Tian Yu left the siblings in the quiet room. Inside, Yuyan and Leng Yue sat facing each other, neither speaking at first, the air between them tight with unspoken emotions.
"Yuyan," Leng Yue said softly, his tone carrying both weariness and plea. "Please… try to understand. We want the best for you."
His gaze searched for hers. "I see things other people can't. Some thinks I might be a 0monster… others think I'm strange. Do you think I ever wanted to see visions or drift out of my body while I sleep? Do you think Tian Yu wanted to be the way he is?" He leaned forward slightly. "His world has been dark and lonely all his life. You… you've been the little light in it. Will you take that away from him?"
Yuyan's lips parted, but no words came. Her chest felt a little tight, as if every sentence he spoke pressed against her heart.
"What if," Leng Yue continued, his voice lower now, "one day I become like him—would you abandon me too?"
He didn't wait for her answer. Before saying, "A prophecy foresaw a time when darkness would consume the world… and a young vampire prince would rise. With him, there would be a seer… and a princess who bears the mark of fate." His eyes flicked to her neck. "That mark on you—what did you think it meant?"
Her hand instinctively went to touch the spot.
"I found the prophecy in one of the books in the library when I was younger, I was desperately looking for answers… anything that would tell me why I was different. Do you know what I went through, Yuyan? I suffered in silence, afraid to tell anyone in case they judged me. I remember the day I told you someone in the palace would die… and a maid actually did. You were afraid of me after that. You avoided me, didn't you?."
Yuyan's eyes stung at the memory. Back then, she had been too young to understand.
"But now__/," Leng Yue said with a faint, bitter smile, " __things are different. You treat me like I'm normal." He reached forward, his cool fingers closing gently over her hand. "I'm not asking you to love him. Just… don't make him feel like a monster. He will never hurt you."
Her throat felt dry, but she managed a quiet whisper. "I… you could have told me".
Leng Yue's expression softened. "It's late," he murmured, then closed the space between them to press a brief, brotherly kiss on her head, "sleep well my princess" .Without another word, he turned and left.
Outside, the night was cold and hushed, the moonlight spilling over the courtyard in pale silver. Tian Yu sat on a stone bench, his posture still and heavy. His eyes were on the distant horizon, yet there was no light in them—only the hollow loneliness of someone who had stood in the shadows too long.
Leng Yue walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light tap. "Be patient with her. It might take time for her to understand… but she will."
Tian Yu didn't reply, but the faintest shift in his shoulders told Leng Yue he had heard.
In a swirl of shadows, he sent the him back to the safety of the palace gates. Without perparing him, just the way he took him without his knowledge.
When he came back,his footsteps slowed, then stopped entirely at the front of their room. He stood there, listening to the faint rustle of the night wind against the carved wooden panels, his mind caught in a storm.
What if she was still upset? What if his actions earlier had pushed her too far?
He could face assassins, monstrous beasts, and the wrath of kings without flinching — yet the thought of her turning away from him made his stomach knot.
He ran a hand through his hair, staring at the closed door. Just open it. But his feet wouldn't move. He imagined her voice, sharp with anger… or worse, quiet with disappointment. That silence was something he feared more than any weapon.
After what felt like an eternity, he exhaled, squared his shoulders, and pushed the door open.
The room was dim, the lanterns inside turned low. Yuyan lay on the far edge of the bed, her back half-turned toward him. Her posture was still, too still — the kind of stillness that pretended to be sleep.
Tian Yu moved silently, removing his outer robe and setting it aside. He slid under the covers without a word, the faint scent of her hair brushing his senses. He stared at her back at first… then at the delicate line of her cheek as she shifted just enough for him to see her face in the faint light.
Her eyes were almost closed — almost. Through the smallest sliver, she was watching him. He knew it. And so he closed his eyes as well, pretending to drift off, his breathing deep and even.
For a while, the only sound in the room was the quiet rhythm of two people pretending not to notice each other. Yuyan's gaze lingered longer than she meant it to, tracing the slope of his jaw, the faint crease of tension still etched between his brows. How can a vampire look this handsome, she thought, still observing him.
When he finally opened his eyes — just a fraction — she froze. Her breath caught, her lashes fluttered, and in a heartbeat she had turned fully away, still afraid of him
When she turned away, Tian Yu felt a sharp pain pierce his heart. It had been months since their marriage, yet he still could not truly have his wife. Just a few hours ago, they had been wrapped in each other's arms, sharing their first passionate night together… before the sudden attack shattered everything.
He lay there in the dim light, staring at her back, every breath she took pulling him deeper into a hollow ache. His mind kept replaying the warmth of her laughter, the softness of her touch — and how quickly it had all slipped away.
He waited… and waited, until her breathing grew slow and steady. Only then did he finally move, closing the empty space between them. His arm slid gently around her waist, afraid to startle her.
He pressed his face into her hair, drinking in her scent — the faint trace of floral oil she always used after bathing, now mixed with the warmth of her skin. The familiar fragrance eased the tightness in his chest.
With a quiet sigh, Tian Yu let his eyes fall shut, clinging to the fragile closeness as if it could keep the distance from growing any further. Soon, sleep claimed him too.