“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a beauty. I’m quite nervous.” Rophel said with a smile.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Rophel de Seyon Alexia, Theo’s cousin.”

What?

I stared blankly at the hand Rophel held out. Rophel de Seyon Alexia. 

‘Alexia’ – the name of the Seyon royal family. The Seyon royal family. At least that was what I knew. But the real shock came when I heard Rophel introduce himself as Theo’s cousin.

As I stood there, lost in thought, Rophel waved his hand in front of me again. Almost absentmindedly, I started to raise my hand to shake his, but before I could, Theo walked over and slapped Rophel’s hand away.

“Don’t touch her.”

Theo’s deep voice echoed through the room. For a moment a cold silence fell over us, heavy and tense. Rophel’s smile faded slightly, but the amusement still lingered in his eyes. I could feel the intensity radiating from Theo, his presence dominating the room, and it was clear that this exchange had only scratched the surface of something deeper.

I wasn’t surprised by Theo’s possessive reaction – it was childish, but typical of him. What did surprise me was Rophel’s stunned expression, his mouth slightly agape as he stared at Theo.

“What is this? Are you jealous?”

Rophel teased, but Theo didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to me and gave me a cold order.

“Yuel, go inside.”

I didn’t hesitate. I turned and walked away without looking back, even though my mind was racing. A cousin? The fact that Rophel was royalty was surprising enough, but to hear that he was Theo’s cousin made even less sense.

Theo’s father, the Duke of Arkel, Blaine, had two brothers and between them, they had many children. Theo had many cousins, but his relationships with them were anything but friendly. The whole family was locked in a constant struggle for power, each more rival than ally. It was a tense, hostile dynamic – one that hardly encouraged casual visits like this.

A cousin? How could it be? What was Rophel really doing here? Something about the whole situation didn’t add up, and the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt.

I reached the glass corridor and looked back, but the living room was already empty.

***

The urge to drink lingered, but I resisted, knowing that Rophel was probably still with Theo. Instead, I forced myself into bed, hoping that sleep would ease my growing headache. Sleep had always been my escape, and I soon drifted off.

Some time later I was jolted awake by the soft sound of the door opening. Theo entered the room, his expression tense and unreadable. I had expected him to be in a bad mood, and it was clear that whatever had happened with Rophel had left him unsettled.

The moment Theo walked in, my mind reflexively jumped to Mio’s letter. I had already read it, torn it up, and flushed it down the toilet. Nothing was alarming in it – just Mio’s concern for my welfare. She mentioned that she had tried to speak to the guards, but they hadn’t paid any attention to her. She reassured me not to worry about her, insisting that she was fine, although it was clear that she had witnessed something in the kitchen that had upset her. Mio was still as sweet and caring as ever, though perhaps a little too reckless for her good.

I sat up slowly and watched Theo as he crossed the room. His tension was palpable, but I waited, unsure if he was going to bring up Rophel or something else entirely.

“What did you say to Rophel?”

Theo asked abruptly, wasting no time in entering the room.

“Nothing.”

“Rophel seemed to like you.”

What was I supposed to do with that information? I didn’t move from the bed, nor did I react to his comment. It wasn’t worth the effort.

“He said it didn’t matter who marked you, as long as it could be done again – even after I told him you were mine.”

Theo’s anger was obvious and I could feel a little tension creeping in, afraid he might take his anger out on me.

“Don’t leave the house for a while.”

I bit my lip, frustration building up inside me.

“It’s not my fault that man came into this mansion. That’s his fault, not mine.”

“It is your fault, Yuel.”

Theo replied slowly, his tone icy. His words hit me hard, leaving me speechless for a moment.

His words sent a wave of anger through me and I stood up abruptly, staring down at the sheets, unwilling to meet his gaze. Frustration boiled inside me, but for a moment I wondered why being trapped in this room made me so angry. Whether I was in the garden or here, I was still trapped.

The anger quickly faded. My expression went blank as if all emotion had been drained from me. Theo watched in silence as this change took place within me.

Suddenly he walked over and tore the sheets off with a rough tug. Before I could react, his hands pinned me to the bed. His face twisted in frustration as he hovered over me, tension radiating from him.

“It’s because you’re beautiful, Yuel. It’s all your fault.”

He growled, almost spitting out the words as if his frustration and desire were colliding in a way he couldn’t control.

Then, without warning, he bit my lips and kissed me hard, his movements forceful, almost as if he were in pain himself. There was a strange fear in his expression, one I couldn’t quite understand, but it weighed heavily between us.

***

Why is this man in my room?

I stopped in the middle of drying my wet hair and stared at him in disbelief. It was Rophel – the same man whose actions had led to my imprisonment last week. And now here he was, casually strolling around my room, inspecting everything with that infuriating grin.

“If you don’t leave right now, I’m going to call Theo.”

I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady despite the wave of frustration building up inside me.

Rophel laughed, completely unfazed by my threat. He turned to me, his grin widening.

“Theo, huh? Somehow I doubt you’ll do it. He wouldn’t be too happy to see me here, would he?”

He leaned casually against the wall, watching me with an almost playful gaze as if daring me to act.

