Taehyung was only half-listening to the council drone on about the kingdom's problems. So far, the most pressing issue seemed to be the disappearance of House Seol's family bunny. Apparently, Marchioness Seol was utterly distraught, refusing food and claiming she couldn't go on without her beloved "Flopsy."

A bunny. A bunny.

Taehyung's mind wandered. He thought about Jungkook-who, frankly, looked like a bunny, now that he thought about it. Wide starry eyes, slightly chaotic, cute little toofies... Wait. Why am I thinking about Jungkook again?

Oh, right. Because he dared-dared-to suggest annulling their engagement. The nerve!

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty?"

Taehyung blinked, snapped back to reality by the concerned faces of the council. Everyone was staring at him expectantly.

"What is it? Could you repeat yourself?" he asked, straightening in his chair and forcing a look of authority that he had absolutely not been practicing in the mirror (he had to keep some of the cocky nobles in check).

The council members exchanged glances until Marquess Seol finally spoke up. "Your Majesty, there have been... unusual rumors about a bakery in the capital."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. "Unusual how? Rats in the kitchen? Overpriced pastries?"

"No, Your Grace. The food itself is... questionable."

"Questionable?"

"Well," the marquess began, clearly his throat, "there are reports of cookies that make people float, cupcakes that turn hair rainbow-colored, and... a pie that causes customers to sing everything they say for hours."

Taehyung stared at him, waiting for the punchline. None came. "And you're telling me this is... real?"

"It seems so, Your Majesty. Several nobles have complained. One claimed he floated so high his wig flew off. Another said his daughter refused to brush her hair after it turned bright blue, and... well, the pie incident led to an unfortunate serenade duel in the middle of the market."

Taehyung tried not to laugh. Who is this prankster? he thought, amused. But the council members were deadly serious, which made the situation all the more ridiculous. He cleared his throat, leaning back in his chair as though considering the matter gravely.

"Clearly, this requires investigation," Taehyung said, his voice even. "And it's nearly afternoon. I haven't eaten." He stood, brushing nonexistent dust off his robes. "We'll conduct a quality inspection."

The council looked surprised. "Your Grace, is this truly the best use of your time?"

"The kingdom thrives or crumbles on the quality of its baked goods, Marquess," Taehyung replied with mock solemnity. "And if enchanted pies are involved, it's my imperial duty to investigate."

With that, he strode out of the chamber, his robes billowing dramatically behind him, leaving the council scrambling to follow.

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On the way to the bakery, Marquess Seol suddenly insisted they stop at a fancy café. "It's a hidden gem," he declared, his enthusiasm barely contained. "The croissants here are so divine they might as well have been sent down from the heavens!"

Taehyung sighed, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't have the heart to say no-or rather, he lacked the energy to endure Marquess Seol's inevitable pout (cringe!) if he refused. So, with a resigned nod, he allowed himself to be shepherded into the ostentatious establishment.

The exterior was elaborate enough, but the inside was even more over-the-top. Chandeliers that looked like they'd been dipped in gold hung from the ceiling, and every table was draped with embroidered velvet. By the time they were escorted to the highest floor, Taehyung was starting to suspect the café spent more on décor than ingredients.

"Your Majesty, nobles, we are so honored to have you in our humble establishment," the café owner said, bowing deeply. Taehyung blinked at her, trying to place her face.

"Ah, Lee..." He trailed off, hoping someone would fill in the gap. Hajoon? Hana?

"Lee Hwayoung," Marquess Seol chirped, practically beaming. "Doesn't she look radiant as always?"

Taehyung nodded vaguely. Right. The Lee girl. Hwayoung.

"Hwayoung," Marquess Seol continued, puffing up his chest like he was showing off a prized student, "serve His Majesty and the council your finest selections. Nothing but the best!"

"Of course, my lord," she said with a graceful bow before retreating to the kitchen.

What followed was twenty minutes of Taehyung enduring Marquess Seol's incessant chatter about the "artistry" of the café. He nodded at the right moments, his mind wandering to the bakery he was supposed to be inspecting.

Finally, Hwayoung returned, balancing a tray of croissants, coffee, and other baked goods that looked far better than they smelled. Taehyung picked up a croissant, tearing off a delicate piece and popping it into his mouth.

And immediately regretted it.

The croissant was stale. Not just "slightly old" stale, but chewing on cardboard stale. His jaw worked painfully as he forced himself to swallow, his dignity barely intact. Hoping to cleanse his palate, he reached for the coffee.

One sip later, he knew he'd made a terrible mistake.

The coffee was bitter enough to strip paint, and to make matters worse, the beans hadn't been ground properly-chunks floated ominously in the cup. He resisted the urge to gag and placed the cup back on the table with exaggerated care, praying no one had noticed his expression.

Unfortunately for Hwayoung, Duchess Ahn was less subtle. She took one bite of her own croissant, paused dramatically, and then spat it out onto the pristine tablecloth.

"What is this garbage you dare to serve us?" she thundered, her voice echoing through the room.

Hwayoung looked utterly horrified. "My lady, I-"

"The bread is stale," Ahn interrupted, waving the offending croissant like it was a weapon. "And this coffee! Are you grinding the beans with your bare hands?!"

The council collectively recoiled as Ahn pointed to her coffee cup, where a particularly large chunk of bean floated serenely.

"How dare you serve this to us?" Ahn continued, her voice dripping with disdain. "And at these outrageous prices! I wouldn't feed this to my horses!"

Marquess Seol squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, his earlier enthusiasm now wilting under the heat of Ahn's wrath. "I-I assure you, this place is usually-"

"Is this your idea of a joke, Seol?" Ahn snapped. "Bringing us to a gilded trap that serves overpriced atrocities disguised as food?"

