Chapter 55

Miu’s POV

Lena… is in love… with me?

The thought echoed in my head as silence filled the room.

Slowly, I pushed myself up from the bed. The blankets shifted around me as I sat there, staring at Lena while the weight of what she had just said settled between us.

The air felt heavy.

I could feel the tension radiating from her. Lena wasn’t looking at me the way she usually did—calm, composed, certain. Instead, she looked… unsettled.

As if she was already regretting what she had just admitted.

Then suddenly—

My vision blurred.

Before I even realized what was happening, tears were sliding down my cheeks.

My hand rose instinctively, but more followed before I could stop them.

This… this wasn’t what I had planned. But why am I so… Happy?

“What do those tears mean?” Lena’s voice broke the silence. It was firmer now.

I froze.

How do I even begin to explain the storm raging between my mind and my heart?

The last of the tears fell from my chin as I slowly lowered my head.

“Are those… tears of joy?” Lena asked after a moment. Her tone was cautious now. “Or perhaps…”

I looked up again.

Lena was no longer looking at me.

Her gaze had fallen to her hands resting on her lap.

“You hate the fact that I love you… that it brought you to tears?”

Her fingers slowly curled into fists.

It was the first time I had ever heard her voice sound like that.

Uncertain.

Almost… vulnerable.

My mouth opened. But no words came out.

I wanted to tell her that wasn’t it. That she was completely wrong.

But I couldn’t.

Because saying that would mean acknowledging the truth.

It would mean I have to tell her what I had been trying so hard to bury.

I must not love her.

And I must not be loved by her.

Because I—

My thoughts were abruptly cut off when Lena suddenly stood.

The movement startled me.

She looked… upset.

A tightness had settled in her jaw, and there was something restrained in the way she held herself.

Does she think I’m rejecting her?

I sighed.

The sound felt heavier than it should have, as if it carried the weight of everything I couldn’t say.

Lena had already turned, her body stiff as she began to walk away from the bed. Something in my chest twisted painfully at the sight.

Before she could take another step, my hand shot forward.

My fingers wrapped around her balled fist.

“Lena…”

She stopped.

Her back was still facing me, but I could feel the tension running through her arm where I held her.

“You and I are from a totally different world,” I began quietly. “That’s why—”

“Different world?” Her voice cut through my sentence sharply.

It was louder than I expected, and the sudden intensity made my shoulders twitch slightly.

But I didn’t let go of her hand.

Lena turned to face me fully now.

“None of that matters,” she said firmly.

Her eyes locked onto mine with a determination that made my chest tighten.

“Even if you were not who people think you are,” she continued. “Even if you’re not Miu… I would still feel this way about you.”

The conviction in her voice left no room for doubt.

And the way she looked at me—

God.

Her gaze made guilt crash into me like a wave.

“You and I already swore an oath to be partners in life,” Lena went on, her voice steady despite the emotions underneath it. “No one has the right to question that. So don’t—”

She stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes faltered.

At first, I didn’t understand why.

Then I felt it.

My chest began to heave. My breath grew uneven. And before I could stop it—

Warm tears spilled down my cheeks again.

I lowered my head helplessly as they fell, one after another, soaking into the blanket pooled in my lap.

I’m sorry.

I’m so sorry, Lena.

The words screamed inside my head. I wanted to say them. I wanted to explain everything.

But all that came out of me… were these stupid, unstoppable tears.

Before I knew it, Lena moved.

The bed dipped slightly as she sat beside me.

A warm hand gently cupped my cheek, guiding my face upward. Her touch was careful—almost fragile.

Then she leaned closer. Her lips brushed softly against my forehead.

The kiss was slow.

Tender.

It lingered there for a moment, warm against my skin.

“I’ll wait,” she murmured quietly.

Her voice was so close I could feel it against my face.

“Until that day.”

Her hand remained against my cheek as she held me gently.

“Until you can finally love me freely.”

My eyes squeezed shut as another wave of tears escaped.

I’m sorry, Lena…

But you cannot love me.

Not like this.

You have to be ready.

Ready to abandon me anywhere.

At any time.

Because the moment the truth about me surfaces…

That will be the only choice you have left.

—

Earn’s POV

The road stretched endlessly ahead of me, dimming under the slow fall of evening. Dust trailed behind the convoy, the faint glow of the guards’ headlights flickering in my rearview mirror. I kept my eyes fixed forward, hands steady on the wheel, listening to the low hum of the engine as it filled the silence inside the car.

