An oppressive silence blanketed the chamber as Jihoon and Jake sat rigidly before the queen. The air itself seemed to thicken under her gaze, making each breath feel laborious. Despite their training, both men fidgeted unconsciously - fingers twitching, throats working - their discomfort palpable beneath the weight of her presence.
There was something... wrong about her.
Even among dominant alphas, the queen radiated a peculiar darkness that set Jihoon's instincts screaming. Her perfect posture and practiced smile couldn't completely mask the predatory edge lurking beneath the surface.
Jake's knee bounced nervously while Jihoon fought to keep his breathing even. This wasn't just royalty - this was something far more dangerous wearing the skin of a queen. Her true nature whispered through the cracks of her performance.
Cunning. Selfish. Arrogant.
Cruel.
The kind of darkness that didn't come from power, but from something far more ancient and terrible. And as her lips curled into another flawless smile.
The cracks in her royal facade were subtle, visible only to those who knew where to look. The way her fingers drummed a slow, deliberate rhythm against the armrest—too controlled to be idle fidgeting, too precise to be accidental.
The unnatural stillness that settled over her features when she thought no one was watching, her expression freezing into something hollow and calculating. Even her laughter came a beat too late, a calculated pause betraying the performance behind it.
Her smiles were flawless, her words honeyed, but the kindness never reached her eyes—they remained cold, evaluating, like a predator sizing up its prey. And when her mask slipped, even for a second, the air itself seemed to shift, growing heavier with something dark and unspoken.
"So…" she began, voice smooth and cold like black velvet. "What brings the two of you here?"
Jihoon glanced nervously at Jake, fumbling for words. "We—uh, Ryan—"
"Ah," the Queen interrupted with a smirk, leaning back in her chair. "That explains it."
"Yeah, I mean… Ryan was abducted right in front of our eyes. We have to find him." Jake started feeling weird by the queen's strange reaction.
"Right! Ryan is in danger, we don't know what might happen-" Jihoon played with his fingers. Sweat was forming on his nape thinking what might happen. He was worried… anxious about Ryan.
Technically, in some way Jihoon knew his betrayal might become the reason of destruction of the world by Ryan's hands.
"Who could it be to dare to do such thing?" Jihoon did have an idea about it but he still need queen's help in finding Ryan even if he had to play ignorance.
Queen was staring blankly, there was this subtle anger and disaster which was hardly visible in her eyes. "How you will be benefited by this?"
"What?" Jihoon was confused by her question. He took a glance at jake who had the same expressions. "Sorry, but I didn't understand-"
"I mean… why you even care about him? He had done nothing for you."
"What do you mean? He was taken by someone right in front of our eyes. And we don't know who it might be. What threat they could pose to us? To this kingdom."
Jihoon was getting furious second by second. It was becoming unbearable to tolerate her presence. They gave to hurry. They don't have time to chitchat.p before it's too late.
"Yes, that's what I'm saying. Ryan is the prince of wisteria. It's people should be worried about him. But you… you are not even from this kingdom. In fact Alyssum should be more benefited by it, isn't it?"
"Are you accusing us that we are behind this?" Jake snapped as he gritted his teeth. But before he could say anything that might become trouble for them, Jihoon interrupted.
"I don't know why you are accusing us but let me tell you, we are not behind this. Ryan, he's my…." Jihoon paused thinking what Ryan actually is to him, "he's my friend. Our friend. And we will never do this to someone who we consider our own even if he is from another kingdom."
Hah.
"So you are saying, you are troubling yourself this much just because he's your friend." Queen mocked as she laughed at the hilarity of Jihoon words. "Seriously, you are acting like you are his lover or something?"
"W-What-"
"Why you care so much if he's just your friend?"
Jihoon flinched. The smile on her face didn't match the situation. It didn't even come close. Ryan had been abducted—taken right in front of them. And here she was, amused. Laughing.
"Why…?" Jihoon's voice cracked. "Ryan was taken in front of our eyes. We're here for answers, and you—you're acting like it's some sort of joke."
Even Jake couldn't hide the irritation in his expression. "Don't you care at all? He's your son."
The Queen chuckled, low and deliberate. "Care? Oh, boys… you have it all wrong." Her tone turned sharp, laced with venom. "Ryan's suffering is his own doing. He brought this upon himself."
Jihoon stared at her, unblinking. "What… what are you talking about?"
Jake leaned forward, confused. "How is any of this his fault?"
The Queen's smile widened, and with it, the darkness around her seemed to pulse. The very air turned colder.
"His first and greatest mistake," she said, voice now dripping with contempt, "was being born a demon alpha."
Jihoon's blood ran cold.
"He was cursed from the beginning. That kind of power—unnatural, chaotic—comes with a price. This… all of this, is divine punishment. And he deserves every second of it."
"You're insane," Jihoon whispered. "How can you say that about your own son?"
The Queen didn't flinch. "Because it's the truth. Ryan was never meant to exist. He was a mistake. And mistakes must be corrected."
Jake shot up from his seat. "That's enough."
Jihoon rose too, unable to stomach another word. He turned sharply and stormed out of the chamber. Jake hesitated for a second before chasing after him.
"Jihoon, wait—!" he reached for him, but Jihoon yanked his arm away, spinning to face him.
His eyes were no longer just angry—they were hollow. Furious. Certain.
"Jake… I think—"
He stopped, the words choking in his throat. But he didn't need to finish.
Jake stared back, and in that moment, he knew exactly what Jihoon meant.
"I know," Jake murmured. "I know. She's helping them. The evil—whoever took Ryan. She's with them."
Jihoon didn't respond. He just stared ahead, jaw clenched. He was feeling so many emotions. Rage. Anger. Sadness. Anxious. But mostly, Guilt. He can't believe ryan had to live all his life with no love. Even his own mother called him monster.
Ryan must have seen hope in him that someone finally accepted him only it to shatter right in next moment. I will find you no matter what, Ryan. So, please don't give in. Don't let others get the best out of your efforts. I'm sorry. I will definitely find you. Will do anything to get your forgiveness. Just… don't give up.
To be continued...…