Chapter 2

When I woke up, I was in the room Stella and I shared.

Stella was sitting at the desk across from me, taking care of sect business. She hadn't noticed I was awake.

She was still as beautiful as ever, even though a thousand years had changed her. The youthful innocence was gone, replaced by the confidence and authority of the Demon Queen.

Maybe she felt me watching her, because she soon turned around.

The moment our eyes met, I could clearly see the impatience in her eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" She gave nothing away as she asked, and she didn't even turn to face me.

I lay back down and murmured, "Yes."

It had been nearly 300 years since she had stayed in my room this late. Even now, she was just as distant as ever.

I had tried countless ways to get her to spend more time with me. I had even swallowed my pride and begged her to stay in front of the other demons.

Every time, she had given me the same answer. "Can't you be sensible for once?"

I hadn't always been this weak. Once, I had been a powerful figure across the three realms. Even the lowliest demons had shown me respect.

Because of Stella, I had given up my powers and blood essence. I had become a useless man who could only live at her mercy.

Neither of us said a word, and the silence between us grew tense.

After a long while, a guard knocked on the door. "My lady, Mr. Linfield is coughing up blood again."

Stella tightened her grip on the pen and turned toward me. She ordered, "You're coming with me."

I shook my head. "Stella, I don't have any blood essence left."

Refusing to believe me, she grabbed me and pulled me out of bed.

"Can't you be more understanding? Louie is my junior."

Everything I had kept buried for so long finally erupted. I dug my nails into my palm and shouted at her, "Is he really just your junior, or is he your lover?"

At first, I never once questioned the fact that Louie was Stella's junior.

But over time, I began to realize that wasn't the whole story.

One casual remark from him about disliking snow blossoms was enough for Stella to destroy the entire mountainside I had filled with blooms for her.

She remembered everything he said, even the things he mentioned without a second thought.

She worried he couldn't handle the cold, so she warmed his bed for him every night.

When Louie first jumped into the demon cave, she followed him without hesitation.

I couldn't fool myself anymore.

Stella's expression turned ashen with anger. She squeezed my hand so hard that I thought my bones would break.

"Lucian, how dare you accuse Louie like that?"

Even then, she was still more concerned with protecting Louie's reputation.

Tears slipped down my face and landed on my scars. The pain was excruciating.

We stood there facing each other until a quiet, distant voice broke the silence.

"Stella, maybe I should leave. Lucian could never stand having me around."

Louie leaned against the doorway, his eyes wet with tears. They hadn't fallen yet, but he looked so pitiful that anyone would feel sorry for him.

He wore my face, and every inch of skin on his body had been taken from me.

Yet he never missed a chance to make himself look hurt.

I frowned and was about to speak when he suddenly let out a scream.

Stella immediately pulled him tightly into her arms and gently patted his back.

When she looked back at me, she frowned and snapped, "Just look at you. You look like some kind of monster!"

I stared blankly into the bronze mirror beside me and was shocked by my own reflection.

The corners of my mouth had split open. My skin was cracked and raw, and my eyes were bloodshot.

I did look like a monster.

After Stella took my last drop of blood essence, my demonic power was so weak that I couldn't even maintain the simplest disguise.

I quickly turned away. I didn't want anyone seeing me like this.

But Stella completely ignored my distress and focused on comforting Louie, who was quietly sobbing in her arms.

"It's okay. Don't be scared. I won't let him show up in front of you ever again, alright?"

Louie playfully tapped her shoulder. "Lucian is your husband. We're bound to see each other whether we want to or not."

"That's fine. If you don't want to see him, I'll just make sure he doesn't leave this room," Stella said.

Their voices slowly faded away. Then I sank back into the bed.