CHAPTER 83
Sihyun could feel it—the tension in the air, thick as fog.
The moment their gazes met, Muwon gave a subtle, reassuring nod. Sihyun's eyes lingered on him, his chest tightening with unease.
Yuhyun looked from Sihyun to the nobles, whispering under his breath,
"...What did we walk into?"
Dohyun and Taejin silently stepped forward, coming to stand firmly beside Muwon in quiet support, their presence bold and steady. Yuhyun stayed just behind Sihyun, more alert now than groggy.
Sihyun and Yuhyun came forward and bowed low before the King, showing full respect.
A brief pause.
Then, the King smiled gently, shifting the air from cold tension to something strangely warm.
"So you've finally come to see me, young sorcerer,"
the King said, his voice calm and steady, echoing through the hall.
Sihyun raised his head but said nothing—still wary, still unsure.
"I was beginning to think you'd refuse the chance to let an old man thank you,"
the King continued, looking him over with an analytical eye.
"You are... much younger than I expected."
"And much quieter,"
he added with a touch of humor, causing a few nervous chuckles in the hall.
Yuhyun kept his mouth shut, watching everything. Sihyun simply bowed his head again in polite acknowledgment.
"You've been saving my son's life,"
the King said, rising slightly from his throne.
"For that alone, I owe you a debt I can never fully repay. But I have come to understand it was not duty, nor command, that moved you—but your own will. That… deserves a deeper kind of respect."
He descended a single step from the dais, his robe sweeping the floor.
"So allow me to speak not as a King, but as a father: thank you, Sihyun. Not only for the nights of pain endured to lift the curse… but for standing by him. Even when he gave you reason not to."
The silence that followed was reverent, a stark contrast to the earlier outrage.
Sihyun blinked, startled—not expecting the King's tone to be so sincere, nor his words so personal. He glanced at Muwon again, a flicker of emotion crossing his face before he gave the King a small bow.
"...It was not out of kindness,"
Sihyun said softly,
"but because I had no choice."
"Even so,"
the King replied,
"you stayed. That alone speaks volumes."
The nobles murmured once more—but this time, uncertain.
The King returned to his seat, hands folded gracefully on his lap as he looked down at Sihyun.
"You know, it's rare to find someone who stirs such... resolve in Muwon,"
the King said, voice casual, yet weighed with meaning.
"He's always been determined, yes, but never so bold in his personal choices."
Sihyun's brows furrowed slightly.
"...I don't understand."
"Of course you don't. But you will,"
the King replied, tone light but mysterious.
"Eventually. It's only natural for such news to reach you... when the moment is right."
Yuhyun narrowed his eyes beside him, confused but growing suspicious.
Sihyun tilted his head, staring up at the King.
The King added with a chuckle,
"You should ask Muwon what he's been busy announcing in your absence."
Now Dohyun leaned closer to Muwon, whispering behind his fan.
"You didn't tell everyone, did you?"
Taejin, standing on the other side, gave a side glance.
"No wonder everyone looks like they've swallowed fire."
Muwon gave a small nod.
"I told them all. They had to know eventually."
Both Dohyun and Taejin groaned under their breath.
"Remind us to never leave you alone with an entire council of nobles again,"
Taejin muttered.
Meanwhile, the King was still circling the topic, watching Sihyun with almost playful amusement.
"There are matters ahead that will need your decision, sorcerer. Matters of... the future. I wonder if Muwon has shared them with you yet?"
Sihyun looked between the King and Muwon, visibly frowning now.
"What are you—?"
Before the King could go further, Muwon's firm voice cut through the tension.
"Father."
All heads turned.
"That's enough."
The King paused, then slowly leaned back into his seat with a smile full of unspoken amusement.
"Very well,"
he said, lifting a hand.
"I suppose I've meddled enough for one morning."
He waved with royal grace, dismissing the hall.
The nobles, still tense and murmuring, began to file out.
But Sihyun stayed still, watching Muwon with narrowed eyes.
Yuhyun leaned close, whispering,
"...What the hell did he announce?"
Sihyun whispered back,
"I have no idea."
But his heart pounded with the growing sense that whatever it was... it involved him more than he could guess.
The Grand Hall – After the Dismissal
As the crowd slowly dispersed, a handful of nobles—older men dressed in layered silks, some with heavy ornaments of rank—did not leave.
They instead approached the King's dais, bowing lightly, their expressions tight.
One of the senior nobles, Lord Hwang, cleared his throat.
"Your Majesty… forgive us for lingering. But we cannot leave this matter unspoken. What the Crown Prince announced—it cannot be allowed to stand."
Another, Minister Seo, added quickly, his voice laced with concern.
"To wed a man is one matter… but a demon sorcerer? Even if the prince has fallen for him, this is not merely a private affair. This is a matter of the bloodline, of the kingdom's future.
Lord Min, the youngest among them but just as stern, stepped forward.
"The prince is favored, yes, and we do not question your affections, Sire. But we fear that such leniency will only weaken the throne. That demon—Sihyun—he may behave now, but that does not change what he is."
The room stilled again. Their words echoed in the high-ceilinged chamber.
For a while, the King said nothing.
His eyes were locked on the towering doors through which the others had just exited—his son, the demon sorcerer, and all their protectors.
Then finally, after a tense silence, he spoke.
"Sihyun… does not yet know what Muwon has planned."
The nobles blinked.
"And he will not be forced. The decision lies with him."
"If he accepts Muwon's will—then so it shall be."