I clenched my hands into fists, trying to remain calm despite the overwhelming urge to throw him out of the room.

Without looking at me, he laughed and replied.

Theo’s out for a bit. He’s incredibly busy at the moment.”

“If Theo finds out you’re in here, he might kill you.”

“Oh, that sounds awful.”

Rophel replied with a mocking smile.

“But unfortunately for you, if there’s anyone Theo can’t kill, it’s probably me. And now you too, Yuel.”

He knew my name.

“I couldn’t find you anywhere, so it turns out you’ve been hiding in this very room. What a lavish room – grand and ostentatious. But in keeping with the rest of the mansion.”

His gaze finally landed on me, and when our eyes met, they shone with a strange interest. I was only wearing a bathrobe, but I didn’t bother to tighten it. There was no need. As my emotions faded, so did my instinct to protect myself. It all felt distant and irrelevant as if a part of me had already detached itself from the situation.

Rophel’s expression changed, curiosity playing across his face. He studied me carefully, perhaps noticing my lack of reaction, perhaps wondering why I wasn’t afraid. But I wasn’t. Not anymore.

“As I said, you have a truly beautiful face.”

Rophel commented, his gaze lingering on me as if studying every detail. I remained expressionless, refusing to answer. Slowly I moved to sit on the edge of the bed, my thoughts swirling. I couldn’t understand what Theo was thinking, allowing Rophel to roam freely around the mansion and then blaming me for it. If Theo knew that Rophel had entered my room, he’d probably lose his mind – and take it out on me again.

“Yuel Estin, right?”

Rophel sat down on the vanity chair a short distance away. There was a disconcerting confidence in his voice as if he already knew everything about me.

“You’re the famous neurologist from Arkel, aren’t you? Studied for years in Hame, with many notable research papers and books under your name. Even in Seyon, people know about you. In a way, you have become a star because of your impressive career rather than your abilities, haven’t you?”

I met his gaze and realized that he wasn’t just making unfounded comments. He knew exactly who I was. His knowledge of my background was disturbing, especially considering how isolated I had been since arriving here. It made me wonder how much Rophel knew – and why he cared.

“You’ve done your research.”

I said quietly, my voice betraying no emotion. Still, the fact that he was so well-informed gnawed at me.

I didn’t bother to deny it. The profile Rophel read belonged to a past life, a world that no longer had anything to do with me. The information felt distant, like a faint memory from another time.

“I knew Theo was crazy, but I didn’t know he was so brave. Arkel is in chaos right now. Did you know that?”

Rophel’s voice was casual, but his words hit me like a shock.

“What kind of chaos?”

I asked, trying to catch my breath.

“One of your colleagues has taken out newspaper advertisements looking for you, and your hospital is being searched daily. It’s been months and they’re still stirring up trouble.”

A wave of sickness washed over me. It was the first time I’d heard any news from the outside world. How did Rophel know so much about the situation in Arkel?

“Searching won’t get them anywhere. Seyon’s magic is beyond imagination. Their tracks have been thoroughly erased.”

I felt the weight of those words settles heavily on me. Erased. Gone. The life I had once built – the career, the colleagues – none of it mattered anymore. I had become a ghost, hidden away in this mansion, disconnected from everything I had once been. But the fact that people were still looking, that they hadn’t given up, made me feel a strange mixture of fear and hope.

“What do you want from me?”

Rophel’s words only added to the sense of imprisonment. My old life, now out of reach, had completely vanished from the eyes of the world. The forgotten pain in my chest resurfaced as I imagined Dr Leoton and my colleagues desperately searching for me, their concern and confusion palpable. Meanwhile, here I was, reduced to nothing under Theo, accepting everything he did without resistance. The Yuel Estin they had once admired and respected was long gone.

“Theo forced you, didn’t he?”

Rophel’s voice softened, gentle but probing, as if he wanted to extract a confession.

I just stared at him in silence. He already knew the truth – there was no point in pretending otherwise. But I couldn’t understand why he bothered to ask as if hearing me say it out loud would change anything. Words didn’t matter here. Nothing did.

“Shall I help you escape? Will you come with me?”

Rophel’s voice was soft, almost like an enticing lullaby, as if trying to lure a child into a trap.

Theo’s words suddenly echoed in my head: Both he and Rophel were heartless, each playing their own twisted games.

I ignored Rophel’s offer and avoided his trap.

“What do you mean, ‘Theo’s cousin’?” I asked instead, my voice calm.

Rophel didn’t seem to mind my distraction. He shrugged with a casual indifference and then, to my surprise, replied simply.

“Exactly what I said. Theo de Seyon Alexia. My wild, wicked little cousin.”

I took a deep breath. Piece by piece, the mystery surrounding Theo was unraveling, and the truth was more shocking than I had expected.

“Theo is the sole heir of the Blaine family. The Duke of Arkel.”

Rophel continued, his tone as light as if it were common knowledge.

The weight of his words weighed heavily on me. Theo wasn’t just a dangerous man with wealth and influence – he was the sole heir to one of the most powerful families in Arkel. This realization only added to the gravity of my situation.