[Silthara Palace — Malika’s Chamber — Continuation]

Outside Malika’s private chamber, silence stretched heavily across the corridor; no attendants spoke and no servants dared breathe loudly.

Only the distant sound of palace fountains echoed beneath the midnight lanterns. Meanwhile, Varesh, Raevahn, and Lady Arinaya remained standing outside the chamber doors. Guarding, waiting, and protecting the only thing their Malik had left behind.

Then suddenly footsteps echoed through the corridor, slow, elegant, and terrifyingly calm. Immediately every nearby attendant lowered themselves nervously.

And moments later Slyvarakh appeared beneath the golden lantern lights. Silver imperial robes flowed behind him like liquid moonlight; several red knights followed behind, and beside them walked some priests carrying ceremonial scrolls.

Meanwhile the corrupted black-and-silver scales near Slyvarakh’s throat shifted faintly beneath jeweled collars, rotting, alive, and wrong. The moment the trio saw him, they bowed only slightly, not deeply and not loyally.

"We greet Your Highness."

Slyvarakh’s silver eyes slowly drifted across all three of them, observing and measuring. Then softly he asked:

"What is the reason you stand outside Malika’s chamber? Has Malika Levin still not opened the doors?"

The three exchanged brief glances afterward, tense and silent. Finally, Lady Arinaya stepped forward slightly. Her eyes sharp as blades and cold as winter blood as her voice remained perfectly calm.

"I apologize beforehand if my words appear disrespectful...but why are you here, Your Highness?"

The corridor instantly grew colder, and Arinaya continued anyway and her gaze did not lower.

"You must already know...that no man may approach the Malika’s private residence except his husband."

Silence crashed heavily afterward. Even the attendants nearby visibly stiffened because everyone understood she had questioned him openly.

Meanwhile, Slyvarakh slowly looked toward her, silver eyes narrowing slightly dangerously and venomously. Then suddenly he smiled, softly and beautifully, like a serpent baring hidden fangs.

"You have grown bold, Lady Arinaya." The corrupted scales near his throat shifted faintly again. "But perhaps grief has made you forget your place."

Lady Arinaya’s expression did not change, not even slightly. Meanwhile, Slyvarakh slowly stepped closer and his silver eyes gleamed.

"In merely two nights...I shall ascend the throne of Zahryssar and naturally..." A dangerous pause followed. "...become the Malika’s husband."

"We apologize." This time Captain Varesh interrupted directly.

Slyvarakh’s silver gaze shifted toward him immediately.

"But you are not yet seated upon the throne." Varesh’s voice remained respectful yet firm. "And neither are you Malika’s husband."

Captain Raevahn stepped forward afterward too, his eyes deadly calm. "So...it would be best if Your Highness leaves this residence and allows the Malika peace."

A heavy, sharp silence, and for the very first time, something ugly flickered behind Slyvarakh’s smile.

Annoyance because despite fear, imperial law, and his growing influence these serpents still stood guarding Levin, not the throne, not the empire but Levin.

Then suddenly Slyvarakh softly chuckled as his silver gaze swept across the trio again.

"I truly must praise Malika’s Levin’s judgment. He surrounds himself with brave serpents." A faint tilt of the head. "...perhaps too brave."

The corridor darkened slightly afterward because invisible pheromones had begun spreading from him silently, cold, rotten and ancient.

"But..." His voice lowered dangerously. "...I came only to see Malika’s condition. And unfortunately...none of you possess the authority to stop me."

The three flinched subtly not from fear from pressure because Slyvarakh’s pheromones felt wrong like death wrapped in moonlight. Then slowly his smile deepened further and deadlier now.

"So perhaps..." Silver eyes gleamed sharply. "...it would be wiser to step aside instead of provoking me."

But none of them moved: not Varesh, not Raevahn, and not Arinaya. And that refusal finally snapped something inside Slyvarakh.

The air shifted violently. The silver-eyed serpent slowly raised one hand toward the red knights behind him.

"Arrest them for disobeying imperial—"

CREAAAAAKKKKKK!!!!

The chamber doors suddenly opened, and everything froze instantly. Slyvarakh paused mid-sentence. The captains turned immediately; even the attendants stopped breathing and standing beneath the dim lantern light was Levin.

Completely wrapped in Zeramet’s imperial robes. The oversized black-and-silver fabric swallowed his smaller frame entirely. Meanwhile a thin veil covered most of his face.

Hiding his tears, his exhaustion, and whatever remained of his shattered heart. Yet even through the veil his blue eyes remained visible and those eyes no longer carried, warmth, hope, or softness.

Only emptiness.

For several silent seconds Levin simply stared at Slyvarakh, coldly and quietly. Then finally he spoke.

"...why are you here?"

Slyvarakh blinked once very slightly because even he had not expected Levin to appear dressed in Zeramet’s clothing.

Meanwhile behind the veil Levin’s hands trembled faintly not from fear but from grief. Then slowly Slyvarakh smiled again, gentle, patient, and beautifully villainous.

Tilting his head slightly he softly answered:

"...long time no see, Malika Levin."

Silence answered him.

Levin did not bow, did not greet him and did not even invite him inside. He simply stood there beneath the chamber lanterns cold and empty like a soul still buried beside another man.

Meanwhile Slyvarakh continued speaking smoothly. As though nothing about this situation was wrong.

"I merely came to see your condition..." His silver gaze slowly lowered, toward Levin’s abdomen. "...and the heir of Zahryssar."

Immediately Captain Varesh’s jaw tightened. Lady Arinaya’s eyes darkened sharply. Even Raevahn subtly shifted closer toward Levin. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Instinctively protective but Levin himself did not react not outwardly.

