CHAPTER 61
The hall had fallen into a dreadful, trembling silence.
Muwon stared at Sihyun, his throat tight, unable to speak. His heart ached with every word that left Sihyun's lips. From where they sat, Dohyun and Taejin could only watch the prince's expression darken—his eyes a battlefield of love, doubt, and devastation.
Yuhyun lowered his gaze. Please… make it stop. Let this end already…
But Sihyun wasn't done.
Still staring into the empty space only he could see, Sihyun chuckled lightly.
"Guess what, Vanyul…"
Everyone's breath hitched.
He smiled wider, eyes hazy with the serum's grip.
"We killed the king."
A collective gasp rippled through the hall.
The king stiffened, his face pale yet eerily calm—though his clenched fists said otherwise.
Muwon swallowed hard, not daring to look at his father.
"You should've seen his face,"
Sihyun went on, voice gleeful, almost childlike.
"So miserable… so pathetic."
He leaned back slightly, laughing as though reliving the dream.
"And then… I sat on his throne. You called me King Sihyun. It felt… good. To rule. To finally make everything go my way."
The room was frozen, disbelief echoing louder than any sound.
The king's voice, when it came, was low and trembling with contained rage:
"So this… this is what lies in your heart."
Muwon closed his eyes, pain slicing through him. But he didn't move from Sihyun's side.
But Sihyun wasn't done.
His playful grin began to falter as a shadow crossed his expression. He blinked slowly, as if seeing a new part of the illusion, and then whispered,
"And then… the prince came."
A sharp silence followed.
Muwon's brows drew together. His heart thumped loudly in his chest.
"Me…?"
he mouthed quietly to himself.
Everyone turned to listen, intrigued by the sudden shift in Sihyun's tone.
"I couldn't do anything,"
Sihyun added, voice soft, almost cracking. His gaze dropped to the floor.
The shaman leaned forward slightly, sensing the shift.
"Why couldn't you do anything, Sihyun?"
Still staring into the illusion of Vanyul, Sihyun's lips trembled. Guilt slowly bled across his face as his voice turned raw,
"Because… the prince was there."
Yuhyun gasped quietly, his eyes flicking to Muwon, then back to his brother, stunned.
The shaman's voice came again, more gently this time.
"What do you mean you couldn't do anything… because the prince was there?"
Tears welled in Sihyun's eyes, threatening to spill. His chest rose and fell shakily. He was no longer grinning. No longer defiant. No longer guarded.
And then—
"…because…"
He paused. His lips quivered. And then, barely above a whisper:
"…because I have feelings for the prince."
The tear slipped down his cheek.
Gasps echoed again through the room.
Muwon froze, eyes wide in stunned silence. His mouth parted slightly, as if trying to breathe in words he never imagined he'd hear from Sihyun himself.
Yuhyun clasped his hands tightly together, overwhelmed.
Even the shamans paused, unsure if they should ask anything more.
The room had changed. This was no longer a trial.
It was a confession.
Sihyun suddenly broke down, his shoulders shaking as sobs tore through him.
"I have feelings for the prince!!"
he cried out, louder this time—raw, vulnerable.
The entire room fell into stunned silence.
He laughed bitterly between his sobs, voice cracking as he said,
"Me… having feelings for the prince. I hate it. I hate myself for it."
Muwon's chest clenched. Yuhyun looked away, his throat tight, understanding exactly what Sihyun meant.
They could both see it—he wasn't just fighting the truth serum. He was fighting his own heart.
The king sat unmoving, hands clasped, face unreadable.
After what felt like a long silence, Sihyun's sobs softened. His breathing evened. His body grew still.
Then, the shaman spoke again, carefully,
"Do you… wish ill for His Majesty?"
Sihyun didn't smile. He didn't look unhinged.
His gaze was cold now. Clear. Determined.
"I'm trying,"
he said softly,
"to become a different kind of demon sorcerer."
"For Yuhyun,"
his eyes briefly flicked to his brother,
"and for the prince."
A pause.
"But…"
his tone sharpened, lethal now.
"If the king stands in their way…"
His eyes narrowed, golden sparks flashing.
"I won't hesitate to slice his throat open."
The room tensed.
The king remained calm, unmoved.
Yuhyun let out a quiet breath, heart aching—but for the first time in a long time, proud.
Muwon simply stared, every part of him torn between pain and love.
The shaman opened his mouth again.
"One more question—how deep was your connection with Vanyul?"
But before the words could settle, the king raised a hand.
"Enough,"
he said. His voice cut through the air like a blade.
"No more questions."
The shaman bowed and stepped back.
Sihyun sat quietly, blinking slowly. The glow in his eyes was fading. The serum's grip was loosening—but something was wrong.
His breathing quickened. His fingers clutched his chest.
"Sihyun?"
Yuhyun called, alarmed.
Sihyun stood abruptly—but his legs gave out.
He collapsed.
"Sihyun!!"
Muwon shouted, catching him just before he hit the floor.
Yuhyun rushed to his other side.
"Sihyun, stay with me. Hey, look at me!"
Muwon said, shaking him gently. But Sihyun's eyes were open. Unmoving.
"Take off the chain!"
Muwon barked at the guards.
"Now!"
Everyone watched in stunned silence as the guards hesitated—then quickly obeyed. The heavy Sorcerer's Chain was unlatched and pulled away.
But Sihyun remained still. His magic… didn't return.
Muwon's hands trembled as he checked for warmth.
Yuhyun whispered,
"He's cold…"
"No, no—he's not—he can't be—"
Muwon muttered, gripping Sihyun tighter.
At that moment, the king stood from his throne. He said nothing. Just observed with that same calm, unreadable gaze.
And the chamber fell silent.
Far from the palace, deep within the shadowed cave, Vanyul jolted upright.
The fire crackled low behind him, casting strange flickers across the stone walls. His female ally glanced up, startled.
"What is it?"
She asked.
Vanyul didn't respond at first. He touched his chest—right where his heart beat. It felt… wrong. Off.
He stared into the forest, brows furrowing.
"Sihyun,"
he murmured.
"Something's happened."
The flames behind him surged for a brief second, then dimmed.