Archive of Our Own

It’s common knowledge that the baker in Castle Town is the best baker in the entire kingdom. Although his shop is quaint and unassuming, both common folk and royals come to visit his shop. From the whitest of bread to the prettiest of pastries, the castle town baker makes everyone happy with his craft. When anyone bites into a loaf, or a sugar filled delicacy, they are left with a full stomach and a happy heart. Many have said his bread is magical, able to change one’s mood in an instant. 

This rumor was started when a ill-tempered nobleman sent a servant to purchase bread from the baker’s shop. The nobleman had heard others speak highly about the baker’s bread, but he did not believe it. How could such a bread be as delicious as the ones made fresh in his manor? The same day he had heard the talk, he sent the servant out with explicit orders to bring the best bread the baker had, or he would sever his head. 

The servant frightfully scurried to Ccastle Ttown to retrieve the bread for his master. When he arrived at the shop, he begged the baker to sell him his finest bread. The baker was more than happy to comply, handing the servant a bag filled with his best breads. It’s said when the servant returned, he watched nervously as his master bit into it. The servant was ready to meet his doom, but to his pleasant surprise, it never came. 

The moment the nobleman took a bite of the bread, it is said that his ill-temperedness disappeared and was replaced with a smile wider than the horizon. 

“This is the best bread I have ever tasted! You, who has brought it to me will be given the highest honors!”

And so, the servant didn’t lose his head that night. 

What the common folk and royals do not know is that the bread is truly magical. You see, the baker has a son, a son born to a witch. While his mother is no longer alive, she left her son with the gift of magic. Magic, became the secret ingredient in all of the baker’s creations. Seokjin, the baker’s son, was also a gifted baker as he had been an apprentice under his father. It was under his apprenticeship that he realized he could combine baking with magic to create the perfect creation - food made with love you can feel. 

It happened as an accident really, a mere afterthought when he was bored one day. His father had gone into town to buy some ingredients, leaving Seokjin to tend the shop and bake some bread. It was then that the baker’s son decided to see if he could add magic to his bread. He went to work with his spell book and cookbook until his father came home. When the baker returned, his son proudly offered him a piece of bread. 

Seokjin didn’t tell his father what he had done to the bread, as he wanted to get his genuine reaction. The baker took a bite of said bread, and in an instant, it felt as if magic were coursing through his entire being. He could only shout with joy, proclaiming this was the best bread he had ever tasted. Seokjin continued to infuse magic into the bread from that day, and they’ve been swarming with clients ever since. 

It so happened that one of their clients was the king himself. He sent a servant to ask the baker to cater his son’s wedding. The crown prince, Yoongi, was to marry his betrothed, Jimin, and the king wanted to have the tastiest cake in the kingdom. Of course the only person who could provide such a cake would be the baker in Castle Town. Seokjin’s father immediately accepted the offer, and the two began their work. 

The cake was the largest they had ever made and would have to be transported separately in order for it to arrive in one piece. They started baking the morning before the wedding, not stopping until they had finished by late afternoon. The evening was spent icing the cake and decorating, and they were both tired by the time they were done. They had made the gigantic cake for the crown prince’s wedding, but they had also made more pastries and delicacies, enough to feed a small army. It was difficult for two people to get it all done, yet Seokjin’s magic helped them through it. 

Two of the pastries made were made specially for the two grooms. Seokjin had infused them with a love spell said to make those in love stay in love forever. It was his gift to the prince and his groom, to ensure they will always be happy together. The only catch was that both the prince and his groom had to eat it while looking at each other. If they looked at someone else, they fell in the risk of loving someone else. And if someone else ate the pastry not intended for them, they would fall in love with the first person they saw. It was a tricky spell, but Seokjin had taken extra precaution to make sure they were delivered to the grooms. 

He accompanied his father in delivering the cake and pastries and decided to stay in the kitchen while his father went out to set up for the banquet. It was his job to make sure the pastries would be delivered to Prince Yoongi and Jimin. This meant he must stay in the kitchen and watch as a servant delivered the pastries directly to them. In the meantime, Seokjin was helping with the last minute banquet preparations. The servants were swamped with chores that needed to be done, and as a son of a laborer, he was no stranger to hard work. In fact, he was so caught up in helping the servants plate dishes that he did not notice the person who came into the kitchen. 

The man was tall and definitely part of the nobility from the way he dressed and the manner he stood. Seokjin did not pay him any attention, too busy following another servant’s orders. It was only when the man spoke that he finally decided to give the nobleman his attention. 

“The baker has come with the cake and pastries?” The man’s voice is soft, yet authoritative. Seokjin glances up to look at him, finally noticing how handsome he is. With a fine face and tanned skin, the man glowed with the small light of the sun that peaked in through a high window. He wore a smile on his face, revealing a set of dimples. His clothes were dark and elegant and he carried a sword at his side. This man was definitely part of the court. 

“Yes, my lordship,” a servant replies, “the baker is setting up the cake, but the pastries are sitting at the far end of the table.”

The nobleman does not reply, but he nods to acknowledge that he has heard the servant speak. Then he walks to the table stacked with pastries, his eyes glancing at all the delicacies on the table. Seokjin watches him closely. 

“They say this baker is the best in the kingdom,” the nobleman comments, running his knuckles along the wooden table as he paces forward. 

“Yes, your lordship,” another servant replies, “his majesty specifically requested Baker Kim to make the cake and pastries for the wedding. It’s said his bread can bring anyone joy with one bite.”

Seokjin puffs up at the compliment. It is true that his father and he make the best bread in the kingdom, but he’s not used to hearing such compliments come from the mouths of other people. It fills him with pride knowing that their bread is beloved by so many. 

“Then the king will not mind if I take one bread to try for myself,” the nobleman tells the servant, but he’s not asking for permission. Servants cannot tell him no, and Seokjin doesn’t want to stop him. He wants to see the nobleman’s reaction to his magic infused pastries. That is, until the nobleman grabs one of the pastries intended for their grooms. 

“No wait!” Seokjin yells, rushing to take the pastry out of the nobleman’s hands but it’s too late. By the time Seokjin grabs onto the other man’s arm, he has already taken a bite of the pastry. Their eyes lock, the nobleman having been curious about the servant who was trying to stop him from eating the pastry. And at that moment, it was love at first sight. For the nobleman, for Seokjin it was the beginning of a troublesome story. Seokjin could see the moment the nobleman fell for him, his eyes twinkling with a desire that had not been there before. The effects of a love spell were instantaneous. 

“Who are you?” The nobleman asked, his voice should be angry and authoritative after a mere servant dared to touch him, but he can’t bring himself to be mad at such a beautiful man in front of him. Seokjin finds himself removing his arm from the nobleman, surprised that the love spell worked effectively. Of course there was no doubt his spell would work, but seeing the spell applied to him made him feel a little uneasy. 

Seokjin decides not to answer the nobleman, not wanting to give away his identity to the man who had fallen under his love spell. This wasn’t part of his plan! It would only make his work tedious if he had such a nobleman trying to pursue him. He needs to get away as soon as possible. 

“Please make sure his Royal Highness and his groom receive the other pastry baked for them. It’s imperative they share it,” Seokjin gives one of the servants explicit orders and then rushes out of the kitchen as fast as he can. For now, he wants to find his father. He will be able to use his father as a shield from the nobleman. Since his father is hired through the king, the nobleman should not be able to bother him. 

He does not expect to hear footsteps following him, and a hand reach out to touch his shoulder once he stops for a moment. It’s the nobleman from before. Seokjin only turns out of politeness and bows to show his respect. He does his best not to look in the nobleman’s eyes, and he keeps his gaze on the ground. It’s also impolite for someone of the common class to look at a nobleman in the eyes. This is part of mere courtesy. He’s about to leave once more when the nobleman speaks. 

“Wait.” Seokjin stops as he was about to turn on his heel.  “What is your name?”

Seokjin makes the mistake of looking into the nobleman’s eyes. They're the color of baked bread and filled with a kindness uncommon in the noble class. It’s not what Seokjin was expecting to see. 

He knows he has no choice but to answer the nobleman’s question this time, in fear of coming off as rude and bringing a bad name to his father. Therefore, Seokjin can only offer a small smile. 

“My name is Seokjin Kim. I am the baker’s son.”

The nobleman’s eyes widen. “I didn’t know the baker had such a handsome son.”

Seokjin chuckles politely, unfazed by the nobleman’s flirtatious words. They are merely the effect of the love spell after all. “You flatter me, sir, I am a mere servant.” He bows once again. “Now, if you will excuse me, I must find my father.”

“Wait.” Seokjin stops once more, cursing his luck. How did he manage to create such a strong love spell. He turns to the nobleman, hoping the smile on his face doesn’t seem too forced. 

“I am Namjoon Kim.” Seokjin makes a mental note of his name, even if he has no plans of seeing the nobleman again. Seeing as he has nothing else to say, Seokjin scurries off to find his father.

His father is in the main hall, ordering servants on how to place the cake. He smiles widely when he sees Seokjin enter. 

“My son,” he begins, “I believed you were still in the royal kitchen.”

Seokjin offers his father a smile before sighing at his luck. “I was father, but I seem to have come upon a small incident.”

This peaks his father’s interest. “Oh? What happened.”

Seokjin remembers how the nobleman named Namjoon ate the pastry intended for the to be wed couple and how he became entranced with Seokjin. He doesn’t want his father to know about this just yet, so he shakes his head. 

“It is not of importance. We should focus on finishing the preparations.”

The baker cannot argue with that, so the two of them finish setting up the cake and adorning the desert table with all of their pastries. The pastry meant for the crown prince and his groom sits on a special plate made of gold, indicating that no one else should dare touch it. Seokjin feels proud of his creation, momentarily forgetting about Namjoon. 

While they are not allowed to watch the wedding service, - only members of the family and other nobles are allowed - they are allowed to stay for the banquet that follows. Seokjin and his father are designated to a table towards the end of the hall, where other less important guests are seated. He doesn’t mind, he is enjoying being part of such a grandiose ceremony. It is the highest honor even to make the cake for the crown prince’s wedding. He’ll take what he can receive. 

The happy couple enter the main hall once everyone is seated. The guests promptly stand to welcome the married couple with a round of applause and cheers. Seokjin notices how both the Prince Yoongi and his groom, Jimin, are beaming with happiness. This fills him with warmth and knows that his spell will only enhance their happiness. It is obvious by looking at the pair that they are deeply in love with one another - his spell can only keep the love blooming for the rest of their lives. 

Once the happy married couple are seated at the main table next to the King and Queen and the parents of Jimin, the banquet begins. Plates of food and pitchers of wine are served throughout the evening, and Jin can’t help but try all of the plates put in front of him. While he and his father live a somewhat comfortable life due to their success in the baking business, the food they eat is nothing compared to what is served in front of him now. He allows himself to indulge for once, and thanks the heavens for blessing him with the gift of magic. 

Music is played throughout the dinner, setting a happy ambient mood for the guests, but the real party starts once the plates have been removed. Guests get up from their seats so the servants can move the tables out of the way and create a huge space in the middle of the main room. This will serve as the dancing floor for the rest of the evening. Seokjin is no stranger to dancing, his father often attempted to make music with the various pots they have at home while Seokjin danced to the rhythm of their musical pots. However, he knew that dancing was nowhere near the elegant dancing of the noble class. All he could do was watch with his father from a corner of the room. 

That is, until a familiar silhouette appeared in front of him. It was the nobleman from before, Namjoon. Seokjin had been busy watching some of the couples dance, that he had failed to notice Namjoon approaching him, only noticing when a shadow cast over him. Seokjin looks up at him in surprise. 

