Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kim Dokja wiped his sweaty palms onto his needlessly expensive wedding dress, bunching up the soft fabric beneath his fingers before smoothing it out. He glanced up at the man before him and subtly pinched his arm, the sting reminded him that he was most definitely awake. The man tapped his foot impatiently and Kim Dokja swallowed his nerves. On this fine day, Kim Dokja would be married off to a ruthless tyrant of a man and five months into their marriage he would die a slow and agonizing death. 

How did he know? Because he was not from this world, originally he was Kim Dokja, a 28 year old contract worker who had nothing tying him to life. He had experienced a number of grievances in his 28 years of living and once his contract ended he had decided that would be the last grievance of his life. Cheap dress shoes found themselves in the middle of a crowded street and just as he was about to cross a small hand tugged on his sleeve and a little girl timidly asked him to help her across.

She must’ve been too scared to cross alone and it wasn’t as if he had anywhere to be so he just helped her, his plans could wait a couple of seconds. Except, once they were across a woman screamed to give her daughter back. Like a domino effect, one thing led to another and Kim Dokja found himself bleeding out on the dirty street of Seoul. The crying face of the little girl was the last thing he saw before he finally lost consciousness. What a way to go, he thought bitterly, at least it was a way to go. Silver lining and whatnot. 

Bull shit . The silver lining was a lie, a horrible trap for poor unsuspecting souls who were foolish enough to believe in optimism. Based on the clipped conversations he just barely caught the tail end of, Kim Dokja could safely say he transmigrated. Usually after death it was just eternal nothingness, pure satisfaction of being absorbed by the void. 

This was not the case for him, because for some god forsaken reason some god or deity decided he needed a second chance at life. Most people would be grateful for such a chance but it seemed as if this life was going to turn out just as bad as his previous life. 

The minute he woke up, maids dumped him into a cold bath, roughly scrubbing his skin with different soaps and scented oils. When he tried to speak they would pinch his arms until their nail marks could be seen on his pale skin. Kim Dokja could only sit quietly and listen as the maids whispered behind his back to try and pick up some sort of clue. 

Everything went far too fast for his mind to process but one particular thing stuck out. The name Yoo Joonghyuk, a character from a trashy two bit, four thousand page novel with a terrible plot. 

A novel that was so bad it made cheesy clichés feel bland, a novel with so little notoriety you had to search up the authors name to find the title because it couldn't even be found by search bar. A novel that made him, someone who avoided drinking like the plague, want to pick up a bottle of soju and drink it dry. A trashy two bit four thousand page novel that he was ashamed to admit he loved so dearly that he read every sentence. 

Humiliation burned at the tips of his ears as he recalled just how many of his days he poured into this sole novel. It was his guilty pleasure and it became his very reason for living, so when the novel ended on the same day his contract expired… Well, you get the picture. By the time he realized he was in the novel, Kim Dokja was already forced into a stuffy wedding dress and shoved into a carriage that probably cost more than his life. 

He felt the need to retreat in on himself as the carriage stopped in front of a pristine castle. He still didn't know everything, just that he was getting married and it would be officiated in the palace of a tyrant. When the door was pulled open he involuntarily flinched when a hand came into view and it took him a couple of seconds to realize he was being escorted. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t see very well past the thick veil covering his face. 

The man escorting him was a kind gentleman who told him that he would be brought to meet his fiancé in the chapel. Kim Dokja eventually mustered up the courage to ask who he was being wed to and the man gave him a pitying look. Oh gods, if he was getting married to a fat old aristocrat for union purposes, Kim Dokja would sooner drink his own bile then have this be his second life.  

“You’ll see,” was all the escort said before continuing the remainder of their walk in silence. 

An angered shout was heard while they were walking to the chapel and Kim Dokja felt his pulse jump at the noise, body silently going into panic mode. His escort gave him a brief apology before stepping in front of him, broad shoulders blocking even more of his sight as he heard thunderous footsteps bounce off the walls of the arcade. 

“Captain,” his escort saluted

“Lee Hyunsung where is my fiancé, I’ve been waiting an hour and I am not keen on wasting any more of my time” he hissed

Great, his fiancé had anger issues and he was impatient as hell. Kim Dokja wasn’t particularly scared but his new body seemed to have other plans as he began quivering at the man’s forceful tone. He didn’t blame his previous host, from what he saw, no one in that house of his treated his host very kindly. Looks like they both had something in common after all. 

“Who’s behind you?”

Kim Dokja froze as his escort stepped out of the way, his body still hadn’t stopped shaking as he kept his head low. He felt betrayed, wasn’t this escort supposed to keep him safe until he got married or something? Now he was faced to face with an angry stranger that his host body was terrified of being near. 

“I was just bringing your finance to the chapel captain, there was an issue with the carriage that caused an unforeseen delay,” that delay being assassins sent to kill Kim Dokja’s host body. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how shitty that family must have been if they were putting a price on his head. 

A breeze made his bridal veil blow past his face, giving Kim Dokja the perfect view of his fiancé to be. He was handsome, he’d give him that, but he was an asshole. The scar on his face was giving him an odd sense of Deja vu though, was there a character with a scar in that novel of his? Lets, see, there was the doctor, the saint, the tyrant, the female lead, the kid, and— 

Oh shit ...

He was getting married to none other than the archduke of the north, a war hardened brute that knew nothing of gentleness as he was raised on the blood of his enemies. Archduke Yoo was a feared tyrant with a very short temper and was widely respected for his prowess in war tactics. He was a man who was cursed with misfortune from the day he was declared the sole heir to the throne before being shipped off to war at the age of 14. And in five months his curse would consume him and he’d take the life of his first wife, ripping them to shreds with his bare hands until the female lead came along to rid him of his curse. 

They live a happy life, have three children together, save a country and yada yada yada, back to the wife. Kim Dokja was about to be wed to the very man who would tear him limb from limb while under the influence of a dastardly curse. Then he would be forgotten as those two pranced around like idiots in love. He didn’t mind being forgotten, he'd already been forgotten, and sure he wanted the eternal void of nothingness but he was no masochist. Sure he’s had his fair share of high school “fights” but that was nothing compared to the raw strength of his husband to be. In addition, he wasn’t very keen on repeating events of the past. 

“Name,” Kim Dokja flinched at the archduke’s harsh tone, steadily lifting his dress to curtsey wanting nothing more than to smack the back of his head for being rude. 

“Countess Kim Dokja, your grace”

“Why am I being wed to a countess, I was promised to be wed to someone of great power”

Kim Dokja shriveled up at the archduke's glare, silently thanking those vile maids for giving him such a thick veil that hid his watery eyes. His instincts were screaming at him to run away but he was in the middle of a walk path and both exits were being blocked by either the archduke or his escort. Well there were these open wide arch windows and if he took a step up he’d be faced with a thirty foot drop. 

Curse his host for being so easily provoked as the archduke loured at Lee Hyunsung’s explanation and whipped his head over to his bride to be, who flinched once more. Kim Dokja already knew why they were being wed because of the novel, the Kim house was very influential in the trade business. Something that would be very good for the on coming war. 

“You, come, we are not wasting anymore time, I have work to finish.”

The archduke grabbed his wrist, practically dragging him as his new body struggled to keep up. Kim Dokja scowled, that was the last straw. Fear be damned, he was just going to die either way so why did he have to listen to a bastard like this anyways. He dug his foot into the ground, ripping his arm out of the archduke’s leather clad grasp. 

“ No ”

The archduke spun around, growling at the sudden change, fingers twitching to the sword on his belt in annoyance only to get an indignant cry of “captain” from his subordinate. He lowered his hand irritably, serves him right, his body was fragile and being dragged around like a ragdoll was not on his to do list.

“Pardon?” 

Kim Dokja squared his shoulder and tilted his chin up in an indignant manner, ignoring the way his heart thudded frantically as he stood his ground. He would not be forced into submission by a man who most likely lose to a modern day soap dispenser. 

“I said, no , and I am not a dog so do not address me as you, my name is Kim Dokja.”

“Fine, Kim Dokja , come before we waste anymore time,” he didn’t really like the way the archduke spat his name out like a slur, humming in thought before curtly replying. 

“ No ”

A sense of satisfaction washed over him as the archduke drew his sword, pointing it at his neck. He wore an indifferent look at the deadly weapon at his throat, a temperamental toddler such as the archduke didn’t deserve his fear. He only felt pity for the woman who would marry him in the future, she seemed like such a sweet woman too. 

“You will come or else-” 

He scoffed before he could stop himself, “or what? You’ll kill me? How about I save you the trouble and just do so myself.”

Eternal nothingness would be great this time around as he stepped into the ledge of the window. Also the pros far outweigh the cons so this was the smartest choice he could make. His wedding dress billowed behind him, veil blowing out of his face and the archduke could only stare in a shocked silence. 

Fierce challenging eyes dared to look the archduke in the eyes when only seconds before the countess could only bow his head timidly. Plush pink lips were pulled into a viciously deceptive snarl of a smile, he looked feral. A complete one eighty to the man that used his soldier as a shield as he flinched at every word the archduke spoke. 

It was alluring. Absolutely riveting as he threw his head back and laughed, arm shooting out to catch his wife to be by the waist just as he tipped backwards to escape their marriage through death. His sword lay on the floor between them as he lifted his wife into his arms and marched off toward the chapel, now eager to be married to such an enigma. 

“What the- let go!” his wife shouted, slamming his fists into his chest, the attempt to escape his clutches was cute. His wife growled and if his clever eyes didn’t pick up the way his thin frame was wracked with shivers while on the ledge, he might’ve believed the façade. 

“Hyunsung, go fetch a new priest”

Lee Hyunsung clicked his jaw shut, absolutely baffled at the strange exchange he had witnessed, muttering a quick “yes captain” as he ran off to get a priest. He could hear the two of them bickering even as he got further and further away. Those two would make a strange couple but at least there was someone who matched his captain’s energy he thought with a soft smile. 

A smack resounded in the hallway followed by Countess Kim’s enraged screeching and Lee Hyunsung rethought this whole thing. When he got back to the chapel with a new priest he’d discover a handprint on his captain’s cheek and a satisfied smile on his face. If there was lipstick smeared on the archduke's lip, no one mentioned it as the countess angrily said his “I do’s” and the ceremony was concluded.

He really worried for those two, but his captain seemed happy for once in his life so who was he to interfere. Maybe this would do the archduke well, he’d learn how to treat his wife well and the wife would...

He would figure something out later. 

Chapter Text

The wife would get a handsome husband. That’s all Hyunsung could come up with in the past three weeks he was assigned as the countess’ guard. All he’d hear was how his captain was a “shameless bastard, that didn’t know what boundaries were.” The only good thing the countess had to say was to compliment his captain's looks, or at least he thinks they’re compliments. He didn’t quite know what a “useless sunfish of a man with looks that could slap the cheek of a hundred men,” meant but it had sun in it and the sun was a lovely thing, so he’d count it as a good thing.

