Chapter 405 — A Curse or A Blessing? (13)

Chapter 405: 405 — A Curse or A Blessing? (13)

"A-Are you going to l-leave... me?" Raniel stammered, his breathing heavy and uneven.

His eyelashes lowered slightly as he struggled to keep his eyes on Ilyan. He couldn’t bear to see the other man’s expression right now. He was far too terrified.

Meanwhile, the alpha ran his fingers through his lavender hair, a sharp breath escaping his lips. The veins in his neck became slightly more prominent as he tried to hold back his anger. He had never been this furious with Raniel during his fits in the past.

However, this time, he couldn’t bring himself to overlook what had happened. He had never expected a moment like this, one where he would allow his frustration to get the better of him, especially when he had always been so careful to keep his composure.

Yet, it seemed Raniel had a way of getting under his skin, pushing him to his limits and forcing him to reveal a side of himself he had never wanted his beloved to witness.

"Leave you?" Ilyan repeated, his voice low. A scoff left his mouth despite himself.

His gaze briefly wandered past the trembling omega, only to fall upon the shattered mirror lying against the wall.

Pieces of glass were scattered across the floor, some of them dangerously close to Raniel’s bare feet. His eyebrows drew together as he took in the sight, wondering what could have possibly happened in the short time he had been kicked out.

Then his eyes returned to Raniel, and he noticed the blood trickling from his lower lip.

"Raniel..." The alpha’s expression sharpened. He had been so overwhelmed by anger that he hadn’t even noticed how badly the omega was trembling.

Now, seeing the blood on his lips and the broken glass scattered around the room, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry.

He stepped forward, but Raniel immediately stepped back.

Ilyan halted, his eyes widening.

"I’m sorry," the omega whispered, his voice barely audible. "I didn’t mean to upset you. I-I won’t do it again." He sobbed uncontrollably, his hands reaching to cover his face as if embarrassed.

Ilyan closed his eyes for a moment. Those words only made the frustration building inside him grow heavier.

He didn’t want an apology. He didn’t want Raniel to promise to behave or to be more careful around him.

He simply wanted his beloved to understand that he had never been angry with him for cutting his hair, if that was what the omega believed.

"Look at me, Raniel."

But the omega only shook his head, his fingers curling tightly around the fabric of his clothes while his other hand still hid half of his face.

"Please don’t be angry with me..." Raniel sniffled.

A strained sigh escaped Ilyan’s lips. He wanted to reach for him, to pull him into his arms and check his injuries, but he was beginning to understand that even the smallest movement might frighten him further.

"I’m not going to leave you," he finally said. "And I’m certainly not mad at you because you decided to cut your hair, if that is what you assumed given my reaction from earlier."

Raniel’s hand dropped slightly, his crimson eyes glistening under the dim candlelight of the room.

"Then... why did you look at me like that?" he demanded, his eyebrows furrowed.

The question caught Ilyan off guard. For a moment, he couldn’t find the right words. He had been so surprised by the sight of Raniel standing in front of the mirror, holding a dagger with his beautiful silver hair scattered across the floor, that he hadn’t even considered how his expression might have appeared to him.

"Oh, my love..." Ilyan whispered.

His anger slowly gave way to something much heavier. He glanced at the broken mirror once more, then at the strands of silver hair lying across the floor. Only then did he begin to understand that there was more to this than a sudden decision to change his appearance.

"Why did you cut your hair?" he asked gently.

Instead of answering him, the omega asked, "Who was she?"

Ilyan tilted his head to the side, unsure who his partner was referring to.

"She? Who, my love?" He slowly stepped forward, careful not to make any sudden movements that might cause his lover to back away from him again.

This time, Raniel didn’t step backward. He stood still, holding the alpha’s gaze without wavering.

"Don’t act like you don’t know," the omega scowled.

"I truly have no idea," Ilyan replied, gently pressing his thumb against Raniel’s bleeding lower lip to wipe away the blood.

Raniel held back from swatting the alpha’s hand away. He didn’t want to see that furious expression on Ilyan’s face again. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel repulsed at the thought that perhaps those same hands had touched that woman. His blood boiled, and before he knew it, he had slapped his lover’s hand away from his face.

Ilyan’s eyes widened, surprised by the omega’s reaction.

"I apologize. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable..." he murmured, lowering his head as though he had committed some terrible crime, one for which forgiveness could only be granted by Raniel himself.

For a brief moment, he remained silent, trying to make sense of his lover’s unusual behaviour. Then, his thoughts returned to the young woman he had spoken with in the garden. Could that be who Raniel was referring to? Had he seen them together and misunderstood their relationship?

It was a possibility, and perhaps it explained why Raniel had been so upset when he entered the room earlier. However, Ilyan couldn’t quite understand what that had to do with his hair.

"Raniel," he called softly, trying to catch his attention. "Are you talking about the woman I was speaking to in the garden?"

Ilyan only needed to notice the brief shift in Raniel’s expression, from anger to surprise, to know that he had guessed correctly.

"She is just someone I was told to work with. Please don’t entertain any further thoughts in your mind," he said with a gentle smile, hoping his explanation would bring the omega some comfort.

However, it didn’t work.