The other man looks shy as he approaches him, and Seokjin can’t help but feel a little empathy for the unfortunate victim of his spell. He decides to greet him with a small smile. 

“Sir Kim, it is nice to see you again.” Seokjin says politely, getting the attention of his father who had been busy talking to one of the guests - the chef who prepared the feast it seemed. His father bows politely towards Namjoon, realizing that the man in front of him is of importance by the way he stands and his manner of dressing. 

“Please,” the nobleman insists, “call me Namjoon.”

Seokjin realizes that calling him Namjoon instead of Sir Kim could lead to a lot of misunderstandings. He doesn’t want to give the love stricken man more hope than he already has with him, not when Seokjin will promptly go home after the banquet to look for the cure of love sickness. And yet, he can’t bring himself to be rude to the nobleman. Objectively speaking, Namjoon is a good looking man and has been kind to him so far. There’s no reason to deny him such a simple request, right? 

Therefore, Seokjin nods. “Ok, Namjoon.”

Namjoon beams in excitement. The nobleman finally realizes that Jin is not alone and turns to his father. 

“Forgive my impoliteness, you are Baker Kim? It is an honor to meet you.” Namjoon extends his hand out in greeting which his father promptly takes. 

“Yes, Sir Kim am I correct? You are the future king’s advisor? Your intelligence is unparalleled.”

Seokjin looks at Namjoon in surprise, not knowing that he had accidentally made the crown prince’s future advisor fall for him. He didn’t know much about the future advisor, - he was as mysterious as the court sorcerer who only a select few had seen in real life - but he knew the man was truly one of the greatest minds in the kingdom. Even the common people often talked about him. When he would pass through the town marketplace, he heard the older women gush over his handsomeness and intelligence. He had often stopped to listen to their chatter, becoming enraptured in their fantasy man. 

Seokjin curses himself more for having such a man accidentally fall for him. He needed to find the antidote quickly. 

“You flatter me sir,” Namjoon says with a chuckle, “if we are complimenting each other, I must say the rumors are correct. You truly are the best baker in the kingdom.”

Seokjin swells up in pride at the compliment. He loves to hear his father be complimented. His father looks at Seokjin and back at Namjoon with a smile on his face. 

“I have to admit, my son is an integral part of my success. But it seems the two of you have already met?” The way he says that seems as if he has gotten an answer to a question he had been asking. Right, Seokjin had informed his father that there had been an incident earlier. He must be putting the pieces together. 

Namjoon nods, suddenly looking timid again. His cheeks are flushed pink, and Seokjin cannot deny that he is good looking. 

“We met earlier today in the royal kitchen,” Namjoon tells his father. The nobleman looks back towards the middle of the room where people are dancing and then back to Seokjin and his father. 

“Actually, I have come to ask permission to dance with your son.” 

Seokjin doesn’t like the way his heart skips a beat. He looks at his father, his eyes wide in surprise and wonders what his father will say. Will he give Namjoon permission to dance with him? He also cannot help but praise Namjoon for being so polite, it is common courtesy to ask the parents of an unmarried person before they did anything, but not many people followed this rule anymore. Seokjin could commend Namjoon for that even in his love sick daze. 

His father’s eyes are twinkling as he looks to his son. “I cannot vouch for my son, but if he wants to dance with you, then I cannot deny him either.” 

And so the choice is left up to Seokjin. His brain is telling him to politely reject the nobleman so he doesn’t get his hopes up, but his heart is begging him to dance. In the end, he lets his heart win. There’s nothing wrong with being around Namjoon for now, especially since Seokjin will just reverse the spell and they will never have to interact again. Therefore, Seokjin shyly nods, indicating he wants to dance, which causes Namjoon to beam with pride. 

Namjoon extends his hand out for Seokjin to take, and Seokjin gives his father a wary glance in case the baker decides to change his mind. The baker merely encourages his son to go on, so Seokjin takes Namjoon’s hand. He’s whisked away to the dance floor. 

Seokjin has never waltzed with a partner before - only practiced with a broom when he was alone in his room, envisioning a day when he would be able to dance with someone. Thankfully, Namjoon seems to be a natural. He interlocks one of his hands with Seokjin and places the other one on his hip. His grip is loose, Seokjin can barely feel the ghost of his fingertips on his hip, leaving Seokjin with the ability to leave if he wants. He has already gone this far, so he decides to dance. 

“Have you danced before?” Namjoon asks him, and Seokjin shakes his head. He realizes how different the two of them are. Namjoon comes from the nobility where formal waltzes are taught at a young age; Seokjin only knows the dances he’s created in his kitchen. 

“I’ve never had a reason to dance,” Seokjin comments sadly. 

“Then let me guide you. Place your hand on my shoulder.” 

The baker’s son places his free hand on Namjoon’s shoulder upon his request. Namjoon takes the lead, guiding him to the music. The tune is slow and romantic, and Seokjin cannot help the blush that is appearing on his face. Even if this is just the effects of the love spell, Namjoon falling for him of course, Seokjin allows himself to enjoy this moment. He hardly gets to enjoy himself as he is always busy helping his father with the bread making. For once, he can feel young and carefree. 

They dance to a few songs, Seokjin finding it easy to follow Namjoon’s lead. Throughout the dancing, he finds himself inching closer to Namjoon until their bodies are only a finger length apart. When he realizes this, Seokjin immediately moves further back. It’s too impolite to dance so close to someone, especially if they are not courting or married. Seokjin doesn’t want Namjoon to get the wrong idea. Lucky for him, Namjoon doesn’t say anything. If he notices how flustered Seokjin had turned, he does not comment. For this, Seokjin is grateful. 

“You’re a natural,” Namjoon whispers so only Seokjin can hear. Seokjin feels a rush of pride at the compliment. 

“You flatter me,” Seokjin tells him, “it is only because I have such a wonderful partner.” 

Namjoon laughs and Seokjin cannot help but like the sound of it. “Trust me, I am not skilled in the slightest, but you have taken to it naturally.” 

Seokjin doesn’t say anymore, but he’s happy with such a compliment. 

Once the people have danced to their heart’s content, it is time for the cake to be cut. Seokjin excuses himself from Namjoon’s presence so he can help his father with cutting and distributing the cake to the guests. It’s the last time he sees the nobleman that night. Between the cake cutting and clearing everything up after the banquet, Seokjin has no time to think about Namjoon anymore. 

It’s only when he’s laying in his bed, remembering the events of the night, that he realizes he has to look for the cure to love sickness before it’s too late for Namjoon. Or perhaps, before it’s too late for Seokjin.

—

The next time Seokjin meets Namjoon, it’s a week after the wedding. Seokjin is in their small kitchen, cleaning up after a day of baking and selling their bread. He finds it strange, hardly anybody comes to their residence this late at night. All the bread has been sold for the day and there will be no more until the day to come. Seokjin tries to get his father to answer the door, but the baker is nowhere to be seen. It’s up to Seokjin to find out who their mysterious visitor is. 

When Seokjin opens the door, he is met with a large bouquet of flowers that covers the visitor’s face. Seokjin stares at the bouquet of flowers - it’s filled with an assortment of flowers, some that common folk are unable to acquire so easily. Most villagers picked flowers from the wild, but the red roses in the bouquet were only available to the noble class. It’s Namjoon. 

“Sir Ki—, ah, Namjoon,” Seokjin warily says the moment that Namjoon peaks out from behind the roses. There’s a huge smile on his face and his cheeks are painted with his natural blush. “To what do I owe this visit?” 

Namjoon moves the flowers out of his face, but then thrusts them towards Seokjin. In his surprise, all Seokjin can do accept them. He doesn’t realize his mistake until the flowers are tucked safely in his hands. Accepting such a gift means he is open to the idea of Namjoon courting him. Seokjin curses himself for being so foolish. 

“Forgive me for being so forward,” Namjoon begins, “and I know that it is late, but I have just finished my courtly duties.” 

“...” Seokjin is unsure what to say, so he keeps silent as Namjoon continues. 

“But I was wondering,” Namjoon continues, and Seokjin can tell that his demeanor is starting to turn timid, “if you would like to go for a walk with me?”

Seokjin blinks. “It’s late.” He deadpans, not realizing it sounds rude until Namjoon winces. 

“...I do apologize,” Namjoon tells him, “but given the nature of my position, it is hard for me to find time during the day. I have been unable to stop thinking about you since the banquet, would it sound too rude to say I want to know you better?”

Seokjin wants to tell Namjoon that the only reason he wants to get to know him more is because of the effects of the love spell. He realizes Namjoon will not believe him even if he tried to explain, the spell’s effects are too strong to bypass. Namjoon believes that he is truly in love with Seokjin. For Seokjin, standing with a large bouquet of flowers at his doorway, it is a nuisance. 

Just as he’s about to tell Namjoon that he’s unable to do anything with him due to the late hour, his father finally makes an appearance. He’s come from the back room. The door creaks open and Seokjin turns to see his father walking towards their small doorway. His father seems just as surprised to see Namjoon as Seokjin had been moments earlier. 

“Sir Kim,” his father comments after a bit of awkward silence, “it’s a pleasure to see you again, even at such a late hour.”

Namjoon gives him an apologetic smile. “My apologies for coming so late, Baker Kim, but with my duties in the palace, I am unable to find a lot of free time.”

The baker chuckles. “I can imagine. What can we do for you tonight?”

Seokjin turns to Namjoon, shaking his head as he tries desperately to keep the other man from saying anything. The nobleman seems to pay him no attention, his mouth already opening to speak.

“I have come to see if Seokjin would like to go on a walk for me. I know it is late, but I promise I won’t keep him out long. That is, if you will allow it.” There he went again, asking his father for permission the way a proper gentleman should. Seokjin could commend him for that at least. He knows that his father will reject Namjoon’s request and that will be the end of it for the night. No decent father would let their son or daughter out with a potential suitor so late at night. If any of the other villagers see, what will they say about them? Therefore, Seokjin is beyond astonished when his father shrugs in indifference.

“I see no problem,” the baker begins and just as Seokjin is about to protest, he continues, “my son spends so much time in the kitchen and not enough time enjoying life. I think this would be good for him, that is, if he wishes.”

Seokjin had been expecting his father to reject Namjoon, and now that his father was allowing him to go out on a walk, he wasn’t sure what to say or do. He looks between his father and Namjoon, both of them looking at him expectantly for an answer. The baker’s son debates his options trying to decide if going with Namjoon or rejecting him would be better. He does not want to string Namjoon along, especially in his love sick state. The more Seokjin gives him attention, the more Namjoon will come back for more. Yet, he finds himself unable to say no. 

Deep down, Seokjin knows he should reject Namjoon’s request, yet his father is right. Most of his time is spent baking bread or reading spell books in his room. There is hardly a chance for play and leisure with the demanding nature of their job. The last time he was able to have any fun was at the crown prince’s wedding, and even then he was there for work. In the end, he decides to accept. He tells himself that it would be rude to reject Namjoon’s offer. Afterall, he came all this way and even brought him flowers. It’s only polite. 

With a sigh, he nods. “Very well, I shall accept your request. However, we must be home in an hour’s time. I still have to work in the morning.”

The smile on Namjoon’s face is the widest he has ever seen it, and he nods with such fervor Seokjin believes his head will fall off. 

“I promise I will have him back in an hours time.” Namjoon promises his father, but his father doesn’t seem too worried about it. Seokjin hands his father the bouquet in his hands and tells him to find a container for them. They bid Seokjin’s father farewell, and the baker gives them his blessing as they walk off. It’s only when the baker closes the door to their house that Namjoon extends his arm out for Seokjin.

