MasukMy body moved before my mind did. The sound of impact hit a second later. It was a dull, heavy thud against the ground. And my breath caught sharply as I ran toward him, the world narrowing into a single point...Him.He wasn't moving. "This isn't funny," I said quickly, dropping to my knees beside him. But no response. My chest tightened. "Lucretius," I called, but still nothing. A flicker of irritation rose. "Heard enough of your games..." I reached for him and froze. Because his skin was cold. Not cold from the air, even the surface-level. It was...My pulse spiked. "Lucretius...?" My voice shook as I gently shook him, but there was nothing. No reaction. Not even movement. No...My breath hitched, not wanting to jump into conclusion. "H-Hey..." My voice came out weaker this time, hiding the trembling in my tone. That perhaps, Lucretius was just kidding. Like it was deemed impossible that he would fall unconscious or worse..."Stop it." I lightly tapped his shoulder, but only
The name alone was enough to make something cold settle in my stomach. "He won't let this go," Lucretius continued. "Not after the negotiation failed." My jaw clenched. I wanted to protest. I really wanted to. But the fact that my assassination only happened days after our negotiation didn't end well, it wasn't difficult to link my former husband about the incident."He still tried to pressure you into prioritizing their gemstone delivery."I turned at him when he didn't stop. It was as if he was deliberately slapping to my face what sins Marcelo had done to me. I couldn't deny that. I remembered it clearly. The tension... The demand... The way that bastard Marcelo spoke as if I was still obligated to him..."As if you still belonged to him," he added. My palm fisted from anger. Remembering his face made me want to punch the wall. But it took an ounce of courage not to do it."He lost that right," I said coldly. Lucretius' gaze sharpened. "I know." Then, he stepped closer. "And t
I didn't step back. And that was my first mistake. Lucretius was close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, close enough that even the smallest shift would brush us together. And yet, I stayed. "You're too confident," I said, keeping my voice calm despite the uneven rhythm of my breath. "For someone who had to pretend to sleep just to keep me here."His lips curved, looking amused. "I didn't have to pretend," he replied softly. "I chose to."My brows furrowed. "Why?" The question came out sharper this time because I was starting to see the pattern and control, but I didn't understand the reason behind it.Lucretius studied me for a moment as if he was looking through me into something I couldn't see myself. "Because I needed to know," he said finally. "Know what?" I creased my forehead. His gaze didn't waver. "If you would still choose to leave me."His words sent chills down my spine, feeling heavier than I expected. He didn't sound angry or accusing. He
The afternoon felt too quiet. That alone should have been enough to make me cautious. And yet, I still stepped outside. The path toward the chrysanthemum garden was familiar. Very familiar, as my memory or her memory guided me without hesitation. Every turn, every stone path, every hidden bend that led toward the outer perimeter, it hadn't changed. Lucretius was never the kind to throw away something that was already working, which meant that the exits should still be where I remembered them.My gaze shifted subtly as I walked deeper into the garden, the soft scent of chrysanthemums brushing the air. It felt deceptively calm. They would always be my favorite, and he never forgot about that fact.As I walked through, I saw him.Lucretius...He was resting on a hammock stretched between two trees, just far enough from the main path that it felt... coincidental. One arm was draped lazily over his eyes while the other was resting against his abdomen, still unmoving and sleeping.My ste
My mind went black for a moment before something stirred inside my head.It was a memory that was faint at first.Auritaurie... The rogue war... A day off..."I don't need guards. I can protect myself."And yet, he had sent them anyway because he wasn't there. He was worried, and because even then... he couldn't bear the thought of something happening to me.My fingers tightened slightly against the table as the memory unfolded further. The noise of the marketplace... The rare, fleeting peace I allowed myself to feel...And then... Him. Not physically, but in every thought that followed me from stall to stall.Lucretius gave so easily, no matter if it were hairpins, books, or silks. Those things I never asked for, but he simply chose for me. Because he wanted to. Because he cared. And I had stood there in front of that tailor shop, realizing something I had never once questioned before. What have I ever given him... that wasn't born from duty?My breath slowed as I remembered ste
Morning came too quickly with no voices, no footsteps beyond my own, and no distance clatter of servants moving about their duties.It was just... silence. I stared at the unfamiliar ceiling for a long moment before exhaling slowly and pushing myself upright as the tranquility lingered. It wasn't unsettling, but it was unnatural.Yesterday had already made that clear. There had been no one else in this manor. There were no attendants and caretakers. And yet, breakfast, lunch, even the small tray of snacks that had appeared in the afternoon... Even dinner.All of it had been prepared by... him. My fingers slightly fisted against the sheets. Lucretius...The thought of him settled heavily in my chest as I stood and made my way out of the room after taking a bath. He was already in the dining area when I arrived, seated with that same composed posture, as if the world had never once managed to disrupt him. But the moment his gaze lifted to meet mine, I felt it again. That awareness
"Come and sit on my face, wifey. Suffocate me with your thighs," Lucretius said, as he lay on the daybed while I was straddling him with my back turned toward him.A gasp escaped from my lips when his hands on my waist dragged my hips to have it rested on his face. My body instantly shivered in del
The moment we arrived at our chamber, it took an ounce of patience from Lucretius not to ruin my dress. But one thing that couldn't escape me was the fact that even though he had wanted to devour right as of this moment, he still took his sweet time to undress me and admired my whole body as if thi
I had asked Lucretius for that favor at a time when I still believed my life was fragile enough to shatter with a single answer.Back then, I hadn't been his Luna. Hadn't worn his mark. Hadn't learned what it meant to be protected by a man who ruled with blood and certainty.I had been a woman ques
His answer almost made me throw a fit and punch him. My breath caught. "That's not what I—""I know," he interrupted gently. He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him, the steady certainty in his presence. His fingers lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "But it i