“Lee Hyunsung, why is it that I go with that bastard for tea time everyday despite hating him?” The countess’ teacup clinked against his saucer as he forcefully set it down for the nth time that day.

“Because that useless sunfish of a man with looks that could slap the cheek of a hundred men made it Man. Da. To. Ry.” 

Okay maybe it wasn’t a good thing.

“Isn’t that outrageous? Who makes it a requirement to spend time with someone who hates you? Is your captain a masochist? Is that it?”

Usually he would defend his captain but hell hath no wrath like the countess when it came to his new husband. He opened his mouth to gently interject, try and preserve his captain’s honor somehow but the countess made some very compelling points. He’d still try nevertheless, he didn’t like seeing the countess so stressed, he seemed like such a nice person. 

“Why don’t you try and get along with the captain? He looks pretty smitten with you Dokja-ssi?”

“Hyunsung-ssi,” the countess calls sweetly and Hyunsung gets the foreboding feeling that maybe he messed up. “A man who is smitten does not hold a sword up to his partner's neck. That man is not smitten, he is amused, he’s finally found someone bold enough to go against him and he’s not keen on losing his source of entertainment. It's like seeing a rabbit with a rocket launcher”

“A what?”

“Nevermind,” the countess waves his hand in dismissal, carefully swirling the leaves in his nearly empty tea cup with a thinly veiled look of disapproval. “Hyunsung, can you get me a new pot of tea? Mine got cold while I was talking and cold liquids make my stomach upset.”

“I can’t do that Dokja-ssi, I’m not allowed to leave your side”

Kim Dokja softly clicked his tongue, “surely there's no one who would be foolish enough to break into the archduke's palace? He is the strongest man in the country for a reason.” 

Hyunsung seemed to perk up at the countess‘ backhanded praise of his captain's strength, coaxing him to leave was mere child’s play after that. A few choice words and a vague compliment to the archduke and his guard was skipping out of the room. His lips turned up in a sordid smile the minute the parlor door clicked shut. 

For once in this lifetime Kim Dokja was grateful that his host body was so jumpy, it made convincing the archduke that much easier. He didn’t even need to say much, his natural skittishness near maids or any sort of attendant made the archduke send them away himself.  

Lee Hyunsung was a kind man, he always stopped to play with the kids in town when he went on a stroll and never hesitated to help those in need. Always giving scraps of his paycheck to the beggars on the street making sure they were nice and fed before leaving with a lighter heart. Lee Hyunsung was a kind man. Kim Dokja was not. 

He felt a bit weary taking advantage of that man’s kindness but this was a necessary evil. There had been a reason why he chose the outdoor garden parlor to enjoy his tea instead of being indoors where there were less bugs to eat him alive. This garden had various flowers and plants that were extremely toxic, a useless detail in the novel but he’d put that knowledge to use very soon. He braced himself on the table as his body began to tremble and a cold sweat broke out across his face. The flower must be taking its effect right about now. 

He already calculated everything perfectly from boil time to the time it took for his body to absorb the poison. He had been planning this for weeks, making sure to talk nonstop about his husband to give the illusion of a deep hatred to play up his guard's sympathy, when in reality he was just playing the long con. He did hate that bastard but not as much as he made it out to be. The archduke was a troubled man who grew up with violence as his second language, he had his soft points but Kim Dokja was a petty man.

Consider it his own sort of fuck you to god for not letting him die properly the first time around. Spots danced across his vision and he needed to lay his face down on the table before he fell out of his seat. When the author said the victims of this plant died peacefully, they lied, he was not feeling very peaceful right now. 

His entire body felt cold as ice with random flashes of heat, his body wouldn't stop shaking as he held onto the table cloth for dear life. Just a couple more minutes and he’d start seizing up and this would all be over. Except before he passed out, the last thing he saw was Hyunsung's concerned face and was that… A pan? Damn it all. 

Kim Dokja passed out. 

When he woke up his throat felt sore and swollen, his esophagus burned as he swallowed reflexively. His head spun and he could hardly keep himself propped up long enough to reorientate himself as his head hit the pillow with a soft thud. Bad move on his part because the slight jostle to his brain made his vision swim with color and static. All in all he felt like shit.

“So you’re finally awake”

Kim Dokja scowled, he’d know that condescending voice anywhere. If his head didn't feel like he had just been hit by a bus, he would’ve turned away from the archduke. But even the slightest movement made the pressure in the back of his eyes feel like his corneas were having a rave.

He heard the clatter of metal and felt himself being gently lifted up into a sitting position, he was in too much pain to protest.

“Did you really think you could escape me with such simple methods?”

“Did you know I hate you?” Kim Dokja groaned.

“You don’t”

He gave his husband a baffled look, was the archduke so emotionally stunted that he didn’t know what hate looked like? He almost sounded fond while saying such a bold statement out loud. You could ask anyone in the palace and they’d all agree Kim Dokja hated the archduke's guts. And the archduke had the audacity to smile at him and give him a peck on the cheek as he laid a cloth on his lap. He scowled, and made a show of wiping his cheek before responding. 

“I do”

“You don't”

“I do ”

The archduke couldn’t help but laugh at his wife’s childish antics, he was an enigma. He’d flinch when his attendants came too close but he’d turn his nose up at the most feared man in the country and even scold him. The last time someone dared to question his authority he had their head sent back on a spike, he'd let his wife be his only exception.

“You don’t, and do you know how I know?” The archduke brushed the hair out of his wife’s eyes, putting his hands up in mock surrender at the glare he received. The mirthful smile on the archduke’s face made Kim Dokja’s heart stutter and he cursed this man's good looks. 

“It’s because I know anger, when you’ve stared into the eyes of death it gets easier to differentiate who hates you and who hates the war, and you my wife, do not hold any anger in your eyes”

When did this savage become so eloquent? The countess couldn’t even retort, mouth agape in shock as the archduke stared deeply into his eyes. It made him feel more vulnerable than ever, as if the archduke was peering directly into his very soul, reading him like a book. He didn’t know what to do with that feeling, but just as he found the words to reply a spoon tapped at his lips.

“Eat, you lost weight after being asleep for three days”

“It's not poisoned is it?”

The archduke gave him an unamused look before smiling mischievously, “if I said it was?”

It was Kim Dokja’s turn to give his husband an unamused look, “I’d ask if you’ve finally grown tired of me.”

“I could never”

Kim Dokja frowned and another spoonful of congee was shoved into his mouth. He’d have to scratch poison off the list now, he’d try again but he had a feeling the archduke would be keeping an eye on him from now on. He already tried jumping twice, once during the ceremony and he made another attempt a week later. He fell right into the archduke's arms who was waiting patiently at the bottom just out of sight, much to his displeasure.

He tried to sneak out of his room for another attempt, only to be met with the archduke's infuriating smile. He slams the door in his face but a polished shoe wedges itself into the crack of the door and he invites himself in. Kim Dokja resigns himself to his fate as his husband loops their arms together and he’s being personally escorted to dinner. Instead of the grand dining room he had grown accustomed to, the archduke brings the two of them to a quaint little room that feels strangely intimate. 

On the table there’s a spread of food that he knows the two of them won't be able to finish. The archduke pulls out his chair and he stares at the food in distrust as the archduke tucks him into the table.

“It's not poisoned if that’s what you’re worried about”

“As if I’d be worried about poison”

Despite his worries the archduke doesn't try anything shifty and they eat their meal in a relatively comfortable silence. The only thing the archduke did was try and get him to eat more, making a jab about his stomach capacity that made him eat more out of spite. He escorts Kim Dokja back to his room and gives him a kiss on the forehead, he’s gotten so used to the archduke's affection that he doesn’t even think to complain anymore. Yoo Joonghyuk was never described to be an affectionate man, needing to be taught how to love by the female lead. 

Then he remembers the grotesque passage that contained his untimely demise and strengthened his resolve. He didn’t have time for the archduke's strange antics when he was about to have his heart physically and metaphorically ripped out of his body in about four months. He was running out of time. He needed to die quickly but first things first, sleep.  

He walked over to his bed and grimaced in pain as he stubbed his toe on the edge of his bed. His room was oddly dark, weren't the maids supposed to light a candle for him? Kim Dokja pulls out a box of matches, one moment he’s lighting a candle. Then the next thing he knows is the wind is knocked out of him as he's yanked to the side just as a knife embeds itself in the wall where he previously stood. 

He hears the screeching of steel against steel scraping against each other as he’s hugged tightly against Yoo Joonghyuk’s soft chest. He can hear how fast his heartbeat was with how close they were. Kim Dokja takes a peek at who was just trying to kill him and he is greeted with the sight of two children clothed head to toe in black. 

Shit he knew these two. The archduke raises his arm to land the killing blow and Kim Dokja has to scramble out of his embrace to make sure he doesn’t kill these brats. Throwing himself a foot away from the archduke to block the kids cringing internally. He always hated reading parts where they shielded someone with their body, why couldn't they just kick them or tackle them out of the way? For now, neither option was available because of his limited muscle strength. 

“Yoo Joonghyuk, don't kill them”

He hears his husband grunt as he pulls back the last second to avoid cutting down his wife.

“Dokja get out of my way”

“No”

Yoo Joonghyuk glares at him and Kim Dokja makes sure to glare back with the heat of a metal slide on a hot summer’s day. Finally after a minute of silence the archduke sighs and drops his arms, he sits on the bed and crosses his arms, leveling him with a calculating glare. 

“I didn’t take you for someone who sympathized with children”

“I don’t,” Kim Dokja didn’t elaborate as he turned his back on his husband and approached the injured children, “these two are just important.”

If he paid attention, he’d notice the way their eyes sparkled at his words but his eyes were locked onto something else. They growled the closer he got but he boldly reached out and brushed the hair away from the back of their necks. They didn’t try to kill him so he took that as a good sign as he found what he was looking for. The Kim family contract mark. 

That damn family of his really didn’t know when to quit. Carefully he brushes a thumb over their marks and they snarl at him. Faintly he heard the click of the archduke's sword and he gave his husband a warning look and he reluctantly let it drop back into place, and was he pouting?

Truthfully these kids didn’t play a big part in the novel, they were tricked into accepting a contract that would basically chain them to the Kim family until the day they died. They lived miserable lives until they both finally turned fifteen and their contract was terminated only to be captured by the king and used as a tool for the war. Their hatred for humanity grew until they became an obstacle that Yoo Joonghyuk would eventually cut down to save his love interest. He hated how their stories ended so he did the one thing he could do. He made sure their stories weren’t cut short before they even had the chance to begin. 

