MARKED BY THE MOON

CHAPTER 11

He found himself staring at two unfamiliar yet annoyingly handsome faces. Well, unfamiliar in the sense that he had never spoken to them before—but he recognized them instantly.

Lee Dohyun and Jang Taejin.

The prince's close friends.

Dohyun, the one who had caught his wrist, grinned as if bumping into someone this early was a delightfully amusing incident. His sharp yet charming features were filled with curiosity, his robes neatly arranged despite the early hour. Taejin, on the other hand, stood beside him with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable—calm, but observant.

Sihyun's eyes narrowed slightly. He could already tell they were the type of people who were good at reading others. Annoying.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Dohyun teased, his grin widening as he glanced between Sihyun and the prince's chamber door.

"Did we interrupt something scandalous?"

Sihyun scoffed, pulling his wrist free with an easy flick of his hand.

"Don't flatter yourself. You two just have terrible timing."

Taejin raised a brow.

"Terrible timing? Or perfect timing?"

Sihyun could already tell where this was going. He rolled his eyes.

"If you're looking for the prince, he's not here. He went out for a morning stroll."

Dohyun hummed, tapping a finger against his chin in mock thought.

"Ah, I see. But it's quite interesting, isn't it, Taejin?"

"Very interesting,"

Taejin agreed, his gaze lingering on Sihyun's appearance—his slightly unkempt robe, his still-flushed skin.

Sihyun clicked his tongue.

"If you're trying to imply something, don't waste your time. I have better things to do than entertain your suspicions."

Dohyun chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.

"Oh, we're not implying anything. We're just… curious. It's not every day the prince lets someone share his quarters."

Sihyun smirked, tilting his head slightly.

"Then maybe you don't know your precious prince as well as you think."

Taejin's lips quirked up slightly, as if amused by Sihyun's sharp tongue, but Dohyun only laughed.

"Hah. I like you already,"

Dohyun said, finally stepping aside.

"Go on then, before we decide to interrogate you properly."

Sihyun didn't need to be told twice. With an easy flick of his robe, he brushed past them, but not before giving Dohyun a playful smirk.

"Try not to miss me too much,"

he threw over his shoulder before disappearing down the hall.

Behind him, Dohyun let out a low whistle.

"Oh, he's going to be fun."

Taejin merely nodded.

"Dangerous, too."

"But fun,"

Dohyun added, grinning.

And with that, the two friends exchanged a knowing look before making their way toward the prince's chambers.

After leaving the two nobles behind, Sihyun wandered through the palace halls, his mood souring with each step. His irritation wasn't from their teasing, nor was it from the way they had glanced at him with knowing smirks—it was the fact that he couldn't shake off the heavy feeling in his chest from earlier.

He needed a distraction.

His feet instinctively led him to the quietest part of the palace, where Yuhyun would be. True enough, he found his twin kneeling near a stack of books, carefully dusting the low shelves of the grand library. His sleeves were rolled up, and faint traces of exhaustion clung to his face.

Sihyun clicked his tongue.

"Look at you. They've already turned you into a perfect little servant."

Yuhyun startled slightly at the sudden voice but sighed when he saw Sihyun.

"And you still have the energy to cause trouble first thing in the morning."

He sat back on his heels and studied his twin.

"You look annoyed. What happened?"

Sihyun leaned against the bookshelf, arms crossed.

"I ran into two of the prince's friends. They're insufferable."

Yuhyun raised a brow.

"That's rich, coming from you."

Sihyun scowled but didn't argue. Instead, he glanced around before lowering his voice.

"How long do you plan to do this? Scrubbing floors, cleaning up after humans? It's pathetic."

Yuhyun gave him a look.

"It's called surviving, Sihyun. You should try it sometime."

He resumed dusting, his expression unreadable.

"At least this way, I can move freely. I hear things. See things. I know who to avoid and who might be useful."

Sihyun narrowed his eyes.

"You're saying this like you actually have a plan."

Yuhyun didn't reply immediately, but a knowing smile played on his lips.

"I just think it's better to be underestimated. You, on the other hand…"

He looked at Sihyun meaningfully.

"You're making too much noise."

Sihyun scoffed.

"I haven't even started yet."

Yuhyun sighed, shaking his head.

"I don't want to clean up after you, Sihyun. Be careful."

Sihyun rolled his eyes but didn't push further. Instead, he crouched beside Yuhyun, picking up one of the books he had stacked.

"Tch. They really have you running around like a dog, huh?"

Yuhyun smirked.

"And yet, I still get more freedom than you."

Sihyun didn't have a comeback for that.

For a brief moment, the two sat in silence, the weight of their situation settling between them. Sihyun could pretend all he wanted that he was in control, but Yuhyun knew better.

And deep down, Sihyun knew it too.

Deep within the cavernous darkness, a single flickering lantern cast eerie shadows across the rocky walls. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and something faintly metallic, like dried blood. At the center of the cave, seated on an elevated stone throne, was a figure wrapped in a dark robe, his long silver hair cascading down his back. His golden eyes gleamed like a predator watching its prey.

Ryu Vanyul barely moved when his two allies, a man with fox-like features and a woman with piercing green eyes, knelt before him.

"They are in the palace,"

the male shifter reported, his voice smooth but edged with caution.

"Both of them. The Demon Sorcerer and his twin."

Vanyul exhaled softly, fingers tapping lazily against the arm of his throne.

"I see."

His tone was unreadable—neither surprised nor disturbed, as if he had known this would happen all along.