WMEEM Ch 24

Just a Kiss Mark

My body froze the moment Batizo's expression shifted.

I had never seen such a terrifying glare on his face. His unblinking eyes tracked me like a predator cornering prey, as if he intended to devour me whole.

Did he find out about the masquerade?

No other explanation made sense. I tried to think of an excuse, but my mind went completely blank.

Should I confess first? No, that is a bad idea.

I decided to keep quiet until he spoke.

I gripped my gown until my knuckles turned white and waited for him to break the silence. But a heavy silence stretched out between us.

Finally, he spoke to Tarega, who was trembling in fear beside me.

[Batizo] "You."

[Tarega] "Y-Yes, Your Majesty."

[Batizo] "You failed to check your mistress's clothes today."

[Tarega] "Pardon?"

Tarega looked at me with a confused expression.

Is something wrong with my clothes?

I quickly looked down to check my gown for stains or tears.

The fabric was spotless, smooth, and free of damage. Worried that my hair was messy, I raised my hand to check, but everything felt in place.

[Batizo] "A servant who fails to attend her master properly deserves a flogging."

I dropped to my knees before Batizo right away, and Tarega fell beside me, pressing her forehead against the dirt.

[Celeste] "Your Majesty! Tarega served me exclusively in the imperial palace of Calyx for years, so she is unfamiliar with the customs of Kellinev. Please forgive her mistake and direct your anger at me instead!"

The winter ground felt freezing beneath the dry, dead grass. Yet the cold anger radiating from Batizo above felt far worse.

I stared down at his boots and prayed desperately for this moment to pass without any harm done.

[Batizo] "Rise, Princess."

[Celeste] "Please take back your order for a flogging."

The silence stretched on endlessly. Time itself seemed to stop. I worried that I had only fueled his anger, but I had to say those words anyway.

I can't let Tarega suffer a flogging.

A long, slow breath escaped his lips, neither a laugh nor a sigh.

When Batizo spoke again, his tone was slightly softer.

[Batizo] "I didn't say I would flog her right this second. I informed you of what is proper. Since it is a first offense, I intended to let it pass."

[Celeste] "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Beside me, Tarega stammered out endless thanks as well.

As Tarega helped me up, my numb legs nearly buckled under my weight, but Batizo caught my arm.

He looked at my face once more. No, not my face, but my neck.

A fresh wave of fury seemed to wash over him. He shoved my arm aside roughly and turned on his heel.

I leaned on Tarega as she helped me keep my balance, pressing my hand against the spot his eyes had fixed on.

Suddenly, the spot Terkan pointed out last night flashed through my mind. Along with the dark red mark I had noticed this morning.

I rushed inside and stood in front of the vanity mirror.

[Celeste] "Tarega."

[Tarega] "Yes, Your Highness?"

[Celeste] "If someone kisses bare skin... does it leave a mark?"

[Tarega] "Well, I..."

Realization washed over Tarega's face as well. My suspicion was completely confirmed.

Because neither of us had any experience with such things, neither Tarega nor I had connected the red mark from this morning to Terkan's kiss.

So that was why everyone had been avoiding my eyes. The tutors, the maids, every single one of them recognized what was on my neck.

Mortification washed over me, burning hot beneath my skin.

That was why Batizo's face had twisted so terrifyingly. He had walked toward me with a calm expression from a distance, only to glare with pure rage the second he drew near.

[Celeste] "What do I do..."

I buried my face in my hands, completely unable to look up.

The thought of facing Batizo and the rest of the court now felt completely overwhelming.

---

I brought it up with Elizaveta when she came by for afternoon tea. I was humiliated to even bring it up, but Tarega and I only had guesses, and I needed to know for sure.

I unwound my scarf to show Elizaveta.

[Elizaveta] "That is a kiss mark."

[Celeste] "Ah, as I thought..."

As I pressed a hand against my forehead, Elizaveta spoke up in a cheerful voice.

[Elizaveta] "His Majesty must be terribly possessive! Men rarely leave marks out in plain sight like that."

She giggled, while I stood there unable to confess that it was Terkan—not Batizo—who had left it.

[Celeste] "Do... do men rarely leave kiss marks on the neck?"

Embarrassment made the words trip over my tongue.