Suddenly he felt a bit relieved to be part of the Kim family, not because he liked them but because it meant he could remove their shackles with his own two hands. Kim Dokja cuts his finger and the kids watch him with weary eyes as he smears blood onto their marks. The contract absorbs the blood and sizzles away as he whispers the terms of completion. They looked at him as if he hung the stars in the sky when they see their blank skin and he couldn’t help but shift uncomfortably under their gaze. Such young and impressionable children wouldn’t understand that he was a selfish man, he wasn’t worthy of their admiration.

“Consider this a personal act of defiance against my family, don't let me see you two ever again.” He points to the window and makes sure his demeanor is as cold as possible. 

Without a word they disappear from his sight and he prays they won't be foolish enough to fall for any contracts again. He stands up and brushes the dirt off of his sleep clothes and turns around to finally get some well deserved rest. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest, he had forgotten the archduke was still in the room with him.

“Why spare them, I could have easily cut their throats and they’d no longer be a threat to you”

“Why do you always resort to violence?”

“Answer the question”

Kim Dokja involuntarily rolls his eyes, any more and they’d get stuck in the back of his head, maybe then he wouldn’t have to see the archduke’s face anymore. 

“Because I wanted to” Kim Dokja huffs petulantly 

“Because you wanted to” the archduke parrots in a dull tone

“I choose to spare them because I wanted to now get out of my room, I’m tired”

Yoo Joonghyuk hums in thought before tossing his cloak onto the back of a chair and begins undressing. By the time Kim Dokja has processed such behavior the duke is practically naked save for black boxers as he's being yanked into bed leaving him sputtering in embarrassment. 

“What the hell are you doing, let go of me right now!”

Yoo Joonghyuk just hold him closer and buries his face into Kim Dokja's hair, “what kind of husband would I be if I didn’t personally keep an eye on my wife after such a traumatic event?”

“Traumatic my ass let go!”

“No”

“Yoo Joonghyuk!”

“Dokja-ya”

He wriggles around trying to get out of his husband's octopus trap but his arms remain firmly wrapped around him. He glares at the archduke's triumphant look, forced to sleep with his face squished into Yoo Joonghyuk’s bare chest. He could hear the steady thump of his heartbeat, it was much slower than before. His eyelids grow heavier with each second until the rhythmic thump of his husband's heart and fatigue wears him down. He felt the vibration of Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice against his cheek but he was too far gone to hear as he finally conks out for the night. 

“Good night”

Chapter Text

Kim Dokja was currently hunched over a sheet of paper in the very room he had tried to poison himself in all those days ago. His husband was casually sipping his tea as he did his paperwork over the state of his kingdom, the sight pissed him off. Childishly, Kim Dokja crumples up a sheet of paper and throws it at his husband who easily dodges the offending object.

“Don't do that dear, paper is expensive”

In retaliation Kim Dokja threw another ball of paper at his husband who casually caught it with one hand and tossed it back. He scrunched his face up when It bounced off his forehead and Yoo Joonghyuk just smiled at his wife’s expression. Kim Dokja let his head fall onto the table in frustration, thumping softly. This table probably would’ve cost a fortune in his original world. 

“Have I tried stabbing yet?”

“Me or yourself”

Yoo Joonghyuk dodges another ball of paper and he couldn’t help but smile against the rim of his cup, lacing their fingers together as a form of apology. This bastard wasn’t even remotely sorry.

“Bludgeoning?”

Yoo Joonghyuk hums in reply, pressing a kiss into his wife’s knuckles, in turn Kim Dokja just gags theatrically, pulling his hand away from the archduke. He’s tried everything from hanging to getting struck by lightning but nothing has been effective. The archduke even managed to misinterpret one of his attempts as an act of seduction. He really should’ve known that drunk Dokja would’ve sought out the archduke's presence. 

His face burns as he remembers their flushed face, their intertwined bodies, hearing Yoo Joonghyuk’s whisky smooth voice speak directly into his ears. He woke up sore and covered head to toe in bite marks. Overdosing would be permanently crossed off from his list, never again. He had been too sore to walk for days, stuck in his own luxurious prison because of his host’s dainty body. He really needed to die. 

Kim Dokja shoots up from his seat, chair noisily scraping across the floor as he fans at his face, he needed to get out of here before his thoughts got dangerous. He rushes towards the door just as a hand catches his wrist. Oh right, his pest husband. 

The archduke eyes his wife’s bright red ears, yanking him forward so that Kim Dokja is stumbling into his lap. He sputters in surprise as the archduke rests his hands on his hips to keep him from squirming off. 

“What are you thinking about so intently that's got you reacting like this,” he whispers into his wife’s ear.

“None of your business! Now let go!”

The archduke just laughs and he has to remind himself to keep his thoughts in check, “to quote someone I know, no ”

Kim Dokja gapes at his husband, and the archduke presses a quick kiss to his open lips, relishing in the shade of red his face turned. His mind goes blank as the archduke goes back to his paperwork with Kim Dokja still in his lap. A moment of silence passes and Kim Dokja absentmindedly plays with his husband's hair as he brainstorms his next death. 

“Have I tried—” “We will be attending a ball to commemorate our union.” Kim Dokja scowls at the interruption but listens nonetheless. 

“We’ll need to ready for the preparation,” the archduke takes in his wife's appearance and mumbles under his breath, “I’ll need to get you fitted for another dress”

Kim Dokja smacks him on the back of the head in response, “why can’t I have a suit? Why are you the only one who gets to wear the suit! I’m a man too!”

Yoo Joonghyuk takes it in stride, slowly traces his hand up his body and thumbs his exposed collarbones. Lithe fingers gently prodding the fading marks that poked over the collar of his shirt silently. 

“I’ll need to buy more alcohol”

Kim Dokja screeches in embarrassment. 

Preparations for the ball came and went in a painful blink of an eye, true to his word Yoo Joonghyuk had him fitted for a dress. He stares at himself in the mirror and wonders why Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to save him so badly. Amusement couldn't be the only factor keeping him alive. If that were the case then he’d stop reacting to everything the archduke did so that he could be properly discarded. 

It wasn’t like the archduke was in it for his looks either, he had the same face as before, his lips were a little bit pinker and his eyebags were gone but it wasn’t a drastic change. He still had the same gangly form as before; it was just jumpier and better rested then Kim Dokja’s original body had been. Nothing much had changed. 

Thick arms snaked around his waist and he was snapped out of his thoughts as Yoo Joonghyuk hugged him from behind, chin propped on his head. He had a look of adoration in his eyes and Kim Dokja wondered if it was because of him or the dress. 

“You look lovely.”

Kim Dokja couldn’t refute the archduke’s words this time, the snow white dress hugged his form in all the right ways accentuating his whipcord body and small waist. It was made with soft fabric and embellished in gold threading so that every step he took felt light and airy. Tailored specifically with his comfort in mind and Kim Dokja couldn’t help but be touched at the thought. 

He glanced behind him at the archduke and found he was covered head to toe in black attire. Oddly enough they matched, maybe it was the gold thread carefully woven into both their seams but something about it just made it seem like they belonged together. Yoo Joonghyuk’s hands inched towards unsavory places and he slapped his husband’s hands away in annoyance. 

“Stop that, we’re going to be late you know,”

Yoo Joonghyuk just kissed him on the cheek and dangled a choker in front of his eyes. The necklace matched his dress save for the pitch black gem glittering in the middle. Kim Dokja squinted in suspicion as the archduke carefully clasped it around his neck. 

“What better way to show off my pretty wife than with the very symbol of the Yoo family?”

Kim Dokja didn’t know the weight of this gem but he did know that in the novel the archduke remained cold and unfeeling. Only offering a symbol of their love to the female lead when they were safely wed with three children. For the archduke to be giving him this necklace… (It was almost as if the archduke was trying to stake his claim on him but that would be ridiculous) Kim Dokja didn’t know what to think, but things were quickly going down an unknown path that even he didn’t know the ending of. 

Yoo Joonghyuk took a moment to admire the way the gem stood out against pale skin and cloth before escorting him to their carriage. The cold midday air nipped at his skin and Kim Dokja couldn't help but huddle closer to his husband. He nearly topples under the weight of something heavy being draped over his shoulder and his body greedily sucks up remnants of the archduke’s body heat from his fluffy black cloak.

“You're not getting this back” he huffs, sneakily observing the way carriages sped by. Come to think of it, he hasn't tried death by carriage yet has he? 

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” Yoo Joonghyuk comments 

Kim Dokja just sends him a scalding look and shoots back, “well you’re not me.”

He jerks his body in the direction of an oncoming carriage but his arms remain locked with the archdukes. He tries again and the archduke has a tighter hold on his arms. Yoo Joonghyuk gives him a triumphant look as Kim Dokja pouts, turning away from his husband petulantly. Yoo Joonghyuk just holds him closer when a particularly strong gust of wind smacks him in the face and Kim Dokja has never felt more warm in his life. 

The two of them made quite the sight as they stepped into the ballroom looking like night and day. If one didn’t look closely they’d miss the glimmer of gold amongst black and white fabric. One might even think the archduke was making a statement against his wife if it weren’t for the choker framing Kim Dokja’s delicate neck. 

He could feel the jealous glares and curious eyes from men and women alike as whispers filled the ballroom. Kim Dokja made sure to keep his face impassive as they walked in, he had a feeling that he was going to be met with more than a couple headaches today. 

Not even an hour into the ball and numerous women had already tried to giggle their way into the archduke's heart the second he stepped away for a drink. He’s also had to dodge his fair share of spilled drinks and malicious shoves in an attempt to humiliate him. Kim Dokja gracefully dodges another attempt at staining his dress red, for once he was grateful that his instincts were sharper than normal. Their mocking titters and sneers were beginning to hurt his head. It would be better to just return to Yoo Joonghyuk’s side at this point, then he could just scare everybody off instead. But his husband was busy speaking to the queen and king and he refused to go anywhere near them; a single passage from the novel was enough to ward him off permanently. 

“Countess Kim,” great , another one. 

“Yes?” he replies with a cold smile.

A man with a greasy smile approached him and Kim Dokja made sure to keep a respectable distance with the two of them. He was getting bad vibes from this man and his instincts hadn’t been wrong all night. The man doesn’t take the hint, closing the space between them with an unflattering smile. 

“Don't tell me you can't even remember your own cousin! Did getting married to Archduke Yoo suddenly boost your ego so much you don't remember your own family?”

Kim Dokja wracked his brain for any information on his so called cousin, the only thing that came to mind were his parents and terrible home life. There had been absolutely nothing about his cousins within the hundreds of thousands of pages he read. 

His ears picked up the frenzied whispers of the ladies that were listening in. He didn’t care, they could whisper all they wanted, he wasn’t going to be around long enough to see the consequences of their words. The man steps closer and his arm loops around his waist, not so subtly squeezing his ass. But this man might. 

