As the festive excitement slowly settled, on a moonlit night Nikita stepped out to walk in the royal garden of the palace. She was wearing her familiar light white dress, her radiant sky-blue hair flowing loosely over her shoulders.
Four or five maidservants followed her carefully with lowered heads. King Kairen had given strict orders that wherever Nikita went, the maids were to guard her like shadows. Nikita kept glancing back at them and complained,
"Why are you all sticking so close behind me? Am I going to get lost or something?"
The maids replied fearfully and respectfully,
"Your Majesty, it is the king's command. If anything happens to you, His Majesty will not spare us."
Nikita made a face and continued walking. Soon she reached a rare corner of the garden. There, under the silvery moonlight, she noticed an unusual flower blooming. It was a Blue Spider Lily.
The petals were thin and curved like spider legs, glowing a deep blue that matched Nikita's sky-colored eyes perfectly.
Mesmerized, Nikita bent down and picked up the flower. The moment she held it, a soft blue glow began to radiate from it. Her eyes widened as she exclaimed,
"Wow! Cutie, look how beautiful this is!"
She was speaking to her invisible blue serpent.
At that moment, King Kairen emerged slowly from the shadows. His cat-like eyes shimmered in the moonlight. Smiling, he said,
"Did you know, Nikita? That blue lily blooms only once a year. People say whoever finds it will have their greatest wish fulfilled."
Nikita brought the flower to her nose and inhaled its scent, then looked at the king mischievously.
"Is that so? Then my wish has already come true. I got a blue serpent and a king with cat eyes!"
Kairen stepped closer, a magical smile spreading across his scarred face. The maids quietly stepped back with lowered heads. In the moonlight, Nikita's sky-blue eyes and the glowing blue flower created an almost otherworldly scene.
The king gently took the flower from her hand. Carefully brushing aside her silky sky-blue hair, he tucked the blue spider lily behind her ear. The petals brushed against her fair cheek as he whispered,
"This flower bloomed for you, Nikita. Blue suits you like something unreal."
As Nikita blushed and lowered her head, the king suddenly bent down and lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
Startled, Nikita wrapped her arms around his neck and protested shyly,
"Oh my! Your Majesty, what are you doing? The maids are watching! Put me down, I'm heavy!"
Kairen laughed triumphantly.
"Let the whole world see that my queen is safest in my arms. And you're not heavy, Nikita. You are the feather of my heart."
His gaze deepened as the mark of the love bite on Nikita's neck shimmered under the moonlight. Carrying her, he walked through the garden toward the palace.
Above them, the blue serpent circled like a magical guardian. From the bushes, the white cat peeked out, watching their royal procession.
Suddenly, near the grand archway, Kairen stopped. His cat eyes sharpened.
From the shadows emerged three tall figures. They were none other than Kairen's three brothers, warriors who had spent the last six hundred years fighting wars and carrying out secret missions across the realm. Drawn by Nikita's return and the celebrations, they had all come back together.
The atmosphere turned heavy.
The eldest brother, Rudra, tall and bearing a scar like Kairen's, spoke gravely,
"So this is the magic from six hundred years ago that returned? Is she really that woman?"
The middle brother, Neel, stared in awe at Nikita's sky-blue hair and the blue flower in her ear.
"Incredible… this beauty is not human. She looks like a goddess from heaven."
The youngest, Arya, laughed loudly at the sight of Nikita in Kairen's arms.
"Well, brother! Looks like you're completely conquered. Did you leave any sweets for us, or did you eat everything alone?"
Embarrassed, Nikita hid her face against Kairen's chest and whispered,
"Your Majesty… who are they? Do all of them have scary eyes like yours?"
Kairen held her tighter and replied firmly,
"Yes, Rudra. This is Nikita. My queen. And Arya, watch your mouth. She is only mine. Your sister-in-law. I will tolerate no disrespect toward her."
Seeing how fiercely protective Kairen was, the brothers understood that this woman was the future of their royal bloodline. The blue serpent raised its hood above the king's head as a silent warning.
