CHAPTER FORTY ONE

"Can you take me with you, Tae? I'm thinking of paying my brother a visit."

"You know I can't. You're my second in command and I'm afraid that something bad might happen if ever the both of us will be away in the city for two days."

"But Onew is here. He can take over the job while I'm in the Day Realm."

"I'm not sure if he'll accept it knowing that he's busy."

I woke up with a jolt through the sound of two familiar voices arguing just outside of our room, and I lost my balance making me fall from the top bunk. Everything went fast—one minute, I was still unstably seated on my bed then the next minute I heard a loud thud and I felt searing pain crawling into my . What a good morning you have, Naeun. Just nice! Psh.

A moment later, the door of our shared room bursted open and revealed a wild looking Grand Duke of the Night Kingdom and the Lady of the Day Realm. The voices came from them and I did a good job in ruining their 'business'.

"What happened to you?" I tore away my gaze from the floor as I heard the Night Lord said it, great concern can be seen through his eyes. 

On the other hand, Hayoung's expression is more on the amused side, I even think she was about to laugh. It seems like the Lady of the Day Realm find my little accident to be laughable as she said, "Have you dreamed of flying, Naeunie?"

"You did?" asked the innocent Taemin, and I almost give him a smack on the head but he was lucky that my aching prevented me to do it.

As I tried getting up, I gave Hayoung a vulgar finger and stuck my tongue at her which made her huffed a loud laugh, and I said, "Of course didn't! I jolted when I heard the both of you arguing and I lost my balance. That's why!"

The concern lingering on the Grand Duke's face did not faltered as he assisted me to get up on my feet. Then he proceeds to angling my face from side to side and quickly turn me around, perhaps for him to check whether I got any bruise from my fall. I could tell that he was still not satisfied from it. Taemin cupped my face. "Are you alright? Are you hurt somewhere?" he asked with the gentlest voice which brought my heart to race manically.

"No," I said as I slowly take the Night Lord's hand away from my face. "I'm good, I'm really fine. The carpet has somehow cushioned my fall."

If it was not for the teasing look that Hayoung was giving me, I could have leaned into his loving touch. We could have stayed like that for a moment but I would not risk doing it especially when a 'teasing-suspicious cousin' of his around wiggling an eyebrow at my direction. However, moving inches away from his cousin never stopped Hayoung from teasing me further so I combat her provokings with a deadly kind of a look which earned a small laughter from the female.

But then, our silent little quarrel was finally cut off when Taemin cleared his throat and said, "We're sorry if we woke you up."

"It's okay, I swear. I was about to wake up anyways. But can I know what you two were up to?" I muttered. 

"Well it's actually about the Meteor Ball. Taemin told me that he's to go to the Day Realm to personally invite my brother for the upcoming event and I asked him to bring me as well so I could pay a visit to Kai but he refused," Hayoung calmly said those words to me but her eyes were fixed to her cousin. I could tell her that she's irritated.

​​​​​​"But you know I have other reasons why I need to go there myself and I don't want to leave the city unattended. Besides, you're my second in command, Hayoung. It's your job to take responsibilities when I'm away," Taemin spats back. 

Hayoung was about to answer him back again but I was the one who spoke and said, "What reason?"

The color from his handsome face has drained and Hayoung quickly mirrored his reaction. I could easily tell I wouldn't like to hear whatever his other reasons are. There are two things that comes to my mind—or should I say person? It is very much predictable. Who else can cause wreak serious fear to the most powerful Grand Duke of Verboden? The answer is simple: it's either Thamuz or my ex-groom, Myungsoo. 

The three of us have been silent for several minutes now and I was ready to drop the subject especially that I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with the latter. Until now, I'm not still sure of what to feel about him. Though I tried neutralizing my feelings about Myungsoo yet I can't make myself forget about the things that he forced me to do. My life could have been worst if I haven't realized it sooner, I could have been his lifetime prisoner.

A moment later, the Grand Duke beside me opened up his mouth once again and said, "I need to see the Great Sibyl."

"For what?" I blurted. 

"We have been hunting Thamuz for several months now yet we were not able to fi