“Why don't we move to somewhere private and discuss how you’ve been,” meaty fingers squeeze his waist and Kim Dokja forced down a gag, clenching his fists to restrain himself. He was close enough that Kim Dokja could smell the foul scent of alcohol on his breath. 

Just as he’s about to knock this man flat on his ass in front of hundreds of witnesses a kind voice cuts into their conversation. A woman with soft brown hair and a gentle but lively smile glides towards them, hands poised neatly in front of her. Saintess Yoo Sangah, one of the key elements to breaking Yoo Joonghyuk's curse. 

“It's an honor to finally meet the archdukes rumored wife”

Kim Dokja couldn’t tell if his luck was amazing or non-existent as the Saintess stepped between him and his self proclaimed cousin, smiling lightly. Despite her elegant smile, her posture screamed she was not to be messed with, for good reason too. Eventually the man breaks under the Saintess’ gaze, making up an excuse about his wife before scurrying away. She turns back around and gives Kim Dokja a much more genuine smile.

“My apologies for cutting into your conversation like that, I’m Saintess Yoo Sangah, it is very nice to make your acquaintance,” she curtseys 

Kim Dokja bows his head in response, picking up the edge of his delicate skirt to return the greeting with a soft smile, “the pleasures all mine, thank you for dealing with that nuisance” 

“I’d say he’s more of a pig then a nuisance wouldn’t you say?”

If he were drinking, he would have spat it out in surprise, coughing behind his palms to hide the sudden bubble of laughter. Her eyes glisten with amusement, taking his hands in hers as she speaks eagerly. 

“I can already tell the two of us will make a great pair.”

Just as he’s about to respond Kim Dokja feels calloused hands close around his wrist and he’s once again being yanked into the archduke's hold. A hand splayed on the small of his back seeping warmth even through his thick leather gloves.

“Dearest wife, we haven’t had the pleasure of having our first dance,” he gritted out, rudely ignoring the Saintess. 

Was the archduke jealous?? He knew the archduke was a possessive man but to this extent was just ridiculous, he had only been speaking to the saintess! In fact the archduke should be thanking him because he was going to save his sad pathetic life since he didn’t want to let him die peacefully like a good husband does. 

“Well dearest husband, I was just having a conversation with the Saintess here,” which meant leave so that Kim Dokja could save the archduke and by extension himself. 

“It's not good for the public's opinion of us if we didn’t have at least a single dance the entire night,” the archduke insists

“I’ve never known you to care for public opinion,” he scoffs.

“You say that as if you’ve known me for long,” the archduke croons, spinning his wife around so that they are standing face to face.

Faintly Kim Dokja hears the Saintess giggle before excusing herself from their conversation. He tries to call out after her but Yoo Joonghyuk has a firm hold on his wrist, swaying in place as he scowls in annoyance. 

“She’s gone already, now let go bastard,” Kim Dokja shoves the archduke out of the way and in the last second their hands are linked together and he’s being pulled into a spin and dip.

He snarls at his husband who managed to sneak them onto the dance floor with his crude methods. Kim Dokja slams his foot down with the intent to crush his toes but the archduke merely sidesteps his heel with a low hum. 

Together the two of them looked like they were engaged in a beautiful yet violent sort of ballroom dance where Kim Dokja shoves and Yoo Joonghyuk keeps pulling him back. His heart raced the longer they were engaged in their makeshift dance and Kim Dokja was afraid to say that he was actually having fun as he was pulled into another dip. 

It was a beautifully savage display. 

Yoo Joonghyuk pulls him back up and they’re so close, he can feel their hearts beat in unison, their breaths coming out as one, the two of them are completely in sync. They hardly even notice when the entire ballroom burst out in obnoxious clapping, they are lost within each other, then it all goes to shit from there. 

The archduke's eyes glow a molten shade of gold as they snap to something behind him, then he's being held protectively against Yoo Joonghyuk’s chest. His sword is drawn, pointed at the man who called himself his cousin just moments prior, growling viciously. The man scrambles backwards, tripping on his own shoes to get away from the archduke's wrath. 

Another noble steps forward to try and remedy the situation but that makes things worse as the archduke's anger transfers to the noble, sword swinging wildly in their direction. The archduke takes a step back holding Kim Dokja closer, sword pointed at the crowd of people in case they dare to take another step closer. He was like a cornered animal. 

“Yoo Joonghyuk! Snap out of it”

The archduke didn't listen, only tightening his hold around Kim Dokja’s waist until he couldn’t breath from the pressure. 

“God damn it,” he wheezes, what did the female lead do when this happened? The novel didn’t mention anything that happened in between his episodes, hell it didn't even mention what would happen, only that the countess would die a painful death. 

Yoo Joonghyuk bows his head by his ears and Kim Dokja can hear his low growls as they are backed up into a corner. He squeezes his eyes shut and prays what he does next will work or he’d die of embarrassment. 

“Joonghyuk-ah~” he can already feel his soul fly out of his body, “Joonghyuk-ah, my Joonghyuk~” 

He calls sweetly reaching out to cup the feral archduke’s cheek, when he doesn’t growl or flinch away he takes that as the go ahead to continue. Slowly he pressed their foreheads together and pouted, cringing when felt the archduke's labored breath fanning across his face. He needed to do this quickly because he couldn't stand on his tippy toes for much longer, he cursed the archduke for being so tall. 

“Joonghyuk-ah do you not feel safe with me? Do you not like me anymore for you to be acting so angry like this?” Cautiously he moves his hand to card it through the archduke's hair, something he learned his husband liked very much by accident.

“Do you want me to leave? Is that it, my Joonghyuk?” 

Kim Dokja was abruptly pulled into a crushing hug, the archduke nuzzles his face in the crook of his neck, letting out a long, drawn out whine. Kim Dokja is suddenly reminded of a dog watching his owner go to work for the first time. 

“That's right my Joonghyuk, if you don't want me to leave, put the sword down,” he feels a rumble against his neck when he reaches for the sword and quickly tangles his fingers back into the archduke's black locks, hurriedly shushing him. 

“Joonghyuk-ah the big bad pointy sword scares me, I’ll leave if I’m scared, you don't want me to leave do you?” Another whimper. “No, I know my Joonghyuk can be a good boy, right? My Joonghyuk-ah is the bestest right?”

He feels the archduke rub his face up and down his neck and the sword clangs to the floor, success. 

“That’s right, that makes me very happy Joonghyuk-ah. Do you wanna get away from all the bad people my Joonghyuk?”

The archduke peers up at him from behind his fringe and his eyes are wide and pleading, since when did the archduke learn to make puppy eyes? His heart squeezes and he can't help but ruffle the archduke’s hair playfully, this was so unfair, making Kim Dokja deal with his mess while he just acted cute. Unfair. 

Kim Dokja motions to the sword on the floor and Lee Hyunsung sweeps it up diligently while he leads the archduke to the door. From the corner of his eyes he spots a shadowy figure rush out of the ballroom through the opposite doors. 

“My apologies but the archduke hasn’t been feeling well lately, we’ll be taking our leave” he announces and the doors slam shut behind him. 

The archduke clings to him the entire way back to the carriage, whining and nuzzling his neck. Whenever Kim Dokja tried to get him to stop he’d give him the same puppy eyes from the ballroom before going back to happily smothering his wife in kisses. How bothersome. 

When they get back to the palace Kim Dokja makes sure the archduke is safely tucked under a thick blanket. He won't even mention the fact that he had to dress and put a fully grown male to bed. Yoo Joonghyuk seemed keen on playing instead of going to bed, stealing his night clothes and running around the room like a troublesome toddler.

When things were finally silent and the archduke is sound asleep, he throws open the balcony doors, eyes shut as he basks in the moonlight and chilly night breeze. The wind seems to still and the owls stop their calls and the crickets silence their screams. 

“You two can come out now.”

There's a rustle in the trees and suddenly two black blobs drop from the foliage, mistrust apparent in their eyes.

“How did you know we were there?” Gilyoung asks shuffling in place, Yoosung hangs in the back studying their interaction. 

“I’ll tell you, in exchange you two have to help me with something”

The kids look at each other and Kim Dokja mentally plans out his steps. Today had been a glaring reminder that he was running out of time. He looks back at the archduke and his heart does a funny little flip at the sight of his handsome face resting peacefully.

Shin Yoosung steps forward boldly, eyes leveled and challenging, “let's make a deal.”

Bingo. 

Chapter Text

Kim Dokja hovers over his husband's limp form carding his fingers through the man's hair with a sigh. He really shouldn’t be dawdling like this, time was of the essence especially now that the first signs of Yoo Joonghyuk’s curse were beginning to show. With a warm press of his lips against his husband's forehead, he turns around and throws the balcony doors open. Kim Dokja froze in place when he heard the bed creak behind him and the sounds of shuffling.

His breath hitched as firm arms wrapped around his middle, pulling him close enough that he no longer felt the chilly balcony wind. Kim Dokja opened his mouth to explain himself only to be interrupted by a loud whine. He turned his head to head back only to be met with his husbands pouting face and glowing gold eyes. So he hadn’t turned back yet? He needed to take note of that.

"Joonghyuk-ah” the archduke whined once more arms tightening around his middle

Kim Dokja worried his lips between his teeth, trying again in a firm voice, “Joonghyuk-ah” 

Kim Dokja sighed, carding his hands through his thick hair leaning back into his husband's embrace. He didn’t have time to be cuddling up to the archduke like this, maybe when he wasn’t in danger of being ripped to shreds but right now he was running out of time. Yoo Joonghyuk rubbed their cheeks together, nuzzling against his face adoringly and as cute as his husband was, he really needed to go. 

“Joonghyuk-ah I need to go”

Instead of a whine like he was expecting, there was just silence. Kim Dokja listened to the archdukes even breathing, continuing to pet the archduke until he felt his arms finally slacken around his waist, slumping forward with a yawn. Seizing the moment, he shoved Yoo Joonghyuk away and made a break for the balcony, ignoring the growl from behind him. He jumped over the railings, dress billowing around him as he plunged to the ground. Just before he could become a pancake of gore, he was caught in midair by a beast, just a few more seconds too late and he’d be dead. It was a tempting idea, he caught sight of fading gold eyes and his husband's look of betrayal as the beast ran from the castle, carrying him further and further away. But dying was no longer his goal, first things first he needed to get to the temple to find the saint, one of the only people capable of summoning the angel Uriel. 

The two assassins would be his escorts to the temple, traveling alone would be ten times more dangerous now that he didn't have his husbands protection. His family would catch wind of his disappearance and jump on the chance to exploit his vulnerability. His deal offered the two kids help on how to use their powers properly in exchange for safe passage to the temple. They eagerly took up the offer when he told them that they’d have the chance to take down the Kim family with his help, taking advantage of their hatred for his family. 

