CHAPTER 34
"What does he want this time?"
Yuhyun stood up, crossing his arms.
"Guess you'll have to find out."
Sihyun groaned again, dragging himself off the bed. As he slipped on his outer robe, the faint glint of his tattoos shimmered under the collar of his loose shirt.
"Fine,"
he muttered, running a hand through his tousled hair.
"Let's go see what the oh-so-mysterious prince wants now... probably another test."
He stepped out, not knowing that this time, Muwon's reason wasn't one of control—but something deeper stirring within him.
Muwon sat at the edge of his bed, posture calm but eyes clouded, lost in thought. His back leaned lightly against the bedframe, hands resting on his knees. The gentle flicker of candlelight cast long shadows across the room, making the atmosphere feel heavier than usual.
The door creaked open.
Sihyun stepped inside slowly, his usual cocky stride subdued by the silence. His gaze locked with Muwon's for just a second before drifting away.
"You called?"
Sihyun asked, voice light, almost bored.
Muwon didn't get up.
"We've missed a lot of ritual nights."
Sihyun shrugged, stepping further into the room.
"That's not my fault. You're the one dragging me into forests and letting boulders fall."
There was no bite to his words—just tiredness. A shield.
Muwon turned his head slightly, watching him.
"You disappeared during the night... I want to know who you went to meet."
The question hung in the air like a dagger. Sihyun paused, jaw tightening ever so slightly, but he didn't answer.
Instead, he moved closer—steps measured, almost too calm.
"Let's just... not waste time,"
he said coolly.
He stood in front of Muwon now, slowly reaching out. With one motion, he began untying Muwon's robe, eyes lowering to examine the prince's bare chest. The faint, dark tendrils of the curse mark were still there, but fainter—fading slowly.
His fingers brushed against the mark, lingering, tracing the edges with a light touch.
"It's working,"
he whispered.
"You won't die... not yet."
Then, without waiting for a response, Sihyun leaned down—hands pressing gently on Muwon's chest—and kissed him. Not urgently, not angrily, but firmly, like a wall slamming up to block out everything else.
A distraction. A diversion.
Because answering that question would mean speaking Vanyul's name—and Sihyun wasn't ready for that.
Muwon didn't immediately respond to the kiss.
His hand rose, gripping Sihyun's wrist—not to push him away, but to steady him, to pause him. Their faces were inches apart, breath mingling.
"You're hiding something from me, Sihyun,"
Muwon said, voice low and firm.
"And I will find out."
Sihyun's eyes flickered, unreadable, but he didn't deny it.
Before Sihyun could pull away, Muwon leaned up and kissed him back—this time slower, deeper, and more intentional. There was something different in it now. Not just necessity, not just ritual. Longing. Confusion. The weight of feelings Muwon was no longer able to ignore.
The ritual began.
Layers of clothing fell away, not with urgency but with reverence. Muwon's fingers lingered longer than needed when touching Sihyun's skin. The flicker of gold magic stirred faintly beneath his own as Sihyun's red energy responded—dancing, resisting, then blending like fire meeting wind.
Their bodies moved with purpose, bound by the ritual's rhythm, but Muwon's gaze never left Sihyun's face. He touched him like someone afraid he might disappear, like he was trying to memorize every part of him.
"You make this harder than it has to be,"
Muwon murmured against Sihyun's skin, lips grazing his shoulder.
"Yet I still want you here."
Sihyun didn't respond. His eyes were distant even as his body trembled under the magic's exchange, unsure if it was from the ritual or something else entirely—something breaking inside.
The room filled with the soft hum of magic, glowing tattoos shifting across Sihyun's body as Muwon's curse mark slowly dimmed, drawing in that red light, soothing what once ached.
By the end of it, both of them were breathless.
Still tangled in silence.
And still holding back things neither dared say aloud.
The faint light of dawn leaked through the curtains, painting soft gold across the palace walls. The ritual had ended hours ago, but the room still clung to the remnants of fading magic. Muwon slept lightly, his hand loosely resting against the empty space where Sihyun had been.
Sihyun was already out of bed.
Or trying to be.
His limbs trembled, sweat beading at his temple. His breath came in short gasps, his body feeling heavier than it ever had before. A sharp burn spread across his back, right where his tattoos lay hidden beneath skin. Something was shifting there—awakening.
The 19th mark.
His eyes, half-lidded and dim, glowed faintly red in the low light, flickering like coals ready to ignite. He gritted his teeth, staggering toward the door, desperate to leave before—
"Sihyun?"
Too late.
Muwon's voice reached him just as his knees buckled.
Sihyun hit the floor with a soft thud, body twisting as pain overtook him. His breathing grew ragged, chest heaving. His glowing eyes dimmed for a second, then flared again—uncontrolled, chaotic.
"Sihyun!"
Muwon was up in a flash, kneeling beside him, cradling his body carefully. He touched Sihyun's forehead—burning hot.
A fever.
Realization flashed across Muwon's face.
"Your tattoo… It's manifesting."
Sihyun could barely respond. His lips parted, but no words came. His body was on fire from the inside, trembling in Muwon's arms like something fragile on the verge of shattering.
"I need to call for help,"
Muwon muttered, panic lacing his usually calm voice.
But Sihyun's fingers gripped his robe weakly, holding him in place.
"Don't… just—don't let them… see me like this…"
His voice was a whisper, cracked and barely audible.
Muwon clenched his jaw.
"Then I'll stay. I'm not leaving."
He pulled the blanket from the bed, wrapped it around Sihyun's shivering body, and held him close—his heart thudding as he realized just how vulnerable Sihyun truly was in that moment.
And for the first time, he understood: this was Sihyun's curse too.