I was finally carried back to the bed. Vincent acted as if the intimate gesture earlier was just a fleeting moment. He suppressed his inner turmoil, maintaining his cold, indifferent demeanor.
"If you need anything, just call the servants. You're in no condition to move around."
I looked at him and let out a bitter smile.
"It's been a while. How have you been? Your life… it's good, isn't it?"
"Is that what you care about?"
I didn't respond. I stared at him, as if seeing through him, peering at the reflection of my past self.
How deeply had we once been in love with each other?
He now wore the insignia of royalty on his chest, dressed in silk and fine fabric, with a meticulously embroidered wolf crest on the lapel. It was the uniform reserved for the highest position in the nation. He… had become a king.
The young, naïve boy I once knew stood in stark contrast to the man before me. Our differences, once distinct, had only become more pronounced over the years.
Perhaps, in the time I wasn't by his side, he'd endured countless hardships to reach this status. Even without me, he had many others to support him.
I couldn't find a trace of the Vincent who once cherished me with his whole being. He no longer belonged to me.
But even so…
I let out a sad laugh. The feelings I thought were buried deep suddenly stirred again, shaking in resonance with the man before me.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your assistance. I am not a citizen of Fugari; perhaps I should leave as soon as possible."
"With a body in this state, where do you think you're going?"
"That doesn't seem to concern you, does it?"
"Is that how you speak to someone who saved your life?"
See? Even his words now reflected our difference in status.
Vincent's frustration was evident. His eyes were filled with complex emotions that made me avert my gaze momentarily.
"Are you truly that heartless? Reuniting after so many years, and you can't even spare me a moment? Do you despise me so much that you'd rather leave, ignoring your own injuries?"
"I've forgotten everything."
This one statement completely ignited Vincent's rage. He slammed his fist hard onto the mattress beside me, leaving a deep imprint.
Years of being a ruler had not taught him to control his emotions. Or perhaps, it was just me—he would always be impulsive when it came to me.
In front of me, he could never remain calm.
Vincent's grip tightened around my wrist, and the pain made me wince. My body was already heavily injured, yet he showed no intention of letting go.
I forced a weak smile.
"So, my savior… what do you want from this broken body of mine? Did you bring me back just to torment me?"
"What if that's exactly what I intend to do?"
I paled, unable to maintain my smile any longer.
This man, hot-tempered in his youth, still had not changed after all these years.
"Your Majesty, please let me go."
"You're aware that I am the king, yet you still refuse to obey me. What's so great about the world outside that makes you so desperate to escape? Life away from me doesn't seem to have been easy for you."
Vincent sneered viciously. He finally had a chance to vent all the pain and sorrow he'd endured over the years. What good was it to take revenge on a fragile girl? I smiled even more brightly.
"To be free. No matter how tattered the life is, it is still the best life to have."
Vincent's face turned ashen. I could see his thoughts running wild. Perhaps, he was questioning himself: what had he done so wrong that, on the day we parted, I'd rather risk being hunted and killed than stay by his side where he could have protected me?
How laughable. His thoughts were plain as day in his eyes. Even now, he still didn't understand.
Vincent chuckled darkly.
"Now that you've fallen into my hands, don't even dream of escaping! What's so great about your miserable life out there? Being trampled like a weed outside or pampered like a flower in a greenhouse—even a fool knows which is the better choice!"
Vincent exhaled deeply, trying to calm himself, his voice softening:
"Majori, can you stop being so stubborn? I'm exhausted. Let's not make this more complicated. Please, be good, okay? Hate me if you want, but stop being so reckless. Think about your own well-being."
Each word was tinged with a mix of anger and helplessness, as if, in front of the woman he loved, Vincent could only bow low and humble himself.
My heart wavered once more. I didn't want our story to take this turn. I had vowed long ago never to return to him, much less live dependent on him.
"Your Majesty, you must understand our current positions. My life has nothing to do with you, and I've done nothing to burden you. I reject this so-called kindness, and I only ask that you let me leave."
I spoke calmly, but Vincent's expression darkened. He shouted, voice trembling with anger:
"Didn't you hear a single word I said?!"
He suddenly leaned forward, his hand, veins bulging, roughly grasping my face, forcing me to look at him. We were so close that we could feel each other's breath.
Our gazes locked in icy confrontation. Once, we'd been so gentle with each other; now, only unbearable pain remained. The fiercer Vincent's rage, the calmer I became.
He used to say my eyes were what he loved the most. Now, I was sure he wished he could rip them out.
Vincent's laughter was cold.
"Dream on!"
His words were like ice, each syllable a blade:
"No matter what you want, for the rest of your life, you're staying by my side! You won't have desires of your own, no freedom of your own, and you're not going anywhere without my permission! You—your body, your soul—everything belongs to me!"
Vincent's possessiveness was like that of a wild beast, sending chills down my spine.
He wasn't always like this.
Had power and status turned him into such a selfish, greedy man?
I closed my eyes tightly, as if the beautiful image I once held of him was shattering bit by bit. The boy who once feared my tears had become someone who cared for no one but himself.
Was this truly love, or just the refusal to be rejected by a king?
How ridiculous, how pitiful.
"You've changed."
Vincent saw the collapse of hope in my eyes, and his heart twisted in pain. He couldn't bear for me to look at him with such loathing, but the thought of letting me go was even more unbearable.
Vincent turned away abruptly, not wanting to face my defiance. He feared he'd lose his resolve.
Moreover, just now, when he'd been close, he noticed something.
My neck was unmarked.
That meant… I didn't belong to any other wolf. I wasn't marked, I wasn't claimed.
In that case, staying with him was the best option, wasn't it? Who else could give me a better life?
How shallow.
Vincent stepped out of the room without looking back. I lay in bed, overwhelmed by sadness. I heard his voice from the distance, perhaps intentionally loud enough for me to hear:
"Guard this room well! Don't let her leave without my orders. Take good care of her, and if anything happens to her, you can kiss your lives goodbye. Do you understand?!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" they chorused fearfully.
I closed my eyes slowly, sinking back into the bed.
Being someone with power… must be nice.