Chapter 108: Repair
Chapter 108: Repair
Killian’s POV
The afternoon weather was peaceful when the guards reported an unexpected visitor at the gate. The name they mentioned was one I had long wished never to hear again until the incident two days ago made me realize I had made a grave mistake. The guards spoke that name once, and it echoed through my bones as if it had never left me.
“Has our former Beta truly come to see me?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I took a sip of chamomile tea, savoring how its effects slightly soothed my nerves.
“Not accompanied by the royal advisors?” I asked again.
“Our Beta has come alone, Your Majesty,” one of them replied.
I lifted my gaze. “Then inform our royal advisors that the former Beta of the Sundrench Kingdom is no longer to be sought.” “Understood.”
After that, I ordered them to bring the man to my lounge, a beautiful glass garden where various flowers and plants flourished. I sat in my chair, my fingers tense, waiting for his arrival with the guards. The heavy doors creaked open, and he stepped inside.
He looked different from how I remembered. His clothing was simple, though the sharp glint in his eye was anything but. His movements carried the composure of a man who had found peace, while I remained trapped in my own chaos. There were no traces of stress on his face. All in all, he had been living well since leaving the palace.
It embarrassed me, to say the least. He stopped a few meters away, standing tall, his expression unreadable. “Killian,” he greeted, his tone flat.
I leaned back in my chair, narrowing my eyes at him. “You return after abandoning your position, addressing me so boldly by my first name?”
“Would you rather I say it properly?” he countered.
“No, thank you.”
Leonidas cast a skeptical look. “Did you hit your head too hard? Usually, you hate it when someone tramples on your pride.” My silence was answer enough, and it seemed to irritate him. He rubbed the back of his neck before pulling out the chair across from me.
“I came because I heard what happened. Daphne Marjorie.”
My body instinctively went rigid at the mention of my cousin’s name. A tingling sensation crept over my skin,
uncomfortable tremors, and a sick churn in my stomach that sent acid rising to my throat. Her obsession with me flashed through my mind, and my skin prickled with disgust.
I would never touch someone who shared even a single branch of my family tree. What drives a person to such obsessive lengths, to the point of selling their soul? Utterly idiotic.
“Somehow, she managed to survive all this time. You burned her as punishment. Is that true?” he pressed.
My jaw clenched at his words. “You heard correctly. And if you’re here to scold me for it, I suggest you hold your tongue.” “My intentions are good, oh Mighty King. Don’t assume the worst just yet.”
“The circumstances say otherwise.”
“The leftover garbage in your head needs to be cleared out so you can think straight.”
He grabbed the teapot, pouring himself a cup of tea. He drank it leisurely, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I also want to talk about my dear friend the one you took as your partner. Ruby Lucienne.”
Just hearing that innocent woman’s name mentioned in conversation made my chest ache. I had spent so much time convincing myself of her betrayal, punishing her with my own hands. But after Daphne’s confession, the weight of regret and guilt had been eating me alive. Even behind my mask of indifference, I was crying.
“There’s nothing to say,” I stated, my voice devoid of emotion.
“Why do you sound so unsure?” Leonidas sho Successfully unlocked! There’s no shame in admitting you feel guilty. You were deceived, Killian. You executed the only woman you truly loved for what? Lies whispered by a deranged woman who wanted you for herself.”
“Are you lecturing me?”
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that? You need a wake–up call every now and then, you bastard.”
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Chapter 108: Repair
A growl rumbled from my throat. “Enough.”
Leonidas scoffed, “You know it’s true. You’ve known it since Daphne unraveled into madness. You committed yet another unforgivable sin, and now you have to live with it.”
I nearly rose from my seat, ready to lunge at the former Beta. In a split second, I realized that this one–eyed man was only trying to toy with me.
“Don’t test me, Leonidas.”
He remained unfazed. “Or what? Will you cast me aside again? Strip me of my rank for the second time? You need me, Killian. You know that. And you know Ruby didn’t deserve what happened to her.”
I turned away from him, my hands clenched in frustration. “I can’t change the past.”
“No, you can’t. That’s a fact,” he agreed, his voice softer now. “But you can do something now.”
I met his gaze, the corner of my lips twisting in disdain. “Tell me, Leonidas. What do you want me to do? Grieve? Mourn a woman who’s long dead? The past is the past, Leonidas. She’s gone!”
“And yet, you still dream of her, don’t you?” he struck right where it hurt. “You still see her when you close your eyes.” I didn’t answer because he was right.
Leonidas let out his breath, crossing his arms. “I never hated you, Killian. But I hate what you’ve become. I never felt this way until Ruby entered our lives. She was my friend. I respected her. Losing her feels like losing a part of myself.”
“And you have no idea how much I regret it. Because I was the one who first connected her to my King. I was the one who, indirectly, led her to her death,” he continued bitterly.
“If you truly feel guilty, then take the first step with respect.”
“Respect her?” I shook my head, finding the entire situation absurd. “And how exactly do you expect me to do that?” “Start by fixing the kingdom you’ve let rot in your grief. Be the king you once were before all this madness consumed you. And stop driving away the people who are still here.”
I gritted my teeth. The bastard knew everything, even though he was no longer in the palace. Despite everything, Leonidas still saw the man I used to be.
“And what about you?” I finally asked. “Do you still want a peaceful life?”
A smirk curled on his lips. “That depends. Are you going to keep being an unbearable bastard, or is there a chance I might get my friend back?”
A small laugh escaped me before I could stop it. “A slim chance.”
He grinned. “I’ll take it.”
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