of his afternoon picking his future tutor, and he laughed it off, saying she had much more wisdom to impart on him outside of teaching anyways. 

“Well, since you’ve woken up, we might hold our first tea party. Other noble houses can bring their children and you can make friends. Wouldn’t that be nice? No one around here is really your age except Jimin, and you’ll need to enroll in the academy in six years or so,” she trailed off. It seemed she was planning it out in her head, she was certainly clever enough to do so. 

“Oh! But that means we’ll have to go shopping for new clothes! All the ones in the closet are simply way too small for you now.” 

“We can go out to the town?” It was an exciting prospect. Yoongi hadn’t seen much besides the mansion, and even that was barely explored.

“Sure we can! We aren’t birds in cages here, after all. I’ll discuss with the duke and we can pick a date and reserve a time at some tailor shops to get ready. Oh my! There’s actually quite a bit to do, so forgive me. Let’s get some of the staff to clean this up!” The duchess wiped the corner of Yoongi’s mouth with a napkin affectionately before she flew out of her seat. Yoongi sat for a moment, just admiring the view of the flat valley surrounded by trees and the golden gates of the estate before he stood up. Finally, he and Jimin would be able to play with their magic.

After some coaxing, Jimin abandoned his other “work” to come play with Yoongi. Yoongi knew that all the other boy had to do was study the alphabet anyway, and they could review together in the morning. They were in the front yard, by the largest tree in the estate, but far enough away that anything of importance like the fountain wouldn’t be ruined.

“Jimin! Show me your magic!”

“Yoongi… I showed you last time!”

“No, no no! Make a fireball or something! Something super exciting!” Yoongi insisted, bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement.

Jimin sighed, seemingly very reluctant to do so, but he opened his fist to show a small flame. Yoongi was in amazement. Surely this was very low level magic in their current universe, but in the past one something of this scale could not even be suggested as reality. Excited, Yoongi tried to imagine the largest fireball he could. He envisioned the burning flickers of red, yellow and the tinges of blue. Nothing happened. Yoongi tried again, attempting to draw the image of a lighter in his mind. Mentally, he flicked the switch to get a small flame. Still, nothing happened.

Perhaps he was defective… The idea brought tears to Yoongi’s eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. It was just one time, and even if he couldn’t do magic he was still living the best life he could’ve ever imagined. He tried the same water as Jimin this time. Seeing the floating sphere with a slight blue sheen helped Yoongi paint the image in his mind. Still, nothing happened.

“Yoongi, why are you just standing there?” Jimin tilted his head in confusion, reaching forward to touch his shoulder. Although Jimin had long extinguished the flame, Yoongi flinched back as if he had been burned. At this Jimin withdrew and cradled his palm, looking hurt and confused.

“I-I’m sorry Jimin. You didn’t do anything wrong. Something is wrong with me! I can’t do any of your magic!”

“But you showed me your flower magic in the room.”

“I can’t do a flame or water! Isn’t that just basics?” Yoongi felt so frustrated that he considered ripping his hair out. Too bad his hair wasn’t tough and greasy here, it was soft and maintained, so he couldn’t negate all the hard work that had gone into making it this way.

“Maybe it will come with time! I hear that some magic takes a long time to manifest. You’re the Min young master, so I don’t doubt you have it in you!”

“Thanks Jimin,” Yoongi mumbled, still feeling slightly wronged. As he trotted behind Jimin up the stairs to go to dinner, Yoongi felt his foot slip on the polished stone. He shouted, and he felt Jimin grasp his arm firmly, throwing him up as Jimin fell down. A sickening crunch was heard below him.

“Jimin!” Yoongi cried, rushing back to the bottom of the steps. No one inside could hear him, the walls and doors were effectively soundproofed. Jimin could barely lift his head to look at him as he winced in pain, and he smiled at Yoongi reassuringly.

Yoongi was sobbing; he had done this! Jimin had gotten hurt trying to save him! Please! If he could have any magic at all, he wanted to heal him. He wanted so desperately to save Jimin. Clutching the rough sleeve of Jimin’s shirt, Yoongi tried his best to imagine what Jimin had looked like before he fell. Although Yoongi couldn’t see many of the injuries, the best he could do was try to restore Jimin to how he was before the tumble. Using all his concentration, Yoongi focused solely on Jimin’s weak and pale face, squeezing his hand. Yoongi hadn’t even noticed that a commotion had begun around them, with the duke and duchess exiting the house just in time to see Yoongi use his magic.

Unknowingly, Yoongi’s hands began to glow and become warm, and suddenly he felt exhausted. He felt as though he had run ten miles, but he saw Jimin fluttering his eyes open. Right before Yoongi had to close his eyes from how tired he felt, he could faintly see Jimin awakening fully and moving his legs in wonder. Before going limp, all Yoongi could think was: thank goodness, I did it in time.

Something was upsetting his sleep. Yoongi could hear the mumblings of conversation not too far from him, and it was annoying! Especially when he was trying to rest. Humming his discontent to hopefully signal that he was disturbed, Yoongi decided to turn over. Maybe lying on a colder section of his bed would allow for better rest. At his movement, Yoongi could hear the voices growing louder. Speaking of which, what happened after he healed Jimin?

“Yoongi!” He could hear Jimin’s voice painfully close to his ear as he shouted, shaking him back and forth by clutching at his arm.

He tried to sit up, only to find that he couldn’t summon the strength he needed, and he allowed himself to fall back, releasing a tired breath as he fully opened his eyes. It looked like it was just the duke, the duchess, Jimin, and a physician. Jimin was still holding his arm, but his head was no longer up. It looked like he was crying into Yoongi’s bed. The duchess was by his side, looking worried, and the duke was speaking with the physician a ways away.

“What happened?”

“That’s what I would like to ask you, you dumb boy,” the duchess exclaimed, lightly hitting his arm, looking as if she was on the verge of tears. He couldn’t really blame her; seeing your only child collapse was probably very frightening. 

“I’m okay mom. Just feel tired, that’s all.” He tried to stroke the hair on her head as she had leaned down enough for him to do so, but she just shook. Oh boy, here it comes.

“You stupid boy! How could you just use your magic so recklessly without understanding it? You are in big trouble, mister. Do you even know how worried the duke and I were for you? Not to mention Jimin! Your poor footman was crying his heart out, asking us to fire him or kill him because he said it was his fault!” The duchess didn’t seem to be crying, so that was good, but there was a real fire in her eyes. 

“Sorry,” Yoongi mumbled. He would hang his head, but he was still lying down on the bed. “I just wanted to try, and when Jimin got hurt I panicked.”

The duchess just sighed. “We’ll get the tutor to bring in a formal assessment crystal soon. Until then, no magic at all. Got it?” She gave him the stink eye, and he could just gulp and nod obediently. At least the tutor was scheduled tomorrow, so it wouldn’t be too long until he could bring the crystal.

The duke seemed to be done speaking to the physician, who bowed before leaving. Stepping beside his wife, he looked Yoongi in the eye, seeming to be assessing his condition. Fortunately, Yoongi hadn’t been lying, and he had truly just fainted from being tired, possibly from using his magic?

“That was a reckless thing to do, but very noble,” the duke smiled at Yoongi, ignoring the daggers the duchess and puffy-eyed Jimin were directing at him. “Not to worry, the physician said you’ll be perfectly fine with a bit of rest. You’ve just used too much magic for your age. The tutor is still scheduled for tomorrow after tea time, and I assume you’ll be fine?” The duke cocked up his eyebrow, looking at Yoongi.

“Yep! I already feel fine.” Yoongi appreciated the way the duke treated him; it was tiring to be a child sometimes, and although this was a small thing, it felt like it still gave him authority over himself, which was nice.

Seeing the duchess pout, the duke grinned at her, taking her dress sleeve in his hand and ushering her out. She attempted to protest, but he must’ve been very convincing as she left without further struggle, doing nothing except turning around briefly to look at Yoongi and stick her lips out in an obvious sulky face. They closed the door after them, and the duke clearly meant to leave the two young boys alone. He probably wished for them to speak at length about what happened, so that was exactly what Yoongi would do.

