Novels by Vermilion

Zia continued to back away until her back was pressed against the security fence. She couldn't take her eyes off the gun in Hans's hand.“I'm going to separate you from Eric, Zia,” he said.“Please, sir. Please don't kill me. Let's talk this over.” Zia tried to plead with a trembling voice. Hans stared at Zia for a moment as he stepped closer to her and pressed the muzzle of the pistol right against her forehead.“All right, let's talk. But I can pull the trigger at any time if you make me angry,” said Hans. Zia nodded slowly with conviction.Hans stood beside Zia, leaning his back against the security fence, but this time he did not lower the gun from Zia's temple. He was serious about his intention to separate Zia from her son. Summoning all her courage, Zia swallowed hard to calm herself a little before speaking.“Leave Eric, Zia.” This time, Hans' voice softened.“Can you give me a clear reason why you want me to separate from Eric so badly, sir?” asked Zia, her breath slightly he

Edward smiled slightly, seeing Zia, who seemed happy with Eric. At least, Eric didn't say many sweet things, but he could prove his words by trying to make Zia happy.“We only have one problem now. My father,” Eric muttered.“It's okay if ZEROAI returns to your father's hands, Eric. After all, it's his. And I still have other businesses to give to Zia,” Edward replied.Eric felt bad because his father wanted the company so badly. Edward didn't mind, but Eric still felt a little rude. The company was nothing compared to what Edward had done for him over the years. Edward's kindness had given Eric a better life. One of those things was giving him Zia.“Edward, I don't really need the company,” said Zia, also feeling bad that Edward had to give up what he had built.“So, what do you want?”“I just want a normal job. Besides, I believe Eric will provide for me well if we get married.” Edward immediately sneered mockingly because Zia suddenly showed off her affection for Eric.“What makes

Zia and Eric sat with their heads bowed, not daring to look at Robert and Edward, who were sitting in front of them, wondering what kind of expression they would show after the two of them announced their intention to get married.Their relationship was still being questioned by Hans, whose whereabouts were now unknown. But the two of them decided to continue ensuring that they would truly be together.“Just get married. I don't mind.” Edward spoke casually. Edward already knew that this would be the outcome. They were used to being together, cared for each other, and it was sure that love would blossom between them.“No. I do mind!” Robert continued to reject their relationship.“Why, Dad?” asked Edward.“Any man would be fine as long as it's not Eric.” Robert glanced at Edward, who was facing Eric. Since Zia couldn't meet them both at the same time, they finally decided to sit together with the excuse that Eric had come to visit Edward, and Zia had come to see her father. It worked.

“Don't be crazy, Eric. There are other people in this house!” Zia whispered, trying to push Eric's body away as he licked her.Eric ignored her. He continued to kiss every inch of Zia's body, leaving no part untouched by his wild kisses. He vented his disappointment at Zia for not wanting to fight for their love.If it was indeed because of her parents' blessing that Zia decided to end her relationship with Eric, the only way was for their parents not to be able to say no and for Zia not to be able to leave him.“Eric, are you really not listening to me?!” Zia complained.“Why should I listen to you when you want to break up with me?” Eric finally replied.Zia pulled Eric's body close and hugged him tightly. Honestly, Zia didn't want to break up with Eric either. She was just angry at her fate, which always seemed to be bad when it came to love. Zia was tired of having to fight again and again.Even though Eric was accompanying her, which meant Zia wasn't fighting alone, Zia was also

CRASH!BANG!The apartment door burst open violently, and a wooden beam flew toward Hans's head, knocking him to the floor and releasing his grip on Zia's neck.Eric arrived with Bianca. He immediately picked up the gun Hans had dropped and put it away while Bianca checked that Zia was okay.“I told you not to open the door for anyone, Zia!” Eric scolded, immediately hugging Zia worriedly.“But he's your father,” Zia replied hoarsely.“Because of my father—that's why I forbade you from opening the door for anyone.”Zia coughed while nodding in understanding in Eric's embrace.A sigh of relief escaped Bianca's mouth, who was just as panicked when Zia sent her a message that Hans had come to the apartment to see her. Zia even expressed her thoughts that Hans would talk about Zia and Eric's relationship. And Bianca knew that was impossible for Hans.“You hurt your own father, Eric...” Hans moaned, trying to get up while enduring the pain in his head.“I told you not to involve our relati

Now, Zia was face-to-face with Hans, who claimed to be Eric's father. She was a little afraid to let Hans in, but she had sent a message to Bianca to come quickly and accompany her to talk to Eric's father.Bianca was shocked and panicked, but Zia tried to assure her that Hans only wanted to talk about his relationship with Eric. Nothing more.Hans’s gaze swept around the room for a moment.“How long have the two of you been living together?” Hans asked.Zia laughed awkwardly. “Since I returned to New York after Singapore,” she replied honestly.“Weren't you married before?”Zia's head immediately dropped, worried that Hans would disapprove of her relationship with Eric. At that moment, the only thing Zia wanted to fight for was her relationship with Eric, who made her feel like she wanted to live a better life again.“Yes. I was married before.” But Zia had to be honest.“Your ex-husband passed away just a few months ago. But you seem to be doing okay.”Zia was stunned by Hans' words

