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(Royal Palace Velmoria)
The night in the royal palace was heavy with silence.
Inside his chamber, Eyan pulled the hood over his head, his mind fixed on slipping away into the night to see his pregnant wife.
Just as he reached for the door, a sharp knock echoed through the room.
"Is that you, Hans?" he asked, his voice low.
A different voice answered. "Your Majesty, it is I—Prince Velco. May I have a moment with you?"
Eyan's thoughts stiffened. Velco? Why is he here at this hour?
He opened the door slowly, masking his unease.
"I apologize for disturbing you this late," Velco bowed.
"It's quite alright, Prince," Eyan replied evenly.
"May I come in?"
"Yes. Enter."
Velco's gaze drifted over Eyan's cloak and hood. "Were you going somewhere, Your Majesty?"
Eyan glanced at himself and answered smoothly. "Ah, nothing important. Merely a night inspection."
"Inspection?" Velco's lips curled faintly. "I thought perhaps you were going to visit Lady Eva."
For a heartbeat, Eyan froze. But his face betrayed nothing.
"Prince, what do you mean? Why would I go to her?"
Velco's eyes sharpened. "You needn't lie to me, Your Majesty. I know your secret."
"Secret?"
"Yes your majesty… or should I call you by another name?" Velco's gaze bore into him. "Kyel."
The word fell like a stone. Eyan's composure remained unshaken, but his pulse hammered.
"You are Kyel, are you not? Lady Eva's husband," Velco pressed on. "Yesterday, when I met you, I recognized the ring you wear. It holds disguise magic."
Velco stepped closer, his voice steady. "Your Majesty, though you sit as King, you go about pretending to be a commoner, bowing to those beneath you. Why? Do you love Lady Eva so much that you would lower yourself to such an extent?"
Eyan's lips twisted, and then he burst out laughing—sharp, cruel laughter that echoed through the chamber. Velco blinked in surprise.
"So now that you know my secret," Eyan said darkly, "have you come to demand something from me in exchange for your silence?"
Velco shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. I know my place. I cannot use Lady Eva against you… though I now know she is your weakness."
Eyan laughed again, harsher this time. "Weakness? Eva?" He tilted his head back and let the bitter sound fill the room. "No, Prince Velco. Eva is not my weakness."
"But she is your wife," Velco countered.
"Wife?" Eyan leaned in, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "No.. that woman is not my wife. I have never considered her as such. Not even once."
Velco's brow furrowed. "But Your Majesty, I thought you married her out of love—"
"Love?" Eyan's voice cracked into a sneer. "It was never love. It was lust. Nothing more."
"I only wanted her body, and women like Eva never give themselves without words of devotion and promises of forever. Pathetic illusions. So I lied. I gave her what she wanted to hear so I could have what I wanted—her beneath me."
His eyes glinted coldly. "I married her because it was the only way to claim her body as mine. Do you know what our wedding was? A joke. No vows, no witness but ourselves. Just rings and an empty promise to stay together until death. Cringe-worthy, isn't it?"
He leaned back, his voice dripping cruelty. "After that pathetic wedding, she welcomed me every night. She opened her arms to me, believing herself cherished, when all I wanted was to fuck her until I was satisfied."
"And as King, I cannot let anyone find out I've been bedding a commoner woman."
Eyan's smirk sharpened. "You're a man too, Prince. Surely you understand. When a woman catches your eye, you take her. No matter the cost. Haven't you had your share of women warming your bed?"
Velco smiled faintly. "Yes, I have, Your Majesty."
"Then you understand."
"But why," Velco pressed, "keep Lady Eva in the dark?"
"Because," Eyan's eyes hardened, "if she knew she shared the bed of an Emperor, she would grow greedy. She would beg for a crown, for the life of an Empress. Luxury, power, everything she is unworthy of. That is why she remains blind. I never intended to reveal myself. This little marriage game was always meant to last only until I tired of her."
Velco nodded slowly. "So that is the truth."
"Yes."
But then Velco's expression shifted. "Your Majesty… I made a mistake."
Eyan's gaze sharpened. "Mistake?"
"When I uncovered your identity, I thought you were deceiving Lady Eva, destroying her with lies. So… I did something I should not have."
Eyan's jaw tightened. "What did you do, Prince?"
Velco's voice dropped. "I went to lady eva. And I told her everything."
For the first time, Eyan faltered, just slightly. "You… you told her everything?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Velco's voice carried no regret. "When I revealed the truth, it shattered her. She could barely stand. But she told me she would not believe it unless she heard it from your lips. She said she would come to you tomorrow and ask for herself."
Silence hung thick in the chamber.
"I ruined everything for you," Velco admitted. "You must be furious with me."
Eyan's mouth curved into a smile, cold and false. "Furious? No, Prince. Quite the opposite. I should thank you for doing my work for me. Now I no longer need to feign affection for her. I was already growing sick of her clinging."
Velco's eyes flickered. "Then… what will you do, Your Majesty?"
Eyan's gaze turned to ice. "I will do what I should have done long ago, you don't have to worry about her."
Velco bowed deeply. "Then I shall leave it to you. Good night, Your Majesty."
Eyan inclined his head. "Good night."
The door closed behind him, and silence fell once more.
Eyan stood frozen, then his legs gave out, and he sank to the floor. His hands trembled violently, his chest burned as though pierced.
Eva…
The name tore silently from his lips. His heart throbbed painfully as he whispered into the empty chamber, "What am I supposed to do now?"