Then Slyvarakh continued as a soft sigh escaped him. "I heard alpha pregnancies are exceptionally delicate among humans. So naturally, I brought priests and physicians to examine you."

Levin’s blue gaze remained unmoving. "I already have a physician assigned by Zer—"

"Oh." Slyvarakh interrupted gently...too gently. "Perhaps you speak of Physician Naram."

Silence. Then slowly Slyvarakh lowered his eyes regretfully, a performance so perfect it almost looked sincere.

"...unfortunately...he appears to have disappeared."

The corridor froze instantly.

"What?"

Lady Arinaya stepped forward immediately, her robes swaying sharply as her eyes narrowed dangerously. "That is impossible. I met him this morning. He was preparing Malika’s medicines personally."

Slyvarakh slowly turned toward her, still smiling and still calm as he nodded faintly.

"Yes, it surprised me as well." Then his silver eyes gleamed faintly with a soft sigh. "But I was informed he vanished shortly afterward and unfortunately...no one has managed to locate him since."

Silence crashed heavily afterward because everyone standing there understood, this was not a coincidence.

Meanwhile Levin’s fingers slowly tightened against the sleeves of Zeramet’s robes beneath the fabric his hands had already gone cold. Because suddenly, for the first time since Zeramet’s disappearance real fear reached him.

Not for himself for the child, and Slyvarakh noticed immediately.

Then softly almost sympathetically he said as Slyvarakh’s silver gaze drifted toward the marriage earrings hanging from Levin’s ears. The imperial symbol of a bonded consort.

"The incident at the western cliffs was unfortunate. No one could have predicted the Black Serpent attack."

Then his eyes lowered again quietly and dangerously as his voice softened further.

"But perhaps...it is time you accepted my little brother’s death."

The corridor became suffocatingly silent.

"And moved forward with your life." Slyvarakh slowly stepped closer afterward as his eyes lingered upon Levin’s abdomen again. "After all...it would be unwise for you to lose another child while carrying one."

Immediately Levin’s breath caught sharply. Instinctively his hand moved protectively over his stomach and for one brief horrifying second he truly looked fragile, broken and exhausted like someone barely surviving grief itself.

Meanwhile behind him the captains looked furious but none dared interrupt because they understood, this was no longer a conversation.

This was pressure.

Psychological pressure and perhaps Slyvarakh believed Levin would finally bend. But instead slowly—very slowly—Levin lifted his gaze. Sharp blue eyes met silver ones directly.

And for the very first time since Zeramet’s disappearance something cold returned to Levin’s expression.

Not warmth, not sorrow but dignity.

Then calmly and quietly he spoke as his voice remained steady despite the grief strangling it.

"That still does not grant you the right...to enter my residence without permission."

Silence, heavy and dangerous. Levin continued anyway.

"Especially while bringing guards and priests beside you." Then slowly his gaze sharpened further.

"I hope... Prince Slyvarakh has not forgotten palace etiquette after remaining away from the imperial court for so many years."

Everything froze. Then suddenly Levin’s blue eyes shifted toward the priests and red knights standing behind Slyvarakh, Sharp enough to cut flesh.

"And all of you as well."

Immediately several priests visibly stiffened Because the grief-stricken consort standing before them no longer looked fragile and no longer looked broken. For one terrifying moment he looked exactly like, Zeramet.

Then Levin slowly stepped forward.

"It appears...I must remind everyone present of their place." The corridor turned deathly silent.

"Prince Slyvarakh has not yet ascended the throne."

Every word fell heavily across the palace walls, measured, controlled, and absolute as Levin’s hand slowly tightened against the sleeves of Zeramet’s robes.

"That means...in Malik Zeramet’s absence..."

His blue gaze rose again, proud, cold, and untouched by fear.

"...I remain the ruler of Zahryssar."

Everything went cold afterward. Even Slyvarakh’s smile faded slightly only for a moment but everyone noticed.

Meanwhile the priests and knights immediately lowered themselves deeply. Far deeper than before and fearfully.

"We...we apologize, Malika—"

"There is no excuse." Levin cut through them instantly. And somehow his quiet voice felt more terrifying than shouting.

"For such insolent behavior."

Then slowly he turned toward Varesh.

"Captain Varesh."

The captain immediately bowed. "Yes, Malika."

Levin’s blue gaze slowly returned toward Slyvarakh afterward and while looking directly into those silver eyes he calmly gave the order:

"Arrest every priest and knight who entered this residence without permission."

The corridor erupted into panic instantly.

"M-Malika—!"

"Please forgive us—!"

"We merely followed orders—!"

But Levin continued speaking over them calmly, cruelly, and imperially.

"And lash them throughout the night."

Silence crashed violently afterward. Even the attendants looked stunned because for the very first time the grieving consort resembled the emperor himself.

Then softly without breaking eye contact with Slyvarakh Levin finished, "...perhaps pain will help them remember...where their place truly is."

The palace corridor became suffocatingly silently because this was not merely Levin speaking anymore. This was the Malika of Zahryssar.

Slyvarakh’s smile remained perfectly intact but something beneath it shifted, something ugly and something furious.

Because despite grief, isolation, fear and the empire collapsing around him— Levin still stood proudly as Zeramet’s consort.

And that refusal, that unwavering loyalty, began poisoning Slyvarakh’s patience little by little.

Meanwhile behind Levin, the imperial robes of Zeramet shifted softly beneath the palace winds. As though even in absence, the dead emperor still stood, protecting his consort from another man’s reach.