"Why did you leave like that?" I asked as I hurried to catch up with him.
Dylan suddenly stopped.
Because I was too busy glaring at his back, I walked straight into him and bumped my forehead against his shoulders.
"Ow—"
"We're not here on vacation," he said flatly, without even turning around.
I rubbed my forehead, frowning at him.
I honestly didn't know what was wrong with him. He was completely unpredictable. One moment he acted cold, the next mysterious… and sometimes he was just impossible.
"I never said we were on vacation," I shot back.
"It was just a necklace. I asked for it because I wanted it. Who I choose to give it to shouldn't matter. What should matter is the fact that I wanted it."
I glared at him.
"Well, if you wanted it so badly, you should've bought it yourself," he said, finally turning to face me. "What does that have to do with me?"
The audacity.
Just before the argument could escalate, Bruno suddenly appeared beside us.
"Everything is ready, my lord," he reported.
Dylan gave me one last unreadable look before turning away.
As he walked off with Bruno, Bruno paused beside me.
"Stop trying to cling to Lord Dylan," he warned coldly. "You'll only end up miserable. He will never take a liking to you."
Then he walked away.
I stared after him, stunned.
I couldn't even tell what exactly he meant.
I scoffed.
"Who's clinging to him?" I muttered in disbelief before hurrying after them.
"But why are we using a carriage if you both can teleport?" I asked once I caught up.
"That's because we don't want to alert the enemy," Dylan explained calmly. "You saw what happened at the inn. We wouldn't want any extra inconvenience."
"Oh…"
That actually made sense.
"By morning, we should reach the village of Yakima," Dylan continued. "Stay alert. Based on Bruno's report, our first priority is locating the king being held hostage."
"But how are we supposed to get into the palace?" I asked.
"It's heavily guarded," Bruno added.
"That won't be a problem," Dylan said.
He turned to Bruno.
"You go ahead first. Once you confirm where Eric is being held, report back to me immediately."
Bruno nodded.
"The demon offering is in three days," Dylan continued. "That's most likely when they plan to sacrifice him. Which means we only have two days to rescue him."
Bruno gave a short nod before disappearing into the woods.
Then Dylan turned to me and handed me a folded piece of red fabric.
"Wear this."
I looked down.
It was a red wedding robe.
I blinked, but said nothing.
Instead, I quietly stepped into the room to change.
When I came back out, Dylan was already waiting outside—dressed in a matching red robe, his sharp features standing out even more beneath the rich color.
"I'm ready," I said.
His eyes flicked over me briefly.
Then, without a word, he walked to the carriage, grabbed something from inside, and came back.
Before I could ask, he led me behind the carriage to a fallen tree and gestured for me to sit.
I didn't know what he was planning, but I obeyed.
He stood behind me and gently gathered my hair in his hands.
My breath hitched.
Then he began fixing it.
His fingers moved carefully through my hair, warm and surprisingly skilled. Every now and then, the backs of his knuckles brushed against my neck, sending little shivers racing down my spine.
When he was done, he moved around to stand in front of me.
With one hand, he gently tilted my chin upward.
For a moment, he simply looked at me.
"Close your eyes," he said quietly.
I did.
I felt his fingers brush across my skin, soft and precise as he applied something to my face. Then his thumb lightly touched my lower lip before he spread something smooth over it.
"Done."
My eyes fluttered open.
He handed me a mirror.
I looked at my reflection—
And my breath caught.
God.
I really looked like a bride.
A beautiful bride.
I slowly lifted my gaze to him.
He was ridiculously good at this.
"Thank you," I said softly.
"That's one of the advantages of being my bride," he said with a smug look.
I scoffed.
This man truly could not live without being insufferable.
Still…
I couldn't stop the warmth that rose to my cheeks.
After packing some fruits and snacks into the carriage, we finally set off.
The ride was quiet.
I was still annoyed with Dylan, so I had no intention of speaking first.
He, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought.