“Jimin, look at me? Please?” Jimin whined, seeming his age for once before he complied. As soon as his red eyes met Yoongi’s, Yoongi burst out laughing.

“Stop laughing. Not funny.” Seeing Jimin be so mopey was making Yoongi want to laugh harder, but he wanted to respect Jimin’s wishes, so he quieted himself down to a giggle. 

“Please don’t do that again Yoongi. You’re the Min’s young master, and I’m just a servant boy with no worth.” Jimin’s lower lip wobbled, and he breathed deeply before continuing. “Thank you for saving me though. I don’t know if any other young master would’ve, so thank you.”

“I didn’t save you because I wanted you to owe me! You may be a servant of the Min’s, but you’re still my precious friend. My only friend, and I can’t have my first friend becoming injured or ill! That’s not fitting of the young master of Min after all.” Yoongi understood where Jimin was coming from, as he was used to receiving charity in his past life. However, this wasn’t pity for Jimin, it was out of pure intentions that he helped his footman. Maybe he would have to go easy on the magic in the future, but he would absolutely do it again if the situation arose again.

Jimin’s eyes widened before they closed into small crescents in a large smile. “Got it Yoongi.”

“Go get the books from my vanity Jimin! I’m stuck in bed, so we might as well use this time well! Actually, help me sit up please?” Jimin did all the things Yoongi requested, clicking his tongue when he saw Yoongi attempt to move on his own. Due to the clarification of his standing being more and more equal to Yoongi’s, at least in private, Jimin began to act more loosely, allowing Yoongi to see and laugh at his contorted face in a disgusted expression when Yoongi sneezed.

The two worked on Jimin’s memorization of the alphabet until dinner was called, for which Jimin supported Yoongi up until he sat on the edge of the bed. From there, the two boys were stumped. Jimin was smaller than Yoongi, and although he was used to the labour of the mansion, there was no way he was beefy enough to lift a twelve year old child in his arms down the stairs to the dining room, or even make it far enough to get out of the room. More likely than not, Jimin would injure the both of them if he tried, and he knew full well. After ordering Yoongi to stay put, Jimin ran off. Sitting alone, Yoongi felt quite satisfied. He had helped his friend without injuring himself, and he actually had magic! Of course, the duchess forbade him from doing anything for the time being, but he was relieved to know he wasn’t completely powerless in a world overflowing with magic. Plus, Jimin seemed to be a quick learner, able to name the letters Yoongi pointed at, and he had begun to sound things out. Already being a fluent speaker was going to come in handy for sure. 

Jimin returned with an older male in tow. Yoongi recognized him as one of the servants who stood by when the Mins sat down for their meals. He lifted Yoongi almost effortlessly from the bed and escorted him downstairs. Yoongi just lifted his arm which wasn’t linked around the older man’s neck to wave goodbye to Jimin who sarcastically waved back.

Although he was tired from using his magic, he still kept himself up until the sun set and the moon came out. Yoongi thought she was beautiful. This moon could be the same one he used to look at from his dingy windows in his cockroach-infested apartment in his old life. Without the proper strength to get up- let alone walk, Yoongi wasn’t able to go to his attached balcony to feel the cool wind dance in his hair and allow the luminous glow of the moon to wash him in her embrace. That was alright. He had the rest of this life to admire her beauty. That night Yoongi slept like the dead.

In the morning, Yoongi once again woke up too early. From resting in a comfortable bed for an extended period of time, he was ready to start walking around again. He hadn’t gotten the chance to explore the first floor of the mansion yet, but he assumed many parts of it were servants quarters, and he didn’t want to disturb their sleep, knowing they would be busy getting the house ready for his tutor guest. Yoongi repeated the same steps he had taken the day before, and he checked the study first. He was pleased to see that the duke was not present, hopefully getting his beauty sleep properly in his bed. There was nothing else he wanted to see, and he could explore the library and its books in the morning with natural lighting instead of his small handheld candle, so he decided to go outside.

Unlike the day before, the sun had already risen, so Yoongi didn’t have the pleasure of seeing the gradients change. It was best not to wander too far from the mansion, but he couldn’t help wanting to leave the gates behind. There were no alarms, seeing that electricity hadn’t even been invented yet, so the mansion was likely protected through magical means. Yoongi was the Min young master, so he was going to bet on the fact that whatever magical barrier was there would allow him to move in and out freely. Clenching his eyes shut, he slowly pulled open the well-oiled gates, waiting for someone to run out and shout at him. Nothing happened. He was free to explore for the next few hours until the servants, and consequently Jimin, woke up.

Outside the mansion was a paved road, perfectly suitable for carriages to ride on. Yoongi had never ridden on a carriage before, so he was looking forward to the trip to town that the duchess had told him would be for buying clothes for her social gathering. The road didn’t lead into the woods, but more of a meadow that was sparsely speckled with trees. Surely nothing that was dangerous could live in such an environment, but Yoongi would leave finding that out for later. He didn’t presumably die in his old life only to die three days into his new one. 

Hearing a pained moan in front of him, Yoongi’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t want to wander into the woods, but he also couldn’t leave someone who was in pain be. Nonetheless, this could be one of those mythological beasts that lured travellers and young children to their abode to be eaten, but Yoongi was going to put his faith in whatever gods existed in this world to protect him from such a fate. He tiptoed as best he could on the soft grass away from the path, a ways away from the gate with only the scant sunlight and his little candle to light his path. Yoongi was careful not to trip, as he didn’t want to drop the flame and burn the entire forest down with him.

Just beyond the next area of trees, Yoongi saw some shrubs. That seemed to be the source of the sound. Perhaps whoever was there would be hostile to strangers. Yoongi made as much noise as he possibly could as he approached. The man- or boy leaning against the shrubs had a deep cut on his side. Looking around frantically, Yoongi couldn’t spot anyone, so he would have to hope it was an accidental self-inflicted wound. It was quite deep and the way the boy was hidden in the shrubs made it difficult for Yoongi to see his face. No matter, no one deserved to be in such pain.

Based on his build, he seemed to be similar in age to Yoongi, and he was dressed well. Much too well to be a commoner, but Yoongi wasn’t familiar with any crests, so he couldn’t identify what his brooch symbolized. 

“I’m going to call the duke to get you some help, so please wait here!” This job was too dangerous for Yoongi, and he would just have to awaken the duke to get someone to heal this boy.

“No!” the other boy almost shouted. “Please don’t… Just leave me here if anything and don’t call anybody.”

“But you’re so hurt! The wound will get infected!” Yoongi couldn’t believe how backwards the boy was. Leaving him would certainly spell death for this child, and Yoongi wouldn’t have the blood of a child on his hands. “Let me try.”

He hovered his hands over the wound like he had done with Jimin the day before. This time, he waited patiently instead of forcing it all out at once. Though it was a process that consumed more time, Yoongi felt it was more efficient as well. Once he was satisfied with the look of the cut, he didn’t feel as exhausted as he had when he healed Jimin. The cut was closed up, and there was only a slight mark on the boy’s side. He couldn’t keep going, or else he wouldn’t be sure if he would have enough strength to walk back to the mansion. A scar never hurt anyone.

“This is all I can do. I’m sorry.” Yoongi turned to leave, and he heard a small voice.

“Thank you.” Gosh, Yoongi was really hearing that phrase a lot lately. He didn’t feel the need to answer, but when he turned around, he could see the boy’s eyes from inside the bush. They were a striking grey, and they were turned on him. No doubt the other child could see Yoongi’s face and his entire body while Yoongi could see nothing of him. That was a bit unfair, wasn’t it? It was what it was, Yoongi sighed. Besides, with the backing of a family like the Mins he had nothing to fear as long as he was inside the mansion. There was no real harm allowing the boy to see his face, and he hadn’t been wearing his proper clothes with his brooch anyways. It was unlikely this boy would ever find him again.

Noting that the sun was well up, Yoongi dashed inside the gates, closing them as quickly as he could. He rushed back to his room, finding a displeased looking Jimin.

“Where were you?”

“The washroom! Had to pee real bad!” Yoongi was the worst at lying, and from Jimin’s cocked brow, he certainly knew as well.

