Author: Nikss

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After that, whenever Thekion couldn’t fall asleep at night, he would always go to the well.

However, after her night appearance was discovered, Scylla’s wariness had grown extreme, and she rarely came to the well anymore.

It was the same during the day.

Meanwhile, in the palace, the scandalous behavior between the black-haired guest and the old woman spread from servant to servant.

Dark rumors began to circulate that the young and healthy black-haired guest might be under the witch’s spell.

They knew that the black-haired guest had become “Langsion,” and under the king’s strict orders, they had been thoroughly forbidden from paying attention to the suspicious matter.

But as time passed, that tension gradually loosened.

For those who worked confined within the palace, such circulating rumors were extremely stimulating and entertaining.

Thekion had the head maid strictly control the servants’ mouths once again, but he was deeply troubled.

The servants’ careless tongues, which had reached a dangerous level, were one problem, but the real cause of his anxiety was the fact that he had not seen Scylla for three days.

He had told himself not to care, but he couldn’t help wondering if she was preparing to leave.

‘No, no. If she leaves, that would be fortunate. Dionysus will go with her.’

How desperately he had wished for it, for him to leave the palace, to leave Thebes.

Yet his heart did not move as his head did. Like a puzzle slowly twisting out of shape, the greater the gap between emotion and reason became, the more sensitive he grew.

Desire had a way of distorting both vision and thought.

‘Just once. I need to see her. After all, I have to find out what Dionysus is planning. And the only person I can ask is that woman.’

This much should be fine. He wasn’t trying to do anything inappropriate; he simply wanted to ask a question.

He secretly summoned a maid and gave her an order.

“Prince? Are you serious?”

“Yes. Deliver this to the old woman. Make sure Langsion doesn’t find out.”

But His Highness rarely has time alone.

The maid swallowed those words after seeing Thekion’s determined expression.

Do not approach the black-haired guest or his companion.

Report only what you see and hear to me.

The new order directly contradicted the first instruction she had received, and an strange sense of unease rose within her.

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Thekion waited anxiously for Scylla by the well.

The maid had said she delivered the note properly, so why hadn’t she appeared yet?

How many times had he circled the well?

The moon had moved much farther across the sky than when he first arrived.

In a few more hours, dawn would break. His legs weren’t sore or bored. His heart was pounding like a boy waiting for a reply to his confession from the girl he liked.

But as the surroundings began to faintly brighten, worry set in.

Was she going to ignore him?

Or had Dionysus found out?

His eyes grew complicated.

Just as he was about to give up and turn back in disappointment…

Tap…

At the sound of footsteps, he whipped his head around.

The beautiful face he had not stopped thinking about for even a moment since their accidental encounter that day stopped in its tracks upon seeing him.

It was her.

“Scylla!”

Thekion realized his voice was thick with joy and felt embarrassed.

The flimsy excuse that he had called her only to ask questions vanished like a candle flame. He tried to restrain himself, but emotion seeped into every fingertip and every toe, making it extremely difficult to pretend to be calm.

Thekion ran straight to her in a few strides and forcibly suppressed the emotions that surged like a bursting dam.

“You came.”

Scylla, who seemed to have just woken up from sleep in the early morning, let out a small yawn and replied indifferently.

“I didn’t want to come, but I did anyway. No matter what, you’re the owner of the house, so I have to do as I’m told.”

From those words, he realized two things: first, that Dionysus had not discovered he had sent her the note, and second, that, unlike him, she did not think much of this secret dawn meeting.

He felt a little disappointed.

“What’s so important that you had to say?”

Scylla folded her arms.

Even though her face was blunt and her eyes held only faint curiosity, Thekion’s heart pounded wildly.

When was Dionysus planning to leave this place? What were his future plans?

All the questions he had thought of while pacing back and forth were completely forgotten.

“Why are you staying here with Lang…sion? What did he tell you?”

More than anything, he was curious about what Scylla knew about Dionysus.

‘No, to be honest, I want her to open her eyes.’

