??? POV:

Thick shadows coated the armrests. Darkness joined hands to form a throne worthy of the one who went past its deepest depth. Black hair, with no shimmer, draped over my shoulders. Two thin lips of unparalleled allure found their way to a cheek, delivering a love that couldn’t be quantified.

I leaned back and made room for my wife to sit down.

“The Dungeon Maniac...”

Tembo’s report detailed the boy’s reckless approach to growing in power. Despite his lacking talent, he had a brain and used it to his advantage. I couldn’t fault Tembo for not having the information on how he poisoned that weak eyesore, so I dispatched more of The Creed, with the intention of killing her, under the guise of testing the boy’s potential.

To see if he would die for a Ravendawn.

To see if he would prove his loyalty to the Family.

“He... seems like a good candidate, Emmett.”

Softness wrapped around me. A voice sweeter than honey accompanied the body, pressing itself close to my own. I recalled those jet-black eyes of his. They glared at that waste of space, refusing to kiss that thing in front of everyone present.

My eyes curved upwards.

I was pleased by such fearlessness.

“Arushi, tell The Creed to monitor him. I want to know what path the boy will walk on.”

“Yes... to keep track of his growth would be wise, my husband. From the shadows, from the darkness... From the Void.”

I stroked the back of her head when several kisses ran along my exposed neck.

“Emmett... let me bear you another to fix my mistake.”

I peered down at nothing less than perfection: pale skin that rivalled the moonlight. Smooth and without flaw, yet she would utter those words in front of me?

“Your mistake? That defect was a waste of existence the moment she left your body. The only use she has is being a light. A light that shields the darkness.”

My lips met her forehead. Not once, not twice, or even three times. The fourth kiss darkened the blood till it almost turned black. A gentle nod came with the fluttering of luscious eyelashes before I held my Arushi close.

“Embrace the darkness, and show me how worthy you are, Shun Ravendawn.”

***

??? POV:

“Oh dear. Oh dear me! That man truly was... Lady Chloe’s husband!!”

I paced back and forth. My hand ran through short brown hair but offered me no comfort at all. The breaks in between my movement only served to reinforce the misconduct I had shown Lady Chloe!

The young man barged into our convocation: an inexplicable honour to be invited into the estate of a prestigious Ravendawn to discuss the country’s matters. Though he looked sharp, he lacked manners and etiquette.

He disregarded King HanHan, my secret husband, and all the other nobles present. Then he dared grab Lady Chloe by the wrist?! I was furious—we were furious. If not for the hand signal to Lord Nicholas, we would have killed that peasa—

“Ahhh!! Dear me, oh dear me!”

I calmed the fretful nerves before taking a seat behind my desk. Lady Chloe was kind enough to explain that man was, indeed, her fiance. I shouldn’t have thought this, but I did. I, along with the other nobles, were somewhat skeptical about this claim... till now.

Their beautiful wedding ceremony confirmed it.

A soft sigh escaped my mouth. We had all apologised for the misunderstanding, yet Lady Chloe didn’t hold it against us. I turned my attention to the small stacks of paperwork, which seemed to have tripled in these last few months.

“...Bizzare. Chunhae is usually stable. Hmm...”

Before I could slip my spectacles on to continue the evening’s work, two quick knocks disrupted that plan.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Please come in.”

A handsome middle-aged man stepped inside. He looked around the large room, organised with adequate ornaments and paintings that hung over a fireplace. The door soon closed, followed by a relieved sigh.

“My baby, come here.”

The gentle bass in the man’s voice contained a hint of playfulness. It was a voice that made my heart skip a beat. It was a voice that made the blood rush to my cheeks until I felt light-headed.

“Oh dear... I’m getting excited, my King...”

I flickered into his open arms, squeezing my petite frame against his toned one. Our cheeks rubbed together next, and my husband’s smell mixed with mine.

‘!’

Two firm hands ran down to my hips.

“HanHan... why must we keep our relationship a secret?”

I found the strength to move back and noticed a few beads of sweat form on his brow. Dark chestnut eyes examined for a brief duration before HanHan parted his lips.

“...My grandmother is quite... picky.”

“Do I not meet your family’s standards?”

I was born in Ilta: a small country to the north of the Jiyeok—a country consumed by arsonists, civil wars, and corruption. Famines occurred every year without fail. Families fought families. Neighbours swindled neighbours all in order to scrape by till the next harvest bore fruit.

Then a saviour arrived. Her movements left behind different coloured afterimages, but her combat prowess brought peace to Ilta. However, it wasn’t her home, so once she left, the country collapsed again. This time, it ceased to exist. The marred ground left behind was now a sea of green.

