The Yokai’s Bride

The road to the palace was filled with an uneasy silence.

Naru walked opposite Leyla, calm yet cautious, as if expecting a storm that was just about to break.

And he was right.

By the time they reached the palace, Leyla could no longer hold back.

The moment they stepped through the grand doors, she abruptly turned to him, eyes blazing with fury.

"You…" she began through clenched teeth. "You are a liar!"

Naru sighed, rubbing his fingers against his temples.

"Leyla—"

"No! You don't get to say my name! Because clearly, even that isn't real! Is it?"

Naru remained silent.

"So, what's next? Are you going to tell me I'm not even human? That my whole life isn't real? That all my memories are fake?"

"I never said that."

"But you didn't deny it either!"

She took a step closer, jabbing a finger into his chest.

"This is your fault! You brought me here! You tricked me! And now… now you won't even tell me the truth? How many more secrets are you hiding? How many more things are you keeping from me?"

"Leyla, this isn't the right time to talk about this."

"Oh, really?! And when will be the right time, Your Highness? When I'm already dead somewhere in the ruins, trying to fix your damn mistakes?"

Naru clenched his jaw.

"Enough."

"No! No, it's not enough! You want me to stay quiet and pretend everything is fine? To watch you smile at me while you hide the truth behind my back?"

Her voice trembled, and tears burned behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"You're a coward, Naru! A coward who can't even tell me the truth to my face!"

Naru flinched.

That was it. That word.

Coward.

His expression changed—as if she had struck him straight in the chest.

But he didn't say anything.

He just looked at her.

She expected him to fight back, to call her spoiled, stubborn, ungrateful. To yell, to be furious.

But he wasn't.

He just stood there in silence.

And that infuriated her even more.

"Say something! Come on, defend yourself!" she shouted.

But he only looked away, as if he couldn't bear to meet her eyes.

Then, he took a deep breath and said,

"You need to rest."

Leyla blinked. "What?"

"You need rest," he repeated, quietly, calmly.

"What?"

Naru turned and took a step back.

"I'll come back when you're ready to talk without hatred in your eyes."

He turned and walked down the hallway.

"Wait! Where are you going?" she called, but there was no answer.

He simply disappeared into the shadows of the palace.

Leyla stood there, furious, confused… and, though she refused to admit it, already missing him.

The palace felt silent—too silent.

She stood in the grand hallway, staring at the empty windows where the last rays of sunlight were slipping away. Everything around her was still, but inside, she was a storm waiting to break.

The air felt thick, as if something had suddenly vanished—something that was supposed to be there.

Naru.

His absence was like a cold, invisible weight pressing against her chest.

Without him, the palace felt… hostile.

She realized that with him, she had felt strong, as if she could trust him, even though she had just condemned him, insulted him… but he had been there. His presence had made her feel safe, even when she didn't have all the answers.

She was angry at him, furious that he hadn't told her the truth, that he hadn't explained what their marriage truly meant. But at the same time, she couldn't understand why he had been so calm, so composed. Why hadn't he fought back?

Why hadn't he told her she was wrong?

Her hands gripped the edge of the table.

"What have I done?" she whispered to herself, taking a deep breath. "Why did I say those things?"

Her heart was confused, her emotions tangled.

She had imagined Naru filled with rage, incapable of forgiving so easily.

But he wasn't angry. He didn't insult her. He didn't force her to regret it.

He just left.

She was the one who remained.

Staring out the window, at the gardens below, she watched as the white flowers on the trees swayed gently in the wind—so quiet, so peaceful, while she was a storm within.

"I can't believe I insulted him…"

She tried to calm herself, but the anger was still there, restless, refusing to leave.

She waved her hands through the air, trying to shake off the energy.

"Why is everything so complicated?"

There were no answers in her mind.

Naru was gone, and she was alone.

Without him, everything felt empty.

She hated that he hadn't had the courage to fight back, but now, she realized—maybe that had been his way of forcing her to stop. To think.

"I have to… I have to go find him," she decided suddenly.

She pushed aside the thoughts clouded with anger and stepped toward the door. But with each step, she felt heavier and heavier.

"What if he's gone forever?"

She stood in front of the door, her hand on the handle. Her heart was in her throat.

Without him, she had fallen into silence.

And she realized—that was what scared her most.

The feeling of loss.

She let go of the handle and lowered her shoulders.

She should apologize, call him back, but her pride wouldn't let her. At the same time, it felt like too much… everything.

"Maybe I should just… let him go?"

Night fell upon the palace.

Measured, silent.

And in that moment, she was completely alone with her thoughts.

Days passed, but Naru did not return.

Leyla sat in her room, staring out the window at the dark palace, which felt even quieter than usual. It had been days since Naru left, and not once had he sent word. No one knew where he was, and she didn't have the strength to ask.

All she could do was sit, think, and question every moment of the past few days.

She tried to distract herself—reading, writing—but nothing eased her restlessness. Her mind was chaotic, her heart overwhelmed with emotions she couldn't untangle.

She was convinced she had made a mistake. Her words… they had been harsh, even though in the heat of the moment, she had believed they were deserved.

Beneath all the anger, she was… afraid.

Afraid that Naru had left forever.

"How could I have acted that way?" tears welled in her eyes again as she stared at the empty paper on the desk. "How could I have been so stubborn?"

Each day, she grew sadder, but she refused to admit how much she felt his absence. It was too heavy a burden, the guilt unbearable.

One of the palace attendants, Maya, had been the only one kind to Leyla these past days. Maya was young and sweet, always helping Leyla when she was in trouble—whether it was carrying something or simply listening.

Maya would sometimes bring tea to her room or just sit with her, even when Leyla didn't feel like talking. Though they were both separated from the world and life in the palace, Maya gave her comfort in her own gentle way.

"Don't worry, everything will be okay," Maya would say softly. "The prince is just… overwhelmed. Maybe he just needs some time."

Leyla nodded, tears silently falling.

Day after day, sorrow remained.

Until one evening, as she stared into the dim room, the door suddenly opened.

Leyla looked up, her heart skipping a beat, but in that moment, it felt like a hundred years had passed.

Naru stood at the door.

His gaze was serious, but now he looked… tired. Thoughtful.

His usual protective expression was there, but in his eyes, there was something unknown.

"Naru…" she whispered, her heart in her throat.

And without a word, she rose and ran to him.

Naru stood frozen. His hand was ready to stop her, but he couldn't push her away. His heart was at its limit, and she knew it.

In that moment, their eyes met, and Leyla embraced him without a single word.

Her arms held him tightly, and he kept her there, surprised by her action but unwilling to let her go. They stood in silence, as if everything from the past days had disappeared.

"I can't..." she whispered, trying to hold back tears. "I can't believe I hurt you."

Naru simply stood there, stunned, as he gently placed his hands on her back. He closed his eyes, pulled her a little closer, and took a deep breath.

"It was... difficult for me too," he said quietly, "but you're strong, Leyla. And maybe... I wasn't there when you needed me the most."

They stood together, in silence, with only their hearts speaking the words left unspoken.

And as they held each other in that quiet moment, something changed. In her heart, and in his. Without words, all their misunderstandings and emotions slowly shattered, as if they both now understood that love sometimes has to survive through the hardest moments.

And so, they stood there, in silence, as the worlds around them settled.