At first, Seokjin is unsure of what Namjoon is doing and merely stares at the nobleman. It is his first time being courted, and unfortunately his first time is with a man under a love spell, so he doesn’t quite understand the body language. It is only when Namjoon moves closer to him so their arms are almost touching that Seokjin understands what he means. With his face beginning to turn red from embarrassment, Seokjin loops his arm around Namjoon’s. Namjoon leads the way.

They walk through the main courtyard in town and past the town itself until they’re heading outside of the town . Seokjin has travelled outside of town to gather herbs in the nearby forest and meadows for his bread making and spells, but he has only ever come in the security of day. Night time has always been more dangerous, and he has been always warned as a child to stay away from these areas in the darkness. He cannot help but tense. 

Namjoon notices his discomfort and immediately comforts him. 

“Do not worry,” Namjoon reassures him as Seokjin’s arm wraps tighter around his, “where we are going is safe, and I always carry my sword on me.”

It is true. At his side he carries his scabbard with his sword inside. Seokjin does not need to see Namjoon fight in order to know he is a good swordsman. Being a member of the nobility, and the future advisor for the future king, meant he was skilled in swordsmanship. It was one of the basic qualifications for being part of the royal court. This put Seokjin somewhat at ease, but he still could not stop the worry in his heart.

“Where are you taking me?” Seokjin inquires, “you do not plan to do away with me, do you?”

It’s meant as a joke and thankfully Namjoon laughs. “My dear, Seokjin, I believe I fancy you too much to want to do away with you. I merely want to show you something spectacular. Can you trust me?’

Does Seokjin have a choice but to trust that Namjoon has good intentions? Given his current arrangement, he’s at the mercy of Namjoon’s good graces. He decides to trust Namjoon for now. 

“Very well,” Seokjin admits defeat, “just this once I’ll trust you.” 

Namjoon beams and guides Seokjin further away from the castle town until they’re standing on a small hill. Seokjin doesn’t understand why this hill is so important and why they’ve had to come out of town to see it. He’s seen hills before, they’re merely lumps of dirt. However, it seems that this is not what Namjoon wants to show him. He guides Seokjin to sit on the grass, and Seokjin does as he’s told. When he’s finally sat down, Namjoon speaks. 

“This is what I wanted to show you.” Namjoon proudly announces. Seokjin blinks. 

“The plain fields?” He asks and it comes off more rudely than he meant. Thankfully, Namjoon merely chuckles and shakes his head. He points above them. 

“No this.”

Seokjin looks up and he’s met with the light of a thousand stars. While he can see the night sky from his window, it is nothing compared to the plethora of shining orbs he sees now. Gazing upon them in an empty field, without a building as obstruction is truly something different. He is left speechless and finally, he understands what Namjoon meant by spectacular. This is, truly a sight he has never laid his eyes on. 

Namjoon watches next to him and soon begins pointing out formations in the stars. Constellations he calls them. Seokjin gazes at the constellations and realizes they make shapes in the sky. It’s hard to see with their naked eyes, but Namjoon is able to point out a few that Seokjin can see clearly. It’s similar to the clouds in the day when they make shapes, but the nobleman tells him these constellations do not change shape the same way clouds do. They are a constant fixture in the night sky, making it possible for Seokjin to look for them on nights to come. 

“What do you think?” Namjoon asks him after they’ve been gazing at the stars for more than ten minutes. 

“They’re so beautiful,” Seokjin replies with a wide smile, his face lighting up as he looks at Namjoon. It’s only when he sees the way Namjoon’s cheeks turn pink that he realizes he’s way too excited. Immediately, he calms himself down so he doesn’t give Namjoon the idea that he fancies him. 

He coughs to fix his composure. “I mean, yes they’re beautiful, but isn’t all nature beautiful?”

Namjoon chuckles. “I suppose so, but I must say I find you even more so.”

Seokjin doesn’t know what to say at such a bold compliment, but his cheeks feel warmer. Namjoon saves him from being embarrassed for too long by talk. 

“When I feel stressed with courtly duties, I often sneak out of the castle to watch the stars. Seeing something that stays constant helps me get through the changes in life.”

Seokjin furrows his eyebrows. He knows that Namjoon must be busy considering he is part of the court, yet he is not the king’s advisor yet. He realizes that he hardly knows anything about the man sitting next to him and this frustrates him. 

“You must be very busy,” Seokjin comments, “it must be tiring.”

Namjoon shakes his head. “Forgive me, I do not mean to complain. Not when you must have it harder than me.”

Seokjin offers a small smile. “I believe we all have our hardships. When I feel stressed with life, I often think of my mother and all the grand times we had together.”

His smile turns sad when he remembers his mother. She has been gone for most of his life, but he cherishes the memories he has with her. Namjoon notices the sad expression that has appeared on Seokjin’s face. He places a gentle hand on Seokjin’s shoulder in comfort. Seokjin subconsciously leans into the touch. 

“She was wonderful,” he continues, “I suppose her memory does the same for me as the stars do for you. She’s my constant.”

It’s only then that he realizes he’s said too much. He hardly speaks about his mother to anyone even his own father. Perhaps it’s the fresh air or the sleep that is slowly starting to wash over him that has made him so open. It is getting late. 

He supposes it’s time for them to head back. It’s getting late, and he has to wake up early to put the bread in the oven as he does every morning. 

“We should head back,” Seokjin says in an attempt to steer the conversation away from his mother. To Seokjin’s delight, Namjoon nods and stands up. He offers his hand to Seokjin, and the baker’s son takes it for Namjoon to help him up. 

The walk back is silent, both not needing words between them to feel comfortable. Seokjin remembers Namjoon’s earlier compliment before the talk of his mother and has to remind himself that Namjoon is under the effects of a love spell. All the sweet words and chivalrous actions are due to the effects of the spell; Seokjin cannot allow himself to be swept off his feet. 

When they reach Seokjin’s home, neither of them want to leave the night behind. Seokjin doesn’t go back into his home and Namjoon makes no move to leave either. They stare at each other, as if waiting for the other to speak. It’s Namjoon who breaks the silence. 

“Can I ask you something, Seokjin?” Namjoon’s voice is barely above a murmur almost as if he’s scared to talk to loud. Seokjin merely nods. 

“I know I am being forward, but I have been unable to get you out of my head since our first meeting. Will you grant me the honor of letting me court you?”

Seokjin forgets how to breathe for a moment, but is finally swept away by the reminder of the love spell. This isn’t Namjoon being genuine. And yet, his heart wants him to say yes. He has spent such a lovely evening with the nobleman and part of him wants to have something like this again. And still, he must remember that this is not Namjoon’s true feelings. 

“Will you wait here for a moment?” Seokjin asks him, suddenly remembering that he was working on some antidotes earlier today. He baked one into a loaf of bread and wants to give it to Namjoon. Perhaps if Namjoon takes a bite of the bread, he’ll wake up from this spell and Seokjin can go back to his normal life. 

Namjoon nods, and so Seokjin goes inside to retrieve the bread. When he enters their kitchen he realizes his father has placed the flowers in a small vase near their window. Seokjin cannot help but admire them, smiling to himself before he remembers why he came inside in the first place. He returns to Namjoon with the loaf of bread neatly wrapped up in a handkerchief. 

“Please take this as my answer,” Seokjin tells him. He gingerly hands the bread over to Namjoon, knowing that once Namjoon eats this, he’ll no longer be in love with Seokjin. It’s sad, but he must remind himself that loving freely is better than loving out of force. 

Namjoon takes the handkerchief out of his hands, and for a second, their hands brush against each other. The two have painted cheeks. 

“G-good night, Sir Kim,” Seokjin finds himself using Namjoon’s title instead of his name, “I shall see you around” 

“Yes, you shall.” Namjoon replies and with that he’s off into the night, the handkerchief held tightly with one hand. Seokjin can’t help but feel a little sad. 

—

To Seokjin’s disappointment or perhaps relief, the antidote he concocted doesn’t work. In the days following their night walk, royal servants have appeared at his doorstep with gifts from Sir Kim. The gifts have ranged from more flowers to chocolates - only available to the nobility - to new articles of clothing. Each gift is accompanied by a small letter. They are all handwritten in Namjoon’s elegant print, and contain a pressed flower. The letters are all different, but they all have a similar message. 

To my dear Jin, one of the letters reads, I hope you will forgive me for always being so forward. I have been unable to get you out of my head since we first met. Even my dreams are filled with your presence. Perhaps you have bewitched me, but I am most certain that is not the case. I have fancied you since the day in the royal kitchen. I hope this small gift can express my feelings for you while I’m away, we shall see each other again soon. 

Seokjin can’t help but blow air through his nose. A small gift his arse. The gift that the letter accompanied is a large vase filled with an assortment of flowers. It is seated on his desk and takes up most of the surface area. He realizes this is excessive and feels overwhelmed by the copious amount of courting gifts he’s been receiving. He must tell Namjoon to stop. Unfortunately, he hasn’t seen him since. 

Seokjin is not too concerned about not having seen his potential suitor. With more time in between their meetings, it allows him the opportunity to continue looking for a counter spell. When he’s not helping his father make bread, he’s locked in his room searching through the spell books his mother had left in his care after her death. He believes he’s found the one. 

The next time he sees Namjoon it’s a couple weeks after their night walk. He’s gathering herbs near the edge of town when he hears the sound of hoofs trotting toward him. Seokjin looks up to see an entourage of court members on horses. They all pass by him, and Seokjin thinks nothing of it. The king must have sent some of his court to discuss business with a local nobleman or lord. It was nothing out of the ordinary. Until, a shadow blocked his view of the sunlight. 

Seokjin looks up again. It’s Namjoon. He sits high on his horse, wearing the garments of a royal. While Seokjin’s clothes are plain and gray, Namjoon wears a blue tunic with pants the color of his bread. With the smile on his face and the way he sits tall on his white steed, he almost looks like a king, a very handsome king. 

“Sir Kim,” Seokjin greets cautiously, not sure what to say to the man who has been sending him gifts and letters for the past two weeks. He stands from where he was kneeling on the ground in his hunt for herbs at the same time Namjoon decides to come down from his horse. Seokjin stumbles at the sudden movement from the nobleman, but Namjoon gently wraps his arm around his waist and keeps him from falling. They are close, so close Seokjin could lean in slightly and their lips would be touching. 

When he realizes the position he’s in, Seokjin quickly steps back and Namjoon releases him. He tries his best to hide the blush painting his face, but his fair features have always betrayed him. 

“Seokjin,” Namjoon finally speaks, his voice sounds deeper than it had a fortnight ago. Perhaps it’s the time in between meetings that makes Seokjin believe this; either way, it doesn’t fail to send shivers down his being. It is only his name coming out of Namjoon’s mouth and yet, Seokjin can’t help but feel warm. 

“Namjoon,” Seokjin says after he’s regained his composure and is putting on a front of indifference. “I believed you had forgotten about me.”

Namjoon offers him a sympathetic smile. “My apologies, but I hope the gifts were enough to remind you of my love.”

Seokjin tries to ignore his words as he crosses his arms. “Have you no shame? What am I to do with all the gifts you sent me? Surely they cannot just be for one person.”

Namjoon chuckles, but there’s a hint of embarrassment in his voice. “I might have been carried away, but I didn’t want you to doubt my feelings. I am serious in my feelings for you.” 

The words are a lie. It’s only the effects of a love spell, and Seokjin knows this well. He cannot allow himself to be swayed by such sweet words. His heart hurts a little. 

