I alone am the Honoured One!

A dull ache, deep and insistent, pulsed through every fiber of her being, pulling her from the depths of unconsciousness.

Velnorah slowly woke up.

Suddenly a soft pain spread from the center of her body outward, like tendrils of ice coiling around her bones, seeping into her very marrow.

She wasn’t lying on the blood-soaked battlefield.

She wasn’t buried beneath rubble and corpses, wasn’t clutching the gaping wound in her abdomen.

She was in a bed.

The sensation was disorienting. Why? How?

Her eyelids felt as though they had been stitched shut, resisting her every effort to pry them open.

The dim morning light seeped through her closed lashes as a soft glow danced across her vision.

A quiet breath shuddered past her lips.

She was alive.

The last thing she remembered was pain... mind-numbing pain.

The glint of steel and the dull taste of blood on her tongue,

Her fingers twitched against the sheets and she tried again, forcing movement into her unwilling limbs.

A sharp breath caught in her throat as she pushed herself upright—effortlessly.

There was no pain, no struggle, as if she had never been injured in the first place.

She lifted her hands before her face, flexing her fingers, pressing her palms against her abdomen where she had once felt gaping wounds

’Seems like someone healed me...’

Her eyes darted around at the unfamiliar room, but none of it mattered to her ’I need to find Tian, where is he?’

She had to see him with her own eyes, feel his presence, hear his voice—or she would go mad.

Without hesitation, she threw aside the sheets and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

The cool air kissed her bare feet, but she barely noticed.

At this time, the door opened, and Velnorah looked at the blonde-haired woman entering the room.

Yun Xi let out a soft sigh, looking at Velnorah "Miss Velnorah..."

Velnorah’s gaze squinted in recognition looking at her "You are.. the disciple of Yan Zijin."

With a nod, Yun Xi spoke "Yeah.. I am the one who healed you."

"Saw you struggling on the battlefield yesterday."

Velnorah hurriedly nodded her head and asked "Where is Tian? Zhao Tian and Yao Jing? Where are they?"

Hearing Zhao Tian’s name, Yun Xi curled in disgust, but she didn’t show it outside and spoke "I.. don’t know..."

"I was just helping the people injured in the battle."

Velnorah’s eyes narrowed and she hurriedly stormed out of the room in search of Zhao Tian.

Yun Xi’s gaze flickered to her retreating figure ’Not even a thank you?’

...

The morning sun bathed the grand palace in soft golden hues, but to Zhou Hanyue, the light felt hollow.

Outside her window, the capital of the Jade Eclipse Dynasty bustled with activity as if nothing had changed.

Zhou Hanyue sat at her vanity, staring at her reflection in the polished bronze mirror.

Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back and her emerald eyes, once filled with pride and quiet determination, now looked dull.

Her hands were shaking slightly as she rested them in her lap.

Zhou Hanyue had been spared.

Not out of mercy.

No.

She had been spared because she was his prize.

She heard a soft knock on the door and she stiffened, her hands instinctively clutching the fabric of her robes as if bracing herself for a blow.

Then, without waiting for permission, the door swung open.

Zhou Shan entered the room with the usual smile on his face as Zhou Hanyue sat there silently.

His gaze swept over her appearance, and the dark circles under her eyes as she refused to meet his gaze. Explore more at NovelBin.Côm

"You didn’t even bother to change..."

"I expected you to at least begin preparing for our wedding."

The mention of it made her stomach twist violently, but she remained silent.

Undeterred, Zhou Shan came to stand behind her as his reflection loomed over hers in the mirror

Slowly, he lifted a hand, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

However she flinched and hurriedly swayed away her body.

His fingers halted inches from her skin before he withdrew them, exhaling softly.

"Still so distant, Hanyue," he murmured, his voice carrying a note of disappointment.

She wanted to spit in his face.

She wanted to scream, to claw at him, to wipe that smug expression off his face.

Instead, she forced herself to remain still. "Why are you here?"

Zhou Shan chuckled at her attempt to sound indifferent.

He moved away from the vanity and toward the large window, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out over the capital.

From where he stood, he could see the banners of his new reign replacing the old insignia of the Jade Eclipse Dynasty.

"This kingdom is finally stable," he said, almost to himself.

"It took longer than expected, but everything is in place now. The nobility has sworn allegiance, the military is under my command, and soon…"

He turned to look at her, "Soon, you will stand at my side, as my wife, as my empress."

Her fingers clenched in her lap "You think I would willingly stand beside you?"

Zhou Shan gave a nod "You will. Because you have no other choice."

Hearing this, her breath caught in her throat "You call this love? Slaughtering my family, destroying my home, and then forcing me into marriage? That is—"

He interrupted her "Love is possession, my dear. And I have spent my life ensuring that no one else will ever have you."

Letting out an amused chuckle, he spoke "Tell me, Hanyue… has anyone ever loved you as much as I do?"

Her stomach churned in disgust "I will never be yours."

Zhou Shan’s smirk widened. "You say that now…"

His hand moved toward her cheek and she reacted instantly.

She jerked backward, nearly toppling the chair as she stumbled away from him.

A flicker of irritation crossed his face before he let out a slow sigh, shaking his head. "Still resisting, huh?"

"The wedding is in two days,"

"Once I complete the final matters of securing the Dynasty, I will return for you."

Hearing this, Zhou Hanyue’s eyes narrowed "I would rather die."

Zhou Shan’s smirk did not waver "You won’t," he uttered, heading toward the door.

But before he stepped out, he paused "By the way, Zhao Tian is dead."

The door shut behind him.

Zhou Hanyue sat there, frozen, and her mind went blank.

W-What? Zhao Tian?

Then, as the weight of his words settled in, her eyes twitched and a surge of rage swarmed in her heart.

She gritted her teeth as she bit down on her lips and a thin line of blood slipped from her split lip. ’I would fucking kill you... if that’s the last thing i would do.’

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