The alley was still, veiled in morning fog. Dust swirled lazily in the narrow beam of light cutting between the buildings, and the cobblestone path echoed under Kyel's steady footsteps.
He walked alone, his hands in his pockets, mind quiet—until the sound of footsteps broke the silence.
Three of them.
Behind him.
"Hey, you!" a sharp voice called.
Kyel stopped. Slowly, he turned around.
Three men blocked the exit behind him. They didn't look like thieves—more like overconfident cowards who'd been sent by someone who never learned how to accept rejection.
Kyel's gaze remained unreadable.
"Do you need something?" he asked calmly.
The second man stepped forward, eyes full of smug arrogance.
"You… you're the one married to Lady Eva, right?"
"Yes," Kyel replied, voice flat.
The first man didn't wait—he stepped forward and grabbed Kyel by the collar.
"Our boss liked her," he growled. "How dare you marry her?"
Kyel's eyes didn't flicker. Instead, he looked past them—to the man standing behind, arms crossed and grinning as if this was entertainment.
"So…" Kyel said slowly, lips curving into a faint smile. "You're here to threaten me. Tell me to leave her?"
He gave a light laugh.
"Sorry to disappoint you. But she's mine."
The second man lunged, swinging a punch at his face.
Kyel moved like water.
He caught the man's wrist mid-air and twisted it sharply—the bones cracked. The man dropped to his knees with a cry.
The one holding Kyel's collar recoiled in fear and let go, stumbling back.
"You all should go," Kyel said quietly, his tone like ice. "Before I do something to you."
But the third man—the so-called boss—chuckled and waved a hand.
"We'll leave, we'll leave. It's not like I actually wanted to marry her."
His grin twisted cruel.
"But… you married her just yesterday, right? That means you already had your first night. You saw her body, didn't you?"
He stepped forward, leering.
"Why don't you tell me what she looks like under those clothes? That's enough for me."
Silence.
Kyel's head tilted slightly.
Then he whispered, "I should thank you… for following me into this alley."
The man frowned.
Kyel looked around slowly, then back at them.
"No one will be able to hear you," he said softly, "even if you scream."
The three men tensed.
"What… what do you mean by that?" one of them asked, voice faltering.
The shadows behind Kyel stirred.
And from them, three massive wolves emerged—silent, black as obsidian, their eyes glowing crimson.
Talon. Fen. Mara.
The wolves stalked forward, forming a line at Kyel's side, their muscles rippling beneath their fur. They didn't snarl. They didn't growl.
They didn't need to.
They simply waited—watching Kyel.
Kyel didn't even glance at them. His voice remained calm as he turned away.
"I'm going to the palace."
He walked past the men slowly, his boots clicking softly on stone.
"Make sure the three of you bring me their heads," he said without looking back. "Do whatever you want with their bodies."
The wolves moved in silence.
Then chaos erupted.
Screams tore through the alley—desperate, panicked, but unheard by the world outside. Blood hit the stone, quick and final.
Kyel didn't turn around.
He didn't flinch.
He simply walked away, his steps steady, disappearing into the sunlight beyond the alley.
------
Kyel entered the palace through the secret route, his footsteps echoing faintly in the quiet hallway.
Then came a voice from behind—sharp, cautious.
"You! Who are you, and what are you doing in the palace at this hour?"
Kyel halted.
He slowly turned around, only to see a man already panicking as he recognized the aura beneath the disguise.
The man immediately bowed, lowering his head.
"I-I apologize, Your Majesty! I didn't recognize you because of the disguise magic—please forgive me!"
With a flick of his fingers, Kyel snapped the spell away. A ripple shimmered across his body—and in the next heartbeat, standing in place of Kyel was Eyan Lucien Therald, the Emperor of Velmoria.
Eyan sighed.
"Hans, bring me some tea."
Hans—his personal aide and most trusted assistant—straightened and nodded.
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
Eyan changed out of his plain clothes and returned in his royal attire before walking to his office.
A few minutes later, Hans entered with a silver tray.
"Your Majesty, here is your tea."
He hesitated, then added quietly,
"You didn't come back last night... Did you go to see that lady again?"
Eyan took the teacup, his expression unreadable.
"Yes. I did."
He took a slow sip of the warm tea.
Then, as if casually, he said,
"Oh, and Hans... I should tell you something."
Hans raised a brow.
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
Eyan looked straight into his eyes.
"I got married yesterday."
Hans blinked, then stammered,
"Y-Your Majesty, you got marri—"
He choked on his words.
"W-What?!"
Eyan narrowed his eyes.
"Stop shouting. Are you really that surprised?"
Hans looked utterly flustered.
"How can I not be surprised? You're the ruler of the entire empire! You got married without informing anyone? Without a single announcement?"
Eyan leaned back in his chair, his voice firm.
"And why must I tell anyone about who I marry?"
Hans shook his head, struggling to form words.
"Your Majesty, the entire empire has been waiting for this moment for years. They all want to know what their future Empress will be like."
Eyan set his teacup down.
"She won't be Empress. I didn't marry her as Eyan... I married her as Kyel."
Hans froze.
Eyan continued,
"And no one—no one—except you must know about this. Is that clear?"
Hans hesitated before nodding.
"Yes, Your Majesty. But… are you really not going to tell Her Highness the truth about who you are?"
Eyan's expression darkened slightly.
"Telling her would only put her in danger. If the truth comes out, she'll become a target."
His voice softened.
"I don't want that. I want to protect her… even if it means lying to her."
Hans sighed.
"You always know what's best, Your Majesty."
Eyan reached into his coat and pulled out a simple silver ring, handing it over.
"Take this to the magician at the Magic Tower. Tell him to enchant it with the disguise spell."
Hans turned the ring over in his hand.
"This looks like an ordinary ring... Where did you get it?"
Eyan gave a faint smile.
"That's my wedding ring. Now shut up and go."
Hans gave a short bow.
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
Once Hans left the room, Eyan walked to the window. The early morning sun was just beginning to break through the clouds.
He gazed out over Velmoria's capital, a faint sadness in his eyes.
"I miss her already…" he murmured.
"Princess… I wonder what she's doing right now."
---