CHAPTER 85
"They… they just wanted to know how old a sorcerer like you would be."
Sihyun stared at him for a moment.
Then—
He chuckled.
"Is that what was so difficult for you to say?"
Muwon blinked—visibly surprised.
He hadn't expected Sihyun to accept that explanation without any suspicion.
"I just… I didn't think you'd want to talk about your age,"
he replied quickly, almost nervously.
Sihyun shook his head, his eyes softening.
He moved over and sat at the edge of Muwon's bed, elbows on his knees, slightly hunched in a relaxed posture.
"No wonder everyone was staring at me like that,"
he muttered, still amused.
"So, what did you tell them?"
Muwon smiled, slowly approaching.
"That you're about… eighteen? Maybe nineteen?"
Sihyun burst into a full laugh—genuine, unguarded, and bright.
"Nineteen?! Are you serious?"
Muwon grinned, clearly enjoying the moment now that the pressure had eased.
"What? You do have that rebellious, youthful look."
Sihyun kept laughing, shaking his head.
"If I'm nineteen, you must be twelve."
They both laughed at that—light filling the room for the first time in hours.
Sihyun's laughter eventually quieted, the room growing calm again.
Muwon sat beside him, gaze soft, heart still tangled with guilt.
He looked at Sihyun for a moment, then asked gently:
"So… how old are you really?"
Sihyun shrugged.
"Maybe… twenty-two? Twenty-three? I don't really know. Yuhyun might."
There was no weight in his voice. Just calm acceptance.
Muwon smiled faintly, a quiet exhale of relief at Sihyun's honesty.
He was glad—truly glad—that Sihyun had lightened up for now.
But in the back of his mind, the guilt remained.
Muwon looked away for a moment, swallowed the knot in his throat.
He wanted to tell him now. But he couldn't. Not yet.
Then—
Sihyun suddenly interrupted his thoughts, smirking playfully.
"That's why you'll need to let them know again.
That I'm older than they think."
Muwon blinked, caught off guard by the smooth shift in mood.
He gave a light nod—an unspoken alright.
Before he could add anything else, a golden shimmer danced in the air.
Sihyun had used a small flick of magic—gentle, playful—to pull Muwon closer.
Muwon's breath hitched slightly as their faces were now inches apart.
"And my dear prince,"
Sihyun whispered with a teasing glint in his eyes,
"will be cloaking thirty soon…"
Muwon chuckled softly—but then stilled as Sihyun leaned in closer.
"…that's why the ritual night can't wait,"
Sihyun added in a low voice before pulling him into a deep, searing kiss.
Muwon responded instantly, melting into the kiss—his guilt momentarily drowned by how much he wanted this, how much he wanted him.
Their kiss deepened, hands exploring, the golden glow of ritual magic beginning to pulse faintly between them.
Outside, the full moon hung in the sky—silent, watching—as the ritual night began again.
Palace Garden – Under the Night Sky
The courtyard was quiet, bathed in soft silver moonlight.
Crickets chirped in the distance. A gentle breeze rustled the trees.
Yuhyun, Dohyun, and Taejin stood together in a loose circle—shoulders relaxed, yet their minds far from calm.
None of them had spoken for a while. They just stared upward, each lost in thought.
Eventually, Yuhyun broke the silence.
"I wonder…"
He spoke gently, voice thoughtful.
"Are they fighting… or not?"
Dohyun and Taejin glanced at each other briefly. The silence fell again.
Then Yuhyun suddenly turned toward them.
"Hey… be honest.
Is the prince hiding something from us?"
The question hung heavy in the air like mist.
Dohyun's expression twisted—guilt flashing through his eyes.
"Aaaah—I can't take it anymore!"
He wailed suddenly, clutching his own hair.
"Yuhyun, please, don't tell Sihyun!"
"Dohyun!"
Taejin hissed, eyes widening in panic.
"Don't say it!"
But it was too late.
Dohyun, chest heaving, spilled everything.
"The prince… he already told the nobles.
He announced he plans to… to marry Sihyun.
He's going to adopt an heir. He's not hiding it anymore."
Yuhyun froze.
His lips parted, but no sound came out.
His thoughts spiraled as he tried to process everything at once.
He told the nobles? Without telling us? Without telling Sihyun?
That explains everything… the tension… the stares…
Taejin stepped forward, tense.
"I told you he'd tell Sihyun, Dohyun.
He'll go straight to him the moment we turn our backs."
Yuhyun blinked and finally snapped out of it.
He raised both hands in surrender.
"I didn't hear anything."
He said with forced calm.
"My lips are sealed. You don't have to worry."
But Taejin's eyes narrowed with disbelief.
"You say that now. But your eyes…
you already look like you have to tell him."
Yuhyun didn't deny it.
He just looked away, guilt surfacing in his silence.
Dohyun groaned again, sinking to a crouch, hands over his face.
"We're doomed."
The three of them stood under the stars, wrapped in uncertainty, each wondering what would come first—truth… or fallout.
Muwon's Chamber – Midnight
The curtains swayed faintly from the wind slipping through the cracks of the palace windows. The moonlight painted soft silver lines across the floor, casting a calming glow over the bed where two figures lay half-covered by silken sheets.
Their breaths were slow, quiet—bodies warm from the completed ritual.
Sihyun lay beside Muwon, resting on his side, his bare back partially exposed, strands of hair tousled over the pillow.
Breaking the silence, Sihyun's voice came low and thoughtful.
"I buried Vanyul… not long ago."
Muwon, still catching his breath, slowly turned his head toward him.
"Is it… going to work?"
He asked softly.
"You won't see him anymore?"
Sihyun didn't answer right away. He looked toward the ceiling with unreadable eyes before answering.
"We'll just have to wait and see."
A long, quiet pause.
Then—
"Sihyun,"
Muwon said gently, voice almost a whisper.
"Mm?"
Sihyun answered without turning.
Muwon hesitated.
He could hear his own heartbeat.
He had rehearsed this moment too many times, but now that it was real—he hesitated.
"There's something I've been meaning to tell you,"
He said.
"I've been scared to bring it up. But… now I think I'm ready."