[Elizaveta] "Because showing it off in public is embarrassing, men usually avoid visible places. Leaving a mark like that means: She belongs to me, so stay away! His Majesty must be completely overcome with desire."

[Celeste] "Elizaveta, shh!"

[Elizaveta] "Ah, yes. Shh."

I quickly wrapped the scarf back around my neck.

Was that why Batizo was so furious?

When he was the one who ordered the wedding night instruction in the first place?

As I thought about it more, anger began to flare inside me too.

As experienced as Batizo was, he should have easily expected something like this to happen during the instruction. Even if it was a surprise, he should have warned Terkan instead of throwing a tantrum at me.

Why drag poor, innocent Tarega into it with threats of a flogging?

Even though I knew Terkan had not left the mark with that kind of meaning in mind, my frustration made me want to blame him anyway. I was stuck right in the middle, feeling completely helpless.

The next time I see Terkan, I will tell him straight out: Leave one more visible mark, and I will not let it go.

Still, knowing I would have to walk on eggshells every time I met Batizo gave me a pounding headache.

[Elizaveta] "Your Highness, nothing improper happened that night, right?"

She was asking about the night of the masquerade.

[Celeste] "Nothing happened."

[Elizaveta] "I heard later that you talked with a gentleman. Did he offend you?"

I shook my head and shrugged.

[Celeste] "Not at all. I even danced with him."

Since coming back from the masquerade, thoughts about those matching rings popped into my head every now and then, though less often as time passed.

It would have been easier to just forget about it, but my curiosity refused to die down.

[Celeste] "Elizaveta, do you know anything about foreign customs and traditions?"

[Elizaveta] "A little. Your tutors definitely know far more, but I will share whatever I can. What are you curious about?"

Asking my tutors carried the risk of getting back to Terkan, which made Elizaveta the safer option.

[Celeste] "I read in a book..."

Using a book as an excuse.

[Celeste] "That there is a place where someone makes matching rings in advance while waiting for a destined partner. A bond created by a goddess."

The moment the words left my mouth, Elizaveta clapped her hands together in recognition.

[Elizaveta] "You mean making matching rings ahead of time, keeping one and letting the other drift freely?"

[Celeste] "Yes. That custom."

[Elizaveta] "That comes from Hilyd, an empire that disappeared long ago. It is Garsa now."

Hilyd? Of all places, why Hilyd?

Confusion swirled through my head.

[Celeste] "I have heard of Hilyd. Are there still many Hilydians living in Garsa?"

[Elizaveta] "Not pure Hilydians, but descendants of mixed blood. Even those are extremely rare, I believe."

[Celeste] "Why is that?"

[Elizaveta] "Because Garsa slaughtered the people of Hilyd without mercy, regardless of rank, age, or gender. Though a few managed to survive, pure Hilydian bloodlines are almost unheard of today. Any Hilydian who still follows that tradition must come from a pure bloodline."

Terkan's face popped into my mind. He was part of that small remnant of Hilydians. His parents and ancestors must have suffered horribly to survive.

Still, the idea that the masked stranger at the masquerade also belonged to that tiny group felt uneasy. Being tied to him through matching rings was stressful enough without adding that to the mix.

I hoped with all my heart that Terkan didn't know that man.

---

The second Batizo returned to his study, he summoned Terkan.

Seeing the kiss mark on Celeste's neck had sent a surge of fury through him. Thinking about how she had gotten such a mark disgusted him, but he knew the culprit right away.

It was Terkan.

Daring to leave a mark like that on the future Empress was a crime even Terkan couldn't easily walk away from.

Yet when he stood face-to-face with Terkan, the words refused to come.

Batizo had ordered the wedding night instruction himself. He had explicitly told Terkan to prepare her thoroughly so she would feel no hesitation.

On top of that, the spot marked on Celeste's neck was Batizo's own favorite place to leave a mark on his bedchamber partners.

Terkan, who knew Batizo's habits inside and out, had taught her based on those preferences. He was only doing his job faithfully.

[Terkan] "You summoned me, Your Majesty?"

Batizo couldn't bring himself to bring up Celeste to Terkan.

[Batizo] "I wondered if your prayers are going well. You have been busy with that matter lately."

This was the time of year when Terkan, who usually stayed by Batizo's side, became tied up with other responsibilities.

[Terkan] "Yes. I am offering my prayers with complete devotion. How has your insomnia been recently?"