The two of them were much too eager to snatch the deal up from his hands, not seeing the major loopholes in his words. He was going to have to teach them how to be craftier later, lest they get conned into another slave contract and ruin their second chance at freedom. 

The beast stops at a creek and he slides off the animal's back, giving it a nice long stroke on it's back in thanks. It snorts at him, bowing its head in some semblance of a goodbye before running off to who knows where. He hikes up the corners of his dress and walks over to the hollowed out tree where a brown satchel was stuffed into it. Inside of the bag was a change of clothes, and a bag of coins. He gets changed out of the stuffy dress first, it was comfortable but walking around in an expensive dress like this would make him a target. 

He carefully folds the dress, contemplating whether he should leave it behind or take it with him. He couldn't very well sell it, a dress this expensive would probably raise suspicions but then again discarding it felt like a shame. In the end he stuffs it into his bag and opts to deal with it later. 

He gingerly touched the choker dangling on his neck, with gentle hands he removed the precious gem from his neck stroking the stone with his thumb. His heart felt heavy looking at the gem, would Yoo Joonghyuk still take him back after he broke his curse? Or would he finally be discarded for running away? It was ironic how he so desperately wished to get away in the beginning and now all he wanted to do was stay by his husband's side, drinking tea and arguing about little things. 

“Ha! Master was right!” 

He jolts as someone grabs the hand that was holding the choker, yanking him backwards and Kim Dokja hisses at the painful grip. Lee Jihye, one of the knights Yoo Joonghyuk trained personally. She had a spitfire personality and was completely devoted to the archduke, ready to die at his order.

“Let’s see you try and steal from us again thief! I’ll give you this one though, you have balls stealing from Master’s wife. When we get back you better pray he's merciful because he asked for you to be brought back to him personally”

Kim Dokja was astounded, did Yoo Joonghyuk tell this girl he was a thief of all things? He had been living in the castle for nearly two months. How did this girl not know that the so-called wife he stole from was himself?? Never mind that, there were more pressing matters to deal with, like how after all his hard work he finally managed to escape. Kim Dokja digs his heels into the ground squirming in her grip trying to break free, wasn’t Lee Jihye supposed to be seventeen? How was she already so strong?

The closer they got to the castle the more his panic grew as he desperately tried to yank his hands out of her grip. His wrist ached with each attempt and he cursed this fragile body once more. Suddenly a knife whirrs past his face just inches away from the young knight's fingers. A second knife aims straight for the knight's head and she has to let go of his arm in favor of blocking the oncoming attack with her sword. 

Kim Dokja books it before Lee Jihye can recover from the abrupt attack, her only fatal flaw was that she was woefully unaware of her surroundings, no amount of training would be able to fix that habit of hers. He yelps in surprise as he feels himself being lifted up, air rushing past his face as the same beast from before tosses him on its back with Lee Gilyoung. 

“You’re so slow hyung”

“Our beasts will handle it from here ahjussi”

Kim Dokja looks back at the knights who chased after them, giving up when they were too far away to catch. 

“You’re so dead when master gets his hands on you!” she pants before dejectedly trudging back to the castle, her master wasn’t going to be pleased to hear the news.

Chapter Text

“What do you mean they escaped?”

Lee Jihye flinched as the archduke's cold eyes dug into her bowed form, even without looking at him, her master had a suffocating presence, even more so when angry. He sat with his hands laced together in front of him, eyes leveled as she shrunk in on herself, how was she supposed to know that scrawny thief was planning an ambush on her?! She didn’t do anything wrong damn it! It was all that ugly ahjussi’s fault that her master was mad! She was going to throw him in the dungeons herself if her master didn’t kill him first! 

Lee Jihye wetted her lips and internally cursed that ahjussi for making her master mad at her. Stupid, stupid ahjussi! She was going to kick his ass later for making her face this humiliation if she got out of this in one piece that is. 

“He had the stolen necklace like you said, master! But he was accompanied by two assassins.” 

This seemed to get her master’s attention as his eyes narrowed in suspicion, unconsciously twisting the ring on his finger. He motioned for her to keep talking and she jumped on the chance to redirect his anger. She nearly sprung up from her position on the floor only to wither under Yoo Joonghyuk's scrutinizing glare. 

"There were two kids, one brown-haired boy, and one blonde girl. I was ambushed by the two of them just as I was bringing him back. The three of them escaped on the back of a beast before I could catch up to them,” Lee Jihye reports dutifully

Internally she prayed her punishment wouldn’t be too harsh as her master continued to stare at her with an unreadable expression. How could a high-ranking knight like her be caught off guard so easily? It's not like she wanted to fight kids in the first place! She wanted to scream in frustration, her master's office felt stuffier than normal and she was beginning to feel more and more pressure as the time ticked by. She didn’t even want to think about what would happen if she attempted to move without permission again. Maybe her master just forgot to give her the command to leave and fell asleep? She was not going to test out her theory any time soon though. After a heavy moment of silence, her master spoke up and she listened anxiously. 

“Alert the knights that the thief has escaped, he is to be brought to me alive and unharmed, you are dismissed.”

“Yes, master!” Lee Jihye perked, she was getting out of this scott free and she was going to be able to get her revenge on that ahjussi soon?? Lady luck must have been smiling down on her today. She sprung up into a salute before running to the door to inform the other knights about the new order. 

Yoo Joonghyuk watched as his disciple dashed out of the room, resting his chin on his laced fingers in contemplation. He stared at the space where the young knight once stood and was struck with a sudden thought. Had his wife planned this from the start?  He thought it had been strange his wife had no excuse when he saved those brats that day. He was certainly clever enough to manipulate things to his whims, cleverly giving himself a small sliver of time to be able to poison himself. Yoo Joonghyuk nearly destroyed the mansion once he learned what his wife had done. Hands clasped firm around deathly pale ones, he didn't dare leave his wife's side for one second. He had used to think his wife's reckless nature had been amusing but now it had been a slap to the face once he realized just how close he was to losing him

His fingers toyed with the ring on his finger, stroking the stone as he was lost in his thoughts. What was he going to do with his wife now? Kim Dokja was certainly crafty but Yoo Joonghyuk would always be one step ahead of his wife. He needed to be. Yoo Joonghyuk’s lips twisted into a smile, one that would have left shivers down the young knight's spine if she were still in the room with him. 

His wife was too silly. Always thinking too much for his good when the answer was much more simple than he could even imagine. Yoo Joonghyuk would level mountains for him and only him if he’d just ask for it. If his wife wanted to run away so badly then he’d let him scurry as far away as he wanted. But once Yoo Joonghyuk caught up, he wouldn’t make the mistake of letting his wife escape twice.

He leaned back against his seat with a sigh, the setting sun had cast his office in shadows. The lights had been causing a dull ache behind his eyes that didn’t seem to go away the longer he tried to wait it out. He rested his head in his hands as the pain became unbearable and his thoughts blurred together. It felt like he was losing consciousness as his eyes lost focus, irritability, and restlessness filled his senses until even the sound of his breathing filled him with rage. He wanted his wife. His wife brought him stability. 

Across the room he could see his eyes shining a bright shade of gold, lighting up the darkness of his office as it bounced off the silver mirror propped against the wall. Hissing as he dropped his head back into his hands and his vision blurred with the pain. Gnashing his teeth together, biting down on his tongue until the taste of copper filled his mouth, sobering him up. He thought about his wife and how he’d soon be back in his arms, complaining the way he always did when Yoo Joonghyuk doted on him. He just needed to keep calm. The pain subsided and the golden glow in his eyes was nowhere to be seen, only the pitch black of his irises.

“I’ll see you soon,” Yoo Joonghyuk muttered, closing his eyes, sinking into his chair in exhaustion. 

Hundreds of miles away Kim Dokja sneezed and the two kids accompanying him gave a look of worry as he slid off the beast. He sneezed again, sniffing in annoyance at the pressure building up behind his nose. Damn his body for being weak to the cold, he had gotten so used to the pampered life of the castle that he had nearly forgotten the cold existed in the first place. Could he really not do anything without that husband of his?

It had been three days and he’d nearly died a total of seven times. First, he almost fell asleep while they were on the road, startling himself awake before he could fall off and be trampled to death. Then he stepped on a snake that Shin Yoosung had to calm down before he was almost poisoned to death. Then there was hypothermia, drowning, spoiled food, falling off a cliff, and now… a cold. It was almost poetic really. Nearly dying when his goal was to live? It was fine, he was just going to break this curse and return to his husband’s, probably, loving embrace. He wasn’t quite sure if his husband would be very pleased to see him again after his escape this time around.

The kids followed suit, jumping off the beast’s back and trotting over to his side on the dirt path with Shin Yoosung waving goodbye to her friends. Kim Dokja sneezed once more and Lee Gilyoung crossed his arms with a sour look. 

"It's gonna be a pain if you nearly die again hyung," despite his calloused words Lee Gilyoung leaned closer to him to shield him from the wind with his body. Kim Dokja couldn't help but pat his head in gratitude, smiling warmly as the boy flushed and turned his head but didn't bat his hand away. The atmosphere was ruined when he sneezed again and this time it was Shin Yoosung's turn to speak up. 

"Are you alright ahjussi? Maybe I should call my beasts back to warm you up?"

"Don't worry I'm fine, my body is just very reactive to the cold," he said, sidestepping a low-hanging branch before grimacing at the narrow path ahead of them, "besides your beasts are going to be too big for where we're headed." 

Shin Yoosung didn't seem to agree with him but didn't interject any further, instead, she took a step closer to him and huddled into his side with the excuse that she was cold. Lee Gilyoung huffed glaring at his sister before grumbling that he was also cold and stepped even closer. Walking became a bit difficult with the two kids glued to his side but they'd make it to their destination soon. Besides, the two of them were radiating heat so who was he to complain?

"There should be a cabin up ahead, the person inside will be able to help you two,"

Fireflies lit up the path before them and sure enough, a cabin came into view, lights glowing softly from the inside. Lee Gilyoung crouched down to let a grasshopper hop onto the palm of his hand, nodding along to words that Kim Dokja and Shin Yoosung couldn't understand. He let the bug jump off his hand and he dusted his pants off to relay the information. 

"There's some barrier blocking the way so my bugs can't go in hyung"

Kim Dokja pats the boys head with a wide smile, "good job Gilyoung-ah, that just means we're at the right place."

“Are you sure it's safe?” the boy asked

Kim Dokja gave him a soft smile nodding, “With this, I’ll be able to uphold my end of the bargain.”

Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung shared a conflicted look just as Kim Dokja approached the building. The cabin itself wasn't much on the outside but Kim Dokja knew better than anyone to write it off because of its shabby appearance. For the right price he could buy himself a strong ally and help improve the kids' control of their power all in one. He didn't bother knocking, door slamming open as he let himself in and made a beeline to the back room startling the woman sitting hunched over her desk. 

"Who the hell-" 

The bag of gold drops heavily on the table, complaints falling flat as the witch looks at the gold with shimmering eyes. She straightens her monocle taking a closer look at the bag in disbelief at the coins spilling out. She glances up at him before snapping her jaw shut and straightening her posture. 

"So you were a customer," she says, clearing her throat before giving him a cat-like smile, sneakily tucking the gold away in the pocket of her coat, "how might I help you?"

"Han Sooyoung," the smile falls off her face and her posture goes rigid, "I have some people you might be interested in taking a look at."

Carefully he gestures for the kids to step forward and she adjusts her monocle to take a better look. Her eyes nearly bug out of her head when Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung step out from behind him. She looks at him, then back to the kids, then back to him as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Han Sooyoung's jaw finally drops, an incredulous laugh bubbling from the back of her throat. 

"You're one crazy bastard, you know that?"

"So I've been told," he replies with a knowing smile.

Han Sooyoung leans back in her seat with a wide grin and holds a hand out for him to shake, "it'll be a pleasure doing business with you."

"Likewise."

Nearly an hour later and Kim Dokja was beginning to rethink his life choices. Like why he was dangling nearly 200 feet in the air clinging onto dirty bricks to break into a temple at nearly 2 in the morning. Or at least he thinks it's two, it was insanely hard to tell time when you were transported into a world that didn’t have clocks. Maybe all of this could've been avoided in the first place if he had just opened up to his husband instead of going off on his own. 

A gust of wind smacks right into his face and he feels he might accidentally teeter off the side and plummet to his death. If he thought it had been cold in the forest then it was absolutely glacial high up in the clouds. Han Sooyoung jumped at the chance to train the kids, hardly needing to be convinced to take them off his hands. It was supposed to be part of an arc far in the future but he figured there was no harm in hurrying things to speed up the process.

Han Sooyoung had been the first to rebel against the kingdom, gathering an army of mages and soldiers. The king had his eyes on the two kids from the beginning but because they were under the Kim house’s control he couldn’t do anything to get them in his grasp. Only Han Sooyoung knew of their true potential and did everything she could to sabotage the king's dealings. Skip ahead skip ahead and her meddling only went so far before she lost the kids to the king and ended up working with Yoo Joonghyuk to save his lover from the king's dungeon. In the end, the only merciful thing she could do was have the kids killed before they could unleash a calamity upon the world. A terrible ending. 

In any case, Kim Dokja didn’t think his husband would have believed him in the first place. He couldn’t even imagine how that conversation would have gone. Funny story, husband! I’m actually from another world where you’re just a fictional character in a book! So I know everything about you, yeah even your curse, the one you didn’t tell anyone about until you nearly killed the love of your life in said novel? That's the one. It’s okay though because I’m going to break it for you but I have no idea how! See you at dinner!!

Yeah, no. Dying was no longer part of his plans, although it would have been a good plan when it was. He really should have tried that sooner, he could already see the silver glint of his husband's sword. The graceful swing that would take him out in one blow, was quick and painless. Or maybe he would have just been locked up in a padded room and he’d never see the light of day again. Either way, both were off the table as of now, he’d burn that bridge when he got to it. 

So lost in his thoughts, his foot slipped off the edge and his heart jumped into his throat as he nearly plunged into the afterlife. Kim Dokja quickly glued himself back onto the side of the building like a fly to a sticky trap. Why was living so difficult?? He didn’t have any problems before when he was actively trying to greet a bountiful nothingness. His heart was thrumming wildly against his eardrums as he shuffled closer and closer to the window. Just a couple more steps, just a few more inches and he'd be on the safety of solid ground.

He kicked the window open before practically throwing himself inside, collapsing into the floor in a messy heap of limbs. Slinking into the room with about as much grace as an ice cube on a hot stove, sucking in a much-needed breath as he slumped into the floor. From the corner of his eyes, he could see a small hand reaching out to help him up.  

“Dokja-ssi it's good to see you again” 

Still smiling kindly, unperturbed at the fact that he had just broken into her room at an ungodly hour of the day. He took her hand and she easily pulled him off of the floor greeting him with an unbothered smile. In their brief meeting at the ball, the saintess had snuck him a slip of paper with only two words written on it. 

I know.

In the moment he didn't have time to fully process the situation after being forced to dance and clean up his husband's mess. He only had time to read the message in the carriage when Yoo Joonghyuk was too busy smothering him in kisses to pay attention to his hands. The message could’ve meant anything but he had an inkling that she was referring to his sudden arrival into her world. Receiving her help would be like taking a step into a pitch-black room. He’d be going in blind, not knowing the extent of her knowledge or her intentions now that the story has diverged from the original.

He barely had information on the curse with the author focusing more on the power of true love and cliché pick-up lines than the progression of the plot. This left him wracking his brain for every minuscule single detail of the novel for even a hint at what he should do. Yoo Sangah was his best bet, a much better alternative to running around like a headless chicken because she had some knowledge, which was a step up from nothing. 

Still, he needed to be cautious. He didn’t know her motive for helping him and he’s seen firsthand how the smallest change can lead to a huge change in personality. It didn’t matter that the original saintess had been so kind that she’d hand out blessings like candy. Her conquest in trying to get rid of her temple's corruption could have twisted her personality drastically. Finding out the people she trusted most were using her and her blessings as premium goods could definitely twist someone's personality. 

"How much do you know?" 

Yoo Sangah gave him a patient smile at his blunt tone, offering him a seat at her table, hands folded neatly in front of her. Two cups of tea were sitting at the table with them, still steaming hot and freshly brewed. Just how long had she been waiting for him? He hesitantly crossed the room, taking a seat across from her as she took a sip of her tea. 

"I know enough to know that you need my blessing," she replies and Kim Dokja lets out a sigh of relief only for Yoo Sangah to finish her sentence, "but it won't break your husband’s curse"

"How much do you want?" Kim Dokja didn't have money on him at the moment, having stashed it all away with the kids so he wouldn't be weighed down while breaking into the temple but he could always get more.

"That's not what I mean," she shakes her head, "even if I bless him, the curse won't vanish."

He grimaced, if a blessing wouldn't work then what was he supposed to do now? He supposed he could always go with plan b and let his husband kill him as the plot intended or kill himself now and let him meet his love interest but a bitter part of himself ached at the thought. He wasn't sure if it would work anymore due to his interference but if worse came to worse that was his only option. He'd leave the archduke's curse in the hands of his love interest and it wouldn’t be his problem to worry about anymore.

"Ah, there seems to be a misunderstanding! This doesn't mean his curse can't be broken. It just means I'm not strong enough to break the curse alone but I do know of someone who can," she exclaims and Kim Dokja gives her a skeptical look.

"What's the catch? Help you with the temple’s corruption?”

"Goodness no I can handle that on my own, I just need a small favor from you when the time is right”

“That’s all?”

Yoo Sangah nodded and he took a moment to think, it was strange. Looking at it objectively, this deal only seemed to benefit himself. Of course, he didn’t know what her favor was, it could be anything from killing someone to giving up his position. He didn’t like the ambiguity of her request but maybe she wasn’t after material gain. Perhaps she sought a connection with the archduke through him which would be beneficial to her in the long run. He’d listen to her request first and if he didn’t like what he heard he’d find a way out of it. 

“That's all” she chirps

"What do I need to do?"

__

Kim Dokja tugged the hood further over his eyes as Yoo Sangah stretched like a content cat, a satisfied smile on her lips. The town was crowded around this time of day which meant more eyes to be wary of. In reality, he was the only one who needed to be wary, she had tried to use her powers on the two of them so they could walk freely and undetected. Unfortunately, whatever brought him to this world made him immune to most spells so the cloaking magic only worked on Yoo Sangah.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been out of the tower,” she hums, peeking at a stall with various fruits and vegetables.

“Have you found anything?”

The favor that Yoo Sangah had requested of him was to break her out of the temple so she could check out the town. The request sounded easy enough on the surface but with two of them, he couldn’t very well climb out the window again. He didn’t even want to think about having to scale the temple walls to get down when going up was already a pain. 

To break both of them out he needed to sneak past countless guards and priests lurking around every corner. Han Sooyoung’s potion worked wonders in making sure he didn't have a presence but the saintess stuck out like a sore thumb. Even crouched down in the shadows she was still radiating sparkles that hurt his eyes. 

Breaking into the temple had been easy, but breaking out? He got a headache just thinking about it. Now that there were two of them he couldn't very well go through the window again. That meant they had to sneak past countless guards and priests around every corner and stow away in a spare cart. He could barely lift the cart off the floor much less drag it out the door with a whole person hidden inside of it while pretending his arms weren't falling off. 

The saintess tried to use healing magic on him but the powers glided off of him like water and oil and Yoo Sangah apologized profusely. With the help of a potion that Han Sooyoung provided him, the two of them were able to slip out without any unwanted attention to wander the town. They peeked at stalls, keeping a lookout for the herbs that Yoo Sangah had told him about. Nearly five minutes into the search and the saint eagerly tugged at his arm, pointing to the bar across from them with sparkling eyes. 

“One of the items you need is in there," Yoo Sangah points, "it also doesn't hurt to sit and have a drink, it's been a while since I've had something other than grape juice. 

Kim Dokja quickly scans the area for a moment, a bar was the complete opposite of blending in but missing out on one of the items was objectively worse. They take a seat close to the back and Kim Dokja can only hope that they wouldn't draw any attention as Yoo Sangah orders a drink for herself. He may have flown under the radar for a good while but who knew when something might take a turn for the worse?

“I sense magic.” 

Like now.

His eyes darted to the entrance where a stranger clad in black was searching the bar. A hood draped low across their face and Kim Dokja was fairly certain he was an assassin sent by his so-called parents. They had been present from the first day he had got there not so subtly trying to kill him from the broken carriage to the ballroom. He had his suspicions as to why but now was no time to test his theories. 

“I’ll go through the back, you go through the front and we can meet up at the witch's place,” he whispered and Yoo Sangah nodded, downing the rest of her drink before swiftly getting up. 

“I'll grab the item,” she says, turning away to leave only to quickly add, “oh, and try not to run.”

Before he could process what she had said, Yoo Sangah swept out of the bar, cape fluttering behind her as she passed by the stranger. The assassin didn’t even seem to notice her, eyes still searching for someone that he had a sneaking suspicion was himself. Kim Dokja quickly snuck out the back before he drew attention to himself, breathing a sigh of relief when he noticed the streets were empty. 

