________
Hakan
"...HE LOVED SOMEONE WHO RESEMBLED LUCINA."
The revelation hit me like a physical blow, a surge of dark, possessive fury that crackled around me. So... he didn't come here for the Holy Relic after all. The attendant's words about the Cardinal's lost love—"a spirit of the moon... Pale from head to toe and beautiful"—echoed in my mind, perfectly describing my wife. My heart hammered against my ribs. I had been worried about him taking an interest in her divine power, but this was far worse. He saw a ghost in her.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I WAS WORRIED THAT HE WOULD TAKE AN INTEREST IN HER! I had to calm myself down. I needed to wait until they were done talking. But every second felt like an eternity.
I had stepped away from the door, trying to control the consuming jealousy. I had been raging at the attendant internally, I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T GOING TO WORRY ANYMORE!.
He had already questioned the attendant thoroughly: "DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING WHILE YOU WERE ESCORTING HIM HERE?". He wanted to know, "Did he really come to talk to Lucina or is he planning something else?". The attendant, hesitant but honest, had revealed that the Cardinal "decided TO VISIT TAYAR KINGDOM WITHOUT ASKING ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS" the moment he read Lucina's letter.
SO HE REALLY CAME HERE JUST TO SEE LUCINA? The cartoonish image of my furious internal self was barely an exaggeration of the rage that FUMED inside me.
Meanwhile, I imagined Lucina sitting across from him, perhaps saying, "Hakan and I truly love each other", and him pressing her, "Are you really happy living here?".
I had already spoken to the Cardinal myself, before the private meeting. He had brushed off the discussion of the Holy Relic, stating, "I'M AFRAID IT'S NOT SOMETHING I CAN DISCUSS TONIGHT". Instead, he insisted he came to the Tayar Kingdom because he wanted to discuss something with Lucina, and that he'd like to speak with her in private after the banquet.
He was supposed to be old, but he looked so young. No matter his age, he was a Cardinal, and as such, he would naturally be interested in her healing power, especially since she mentioned it in her letter. But this... this is different.
Lucina was my wife. She was mine. The thought of this man—no matter how handsome or highly-ranked—seeing the image of a dead lover in her face made my blood run cold. I pressed my back against the cool marble, trying to steady the frantic beating in my chest. I just needed to wait until their conversation ended.
The room felt smaller than it should, though perhaps it was just the tension pressing in from all sides. I could hear my own heartbeat—loud, insistent, echoing in my ears—as if trying to remind me that I was still in control. Yet the moment felt delicate, fragile, and utterly unpredictable.
"Which reminds me," I said, letting the words escape before I could think better of them. "I heard the Cardinal had someone he loved."
The silence that followed was immediate, heavy, almost suffocating.
"Really?" The voice across from me was cautious, curious.
"Yes," I murmured, letting my mind conjure the image I could not shake. A pale spirit of the moon—white hair cascading like liquid silver, skin that seemed to glow faintly, eyes like twin lanterns in the dark. The vision was ethereal, unreal, yet I could see it as vividly as if she stood before me.
But no sooner had the image formed than a shadow of anger passed through me—a prickling, possessive irritation. My fingers curled instinctively, and I felt a vein pulse sharply at my temple.
"They've been talking for too long," I muttered under my breath. The words sounded absurd even to me, but the heat of jealousy was undeniable, and it made the shadows in the room deepen, almost crawling along the walls. "The Cardinal still needs to enjoy the banquet we prepared for him."
I straightened my posture, forcing a semblance of purpose onto my features. "That's why I'm going to check on Lucina. Not because I'm jealous, got it?" The lie was flimsy, even to me, but it felt necessary.
STEP. STEP. STEP. STEP. STEP.
Panic struck like a blade. My eyes caught the movement at the door—one of my attendants, the brute, frozen in mid-step, fear evident in his wide eyes. Another, muscular and imposing, looked ready to charge.
"Please calm down, Your Majesty!" the first attendant cried, dashing forward.
"Don't be jealous of the Cardinal!" he shouted desperately, skidding to a stop just short of the door.
I froze, absurdity flashing through me. My own fury felt ridiculous, almost childlike.
"…You're right," I breathed out slowly, trying to force my composure back. "It would be childish of me to be jealous of him."
A faint sound, almost like a whisper of my name, cut through the tension.
