Chapter 75

After meeting Sethian and returning to his body, Joo Yi-Gyeol rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up. A white butterfly, which had been aimlessly fluttering in the air, took this as its moment to approach.

—Did you sleep well?

As expected, the butterfly showed no sign of noticing that Joo Yi-Gyeol’s soul had been temporarily absent from his body.

With a sleepy smile, Joo Yi-Gyeol got out of bed, but the moment his feet touched the ground, his body suddenly collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

“Huh…?” Staring down at himself in confusion, he tried to push himself up by gripping the bed with one hand, but his body only wobbled, refusing to cooperate.

—What’s wrong? Are you okay?

“I think I’m fine, but my body…”

Hearing the anxious tone in his voice, the white butterfly flitted around him in concern.

—You can’t move?

“Yeah… This happened before. I feel dizzy too…” With a frightened expression, Joo Yi-Gyeol pressed a hand to his forehead, prompting the butterfly to become even more frantic.

—Where exactly can’t you move? You’re dizzy too? Does it hurt?

“I don’t know. Why is this happening…?”

—Wait right here. I’ll go get Lord Zair right away!

The butterfly spoke hurriedly, filled with worry, and flew swiftly toward the door. But just before exiting, it hesitated, scanning the room.

The only exit was the door guarded by possessed soldiers. The windows were another option, but this place was identical to Sethian’s Emerald Castle—on the third floor. Jumping out wasn’t an easy choice, and soldiers patrolled constantly below.

After looking once more at Joo Yi-Gyeol, now thoroughly frightened by his body’s condition, the butterfly finally left the room.

The moment it disappeared, Joo Yi-Gyeol’s expression changed. His frightened, confused gaze turned cold in an instant. As if proving that his previous collapse had been an act, he stood up without even using the bed for support. Focusing intently on the hallway, he listened carefully. Hearing nothing, he slowly moved toward the window, making sure to stagger now and then to keep up the illusion of dizziness.

With a hand to his forehead, he subtly glanced outside. There was no one in sight—not even a wandering spirit. Still, there was always a chance someone was watching from a distance. He had to be cautious.

Reaching the window, Joo Yi-Gyeol quietly unlocked and opened it. Resting his hand on the frame, he took a deep breath, pretending to clear his head. Then, lowering his face, he murmured so softly it was barely audible.

“I heard from Seth. You’re nearby, aren’t you?” His voice was almost imperceptible, his lips barely moving.

Even if someone were close, they wouldn’t be able to make out what he was saying. His posture, slumped against the window, made it seem like he might collapse at any moment.

No response came. Only the rustling of leaves in the wind. Still, Joo Yi-Gyeol was certain someone had heard him. Someone, invisible and silent, was here. Sethian’s words were absolute, and Joo Yi-Gyeol believed in them without a shred of doubt.

“Deliver my message to Tower Lord Roa. Discreetly.” His whisper disappeared into the wind.

Zair arrived less than ten minutes after the butterfly left. Before entering, he confirmed with the guards outside that there had been no noise from within. Only then did he open the door.

The first thing he saw was the half-open window and Joo Yi-Gyeol slumped against the wall beneath it. He rushed to him at once, checking his condition.

Because his skin was naturally pale, his complexion still looked bloodless. His eyes carried a heavy mix of exhaustion and confusion.

“They said you collapsed.” Zair frowned, gripping Joo Yi-Gyeol’s arm to help him up. Though he wobbled, he managed to stand, forcing a smile.

Watching him, Zair looked as though he roughly understood.

He recalled the raven that had once delivered a letter to him in its spirit form. That raven had shown him a vision—Yi-Gyeol, just like now, seemingly drained of all strength. Though he had pretended to recover quickly, Zair had been able to tell.

His gaze drifted to Yi-Gyeol’s neck and collarbone. The fading traces left by Sethian told him all he needed to know.

‘Is it because of a lack of vitality?’

Sethian’s obsession didn’t seem to have lessened, but maybe—just maybe—he was finally being cautious about draining his own lifespan. Knowing Sethian, that seemed unlikely, but compared to before, when he had thrown himself at him every day like an animal in heat, the number of times he supplied vitality through kisses certainly seemed to have decreased. Nor could one ignore that he had been handling an overwhelming workload, as if to support the rumor that he had seriously begun aiming for the throne.

Looking at the faint traces on Yi-Gyeol’s body, Zair couldn’t help but wonder.

‘Had Sethian’s interest begun to wane?’

That would be unfortunate.

If his obsession had grown even more extreme, Zair could have rubbed it in his face—shown him exactly who Joo Yi-Gyeol had chosen as his master.

But… not yet.

Though the kisses had become less frequent and no new marks had been engraved on his body, Sethian’s treatment of Joo Yi-Gyeol didn’t seem to have changed that much. Which meant Joo Yi-Gyeol was still someone who could stimulate him.

Zair’s lips curved into a concerned smile. “You’re lacking vitality. Doesn’t that so-called master of yours provide you with enough?”

“…Because of a lack of vitality…” Repeating Zair’s words, Joo Yi-Gyeol lowered his gaze darkly. Zair gently stroked his cheek, his voice sweet.

“If I were your master, you wouldn’t have to suffer like this.”

“…Thank you.”

Yi-Gyeol’s gratitude sounded hollow. Of course it did. He had no idea when his master would change. If Sethian took too long to seize the throne, Yi-Gyeol might run out of vitality before then.

Watching Joo Yi-Gyeol’s troubled expression, Zair suddenly scooped him up into his arms. Joo Yi-Gyeol’s eyes widened in shock, looking like a startled little animal—Zair quite liked that.

“Don’t make that face. It won’t be long before your master changes.” He gently placed Joo Yi-Gyeol on the bed. But instead of moving away, Zair climbed on top of him.

Joo Yi-Gyeol’s face went rigid, his wide eyes trembling.

Like Sethian, Zair softly caressed his hair, smiling warmly.

“You’re confused right now, but it won’t last. In just a few days, I’ll take care of everything and become your master.” His hand trailed down, brushing over Joo Yi-Gyeol’s cheek before stopping at his lips. He pressed his thumb against them, watching as they darkened slightly under the pressure.

If it were Sethian, he would have kissed him by now.

Zair had seen Sethian and Joo Yi-Gyeol kiss several times through the memories provided by the raven. Though it had been from outside the window and at a distance, he could still tell what Sethian was doing.

What expression had Yi-Gyeol worn back then? The same as now? Or something different?

If only the raven had gotten a little closer, he would not have had to wonder like this.

He wanted to know more about Joo Yi-Gyeol—the man Sethian was so obsessed with.

Slowly, like the Sethian in those memories, he leaned in. He couldn’t transfer vitality, but he wanted to covet those lips as if he were simply indulging his own desire, as though he himself were Sethian.

Their lips were mere moments from touching—

And then something blocked him.

Between them, Joo Yi-Gyeol’s hand had slipped in.

Zair’s brows furrowed, irritated by the interruption.

“What… are you doing right now?” Joo Yi-Gyeol’s voice had shifted. No longer timid or confused, it carried a clear, firm edge.The tone was clearly different from before, and it irritated Zair even more.

Even as Zair’s displeased gaze bore into him, Joo Yi-Gyeol did not remove his hand.