“Alright. Whatever you say,” he snickered, but didn’t pry further. If Yoongi was truly as young as he was here, he would be offended at Jimin’s tone, but with his mind being that of a university-aged student, Jimin was refreshingly mature for his age and treated Yoongi well.

The day flew by fast. Yoongi had gotten absorbed in reading before lunchtime and teatime. He could’ve chosen to read history books, but his attempts would probably be wasted. That was what his tutor was for! He could read the history and scientific novels once his education started. For now at least, he could read all the adventure and fiction books his heart desired. It was interesting how hobbies were similar across different universes, as Yoongi thought the adventure books were well written, but very much abiding to normal cliches. Teatime was normal, just with a more mopey duchess who complained about her “friend’s son” who was “reckless and throwing himself into danger” and causing their mother to endlessly worry. Yoongi had just snickered and told the duchess he wouldn’t do it again. It was a harmless white lie, besides- she would never find out that he had done it this morning. Yoongi found that his favourite snack was the lemon squares on the bottom layer of the stacked display. The cupcakes were nice as well, but the bite of sour lemon in sweet sugar was too tantalizing to resist.

“The duke has approved our outing. It will be three days from now, and we shall set off just before lunchtime. We can eat in town before shopping for clothes,” she informed him after a sip of the peppermint tea she had chosen for this afternoon. 

Yoongi’s eyes grew wide at hearing that. He hadn’t expected to be able to also eat something new out, and not just shop for clothes. It made the wait for the trip even more agonizing. 

After a servant called Yoongi back to the mansion, the duchess waved him off, explaining that she wanted to stay and enjoy the view for a bit longer. In his room was a pressed and folded outfit for meeting his tutor. It was an army green tunic, which was to be paired with a simpler white button up shirt. The pants to go with them were navy blue, rather than the black he had worn thus far, and they had a slight flare at the bottom, before closing around his ankles to make them seem like silly bells. It was something Yoongi admitted really fit his expectation of “noble clothing” and it was almost hard to put on because of how ridiculous he felt, but once he did, he was pleased to see how well it fit him. Goodness, whoever was picking his outfits sure knew what would look good on his skinny and pale frame.

Jimin stood at the door and cleared his throat. Yoongi spun around as quickly as he could, embarrassed about how he had gotten caught ogling himself in the mirror.

“The tutor is in the study. Do you need me to escort you?”

“No, I’ll be alright. Thanks for offering, Jimin.” Yoongi patted his tunic down once more to make sure he didn’t wrinkle it in the short time that had passed since he put it on before passing a smirking Jimin with what he was sure would be flushed red cheeks.

Yoongi pondered about just opening the door to the study, but that wasn’t very polite. So he raised his fist to knock, only getting to two knocks before the duke called him inside. Stepping in, the duke wasn’t at his table for once, and he was sitting at one of the couches. Across from him was his tutor. He looked exactly as the resume described, with dark purple hair and dressed rather casually in a loose fitting grey button up which suited him perfectly. His hair was tousled, as if he had just come back from a windy walk, and he turned his face to meet Yoongi’s when he stepped inside. 

“Greetings to the young master of Min. My name is Kim Namjoon, and I am pleased to meet you.” The man bowed, the perfect image of polite and formal.

“Likewise. My name is Min Yoongi. Please feel free to call me ‘Yoongi’, you are older than I, after all.” Yoongi attempted to copy the impeccable bow he had seen from Namjoon, but he surely only made a fool of himself. Unlike the duke who laughed at him, Namjoon just looked impressed.

“Then please don’t bother with formalities on my end then. ‘Namjoon’ will suffice.” That was good, because Yoongi had already attached the name to the man rather than a label like “teacher.” Yoongi saw the duke pat the spot beside him, so he walked behind the couch before taking the seat to the left of the duke.

“Yoongi, I have already told Namjoon here what I expect from him as a tutor. I trust you to be aware of your own learning. Now, I will excuse myself to my work as you two get acquainted.”

“Alright!” Yoongi hopped up from the couch and motioned for Namjoon to follow him. After Namjoon shot the duke a questioning look, to which he just sighed and nodded, Namjoon shook the duke’s hand and swiftly followed Yoongi into the long hall.

“So, Namjoon! I don’t have many memories, so I probably need to learn everything from scratch! Sorry about that!”

“Oh, that’s fine. The duke already informed me. We’d have started on the basics either way. Speaking of the basics, I’ll request the magic crystal diagnosis for tomorrow.”

“That would be great. I really appreciate your patience with me. Oh! We have a social gathering coming up in about a week, so could we prioritize learning about etiquette for the next few days?” Yoongi was probably the most impolite child in society and he didn’t want to shame the duchess for her tea party. From the dramas he had seen, the women at the social gatherings would be nitpicking, looking for ways to ruin his family. He needed to combat that.

Namjoon’s eyes widened, and he smiled, showing off a set of deep set dimples. “That can certainly be arranged. We’ll be under a bit of a time crunch, but I have no doubts you’ll pick it up easily. I’m glad you’re a level-headed and bright young master. I hope we enjoy our time together.”

“Back at you. You graduated at the top of your class on a scholarship, and I’m sure that can’t have been easy. I hope you can tell me about the capital and life as a commoner too. It would be beneficial for a future duke to know about his people. Speaking of which, has my father arranged for a carriage to take you home?”

“No need. I can transport myself back with teleportation magic.”

“Wow! That’s really impressive.” He smiled up at Namjoon. They got along like two peas in a pod, which was a huge relief. Although Yoongi could tell Namjoon, and many of the other applicants were good people, he had still been nervous about having a teacher. His memory of teachers in his past life was very mixed, so he was glad that Namjoon seemed to be on the end of the spectrum for “good.” Namjoon was clearly talented, but he was also humble. No doubt, their time together would be used well. 

Yoongi gave Namjoon a tour of the house before stopping by the library. Namjoon whistled low.

“This is spectacular. Could even rival the royal capital’s book collection, even.”

“Well, as long as you’re in the house, it's free for you to use. You’re my precious tutor after all! The classes will be held here as well, so next time we meet, let’s meet up here!”

“Thank you Yoongi.” Namjoon didn’t say anything further, just browsing the titles at the shelf nearest him. Yoongi didn’t blame him, there was so much material to choose from, after all. There was a fairly large wooden table located on the second floor of the library, right by a large window facing the other side of the mansion. The library was easily the largest room in the mansion, possibly even the same size as the rest of the mansion’s rooms combined. It was also multiple stories tall, and the books were managed in place by magic, based on how Namjoon had let go of his novel only for it to fly back into its original spot.

Namjoon seemed hesitant to leave the library, which made Yoongi giggle, but they exchanged their goodbyes with a promise to meet the next day. Once Namjoon left, there was only a few hours of time before dinner, so Yoongi called Jimin to his room to study basic written phrases. Jimin was excellent at sounding things out, albeit a bit slowly, so Yoongi requested that Jimin read him a bedtime story every night right after dinner to practice reading on his own. After all, he would grow better and better with practice. Without complaining, Jimin promised. He didn’t say it in so many words, but Yoongi knew he was thankful for the opportunity to learn.

“Mom, dad, can you guys help me with my eating etiquette from now on? The tea party is soon.”

“Oh son, I don’t think that’s quite nec-”

“Yes! Don’t regret asking though.” The duchess looked fired up. In fact it was almost scary how serious she looked, but that was alright. It was exactly what Yoongi expected and wanted for his successful debut into high society. From that point on, the duchess began to nitpick at every single thing Yoongi did. Wrong fork for the course, placement of his cutlery after he was done eating, size of his bites, and so much more. It was astonishing how the duchess let his past behaviour slide if she was buckling down on so many things now.

The drills from the duchess left Yoongi tired, but he made sure to write all the points she made down on a notebook before calling Jimin in to read his bedtime story. It would be harder to go through that trial again, rather than just remembering it now and demonstrating it well in the future. He imagined he was eating off his imaginary plate of food, going through all the motions properly before he called Jimin. He was a perfectionist before anything else.