"Lucina…"
The door was before me now. I could hear a soft, measured KNOCK KNOCK from inside. My chest tightened.
"Your Eminence, is everything okay?" The voice inside was calm, caring—the same voice that had driven me to this doorway.
"Fine…" I answered, but my voice betrayed the strain, the deep sigh escaping my lips a faint confession. At least he hadn't barged in.
Inside, Lucina looked up, her white hair catching the light like molten silver against her green dress. "Hakan? Did something happen?"
"I'll be right back after I let him in," the Cardinal said with a reassuring smile, though his expression remained unreadable.
Lucina nodded, and a moment later, the door clicked open. There he stood—the Cardinal, stepping aside to reveal me. My heart raced, but I forced a polite concern onto my face.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, voice smooth, perhaps too smooth.
Lucina's delicate features held the faintest quiver of worry. I stepped closer. "I was starting to worry because you've been in here for a long time. What were you talking about?"
I didn't wait for her answer. Instead, relief and possessiveness surged through me, and I gathered her into my arms. The faint scent of her hair, the warmth of her body pressed against mine—it was grounding, a small reassurance that no shadow could touch.
The Cardinal's words from before echoed faintly, polite yet cutting:
"If you insist… I'll end the conversation here."
I ignored him, focusing on Lucina, holding her close, asserting a presence I had never dared before. The lingering tension—the jealousy, the possessive anger—didn't vanish, but it had been put to temporary rest in the warmth of our closeness.
The palace gardens glimmered under the soft glow of lanterns, the warm tropical air heavy with the scent of night-blooming flowers. I held Lucina close, my chest rising and falling with hers, every beat of her heart a reminder of the delicate balance between desire and insecurity.
"As pathetic as it sounds, I can't help but feel jealous of the Cardinal, even now," I admitted, my voice raw, tinged with vulnerability. "I couldn't help it, even though I know you love me. So I made an excuse… to keep you away from him."
Lucina's hands lifted, gentle and steady. One rested against my cheek, her touch soft, full of understanding. "Don't beat yourself up for feeling like that," she whispered, her voice a soothing balm against the storm of my emotions.
She leaned into me, pressing a gentle SQUEEZE against my chest. "I'm sure I would feel jealous if I saw you with another woman." Her words were simple, yet they carried a weight of truth, grounding me.
Her smile grew, genuine and radiant, lighting the shadows around us. "Isn't it normal to feel jealous when you see your partner with someone else?"
"You're right," I murmured, pulling her closer, letting the warmth of her body ease the tension in mine.
"But you don't have to worry," she said, her fingers threading through my hair. "I'll stay by your side… forever."
The scene shifted in my mind, a flashback to moments earlier in Lucina's private conversation with the Cardinal. His voice had been gentle yet probing, a careful mix of curiosity and concern.
"You can tell me the truth," he had asked. "Are you really happy living here?"
Lucina's heart had stumbled at the question. Why is he asking me that?
She had known the truth of her situation, the danger in her words. He would be upset if he heard the real answer. She forced a smile, practiced and sparkling with composure.
"Of course I'm very happy living here," she had insisted. "I'm very happy here."
But the Cardinal had pressed further, his blonde hair catching the light, casting soft glimmers across the room. "From what I've heard, you didn't come here of your own free will."
She dropped her gaze, the weight of painful memories pressing down. "However… I only experienced suffering when I lived in Brion Kingdom. But it's different here. For me…"
Her eyes had met his again, blazing with sudden, fierce loyalty. "…I was the one who rescued myself from all of that."
The Cardinal's expression had darkened, disappointment lingering at the corners of his eyes. "That's too bad."
Lucina had tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"
"If I'm being honest… I was hoping you would come back with me to the Great Temple," he admitted, his voice a deep plea that seemed to echo in the quiet room.
Her surprise had turned to shock. "A-are you saying… you want me to leave Tayar Kingdom?"
"Not forever," he had clarified, anxiety flickering across his features. "But… for the time being, yes."
Lucina's lips had parted, words frozen on the tip of her tongue. I—!
Before she could respond, a decisive KNOCK had sounded at the door—the Dragon King's arrival abruptly ending their private conversation.
The present returned. I still held Lucina in the gardens, her hand resting on my chest, her trust absolute. She remained blissfully unaware of the Cardinal's earlier invitation, which she had, for my sake, quietly refused.
