(Royal Palace of Velmoria — Night)
(Eyan’s Chamber)
The chamber was cloaked in shadow as Eyan pulled on a black hooded cloak, concealing his face and presence. He was fastening the final clasp when—
Eyan stilled. “Hans... is that you?”
A familiar, unwelcome voice answered from the other side.
“Your Majesty. It is I—Prince Velco. May I have a word with you?”
Eyan’s jaw tightened.
After a brief pause, he crossed the room and opened the door.
Prince Velco stepped inside with a courteous smile, bowing slightly. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Greetings, Prince Velco,” Eyan replied evenly.
Velco’s gaze flicked to the dark cloak, lingering longer than courtesy required.
“Are you heading somewhere at this hour, Your Majesty?”
Eyan smiled faintly. “A routine night inspection. Nothing of importance.”
Velco chuckled softly. “Ah… I see. I had thought you might be on your way to see your wife.”
For a fraction of a second, Eyan’s breath caught.
“…Wife?” His voice hardened. “You are mistaken, Prince. I do not have a wife.”
Velco tilted his head, amused. “Then what would you call Lady Eva, Your Majesty?”
Silence stretched between them.
Velco’s smile sharpened. “You need not hide it from me. I am already aware of your little secret.”
His eyes gleamed. “You are Lady Eva’s husband—Kyel. Am I wrong?”
Eyan’s expression did not change, but the air in the room grew heavy. “…How did you find out?”
“That is unimportant,” Velco replied lightly. “What matters is .”
He stepped closer. “Why deceive her? Surely there must be a reason. After all, you love her so deeply—”
“You are mistaken,” Eyan interrupted coldly. “I do not love her. And she is not my wife.”
Velco frowned. “But you married her.”
Eyan let out a low, humorless laugh. “I married her because it was the most convenient way to obtain what I desired.”
Velco’s eyes widened slightly. “What you desired?”
A slow, chilling smile curved Eyan’s lips. “Her. In my bed.”
Velco stiffened.
Eyan continued smoothly, as if discussing something trivial. “You understand, don’t you? When a beautiful woman catches your eye… the desire to claim her.”
His gaze flicked meaningfully toward Velco. “I’m certain a man like you has one or two women to keep your nights warm.”
Velco hesitated, then smiled faintly. “I do.”
“Exactly,” Eyan said calmly. “And she is no different. The first moment I saw her, I wanted her—completely.”
He turned away, voice lazy, indifferent. “But she was stubbornly virtuous. The kind of woman who would only open her legs to a man she called her husband.”
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A low chuckle left him. “So I became one.”
Velco’s smile faded.
“After that,” Eyan went on, cold and dismissive, “she welcomed me willingly, believing herself safe. Believing she was loved.”
He looked back, eyes empty. “That is why I never told her the truth. I never intended for her to know.”
A pause.
“I meant to enjoy her for as long as I pleased,” he said flatly, “and discard her the moment I grew tired.”
“So stop calling her my wife,” Eyan said flatly. “She’s only a woman I take to bed. Disposable. A , nothing more.”
Prince Velco hesitated, his voice quieter now. “So… she is just a mistress.”
He studied Eyan’s face, guilt creeping into his expression. “Your Majesty… it seems I have made a mistake.”
Eyan frowned slightly. “A mistake? What mistake?”
Velco swallowed. “I believed you regarded Lady Eva as your wife… and that you were merely lying to her about your identity.”
His eyes lowered. “I felt pity for her. I thought she was being deceived.”
Eyan’s chest tightened. “And?”
Velco spoke more softly. “I thought I was correcting an injustice. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
He looked up, uneasy. “Perhaps I acted where I should not have.”
Eyan took a step forward. “What did you do?”
Velco inhaled slowly. “I went to Lady Eva and I told her everything,”
The world seemed to tilt.
Eyan’s composure fractured for the first time. “You told her… everything?”
“Yes.” Velco nodded. “I told her that the man she calls her husband has been lying to her.”
He paused. “And that her husband is none other than Emperor Eyan Lucien Therald.”