Jimin’s pronunciation was perfect, and he was a little quicker than he was before. It was clear that he had taken the time to practice on his own, but Yoongi didn’t bring it up, knowing his feisty friend was doing his best behind the scenes. Yoongi would have to make sure that he congratulated him and praised him often for his work.

The next day passed about the same, but when Yoongi wandered outside in the peak of morning with his handheld candle again, he didn’t find anyone in the trees. He wasn’t sure what he would’ve done if the boy was still there. All that Yoongi had as proof that anyone had been there at all was the slight bloody smears in the bushes. He could only hope that the boy had made it out safely, and didn’t get kidnapped or hurt again.

The duchess was like a drill sergeant at teatime, constantly berating him to sit up straighter or eat more daintily. Unlike the day before, Yoongi was fully prepared this time, and he found that his work at school for over a decade was coming in handy. He soaked up all the knowledge like a sponge, and was a quick learner. After all, much of this was common sense. When the servant came to get him, the duchess came inside as well, presumably to greet Namjoon before he was done changing. Yoongi wore much the same outfit as last time, but his tunic was blood red and his pants were black again. The brooch he took this time was of the same crest, but also had a red gem in the center. It complemented his tunic well.

Yoongi climbed the stairs to the second floor of the library, seeing Namjoon setting up the crystal ball. His tutor had brought a stand with a soft velvet fabric to lay the perfectly sanded and round ball on. It was a quick process, and Namjoon fluttered his hands over it anxiously once more before he stood back, seemingly satisfied with how sturdy the stand was.

“Yoongi! You’re right on time. The duchess greeted me downstairs, and she let me know you have already begun to explore your powers. That makes it much easier for me to tell you how to use this. Just release a bit of your magic while touching the crystal, and as your tutor I’ll be able to tell you which affinities you have, and once we’re done we can see how we want to proceed from there.”

“Before I start, can I ask which affinities you have?” Yoongi was curious. Namjoon was the young genius of the academy, after all.

“I’ve got an affinity with everything but my powers are strongest in spatial magic and anything earth related. Not to worry, I can brush up on my other affinities to be of use to you.” Namjoon truly was a master of the arts, and no wonder he graduated at the top of his class. Yoongi didn’t hope to be at the same level as Namjoon, that would be too overpowered even for a young master like him. Just knowing and being able to cultivate his powers to become useful to him and the Min family was enough.

Yoongi placed his palm flat on the round surface of the crystal, closing his eyes. In reality he didn’t need to, but it was nice to think that he would concentrate better if he did. Remembering how he had healed the boy the day before yesterday, and the flowers he conjured on the first day he came to this world, Yoongi felt the ball heat up. He opened his eyes. Namjoon was intensely focused on the crystal and its swirling colours, and Yoongi was sure this was all he could do. Removing his hand from the transparent ball, he sat down in one of the chairs beside the table.

“Well, that’s new.” Namjoon just smiled to himself, humming as he packed up the crystal and folded the sheets he had brought to lay it on. Once he was sure that the ball was packed away safely, it disappeared in thin air, possibly a show of Namjoon’s excellent spatial magic. On the edge of his seat, Yoongi waited with his ears perked to hear his results. Namjoon had seemed pleased with the results, but not outlandishly surprised. 

“What did you see?”

“The colours of the ball were certainly vibrant. You have an extremely strong affinity with healing magic. Possibly the strongest I’ve ever come across. That isn’t all however. You also have a lesser affinity with fairy magic. It’ll come in handy with making your healing magic even better.” That sounded quite nice actually, Yoongi wasn’t at all disappointed with his results, but he did have questions.

“What are the affinities?”

“That’s on the lesson for after the social gathering, but I take it that the duchess has been liberally training you based on how straight your back is right now,” he laughed. “We can go over the basics of magic theory right now. That won’t be a problem.” Yoongi nodded enthusiastically. Any information about this universe was welcome.

“New affinities are found every so often, but the most common affinities include earth, fire and water magic. Some people classify air magic separately but for this occasion, we’ll include it in water.” That made sense, because Yoongi had witnessed Jimin’s fire and water magic on the day he arrived as well as the day he fainted. “Less common affinities include healing, spatial, fairy, and creation magic. Creation magic is limited to members of the royal family.”

“I thought you said you had an affinity with every type though! Are you secretly part of the royal family?” Yoongi peered at Namjoon suspiciously.

“Oh no! My affinity with it is low because my late mother was from a former branch of the current family which was exiled a long time ago. Due to our distance from the capital, our creation powers weakened.” At Yoongi’s curious look, Namjoon explained further. “The royal family has powers that are at their peak nearest to the capital, or their castle. That’s why many of them never leave, because outside of that they have to rely on any other affinities they have, if they have any.” That made sense; it was like the castle or the capital was some stat boosting existence for the royal family.

“Can you tell me more about my magic?”

“Sure! There’s not many fairy magic users in this land, but I’m one of the few! Fairy magic is pretty varied, and it includes plant growth, charming, and some less tasteful stuff. I mean like lying and such. Healing doesn’t really need much explanation. It’s also quite rare, and many of the physicians around have inspecting spatial magic rather than healing magic, but it's straightforward. You can heal any living thing, but it consumes a lot of magical energy.” Things were just getting more complicated! “Magical energy is the threshold of magic you have. Every person has a different amount. For instance, I have quite a bit, but not enough to use complex skills for all my affinities at once. Many people who have an affinity with healing only have enough magical power to seal up small cuts or detoxify small areas. In this regard, I can tell you have potential. Your magical energy is high, especially for your age. We’ll have to add physical exercise to your lessons in order to train your body to be able to withstand the magic you have, and you can grow stronger as well.”

Yoongi frowned. He didn’t like running around, but he supposes if he was a noble’s son, some sword training was to be expected. If he could increase his threshold, then he would most likely also be able to heal multiple wounds at the same time, or perhaps he would be able to heal without growing so fatigued that he would pass out.

“Fairy magic. Does that mean there’s fae here?”

“Yes. I have never seen them, but there have been accounts of other people in the empire meeting with fae in the past. Not much is known about them, but they’re scattered everywhere in the empire serving under a common king. They’re not evil beings, and they look just like us, but their magic is fundamentally different. We can only harness a small portion of their magical capabilities, hence the name ‘fairy magic’, but they are masters at their craft.”

From what Yoongi knew of fairies from his previous life, they were mischievous little demons who liked to play tricks and steal. He could only hope that he would never meet a fairy in his entire life, and if he was unfortunate to, they wouldn't be the type of fairy he had painted in his mind.

“Thank you Namjoon. I think that’s enough magic for today. Shall we get on with the etiquette?”

“Sounds good.” Namjoon nodded, and he conjured a few loose leaf papers to set down on the table. They looked to be complex drawings of family trees with hastily done sketches above them.

“For the social gathering I expect there will be some high ranking nobles there. These are some copies of some of the houses I believe will be present. Let’s begin with the most important. In the small chance the royal family shows up, you must show your utmost respect. The current king is benevolent, but there have been rumours about how those who have disrespected him or his family have ‘mysteriously disappeared,’” Namjoon shuddered. 

“You must always address members of the royal family with the prefix ‘your excellency’ or ‘your majesty’. It is more commonplace for the king and the queen to be addressed with ‘your majesty’, but their sons may be called so as well. They have two sons. The oldest is Kim Seokjin, aged fifteen. The younger son is named Kim Taehyung, and this year he turns twelve, like you. You must always greet the king and the queen before doing anything else. I don’t think this will be a problem because the duchess is likely to greet them first as well. Stay by her side.” The names sounded similar, but Yoongi wasn’t sure why. Perhaps they were names of his friends in his past.

Namjoon proceeded to show him the proper way to bow, repeating the motions for a stiff Yoongi until he had it down. Once he mastered the right angle bow, Namjoon showed him the rest of the family trees. Those who were deceased were marked with a red dot, and those who held animosity with the current family were marked with various other colours. Seeing all the different relationships between different families and their family members made Yoongi’s head spin as he tried to draw lines between them. It looked more like a spider’s web than anything else. Namjoon noticed, and chuckled softly, ruffling Yoongi’s hair.