“Did you read the letters I sent with the gifts?” Namjoon asks, and Seokjin wants to tell him no. Part of him wants to reject the nobleman rudely before this becomes out of Seokjin’s control. However, the other part blushes as he remembers all the sweet words Namjoon wrote to him while he was away. 

Seokjin cannot help but blush. He looks down to the ground in order to hide it. “I did.”

He looks up in time to see the wide smile that appears on Namjoon’s face. “I am glad.” 

Seokjin is not sure what to say. What can he say to the nobleman? Should he thank him for such kind words or return with some of his own? 

“Where have you been?” Seokjin decides to ask instead. 

Namjoon looks toward the direction he came and back to Seokjin with a smile. “My entourage and I went to visit Lord Farquaad.” 

“Lord Farquaad?” Seokjin asks in surprise, “but his manor is more than four days on horse.”

Namjoon nods solemnly. “It is why I have not been around, but the King had urgent business with him and I could not deny him. I came back as quickly as possible, I have missed you.” 

Seokjin cannot help but blush. “You surely couldn’t have had time to miss me, you must have been busy with court business.”

Namjoon shakes his head. “Honestly, I could not concentrate because of how much I missed you.”

It sounds so honest coming from the nobleman, that Seokjin almost forgets about everything. His cheeks feel a lot warmer than before and he does his best to hide his rosy cheeks with a few herbs he had picked up a second ago. The herbs were for a spell he was working on to help his father. Seokjin had told his father that he was going to be gone for only half an hour. More than half an hour had passed, his father must be worried.

“I should go,” Seokjin begins, he’s already taking a step back as he speaks, “my father is waiting for me.”

“Wait!” Namjoon manages as Seokjin is close to running off back to the village. Seokjin stops. When he turns to look back at the nobleman, he looks timid. 

“Will you go riding with me?” It’s a request that Seokjin can easily turn down. There is no reason for him to say yes to Namjoon; the two of them are nothing but a nobleman and a peasant, even if Namjoon is courting him. Seokjin should say no, but he finds himself nodding his head before he knows what he is doing.

“First...I must return home to inform my father,” Seokjin informs Namjoon. Namjoon gladly escorts him home, so Seokjin can talk to his father.

His father is surprised when he hears neighing outside of his small home, and without hesitation, he walks out of their home to meet his guests. Seokjin waves at his father from atop the horse, a small, but embarrassed smile on his face. 

“Jin! Sir Kim,” his father shouts from where he stands, his face lit with excitement at seeing his son and the nobleman together. While Seokjin had finally spoken about the love spell to his father, his father had always been an optimist. He believed Seokjin and Namjoon would truly fall in love. Seokjin tried his best not to get his father’s hopes up, but with his current position on top of Namjoon’s horse, it was not hard for his father to assume the best. Perhaps, Seokjin was falling in love. Is what his father was possibly imagining.

“Father,” Seokjin remarks, before trying to jump off the horse. Namjoon holds him steady until Seokjin has his feet firmly on the ground. The nobleman does not get off the horse as they will be leaving soon. 

“Seokjin, my dear,” his father whispers once Seokjin is close enough for him to hear his soft words, “have you finally accepted Sir Kim?”

Jin furiously shakes his head, but he knows that his father is able to see through is facade. The two of them have lived together for so long that it was hard for Seokjin to keep anything from his father. Even his budding feelings for the nobleman.

“No,” Seokjin tells him half the truth, “I am still working on a counter spell...but, can I not have a little fun?” 

The look his father gives him is filled with sadness and sympathy. “My child, you should not try to hurt yourself in the end.”

Seokjin is at first unsure how to answer such a statement. He does not understand what his father means by getting hurt in the end. The only outcome that will come from the counter spell will be Namjoon’s feelings for Seokjin finally being erased. Seokjin does not see this as an issue as his feelings are only a product of the love spell anyway. Created feelings do not share the same weight as genuine ones. Of course, he will not be hurt by it. Therefore, he places a hand on his father’s shoulder and smiles.

“Do not worry father, I will be okay.” His father does not seem convinced by his words, but Seokjin cannot waste anymore time. He excuses himself to drop off the herbs in the kitchen and grab the counter spell bread he had been working on. When Seokjin had left to gather herbs, he had instructed his father not to touch the bread or he would face dire consequences. Seokjin is glad his father headed his rather dramatic warnings.

The baker’s son wraps the bread in a piece of cloth and places it in his pouch before walking back outside where Namjoon is waiting. His father and Namjoon are having a deep conversation when Seokjin walks out. The two of them stop talking when he appears, leaving Seokjin to wonder what they could have possibly been discussing. Namjoon helps him back on the horse, and they bid his father goodbye. 

Namjoon quickly leads him out of town and they’re riding towards a clearing in the forest. Seokjin finds himself wrapping his arms around Namjoon’s waist in order not to fall off the horse. It his first time riding a horse and he’s not sure how to keep himself stable. Thankfully, Namjoon doesn’t comment on how close Seokjin is, leaving the baker’s son to feel more secure as they ride. 

As they make their way through the forest, Seokjin catches a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eyes.

“Wait, stop,” Seokjin commands and immediately Namjoon stops the horse. He tries to climb down from the steed, but finds it difficult. Namjoon gets off the horse and helps Seokjin down, his arms placed gently on his waist as he lefts Seokjin off the horse. Seokjin doesn’t think much of this as his mind is set on searching for the thing that caught his eye in the first place.

Namjoon follows behind him, watching as he starts heading a little deeper into the forest. He makes sure to watch his step, careful not to fall on a vine or a tree root, until he finally finds what he’s searching for. The flower shines iridescently in the dark forest, a beacon of hope in such a dreary place. Seokjin cannot help but feel amazed. 

It is his first time seeing a glowing lily in person, only having heard stories from his mother when he was younger. The lily is said to hold magical properties that can enhance the effectiveness of spells if used correctly. Seokjin has always dreamed about finding one if they were real and using it to enhance their bread. If Seokjin can infuse the lily’s properties into the bread, it will make more people happier for longer. 

“Ah, I was unaware you knew of the glowing lily,” Namjoon says, breaking Seokjin out of his spell. Seokjin turns to Namjoon in surprise, realizing he has never told the nobleman his true identity. Namjoon only knew him as Seokjin, the baker’s son and not as Seokjin, the son of a witch. He’s not sure he wants Namjoon to know who he is, so he decides to tell half the truth.

“My mother would tell me stories,” Seokjin told him, softening as he began to recall his mother. She had been a beautiful woman with lots of life in her. His mother spent her time between helping her husband make bread, raising Seokjin, and working on her magic. Seokjin’s favorite memories of her were the ones where she would tell him stories about all the magical items of the world. From flowers to cursed necklaces, Seokjin had been fascinated by it all.

“She once told me about the glowing lily and described it in such detail that I was sure she had seen one in real life.” Seokjin chuckles, but shakes his head. While his mother had told him stories, he had believed them to be all fairy tales. He never expected them to be real. “But it was impossible. She had never left the village.”

Namjoon gazes at Seokjin as Seokjin recalls all of his fond memories with his mother. He becomes a little distant, his eyes portraying a sadness he has not felt in a while. With his whole being, he missed having his mother with him. 

“What happened to her?” Namjoon finally asks, breaking his solemn silence. Seokjin has talked about her once before, when they had gone to gaze at the stars. Namjoon must be curious. Seokjin turns to acknowledge Namjoon, noting how the other man’s face is full with concern. Seokjin smiles sadly. 

“Consumption,” Seokjin merely explains, “there was nothing we could do.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Namjoon begins, but Seokjin doesn’t want his pity. His mother passed away when he was five, so he has spent most of his life without her. He does miss her, but he can do nothing more than hold onto the fond memories he has of her. Seokjin shrugs. 

“It’s fine, I knew her for only five years, but I remember all the stories she told me. My favorites were the magical flowers,” Seokjin begins, “she once told me there’s a garden full of them in the palace.”

He can’t help but chuckle. His mother came up with the grandest tales. It surely kept a young Seokjin entertained.

“...” Namjoon comes closer to Seokjin, walking until he is only a breath away. Seokjin regards the nobleman curiously as the man digs into his pockets for something. When he finds it, he takes it out but it’s hiding under his closed fist. He puts his hand out in the air waiting for Seokjin to offer his hands out. Seokjin eventually does. 

When Seokjin puts his hands out, Namjoon finally opens his fist to reveal what’s inside. It’s a silver locket with stars carved into the metal. As Jin looks at the star formation, he realizes it’s one of the constellations Namjoon taught him the other night. Seokjin glances at Namjoon in confusion, unsure what to think of the locket in his hand. 

Namjoon looks timid again. “I was going to give this to you earlier, but never got the chance. I believe this is a good time as any. Hopefully it will make you feel a little better.” 

Seokjin realizes Namjoon gave him the necklace to help him feel less sad about his mother. He can feel his heart skipping a beat in his chest, but he promptly ignores the feeling. 

“Open it,” Namjoon tells him. So, Seokjin opens the locket up and he’s astonished by what he finds inside. When he opens the locket, a beam of light flashes out of it. Seokjin turns away to protect his eyes from the harsh light, but when it’s dispersed he finally looks back. It’s the night sky. Illuminating from the locket is the night sky Seokjin and Namjoon had watched together a fortnight ago. The image shimmers as he moves the locket but the stars remain, twinkling in the small, night sky. And when Seokjin looks closer, he spots a star falling out of the sky as it passes the other stars. It’s a most beautiful sight. 

“Where did you get such a thing?” Seokjin whispers. An enchanted locket is hard to come by and even more expensive still. Magic is infused into the locket to play a scene of the buyer’s choosing. He’s heard of lockets with memories of loved ones, a scene playing over and over again for them not to forget. Many held scenes of places never seen by the buyer itself so they could experience it someway. These lockets did not come cheap, the sorcerer or witch who enchanted them use a lot of magical energy to create them. Those in the business of selling enchanted lockets made a fortune. Seokjin cannot believe Namjoon would spend so much money on him. 

“I came across a sorcerer on the way back from Lord Farquaad’s manor. He was selling them,” Namjoon tells him. Seokjin looks at him, stunned. 

“This must have cost a fortune, I cannot accept it,” Seokjin attempts to hand the locket back to Namjoon, but Namjoon moves his hands behind his back, effectively keeping Seokjin from giving it to him. Seokjin could possibly reach into the nobleman’s pouch to place the locket there, but it was crude even for him. Seokjin has no choice but to accept it. He gazes at the locket admiring the craftsmanship and beauty of it. It truly is a thing of wonder. 

“Thank you,” Seokjin tells him genuinely, his heart happy to have received such a magical gift. 

“No, thank you,” Namjoon responds, “for agreeing to come out with me today.” Seokjin cannot help but blush. He doesn’t know what to say, but Namjoon isn’t looking for a response. Seokjin suddenly remembers the gift he has for Namjoon in his pouch. Quickly, he reaches to pull out the bread that’s wrapped in cloth. He feels conscious, knowing this is nothing compared to the enchanted locket Namjoon had given him moments before. And yet, it is all Seokjin has to offer: Namjoon’s freedom. 

“Take this,” Seokjin reaches out to hand him the bread, “as a sign of my appreciation.”

Namjoon does not try to reject the gift, to Seokjin’s delight, and takes the bread from him. Their hands touch as it happens and there’s a spark that runs through him as it happens. Seokjin pulls his hand back, stunned at the turn of events. He does not realize he is blushing. 

“I’m sorry this is nothing compared to your gift,” Seokjin mumbles, “but it is all I have to offer.”

Namjoon shakes his head, a smile growing by the second. “This is more than enough.”

Seokjin smiles. “You must be tired from the ride back.”

