CHAPTER 53
Morning light filtered faintly through the curtains. Muwon groaned, his head heavy from last night's drinks. He barely had time to gather his senses when the doors burst open.
"Your Highness!"
Dohyun's voice rang sharply.
Taejin followed, eyes wide and breath rushed.
"You have to get up—Sihyun's done something terrible."
Muwon sat up slowly, blinking at them.
"What…?"
His voice was dry, slow.
"What happened to him…?"
Dohyun exchanged a look with Taejin, then said flatly,
"He set Vanyul free."
That sobered Muwon instantly.
He stood, a cold edge rising behind his groggy eyes.
"Do you have proof?"
Taejin nodded quickly.
"We followed him last night. We were suspicious when we saw him moving alone. He snuck into the dungeon—and we saw him talking to Vanyul. Whispering."
Dohyun added,
"There was also a woman—someone we've never seen before. She transformed… it wasn't human. After that, Vanyul vanished."
Muwon's expression darkened, but he tried to hold onto reason.
"Maybe… there's another explanation—"
"There isn't,"
Taejin interrupted firmly.
"We wanted to believe he was different. That he cared for you. But he's just faking it all, Muwon. All of it."
Dohyun stepped closer, his voice gentler.
"We were wrong to trust him with your heart. He's dangerous. He doesn't love you."
Muwon's throat went dry.
Last night—the warmth, the closeness—everything began to blur. His hand slowly clenched around the bedsheets. His chest ached, not from anger… but from something more painful.
Betrayal.
Morning sunlight spilled through the thin paper windows. Sihyun sat cross-legged on the floor, his back to the bed, fingers dancing idly with small golden-red sparks. The glow reflected in his black eyes, calm and almost content.
Behind him, Yuhyun stirred and blinked awake.
"You're up early…"
he murmured groggily, rubbing his eyes.
"How did your little dinner with the prince go?"
Sihyun didn't turn around. He simply smiled to himself, letting the sparks flicker between his fingers, curling into little flames before dissolving like mist.
Then—the alarm bells rang.
A sharp clang echoed through the palace. The sound of running feet and shouting guards filled the halls.
Yuhyun sat up fast, fully alert.
"What's going on…?"
He looked at Sihyun, who hadn't moved—still playing with the firelight on his fingers.
"…What did you do, Sihyun?"
Yuhyun's voice dropped, suddenly wary.
Sihyun glanced over his shoulder with a soft, unreadable smirk.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Before Yuhyun could press further, the doors slammed open.
Guards stood there, breathless and tense—swords drawn but hesitant.
"S-Sihyun,"
one of them stammered, clearly afraid.
"By order of His Majesty… you are summoned before the throne."
Their hands twitched near their weapons, but none dared step closer. He was unchained—and they knew.
Sihyun rose slowly, dusting off his robe.
"No need to tremble,"
he said lazily, his voice smooth.
"I'll go."
He walked past them without a glance, calm and deliberate. The guards stepped back instinctively, forming a loose line behind him as he exited.
Yuhyun remained frozen for a moment—his heart racing.
Then he shot out of bed, hurriedly dressing.
"Sihyun… what did you do?"
The throne room was silent as Sihyun stepped in, his steps slow, measured, unfazed by the guards behind him. His chains were gone, but the tension in the room hung heavier than iron.
The king sat tall on his throne, eyes dark and unreadable. Beside him, Prince Muwon stood stiffly—expression unreadable, but his gaze never left Sihyun. Dohyun and Taejin flanked Muwon, and Yuhyun stood just behind the line of guards, looking confused and tense, his eyes darting between them all.
Sihyun stopped a few feet before the king and bowed shallowly.
"Did you set Ryu Vanyul free?"
the king asked coldly, his voice echoing through the grand hall.
Sihyun slowly straightened, his eyes cool.
"Do you have proof?"
he asked smoothly, not even blinking.
Gasps rippled through the hall. Even the guards shifted uncomfortably.
Yuhyun's eyes widened as the realization hit him. Vanyul… he freed Vanyul? His heart thudded painfully in his chest.
The king, unfazed by Sihyun's boldness, answered without missing a beat.
"Dohyun and Taejin witnessed it with their own eyes. They followed you."
Sihyun's expression faltered for the first time. His brow furrowed slightly, lips tightening as he cast a sharp glance at Dohyun and Taejin.
Medddling pests…
Dohyun folded his arms, face hard. Taejin, for once, didn't look smug. Their silence said enough.
Across the room, Muwon's gaze remained fixed on Sihyun. He wasn't breathing. His fingers were clenched at his sides, lips slightly parted.
It can't be true… He wouldn't…
But Sihyun wouldn't meet his eyes.
The space between them felt wider than ever.
Sihyun stood unshaken, arms loosely folded as the tension in the throne room grew thicker.
"Whatever they told you,"
he said calmly,
"is false. I was with the prince the entire night."
Dohyun's eyes widened.
"What—!?"
Taejin took a step forward.
"Your Majesty, that's a lie. We saw him with our own eyes—"
"Enough,"
the king cut in, raising a hand. His eyes remained fixed on Sihyun.
"Is it true or false?"
he asked again, voice like cold steel.
Sihyun tilted his head slightly.
"Would you believe me,"
he said softly,
"if I told you I didn't set Vanyul free?"
The king narrowed his eyes.
"You're the only demon sorcerer in this palace. The Sorcerer's Chains were broken with magic."
Sihyun's smile was faint, almost mocking.
"What if the chains were already loose? And he simply used whatever magic he could muster to break free? Or…"
He let the word hang in the air for a beat before continuing,
"What if there's another demon sorcerer besides me and Vanyul? Who knows…"
Gasps echoed in the room.
Even the guards faltered, eyes darting at one another in alarm. Yuhyun looked stunned. Dohyun and Taejin glanced at the king, and Muwon… his eyes stayed locked on Sihyun, disbelief flickering into something darker—fear.
The king sat forward slightly, suspicion carved into his face.
"Are you saying there's another?"
Sihyun didn't answer. He simply smiled, his golden eyes glowing faintly for just a second before the light disappeared.