Yuto lifted her gaze—and accidentally met his.
Her breath hitched. Those eyes… deep ocean blue, dark and endless, like they could swallow entire stars. For a heartbeat too long, she forgot where she was. Forgot who she was. The world narrowed until there was only him and the dangerous gravity pulling her in.
Then, he winked.
It was subtle. Lazy. Confident.
And it completely ruined her.
Heat rushed up her neck to her cheeks, her pulse stumbling wildly as the air suddenly felt thick, heavy in her lungs. She swallowed, hands tightening in her lap as if that alone could steady her.
"Yuto."
Brendon's voice sliced through the spell like a blade, snapping her violently back to reality
"Well, did something catch your eye?" he asked, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Yuto scrambled for a response. "Nah, nothing at all." She grabbed a random glass and drank, hoping to steady herself. Only after the last gulp did she realize just how deep she was in trouble.
Immediately, she pushed herself up. "Where is the nearest inn?" she demanded, urgency lacing her voice.
"Well, if you…" Brendon began, but Yuto cut him off, impatient.
"I'll find it myself," she snapped, turning sharply.
In her rush, she collided with something she thought was a wall and tumbled to the ground. The alcohol hit her all at once. Shit, she thought, lying on the cold floor. I am so screwed.
"Oh, that young man is in serious trouble—losing consciousness in such a crowded place," one man muttered to his companion. "Should we help him?"
The man Yuto had collided with slowly looked down at her unconscious form on the floor.
"He is not from here," he said calmly. "And from what I heard, a certain royalty was due to pay me a visit tonight. A coincidence—funny, isn't it?" His piercing gaze shifted to her hand. "It's him. Look at the ring. A family heirloom, so I've heard." His voice was deep, magnetic, unreadable.
At that moment, Brendon pushed his way forward with the bearded man close behind him.
"Pardon me, sir. My cousin has had a bit too much to drink," the bearded man said quickly as he stepped forward to grab Yuto.
"Not so fast," the man with the deep voice said quietly—but with authority.
"Not so fast," the man repeated.
The bearded man froze mid-step, his hand hovering inches above Yuto's arm. Brendon stiffened beside him.
The man slowly rose to his full height. In the dim lantern light, his presence alone commanded the room into silence. Conversations died. Even the music seemed to falter.
"You claim him as your cousin," the man said calmly, his ocean-blue eyes locking onto Brendon's. "Yet you've watched him from the moment he entered this Inn. You whispered. You plotted. Now you wish to take him?"
Brendon gave the bearded man a subtle signal.
In an instant, a scream tore through the inn. The bearded man's left hand was gone, vanished as if by a cruel trick, blood splattering across the floor and walls.
The entire inn froze. Every patron, every server, even the crackle of the hearth seemed to vanish. Only the bearded man's screams echoed—wild, panicked, and helpless.
The king's smile widened, spreading across his face with a dangerous delight. He leaned slightly forward, letting the crimson smear on his cheek glint in the lantern light. With a flick of his tongue, he licked at the blood, his eyes alight with a mixture of amusement and pure, unrestrained pleasure.
Not a soul dared move.
Brendon swallowed. "S-Sire… you misunderstand—"
"I did not give you permission to speak."
The weight of his voice crushed the air. Brendon's knees nearly buckled.
The man stepped closer to Yuto and bent, his gaze settling on the ring glinting faintly on her finger. His expression darkened.
"So… it truly is you," he murmured.
Recognition struck Brendon like a blade. The blood drained from his face, horror following instantly.
"Y-Your Majesty…" he whispered as he collapsed to his knees, his entire body trembling as if the floor itself had turned to ice beneath him.
Slowly, Brendon lifted his head, terror carved into every line of his face. "W-We… we were only trying to help—"
"Enough."
The single word sliced through the air like a commandment. The king's eyes were cold, unforgiving.
"You will pay for every meal in this tavern tonight," the king said calmly.
Brendon let out a shaky breath of relief.
Then the king leaned closer, his voice dropping."And tomorrow, you will report to the eastern barracks. You will serve the crown for three years—without pay. Try to flee…"
His smile returned, soft and lethal."And I will personally see to it that you lose more than your freedom."
Brendon's face turned ashen. "Y-Yes, Your Majesty…"
His gaze shifted lazily to the bearded man, who whimpered on the floor like a kicked hound.
"Then your fate is sealed."
The king's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "Lucien."
In a blink, the king's guard surged forward and seized the bearded man by the collar. He was dragged across the floor in a flurry of panicked cries. As he twisted helplessly, his frantic gaze found Yuto's unmoving form, and terror swallowed him whole.
And in that moment, true, irreversible fear finally crushed him.
The king turned away as if Brendon no longer existed and knelt beside Yuto. His expression softened, amusement flickering faintly in his eyes as he studied her.
"Such a pretty little disaster," he murmured. "So reckless… and yet so fascinating."