Namjoon shrugs. “Dare I say I was tired until I saw you?”

The blush on Seokjin’s face appears again. He decides to deflect. “You never told me how you know of the glowing lily.”

Namjoon coughs, almost as if he’s caught off guard by the question. 

“I am close with the court sorcerer,” Namjoon finally explains, “he has spoken of the flower and has shown me pictures of it.”

Seokjin’s face instantly lights up at the mention of the sorcerer. He has also heard stories about the sorcerer at the market, when all the older ladies would gather together. They often spoke of him after nobleman Kim, but the sorcerer was more mysterious. Hardly nothing was known about him, and yet Seokjin has always been curious. He wants to know the person who had magic like him. 

“What is he like?” Seokjin asks, his voice full of wonder. “The court sorcerer, that is.”

“Him?” Namjoon asks, almost as if he’s baffled that Seokjin would ask such a question. “He is a recluse. Most of the time he spends buried in spell books or with the king. Not a very sociable type.”

Despite Namjoon’s lukewarm description, Seokjin cannot help but still be curious about him. “Surely there is more. I have heard rumors that he has a garden in the palace filled with magical flowers. Is it true?”

Namjoon doesn’t answer at first. 

“Seokjin,” he finally says, “could it be you are more interested in the court sorcerer than me?”

Seokjin flushed deeply at the prospect. It is true that he is curious about what kind of person the court sorcerer is and would love to meet him given the opportunity. However, his feelings for the sorcerer are different from the amiability he feels for Namjoon. He regards the court sorcerer of someone of a higher regard, unattainable in his eyes but a person to look up to. With Namjoon it’s different, Namjoon is tangible. He has gotten to know him and regards him as a friend. 

“I am merely curious, how can I not be curious about such a person?” Seokjin merely says, yet Namjoon doesn’t look convinced. 

“I assure you that there is nothing interesting about such a person,” he grumbles and it finally dawns on Seokjin. Namjoon’s voice and demeanor have changed drastically since they began talking about the court sorcerer. He looks and sounds tenser. Seokjin cannot help want to tease him.  

“Sir Kim,” Seokjin says with a smile, “can it be you are jealous of the court sorcerer? Perhaps you are jealous I fancy him?”

He says it in jest and therefore is not ready for Namjoon’s straightforward answer. 

“Yes.” It’s a simple word, and yet Seokjin feels deeply affected by it. He turns away from Namjoon to keep him from seeing his blush. 

“Ah, Sir Kim,” Seokjin tells him truthfully, “you have nothing to worry about. Like you said the court sorcerer is a recluse and there is no way I would catch the eye of such a person.”

“Why not?” Namjoon interjects, “you are a wonderful person.”

This causes Seokjin to blush more. “You are biased.”

Namjoon is biased. It is the effects of the love spell that have him saying such things. If Namjoon were thinking rationally, he would see that Seokjin is just another person with little to offer. Especially for a nobleman like him. Seokjin is a plain commoner while Namjoon is of royal background. 

Namjoon shakes his head. “Believe me, I do not lie when I say you are wonderful. Not only are you beautiful and talented, you have a kind soul. Nobody could compare to you.”

The compliment is too large that Seokjin cannot say anything else. He looks down at the ground awkwardly trying to calm his beating heart. 

The two of them do not spend much more time in the forest, as the sun begins to set before them. As they leave, Seokjin promises himself that he will come back to find the glowing lily if the spell he created just now does not work. With the way his heart is beating louder the longer he spends time with Namjoon, it is imperative that he finds a spell that works. He tries to ignore the part of him that is telling him to not find the right spell. 

 With the glowing lily in his possession, a counter spell is bound to work on Namjoon. He just hopes this spell works, so he doesn’t have to go to such lengths. They head back to town on Namjoon’s horse, Seokjin’s arms carefully wrapped around the nobleman’s as he tries to tell himself the spell is the only option. 

—

A gift appears at his doorstep the next morning, leading Seokjin to believe the spell did not work. The very same morning he heads out to the forest to find the glowing lily. Seokjin is able to retrace his steps until he’s standing in front of the flower, the lily as beautiful as it had been the day before. The baker’s son feels too guilty to yank a precious flower from its home, so he only plucks a petal from it, hoping this will be enough for his spell. 

He arrives back to his home only to see two figures standing at the doorway talking to his father. It’s Namjoon and a shorter man. Upon getting closer, he sees that it is Prince Jimin, the young man who married the Crown Prince, Yoongi. He notices that Prince Jimin is holding a sack full of something. Peeking out of it are loaves of bread. Seokjin assumes they came to buy bread for the castle, but he realizes a servant could easily have come. He doesn’t have much time to ponder this as Jimin turns and notices him right away. 

“Oh! This is Seokjin!” He exclaims gleefully and Seokjin is taken aback by the sudden familiarity. He walks up to them with a small smile, his eyes instantly going to Namjoon. Their eyes meet, and Namjoon has a wide smile on his face. Seokjin can’t help but smile wider as well. 

“Hello, Sir Kim,” he manages to breathe out. 

“Hello, Seokjin,” Namjoon replies. The two stare at each other, too caught up to realize there are two other people with them until Prince Jimin clears his throat. 

“Ahem,” he starts to get Namjoon’s attention. The nobleman turns to Jimin immediately, his eyes wide and cheeks red at being caught staring at Jin. Seokjin can't help but giggle. 

“Forgive me Your Highness,” Namjoon apologizes, “I should introduce you. Your Highness, allow me to introduce you to the baker’s son, Seokjin Kim. Seokjin,  this is His Highness, Prince Jimin.” 

Seokjin bows in politeness, and when he looks back up, Jimin has a wide smile on his face. He has walked closer so when Seokjin gets up, their faces are so close. Seokjin steps back, his eyes widen. Jimin giggles. 

“Please call me Jimin,” His Highness expresses cheerfully, “after all, we are almost family.”

Seokjin blushes and Namjoon coughs. “Your Highness, I would refrain from flustering Seokjin so much.”

Jimin huffs, his cheeks puffing as he pouts. He turns to look at Namjoon, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Seokjin watches them and notices how familiar they act. Namjoon’s body language is casual, and he talks to Jimin freely without mincing words. It’s different from the way he talks to Seokjin or the way Seokjin talks to him. Although he is allowed to call Namjoon by his given name, he still talks to him with respect. Seeing him so close to someone, able to talk freely without worry, makes his heart hurt a little. He’s not sure if he’s jealous. 

“Joon,” Jimin whines to the nobleman, “you promised me that you would let me befriend Jin!.” 

“Jin?” Seokjin cuts in, not realizing he’s butted into their private conversation until they both turn to look at him. He immediately tries to apologize, but Jimin waves him off.

“Ah, forgive me,” Jimin is the one who apologizes and Seokjin immediately tries to stop him. How can he have the prince of their kingdom apologize to him of all people? “I shortened your name without your permission.”

“No, no,” Seokjin reassures him, “you have every right to. You can call me Jin if you want. I was taken aback, that is all.”

Jimin smiles widely. “Okay! I’ll call you Jin and you call me Jimin, is that fair?”

Seokjin nods, but he’s not sure how he feels about calling the Prince by his name. It is too informal for a commoner like him. “Very well, Yo- I mean Jimin.”

The smile Jimin gives him is worth it. He turns back to Namjoon. “Joon, I should head back. Yoongi is waiting for me,” Jimin tells him. Namjoon is ready to leave with him, but Jimin shakes his head. 

“I know how to get back to the castle,” he says, “you do not have to follow me.”

“Jimin,” Namjoon tells him, “Yoongi will be upset if he finds out I let you walk back alone.”

Jimin rolls his eyes playfully. “He will understand when he realizes who you are with.” He looks between Seokjin and Namjoon with a smirk. Seokjin finds himself blushing, even though whatever Jimin is thinking is far from the case. Namjoon and he are friends if anything. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Namjoon coughs again. “Let me take you back.”

Jimin shakes his head again. “Stay, that’s an order from your Prince.” 

Jimin shuffles the sack in his hands so he’s holding it with one arm and walks over to Seokjin again. He gently grabs Seokjin’s hands with a smile. “It was nice meeting you, I hope we meet again soon.”

Seokjin is starstruck and merely nods. Jimin smiles once more and bids them farewell, quickly disappearing among the crowd of commoners. Seokjin and Namjoon are left alone, his father has already gone back inside.

The two stand in silence, unsure of what to say. Seokjin looks away from Namjoon, gazing at everything but the nobleman. He’s too embarrassed to look at him and is not sure how to address him. It is an awkward moment, until both of them realize one of them must speak. They end up speaking at the same time.

“Hello Sir-”

“Seokjin, I-” 

They both stop, both realizing they are nervous. Seokjin puts his hands together and twiddles his thumbs nervously, deciding to let Namjoon speak before him. He doesn’t expect Namjoon to place his hand on his, leaving no choice but for Seokjin to look at him. Namjoon is gazing at him with eyes filled with an intensity he cannot pinpoint. It makes Seokjin shiver. 

“I,” Namjoon begins, his voice timid, “I actually wanted an excuse to see you, so I came to buy bread. Prince Jimin happened to notice me and came along. I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

Seokjin lights up when Namjoon says he wanted to visit him. His cheeks are red once again, and he hopes he doesn’t look too interested. It is hard to not be.

“Is that so,” Seokjin says, loving the warmth Namjoon’s hands provide his own. “You wanted to see me?’

“Yes,” Namjoon breathes, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I did too,” Seokjin finds himself saying, but he realizes that it is not a lie. He has wanted to see Namjoon again, ever since their horse ride. Namjoon lights up.

“I’ve missed you, even if it has only been less than a day since I have seen you,” Namjoon admits, “but I cannot stay.”

Seokjin finds his heart dropping. He wishes he could spend more time with Namjoon. It must show on his face because Namjoon reassures him.

“Do not worry, my love.” Seokjin cannot help but shiver at the name. “I have to attend to some courtly duties, but when I am free, I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” Seokjin asks hopefully. Namjoon nods. 

“You will love it, I should be off. Prince Yoongi is expecting me.” Namjoon lifts Seokjin’s hands to his lips and places a quick peck on his knuckles. Seokjin watches him, unable to say anything. Namjoon smiles and places one more quick kiss on his knuckles before leaving Seokjin outside of his house, clutching his hands to his heart. It is then that Seokjin realizes, he really needs to find the correct love potion before it’s too late for his heart. 

--

The next morning Seokjin wakes up before his father, and he sets off to search through all of his mother’s old spell books again until he can find the counter spell. He has instructed his father to not bother him today, also informing him that he will be unable to help with the shop. His father does not question his son and brings him his meals to his room as he thoroughly searches through all the spellbooks. By noon, he has not found anything. His father comes with his dinner and he has yet to find the right spell. It is not until he is almost half asleep at his desk that he finally has any luck. The spell is written on a folded piece of paper, tucked into one of his mother’s lesser used spell books. At first, Seokjin wrote it off as passing notes, but his intuition told him to look closer. He opened the folded piece of paper to find what he had been looking for all along. It’s the counter spell for his love spell. 

He lets out of shout with glee. His father comes rushing in once he hears his son’s shouts, worried the young man is in peril, only to find him jumping up and down with a book hovering mid air. The baker blinks, wondering if he is still dreaming until his son sees him and runs to give him a hug. 

“Father!” Seokjin yells in delight, “I have found the spell.”

“The spell?” The baker is unsure what his son is referring too in his sleep ridden daze. 

“The spell to free Sir Kim from his love sickness,” Seokjin elaborates, pride swelling in him as he finally has done something right in these few weeks of knowing Namjoon. “He will finally be cured.”