For that to happen, she needed to doubt Dionysus. She needed to realize that a wicked being who showed not a single shred of truth was pretending to be human and toying with her.

Otherwise, wouldn’t her life be too pitiful?

It seemed as if he was concerned for Scylla, but beneath that, jealousy toward Dionysus was boiling stickily. Thekion himself was unaware of it.

Scylla looked at him searchingly, then spoke.

“Langsion said there was something he needed to resolve here. I’m waiting for that.”

She suddenly sighed. Thekion, who had been wondering how to gently tell her that wasn’t the case, felt the hairs on his body stand up at her strange reaction.

“Don’t worry. We won’t stay here long. You probably know better than I do, but Langsion said his work is almost finished too. We could probably leave right away.”

At the words “right away” and “leave,” Thekion’s heart sank.

His intention had been misunderstood. He had wanted her to suspect Dionysus, but it might have sounded as if he was urging them to leave quickly.

“N-no, that’s not what I meant.”

In his urgency, he unconsciously grabbed Scylla’s wrist.

Slap!

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch me so casually.”

Thekion flinched and covered the back of his hand in surprise.

It was the first time anyone had ever slapped him. Not even as a child, not even from his parents. He had always been the model eldest prince who never did what he was told not to do.

Scylla, who had coldly pushed him away, raised her thick, dark eyebrows and openly showed her displeasure.

Thekion’s heart stung. He should have been angry, but instead his chest throbbed as if he had been struck.

“Where is your hometown?”

He asked with a forced smile.

“Why do you want to know?”

Realizing that the situation was becoming increasingly strange, Scylla’s brows furrowed.

“I was just curious if you had a place you settled down.”

Scylla replied while looking at him with suspicious eyes.

“A wanderer wouldn’t have a place to settle.”

“Well, seeing that you were living in a dangerous place like Mount Cithaeron…”

Thekion nodded as if he understood and swallowed hard.

“Then, do you have any thoughts of staying here?”

“What?”

“Do you not plan to continue living here?”

Thekion noticed the tremor in his own voice. He tried to put strength into his throat, but it didn’t seem to help.

The pounding in his chest had reached all the way to his vocal cords.

“Why?”

“Because I want you to live here.”

But at this point, his voice naturally gained firm strength.

“Because I want you.”

This is dangerous.

The warning from reason did not carry its usual weight. In the tug-of-war between reason and emotion, his reason had always been the winner, but ever since meeting Scylla, the balance of power seemed to have completely reversed.

And sometimes emotion disguised itself as reason and whispered false hopes.

Dionysus’s womanizing was quite well known even in Thebes, which worshipped him. He did not force women who refused him.

That was the biggest difference from Zeus, who seduced even unwilling women with all kinds of sweet words.

Perhaps he didn’t need to hold onto anyone because others were seduced even if he didn’t try.

In any case, he would not stop her. If Scylla decided to leave with him.

Thekion looked straight at Scylla, who was frowning.

Despite having paced around the courtyard all night, facing her now made him feel not the slightest bit tired, astonishingly so.

His mind was clear.

The only inconvenience was his heart, which pounded like a drum out of rhythm.

He took a deep breath and spoke in one go.

“I don’t care if you’re a witch or if you’re cursed.”

“…”

“Please stay here.”

Scylla’s face twisted completely. Her expression perfectly embodied incomprehension.

“Why?”

He had already said this much—did he need to be even more honest?

Shame washed over Thekion, but the floodgates of his heart had already burst open. It was hard to make a hole in a dam, but once it was broken, pouring out was not difficult.

“Because I want you.”

“…”

“The moment I met you at this well, my head and my heart were no longer mine.”

“…”

“If there is such a thing as fate, then yes… I think this might be my fate.”

“…”

“But you said you’ll be leaving soon, so what else can I do? I have no choice but to hold onto you.”

On the surface, it sounded calm, but emotions raged beneath.

It was impossible not to feel his sincerity. Scylla’s eyes widened.

Why was she so startled?

Seeing her shaken gaze, Thekion’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously.

“So… are you confessing to me right now?”