Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 170: You Are Mine

Chapter 170: You Are Mine

"An existing what?" Ivan and Samantha questioned at the same time, their gazes exhibiting the same disbelief.

"The string is reminiscent of that of a thin delicate thread." Viktor elaborated as he made his way to his study desk, and he took his seat. "The thread is what’s keeping her connected to her soulmate, it is something I cannot dare to tamper with, and the blood moon must have triggered the effect. It seems to me that your soulmate is trying to lure you back using a mind trick, but whoever it is, I cannot tell you that."

"How does she have a.... Soulmate?" Ivan’s voice nearly shook upon hearing this, it was close to having his heart stabbed with an arrow as Lord Viktor’s gaze confirmed it. "If she has a soulmate, that means I can’t–"

"Be with her? I’m afraid so." Lord Viktor completed his statement for him. "Coming in between two existing soulmates can warrant natural consequences, dangerous consequences that can put both your lives at risk. Same thing with your late Father who discovered his soulmate at a later time.... She can’t be your bride if she has a soulmate elsewhere." Lord Viktor plainly asserted, and Samantha, who was still in shock, peeked at Ivan to his expression conveying his silent bewilderment, his lashes fluttering frantically as he tried to discern what he just heard, but even so, he refused to let her go.

"Isn’t there any way to cut off the bond with an existing soulmate?" He dared to ask, leaving Lord Viktor stupefied for only a fleeting moment. "Is there a way?"

"There is one way." Lord Viktor uttered as he lifted his index finger, "if her soulmate dies one way or the other, then the bond can be broken completely. The thread will snap, and although the soulmate will feel the pain of losing her mate for some days, she will become free to be with someone else... typical of a free bird." He gave the only one possible way to break a soulmate bond, and Samantha didn’t think killing anyone would be the perfect way to go about this. Knowing Ivan, there was a high chance he could consider it.

"Is there no other way?" She inquired softly, her tone laced with worry, but Lord Viktor shook his head in response, a silent answer that made her heart grow heavy as she glanced at Ivan who somehow managed to regain his composure.

"Thank you, Lord Viktor. We will leave you to your chamber." Holding Samantha’s wrist, Ivan took her out of Lord Viktor’s chamber, the door automatically closing behind them. Lord Viktor’s gaze lingered on the door, and his expressionless gaze portrayed slight concern for the two of them.

"First your Father, now you?" Viktor shook his head slightly and picked up his book to continue from where he left off.

Exiting the winged Palace, Ivan didn’t stop walking as they made it through the colonnade. The night sky was painted black with stars twinkling above. It was a beautiful night, perfect for a leisurely walk, but the same couldn’t be said for Samantha who felt confused and disoriented as she tried to make out what she just heard from Lord Viktor.

How is it possible for her to have an existing soulmate without knowing who it was? Instinctively, her gaze drifted to Ivan who walked in front of her, he was oddly quiet, and that increased her worries.

"Ivan." Samantha called his name, but she got no response from him, neither did he stop in his gait to even glance at her. He just kept walking with his gaze distant, as if he wasn’t on Earth anymore, but then, the light sobs behind him had managed to snap him out of his depressed trance. Turning around, he could see his little lamb standing far behind him, and his heart clenched when he saw the tears brimming in her eyes.

"Little Lamb?" Returning back to her side, his eyes were veiled with concern as he took in her expression. "Did something happen? Why are you–"

"You’re ignoring me again." She said through her light sobs, "I kept calling your name but you aren’t answering me. Are you going to start ignoring me now because of what he said?" She questioned Ivan whose gaze softened at her queries, there was a mix of pain in between his gaze, but he gently pulled her into his embrace, her own hands wrapping around his lower abdomen as she reciprocated his hug, yielding to his warmth and comfort.

"I wasn’t ignoring you." He murmured, "I would never think of ignoring you, and definitely not because of something like this." His hold around her tightened, "it’s just... you can’t belong to someone else, I don’t care what he says but I won’t let that happen. You’re mine, little lamb. You’re not allowed to be with anybody else." He pulled back so she could look into his eyes and see for herself how damn serious he was about it.

"You are mine as much as I’m yours, and no silly soulmate bond is ever going to change that." He wiped away her tears before leaning forward to place a lingering kiss on her forehead. It held many emotions that Samantha had to close her eyes to concede to his feelings, the same butterfly feeling took flight inside of her, and it made her wonder, was there really someone else who can make her feel exactly the way Ivan did?

No, she didn’t believe it was possible.

—-

"How on Earth did you do that?" The young woman came to stand beside the man who was still sitting in his library, staring at the dark glowing crystal with a tainted smile on his pale lips. Her hazel eyes shifted between the dark crystal and the man who toyed with it, her countenance depicting her bemusement.

A few minutes ago, their revelation was almost at the brink of being exposed due to his unwarranted carelessness. The dark crystal glowed ominously, signifying their danger. She had been curious about why His Majesty remained seemingly calm to the warnings of the crystal, but in no time, the ominous glow immediately toned down, and there was a contented smirk on His Majesty’s lips.

"Am I missing something?" The woman named Carmela inquired from the man who rose from his seat, and she followed him out of his study. The men in armor standing guard outside his study immediately lowered their heads in a deep bow, and he walked ahead with Carmela quietly following behind him.

"Soon Carmela." He finally uttered, "Soon I shall bring back the one key that can help us conquer our enemy for good. Your promise to the people will be fulfilled, and I?" A low menacing chuckle reverberated within his chest, echoing through the candlelit corridor, and then he stopped walking. "I shall have my precious Jewel by my side again."

Carmela blinked her eyes in befuddlement, and it took a while before the meaning behind his phrase finally sank in. "The soulmate bond has been revealed." She uttered beneath her breath, sounding less happy about it. "That explains the change of the Crystal’s glow."

"When are you getting that little boy again?" The young man skillfully switched topics after he continued on his gait. "I thought you needed five of them, but you have just two humans under your captivity."

"I got information that the Chevalier Palace will be holding an event tomorrow." Carmela schooled her expression, her tone sounding firmer than before. "I was thinking the best time to get that little boy would be during the end of the event. Everyone will be busy, the suspense will be overwhelming, and the parents are bound to make a slip." A cunning smile graced her lips at her own malicious thoughts, and there was nothing that pleased His Majesty by being extra cunning.

"Excellent!" The man’s lips twisted into a fiendish smile.