Now the baker remembers the conversation he had with his son about the nobleman. According to his son, the nobleman is under a spell that he made him fall in love with Seokjin. Seokjin has been trying to find the counter spell to his love spell for weeks, but the baker cannot help and frown. Is his son truly happy to have found it or is this all pretend? He knows his son better than anyone in the world, and he has seen the way his son gazes upon Sir Kim. While Sir Kim’s feelings might not be truly genuine, he knows that his son’s feelings are. What will happen to him?

“Are you sure about this?” The baker cautions his son, wanting only the best for him. “If you break the spell, you will no longer have contact with Sir Kim.”

Seokjin does not take his father’s concern too seriously. He is still brimming with the excitement of breaking Namjoon from the curse. The consequences mean nothing to him. “Father, I have never been sure about anything in my life. I cannot wait to see Sir Kim again so I can free him.”

His father decides to stay silent and not protest any longer. This decision lies on his son, and he only hopes his son will not break his own heart in the process of freeing Sir Kim. He hugs his son once more, tightly, before heading back to bed for the night. Seokjin is too excited to sleep and spends most of the night scribbling down a recipe for the perfect bread to accompany the spell. 

When he wakes up, sat in his chair with his head resting on the desk, it is already past dawn. His father is already up, working on putting the bread in the oven. Seokjin quickly scrambles out of his chair and washes his face with the small basin filled with water in his room. When he feels a little more refreshed, he rushes to help his father in the kitchen. 

“My apologies father,” Seokjin says profusely, “I didn’t realize I overslept.”

His father waves him off. “You were tired. I do not mind.”

Seokjin cannot help but smile. His father is a blessing to him. That is why he must do his best to help him out with the bread making. He quickly gets to work, finishing the bread that needs to be made for today’s sales. When that is all done, Seokjin works on baking the bread he invented for his spell last night. With the crushed up lily petal and a hint of magic, the bread is ready for the oven. Seokjin impatiently watches the bread bake almost like a lovesick maiden waiting for her lover to return to her. It’s an hour later when he’s able to pull it out of the oven and marvel at his creation. 

While Seokjin cannot taste it, the bread will have no affect on him, he knows that it is the best bread he has ever made. He hopes Namjoon will find it delicious when he tries it. Seokjin wants to see the soft smile on Namjoon’s face when he offers the nobleman his bread and wants to hear the inevitable praises that will come out of his mouth. He cannot help but feel giddy with excitement at the prospect of someone he admires so feasting on the bread he worked so hard on. Until he remembers the true purpose for the bread. 

It’s purpose is to break Namjoon free from his love spell...a spell that made him fall in love with Seokjin. When Namjoon eats the bread, he will finally be free of him and will have no reason to see him. Or want to see him. Is Seokjin truly okay with this? 

Seokjin thinks about all the time they have spent together and the way it has made him feel. Namjoon makes him feel warm and comfortable. He is easy to talk to despite their class difference, and Seokjin always forgets he is a nobleman when they are together. Namjoon has a warm smile, and when he smiles widely, two indentations appear at the corner of his mouth. Namjoon, who has taken him on adventures and shown him the world outside of his kitchen. Namjoon, the considerate man who has gifted him the enchanted locket Seokjin treasures so much. It lays on his desk and when he feels sad, he will open it so he can see the night sky from his room. Namjoon who compliments him and makes him feel important. 

Does Seokjin truly want to lose all that?

He’s laying in his bed later at night pondering his decision. The more he thinks, the more he realizes that perhaps he has some sort of feelings for Namjoon. Namjoon is an easy person to fall for, Seokjin cannot blame himself for that. Yet, he keeps reminding himself that Namjoon only cares for him due to the effects of the love spell. It hurts his heart to know that the person he loves does not genuinely love him back. It is unfair to Namjoon to keep him enchanted against his will. The nobleman deserves to be with someone he truly loves. Now Seokjin understands how dangerous love spells can really be. 

Seokjin reaches over for his enchanted locket and opens it, gazing at the stars one last time before he has to set Namjoon free. Once Namjoon is free, he can go back to his normal life. However, instead of being happy, all Seokjin feels is pain. He hopes the stars can help him get through the change.

--

Seokjin does not make an active effort to seek out Namjoon. He knows Namjoon will come to visit him when he is free. For now, he busies himself with helping his father bake bread. He focuses his mind on anything but Namjoon, and it seems to be helping him. After awhile, he feels less sad. 

The baker’s son has almost forgotten about Namjoon until a few days later. He has had to throw out the other enchanted bread as it has gone hard and is taken the new one out of the oven when there is a knock at his door. It is late in the evening and therefore it is not a customer. Seokjin assumes it is one of his neighbors who might need sugar or flour.

After Seokjin has placed the bread on the table to cool, he goes to answer the door. It is Namjoon. Seokjin is surprised to see him so late.

“Namjoon,” he says, “I was not expecting to see you today.”

Namjoon offers him an apologetic look. “My apologies, I have been busy. However, I have come today to show you your surprise if you will let me.”

“My surprise?” Seokjin inquires in confusion. He tries to remember what surprise Namjoon could be referring to. It is then that he remembers the conversation he had with Namjoon on the day he came with Jimin. Namjoon had mentioned a surprise to him that day but had left before he could tell Seokjin any more. Seokjin had forgotten about it while he was trying to keep his mind off of the nobleman.

“Your surprise,” Namjoon tells him happily, “that is, if you are free tonight.”

Seokjin does not hesitate. “Let me grab something real quickly.”

The nobleman is surprised at his quick reply. “Will your father be okay with it?’

Even at a time like this, Namjoon is still worried about his father getting angry for taking his son out. Seokjin cannot help but smile. Namjoon is a good man.

“My father is asleep, and he will not mind if I go out for a bit. Wait for me.” Seokjin tells him. He closes the door on Namjoon and quietly scurries to his room to grab his pouch. He then tiptoes into the kitchen and grabs the enchanted bread, wrapping it with a cloth before placing it inside of his pouch. Only after all this is done, does Seokjin go back to Namjoon. 

Namjoon is waiting for him outside. His back is facing the door, so he doesn’t notice Seokjin right away. Seokjin takes a moment to admire the other man and truly appreciate him for who is is. Under the moon’s soft light, he appears ethereal, almost as if he were a mythical creature. Seokjin sucks in his breath, taken aback by his handsomeness. It is then that Namjoon turns to look at him, a smile on his face. 

“Ready?” He asks. Seokjin nods. This time when Namjoon holds out his arm, Seokjin knows what to do. He wraps his arm around Namjoon’s and leans in close until they are only a breath apart. Namjoon leads the way. 

Seokjin is not certain where they are headed until he sees the high walls of the castle come into view. He tenses. He has not been to the castle since the crown prince’s wedding and is not sure if this is breaking the rules. 

“Namjoon,” he whispers, “where are you taking me?”

“The surprise I have for you is inside the castle,” Namjoon explains, “do not worry, you will not be in trouble if you are with me.”

Seokjin attempts to relax after his explanation, but it is difficult when he feels as if he is trespassing. Commoners are not allowed in the palace unless they have valid reason, and he is not certain his reason is valid. Even so, Namjoon is high in the court, he should not feel too nervous. He must have received permission beforehand to bring a commoner into the castle. This helps Seokjin feel more at ease. 

“Will you do me a favor?” Namjoon asks when they have reached the outskirts of the castle. 

“What is it?” Seokjin asks. He’s still star struck that he is so close to entering the castle again. 

“Will you close your eyes? I want this to be a complete surprise,” Namjoon informs him. If he were the same Seokjin from weeks ago, he would be hesitant to follow Namjoon’s request. Now, he trusts Namjoon completely. Seokjin closes his eyes without another thought. 

Namjoon helps guide him through the castle, careful to help Seokjin watch his step. Since his eyes are closed, he as not sure where they are going. However, he can still hear. He knows by the amount they’re walking and what he can hear that they have passed multiple corridors and are outside. Seokjin can feel the moonlight shining on him. Finally, Namjoon stops. Seokjin does not open his eyes yet, waiting for Namjoon to tell him too. 

Namjoon lets go of his arm and still Seokjin does not open his eyes. He hears the man walk away, and Seokjin wonders where he is headed off to. His footsteps do not appear to be far away, and soon Namjoon is walking towards him again. He can sense that Namjoon is close to him. 

“Open your eyes,” Namjoon whispers in his ear; Seokjin cannot help but shiver. When Namjoon steps aside, Seokjin finally allows himself to open is eyes. 

What he sees astounds him. He’s standing in the middle of a garden, but it is unlike any garden Seokjin has seen or heard of before. No, this garden is full of enchanted flowers from glowing lilies to roses that shimmer in the moonlight. It is the sorcerer’s garden, the garden Seokjin had mentioned to Namjoon weeks ago when they found the glowing lily in the forest. Seokjin finds himself full of many emotions. Shock, happiness, excitement, admiration, and love for Namjoon. This is the best surprise anyone could ever give him. 

“The garden,” Seokjin whispers scared if he speaks too loud he will wake up from a dream. “It is real.” 

“It is,” Namjoon reassures him gently, and Seokjin is overfilled with a rush of emotion. Without realizing the severity of his actions, he throws his arms around the nobleman’s neck, causing him to stumble back to regain his balance. Namjoon places one of his hands tenderly above Seokjin’s waist to keep him steady, and Seokjin is beaming with excitement. He is too overjoyed to care about the precarious position they are in. If anything he holds Namjoon tighter. 

“Thank you,” Seokjin whispers into Namjoon’s ear without a moment’s hesitation. “This is the best gift I’ve ever received.”

His mind goes back to all of the wonderful gifts Namjoon has given him. The enchanted locket, flowers, chocolates, and now a trip to the court sorcerer’s secret garden. He realizes how thoughtful Namjoon is - the nobleman remembered their conversation in the forest and realized Seokjin was interested in the magical garden. No one had ever done something so special for him; he could feel his eyes starting to water. 

It takes Seokjin a few more minutes to realize he is still embracing the nobleman, but when he does, he quickly separates himself. He steps back timidly, cursing himself for being so bold. He had always been taught to be a proper young man, but Seokjin is starting to realize he forgets about his manners when he is with Namjoon. Manners are not the only thing he seems to forget. It is as if all his worries disappear when he is with the nobleman, and finally he can feel at peace. Seokjin enjoys the feeling. 

“How did you receive access to the garden?” Seokjin asks as he goes back to admiring the beauty of it. He walks toward a bush of glowing roses, too scared to touch them but brave enough to get as close as possible. Their petals are luminescent, glowing red, yellow, and white in the darkness. The petals seem to move slightly despite the lack of wind, and Jin cannot help but feel awestruck. He cannot deny this is the most beautiful sight he has scene in his mortal life. Nothing could ever compare to the flow of these flowers in the moonlight. 

“Believe it or not, I am friends with the court sorcerer,” Namjoon speaks close to Seokjin, and the man turns to see the nobleman is standing next to him. He cannot help but blush. 

“But you said the sorcerer was a recluse,” Seokjin inquires. It does sound plausible. Both the sorcerer and Namjoon are members of the court, which means they must have interacted with each other on several occasions. Seokjin assumes they are both close to the king and crown prince, granting them plenty of opportunities to speak to one another. Still, from Namjoon’s account of the sorcerer, the nobleman made him seem almost unapproachable. 

Namjoon suddenly looks taken aback and covers it off with a casual cough. “W-well, you see,” he stutters causing Seokjin to look at him curiously, “he occasionally comes out of his seclusion.”

