White Dress, Dark Opening

Valencia froze in horror. Wait… she killed herself? She refused Kael over an unpleasant man like Gerald?! Her face creased with displeasure.

Kael stared at her facial expression and laughed.

“I’m fine though…” he whispered. Valencia quickly stood from the tub and hugged him. His body tensed. “Val…?”

“Why are you acting like a gloomy cloud over the sun? She made her choice, and I can tell you… she definitely didn’t make a good one,” she stated. A tear appeared in the corner of Kael’s eye. Valencia pulled away and pointed in the air. “I mean, who wants to be with a disgusting man like His Highness? She must be blind by his royal title because there is absolutely nothing good about him other than his title for power!”

Kael stared in front of him, flushing. The silence between them made Valencia ponder. She looked at him.

“Are you okay?”

“You’re naked…” he muttered. His nose bled.

Valencia’s face turned red as she hid her chest.

“Then look the other way!”

“But I’ve seen it before…”

“Shut up!”

“I… was just shocked?”

“GET OUT!”

When Valencia finished her bath, she glared at him. He smiled with a napkin in his nose.

“I really appreciate your kind words. Truly.”

Valencia pushed him away, dropping herself onto the bed. He chuckled.

“I don’t want to share the bed with you tonight…” she grumbled.

“But… we will be wedded tomorrow,” Kael pouted like a sad puppy.

Valencia covered her ears while he kept calling her name. Argh… why? Why did I agree to marry this man? Should I just burn the contract?!

Through the night, Kael held her close without budging, and she allowed it as long as he didn’t keep her up.

As the sunrays warmed through the horizon, Valencia woke up with Kael hugging her waist. She let a smile without realizing it and brushed his blonde hair. He took a deep breath with his eyes closed and pulled her in.

“I’m still tired—”

SLAM.

“Son, your wedding is today!” Nuredus screamed, slamming the door open.

Kael’s eyes opened widely. He looked up at Valencia, then turned around.

“Mother, Valencia is still in her nightgown—”

“Son… you can still see that in many years to come. Now get out so my daughter can get ready!”

Kael groaned, brushing his hair back.

“Mother—”

“Out!” Nuredus exclaimed, kicking him out of the door with his robe undone. “And tell the Lady’s maid to come here!”

He stood there, baffled, before his lips curved into a smile. He entered his room and leaned his back against the door.

“I’m going crazy… this is just a contract marriage for her to become my guide, but why do I want to throw away the contract and marry you?” he whispered while Nuredus dressed Valencia for her wedding. Kael blushed and stared at the tuxedo on his bed. “Should we just say we truly like each other and marry for real?”

He walked to his tuxedo and changed into it. Once he was done, he stepped to his balcony.

“Young Lord—I mean… Duke,” Detri called with a bow.

Kael smiled, patting Detri’s shoulder.

“What did you find?”

“All of the monsters that appeared yesterday… happened without a cause.”

“What do you mean?” Kael asked, his eyes glaring. “Without a cause? That’s impossible.”

Detri knelt, his head lowering.

“They just appeared out of nowhere… as if they were called upon or summoned.”

“How can they just be ‘summoned’? The Demon King has been killed for more than I can remember… Who could have summoned these monsters?”

Detri tightened his jaw.

“I—”

“It was very close, too… there were traces of blood that appeared out of nowhere before her scent was gone.” Kael clenched his fists. “These monsters wouldn’t appear out of nowhere…”

Detri raised his head and looked at Kael’s face. He sighed heavily.

“How is Lady Elyane?”

“Soon-to-be-Duchess…” Kael corrected. “She… seems fine.”

“Fine? Even when this is the first time she has seen a monster?”

Kael’s chest tightened as he froze. First time? Was this her first time?

“What are you trying to get at?”