(From Blue''s Perspective)


    Demetrius was eager to awaken my power as well. He always behaved as if he had never known the fact that I had ck mana inside me before. But how could I be sure? How could I find out that he did not know all this before and nned it all?


    The best way to keep me by his side would be marrying me and binding me in his love. But did he truly manipte me? I had no idea what to think anymore.


    But one this was clear- I needed to be wary of him no matter what. I had no idea what he was thinking.


    "Are you taking a bath?"


    I jumped up in surprise hearing the familiar masculine voice. I quickly covered myself with my hands as much as I could. My heart was beating faster and I was sure that I had started sweating as well.


    "Why? Why are you hiding yourself?" he asked. "I am your husband."


    I did not say anything, just looked down. He removed my hands from my front and kissed my palms. He pressed his palm over my forehead.


    "Is my hand too cold?" he asked. "You''re shivering the moment I touched you."


    "No... It''s n-not..."


    "Why are you alone? Where is your maid? You are sick. You shouldn''t be alone at all," he said and sat me back down in the tub.


    "I told... her to leave... since I w-wanted to be alone," I said.


    "Alone? Why?"


    "I just... wanted t-to..."


    "I don''t understand. Just a while ago, you were better than before. But your voice is cracking more than before now," he muttered as he clicked his tongue. "I think I should call the doctor now."


    As he tried to turn back, I quickly held his hand. I could not tell him that I did not have much of a problem in my throat. Rather, I was stuttering because I was scared and confused more than ever. After all, if he was truly deceiving me, then every sweet he said to me would be a lie and the feelings I had for him would have no meaning.


    "Don''t... I''m f-fine," I said. I tried as much as I could to control my voice.


    "You don''t look fine though..."


    "I am!"


    He sighed and looked away from me. I wondered if he suspected anything. But it seemed he was more focused on taking off his clothes than thinking about my unintentionally odd behavior.


    "Wha... What''re you d-doing?" I asked, surprised.


    "Taking my clothes off?"


    "I... I can see t-that. But w-why?"


    "Because I want to?"


    "I don''t... Why are you..."


    He chuckled and got in the tub with me. The tub in our room was pretty big that two persons could get in easily. I had always appreciated the big space. But for the first time, I wished it was not that big.


    "Why are you moving away, my wife?" he asked. "It''s not like this is the first time you''ve seen me naked or I have seen you naked. I understand that it''s the first time we got in the bath together. But you don''t have any reason to be that shy."


    ''I''m not shy. I''m scared.''


    "Come here," he said.


    "I... I am fine here... Ack!"


    I did not know he would do this. Perhaps he knew that I was reluctant, that was why he pulled me towards him all of a sudden that I stumbled on him.


    "You''re still as weak as ever," he muttered as he kissed my shoulder. "Why did the doctor even say that you got better a bit?"


    "I... g-got better than before," I said. "I really d-did..."


    "I will take your word on that then, for now, my darling wife. You went to the magic tower, didn''t you?"


    "I-I did..."


    "Tell me everything," he said.


    "H-How can... I talk in this position?"


    "In what position, my wife?"


    "I am literally o-on you... and you''re... um... licking m-my shoulder..."


    "I can''t?"


    "N-No... Wait until I g-get better..."


    He sighed. "Alright," he said a bit reluctantly. "Sit down between my legs."


    I did as he told me. I could hear his heartbeat behind me. Every time I was this close to him, I would feel veryfortable. But thatfort suddenly went far away and all I could feel was more confusion.


    "Now tell me," he said as he wrapped his strong arms around me as if shielding me.


    "He took my b-blood... just a bit... and well, it was proven right," I said. Even if I did not want to tell him this, I had no choice. If not from me, he would find it out from Luc. Luc might have helped me realize a few things; he still was loyal to his kingdom and the king.


    No matter what, he would not betray his kingdom. That was the type of person he was.


    "And then?"


    "And then, he took my neck... Eh?"


    "Yes?"


    ''The ne... I gave it to Luc. That means, all this time, Dem could read my mind... Shit!''


    I needed to get out of here. I did not care what the truth was. This time, all I wanted was to get away as soon as possible.


    I quickly slipped out of his arms and tried to get out of the tub in a rush. I did so as well, but since my body was kind of weak and the floor was slippery because of the water, I only remembered falling forward.


    A muscr arm held me by my waist and stopped the fall in the middle. But I would have preferred to fall down than get caught by him.


    "Haa, you seem to have forgotten the important part, my wife," he whispered in my ear. "The ne... How could you forget about it so easily?"


    I should have been more careful. Perhaps because I had been wearing it all the time, I got too used to it. I even thought I was wearing it when I had given it to Luc.


    "Let... me go..."


    "Let you go? Why would I?" he asked in a dark and deep tone that spread shiver on my skin.


    "You..."


    I struggled in his arm, but he did not seem to budge. He picked me up from the ground while holding me so tightly that it was hard for me to move my hands or legs.


    He ced me on the bed gently. I truly thought he was going to throw me on the bed. He was being much unexpected. Even his eyes did not show much anger.


    "You really..."


    "What?"


    "Did you know t-this all... along?" I asked.


    "No..."


    "No?"


    "You don''t believe me?" he asked.


    "Haa, how can I?" I mumbled. "Think of my... position right now. You can r-read all of my thoughts, and... I have no clue what you''re thinking."


    "I actually never knew about it before," he said calmly. "I know it''s strange and whatever you''re thinking has a point, but believe it or not, I truly never knew."


    "I don''t..."


    I did not know how to trust him this time. I thought I could, but it was harder than I thought. Even tears in my eyes were dry. It was as if along with my thoughts, my tears had been frozen as well.


    "Will you listen to me?" he asked.


    "Do I... have a choice?"


    "That''s true. Because even if you don''t want to, I will make you listen to me," he said. "I don''t want to have any kind of misunderstanding between us. I will even understand if you don''t believe me after hearing me out. But still, you need to know my side of the story."


    "A-Alright, I will... listen to you," I said. "What... What are you doing?"


    He tied my hands over my head with the headboard. Thanks to the excessive design of the headboard, it was easy to tie my hand with it.


    "The moment I will go to get a towel, you will run away," he said.


    ''Shit! Damn mind-reading ability!''


    "Where will you go?" he asked.


    I did not know where I would go. But still, I just wanted to get out of the room, out of his sight. Even just for a while, I wanted to be away from him.


    "Away..."


    "Away where?" he muttered. "Not that I need to know."


    "After all, the only ce you can be is here," he added as he brought his close to mine. "Didn''t I say it before? Well, even if I have to say it hundreds of times, it will be the same. I won''t let you leave. You have to be here, with me."


    "Dem..."


    "Yes?" he said. "You want me to tell you everything. Then as you wish, I will. After all, I can''t let my darling wife live in the darkness."