Taehyung leaned back, trying to stifle a laugh. The sight of Seol shrinking in his chair while Ahn ranted like a disappointed food critic was oddly satisfying. He decided he'd endured enough.

"Well," Taehyung said, standing up and brushing imaginary crumbs off his sleeves, "this has been enlightening. Shall we move on?"

The council members scrambled to their feet, each one eager to escape the awkwardness. Behind them, Hwayoung stood frozen, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

As Taehyung passed her, he gave a polite nod. "Thank you for the effort," he said, though his tone made it clear she shouldn't expect him back anytime soon.

The moment they exited the café, Marquess Seol muttered something about "bad timing" and "off days," but Taehyung barely listened. His focus was back on the bakery. Surely, even cookies that made you float couldn't be worse than that.

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Taehyung stepped into the bakery, flanked by the small entourage of nobles. The establishment was quaint, with a cozy charm that caught him off guard. The walls were painted a soft cream, adorned with watercolor paintings of pastries that looked almost too real. A few potted plants hung from the ceiling, their leaves trailing down like green streamers, and the wooden shelves behind the counter were crammed with jars of what appeared to be homemade jam.

It smelled heavenly-freshly baked bread, a hint of cinnamon, and just a touch of something sugary. Taehyung took a deep breath, his stomach growling in approval. Whatever else was going on here, at least it didn't reek of overpriced failure like the last place.

But the bakery was suspiciously empty. No customers, no staff in sight.

"Hello?" one of the nobles called, peering around.

A moment later, a man burst through the swinging door behind the counter. His cheeks were dusted with flour, and he had the kind of grin that could charm a bear out of hibernation. "Hello! Welcome to our bakery, I'm Jung Hoseok-" His eyes widened as they landed on Taehyung's robes. "Oh. Your Majesty." His grin wavered. "What brings you... here?"

Taehyung stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back in a practiced gesture of authority. "We've been hearing complaints about this establishment," he said, his voice sharp enough to cut through the bakery's cozy atmosphere. "Your cookies make people fly?"

The man-Jung Hoseok, apparently-laughed nervously, brushing more flour off his apron. "Ah... yes, about that. It's a bit of a misunderstanding, Your Majesty."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. "A misunderstanding? Do you expect me to believe customers are simply hallucinating midair acrobatics?"

Hoseok winced. "Not... exactly. You see, the owner of this bakery was, um, persuaded by a very convincing street vendor. They sold him enchanted ingredients, claiming they'd enhance the flavor of our goods. We didn't know the side effects until..."

"Until?" Taehyung prompted, leaning forward slightly.

"Well... until the flying incident. And the singing pies. And, uh, the rainbow hair cupcakes." Hoseok's voice grew quieter with each confession.

Taehyung sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And who is this owner who thought it wise to purchase magical ingredients from a back-alley vendor?"

Hoseok froze, his eyes darting to the door behind him like a cornered animal. "Um... well... Your Majesty..."

Before he could finish, a new voice rang out from the back room. "Hobi-hyung! I think we're out of powdered sugar!"

Taehyung's head snapped toward the door just as the speaker emerged, carrying a bag of flour that looked almost too big for him. His steps faltered as soon as he saw the crowd.

"Jungkook?" Taehyung's voice was a mixture of disbelief and something he couldn't quite place.

Jungkook's eyes went wide, and for a moment, he looked like a bunny caught in a trap. "Your Majesty?"

The room was silent for a beat, tension hanging thick in the air, before Taehyung's voice cut through like a whip. "You own this bakery?"

Jungkook looked everywhere except at Taehyung. "Uh... yes?"

Taehyung stared at him, completely flabbergasted. "You. The fiancé of the Emperor. Selling baked goods. What... happened?"

Jungkook shifted awkwardly, the bag of flour still in his arms. "Well, I was bored and had nothing to do..."

"And this was your solution?" Taehyung gestured vaguely to the shelves of questionable pastries. "What possessed you to think running a bakery-with enchanted ingredients, no less-was a good idea?"

Hoseok, sensing the rising tension, decided to jump in. "Actually, Your Majesty, Jungkook has a real talent for baking! The enchanted ingredients were an accident, but the customers love his non-magical stuff! We're famous for our cinnamon rolls!"

Jungkook nodded eagerly. "The regular ones. Not the ones that make people hiccup fire," he clarified quickly.

Taehyung stared at him, torn between disbelief and an overwhelming urge to laugh. "Hiccup fire?!"

Jungkook shrugged helplessly. "It was one time!"

Taehyung sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose again. "Clearly, this warrants further investigation." He straightened, his imperial authority (not practiced) firmly back in place. "Bring me one of these... cinnamon rolls. A normal one."

Hoseok scurried to comply, while Jungkook fidgeted nervously, sneaking glances at Taehyung.

As Taehyung waited, he couldn't help but think: How did it come to this?

When the cinnamon roll finally arrived, Taehyung took a careful bite. For a moment, the room was silent. Then, to everyone's shock, the emperor nodded.

"Well," Taehyung said, his tone begrudging, "at least this isn't making me hiccup fire."

Jungkook beamed, clearly relieved, and Hoseok let out a small cheer.

"But," Taehyung added, his voice turning icy, "we're going to have a long discussion about your business practices later."

Jungkook's smile faltered, and he nodded quickly. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Taehyung leaned back, the corner of his mouth twitching. Perhaps this inspection wasn't going to be so bad after all.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

peep new cover 🤭 can't lie, i think i did a pretty good job, only took me two hours of my time but whatever 😴