CHAPTERS
His lungs burned—not just from being out of breath, but with real pain. His mouth tasted of blood, and his vision blurred. And still, Aeryl didn’t stop running. He ran and ran. Because he had no destination, he couldn’t stop. Then suddenly, his foot caught on a raised brick. He couldn’t keep his balance and tumbled forward, hard. Thud! “Ugh!” The impact jolted through his entire body, leaving him stunned. Because of that, he didn’t notice right away the pair of brown boots…- 279.4 K • Completed
- Lady Merel furrowed her brows, thinking of the maid who’d been bitten by a snake. “She’s in the hospital now, isn’t she?” “Yes, my lady.” “Make sure she’s well taken care of. Spare no expense.” “I’ll see to it.” With a sigh, she walked to the window. Outside, the scenery looked like it wouldn’t be strange if the first snow began to fall. The bare, branch-stripped trees gave the world a bleak atmosphere. “So winter begins.” Winters in the North were…
- 279.4 K • Completed
- While Aeryl was out, the people in the inner quarters were seized by a tension they had never known before. During what should have been a peaceful morning, the Grand Duke Asirion stormed into the East Wing with knights in tow. The conflict between the Grand Duke and Lady Merel was nothing new. It had continued for a year or two—or perhaps even longer, dating back to the early days of his ascension. From the moment he became the Grand Duke, Lady Merel had begun building her own faction, positioning…
- 279.4 K • Completed
- Aeryl covered his mouth with both hands. He had nearly screamed. ‘The Grand Duke likes me?’ So all that hugging, all those strange touches—was it because he liked him? ‘Calm down, Aeryl. It’s still an unverified theory.’ He tried to recall if the Grand Duke had ever shown signs of affection. To start, the Grand Duke rarely expressed emotion, and it wasn’t just Aeryl—others had said the same. But he had smiled in front of Aeryl, rare as that was. ‘His smile’s…
- 279.4 K • Completed
- The Grand Duke’s intentions were clear. His lowered blue eyes were fixed on Aeryl’s lips. ‘Uuhhh!’ Caught off guard, Aeryl squeezed his eyes shut. The Grand Duke took that as permission and boldly pressed their lips together. ‘So soft.’ Even though his face was sharp like an ice sculpture, his lips were soft. It was obvious, yet somehow surprising. The Grand Duke watched Aeryl’s reaction and began to move his lips slowly. Aeryl, dazed, felt the warm and soft lips suck and…
- 279.4 K • Completed
- ‘Why is the Grand Duke here?’ Aeryl froze mid-turn, staring at the Grand Duke. He too was silently watching Aeryl. No words were exchanged—only a heavy silence settled between them. Yet something was clearly wrong with the Grand Duke. Without hesitation, Aeryl ran to him. The Grand Duke wasn’t breathing. “Breathe!” Aeryl shouted and slapped the Grand Duke’s cheeks with both hands. At the impact, the Grand Duke gasped sharply and collapsed to the ground. He started inhaling and…
- 279.4 K • Completed
- ‘Why did he lie to me?’ Aeryl tried to think in the best possible light. Maybe the Grand Duke didn’t know about the basement, or maybe he simply wanted to keep it hidden—or perhaps he only said it to calm Aeryl down. It might be rash to assume he’d lied on purpose. But no matter how he tried to rationalize it, the unease lodged in his heart wouldn’t go away. The inventor’s words came to mind again—the reason he chose isolation over the Grand Duke’s help was tied to that basement. It…
- 279.4 K • Completed
- Aeryl sprang to his feet and straightened his clothes. When he checked the clock, it was already well past nine and nearing ten. If he went out now, he would definitely be breaking curfew. He had promised himself never to break the rules again, yet here he was, walking out of his room of his own accord. Though fear weighed down his steps, he forced himself into the hallway. The servants had all left for the day, and the Grand Duke was away on business. Aeryl was the only one left in the Central…
- 279.4 K • Completed
- Aeryl headed straight to the East Wing to meet Lady Merel. Connie considered stopping him, remembering the Grand Duke’s warning, but she knew how much Aeryl worried for his patients, so she couldn’t bring herself to hold him back. Still, this time Raeler was guarding the infirmary, so Connie confidently accompanied Aeryl. *** The reception room of the East Wing. Aeryl sat on the sofa, waiting for Lady Merel to arrive. Connie stood behind him, on alert as she watched…
- 279.4 K • Completed
- The scene of the bedroom came into view. Aeryl discovered that he was lying in bed. Since he remembered falling asleep, the Grand Duke must have moved him to the bed. Thud, thud! Thud! “Doctor! Please wake up! Quickly!” There was no time to let his heart race—Aeryl hurried to the door and opened it. A servant stood outside. The servant tried to explain, but Aeryl stopped him. “Let’s talk while we walk.” Aeryl and the servant rushed toward the infirmary. During the run, Aeryl was…
- 279.4 K • Completed
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