“If you hate me so much, why don’t you just kill me instead of choosing to kill Lucas?”Those words kept ringing in Kael’s ears. Eira was clearly furious at Kael’s terrible plan, which he had blurted out without thinking twice. Eira even refused to speak to Kael after that.Meanwhile, Kael, on the other hand, was busy trying to find a way to help Eira heal. At least that was the case before he tried to persuade Eira to become his partner and face a brighter future together. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about Eira’s anger.“Where are you going, Eira?” Kael asked when he saw Eira, neatly dressed after tidying up the entire house. She had never forgotten her promise to be a pillar of support for Kael following the deaths of his parents.“To work,” Eira replied briefly.Kael immediately stood up. “Want a ride? I’m heading to the office too,” he offered.“Ah, no need. We’re going in different directions,” Eira declined.“But...”“Kael, don’t force me.”Eira said this while glaring at him

Ever since Eira told him about her tragic dream of death, Kael had been a thousand times kinder to her—even though Eira’s response was simply indifference because Kael's attitude was quite frightening to her.Instead of growing closer, Eira actually began to put some distance between herself and Kael slowly. She spent more time with Lucas doing things she felt she couldn’t do on her own rather than asking Kael for help.Now and then, her hanahaki would flare up—even when Kael wasn’t treating her badly.Because of that, Eira thought… Kael was being kind to her, not because of the love he had expressed to her several times, but out of pity—since he already knew that anyone suffering from that illness would eventually die. That was all.“So, actually, can I be cured or not?” Eira murmured—as she closed her Hanahaki book.The story in the book ends with “death,” but it also explains that the Hanahaki disease can be cured if the sufferer’s love is reciprocated.Eira herself still didn’t un

“Don’t waste even the slightest opportunity. Because you, too, have a time limit that you must observe, so you cannot remain in this time, Mr. Kael.”Seraphim’s words kept echoing in Kael’s head. Instead of feeling at ease after receiving a little advice on what to do next, Kael actually felt even more anxious that he wouldn’t be able to return to the time when Eira was still alive.On the other hand, he also felt angry because he thought those thousand sins would make him immortal in the past and bring Eira into the future.But that wasn’t the case. The only one who could truly rewrite their fate was Kael from the past—and even when Kael from the future returned to his own time, his past self continued to treat Eira badly.“Kael?” Eira called out, startling Kael out of his reverie.He found Eira standing in front of his office with a cup of hot coffee in her hand.“Your coffee,” she said.Kael gave a small smile and nodded slowly. “Come on in!”“No. I don’t want to bother you. So, I’

Kael sat there, nodding his head several times—almost lolling out of an upright position as he dozed off—waiting for Eira to wake from her sleep after receiving treatment from the doctor, who had been unable to diagnose her illness.That was to be expected. And Kael knew it would happen because the hanahaki illness was something completely unfamiliar even to him, as the elders of any clan had never once spoken of that strange ailment.“How could this be…” Kael muttered softly, shaking his head—trying to stay fully awake.In the midst of his overwhelming drowsiness, he was utterly baffled by the Hanahaki illness afflicting Eira. He wanted to find out the truth about the existence of this illness and how to cure it.“How can someone cough up blood and flower petals?” he muttered again.It seemed impossible that such a thing could exist—especially simply because of ‘love’, which, in Kael’s view… was really just a cheap word that could never possibly lead someone to suffer such excruciati

Eira pushed Kael away with all her might. How could another man kiss her—and not her fiancé—on her wedding day? Of course, Eira felt she had betrayed Lucas.“Eira, you’ll get better if I love you, won’t you?” Kael whispered, trying to pull Eira back into his arms.But Eira immediately stood up and moved away, not wanting Kael to touch her any further.Her chest grew tighter as she didn’t know what Kael’s true intentions were. Sometimes he was kind and would suddenly confess his love, then drastically change into someone who seemed to be eagerly awaiting the ruin of her life.Eira thought it was all over because fate had already decided that Lucas would be her husband. Yet Kael acted like a madman abandoned by the woman he loved—a stark contrast to the hateful words he always hurled at her.“Kael, my event is about to start. Can’t you please leave this room?” Eira asked, her voice trembling.She really had to restrain herself from showing her suffering due to the sudden bout of hanahak

Kael’s eyes swept across every corner of the castle, which had been so beautifully decorated to celebrate Lucas and Eira’s wedding. So many guests attended, ranging from the upper classes to the lower classes.Everyone had received an invitation. Although he wasn’t the prince designated to inherit the throne as leader of the Valerius Clan, Lucas was still a highly respected member of the family.“Welcome, Mr. Kael,” a servant greeted Kael as he handed him a glass of drink to enjoy before watching the bride and groom emerge from their room to exchange their sacred vows as fated mates to be together.Kael couldn’t imagine Eira becoming another man’s wife. He couldn’t fathom what his life would be like if Eira were with Lucas—not to mention that Eira might not even survive into the future, having already surrendered her soul to the Moon Goddess for Kael’s sake.A sharp pang of sorrow pierced Kael’s chest. He felt regret, confusion, and disappointment that this second chance might not kee