“Don’t worry about it too much. The most important part is the royal family, and you’ll surely get that down. If not, the duchess can save your hide. She’s very eloquent and experienced, so follow her lead. We’d better wrap things up here, seeing as I can hear the servants begin to set the table.”

That much time had elapsed? Yoongi couldn't believe it. It felt like he had just placed his palm on the crystal ball a few minutes ago. Although he had to admit there were a stack of families and their information that they had gone through, so perhaps that wasn’t too far-fetched.

“Namjoon, before you go. Can I keep these papers?”

“Of course, but seriously. If you can’t get it down, it's no issue. You’re barely twelve years of age anyways.”

Now this just fired Yoongi up. His pride as a student wouldn't handle this blatant bashing of his abilities, so he would just have to show Namjoon his pride. Memorizing a few sheets of paper wasn’t difficult compared to memorizing the contents of a textbook in the few hours before his finals. 

Yoongi was confident. “Don’t worry Namjoon. Test me tomorrow and see how I do!”

“Alright. How about this? If you get every question on my test right, I shall bring some chocolate from my favourite sweets shop in the capital the day after!”

Now that snacks were on the line Yoongi couldn’t afford to lose. He made a pinky promise with Namjoon and shuffled all the papers together to take to his own room. Hearing the call for dinner, Yoongi tried to practice his bow in front of his mirror once more. He had to admit, it really did improve from before.

That night he performed his bow before sitting down, receiving a smattering of applause from the duchess and the duke. The duchess had nothing to criticise about his dinner etiquette, as Yoongi had diligently taken her advice to heart. Plus, he had even found out a way to eat elegantly but still consume the same amount of food he had before! The trick was all in the way he chewed, rather than the amount of food he ate. When he disclosed the information to the duchess, she smiled bright with pride.

“That little trick took me months to learn!” she exclaimed. 

Their outing was in two days, and Yoongi perfected his table manners in the meantime. As promised, when Yoongi answered all the questions about the noble families with ease, Namjoon brought with him a bar of chocolate. The duchess would surely be upset at him spoiling his appetite before dinner, but it was the creamiest chocolate he had. He and Namjoon had enjoyed it while looking outside at the trees surrounding the back of the mansion. Truthfully, Yoongi had stayed up a good part of the night and spent his early morning studying to memorize and properly understand the rankings of the different families as well as the way they were all carefully intertwined. Much like how he had studied the human body in high school back in his previous universe, all the families were connected like the different systems of the body. Yoongi had also begun to read outside of his normal adventure and fantasy genre books. Still nothing about history, as Namjoon had promised to drill it into his brain later, but Yoongi was immensely interested in the fae. There wasn’t much, but he would take what he could get.

Jimin was still a beginner reader, but he was able to read through an entire storybook before Yoongi dismissed him. Much like his master, he was a quick learner. When they had time to themselves, Yoongi asked Jimin to show him his magic again. As he suspected, Jimin had affinities with only water and fire magic, but he was well-versed in how to use them to his advantage. More often than not, Yoongi would sit idly by as he watched Jimin stoke the fire using the flames conjured with his own magical powers. It was interesting to see, even if Yoongi got smacked by a few pillows for looking sometimes.

Two days passed sooner rather than later, and before he knew it, the duchess was fussing over his outfit to town. For his outing, Yoongi was dressed similarly to how he had been the first day he arrived. With a simple flowy white shirt and some loose bottoms, Yoongi certainly looked like the young master of house Min. The duchess had taken a floppy sun hat with a red ribbon tied around it, and she was wearing a lighter pink dress. Yoongi thought it made her look energetic and youthful. The duke looked the same as always, with his formal tunic and button down, but he was also wearing his brooch. They were wearing the same kind of brooch, but the duke’s brooch had a beautiful blue gem which matched his eye colour and Yoongi sported his usual red one. 

“Honey! Come on downstairs! The carriage has arrived,” the duke called. The duchess quickly flattened her hand over Yoongi’s hair once more before taking his hand and going to the first floor where the duke was standing and waiting.

The servants bid the three goodbye as they were helped up the stairs to the carriage sitting space by the coachman. Inside the carriage the seats were padded with soft cushions, and even the inside had been varnished very recently based on the fresh chestnut colour of the wood. As the coachman started the carriage, Yoongi was being gently bounced back and forth between the wall of the carriage and the duchess. The duke had opted to sit across from them instead. The carriage had the crest of the Min house on it, so the two lions standing up were displayed prominently to the public in a vibrant gold paint contrasted by the otherwise clean white of the exterior. No doubt the coachman had been one of their own servants from the mansion, and this carriage from their own supply. 

Had Yoongi not been used to the shaking of public transit and his own wobbly scooter he would have most likely thrown up multiple times already. What was most impressive was that neither the duke nor the duchess who no doubt didn’t have the same hard upbringing he had in his previous life were completely unfazed. The slight shaking back and forth actually made Yoongi sleepy, but he peeled his eyes open. He wouldn’t let this chance to see the scenery pass him by.

“Son. Sleep, it’s alright. All there is to see from this path to the town is trees and meadows,” the duke insisted.

Yoongi was feeling a bit light headed from how sleepy he was, so he began to whine a little. “No… I never get to come out! I can’t miss this chance…” He drifted off, resting his head on the duchess’s shoulder. What he couldn’t hear as he was lulled to sleep was the affectionate laughter of the ducal couple, enamoured by the sight of their son finally acting his age.

Something was holding his arm and shaking him slightly. Suddenly remembering where they were, Yoongi’s eyes shot wide open to the sight of the duchess attempting to awaken him.

“We’re almost there, Yoongi dear. What shall we have for lunch?”

“I don’t know mother. What’s your favourite? We can have that.” Yoongi couldn’t even pick, he wasn’t familiar enough with the cuisine in this world to say anything in particular was his favourite.

Yoongi could hear the duchess turn her head behind her to the small window that faced the coachman as she told him where to go. Going somewhere that was a surprise was an adventure of its own. Peering out of the clear window to his right, Yoongi could see the paved streets of the town. There were many different shops from what he could see, ranging from shops with essential goods to just consumer goods. It was also fascinating to see the street markets, filled with peddlers and buyers energetically bargaining over different goods. Children ran in the streets, playing ball and other games. The duke truly took good care of his estate and his land, as Yoongi couldn’t see a single miserable face. Sure, some of the people there were furious over their deals, but no one was at the end of their wits and only desperate to survive. That was already an improvement from his previous world.

“Alright! Here we are!” the coachman called from up front. As soon as the horses were stopped, he opened the door and the duke stepped out to help Yoongi and the duchess down from the carriage as well. 

In front of them was what looked to be a hole in the wall restaurant. It even had small pots of flowers hanging out by their open windows, and a small chalkboard out front displaying that their lunch special was currently applicable. It wasn’t something Yoongi thought a duchess from an esteemed and wealthy house would choose, but he was pleased nonetheless. Nothing better than supporting small local businesses. 

Upon entering, the duchess took charge. The employee who greeted them at the front seemed to recognize her, their faces lighting up at the sight of one another. They were seated quickly by the windowsill, with Yoongi sitting on the inside so he could peer outside while the duchess made conversation with their hostess. Vaguely Yoongi could hear the duchess introduce him to the hostess, so he turned around and gave a small bow in his seat, which both women seemed charmed by. The duchess was adamant about their choices for lunch, so both Yoongi and the duke left it up to a regular customer to choose.

Yoongi still enjoyed looking at the quaint drawings and descriptions on the laminated menu. It was a green and cream coloured menu, all matching the colour scheme of the restaurant. As their food came, the smell made Yoongi salivate. Before beginning to eat, the duchess looked expectantly at them before taking a single bite of her food. In front of Yoongi was a simple sandwich and dip, but when he took a bite, he widened his eyes in surprise. The bread was perfectly crisp on the crusts, giving a nice buttery flavour, while the saltiness of the meat was cut by the vinegar based sauce of the dip. Seeing the expression of the equally surprised duke as he ate his pasta just confirmed that the duchess knew what her family liked. She looked satisfied before she tucked into her own soup. There was minimal talk during the meal, but the duchess had also ordered what looked to be milkshakes, so the family sat for a bit just chatting over the drinks.