Kim Dokja pulled the hood further over his eyes and darted into an alleyway hidden away from prying eyes. He needed to find his way back before he lost any more daylight. His ears perked at the crunch of gravel and he only had enough time to swivel around in surprise before a leather-clad hand was slapped over his mouth and his back was shoved into the brick wall. Wrist's being seized before he could close his hands around the metal handle of his dagger. 

With his abysmal strength, there was no way he’d be able to fight his assailant off. Luckily he had thought of this very situation. He just needed his hands to be free so he could grab the sleeping powder tucked in his pocket. Unluckily his hands were caught in a vice grip pinned by his sides as the assassin hummed in thought. He couldn’t very well struggle either because then his energy would be drained and he wouldn’t have an out if he managed to break free. His eyes dart to the sky where a bird was circling overhead, then down to where the bugs seemed to skitter away at the ruckus. 

Kim Dokja was left to glare hoping that he could burn a hole into his assailant's stupid shadow-covered face. This only seemed to amuse his assailant if the deep chuckle was anything to go by, lips curling upwards from behind the cloak. 

“So this is where you’ve been,” the assassin speaks and Kim Dokja freezes. 

He knows this voice. He’s been acquainted with this voice too often for him not to know who this was, heart, thudding in his chest once he realized who had him captured. At the same time, his captor let his hand fall off his lips to tug the hood off of his head. 

“Have you had your fun outside of the castle?” he crooned. 

“you —" 

“We’re going back. Your things have already been moved to my room where I’ll never let you out of my sight again.”

He had been set up. There was no way Yoo Sangah wouldn’t know who was chasing him, and that cryptic message of ‘don't run’ cemented his thoughts. His husband tugged on his wrist and he winced at the tight grip. Yoo Joonghyuk could easily crush Kim Dokja’s bones but even if he was angry he was still being gentle. This was his last chance. He was so close to fixing all of this that he could practically taste it. 

“Joonghyuk-ah listen!”

“I can listen when we’re back at my palace.”

Stubborn bastard! He needed an excuse, something that would shock his husband to the point that he’d loosen his grip if only for a moment. There was only one excuse he could think of, something that could make or break their relationship.

“I’m in love with someone else,” he tried. 

“You're not,” his husband barely even turned around, still dragging him to the main road where his luxurious carriage was sure to be. He wasn’t phased in the slightest, even holding on to his wrist tighter as if he knew what Kim Dokja was trying to do. 

“If you were, then I’d tear that bastard's head off with my own two hands.”

Well, at least he knew Yoo Joonghyuk wasn’t as unaffected as he made himself out to be. Shuddering at the mental image of his gruesome death that awaited him, if there was one thing he wouldn’t doubt it was his husband’s conviction. Now there was only one card left for him to play, head hung in conflict. There was no backing out now, he needed to do this. 

“Listen you stubborn bastard,” he dug his heels into the ground and breathed in a shuddering breath before steeling his resolve. This was for the long run, this was for the greater good, he told himself. This would be good for both of them. He lifted his head to stare into the inky black of his husband’s waiting eyes. 

“I am not who you think I am,” despite his tough act Yoo Joonghyuk could feel his wife's wrists shaking gently in his palms. Kim Dokja had his shoulders squared, a hard look on his face as he stared straight ahead. 

"Whatever your planning won't work," Yoo Joonghyuk said with narrowed eyes.

"I'm not from here, okay? I am not the Kim Dokja you are supposed to know. The me you see now is from another world, in that world you are a character in a novel," his eyes held a conviction that Yoo Joonghyuk had never seen before. A second passed in silence, then another, and Kim Dokja’s throat burned with the tension. Ready to rip his arms out of his husband’s grip the second he loosened up and they’d never have to see each other ever again. 

"I know."

"So then you understand that I- wait what?"

"You've told me before and as hard as it was to believe at first, it didn’t change anything."

“You, what? ”

Yoo Joonghyuk crossed his arms, and Kim Dokja was still too deep into his mental turmoil to remember that he was supposed to run. How long had he known? From the beginning? Is this why he had been acting strange from the beginning? 

“Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?”

Kim Dokja was silent for a moment, if Yoo Joonghyuk knew everything then did that mean he knew about his curse?

“Your curse-” 

Just as he spoke he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, a shiver crawling down his spine. Yoo Joonghyuk must have felt it too, grabbing his wife by the wrist, his sword scraping against its scabbard as he hastily drew his weapon. The scene felt vaguely familiar and that much more hostile as Yoo Joonghyuk blocked an oncoming arrow. 

“We’ll finish talking later.”

Kim Dokja nodded, surveying his enemies. The birds were no longer circling above them, a message was being sent but he didn't know if it would get back on time. 

Men spilled out from the shadows dressed in armor, the temple’s crest branded on their uniforms. Yoo Joonghyuk raised his sword, prepared to fight even though it was an uneven match. A neatly dressed man stepped forwards, he adjusted his glasses and unrolled his dramatically long scroll, and began reading. 

“Countess Kim Dokja, your marriage with Duke Yoo Joonghyuk is no longer viable, therefore you will be taken back to House Kim.”

“Impossible, we had a priest present and all paperwork has been filed accordingly,” Yoo Joonghyuk said, eyes challenging the man with the scroll. Unfortunately, he didn't rise to the challenge, only scoffing in his face as he rolled the paper back up and pointed to Kim Dokja with it.

“House Kim has come forward with the knowledge that the priest overlooked your marriage was a traitor and the appropriate paperwork has been lost during transportation, thus Kim Dokja will be taken back and remarried to someone of the count's choosing,” the man gestured to Kim Dokja and they stepped forwards ready to grab him. 

It wasn't possible for both the priest and the paperwork to have been lost in one day nor was it possible for house Kim to have enough power to make it so. They were being backed by someone powerful, someone who could fly under the radar and control things from the inside. Like the temple. The two of them knew that if Kim Dokja went back with them now he'd never return alive. The arrow should have gone through his skull if he weren't being protected by his husband. Something like that wasn't a mere warning. They wanted to kill him and Kim Dokja knew exactly why. 

He should've known things couldn't have gone so smoothly. How many people had been tailing him from the start? How many of them had been informing his family of his every move? He should have been less predictable. Yoo Sangah wouldn't have been able to see his fate with his magic-repelling body and even if she did, her powers could only do so much. Had they followed her back to the witch's place?

No, he was certain they hadn't. The saintess was smart enough to protect herself, she would've known if she was being tailed and shaken her followers off.

Kim Dokja glances at his husband and their eyes meet for a moment. With the subtlest nod, he was swept off of his feet and thrown over his husband's shoulder. 

There wasn’t any time for answers, they needed to get out of there. Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to think the same because in the blink of an eye, his wife was thrown over his shoulder and they were off. 

Kim Dokja can only hear the frantic crunch of leaves and the angry shouts of men as they were chased, vision obscured by his husbands shoulder.

"Follow the bird, they won't be able to follow us into the house," Kim Dokja shouts and Yoo Joonghyuk scowls as he sidesteps an oncoming arrow. 

"How is a house going to stop them?"

"Just go!"

Yoo Joonghyuk grunted in response and Kim Dokja brought his fingers to his lips. With a deep breath in, a loud whistle rang through the forest. The forest awoke with a rumble, trees shaking, ground rattling and a roar sounded off in the distance, he prayed the message went through. The leaves crunched as a shadow darted through the foliage behind them, rapidly approaching the two of them and he shot his hand out, closing his fingers around coarse fur as he threw himself onto the back of the beast.

A quick glance back was all he needed to see that his husband was hot on his tail, his sword hacking branches and weapons alike. Furiously swinging at anything that might have stood in his way. A crack by his left stole his attention as a knife whizzed by, just barely grazing his cheek. Damn it, now was not the time for this.

He grits his teeth as the pain dug into his nerves, weak body clinging on for dear life as the beast rushed through the forest to lose their assailant. His mind spun and colors began to blur as his skin broke out into a cold sweat. Shit, had the knife been poisoned? Was their goal to grab him while he was incapacitated? Who's to say they didn't plant a tracker on him when he was in their custody? With his body repelling magic he'd put everyone else in jeopardy, all of them could only do so much against a small army. Well maybe his husband could take them all down but as Kim Dokja stared at the setting sun reflecting off of onyx eyes he wondered if he'd still be his husband by the end of the day. 

Kim Dokja looked back at his husband, reaching out a shaky hand to his husband. Yoo Joonghyuk's hand was warm against his clammy skin and Kim Dokja smiled at the thought. Time slowed to a stop as they locked eyes. Yoo Joonghyuk went up and Kim Dokja went down. Using the momentum of their shared weight to throw himself off the beast. He was out of time. 

His shoulder cracked against the forest floor, painfully hitting the ground as he rolled to a stop. Clothes and skin alike snagged against branches and roots as his body seized from the poison. His husband was certainly going to be mad about this later but at least he'd be alive. 

The last thing he heard was the muffled sound of his name drowned out by the howling winds and the clanking of armor as the soldiers approached his body. He watched the shrinking form of his husband and before the man could jump off and ruin his progress, Kim Dokja mouthed out three words. Yoo Joonghyuk froze, staring in horror as the soldiers yanked his wife up and dragged his limp body away. 

"Come to bring me back to mommy and daddy I see?" Kim Dokja wheezed through the pain, he doesn't hear the other person reply because his eyes roll to the back of his head and his vision goes black. He gets the last laugh and he gets saved from a dumb lecture, he'd consider this a win-win situation. 

He doesn't know how long he sleeps, drifting in and out of consciousness. With his last bit of consciousness, he reaches up to his neck, the pad of his fingers grazing the smooth stone resting against his collarbone. The restlessness eases out of his body as the feeling of the gem puts him at ease. Everything will be okay, one way or another he'll make sure of it. 

The lights are dim when he finally wakes up, limbs aching, veins throbbing, back pretesting against the hard floor he had been thrown onto. Predictably he was in a cell, most likely far from civilization where no one would find his body. Kim Dokja plays with his necklace again, rolling the gem between his fingers and leaning back against the wall with a hiss. His body was still very much in pain and he doubted his captors would be too keen on letting him have an ice pack for his little boo-boos.

Kim Dokja continues playing with his necklace even as the creak of a metal door echoes through the stone walls, pointedly ignoring the click of polished shoes. Ice-cold water is thrown in his face and Kim Dokja can no longer ignore the person standing before him, glaring at the couple through his soggy bangs. Looming outside of his cage was a tall man, dressed neatly and elegantly. Every bit of him presented the noble status that he so proudly showed off no matter how meagre the title. The woman by his side was dressed just as elegantly if not more, making no move to conceal her disgust behind the delicate silk fan she held. Dark eyes full of venom as she stared at Kim Dokja like he was nothing more than garbage on the side of the road or a speck of dust dirtying her shoes. 

