I'll be waiting for you | Nomin

Chapter 32

"Have you seen the prince?" Mark asked as he walked into the kitchen, he had no idea why Jeno would be in the kitchen, but is was the last place in the castle he hadn't checked yet. Turned out he wasn't here either, judging from the response the chef gave by shaking his head a no.

Mark cursed under his breath before taking a bow to the chef and the other cooks who were weirded out by a knight's sudden visit. "For fuck's sake where is that boy?" He mumbled, he walked outside and went over the places he hadn't checked yet, he had searched for the younger in every chamber, where the hell could he be?

He wandered through the garden, occasionally greeting the maids who were taking care of the flowers and plants present. He walked deeper into the garden, at the lake he saw a familiar boy.

Mark sped up his pace, he didn't even have to shout the other boy's name since his loud hauberk had already betrayed his presence, but he did it anyway.

"Renjun!" The called boy paid no attention to the knight as he was busy playing with the ducks who had grown older by now, they were pushing each other away to go near Renjun's hand.

The male smiled at the adorable sight, but now he wondered, did fate hate him that much that every cute moment he had with animals had to be interrupted by some other chaotic male? Probably.

"Huang Renjun!" The ducks scurried away, causing the boy to let out a groan. "One moment with the ducks is all I ask for, what have I done to deserve this shit?!" Renjun shouted up to the sky as he kneeled down and clasped his hands, as if he was talking to the gods above.

"Quit the act Renjun. Have you seen Jeno?" Now that Renjun thought about it, it had been about 15 minutes since the younger of the two had seen Jeno, not wanting to ruin the moment he probably had right now with his boyfriend, he decided to not tell Mark anything.

"No I haven't, why?" Renjun wondered what the reason was for Mark looking this frustrated.

"The King asked me to get Jeno, his coronation is only three days away and Jeno has done nothing to prepare. This boy is really something." Mark explained, he remembered how stressed the King looked this morning when he himself couldn't find Jeno anywhere in the palace.

Although Mark doubted he really went searching for him. The King and Queen barely speak to their son, it were mostly the maids who asked Jeno to have a short talk to his parents.

Renjun shrugged although he knew exactly about Jeno's whereabouts. "I haven't seen him in a while to be honest, I have no clue where he could be, this is the furthest part of the garden anyway."

Finally Mark knew one last place to search.

His face lit up knowing for 99.9% sure Jeno would be where he was about to go. "Oh my god, Renjun, you're a lifesaver." Mark thanked him even though Renjun didn't notice he gave away a hint about where Jeno was.

Until it hit him after he saw Mark running in the direction of the gazebo.

"Shit."

While running to the old tiny house, Mark remembered the memories they made when they were little, they would act like it was their 'treehouse'. Since Jeno was the prince, his parents and the other maids couldn't let Jeno get hurt if he were to build a treehouse on his own, hence the gazebo.

Jeno's parents had put it in the part of the royal garden farthest away from the palace, giving Jeno and his friends some space to play.

He saw the highest part of the tiny house sticking out of the trees which it hid behind. Mark neared the place but halted in his steps when he saw Jeno.