The brothers lowered their heads and left. The corridor fell silent again, filled only with distant music and torchlight.
Kairen still held Nikita, gazing at her as if he still could not believe she was truly back.
Once the brothers were gone, Nikita squirmed and protested,
"Your Majesty! At least put me down now! My waist hurts! Are you planning to carry me all night?"
Kairen grinned.
"I don't feel like putting you down. I think I could rule the whole kingdom with you in my arms."
She pouted.
"People will say our king has gone mad! Put me down or I'll tell the blue serpent to bite you!"
Laughing, Kairen finally set her down. Nikita straightened her dress and touched the blue flower at her ear.
She pointed a finger at him.
"Don't you dare lift me like that in front of everyone again! I may be magical, but I get embarrassed too!"
Kairen leaned close and whispered,
"Fine. Not in front of everyone. But when we're alone, there's no rule against it, right?"
Blushing deeply, Nikita said nothing and hurried back to her chamber, the white cat trotting after her.
Later, as Kairen returned to his own quarters, he heard sobbing from a nearby room. Inside, his political wife sat on the floor, crying uncontrollably. Seeing him, she clutched his feet and cried,
"My lord… give Nikita the throne, I don't object. But I am the queen of this kingdom. I need an identity. I want to be a mother. I need a child to protect my honor. Don't leave me empty-handed!"
Kairen stepped back, his face turning cold as stone.
"What you ask for, I can never give you. My blood, my heir, my legacy belong only to Nikita. I promised you respect, not love or children."
Behind the door, Nikita heard everything. Tears filled her sky-blue eyes as she realized her return had turned another woman's life into a desert.
Unable to bear it, she fled to the highest rooftop. Under the moonlight, she sat alone, breaking the petals of the blue lily in her hand, whispering,
"Did my return become someone's curse?"
Her blue serpent wrapped gently around her wrist. The white cat rubbed against her feet.
Heavy footsteps approached. Kairen found her there. Sitting beside her, he wiped her tears softly and asked,
"You heard everything… didn't you?"
Nikita didn't reply. She only sighed deeply and rested her head on his shoulder.Nikita slowly lifted her head from the king's shoulder. In her wet, sky-blue eyes burned a firm determination. Taking the king's hand in her small palms, she spoke in a calm but resolute voice.
"My lord, I think my return was a mistake. Before I came back, there was peace in this palace. The queen dreamed of becoming a mother. Now, because of me, everyone is crying. I do not want anyone to suffer because of me. My lord, please let me return to my own world. If I leave, everyone will be able to live in peace again."
The moment he heard this, King Kairen's entire body went rigid. His cat-like eyes twisted with pain and rage. Gripping Nikita's shoulders tightly, he turned her toward him.
Almost shouting, the king cried out,
"The same words again? After six hundred years, you want to leave me alone once more? Who will live in peace, Nikita? If you leave, will I be at peace? I will die."
Bringing his scarred face close to hers, he spoke with brutal honesty.
"The peace you speak of is the peace of a graveyard. Without you, every stone in this palace is poison to me. That queen, my sister, none of them are part of my soul. You are my only world."
Nikita broke down sobbing.
"But my lord, I cannot live without you either. Yet I cannot bear everyone's tears. I am destroying everything on my own."
Her blue serpent flew restlessly in the air, as if it too feared the thought of separation. The moon slipped behind the clouds, as if nature itself darkened in dread of their parting.
Kairen crushed Nikita against his chest and whispered fiercely into her ear,
"If you try to leave, I will burn this entire kingdom to ashes. I do not want peace. I want only you."
Gently, Nikita pulled herself away. Wiping her tears, she spoke calmly but stubbornly.
"My lord, you are angry for no reason. The queen is your wife. She asked only for a child. Go to her and give her that. Where is the harm in that? I am not leaving you. I am only asking you to fill her empty arms."
Kairen froze in disbelief. His mysterious eyes stared at her, unblinking. Pain twisted his scarred face.
In a low, heavy voice, he said,
"Do you understand what you are asking? Do you want me to go to another woman? Do you want my blood to grow in someone else's womb? Is this love, or indifference?"
