CHAPTER 64……………………..
Jeyna, still seated, pressed her lips against Theoris’s. Because of her nerves, her lips were a little dry, and she tasted a faint trace of blood. Without hesitation, Jeyna delved into his mouth. Her movements were a little rough and aggressive, and Theoris obediently followed her lead.
A slightly trembling hand carefully pressed against Jeyna’s back. As if releasing all the anxiety he’d been holding in, Theoris pulled her tightly into his arms and closed his eyes.
The heated desire crawling over his body made him restless. Between their hot breaths, a faint silver thread glimmered.
They kissed until they were almost breathless. Jeyna, her face flushed, gave a small smile. The way her eyes curved with lust made her look like a seductive dream demon.
With one hand, she slowly began undoing the buttons on Theoris’s shirt.
“Teo.”
Her voice, scratched with breathlessness, called his name.
“Yes, Jeyna.”
Before he realized it, Jeyna had already loosened his front. She stretched out her slender fingers and pressed them against his nape. His wild, pounding pulse and the furious thumping of his heart betrayed everything he felt. Running her hand down his feverish body, Jeyna whispered:
“Shall we go to bed?”
“Teo.”
“Yes, Jeyna.”
Theoris answered as he always did, with a voice brimming with love. Seeing his face, now a little more at ease as if his anxiety had finally settled, Jeyna felt reassured.
“Now tell me. What happened with Perus? What’s really going on right now?”
At her question, Theoris’s expression—moments ago so tender—stiffened slightly. But this time, he did not avoid an answer.
“Please promise me you won’t get angry.”
This time, it wasn’t a plea that she wouldn’t hate him, but that she wouldn’t get angry. The certainty in his words—that she loved him—made Jeyna smile.
“I promise.”
She raised her pinky finger and hooked it around his. Theoris blinked, looking puzzled.
‘Ah, right. They don’t do pinky promises here.’
Jeyna pressed her thumb against his, then released his hand.
“This means that, no matter what, I’ll keep my promise.”
Theoris nodded and took her hand, leading her down a long hallway. The farther they went from the room, the noisier it became. Explosions rumbled faintly, and she could hear the cries of monsters she had heard once before. Jeyna grew uneasy.
‘No way… could it really be that bad?’
But when she stopped by a window, she had to swallow her naïve thought.
“Teo, this is…”
“It’s just as you see.”
“The soldiers out there—they’re imperial troops, aren’t they?”
“Yes.”
“And those things flying in the sky…”
“Monsters.”
Jeyna pressed her forehead with her palm.
The situation was far worse than she thought.
Why were imperial soldiers camped outside? Why were monsters flying in the sky? Why was smoke rising where the village should be?
‘This is no time to be sharing tender moments!’
It was too late to regret. She had promised not to get angry.
Suppressing her boiling frustration, Jeyna forced a smile.
“All right, Teo. Explain properly. Why are the imperial soldiers here?”
She tried to keep her tone gentle and playful, but she couldn’t hide the faint tremor in her voice.
Theoris began explaining everything carefully.
Theoris gently caught Jeyna in his arms as she lost consciousness. Startled, Cotton Candy quickly leapt into her embrace.
Watching this, Perus narrowed his eyes.
“What’s going on here, brother?”
There was no time to answer every question.
Theoris moved without hesitation.
Perus wouldn’t have come alone. The imperial soldiers would arrive any moment.
Even Theoris couldn’t handle imperial troops all by himself. They had to escape before reinforcements arrived.
“Are you planning to run away?”
Perus’s sly, leisurely voice tried to hold him in place.
Theoris knew ignoring him and fleeing blindly wasn’t the right choice.
Perus had a recording stone with footage of Jeyna controlling monsters. And he also had one of the monsters Jeyna treasured. If she learned that the Beligus Dragon hatchling had been left behind, she would never forgive him.
How could you abandon Blackie like that?!
Just imagining Jeyna glaring at him with such resentment made his heart ache. For a moment, Theoris wavered, biting down hard on his lip before moving again.
Even if it meant she would hate him.
Her safety mattered more. Having her alive and by his side mattered more.