I found myself wondering what could possibly be going on in that complicated head of his.
"Why are you so quiet?" he suddenly asked.
I turned to look at him.
Then he added, "Are you thinking about your boyfriend?"
This time, there was no trace of mockery in his voice.
I blinked.
Was he… actually asking seriously?
"I guess you don't know what it means to leave behind the people you love," I said quietly.
His gaze remained on me.
"I came on this journey with you to protect the people I care about," I continued. "My mom. My dad. Jane… and Dave."
Saying Dave's name felt strange now.
"If there's one thing you've refused to tell me, it's the truth—that if we lose this war, the world I came from will cease to exist."
Dylan stared at me for a long moment.
"I suppose you're not an idiot after all," he said.
I rolled my eyes.
"But as long as you stay with me, I'll protect you," he said. "I won't let you die."
My heart skipped.
"So… you actually care about me?" I asked.
"I don't," he replied immediately. "I'm only doing what's necessary. I brought you into this mess, so it's only right that I get you out of it."
Of course.
"The road ahead won't be easy," he added after a moment. "So I hope you'll be able to endure it."
Silence followed.
Then the carriage slowed.
"We're here," the rider announced.
I quickly placed the veil over my head, covering my face.
We stepped out of the carriage.
The rider refused to go any farther.
So Dylan and I continued on foot toward the palace gates.
We had barely taken a few steps inside before guards surrounded us, blades raised.
"Who permitted you to be here?" the leader barked.
Dylan remained perfectly calm.
"My beloved bride and I came to honor His Majesty," he said smoothly, lifting a decree. "We are here by his command."
The guard took the decree from him, and after a brief inspection, we were escorted inside.
Soon, we stood before the king… and the man at his side.
Zadek.
This was the gamble.
If the king truly was a hostage with no part in what was happening in his village, he would play along with our act.
But if he was working with the enemy—
He would expose us immediately.
Coming here meant offering ourselves as bait.
And now that we stood before the king, the only question was:
Which bait would he choose to swallow?
"You said you are the king's cousin?" Zadek asked suspiciously.
"Yes," the king answered before Dylan could speak.
A small breath of relief slipped through me.
"I told him that after his wedding, he should bring his bride and spend their honeymoon in my village," the king added smoothly.
Dylan raised the decree, and one of the guards stepped forward to collect it from him.
Zadek narrowed his eyes, clearly searching for traces of spiritual energy around us.
Fool.
Dylan's expression didn't change, but I could almost feel the confidence radiating from him.
Before coming here, he had concealed his energy so thoroughly that not even a trace remained. That was why he had chosen a carriage instead of teleportation—to completely bury every lingering sign of his power.
"Why is your bride's face still covered?" Zadek asked sharply. "Unveil her."
"And why should I take orders from a mere right-hand man?" Dylan asked coldly.
Under the veil, my eyes widened.
Why was he trying to start a fight when everything was going smoothly?
Then I saw the flicker in Zadek's face.
Suspicion.
Ah.
Too much peace could be just as dangerous as conflict.
If everything looked too perfect, it could raise doubts.
Zadek glanced at the king.
"Unveil your bride, Jeffery," the king ordered.
I felt Dylan turn toward me.
His fingers reached for my veil and slowly drew it down.
"This is my wife, Nichol, Your Majesty," he said.
I lowered my gaze and offered the king a soft, respectful bow.
For a brief second, the king stared.
Then he smiled.
"Assign them a room in the village," he ordered one of the guards. "Make sure it is comfortable."
That was clever.
If he sent us away from the palace instead of keeping us close, it would give us more freedom to investigate.
With that, we were led out and escorted to our assigned room.
"Thank you," I said politely to the guard before he left.
The moment the door shut behind us, I bounced onto the soft bed with relief.
The mattress sank beneath me.
I looked around the room once, then glanced at the bed again.
A single bed.
Slowly, I turned toward Dylan.
I guess… this time around, I'd be sharing a bed with him again.