Caelum Valtaris was silent.
From the moment Aurelia Delensar had erupted into tears, her cries sharp and piercing, to the moment she had exhausted herself and was left quietly sobbing, he had remained silent.
It was as if he had lost the ability to speak.
A faint sense of helplessness coiled around his heart like a vine, cutting it into irreparable pieces.
Caelum thought numbly: I am the source of all her pain.
She cried so bitterly.
Her sorrow made his own heart ache.
He wanted to lay the world's most beautiful treasures at her feet, just to see her smile again.
Should he set her free?
For the first time, the cold, ruthless beast within him hesitated.
…No, he couldn't do it.
Caelum made his decision with icy resolve.
Even if she cried, she would stay by his side.
The crown prince had truly been passing through. He left Vescalen soon after, keeping his promise not to take Aurelia back to the capital.
Aurelia didn't try to stop him. For the first time, she felt no desire to cling to her brother.
The princess wandered aimlessly through the streets.
Caelum followed behind her, hesitating before finally stepping forward. "My lady, would you like to visit the tower the prince recommended?"
The view of the four-colored sky might lift her spirits.
Aurelia didn't even look at him. "No."
They returned to the inn in silence.
As Aurelia was about to close her door, Caelum spoke, his voice barely audible.
"My lady… do you hate me?"
The question had weighed on him for a long time.
The fierce beast who could tear out the throats of powerful prey in the frozen wilderness now hesitated over every word, terrified of displeasing her.
Aurelia frowned.
She was already in a foul mood, and her dark-skinned, foolish knight was asking strange questions.
Still, she answered, "Of course I don't hate you. If I did, I'd have sent you away long ago."
She paused, her long lashes lowering to hide her expression.
"You seem close to my brother, don't you? Nini, I've never asked—where did you live before he brought you to me?"
Caelum froze.
He wasn't allowed to lie to her.
So he remained silent.
As always, his silence masked the tension coiling within him.
Aurelia didn't press the issue, moving on as if it were nothing.
But before Caelum could relax, she asked another question.
"Did my brother know about your identity before?"
His heart plummeted.
Aurelia was clever.
This time, she gave him only two options—yes or no.
No lies, no evasion.
Caelum's voice was barely a whisper. "…Yes."
He hung his head like a condemned prisoner, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached.
He didn't dare ask what she meant by "identity."
Did she know he was a lycan?
Despair washed over him, his large frame trembling faintly with tension.
He held his breath, waiting for her next words.
But Aurelia said nothing, her ruby eyes simply watching him.
The silence was excruciating.
The narrow hallway of the inn was dimly lit, the noise from outside fading like a receding tide.
The quiet between them was deafening.
Every sense was heightened. Caelum could even hear Aurelia's heartbeat—soft, steady, like the unfurling of petals.
It was a stark contrast to the frantic, chaotic rhythm of his own heart.
He couldn't take it anymore.
This torment, teetering on the edge of restraint and fear, was unbearable.
Every second felt like a step closer to the abyss.
His thoughts were a jumbled mess, his breath hot and uneven.
A dangerous idea began to take shape:
If he couldn't have her willingly, he would take her by force.
No more pretending, no more tiptoeing around her, no more begging for scraps of her affection.
The lycan within him was a ruthless predator.
No matter how much Caelum tried to appear gentle and obedient, he couldn't erase the instinct to claim and destroy.
He was, after all, a wolf.
The fact that he hadn't devoured her already was a testament to his self-control.
But now, that control was slipping.
The Red Moon, which amplified his lycan instincts, was only two days away.
Even now, with the moon still hidden, he felt the urge to transform.
In the dim light, his golden eyes glowed, cold yet burning with intensity.
They fixed on Aurelia, taking in her delicate frame, her soft, pale skin.
He thought cruelly: Take her. Claim her.
If she tried to run, he would bind her with the strongest chains.