[Batizo] "Fortunately, I can catch brief moments of sleep. But the nightmares have returned. They are manageable for now, but they will grow worse as that day gets closer."

Batizo rubbed his chin as he looked at Terkan, lost in thought.

Even though Terkan was younger than him, he carried himself like an elder. A weight that likely came from his extraordinary powers.

Batizo had first met Terkan five years ago. They crossed paths in the middle of a battle, where Terkan wielded a sword with skill that left Batizo speechless.

In his entire life, Batizo had never seen such flawless swordsmanship. Unlike his heavy, brutal style, Terkan moved with effortless grace, making Batizo desperate to bring him into his service.

And when he found himself backed into a corner, Terkan saved his life.

A young man who had volunteered for war. When asked where he had mastered such skill, Terkan replied that he had taught himself.

Batizo saw no need to pry into his secrets. Sheer talent was enough. But as time went on, Terkan's abilities proved to be far beyond mere swordsmanship.

He was a Spacetime Mage, a rare power that usually cost a fortune to hire. On top of that, he received divine visions and could glimpse the future. He even possessed subtle tea magic.

Desperate to keep Terkan by his side, Batizo had asked him what he wanted in return.

[Terkan] "I only seek the honor of serving at Your Majesty's side."

[Batizo] "How can I trust someone who is so unnaturally gifted at everything?"

He gave a smooth smile at his question.

[Terkan] "Do you not trust me already? Should I foretell the near future for you once more?"

Even while pretending to be skeptical, Batizo trusted him completely.

[Batizo] "Why do you want to serve me?"

[Terkan] "Because you are the strongest ruler in this world."

Batizo could only laugh.

Terkan knew intimate details about his childhood, things no living person knew. Keeping a man who could see the future close was the only choice that made sense.

With a calm demeanor and a sharp mind, Terkan mastered every task on his own without needing guidance. Within three months of joining Batizo, he had memorized every detail about his master.

Five years later, Terkan was the only person in the world Batizo trusted without hesitation. His only odd trait was that he turned down noble titles every single time they were offered.

Unwilling to force unwanted honors on him, Batizo showered Terkan with immense wealth instead. A price he never regretted paying, considering what he received in return.

[Terkan] "Should I bring you tea every night from now on?"

Tea that could ease insomnia and quiet nightmares was just one of his many gifts.

[Batizo] "Yes. And don't send any women to my bedchamber."

Women were a hassle now, having lost whatever appeal they once held.

[Batizo] "When will these cursed nightmares end? I ask you over and over, but is a prophecy really impossible?"

[Terkan] "As I tell you every time, my visions depend on divine revelation. It is not a matter of what is possible."

Batizo's nightmares were horrific. Faces he didn't recognize would appear, torn, mangled, and bloody.

Though he didn't know their names, they were without a doubt victims who had fallen to his sword.

Covered in blood, they rose up in his dreams to curse him over and over.

If it had ended there, he could have handled it. But once those ghosts faded, his late father would appear. Looking exactly as he had on the day he died.

His father cursed him, throwing venomous words at his son just as he had from the moment Batizo learned to speak until the day he died, continuing even from beyond the grave.

Finally, his mother would appear. The mother he missed so dearly. If she had cursed him like the rest, it would have been easier to bear, but his mother only offered endless, heartbreaking apologies.

These constant nightmares left Batizo deeply bitter and exhausted.

When they reached their worst, he could barely think straight. During those moments, Terkan was always at his side without fail.

To him, Terkan was that kind of presence…..

A man he trusted without question. Someone he couldn't replace.

It had been Terkan's vision that led to the plans for marrying Celeste in the first place.

Summoning Terkan so urgently over a simple kiss mark—left while following his own orders—would make Batizo look ridiculous.

On top of that, feeling bothered by Terkan leaving a mark on Celeste felt absurd even to Batizo himself.

A mark on Celeste's neck was a minor thing. Still, he asked anyway.

[Batizo] "Is the Princess taking your lessons well?"

[Terkan] "Her progress is slow, but she is accepting it faithfully."

[Batizo] "Hurry up. The engagement ceremony is not far off."

[Terkan] "Understood, Your Majesty."

Even though he had asked Terkan, he couldn't bring himself to say what was really on his mind.

Cracks were slowly forming in the wall of trust he had thought was unbreakable.

---

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