“And to what do I owe the pleasure, Father.”

The woman snapped, fan cracking shut as she threw the filthiest look she could muster, “don’t you dare call him that you vermin!”

Her tone betrayed her elegant looks, wrinkles obscuring her once unblemished skin as her face contorted in anger. A vein in the side of her head threatened to burst open if Kim Dokja so much as breathed wrong. She looked more like a witch and less like a noble lady and the man besides her patted her hand soothingly. 

“What's wrong Mother, is your precious son not allowed to address his father now?” He teased. 

“You are no son of mine!” She screamed hysterically, the fan snapping in half as she gripped the bars to his cell madly, “I never had a son, I don't know what manner of demon you are, I never birthed a child, much less a son!”

Kim Dokja watched with impassive eyes as the woman before him rattled the bars of his cell and he had the passing thought that she looked more like a prisoner than he did. She was practically foaming at the mouth and Kim Dokja would have felt sorry for her if he didn't know of her crime and the atrocities she did in the name of nobility. What a strange plot twist, he thought. Strange but predictable.

Kim Dokja had been grappling for an answer the day he arrived at the story. If he was their child then why was being targeted by assassins? Why were there people monitoring his every move? Why were there people from house Kim following him in the shadows? They were supposed to be on the same side, he was supposed to be manipulated for the information he brought back but it never happened. Unless, of course, the story was seen through the eyes of a love-sick protagonist who didn't pay attention to silly little details. Details like if House Kim ever had children in the first place. Details that could easily be overlooked by the protagonist and readers alike. 

House Kim could have easily forced someone to become their child and sent them off to marry the duke with the intention of taking the information out of them with a contract mark. It would have been easy, a mess-free way of spying on the duke without losing any of their people in the process but then Kim Dokja appeared. Then they had to play pretend and act as if they had a child their entire lives as if all their plans hadn't gone awry the second Kim Dokja opened his eyes in this new world. 

He did think it was unnatural that the world seemed eager to kill him the moment he decided life was worth living. Kim Dokja didn’t belong in this world and it would do everything in its power to get rid of him. Like a piece of shrapnel stuck in a wound, the body wouldn’t heal until it was gone. 

“You you unnatural thing, messed everything up," the woman hissed, "we planned to send one of our contracted to the duke's home, we used up all of our sources for this moment and you just had to show up out of nowhere, and mess everything up."

Kim Dokja's face remained void of any emotions, raising a brow when the woman pressed her face into the bars with a crazed look in her eyes. His so-called father stepped up, a hand on his wife’s shoulder in comfort as practically frothed at the mouth. She stepped back with a deep breath, tossing the crumbled remains of her fan to the ground.

“While our original plans had an unfortunate setback, we still have everything we need to overthrow the king with that husband of yours.”

“And what makes you think he’ll comply with your orders?” Kim Dokja asks. 

“He'll comply or your head will be sent to him on a plate, everyone knows how enamored that man is with his newfound wife," the man motions towards an idle guard, and a familiar scroll and brand were presented to his so-called father, "he'll have no choice to do as we please if only to keep his wife safe."

Kim Dokja sneers as the man unlocks the door to his cell, scooting away from the man as he motions for more guards to hold him down. He struggles but it doesn't take long before all of his energy is depleted and they decide to just knock him out to save themselves the hassle. His head hits the floor with a heavy thump and Kim Dokja decidedly hates today.

He's not quite unconscious. Just in a suspended state where everything was blurry and muffled. His father is shouting at the guards for a contract and other things. By the sound of it, his father must be confident that his plan wasn't going to fail, not accounting for the fact that Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't going to wait for them to contact him to rescue his wife. The gem on his neck clinks against the cold stone and Kim Dokja smiles. Or the fact that Yoo Joonghyuk was every bit possessive and paranoid enough to plant a tracking device on his poor unsuspecting wife. 

It's quiet right now. Everyone must have gone elsewhere to prepare for their grand scheme of getting the grand duke on their side. Kim Dokja closes his eyes and basks in the silence, it's the most peace he's gotten since he's arrived in this place. His breathing is shallow and Kim Dokja wonders how long this fragile body of his has. 

The door to his cell slams open and Kim Dokja jolts awake just as large hands cradle the sides of his head. His eye won't focus enough to see the worried look on his husband's handsome face but he thinks the way Yoo Joonghyuk holds him makes up for it. It's warm. 

Kim Dokja blinks up at his husband groggily and makes out gold-rimmed carbon eyes through his hazy vision and forces himself to sit up. The room spins and Kim Dokja has to hold onto his husband's forearms to reorientate himself. 

"Are you alright?" Yoo Joonghyuk asks worriedly and Kim Dokja swallows the need to vomit to spit out a reply.

"Temple, we need to hurry before they figure it out," he strains out.

His husband gives him a once-over with a look of disdain, hooking an arm under Kim Dokja's legs and the other splayed across his back. Kim Dokja slumped in his husband's hold, eyes slipping shut to get some much-needed rest. Yoo Joonghyuk races towards the temple, hooves thundering against stone pathways. Today was the last day. Their last chance. 

Kim Dokja could see the gold beginning to overtake his husband's pitch-black irises like a ticking timer before the curse took over permanently and he was left with a savage animal. The uncertainty was enough to keep him awake through the entire ride, ears perking up at the slightest noises, searching the shadows for something not there. By now the entire House of Kim would have been alerted to his disappearance but as long as they got to the temple Kim Dokja could have cared less. 

Yoo Sangah is waiting for them at the gate, rushing towards them as Yoo Joonghyuk jumps off of his horse with Kim Dokja tucked snugly in his arms. At some point, his husband had wrapped him in his cloak and Kim Dokja hadn't noticed. 

"Han Sooyoung and the kids are holding the temple people back for now but I don't know how long they'll be able to keep it up," Yoo Sangah rushes out, "I trust you managed to get the last item?"

Kim Dokja rifles around in his pockets and juts out his hand, a gold amulet clasped tightly in a white-knuckled grip. He snatched it from his father when he was being pinned down to be used as material to blackmail his husband. That man probably didn't think he'd be able to get away with a contract mark. At least having a body that repelled all types of magic had its uses from time to time. 

Yoo Sangah takes the amulet from him, freezing when their hands connect. Her eyes glaze over and she stares off into the distance just as Han Sooyoung bursts into the altar with the kids close behind her. 

"There's like a whole army of people outside right now," the witch shouts, "oi saintess, I didn't sign up for this!"

"It's okay we can hold them back!" Shin Yoosung tries to amend. 

"Yeah, that ahjumma is just weak! We've got this hyung!"

"Who are you calling ahjumma you brat!"

Yoo Sangah turns to Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk, pushing the amulet back into his hands, "they're going to be here any minute now, after the ritual I can't see your future anymore."

"Does that mean the ritual works?" Kim Dokja croaks and Yoo Sangah shakes her head. 

"I'm unsure."

They could hear the thudding of heavy footsteps outside of the door, the sun was beginning to set. 

The pews were knocked out of the way and Yoo Joonghyuk brandished his sword, ready to fight them off. As strong as his husband was there was no way he’d be able to defeat a whole battalion on his own. They were out of options. 

Kim Dokja grabbed the amulet and ran to the highest part of the temple ignoring the clang of swords and his husband’s angry shouting. There was only one thing left for him to do, the only thing he could do in this situation. 

He climbs the stairs ignoring his exhaustion until he is at the saintess’ room, throwing her windows open and climbing onto the ledge. He needed to go higher, he needed a guarantee. 

The sun was barely kissing the line of the horizon. He clutched at the amulet with sweaty palms, squeezing his eyes shut as he prayed fervently that everything would work out before throwing himself off the roof of the temple. The fall wasn’t the scary part, the uncertainty was. In the end, he wasn’t meant to be here and the world was just trying to fix its mistake. 

 “Oh, you poor soul.”

Kim Dokja doesn’t dare open his eyes, time stops around him and the rush of air no longer seems as harsh as it was when he was falling. He peeks one eye open and is blinded by golden hair framed by the setting sun. She smiles kindly and Kim Dokja thinks this is a dream, maybe he’s already died and is hallucinating now. 

“I’m Uriel, the one that cute saintess summoned!” Uriel chirps.

They’re both suspended in the air, the sun is no longer setting and Kim Dokja is no longer falling. He can’t speak, it was as if his voice was suspended in time along with everything else as Uriel circles him curiously. 

“The saintess told me all about what happened,” she says, “and while I can’t break the curse with you here I can most certainly provide a blessing.”

She can practically hear the question even though Kim Dokja hasn’t uttered a word. 

“Don't worry,” she assures, “just close your eyes and everything you worked for will be returned to you.”

He doesn’t want to close his eyes just yet. He soaks in the setting sun and the motionless sky and wonders if everything will be fixed. He feels something brush against his cheek and feels a warm press against his forehead. His eyes slip shut despite himself and he can hear Uriel’s giggle echoing through his mind as he loses consciousness. 

When he wakes up, he’s laying down in a hospital bed, an abundance of wires and tubes sticking out of his body. The monitor beside him begins beeping rapidly when he thinks that everything had been a dream. The nurse holds him down as he struggles to get up, the nurse injects him with something that has him passing out for the nth time that day. 

Minutes, hours, days, he doesn’t know how much time passes as he drifts in and out of consciousness. After what felt like centuries the doctor finally takes him off of the anesthetic and Kim Dokja is lucid for the first time in a long time.

“Ahjussi are you okay?”

It was the little girl who he had saved from getting hit by a car. He had always wondered if she had gotten out okay. 

“I’m okay,” he smiles or at least he hopes it looks like a smile, he was still in a great amount of pain after being hit by a truck of all things. If anything, having to deal with the reality that everything he had gone through had just been an avid fan's delirium hurt even more than the truck. 

“Oh, here! My mom wanted to thank you for saving me ahjussi!”

The little girl holds up a gift basket full of fruit and other snacks and he takes it with little difficulty. She grabs a juice box from the basket and puts it in his hands before running away with a wave goodbye.

His eyes linger at the door where the little girl had just been and he sighs placing the basket down on the bedside table. He wasn’t in the mood for snacks but these were the expensive kind that he wouldn’t have been able to afford with his meager salary. He picks at a grape, swiping over the skin with his thumb before popping it into his mouth. 

There is a glimmer of light coming from the basket and he reaches his hands in and pulls out a necklace. Not just any necklace though, it was the choker that Yoo Joonghyuk had given him all those months ago. A necklace that by all accounts should not exist because it was in a fictional story with absolutely no notoriety. 

He thumbs the gem of the necklace and finds that the gem is still warm to the touch. A smile graces his lips and Kim Dokja doesn’t even need to look up to know who just entered his room. 

“Welcome back,” they say and Kim Dokja couldn’t be any happier.

“I’m back.”