"Don't move," he added, narrowing his eyes. "Don't go anywhere. If you move…" His voice dropped low as he leaned in closer, his expression serious. "I'll definitely chain you to the bed."
Linyue blinked at him. "Is that a threat?"
Shu Mingye looked her dead in the eye. "A promise."
She stared at him, studying him for a moment longer. "But I want to take a bath and change my robes."
He didn't hesitate. Not even for a second. "Do it here."
Her eyes narrowed. "My robes…"
"I'll take care of it," Shu Mingye said firmly. His expression didn't leave any room for argument. "Don't even think about stepping outside."
Linyue exhaled slowly and nodded once. "Alright."
For a split second, his face softened. A small smile tugged at his lips. Then he leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. Before she could react, he turned around and walked out. No dramatic cape flutter. No parting words. Just the sound of the door clicking shut behind him and the heavy silence of the room.
Linyue stared at the door for a long moment. Her brain reminded her, very helpfully, that the last time she was in this room had been… awkward. She tried to erase it from her memory. Her face, however, decided to burn anyway. And then his words echoed back in her mind. "I'll take care of it."
She frowned. What… exactly does that mean?
Right on cue, a knock sounded at the door.
Linyue straightened at the sound. "That was fast," she muttered, walking over to the door. She pulled it open, expecting Shu Mingye—though honestly, he wasn't the type to knock.
It was not Shu Mingye. A maidservant stood there, calm and perfectly professional, holding a tray stacked with neatly folded clothes in soft lavender tones.
The maid bowed politely. "Lord Shu prepared this for… Madam."
"…Madam?" Linyue echoed.
There was a pause. The maid didn't blink, didn't stutter, didn't correct herself.
Linyue didn't bother correcting her either. "…Thank you," she said quietly, reaching for the tray.
The maid bowed again and walked away, leaving Linyue in the doorway holding expensive-looking clothes and way too many unhelpful thoughts.
She closed the door slowly and glanced down at the fabric in her hands. Lavender. Smooth. Elegant. Probably absurdly expensive. And… embroidery? Really? He prepared embroidered clothes?
Linyue stared at it a little longer. "…Madam?" she repeated under her breath, her face heating up.
Nope. Absolutely not thinking about that. Shaking her head, she pushed the thought out and rushed to the bath. Within minutes, she was finally soaking in warm water, scrubbing away days of dust, smoke, and near-death running. Her body relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever.
Once she was clean, Linyue slipped into the lavender robes. They were… unexpectedly nice. Light. Soft. Silky, but not the kind that slid annoyingly all over the place. She tugged at the sleeves, turned slightly in front of the mirror, and watched the fabric flutter around her ankles. Without meaning to, she smiled. Then she walked back to the bed.
The bed was still there, of course. Still looking soft. Still ridiculously inviting. It seemed to whisper, "You've been riding horses for days. Just a little nap. No one will know."
She stopped and stared at it.
Shu Mingye was probably busy commanding the entire palace, barking orders, testing cures, scaring palace physicians, flipping tables, or however he handled things. It could be hours before he came back. Should she wait? Should she sit? Should she… nap?
She sat down first. Just to test it. The mattress sank slightly under her weight, perfectly soft. Very dangerous. Then she leaned back. Just to rest her spine. One breath. Two. Three.
The robe was soft. The bed was softer.
This was a trap. A very luxurious, extremely comfortable trap.
Linyue let out one last quiet sigh as her eyes fluttered shut.
Just five minutes, she told herself. Or ten. Definitely not until someone finds me snoring in the Demon King's bed. Definitely not.
*****
Shu Mingye walked quickly down the palace corridor, his dark robes trailing behind him with each step. It was already dawn. Somehow, the entire night had slipped away while he was busy with physicians and guards. He hadn't meant to be gone for so long. The palace physician had taken the plants Linyue gave him and brewed them into a cure faster than anyone expected. Tests were already underway. Results looked promising. He had done everything he needed to do. Almost everything. Now, he just wanted to return.
Had she stayed? Was she bored? Annoyed? Or worse, gone?
She better not be gone. He had very clearly told her not to leave. There had even been a threat. Chains were involved. Not that he would actually—
…Probably.
He opened the door to his chamber. The room was quiet. No footsteps. No rustling. No annoyed voice saying, "You're late."
His eyes immediately landed on the bed.
There she was. Lying sideways, half tangled in the blanket. Her long black hair spilled over the pillow in a messy wave. She was wearing the lavender robes he had chosen. They looked better on her than he had imagined, not that he would ever admit he had imagined it.
She looked peaceful. Ridiculously peaceful, in fact.
He paused by the door, staring like some fool who had never seen a sleeping woman before. One of her hands was tucked under her head, the other dangling limply off the edge of the bed. Her lips were slightly parted, her breaths soft and steady.
Shu Mingye sighed quietly. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to come in, scowl, and make a dramatic speech about her recklessness. Instead, here he was watching her sleep like a complete idiot.
He stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed. She didn't even stir. Of course not. She probably hadn't slept properly in days. For a moment, he just leaned down slightly. Close enough to see her breathing softly. Close enough to feel the warmth she gave off, or rather, the lack of it. She was always cold.
He shook his head at himself. This was pathetic. He had a reputation to uphold. Kings didn't sit around staring at sleeping women like lovesick teenagers. He moved to the other side of the bed and lay down beside her. Slowly. Carefully. Not touching. Not daring to breathe too loudly. He reached out, pulled the blanket up a little more over her shoulders. Then he whispered, mostly to himself, "You actually stayed."
And with the faintest smile on his lips—soft, tired, and full of everything he hadn't said yet—he closed his eyes too.
Before he drifted to sleep, Shu Mingye felt movement beside him. A small shift. A rustle of fabric. Then something pressed softly against his side.
Linyue.
Still asleep, she turned toward him and snuggled into his chest. One arm looped lazily around his waist. Her head settled just above his heart, perfectly still. And she was cold. Freezing cold. Like hugging an overly polite snowman.
He froze. Heroically. Monumentally. Not a single muscle dared twitch.
Was she awake? Did she do this on purpose? Was this revenge? Maybe for threatening to chain her to the bed? It was exactly the kind of calm, calculated move she'd pull.
But no. Her face was soft, calm. No smirk. No hint of mischief hiding in her dimples. She was breathing evenly, lips slightly parted, completely oblivious to the way she had just hijacked his sanity. Definitely asleep.
His heart, however, had no such discipline. It slammed against his ribs. Loud and unruly. So loud he was half-convinced she could hear it. Maybe the entire palace could hear it.
"Calm down," he muttered under his breath.
It did not calm down. If anything, it grew worse when she let out a small sigh and nudged even closer, like she was trying to burrow into his chest cavity.
Shu Mingye, the feared King of Shulin, panicked for three full seconds. Then very slowly, he turned onto his side. One arm slid around her back. The other hand found its way to her neck and pulled her gently against his chest. He held her there, feeling the steady rhythm of her breath. She was still cold. But strangely, he liked it.
Still cold. Still her.
His lips curved up faintly. "She did it first," Shu Mingye muttered to himself, as if preparing his legal defense in advance.
With Linyue asleep in his arms and his heart still thudding like an idiot in love, Shu Mingye finally closed his eyes again. Sleep came slowly. But it came.