CHAPTER 79
"I messed up back there,"
he whispered.
Muwon returned the hug gently, resting his hand on the back of Sihyun's head.
"You didn't mess up,"
he said calmly.
"You were scared. And it's okay to be scared. You've been through things no one else at that feast could imagine. But you're still standing. That alone is something to be proud of."
Sihyun didn't answer, but the tightness in his chest eased just a little. The warmth of Muwon's voice always had a strange way of calming him, even when nothing made sense.
Muwon stepped back, a small smile on his face.
"I know something that might lighten your mood."
He reached into his robe and pulled out a small velvet pouch. Sihyun blinked as Muwon pressed it into his hand.
"What's this?"
he asked.
"Open it and see."
Sihyun loosened the drawstring and carefully tilted the contents into his palm. A silver pendant dropped into his hand — delicate, shaped like a crescent moon, with tiny veins of glowing gold spiraling through the crystal center. The light pulsed softly, like a heartbeat.
Sihyun stared, speechless.
"I had it made for you,"
Muwon said, voice quieter now.
"The gold inside is forged from magic threads. It glows a little when you feel overwhelmed — like it's reminding you to breathe. To come back to yourself. And it's a moon, because…"
He smiled slightly.
"You're always marked by it, aren't you?"
Sihyun looked up at him, throat tight. His voice was almost too soft to hear.
"You… remembered that."
"I remember everything about you,"
Muwon replied, without hesitation.
Sihyun clutched the pendant tightly, eyes misted. He didn't know what to say, but he didn't need to. He simply leaned forward again and pressed his forehead to Muwon's chest, feeling the beat of his heart.
"Thank you,"
he murmured, voice cracking.
"I'll keep it with me. Always."
While laughter and music still echoed faintly from the palace halls, the garden seemed to exist in a separate world — quiet, slow, and cloaked in silver moonlight.
Sihyun remained close to Muwon, fingers still curled around the moon pendant, its faint golden glow catching the curve of his wrist.
"…I want to do the ritual tonight,"
he said softly, glancing up at Muwon.
"I want to be with you. Not because of duty… but because I want to."
Muwon searched his face, reading the vulnerability in his expression — not the hesitation of someone forced into obligation, but someone choosing it for the first time.
"Then come with me,"
Muwon said, voice low and steady.
They slipped quietly from the garden, leaving the feast behind.
The chamber was already prepared. Silks and soft fabrics layered the floor and bedding. The windows had been drawn wide, letting the full moon bathe the room in cold, sacred light.
Sihyun stood still for a moment, just past the doorway, his robe loose around his shoulders. Muwon watched him from across the room, the silence between them pulsing with quiet anticipation.
Then Sihyun stepped forward and reached for Muwon's hand, guiding it gently to his chest.
"It's beating so fast,"
he murmured.
Muwon smiled slightly.
"Mine too."
They undressed slowly — not with hunger, but reverence. Like each layer they peeled away wasn't just fabric, but weight. History. Walls.
Sihyun's markings shimmered in the moonlight, nineteen dark horns glowing faintly with magic beneath his skin. His eyes, once black, now burned with a deep crimson sheen as his magic stirred to life.
As their bodies pressed together, skin to skin, the glow intensified.
Gold from Muwon's curse mark flickered along his back like fireflies, reacting to the presence of Sihyun's power. Red threads of light laced around them both, like an unseen tether tightening with every heartbeat.
Sihyun gasped softly, the sensation overwhelming — not painful, not forceful. Just… consuming.
He could feel his magic flow freely now, no chains, no fear.
"I can feel it…"
Muwon whispered against Sihyun's throat, his voice shaky.
"Your power. It's filling everything."
Sihyun's fingers laced behind Muwon's neck.
"Then don't let go."
The room pulsed with crimson and gold — like blood and light dancing together. Each movement between them stirred more magic in the air, the markings on Sihyun's back glowing brighter, reacting to the moonlight, to the contact, to the desire.
The curse mark on Muwon's body pulsed in sync, as if drinking in every thread of energy Sihyun gave. Slowly, it dulled in color — just slightly, but noticeably.
They didn't speak for a while — only the sound of breaths, the rustle of skin against sheets, the occasional gasp or moan as the ritual continued in both magic and flesh.
When it was over, their bodies lay tangled in moon-drenched sheets. The air still shimmered faintly, the leftover strands of magic curling lazily above them like fireflies.
Muwon turned to Sihyun, brushing sweat-damp hair from his brow.
"Are you okay?"
he asked softly.
Sihyun gave a small, sleepy nod. His eyes had dimmed back to black, his tattoos faint again.
"Yeah…"
he whispered.
"It felt… different tonight."
"Because it wasn't just for the ritual?"
Sihyun managed a faint smile.
"Because it was for us."
Muwon leaned forward and kissed his forehead.
And in the quiet, wrapped in warmth and magic, they finally allowed themselves to rest.
The grand hall was slowly thinning out. The music had softened to a distant lull, nobles chatting in low murmurs, laughter still echoing between the walls as wine-stained goblets clinked one final time.
Yuhyun stumbled slightly as he stepped out from the feast, his face flushed and his steps uneven. A hiccup escaped him before he could stop it.
"Who let me drink that much…"
he grumbled, blinking up at the night sky.
On either side of him, Dohyun and Taejin flanked him like unbothered guards, each with an arm looped under his to keep him steady.
"I thought he could hold his liquor,"
Taejin smirked, nudging Dohyun.
"I thought so too,"
Dohyun replied.
"But apparently our brave Yuhyun can't even handle the third cup."