My family fled to the Jiyeok when I was 9 years of age. The people there showed us favour and treated us as their own. A year later, my parents began to say things—that noble blood flowed through these veins.

The Hong family were Yangban, yet outside of the choga, no one believed the words I spoke, or the lineage I came from.

HanHan was the first.

“You meet mine, my baby.”

My gaze shifted to the fireplace, and a hand rose to fan flaming cheeks. His soft smile washed away the rare sternness I wished to implement into our discussion.

“You stop it right now and give me a better explanation.”

HanHan let out a sweet chuckle before taking a seat on a sofa I kept in immaculate condition for him. His visits were unannounced, so all I could do was wait for my husband to come when possible.

“I sent a letter asking for permission to see Lady Chloe. At the time, she was 7 months pregnant, unbeknownst to us all. Lady Mildred gave me a reply on her behalf, conveying that I had Lady Chloe’s support.”

An eyebrow rose toward a handsome grin.

“Support for what, my king?”

“For us. So once I told my grandmother, she was delighted. Thus, I am here to take my Jipo to our home of love, or should I say, bedroom? That’s where we’ll be most of the time, hahaha!!”

I avoided his gaze once more and fanned myself even faster than before. The strength in my legs diminished at the thought of cuddling alone in our private quarters.

“You naughty man. You know your words make me tremendously weak!”

I gave in to the temptation of love and jumped into his arms. My head rested against a firm chest; we both chuckled, overjoyed by this outcome. HanHan’s smile waned until it faded altogether. His eyebrows fell before his grip on my waist tightened.

“...My Queen, I’m sorry. I never wanted to add stress to your life. I never wanted to make you live in secrecy. If I wasn’t so weak-wille—”

“My King, you honour your parents and grandparents. You are not weak-willed in any way. You are a humble man, and that is why, despite not ruling the country, you are still respected.”

I sat up in his lap to give my husband a kiss that he deserved.

“Before Lady Chloe, if not for you, Sharir would be a place of chaos, just like the rest. You... put your very life on the line, being the first on the battlefield to repel the enemy because you love your country. You love your people.”

Tears poured out from the memories of the past. Those who initiated war were countries also owned by the Ravendawns. Aid never came. The only option was to fight or be at the mercy of another.

“I’m so... so proud of you.”

HanHan issued a royal decree that all wars be broadcasted throughout Sharir. He wanted his people to see him fight. He wanted his people to have hope, but the main reason behind his decision spoke volumes about his character.

HanHan wanted to give the citizens of Sharir additional time to escape in case he fell in battle.

I remembered his sword flashing across the enemy battalions and leaving trails of white behind. Black lines etched themselves in diagonal directions before trigrams descended from the sky, annihilating thousands at once. Every time he returned victorious, he was at death’s door, but Sharir would shake with joy.

HanHan wiped his own eyes and held me close. His grip was firm, but the scars across their surface ached.

“My Queen... Thank you.”

‘!!’

He buried his head into my moderate chest; shoulders loosened themselves at the same pace as the breath leaving his mouth. Peace came after many decades of war. However, the king was tired.

“I’m glad that I can support Lady Chloe from the sidelines. She is a light in the darkness.”

HanHan raised his head, and our lips intertwined to form a breathtaking experience of pleasure. Delight seeped into my very soul. Happiness brightened the entire room until a small parting was made.

“Yes. Lady Chloe has done so much for Sharir. You are also welcome, my King. Should I pack now?”

“That would be for the best. The bedroom calls us, my baby.”

“...Mm.”

I bit my lip, unable to stop the trembles that grabbed hold of me. Our eyes met; silence added depth to the connection we shared.

“...”

I stood in front of King HanHan before turning around.

“Oh dear. Oh dear me... My husband...”

Tears slid along the fingers, trying to stop their descent. Two strong arms supported me from behind. They wrapped around my thin waist with a secure tightness.

“I love you, Jipo.”

I opened my mouth and let out a wail. HanHan had pushed me away, afraid that I would become a target. His hand shoved me back in front of the main square. His gaze left me standing there alone while ridicule and laughter mocked the supposed commoner’s attempt at reaching the king.

Letters arrived.

Thousands came without a day being missed. HanHan disguised them through various means, unsure who, if any, spies had infiltrated his country. He struggled to keep the economy afloat, knowing that the Ravendawns would visit if the treasury report was inadequate.

An act that would put every citizen within Sharir in danger.

It took 50 years. It took 50 years for me to finally be with the man I love. I gripped his hands tight, refusing to let anything else come between us now that we had reached this point.

“I love you too, HanHan. Please... stay with me always.”