Chapter: 0.75 Threads of Embarrassment

Jin left the dining hall, his hand in his trouser pocket, his left shoulder slumped slightly as if he were carrying the weight of the world. Silver moonlight streamed in through the tall windows, caressing his black hair like soft ink on a still night.

He was silent. No smile this time.

The quiet that followed the heated questioning was like the silence after a storm—as if everyone in the palace had swallowed their wind and let Jin drag his shadow back to his room without a word.

He entered his room and quietly closed the door. The room was spacious, its walls painted in cool shades of gray, and the high ceiling was topped with a black crystal chandelier, casting a faint glow across the obsidian floor. He took off his jacket and threw it on the sofa, sighed deeply, and rubbed his eyes.

then-

**A soft knock on the door.**

Jin opened the door, and an unexpected scene appeared before him.

**Rena.**

She was standing there, wearing the same red wedding dress, the hem stained with dark wine. Her cheeks were flushed, her golden eyes half closed, yet desperate. It was in her voice when she said,

"Can...can I come in?"

Jin looked at her, his face calm and tired, then tilted his head slightly, smiling a provocative side smile.

"What? Did you suddenly decide you trust me? Aren't you afraid I'll do something 'naughty' and our marriage will become more than just a signature on a piece of paper?"

Rena didn't reply.

Her gaze wandered slightly, then she bit her lower lip. She seemed not to have expected him to respond in that tone.

Jin shook his head lightly and stepped back from the door, saying:

"Come in, if you can still stand."

She walked in slowly, walking a little unsteadily, and sat on the edge of the sofa, curling her fingers around herself as if seeking refuge from the tension she had built up herself.

Jin sat down on the chair opposite him, and pulled out a glass of concentrated grape juice he had kept on the table.

"Did my talking to your mother bother you?"

He said it in a neutral tone, while twirling the mug between his fingers.

Rena looked at him, then said in a low voice, almost a whisper:

"Why... why are you asking questions like that? In front of everyone?"

Jin raised an eyebrow, as if the question was funny.

"Because no one has the courage to do it. Because I hate polished faces that smile while they're full of hypocrisy. I was testing your mother, and you."

"Are you testing us?"

She said in surprise, but she wasn't angry, just confused.

"Yes. I wanted to know who you really were, under all those fine fabrics and measured words. And I think I got some answers tonight, don't I?"

Rena looked at the ground, lost in shame.

silence.

Then she said, as if asking a question she didn't want to hear the answer to:

"Do you hate me?"

Jane laughed, a small, short, but genuine laugh.

"I don't hate you, Rena. But... I don't know you yet. No one knows anyone else here. My mother married me to you for her reasons, and your mother agreed for her reasons. And you..."

He looked at her, his gaze sharp yet soft at the same time.

"...Do you really know why you're here?"

Rena didn't answer, but she raised her head slightly, her gaze carrying a mixture of fear and determination.

"I just... wanted to see if you were okay."

Jin was silent for a moment, then sighed and said:

"I'm always fine, Rena. I'm the only one in this world who isn't allowed to be unfamiliar."

She got up slowly, as if she could no longer bear the weight of the room.

"I'm going to sleep."

"Sleep well. You're now, you know..."

He pointed to her diamond ring,

"...girl."

I opened the door, then stopped.

"Jin..."

"Yes?"

"My mother once told me that the people who hurt others with words, are actually the ones who hurt themselves the most in silence."

He looked at her for a long time.

Then he smiled, a smile that wasn't sarcastic this time.

"Maybe your mother was right about at least one thing."

Rena left the room, quietly closing the door behind her, leaving Jin alone, amidst the shadows he knew better than any human.

............ 

Heat: Jin will be entering the academy soon and we are close to the end of the first volume so I need to think of new ideas and scenarios. I will continue to upload chapters daily always but the time will be irregular sometimes at night and sometimes during the day