“Yoongi! Try this out!”

Yoongi took a sip, and yep. It was a milkshake, just creamy and rich enough to be delightfully delicious, blended together with the slightly bitter taste of a darker chocolate. It was also topped with a bit of whipped cream, which he ate with fervour. The duchess just looked on, glad to see him excited, and wiped the remaining whipped cream off the top of his lip with a napkin.

“Isn’t it nice?” Yoongi nodded. Even in his past life he never got milkshakes, they were simply too expensive, like most dairy products were. “The hostess who saw to us has a strong affinity for water, so she is able to create ice! That’s why we can have such a nice and refreshing beverage on this hot day.”

The sun had just dropped from the middle of the sky, meaning it was probably past noon. To confirm this, the duke took out his pocket watch and glanced at it before tapping the table lightly to get the attention of the other two.

“It’s almost one o’clock, so let’s get going.” 

The duchess insisted on paying for the bill, and although Yoongi didn’t quite understand the money system of this world yet, he trusted that the duchess would tip a hefty amount for the brilliant service they were treated to, not to mention the well-kept restaurant and its overall ideal atmosphere. As they left, the hostess who had served them gave the duchess a hug, and they squeezed tight before the coachman tried to help them into the carriage. The duke had already stepped inside before Yoongi cleared his throat.

“How far is the tailor?”

“Not too far, why?” The duke peered at him from inside the shade of the carriage. The duchess however, had caught on.

“Let’s walk! It’s a nice day outside, and we can take a look at the local markets as we go! Come down with us duke,” she said. Without further hesitation, the duke stepped out of the carriage and gave instructions to the footman to meet the three at the tailor’s.

The middle of the road was paved for carriages, but the sides were paved with simple cobblestone meant for pedestrians. The cobblestones were fitted with space in between them and Yoongi tried to peer at the duchess’s feet, hoping she hadn’t brought her high heels with her. Seeing him try to see which shoes she had on made her fondly smile at him, and just signal silently with her hand that she was alright. Fruit was being sold at the first few stalls they happened upon, but Yoongi wasn’t in the mood for more food. He had been sufficiently fed at the small restaurant, and it seemed that the duke and the duchess were in agreement. Many of the stalls had vendors which were selling food of some sort, and although Yoongi wanted to try the street food, this simply wasn’t the time.

In between a stall selling skewered meat and a stall selling candied fruit was a stall selling jewelry. It looked like women’s jewelry, but one of the hair clips caught Yoongi’s eye. He slowed down by a half step to take his time to look at it from afar, but the perceptive duchess caught him in the act.

“Oh my! We must stop at this stall, why, look at their pretty jewelry!” She put on an exaggerated act, winking at Yoongi who rolled his eyes. The duke turned around to join them again.

“Tell me, my dear son. Which of these do you like?”

“I’m alright mom. No need to worry about me. C’mon, let’s move on.”

“Lying to your mother isn’t very nice,” the duke observed. Great. With the couple ganging up against him he had no hope of escape. 

Yoongi pointed at the clip that had caused him to stop. It was fairly simple, but he thought it was beautiful. The clip itself was one that looked as if the application would be similar to that of a bobby pin, and the entire pin was white. Attached to the top of the pin was a small pink flower decal. It was certainly something meant for a small girl, and he suddenly felt ashamed for liking it. It must’ve shown on his face because suddenly the duchess’s face hardened. Flinching, Yoongi hung his head, waiting for the lecture that was sure to come.

“Seller, we’ll take this clip please. No need to wrap it. He’ll be wearing it anyway.” She said with the utmost authority, sounding exactly like how the lady of house Min would. 

Yoongi’s head was still down, and he felt her hands run through his dark locks, clipping his hair back to show more of his forehead. His eyes were squeezed tight, but he could feel tears escape. Yoongi choked down his sobs, and the duchess wrapped him up in her arms. The duke clasped Yoongi’s fisted hand and they stood there until Yoongi calmed down. The store owner probably thought they were a pain in the ass, but they had only been standing there for a few minutes. Plus, the duke would pay handsomely for their wasted time.

Yoongi’s eyes were still puffy and nose a bit drippy as the duchess held his hand to keep walking. The duke passed him a handkerchief with the Min crest embroidered in the corner. Yoongi blew his nose quite violently as he listened to the duchess speak under her breath.

“What have we done to my sweet boy? Nothing your heart wants would disappoint me. You’re my baby, and I love you all the same. Now, blow your nose and wipe your eyes. We’re here and you don’t want to be unseemly right?” She smiled gently, watching a nodding Yoongi. Yoongi did his best to wipe dry his streaky face and make himself presentable again. His eyes would likely still be red and puffy, but the workers at the tailor would presumably keep quiet about it if the seething duke who set his glare on anyone taking a second look at Yoongi had anything to do about it. 

“Welcome, the duke, duchess, and young master of Min. We are pleased to serve you. Which styles would you like to browse?” An older lady greeted them. Yoongi assumed she was the owner of the tailor shop, seeing as younger workers were behind her organizing displays and quickly snatching up some fashion magazines for them to look at.

The duchess, with her arm linked in his, led the three to sit at one of the guest couches they had. No one had said anything about his puffy eyes, and he was grateful.

“Do you have anything you want, Yoongi?” The duchess was done speaking softly to him, and Yoongi was glad. It was better that he learned to jump back from setbacks instead of dwelling on him, and her babying him excessively would only spoil him.

“May I have a look first?”

“Absolutely. Your father and I will look for clothes of our own as well.”

She passed him one of the magazine displays. Although this world had yet to progress to use of photographs, the sketches of the clothes left nothing to the imagination. There were sets for boys his age which ranged from excessively frilly and eye-catching to more subtle designs which looked like church clothes from Yoongi’s previous universe. Yoongi didn’t want to stand out, but he thought he should live up to the outrageous beauty of the duchess. One set caught his eye.

“Mom, can I try this on?” He pointed at the design he was currently looking at. She scrutinized his frame for a moment before nodding. “Can I leave the clip with you?”

“Why, put it on! You’ll be wearing it at the tea party anyway! You wouldn't leave your mother’s gift to you to gather dust in your room right?” She looked innocent, but Yoongi was familiar with her well-meaning schemes.

“Alright mom, dad. I’ll be back in a moment.” One of the attendants immediately came to his side and guided him to a dressing area where another worker attempted to take off his clothes. Sometimes Yoongi forgot this was a world where that happened. He just laughed it off, and waved them away, taking the straightened clothes in his hands. They were extraordinarily soft, and when he put them on, he felt shocked at how well they fit. How in the hell had they fit him with the perfect size by just appraising his body? The duchess certainly knew where the quality was best, he snickered behind a closed fist. 

The mirror was set outside of the changing area, so Yoongi couldn't see himself yet, but he knew he made the right choice. Hearing the gasps from the duchess and seeing the approving look from the duke confirmed his suspicions. Although he had meant for the outing to last a little longer, it seemed he had picked the perfect garment already. Yoongi would’ve graciously been the duchess’s dress up doll if she had so chosen. 

“How do I look dad?”

“Very prim and proper. Fitting of the young master role.” He nodded to signify his approval.

“What about you, mom?”

“It’s absolutely stunning! How did you know to match the colour of your robe to my dress? The clip too, it compliments the sparkle of the crystals on your button up so well. Well chosen, my son.” Her eyes curved up and almost closed with how brightly she was smiling.

In fact, Yoongi didn’t know what colour the duchess’s dress was to be, but something about the outfit called out to him. He was glad he listened to his instincts because he had pleased his parents. The robe was large and billowed out behind him as he walked. It was a deep shade of purple which sparkled under the light, and he paired it with a deep red long sleeve buttoned up shirt which was quite form fitting. Along the collar gleamed transparent and well-cut crystals in the same white light as his hair clip. With it he wore a pair of well-fitted black dress pants, held up by a black belt with a minimalist silver buckle. He thought he looked a little like Dracula from his old life, but he looked dashing either way. This was definitely the outfit he wanted.