Certainly! Here's a fully expanded novel-style version of Episode 58, keeping the narrative cohesive, immersive, and up to the exact passage you provided, without advancing further:
👑 Episode 58: Jealousy and the Threat of Danger (Expanded)
The doorway felt impossibly small, though the tension it held was enormous. I stood there, my gaze burning, every muscle taut, as the Cardinal regarded me with that unnerving, composed smile.
"Does it bother you that she's here with me, Your Majesty?" he asked, his voice calm, yet threaded with a subtle challenge.
"Of course not," I countered immediately, forcing my voice to remain even, steady despite the storm brewing in my chest.
"If you insist… I'll end the conversation here," he said, pausing briefly before adding, "But I'm a bit tired, so I'll rest here for a while." He gave a slight bow, the kind that seemed polite, yet deliberately measured.
I met his bow with one of my own, asserting my authority in every rigid movement. "If you're done talking… then let us go back to the banquet," I stated firmly.
"As you wish, Your Eminence," he replied, his words calm, the faintest smirk lingering in his eyes.
I took Lucina's arm gently. "Please excuse us." The door clicked closed behind us with finality, leaving the lingering tension of the encounter suspended in the air.
In the Garden
The gardens stretched before us, bathed in soft lantern light, glittering over the fountains and lush foliage. Yet the beauty of it all did nothing to ease the awkward tension pressing between us.
"Is there something wrong with the banquet?" Lucina asked, glancing back at my troubled face.
"You look upset," she observed softly. I felt my composure waver, my chest tightening. A pause. "Do I really…?"
"Yes. Tell me if something is wrong," she urged, her eyes searching mine.
"There's nothing wrong with the banquet… thanks to your hard work," I admitted, forcing honesty.
"Then why…" she prompted, tilting her head.
I could hide it no longer. I turned to face her, letting the truth spill from my chest. "It's my fault. As pathetic as it sounds, I can't help but feel jealous of the Cardinal, even now."
Lucina's eyes widened, shock briefly flashing across her delicate features. "You're… feeling jealous?"
"That's right," I confessed, my voice low. "When I saw you together… it looked like you were both meant to be. I couldn't help but feel jealous, even though I know you love me. So I made an excuse to keep you away from him."
She reached for me, her gaze gentle, full of understanding. "Don't beat yourself up for feeling like that, Hakan." Her arms wrapped around me in a gentle SQUEEZE. "I'm sure I would feel jealous if I saw you with another woman. Isn't it normal to be jealous when you see your partner with another person?"
"You're right," I murmured, letting her words soothe the storm within me, pulling her closer, embracing her fully.
"But you don't have to worry," she continued, her expression radiant, reassuring. "I'll stay by your side… forever."
The Vows and the Danger
A moment later, Lucina stepped back, her hand lingering on mine. "Could you go back to the banquet first?" she asked softly.
"Of course, but what about you?" I replied, concern flickering across my face.
"There's something I need to tell the Cardinal," she explained, determination in her voice. "I have to be clear that I'm not going to leave Tayar Kingdom. I won't be long, so don't worry!"
I couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "Fine, I won't in that case."
________
Lucina returned to the Cardinal's room, the tension from earlier conversations still thick in the air. He looked up as she entered, a knowing smile on his face.
"I knew you would be back. You wanted to finish what you were saying earlier… right?"
"Yes," Lucina confirmed, steadying herself. "I… have no intention of leaving this place." She continued, asserting her position firmly. "It may not be official yet… but I am still the Queen of Tayar. I can't be absent for long."
The Cardinal's expression softened, though his gaze remained intense. "I know it isn't easy for you… but there's a reason I want you to come back with me. What's that?"
He leaned forward, voice grave, eyes locking onto hers. "I apologize for not explaining sooner. The truth is, it's also the reason I came all the way here. CLENCH. You and your child will be in danger if you stay here."
Lucina's gasp escaped her lips. "My child will be in danger?! WHAT ARE YOU—?!"
"Please calm down, Lucina," he urged, his voice heavy with gravity. "Someone is after your child. It will be difficult for me to protect you here once your child is born. That's why I want you to come with me. I can protect you there. Please think about it carefully, Lucina."
Lucina paused, her expression shifting from fear to determination. "This isn't something… I can decide on my own. I want to discuss this with Hakan."