Seokjin takes this as a fair explanation knowing if that he was given the opportunity, he would do the same as the sorcerer. If not for his father and their bread making, he, too, would be a recluse. It was much easier than entertaining others. 

“Perhaps,” Seokjin says thoughtfully, “one day I will have the opportunity to meet him.”

He goes back to admiring the roses, not seeing the conflicted expression that passes Namjoon’s face. The two of them roam around the garden, and Namjoon explains what each flower is and their purpose. An hour later, Seokjin is content with his surprise. It has been one of the best gifts he has ever received, and he will never forget this magical moment. 

“We should head back,” Namjoon tells him, and Seokjin reluctantly nods, not wanting to leave this mystical place just yet. Namjoon must see his hesitation, because he gives him a fond smile. 

“Do not worry, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future for you to visit.”

Seokjin’s hopes rise until he remembers the bread he is carrying in his pouch for Namjoon. Today is the last night he will be able to enjoy with Namjoon. After he gives him the bread, the spell will be broken and Namjoon will no longer care for him. He finds that his heart hurts. 

“Will you promise me that you will bring me again?” Seokjin requests selfishly, wanting Namjoon to tell him yes even if he knows there will never be another chance. Namjoon reaches to grab his hand and raises it to his lips. He brushes his lips over Seokjin’s knuckles once more, causing the other man to shiver. 

“I promise you.” Seokjin lets himself believe those words. 

This time, Namjoon does not ask him to close his eyes as they walk through the castle to get to the front gates. Seokjin is too busy in inner turmoil to heed attention to the path they’ve taken. It feels like mere seconds and they have made it to the entrance. Namjoon stops there, and Seokjin knows that this is his opportunity. He finds himself hesitating as he reaches for the pouch, but in the end he knows it’s the right thing to do. Namjoon should be free to love whoever he pleases, even if it means Seokjin will break his own heart. 

“Thank you for everything,” Seokjin begins, trying to remain composed as he does so, “and I am sorry I cannot offer you what you have offered me.”

Namjoon shakes his head. “I never asked for anything in return.” 

Seokjin knows that Namjoon’s response is genuine. Even under such a spell, his personality shines through. The man is kindhearted and genuine, that’s why Seokjin fell in love with him in the first place. It’s then that he finally makes his decision. 

“Will you do me a favor and close your eyes?” Seokjin mimics the request Namjoon asked of him earlier. The other man doesn’t hesitate and closes his eyes. 

“Now hold out your hands,” Seokjin tells him. Namjoon does as he is told. When he finally holds out his hands, Seokjin reaches into his pouch to pull out the bread wrapped hastily in cloth. Seokjin takes a moment to wrap it pretty, in hopes that it will make the present seem a little more grand. He hesitates, the bread in his hand and Namjoon holding his hands out with his eyes closed. Seokjin smiles sadly. 

“Thank you,” Seokjin begins and he takes a step closer until he’s close to Namjoon. “Thank you for everything.”

Before he can convince himself it is a bad idea, he places a chaste kiss on Namjoon’s cheek. The man sucks in his breath but does not open his eyes. When Seokjin is satisfied, he steps back and places the bread wrapped in cloth in Namjoon’s hands. 

“Do not open your eyes until you can no longer hear me,” Seokjin whispers and then, he runs off. 

—

No more gifts arrive to his home, and the nobleman has not come to see him since the day they went to the magical garden. It has been almost a fortnight since Seokjin gave him the counter spell, and he knows that it has worked. A part of him was hopeful, waiting for Namjoon to show up at his doorstep the next day. As the days continued to pass by, Seokjin’s hopes started to fizzle out until there was none left. 

If the baker notices any changes in his son, he does not comment on them. Seokjin dedicates his time to bread baking, his interest in magic dwindling after his last meeting with Namjoon. It is not only his father who notices the difference in the bread, but the customers as well. The townspeople do not know why they have all collectively become sad, but they have. There is a heavy cloud that appears in the town, dampening the mood of the entire Castle Town. No one but the baker knows the reason for this sudden change. 

The baker decides to speak nothing of it, but attempts to have Seokjin help out less with the bread making. He cannot have all of his customers suffer sadness because his son is experiencing heartbreak. It is bad for business. Of course, the baker feels sorry for his son and does his best to cheer him up. 

He decides to make his son his favorite pastry, an apple tart with apples grown inside of the castle. They are a little more expensive, so the baker does not buy them often. He decides this time is an exception and orders a few for his pastry. Seokjin has holed himself up in his room after his father has banished him from the kitchen. 

The baker’s son is sitting in bed with his blanket covering his whole body. Seokjin is using the blanket as a comfort, as he hugs it tightly to his chest. By his side, he has the letters that Namjoon wrote to him when he was still under the spell. Without meaning to, he has read through all of the letters again. They bring back fond memories. 

That’s how the baker finds him when he knocks on the door and there’s no answer. The baker opens the door slowly, to see Seokjin clutching one of the letters to his chest. 

“Jinnie,” the baker begins, placing the apple tart on his son’s desk and going to sit on the edge of the bed. “What is the matter?”

“It is nothing father,” Seokjin tells him, but he knows that the baker can see through his obvious lie. He lets out a sigh. 

“You were right, father,” Seokjin explains to him sadly, “the spell has been broken and Namjoon is free. Yet, my heart belongs to him. Have I been cursed as well?”

His father gazes at his son as he tries to hold back tears in his eyes and gently pulls him into an embrace. 

“You did what was right,” the baker reassured him. 

“I know I did,” Seokjin confesses, “but I miss him.”

He’s now crying into his father’s shoulder. The baker lets his son cry for awhile, knowing it is what the young man needs to heal. He pats his back soothingly as he does so. When Seokjin finally calms, the baker speaks. 

“I know you are hurt, but this is not the end for you, my son,” he comments. Seokjin peaks up from the baker’s shoulder. 

“What do you mean?”

“You may have freed Sir Kim from his curse, but it does not mean you must stay away from him.”

“I...I don’t understand,” Seokjin tells him, his head trying to wrap around the weight of his father’s words. The baker smiles and wipes a lonely tear from his eyes. 

“My son,” the baker starts, “you are a wonderful person, you have the ability to make Sir Kim fall for you without the help of a love spell.” 

Seokjin takes a minute to process his father's words. He has spent most of his time sulking over his lost love that he did not realize he has the ability to make Namjoon fall for him on his own. It’s a wonderful thought, and yet, he is still scared Namjoon will not like him for who he is. The effects of the love spell made Namjoon fall for a mere peasant. Will the nobleman still find interest in him now that he has no reason to seek him out? 

The baker must notice this hesitation in him, and all he can do is pat his son’s shoulder in reassurance.

 “Love transcends class.” His father reassured him, and Seokjin hopes so. 

“I’m scared father,” Seokjin admits. His father lets out a chuckle. 

“We are all scared to love wholeheartedly. When we wear our hearts on our sleeves, we face the fear of losing it all. However, it is worth it when you find your true love.” 

Seokjin cannot argue with his father’s wise words. He sighs. 

“You are right.”

His father pulls him into a tight embrace. “Of course I am. Now, shall we try the apple tart I made?”

Seokjin perks up. “Are they apples from the castle?”

The baker nods. “The best of the best.”

As he and his father eat the apple tart, Seokjin realizes that maybe he can win Namjoon’s heart without the effects of a love spell.

—

Seokjin is back in the kitchen the next day with brighter spirits. His father is not worried about him after their talk; the baker knows his son has taken his advice to heart. Seokjin is in better spirits and the bread he has placed in the oven is filled with happiness. 

The customers are in higher spirits when they try today’s bread, and Seokjin cannot help but feel proud of his work. It is only when a familiar person comes knocking on their door for bread that Seokjin’s high spirits take a turn for the worse. 

There’s a knock on their door, and Seokjin tells his father he will answer it. He rushes to open the door, only to reveal a nobleman on the other side. It is Namjoon.  

Unlike before, his gaze looks distant and uninterested as Seokjin opens the door. Seokjin’s heart flutters at seeing the nobleman, but soon it falls when he notices the distant expression. There is no reason for Namjoon to be familiar with him, he only ever was due to the spell. Seokjin realizes he’s staring at the man, and he clears his throat and looks away to appear a little less suspicious. 

“How can I help you sir?” Seokjin asks politely, treating Namjoon as if he were another customer. 

“I come to purchase bread for the king,” Namjoon says, there’s no warmth in his voice, only formality. “A servant sent the baker an order last week.” 

Seokjin remembers that his father was working on a large order this morning. He had told Seokjin a servant from the castle was going to pick it up in the afternoon, but Seokjin had not expected it to be Namjoon. 

“One moment, I shall retrieve it for you,” Seokjin tells him and scurries off to the kitchen where his father is cleaning up. The baker notices his son’s frantic expression. 

“Sir Kim came to pick up the bread,” Seokjin explains to his father. The baker instantly understands his son’s plight. 

“I see…” the baker isn’t sure how to react, but his son is already leaving the kitchen for his room. 

“Father, you finish giving him the king’s bread. I remembered I left my cauldron brewing!” 

It’s an excuse to leave and the two of them know it, but the baker watches as his son leaves for the safety of his room. He cannot fully blame him, it will take Seokjin awhile before he is comfortable around Namjoon. 

—

The next day, Seokjin accidentally makes one of the breads explode out of the oven. He has channeled it with his usual energy, not realizing how his mood affected the bread. He is stuck between sadness and resentment and that combined negative energy causes the bread to explode all over him when he tries to take it out of the oven. 

He becomes covered in dough, his mind not fully registering what happened as he stares blankly ahead. When he does realize what happened, he drops the bread paddle in fright and jumps back. His father, who had gone to the market to get some ingredients, finds him there ten minutes later with the bread still all over the kitchen. 

“Why don’t you take a walk?” His father suggests calmly, but deep down Seokjin knows it is not a mere suggestion. After cleaning himself off, he walks out of the house to clear his mind. 

Seokjin does not want to walk through town and risk seeing anyone in his frazzled state; therefore, he heads toward the outskirts of town to the same hill where he and Namjoon had gazed at the stars weeks ago. He sits on the soft grass, his fingers running through the blades of grass as he recalls the fond memories. The baker’s son looks up at the sky, but it is not stars he that he sees. Instead there’s a distant sun, covered by the shapeless clouds. The view is nonexistent. 

He sighs but does not move, instead taking this time to clear his mind of all the recent thoughts he has had. There are so many emotions harbored in him, and Seokjin knows he has to do something about them. His father has given him a solution. He can woo Sir Kim if he wants to, but when he saw him yesterday, Seokjin panicked. It was because the man who he talked to yesterday was not the Namjoon he knows, it was a stranger who Seokjin had no choice but to be formal too. 

Seeing how distant Namjoon was when talking to him, he couldn’t bring himself to keep on talking to him. It hurt his heart to much, but it had been the decision Seokjin made. He had set Namjoon free, and even if it hurts, it was for the better. No matter how much he tries to convince himself of this truth, it still always hurts his heart. Perhaps in ten years Seokjin will be able to get through this pain. 

There are footsteps approaching him, and soon someone stops behind him. Seokjin does not think much of it, he assumes it is his father who has come to check on him. Without hesitation, he sighs and plucks one of the blades of grass. 

“Father,” Seokjin begins, “I know you have told me I am able to woo him, but how can that be the case? He is of the noble class, and I, a mere peasant, have nothing to offer. He will never want to be with someone like me. Perhaps I should give up now to save myself from further heartache.”

There’s a silence as his father processes his words, and Seokjin really does not care for an answer. He wants to let out his feelings without his father telling him anything. Sometimes letting it all out is what he needs. 