“I’ll take this one then.” 

Yoongi changed back to his regular clothes as the duke paid the tab for the three of them. As expected, the coachman met them outside and took them back to the mansion. This time though, Yoongi didn’t feel as sleepy. He was awake the entire way back, but the duke had not exaggerated. There really was very little. The most interesting thing would be some livestock grazing peacefully along the wide open fields. Yoongi was reminded of the trips he would take out to rural areas or driving through rural areas on his way to Seoul as he left his family. It was nostalgic. As Yoongi watched the sun set and washed the sky in vibrant shades of a gradient between pink and purple, the coachman called out that they had arrived at home.

Yoongi hopped out of the carriage. They had been out to the town for a while, especially because they had gotten sidetracked looking at the local street markets. It was dinner time, which meant the duchess would likely fawn over his chosen outfit during the casual chit chat there before Jimin came to read Yoongi his story. The tea party was in two days, so Yoongi would have to review his notes before his big day. His first test of many would be the tea party, and he’d like to start off on the right foot.

-

Finally, it was time for the tea party. Yoongi would’ve known by the sounds of the mansion’s servants hurrying around even if he didn’t already know. Everyone was up early that day to comb through the lawn meant for the tea party once again, as well as setting up the furniture needed for their accommodations. Every servant in the house would have to be at the ready in case things went wrong, which Yoongi supposed was the reason why so many of the Min family servants were old and experienced. They had to deal with high-stakes operations like this on the regular. The guests would be arriving shortly after lunch, so Namjoon had the day off. It was probably best for Yoongi to get dressed and ready to greet the esteemed guests of the duchess. Yoongi made sure to properly clip his hair back and placed his plain brooch right above his quickly beating heart. He had confidence in himself that he would remember all his etiquette lessons and behave in a way fitting for the Min family but he was still afraid. It was his first time, after all.

“Yoongi, the duke is calling you,” Jimin called after he knocked on the door. Yoongi spun around.

“Do I look alright?” Yoongi knew the duke and duchess approved of his outfit, but it was always nice to get a second opinion, especially one that wasn’t as biased as that of his parents.

Jimin looked as if he was debating whether or not to be sarcastic, but he finally settled on a simple message. “Yes, you look refined. The cape is very becoming on you, although you are still too short for it.” Trust Jimin to hide a quip in there somewhere.

“Hey! I’m still taller than you!” Jimin just scoffed as if to say ‘as if’, and he left. Yoongi ran his comb through his unclipped hair one more time. Breathe. All he had to do was introduce himself exactly like Namjoon had told him and quietly stay by the duchess’s side for a few hours.

Yoongi was spotted by the duchess as he made his way to the top of the stairs. She waved him down with a gloved hand. The other held a lavender fan, very complimentary to her indigo dress which matched his cape. Hopping down the stairs, she looked him up and down, and Yoongi spun around obediently. She simply gave a curt nod, and the two went outside. The duke was busy with ordering the servants to set up the tables, but he spared them a glance and a slight nod of the head when Yoongi waved.

The duchess led Yoongi to the table where they would be sitting with other higher class ladies and their children. Each round table had a capacity of five or six people, depending on how willing they were to squish people closer together. The duke was to sit with the other husbands a little ways away closer to the edge of the party area. Many of the handheld snacks were already prepared and laid out on the layered displays. Teacups with simple flower and leaf designs around their rims with matching coasters and cutlery were set out in front of each chair. It was impressive, and the duchess commanded it all with the expertise of a master. 

“Now, let’s not waste time! The first families will be showing up soon!” She took Yoongi’s hand and they walked together to the golden gates which were now wide open. Yoongi stood beside the duchess, knowing he would likely greet their guests second, unless they were a two person party and someone decided to greet him at the same time.

As the first carriage pulled up to their gates, the guests began to file in not long after. Yoongi could identify them with the sketches he had memorized of the families he had painstakingly studied the days prior, and he addressed them just as Namjoon had taught him. Although they were not of the same standing as the Min family, they were still considerably high ranking nobles, so Yoongi was as polite as he was when he worked a retail job in the past. No difference between a customer who could make him lose a job and a count who could kill his family. Yeah, no big deal. 

Yoongi would use his learned skills to strike up casual conversation, but they were just standing in the middle of the path. It would have to wait for later. Servants came one at a time and led their guests to their seats. As of the moment, Yoongi hadn’t seen many children, other than infants too young to walk or talk, or children much older and closer to Namjoon’s age. The duchess truly was shining in her element, somehow managing to exchange a few words of casual but specific talk after a greeting, making the guests understand her thorough comprehension of their important affairs and walk off with an affable smile. She truly was always meant to be in the spotlight. The way she inserted herself in conversations was as smooth as butter, and she knew all the right things to say.

It felt like the line of guests was never ending. Even Yoongi, who was used to serving customers at the peak of rush hour was getting tired. Obviously, the perceptive duchess noticed, and once he began to droop in boredom, she gave him a light pinch on the arm which startled him wide awake again. He peered at her anxiously, but she just gave a tight-lipped smile back behind her fan. It was her way of consoling him and trying to tell him that they were almost done, he just had to endure a little while longer. Something he was proud of was that many of the families that he saw remarked how well-behaved and polite Yoongi was. He hadn’t studied and practiced all day and into the night for nothing. Surely, even Namjoon would praise him once he got wind of all the great things Yoongi achieved today. Namjoon wasn’t stingy with his compliments, but he was a perfectionist like Yoongi, and Yoongi’s ego wouldn’t permit him to accept half-hearted flattery.

The line of guests and carriages pulling up to the gates finally began to dwindle. There was more time in between each guest and feeling excited to begin the tea party soon, Yoongi brightened up again. Seeing him become so energetic again caused the duchess to muffle a laugh. Finally, the last guest came, a count and his wife. Yoongi paid them extra attention because he was so grateful it was over. Holding his hand, the duchess and Yoongi practically skipped to their table at the front. Yoongi took his spot, seated and waiting for the duchess to make her address. Curiously enough, there were three empty spots at their five person table, so it seemed to just be him and his mother for now. Who would have the courage to snub the invitation of the Min family? Yoongi would have to ask the duchess once she sat down.

“Welcome everyone! Thank you for coming to this tea party hosted by the Min family. There are a wide selection of dessert sandwiches as well as other baked goods at your table and the tea for this occasion will be assam. Coffee is also available upon request. Servants are on standby, so if anything of importance comes up, please do not hesitate to let them know. Finally, let us be social and make merry!” The duchess received a smattering of applause, and she sat down. Based on his lessons with Namjoon, Yoongi knew the drinking and snacking was purely for show. As the Min family didn’t have a table large enough to host twenty plus families, everyone was separated. Eventually they would all stand up and wander to gossip and exchange information. For now, though, it was peaceful as Yoongi sipped his tea which had a dash of milk in it and watched his mother do the same. She always took hers straight, and Yoongi admired her for it. Even in his past life he couldn’t stand the bitter taste of coffee, no matter how desperately he needed the caffeine in his system.

“Who was supposed to be at the table with us, mom?” he questioned, motioning briefly to the empty white chairs.

“No matter. I didn’t expect they’d show up anyway, but I’ve set their places in the small chance they do show up.” Possibly seeing Yoongi’s indignant frown, she laughed and just continued. “Seriously, my lovely son. It’s perfectly fine, no one is ignoring or being mean to our family.” That allowed Yoongi to relax his frowning face and scrunched together eyebrows.

Once Yoongi finished his delicious lemon tart, the duchess raised her eyebrows at him. That was likely her signal to him to get up with her and begin walking around. No one had stood up, possibly waiting for them to make the first move as hosts. As the duchess made her way to a table near the center, Yoongi resigned himself to looking at the intricate weaving designs on the duchess’s dress. It wasn’t super frilly or lacey, but had enough detail to suit the occasion. In fact, Yoongi could hear the other ladies complimenting her dress, and her shy laugh to wave it off. Some of the women had also mentioned how fond they were of their matching colour scheme look. That made Yoongi’s nose grow longer in his brain, and he really was proud of how he had chosen his own look for the day.

