CHAPTER 29
The king finally lost his patience.
"You did this, didn't you?"
he demanded.
Sihyun smirked, his voice calm but laced with mockery.
"No, Your Majesty… that's not the question you're supposed to be asking. The real question is—who are they? And what were their motives?"
The king's jaw tightened, and then he barked,
"They were the palace guards!"
Muwon's hands clenched at his sides. He didn't like where this was going—didn't like the way the king's tone sharpened with every word. He searched for some way to cut this short before it turned into something worse.
Sihyun stayed silent, his expression unreadable.
The king's eyes narrowed.
"I'll ask you again—did you do it or not?"
The air grew heavier with every heartbeat, the atmosphere in the courtyard taut like a bowstring. The king's voice had risen, his temper barely contained, and yet Sihyun stood calm—too calm—his smirk only deepening the unease in the open space.
"Even if I say no,"
Sihyun's voice was soft but cutting,
"Your Majesty wouldn't believe me… would you?"
A murmur rippled among the courtiers, but before the king could respond, Lady Miran stepped forward, her expression alight with satisfaction.
"Your Majesty, you must not believe anything that demon says! Everyone in the palace knows he's the only one capable of such an atrocity."
Her words echoed sharply through the courtyard.
Sihyun's head tilted slowly toward her, his gaze sharpening into a glare that could have pierced steel. The silence that followed was suffocating. His eyes, still faintly glowing, locked onto hers with a promise of quiet, deliberate malice. Lady Miran's lips twitched, but she refused to look away, though her shoulders stiffened under the weight of his stare.
From where he stood, Yuhyun felt his stomach knot painfully. He wished the ground would split open beneath his feet and swallow him whole—anything to escape the suffocating tension between his brother and the venom-tongued noblewoman. He could sense the storm building in Sihyun, and the way Muwon's posture shifted told him the prince felt it too.
The king finally spoke, breaking the tense silence. His voice was heavy, laced with disappointment.
"You broke your promise, Demon Sorcerer. You swore you wouldn't harm anyone in this palace."
Sihyun's eyes flashed, his tone sharp.
"Your Majesty should be thanking me. I saved your life—and the lives of everyone here."
His voice rose, his composure slipping.
Muwon stepped forward quickly, closing the distance between them. He gripped Sihyun's arm firmly.
"Let's go,"
he said in a low, controlled voice, intending to drag him away before things escalated further.
But Sihyun jerked his arm free with a sharp, dismissive motion.
"No."
The single word cut through the hall like a blade. Everyone could feel the shift in the air—the quiet rumble beneath their feet as Sihyun's rage leaked into the ground itself.
Muwon's jaw tightened, his own temper nearing its edge.
"You shouldn't have done it!"
he shouted.
"You could have brought them to court, let us investigate! That was the right way to handle it!"
Gasps rippled through the courtyard. Even Sihyun stared at him, momentarily stunned into silence, his words stolen before they could form.
The king and the elders only watched, none of them making a move to interfere. The elders exchanged subtle glances, already satisfied that the first step of their scheme had worked. Not even the trio dared to step between the two; they were simply relieved that Taeyang was not present to witness this.
Sihyun let out a slow chuckle, his lips curling into a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"I saved your life… our son's life… and everyone else's in this palace. And this is the thank you I get?"
Muwon said nothing. He simply stepped forward, taking Sihyun's arm to pull him away.
Sihyun brushed his hand off again, sharp and unyielding.
Muwon's gaze hardened. He seized Sihyun's arm once more—this time firmly—and succeeded in pulling him along.
No one spoke. No one moved. They all only watched the two disappear from sight, the silence in the courtyard heavier than ever.
Muwon dragged Sihyun into their chamber, shutting the door behind them with more force than intended. He let out a heavy sigh, his expression betraying that he didn't know what to say or do next.
Sihyun stood in silence, his back turned to Muwon, refusing to face him.
Muwon was halfway to the door when Sihyun's voice broke the quiet.
"I want to see Taeyang."
Muwon paused, glancing over his shoulder.
"Unless you stay here and recover… only then will you be able to see him."
Without waiting for a reply, Muwon stepped out and closed the door behind him, leaving Sihyun alone.
Sihyun exhaled tiredly and sat down at the edge of the bed, thoughts running wild in his head—anger, exhaustion, and something far more complicated swirling together.
The door creaked open again. This time, it was Yuhyun.
Sihyun rose instantly, a smile breaking across his face.
"I'm glad you came."
"I need to see Taeyang,"
Sihyun said quickly, as if afraid Yuhyun might leave before he finished.
"He might be sad… or lonely… or crying. He probably wants to see his Dada too."
Yuhyun's shoulders dropped, and he let out a slow sigh.
"Why would you do that, Sihyun?"
Sihyun's expression faltered. He looked away, mumbling under his breath,
"Not this again…"
Then his eyes narrowed slightly as he asked,
"Did they pay you to go against me?"
The question hit Yuhyun like a blade. His chest tightened.
"You're not the brother I knew,"
he said quietly, pain lacing every word.
Sihyun froze, stunned, the words echoing in his head.
"You're not the Sihyun we all knew,"
Yuhyun continued, his voice trembling now.
"The twentieth mark… it's taking over your mind. If you don't fight it, you'll lose yourself completely—and become like Vanyul… who lost his way."
Sihyun's lips parted, but no words came out. There was no comeback. Only silence.
Yuhyun's gaze softened, though his voice still trembled.
"Even if you can't fight it… at least think about Taeyang. He's waiting for you, Sihyun. We all are."
His eyes glistened, but he didn't let the tears fall.
"Don't make him… don't make us lose you too."
Without another word, Yuhyun turned and left the chamber, the sound of the door closing far too gentle for the storm he'd left behind.
Sihyun sat there, unable to process everything at once. His chest felt tight, his breath uneven. A cold wave of fear washed over him, mingling with a sharp, unfamiliar ache.
"…What do you know about me, huh?"
he whispered into the empty room, his voice trembling.
He said it again—louder this time, though it cracked halfway through.
"What do you all know about me, you humans?"
His hands shook. Yuhyun's words replayed in his head, each one twisting deeper like a blade. He lowered himself onto the bed, curling into himself as if trying to disappear. Tears slipped down his cheeks, warm and unrelenting.
"I can't…"
he whispered, again and again, the words breaking apart in his throat. His body trembled, his skin growing hot as the weight of the twentieth mark pressed harder against him.
The mark seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat, its power coiling around his mind like chains, wearing him down. His breath came faster, shallower. The warmth in his body rose into a feverish heat, and he held himself tighter, as though he could keep everything from spilling out—fear, pain, rage—everything Yuhyun's words had stirred to life.