Curled Horns

27. The Trap

Chapter 41 will be the last one~

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Twiddling his thumbs, Mingi perched next to Yunho. He had curled up into the smallest ball he could attain and hoped he would just become invisible entirely by Yunho's side.

Whenever San's eyes brushed him with heat more sweltering than the volcano they sat on, however, Mingi's heart sunk some more.

Would San be just as angry and jealous of Mingi for being with Yunho as Mingi had felt with Yeosang? Mingi was too soft-hearted to condemn the other prince for feeling for Yunho in the same way as he did.

San hadn't touched his tea. Undisrupted, its steam evaporated into the air between them. Mingi watched it dance, since he couldn't bear San's penetrating gaze.

"Do you want me to spell it out for you or will you explain this yourself?" The word 'this' was underlined by San's index finger twirling in a circle that concluded Mingi and Yunho's hunched forms. As his claw sunk back down elegantly on his thigh, Yunho spoke up.

"What more do you need an explanation for? I never indulged in an affair between the two of us, and I also made it clear I never would. I would like it if you left me the freedom to pick who I want."

San snarled at him, fangs on display. They looked sharper than Yunho's, longer. Subconsciously, Mingi huddled more into Yunho's flank, seeking protection.

"You are free to pick whomever you please, even those below my worth. But a servant? Laughing at you seems crude, but I would like for you to explain this riddle to me," San bit out. His anger permeated the space between them, having the air crackle as if loaded with static. The fire to their right had flattened a bit, lying low just as the two defensive demons did.

"This is not about worth. Not in the sense you mean it." Despite being put on the spot, Yunho's voice was still diplomatic, trying to even out their balance. San didn't like the evasive behaviour.

"I know you are all about character. But Yunho, his horns are hideous and all three of us know that. Aren't you roping him into something beyond his comfort?"

Rather than seeing it, Mingi felt the scowl settling on Yunho's features. Staring at his hooves, Mingi detached his mind from the conversation, only listening as an onlooker rather than being part of it. San's words hurt, but they were nothing new. And nothing that Yunho concerned himself with.

"I left that decision to him. And it is my decision to meet him halfway as well. You need not bother yourself with these matters. Nobody asks you to do the same."

San tipped his head back, looking down on them with a look of superiority.

"I would never even dream of doing the same. I still have high respect for you, Yunho, and this shall not trouble our political ties. As you asked, I will not bother to wonder."

Mingi wanted to roll his eyes at his heroic tone, at the song of praise he sang to himself for being decent towards a friend. He wisely kept it hidden, still invisible in his spot.

"It's not what I came here for, either. Although I am glad this resolved itself before you kept it secret for any longer. I wouldn't have wanted to make a fool out of myself." San finally picked up his cup of tea, sipping it. With a hum, he settled it down on his lap to warm his hands on.

"Thank you," Yunho said simply, still sounding sincere, "in that case, what may we help you with?"

San's broad shoulders tensed when he cracked his spine by tilting his head left and right. When he returned to his initial pose, his eyes were dark with determination.