“I am hopeless father,” Seokjin whines, plucking more grass from the ground. The grass has done nothing to him, but he has picked it as the target of his frustration. A pile of loose grass is accumulating at his side. “I fell in love with a man under a love spell, and I cannot even bake bread without magic. What good am I?”

“That is exactly what makes you so wonderful,” a voice finally speaks, but it is not his father’s. Seokjin’s eyes widen in surprise and he scrambles to his feet, quickly wiping the loose grass from his garments. Standing beside him is Namjoon, a sympathetic but familiar smile on his face. Immediately, Seokjin’s face turns as red as the roses in the magical garden. 

“S-Sir Kim, I apologize. I believed you were my father and all that talk of magic, it was in jest. I am a mere son of a baker, there is no way I could know anything about magic,” Seokjin tries to find an excuse for his words. He had never told Namjoon he was the son of a witch. There had been no particular reason for his silence, but no one knew besides his father. Seokjin preferred to keep matters like magic private. The whole village did not need to know about his magic. 

Namjoon chuckles, and Seokjin cannot help but realize how much he has missed such a beautiful sound. “I know you are the son of a witch.”

Seokjin freezes, his eyes going wide in shock once again.  He tries to remember if he had told Namjoon anything about his heritage. Even so, once the effects of the love spell were nulled, Namjoon would not remember anything when he was under the spell. If Seokjin had told him he was a sorcerer, Namjoon should have forgotten. 

“I do not understand,” Seokjin manages to let out somehow, “how could you know?”

Namjoon coughs. “I know a fellow sorcerer when I see one...and, I was never under the effects of the love spell.”

Seokjin cannot believe the words that have left Namjoon’s mouth. “F-fellow sorcerer? I do not understand.”

Namjoon takes pity on him. He walks over to Seokjin and gently guides him to the grass until the two of them are sitting down like they had been the night they gazed upon the stars. Seokjin is still looking at Namjoon in confusion. He does not understand the man’s words. Isn’t Namjoon the future advisor of the crown prince? The advisor is not a sorcerer, the only sorcerer in the castle is the court sorcerer. Does that mean there has been two all along?

“Let me tell you a story,” Namjoon says softly, he’s looking up at the clouds in the sky and smiling fondly. Seokjin cannot help but think he is quite handsome. “Of a lonely sorcerer and the happiness he found.”

“I…” Seokjjn tries to say something but Namjoon shakes his head, cutting him off mid sentence. All Seokjin can do is keep his mouth shut. 

“Just listen, and then you can pass judgement,” Namjoon tells him. Seokjin nods and says no more. When Namjoon sees that Seokjin will no longer speak, he begins his story. 

“Once upon a time, there was a lonely sorcerer living in a grand castle. Despite having the favor of the king and being the confidant of the crown prince, he was always lonely. Lonely because there was no one like him. No one who knew the ways of magic, no one he could share his knowledge with. The sorcerer was indeed lonely, even if nobody else could see it on the outside.

The sorcerer had long resigned himself to his loneliness, knowing that a magical person like him was hard to come by. Most were independent beings who refused to serve any one. They would look down on him, who chose to serve a king. 

It was only one day that he met another sorcerer by chance that he believed he had finally found a magical companion. The young man was the son of a baker, who used his magic to make enchanted bread. The sorcerer had heard of this baker and how he was renowned for making people happy with just a taste of his bread. He was intrigued by this statement, somehow knowing there had to be magic involved.

He was able to confirm this suspicion when he met the baker’s son by chance in the royal kitchen the day of the crown prince’s wedding. When the sorcerer picked up the pastry made by baker for the crown prince, he immediately knew there was magic infused to it. Even while knowing this, he decided to take a bite of the bread. The spell was too weak to affect such a grand sorcerer, but he needed an excuse to get close to the person who created such a beautiful love spell. 

When the sorcerer met the eyes of the baker’s son, it was love at first sight. However, it was not due to the effects of the spell. Instead, it was the baker’s son himself who caught the eyes of the sorcerer. He was a brilliant young man who tried to stop the sorcerer from eating the bread meant for the crown prince and his groom. The sorcerer could immediately sense that the baker’s son had so much potential for greater magic, if he was able to practice more. And so, the sorcerer decided to pretend to be a lovesick nobleman in order to get close to the baker’s son. 

He started by sending him gifts to his home, carefully choosing the gifts he sent with the servants. It, at first, started as a fun way to pass the time, but the more he chose gifts, the more he realized he wanted to see the baker’s son happy. The first time they went out, when the sorcerer asked the baker’s son to let him court him, the sorcerer was overjoyed. He even happily ate the bread intended to break the spell. The spell did not work of course, as the sorcerer was not lovesick, but the bread was made with so much love and care that the sorcerer fell even more in love. 

The sorcerer decided he needed to come up with a grander gift for the next time he saw the baker’s son. He wanted to see the baker’s son smile and his face to turn red as the roses he sent him. It is then that he decided to enchant a locket to display the night sky for the baker’s son to gaze upon when he was lonely. The sorcerer hoped this would help the baker’s son find comfort when he needed it and  was sad like how the sorcerer had found comfort in him. 

Through seeing the baker’s son more and more, the sorcerer began to grow happier than he had ever been. Even those in the castle had sensed his change in mood and grew curious as to what could make the sorcerer so happy. It was the groom of the prince that was finally able to get answers out of him. When he learned of the baker’s son, he wanted to meet him immediately. The sorcerer could not tell him no, nor did he want to. He needed every excuse he could find to see the baker’s son. It was seeing the baker’s son interact with someone he held so close to his heart, that helped confirm the sorcerer was in love with him. He knew he did not want to lose the love of the baker’s son, almost completely forgetting about the spell he was supposedly under. 

Their last meeting was magical. He knew the baker’s son was interested in the magical garden of the court sorcerer, so the sorcerer, who was still hiding his identity from the baker’s son, decided to take him to the garden. Seeing the baker’s son’s face light up so brightly, caused the sorcerer to be filled with happiness. He promised himself that day that he would do whatever it took to always see the baker’s son happy. 

However, it was only after the baker’s son had left leaving him with the lingering feeling of his kiss and the bread that the sorcerer realized it all had to come to an end. The baker’s son had found the counter curse for the love spell, and the sorcerer would give himself away if he continued to pursue him. It was a difficult decision, but he believed the baker’s son wanted nothing more to do with him. After all, he had gone through the trouble of reversing the spell. It was a clear sign for the sorcerer. 

It was not until the sorcerer went to pick up bread for the king that he realized how much pain the baker’s son was in. The crown prince’s groom convinced the sorcerer to go visit with the excuse of bread after seeing how much the sorcerer sulked in the castle. The groom was tired of seeing his friend hurt, so he sent the sorcerer to pick up the bread. He was rather reluctant, but eventually he had no choice but to follow his orders. 

It pained him to be so formal with the baker’s son, but he knew he had to. Even if his heart fluttered when he saw the other man, he could not reveal these feelings. After all, he was supposed to be cured from lovesickness. When the baker returned with the bread and not his son, the sorcerer finally realized that perhaps the baker’s son was hurting as much as him. 

He spent the entire night tossing and turning, trying to get the baker’s son’s hurt expression out of his mind. The sorcerer could not, and after waking from a sleepless night, he grew determined to find the baker’s son and confess his true feelings. And that is why, now, the sorcerer sits beside the baker’s son and asks for his forgiveness. His forgiveness for having deceived him for so long and for not having confessed in the first place. Even if the baker’s son doesn’t feel the same way as him, he does not want to lose him. Being his friend will be enough for him.

And that’s how the story ends for now.” 

Namjoon stops his story and looks at Seokjin for his reaction. Throughout the whole story, Seokjin had been paying attention to every word, his heart clenching as the story went on. To think that Namjoon had been the court sorcerer all along, he was not sure how to feel. 

“Then you are the court sorcerer?” Seokjin asks, knowing that he needs to have confirmation from Namjoon himself. The man nods, and Seokjin’s heart jumps up in his chest. 

“But, what about the crown prince’s advisor?” Seokjin continues, “was that all a lie?”

Namjoon fervently shakes his head. “I am both. I have always been timid as the court sorcerer, so when Yoongi asked me to be his future advisor, I decided to be more open. Nobody but you and the royal family know I am the court sorcerer.” 

Seokjin’s head is spinning, but he believes he understands it all. As the court sorcerer, Namjoon had been a recluse. Being seen as the future advisor gave him a chance to break out of his shell, to communicate with others since he would not as the sorcerer. It made sense as to why Namjoon hardly wanted to talk about the court sorcerer, he was speaking about himself all along. Seokjin cannot help but chuckle. 

“Then that time I spoke so highly of the court sorcerer, you were jealous of yourself?” Seokjin inquires and without hesitation, Namjoon nods firmly. Seokjin is stunned by his straightforward answer. 

“I was jealous of the possibility of you liking someone who I was not...my old self, and not who I am now.” Namjoon confesses, his cheeks tinged pink as he speaks. 

“I like you.” Seokjin admits with certainty and even he is stunned by how bold he is. He tries to hide his blush, but he feels Namjoon’s fingers on his cheek, pulling him closer. 

“You like me?” Namjoon whispers, his voice full of hope and want. Seokjin feels how fast his heart is beating in his chest. This is the exact moment he has been waiting for, to confess to Namjoon and have him feel the same way without the effects of a love spell. Now, sitting next to Namjoon, he realizes that the two of them feel the same way. His story confirmed it, but his words have made it even more real. Seokjin holds his breath for a second as he gazes into Namjoon’s beautiful brown eyes. 

“I am in love with you,” Seokjin admits, even if he feels embarrassed after saying so. He needs to tell Namjoon the extent of his feelings. “These weeks without you have been horrible, and I do not want to go through them again.” 

Namjoon is leaning closer, his lips curled into the widest smile. “You never have to again, I promise you.” 

Seokjin knows that Namjoon will keep his promise for as long as they are both alive. His heart is filled with so much love for the sorcerer; he is happy that he is finally able to show his true feelings without the fear of rejection. Now, all he wants to do now is kiss the other man. 

And so Seokjin leans the rest of the way until their lips are touching. The sorcerer and the baker’s son share a kiss full of passion and emotion, one that expresses all their love and longing for one another. Finally they can be happy together without the help of any love spell. Afterall, true love always wins. 

—

The next time the baker is asked to make a large cake, it is for the wedding of the court sorcerer and his son. While the baker is not a person of magic, he channels all of his love into the cake in hopes that his son and his new son-in-law will able to feel the emotions in it. Seokjin had offered to help his father, but the baker would not allow him to participate in the making of his own wedding cake. It was up to the baker to do it on his own. 

Seokjin and Namjoon were busy with the wedding preparations. The baker’s son spent most of his time with Jimin, choosing the decorations and preparing the guest list. They hardly had time to see one another, but they were both excited to finally wed one another. 

The day of the wedding comes by quicker than they could imagine, and they celebrate their union surrounded by both family and friends. The ceremony is as grand as the one for the crown prince’s as the court sorcerer is regarded high in court. Seokjin is introduced as the sorcerer’s groom, and he is happy that Namjoon is able to hold his title proudly. 

When the ceremony and festivities are over, Seokjin is given a room next to Namjoon’s in the castle so the two of them can be close together. Of course, Seokjin still visits his father when his husband is busy with courtly duties. He still bakes bread with magic infused in it, and the villagers are still happy. The only thing that has changed is that Namjoon is teaching Seokjin how to control his magic and new spells. The two of them often spend days holed in one of their rooms practicing spells and learning from one another. 

They could not be more in love, and, of course, they lived happily ever after.