Holding his hand like a child trying to explain, Nikita replied,
"This is not indifference. It is responsibility. You married her. She has a right. I am already in your heart. If you give someone else a little happiness, what do I lose? I may be a sorceress, but I do not want to be selfish."
Kairen sighed and looked up at the sky. With a bitter smile, he said,
"Nikita, you may be a sorceress, but you do not understand a man's heart. A man who has fallen for someone like you cannot even imagine touching another woman. My body and my soul both belong to you. If I go to someone else, it will be betrayal of my own soul."
The blue serpent lowered its head and sat near the king's feet, sharing his pain.
Nikita insisted stubbornly,
"No, my lord. I will not listen. You must stop the queen's tears. You will go to her tonight. This is my order."
At her command, Kairen stood still. Tears shimmered in his eyes. He had never imagined such generosity from Nikita, generosity that felt like poison to him.
A single burning tear slipped from his cat-like eyes. He understood how much Nikita was willing to sacrifice for him, and how that sacrifice was harder than death.
Defeated at last, he said in a broken voice,
"Nikita, tonight you are testing my love and my manhood. If I go to the queen, know this. Only my body will be there. My soul will remain here at your feet."
Nikita said nothing. She only watched him with trembling eyes as he left the rooftop.
When the king entered the queen's chamber, she stared at him in shock. She had never imagined he would come. His scarred face was completely emotionless.
Standing close to her, he said coldly,
"I am here by Nikita's order. You wanted a child. I will give you that right. But remember this. After sunrise, there will be nothing between us. I will never grant you the status of a wife."
On the rooftop, Nikita sat trembling alone. She had sent him to the queen, yet her chest felt as if it would burst. She clutched her sky-blue hair, trying to hold back her sobs.
Her blue serpent writhed in agony on the stone floor. Nikita whispered,
"Did I make a terrible mistake, my lord? Did I betray you?"
The white cat leapt from her lap and ran toward the queen's chamber, as if curious about what was happening inside.
At dawn, golden sunlight poured through Nikita's window. Exhausted after spending the night on the rooftop, she looked pale, her radiant hair tangled by the morning breeze.
At the king's command, skilled maids entered her chamber and prepared her bath with utmost care.
She was taken to the grand marble bath filled with warm water scented with oils, rose petals, and sandalwood. The maids washed her long sky-blue hair gently and applied fragrant lotion to her skin. Nikita remained silent, the sorrow of the previous night still visible in her eyes.
When the maids noticed the red mark of the love bite on her neck, they exchanged playful glances, but Nikita did not notice. She was thinking only one thing. Was the king still in the queen's chamber?
After the bath, she was dressed in a delicate silk gown the same shade as her hair. Her blue serpent sat guard by the water.
Standing before the mirror, Nikita adjusted the blue spider lily behind her ear. Just then, she sensed someone at the door.
When Kairen emerged from the queen's chamber, he looked like a man returning from defeat. His proud eyes were lowered with guilt. He felt as though his sacred love for Nikita had been stained.
Expecting anger or tears, he stepped into Nikita's bathing chamber and froze.
Fresh from her bath, Nikita stood before the mirror, water dripping from her hair. Seeing him, she burst into laughter.
Stunned, Kairen whispered,
"Nikita? You are laughing? I thought you would hate me."
Laughing, Nikita stepped closer, tugged playfully at his royal necklace, and said like a child,
"My silly king. Did you really think I would sit around being jealous? I am happy you fulfilled the queen's wish. Look at your face. It is like someone fed you bitter medicine. Did you sit all night with that gloomy expression?"
Kairen stood speechless at her innocence. Nikita tickled his nose with the blue spider lily and laughed again, her eyes shining like sunlight. Even the blue serpent swayed its tail in amusement.
At last, Kairen sighed deeply and embraced her, burying his face in her damp hair.
"You are truly not ordinary, Nikita. No human woman could share her love like this and still smile. You are a true sorceress, one who washed away all my guilt in a single moment."