Hours had passed, and neither of us had spoken.

Dr. Fahlada sat beside me, quiet, composed as always. If not for the occasional shift of her posture or the soft sound of her breathing, I might have thought I was alone. But I was very aware of her presence. Too aware, perhaps.

Because I knew something I wasn’t supposed to know.

She had no idea I had been there that day. No idea I had heard the conversation she had with Queen Miu—the way her cry had carried years of pain, carefully hidden beneath her usual professionalism. It wasn’t something meant for others. It was never meant for me.

And yet, I heard it.

The memory sat uncomfortably in my chest.

It wasn’t intentional. I hadn’t meant to listen. But that didn’t change the fact that I had witnessed something deeply personal—something she probably fought hard to keep buried.

I tightened my grip on the wheel slightly.

I wonder if she’s feeling better…

The thought came quietly, almost hesitantly, as I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.

Her head dipped forward.

Then jerked slightly.

I frowned.

Is she… falling asleep?

Before I could think further, something moved ahead—a sudden blur crossing the road.

My body reacted before my mind could catch up.

I slammed my foot on the brake and jerked the wheel to the side, the car swerving sharply. At the same time, my arm shot across her without hesitation, pressing lightly but firmly against her to brace her from the impact of the sudden turn.

Dr. Fahlada’s hand instinctively grabbed my arm.

“Fuck!” I muttered under my breath as the tires screeched against the road.

The car came to a violent stop.

For a moment, everything went still.

The only sound left was our breathing—uneven, sharp, trying to catch up with what had just happened.

I stayed frozen for a second, my heart pounding loudly in my chest, before I turned to her.

“Are you okay?” I asked immediately, my voice tighter than I intended.

My hands moved to her shoulders, checking her quickly.

“Are you hurt?”

Before she could answer, a knock sounded against my window.

I turned and rolled it down.

One of the royal guards stood outside, slightly bent as he looked in.

“Miss, is everything alright?”

“Yes,” I replied, forcing my voice back into composure. “A deer crossed the road. Everything’s fine.”

I glanced briefly at the front of the car.

“Please check the tires. Let me know if we can continue or if we need to switch vehicles.”

“Yes, Miss.”

He nodded and stepped away.

I exhaled slowly and leaned back into my seat, only then realizing how tense my body had become.

Beside me, Dr. Fahlada straightened herself, adjusting her posture as she tried to settle back down.

“I’m sorry,” I said after a moment, turning to her again.

The words came out quieter this time.

“I wasn’t being careful enough.”

I paused, then added, almost out of habit—

“You can punish me later at the palace in any way you see fit.”

She frowned at that.

“We’re both alive,” she said firmly. “Don’t say such ridiculous things.”

I blinked, slightly taken aback.

Then I nodded.

“…Yes, Doctor.”

I turned my gaze back to the road ahead, my hands returning to the wheel.

But this time, my grip was tighter.

And the silence between us felt… different.

The guard returned after a short while, giving a firm nod through the window. “The tires are fine, Miss. You may proceed.”

“Good,” I replied, already turning the key again. The engine came back to life, softer this time, as if even it had settled after the scare.

The car eased forward, rejoining the quiet stretch of road. The convoy followed without a word.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Dr. Fahlada said softly.

I kept my eyes on the road. “Do what, Doctor?”

“That earlier.” A small pause. “You reached across me… you could’ve gotten hurt.”

“It was instinct,” I answered. “You were my responsibility.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

I finally glanced at her. She was already looking at me, her expression unreadable—but there was something gentler beneath it.

“I’m grateful,” she said, quieter now. “But don’t do that again.”

My brows furrowed slightly. “If it keeps you safe—”

“No.” She cut me off, firm but not harsh. “Not at the expense of yourself.”

My grip on the wheel tightened.

“You matter too,” she added, softer this time. “You don’t get to treat your life like it’s expendable.”

The words hit harder than they should have. Before I could respond, she spoke again.

“You could’ve been hurt,” she murmured.

For a second, I forgot how to breathe. I didn’t know how to react to her concern.

“…Just be more careful next time,” she said, composure returning. “For your own sake.”

I swallowed, eyes fixed on the road.

“Yes, Doctor.”

But my voice came out quieter than before.