He could vaguely hear the duchess exchanging idle gossip about the recent marriages and scandals of the empire. It was nothing interesting enough to grab his attention, mostly concerning lower ranking families who would likely never cross Yoongi’s path until he was the old and wrinkly duke, so he opted for tuning them out. The duchess spent a calculated amount of time at each family’s table, making sure to be entertaining enough to be a great hostess but leaving enough time for their guests to interject with their own opinions. That way they didn’t get held up at any one table.

The next table they were going to be talking to had a child close to his age. Yoongi’s eyes brightened at that. He didn’t remember greeting this child, but it had been a long day, and he was sincerely tired, so it would make sense for this to slip from his memory. No matter, he could just reintroduce himself, not that anyone there had missed the shiny brooch over his heart. Although he was a grown man’s soul inside, he had hopes. Jimin had proven to be such fun company, and so mature. Perhaps all the children in this universe were incredibly talented and quick to mature emotionally. The other boy had originally hid behind his mother’s long yellow skirt, not making eye contact with anyone, much less Yoongi. Well, it was also a sign of a good host if they included more guests and introduced themselves first to begin conversation.

“Hello! My name is Min Yoongi, son of the Min family. May I inquire about your name?” He stood straight, with his hand held out for what he hoped was to be a friendly handshake. The duke and the boy’s mother paid them no mind, simply assuming they were playing together. Yoongi was still surprised that this boy’s body had the exact same name he did in his old universe, but at least he didn’t have to learn to respond by another.

Then, the boy finally looked up. His clear emerald green eyes locked with his as they traveled up. Yoongi could see them hesitate there. It was possible that he was shocked at Yoongi’s black hair, which he had felt was commonplace in Korea, but not common here. When they locked with his, they had gone dull. Yoongi wasn’t sure what to make of it, so he just stood there awkwardly with his hand out. To his surprise, the boy didn’t take it and shake as he had expected, but instead, he slapped Yoongi’s hand away. Yoongi’s hand didn’t hurt, it only slightly stung, but he was shocked enough to cradle it to his chest. The sound of the slap had been loud enough for their mothers to pay attention, as well as draw the attention of surrounding ladies. They stopped chatting, waiting with bated breath.

Yoongi breathed in and out. The boy was clearly young, but he had to have some manners right? Yoongi would try again, but he didn’t put his hand out again. Perhaps it had been the idea of skinship with someone else which had disturbed the other boy. As the reasonable son of the host, this was his chance to show off his conflict resolution skills! He just needed to stay calm and try again.

“Sorry about that! My name is Min Yoongi-” he began before he was cut off.

“I don’t care! Boys can’t wear flowers, my daddy told me so,” he yelled. Yoongi’s face hardened. He wouldn’t cry at the words of a child who was easily manipulated by a menacing father, but he had to repair the Min’s pride somehow. The duchess gently touched his shoulder, but he didn’t look up at her. This was his own problem, and he was calm enough to resolve it on his own too. As if they were connected through telepathy, she understood and didn’t intervene further. The same could not be said of the other lady, who looked on in fear with wide eyes, unmoving. Unfortunately, the exclamation of the boy had caused the garden to go quiet, with everyone’s eyes trained on the two boys.

“This was a gift from my mom. Please do not insult it, or else you will be insulting the Min name.” It was a badly concealed threat, but this was Yoongi’s greatest verbal weapon, and he had to use it to his advantage. Yoongi knew that ranking of nobles was very important in this world, and the boy’s mother had finally started to reach for her son. It was too late though.

“Don’t lie! The duchess would never give something so unseemly to her son! You aren’t even the real son!” With that, the other boy launched himself at Yoongi. Yoongi had not expected this outburst and had no time to try and retaliate, so he simply closed his eyes, trying to brace himself for the hits which were going to come.

They never came. Instead, a much taller boy with a navy blue cape and golden shoulder pads stood in front of him. Beside Yoongi, he could hear the duchess gasp. The boy’s soft pink hair fluttered in the silence of the garden. It reminded Yoongi of Jimin’s hair, with the same sakura pink tones, but this boy had silver streaks in his hair. The other boy’s mother had finally pulled him aside, and one look at the duchess told Yoongi all he needed to know. She was furious. He could practically see the steam rising from her neatly put up chestnut hair, and although they were the aggravators, Yoongi couldn’t help but say a quick prayer in his mind for them.

“Count and countess Garcia. Please take your leave from my tea party right now.” As the other mother began to stammer apologies and cry, the duchess doubled down, not raising her voice once. “Right now. Someone take them to the gates. We’ll be expecting a formal apology letter.” 

One of the servants standing by took the defeated-looking count and countess with their son to the gates. Yoongi could observe the count yelling profanities at the servant all the way there, but ultimately they did nothing else to resist and left the party. The duchess took a deep breath in, and a deep breath out before neutralizing her expression. She looked at the boy who had stepped in front of Yoongi and smiled. Sometimes her changes in emotion gave Yoongi whiplash, but he knew it was crucial to keep up appearances. Yoongi knew he would never hear the end of it once they were alone in the mansion.

“Why, look who showed up.” Her voice was tinged with humour. Yoongi had to put two and two together. This had to be the family who had three spots at the table with him and the duchess. 

“We wouldn’t miss your tea party for the world.” Yoongi looked the other way, and there was another family approaching. This time Yoongi was absolutely sure he hadn’t introduced himself, for he would have remembered their extravagant jewels and glimmering gold. There was only one family who would dare show off to this extent in front of the Min house. This must be the royal family, which would mean that the boy in front of him was one of their sons.

“Seokjin, great job. Come here,” the king beckoned. He wasn’t wearing the fur mantle or the crown he had on in the sketch Namjoon provided on his information sheets, but he was just as majestic in his plainer robes. His head of pure gold hair reflected the light, making him seem just as shiny as the precious metals pressed on his clothes and accessories. The queen was in a slimmer and more form-fitting red dress which went well with her tawny hair. Although her dress was simpler, she was also dressed to the nines. 

Holding her hand was a small boy, scratched up from what Yoongi could see of the large piece of gauze covering part of his face. That would be Taehyung then. His cerulean hair was vibrant, but he looked lazily over the scene, seemingly utterly bored. Yoongi could see even from his current distance the brilliant grey in the youngest prince’s large eyes. Although their hair colours made no sense, Yoongi supposed genes worked strangely in this universe so he needn’t concern himself with trying to explain them.

It wasn’t until Seokjin turned around that Yoongi realized what was wrong. The crown prince had dual toned hair, and his face was devastatingly handsome, with a high nose bridge, plush lips, and rosy cheeks. His grey eyes curved up as he smiled back at Yoongi on his way to the king’s side. His handsome face had unlocked some secret memory of past Yoongi, and it was vile.

It all came rushing back to Yoongi now. In a few seconds, time seemed to stop as he remembered. The reason why the prince’s names had felt so familiar, the reason why this world had magic. Fuck Yoongi’s life. Seokjin’s perfect face had been on the front and center of every promoting cover, as he was the main love target. He was in an otome game, and ‘Min Yoongi’ was set as this world’s worst and most despicable villain. Yoongi’s fate was to harass the heroine in the setting of the world’s magic academy, and eventually collude with kidnappers to take her life out of jealousy. The Min Yoongi of this otome game would end up publicly executed for his crimes, while the heroine and her target would live happily ever after.

With all this new information rushing into his system, Yoongi stiffened. He even wobbled a bit in front of the royal family. The duke had joined his other side, and Yoongi could vaguely hear him giving an introduction of himself to the royal family. The duchess was next, and she did it perfectly, as usual. Finally, it was Yoongi’s turn. 

“The humble son of house Min: Min Yoongi greets the empire’s ruler. Your majesty the king, the queen, and your excellencies the princes, I bid you welcome.” Now, this was the step he couldn’t afford to fuck up. Taking a breath in, Yoongi held his right arm at his stomach as he bowed low. His feet were still shaking, but not enough to throw his balance. That was enough. 

He looked up and locked eyes with the princes. Oh, it was on.