Chapter 131: Simple Vows

And just like that, the very next day, Lucretius and I went to the nearest divine temple. The soft glow of candlelight flickered along the marble walls, casting gentle shadows that moved with the silence, as if even the air held its breath for this moment.There were no crowds. No grand procession. No whispers of nobles or the weight of politics pressing against us.Only a few witnesses stood at a distance, being respectful as if they understood this wasn't meant for anyone else. It was just for us.My steps slowed the moment I crossed the threshold. Something in my chest tightened because this scene was too familiar for me.Because I had stood here before.Not in this exact place, but in a moment just like this. My fingers brushed at my sides as I walked toward Lucretius. He was standing at the altar already, dressed simply, yet there was nothing simple about the way he looked at me.Like I was his everything. Like I had always been everything. And for a moment, time folded, and t

Chapter 132: He Prefers

The capital came into view just as the carriage slowed. The towering walls of Waevalon stood as they always had, as if time had not passed at all.But I had.My fingers curled over the edge of the window as I stared out, watching the gates draw closer with every passing second. "We're really back..." I murmured under my breath.The words felt strange, like I had left as one person and returned as another. Behind me, I felt the shift before I even saw him. Lucretius' presence pressed closer, his hand sliding over mine without hesitation. "You're tense," he noted quietly.I didn't deny it. Because I was. So I squeezed back his hand. "We've been gone for almost three weeks," I said, my gaze still fixed outside.We didn't return to the capital after our wedding. We decided to stay for another week to consummate our marriage and to enjoy the honeymoon. We both knew that once we got back, there was a chance unexpected moments might force us to be apart.Like... Enoch, for example."And I

Chapter 133: Brother's Confrontation

"Lucretius...!" I turned to him, my heart pounding so fast it felt like it might burst out of my chest. My fingers curled tightly against the edge of the seat, nails pressing into the fabric as my breath came out uneven, shallow, as the air inside the carriage had suddenly grown too thin to breathe.Lucretius looked calm and unbothered, as if the line of the royal soldiers waiting outside the manor wasn't enough to provoke even the slightest reaction from him. I reached for his arm as I tugged it gently to gather his attention. "I'll talk to him first," I said quickly, my voice lowering. "I'm serious... He might lunge at you."His gaze lingered on me, softening. "He won't," he said simply. The certainty in his voice didn't soothe me. If anything, it made my stomach twist tighter, because Lucretius never spoke like that unless he had already decided how things would unfold.I frowned. "Lucretius—""If he does," he added, his tone still even, "then I'll let him."That didn't help at a

Chapter 134: Brother vs. Husband

"Enoch...!" My voice broke into a shriek as I saw his stance, the way his body lunged forward without hesitation and restraint, driven purely by fury. "Lucretius...!"But Lucretius didn't move or dodge. He didn't even step back; instead, he simply raised a hand.And that terrified me more than anything.Enoch's fist came out of nowhere. A strike fueled by everything he had been holding back since the moment we arrived had landed hard. The crack of impact echoed sharply across the state as Lucretius' head snapped slightly to the side.My breath hitched. "STOP...!"But it was too late. The force of it made him take a step back, but that was all because Lucretius didn't retaliate. He didn't even glare. He simply straightened, looking calm and collected as if he had expected and accepted it.A thin line of blood formed at the corner of his lip, but he still didn't fight back. "Is that enough?" he asked afterwards.That only made everything worse, and I had the silent urge to smack his h

Chapter 135: Consequences

By the time we were escorted inside the manor and into the parlor room, the chaos from earlier had already settled at least on the surface.According to Enoch."We'll talk properly," he had said, his voice clipped and restrained, as if forcing himself to hold back everything he wanted to do. "Like adults."I rolled my eyes just remembering it.Adults.Right.Because punching someone twice in front of royal soldiers was definitely how adults behaved.A quiet huff escaped me as I sank into the cushioned chair, crossing my arms loosely over my chest.The room felt too small as if everything that had happened outside was being purposely buried under this forced sense of civility.But it didn't work.Not for me.Not when I could still feel it through the bond.My gaze flickered to Lucretius, which was only this time, he wasn't standing. He was seated beside me on the couch, his posture still straight and composed as if nothing had happened at all.He looked like he hadn't just been punched

Chapter 136: The Truth Between Lives

The conversation that followed was anything but simple. We told him enough.About the assassination...About the reason Lucretius had taken me away from the capital without informing anyone...About the mate bond...About how everything had happened faster than either of us had planned. Not everything. At least... not yet.But enough for Enoch to sit there in silence, his elbows resting on his knees, his fingers clasped tightly together as if he was stopping himself from standing again and throwing another punch.The parlor room felt smaller than it should have. Even the royal soldiers who stood outside the door had gone still, as if they could feel the weight pressing against the walls.I sat beside Lucretius, though not as close as earlier. Not because I wanted distance, but because Enoch had already glared at us three times whenever our shoulders brushed.Ridiculous.We were already married. But apparently, that didn't matter to him.Enoch was silent for a long while. His gaze wa