How I found out transmigration was a thing.

Chapter 49 - D Day Part 1 - Morning

I wasn't given any time for self-pity or to dwell on the fact that I was so hungover that my vision was blurry and I felt like I had eaten carpet.

Lady Chun marched into my bedchamber bright and early with Lady Han and her posse. She announced that I needed to eat my breakfast quickly, there was no time for dawdling. I was pretty sure it was only just past dawn. The wedding ceremony was hours away. I couldn't see the need to hurry but it appeared I had no choice. My breakfast table was put in front of me and that was that.

Around me, mirrors were being brought in, tables set with odds and ends.

The only thing I had on my mind was, had Do-Yoon returned? Adam informed me he had returned in the middle of the night. I was relieved to hear he was safe. In the back of my mind, I'd started thinking the worst. So where was he? That was the first time I sent Adam off to ask him to come and see me.

My attention was dragged back to Lady Chun, who was bustling around the room, barking orders at Lady Han and the other Court Ladies. She was pink-cheeked, bright-eyed, and as energetic as always. I am seriously impressed with her stamina. You would never guess that she, Adam, and I had been through a few jugs of wine and stayed up late talking about the lead-up to the Decree.

....

I told them a sanitised version of events. Leaving things out that they didn't need to know. I didn't want a furious Lady Chun on my hands or a panic-stricken Adam. However, even the white-washed version sent Adam into angry tears. When I described my stay in prison he was inconsolable.

Unexpectedly, the circumstances that brought us together, forced the usual social barriers to fall. Adam and Lady Chun's walls came tumbling down and I wasn't the young master and they weren't my servants. We were friends. No more than friends, we were family. It didn't hurt that the wine was good and loosed their inhibitions.

When Adam burst into tears of frustration at hearing my story, and started berating himself for being useless and unable to help me. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and pulled him close. For me, it was the most natural thing to do. If I had had a sibling in this life or the last, I would have done the same thing.

I had my own epiphany at that point. I realised I couldn't care more for my flesh and blood than I did for Adam.

Lady Chun who was mostly sober, was horrified by the intimacy and tried to pull us apart. He clung to me and I clung to him.

"That is not appropriate. Stop this very moment." She huffed as she tried to slap us apart. "You are almost a married person."

Later, when the wine had turned her cheeks pink and her eyes watery. She was the one that cuddled an inebriated Adam as he mumbled "Fuck, the Fucking Royal Emperor and his Fucking Decree. Let's all run away."

All I could think was, I hope this conversation never gets to Eunuch Soon's ears or the Emperor's.

"That's right dear." Lady Chun patted Adam on the head like he was a toddler. "What's that other AWFUL dirty word you like to use Min?"

"Shit?"

"No, not that one."

"Arsehole?"

"No no no, the other one."

"Motherfucker?"

"Ah! That's the one dear. Not that I'm condoning such vulgar language but I can see that there are occasions when no other words will do." She gave Adam a reassuring squeeze and in her most puritanical voice said. "Well, I think the Motherfucker Emperor should be ashamed of himself for making you.... marry....and to a man. A MAN. What an arsehole."

I blinked. "Did I pronounce it correctly? That was most satisfying." She gave herself a little shake. "I can see why you use it so often." She gave me a sweet smile.

I rolled around the floor laughing for a solid 15 minutes. The woman was priceless and Adam was a godsend. They kept me sane.

We ended up bonding over wine and cussing. At the time I wondered if Lady Chun, when she sobered up, would admit to saying such things.

When I finally laid my head down most of my worries had turned to fuzzy thoughts that held no weight. But as I drifted off to sleep I couldn't quite shake off the uneasiness I felt. Why hadn't Do-Yoon returned or the Crown Prince come to see me?

....

I had no idea the lengths Lady Chun and her team would go to to make me Perfect, her words, not mine. Before I finished breakfast I was dragged off to bathe.

Since the Crown Prince laid down the law months ago, I bathed myself. But not this morning. Both Adam and Lady Chun prepared my bath pouring oils and dropping rose petals into the large bathtub. The room was full of fragrant steam. And if I was left to soak for a couple of hours I would have wholeheartedly approved all the extravagance. But I was not left alone to bathe in peace.

Adam washed and scrubbed my skin with a rough sponge until every inch of me he could reach was smooth and soft. The only allowance for my modest was a small cloth that barely covered my dick and balls. Neither of us was comfortable with this but the other option was to have Lady Chun bathe me. That would have been even more embarrassing.

She hovered around giving him instructions as to which parts of me needed extra attention, like my neck and shoulders, hips and thighs. Dear lord the woman was a pervert. While she demurely checked my nails and gave them a quick buff, poor Adam sweated and blushed.

My hair was washed and oil applied until it was slick and shiny. All of this I could handle. Until my godmother asked me to stand up to inspect me. My first thought was, inspect what? I didn't budge from where I sat clutching the tiny cloth covering my privates.

"What?" Erin...me was/am a fairly open-minded modern person, comfortable in my skin. Well, at least the body I had. Min's body is a different matter. "You want me to stand so you can check What..????"

"You need to be tidy." Beside her, I could see Adam kneading a ball of wax. His face was purple. Tidy? No one was coming near me with that ball of wax. I can imagine the original Min dying of shame.

"Forget it. It's not happening." I drew the line at privates being waxed. I was keeping what little fluff Min had. The guy was practically hairless anyway. Sometimes I think he missed puberty altogether.

"No one is going to be seeing if I'm TIDY or not. I told you this is a marriage in name only."

An argument ensued, which I won. I shooed them out, dried myself, and went back to my room before they thought of something else.

The next battle was over powder or no powder on my face. I won that argument as well. Pointing out again just in case they had forgotten I AM A MAN. So in the end there was no powder or rogue, red around my eyes, or red dots on my face.

When it came to my hair I let them have their way. It went up into a bun drawn back so tightly from my forehead that I'm sure my eyebrows moved to a different spot on my face. The gold hairpin I chose was the finishing touch and held the bun together.

When they stopped fussing and stepped away to allow me to look at myself in the mirror I was pleasantly surprised. It was the first time I saw Min without his long hair falling over his shoulders. He looked younger, his pale skin and features were displayed perfectly. I let them darken my eyebrows and put a little pink paste on my lips. I have to say Min looked good, very good.

....

Adam brought a tray of tea and biscuits when I was finally left alone to rest before I needed to put on my wedding robe. The Palanquin would be arriving soon to take me and my godmothers to the Palace of the Nine Heavens.

I asked Adam for the umpteenth time why hadn't Do-Yoon come to see me. I've sent for him several times but each time he couldn't be found. I was starting to think he was avoiding me.