Until now, he had respected her wishes so she wouldn’t stop loving him. He had granted even her unreasonable demands because they were hers. He had endured his fears when she recklessly risked herself, never resorting to force.
But not this time.
I won’t lose her. Not to anyone.
Even if this choice meant losing everything else, he would never allow Jeyna to be taken. Theoris steeled his resolve and strode forward.
“If that is your decision, brother.”
Perus clapped lightly. Soldiers hidden nearby revealed themselves at once.
Just as I thought.
Grinding his teeth, Theoris glared at him. He had suspected Perus had hidden soldiers, but not so close.
“Don’t worry. No harm will come to Jeyna. She’s very important to me, too. So please, hand her over.”
Perus smiled warmly.
Then the only way…
Escape wasn’t impossible. With teleportation, they could get away.
Revealing his hidden power no longer mattered. The real danger was that there might be a mage among the soldiers. Teleportation was advanced magic—if interrupted, the coordinates could scatter, or only one person might be transported.
If it were only himself, he wouldn’t hesitate. But with Jeyna in his arms, he couldn’t risk her safety.
Then the only choice is to fight?
“Surely, brother, you’re not thinking of fighting? The imperial forces here are only a fraction.”
Perus cut into his thoughts as if reading them.
Theoris stood frozen, unable to decide. Cotton Candy, nestled quietly in Jeyna’s arms, suddenly jumped down.
“Kyuuuk.”
With a shake, the little creature cried at Theoris.
Then, waddling on short legs, it trotted toward Perus. No one thought to stop it; after all, it was just a small, fluffy ball that could fit in one hand.
“Kyua?”
Cotton Candy tilted its head with a cute chirp, wagging its tiny tail. Then it leapt.
“Aaaargh!”
Its tiny body expanded in an instant, smashing a soldier beneath its massive paw. Taken off guard, the man collapsed with a scream.
The other soldiers, shocked, drew their swords at the creature. But none struck it down.
Perus must have ordered them not to harm Jeyna’s monster.
Theoris realized at once—the one Cotton Candy struck had been the mage.
With the soldiers distracted, Theoris seized the chance and teleported.
Perus, calm amidst the chaos, waved casually as he watched Theoris vanish in black energy. As though he had anticipated even this, he smiled.
We’ll meet again soon, brother.
Reading the soundless movement of Perus’s lips, Theoris bit down until he tasted blood.
In the blink of an eye, they were back at the Grand Duke’s estate.
Looking down at the woman in his arms, Theoris forced his heart to steady.
“Jeyna…”
He whispered her name softly.
He had abandoned the two monsters she loved and turned the empire into his enemy. Though they had escaped, who knew what would come next? Just thinking of it made his head pound.
Truthfully, becoming enemies with the empire didn’t matter.
What terrified him was losing Jeyna’s love—losing her gentle smile.
What am I afraid of now?
He couldn’t undo his choice. Gazing at her as though she were someone he might never see again, Theoris walked into the manor.
He laid her in the room he had prepared for her and fastened shackles he had hidden deep in storage. Her slender ankle, so small it fit easily in one hand, seemed like it might break, and he couldn’t bring himself to tighten the shackle too much.
To protect her delicate skin, he lined it with soft cloth. He lengthened the chain so it wouldn’t hinder her movements too much.
“…I’m sorry.”
Pulling the blanket up to her shoulders and smoothing her hair, Theoris muttered his brief apology before leaving the room.
The moment he shut the door, he sank against it.
It’s over now.
He buried his face in his knees, imagining Jeyna’s eyes filled with contempt.
He was used to cold stares. But thinking Jeyna might look at him that way already chilled his heart.
“Why do something you’ll regret?”
Homel, who had been watching him, clicked his tongue.
“I won’t regret it.”
Theoris’s voice was low and strained as he forced himself to his feet.
He wouldn’t regret it.
A lie.
Even now, he wondered if he should rush back to save the monsters Jeyna cherished. If he dealt with everything before she woke, maybe…
No. I mustn’t.
There was no guarantee he could return. And for Jeyna’s safety, for the sake of keeping her with him forever, it was unavoidable to take her freedom away. It was something he would have had to do eventually.
To prevent greater regret, Theoris chose the regret that lay before him.