A sharp pain tore through Eyan’s chest. “…How did she react?” he asked quietly.
Velco’s voice dropped.
“She was shattered.”nHe closed his eyes briefly. “She couldn’t breathe. She cried as if the ground had vanished beneath her feet.”
Eyan’s jaw clenched.
“She kept shaking her head,” Velco continued. “Saying, ‘
Eyan’s hand curled into a fist.
“She refused to accept it,” Velco said. “She said she would come to you tomorrow… and ask you herself.”
The words struck deeper than any blade.
Velco looked at him then, remorse heavy in his eyes. “I made a mistake, didn’t I, Your Majesty?”
His voice trembled slightly. “I ruined everything. You must be furious with me.”
For a long moment, Eyan said nothing.
Then—slowly—he smiled. “No, Prince,” Eyan replied calmly. “Quite the opposite.”
Velco blinked.
“You made things easier for me,” Eyan continued, his tone casual, detached. “I was growing tired of her.”
His smile sharpened. “Now I don’t have to pretend anymore.”
Velco stared at him, unsure whether to feel relief or unease. “Then… what do you intend to do, Your Majesty?”
Eyan’s gaze turned distant. “I will do what I should have done from the beginning.”
A pause.
“I will remove her from my life.”
Velco exhaled, forcing a polite smile. “Then… I shall take my leave, Your Majesty.”
He bowed deeply and exited the chamber.
The door closed with a dull, final sound. Silence swallowed the room.
Eyan remained standing—frozen. Then his knees gave out.
He sank to the cold marble floor, the strength draining from his body as if it had never existed. His breath came uneven, shallow. He pressed a hand to his chest, fingers trembling.
“…Eva,” he whispered.
The smile was gone. The mask was gone.
His voice broke. “Please… forgive me.”
The words echoed uselessly in the empty chamber—too late, unheard, and heavy with regret.
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(Royal Palace of Velmoria — Midnight)
I lay awake on the bed, staring at the ceiling, yet seeing nothing at all.
The room was silent—too silent. Even the palace itself seemed to be holding its breath.
In my palm rested the wedding ring. It looked so small now. So harmless. Yet it felt heavier than the crown I wore every day.
I turned it slowly between my fingers, the metal cold against my skin.
“What do I do now…?” I whispered into the darkness.
No answer came.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my chest tightening as the truth pressed down on me like a blade.
“I wanted you to know,” I murmured, voice breaking. “But not like this. Never like this.”
Not from him.
A tear slipped from the corner of my eye and disappeared into my hair.
Prince Velco knows.
The thought alone made my stomach twist.
“Now that he knows about you…” My breath shuddered. “I can’t keep you close to me anymore.”
I rolled onto my side, clutching the ring tighter, as if letting go would mean losing her forever.
“I know why he’s here,” I whispered. “He’s not interested in me… or the throne.”
A bitter smile touched my lips. “He’s here for the Dragon King Zeradros."
And Velco would not hesitate to use her.
“He’ll come for you,” I said hoarsely. “He’ll use you against me to force my hand… to reach the Dragon King.”
My chest ached—deep, relentless.
“I won’t let that happen,” I vowed softly. “I won’t let him touch you. Or our child.”
The word child shattered something inside me. I pressed my forearm over my eyes, my shoulders trembling. “Even if it means destroying myself… I’ll protect you.”
I inhaled sharply, pain tearing through my ribs. “I have to let you go,” I whispered. “That’s the only way.”
The truth settled like ash in my lungs. “I have to push you away.”
Another tear fell. Then another. “I have to make you hate me.”
I clenched my jaw, teeth biting into my lip as a quiet sob escaped. “Hate me so much,” I breathed, “that you won’t want to see my face… that you won’t come looking for me.”
My hand trembled as I pressed the ring to my chest. “I have to do this,” I cried softly. “Even if it kills me.”
The room swallowed my grief, the night bearing witness as I lay there— a man breaking under the weight of love he could never abandon.
“Forgive me, Eva,” I whispered into the darkness.
“Please… Forgive me.”
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