Chapter 17: Silver Handcuff
The grand war room fell silent after Eveyr’s dramatic exit. He had come, threatened the crown prince in front of his guards and generals, and no one had dared to do anything to him. The guards still stood frozen, staring at the overturned table.
Julian’s eyes were fixed on the ruined map on the floor, clenching his teeth in humiliation and disbelief.
"He has completely lost his mind," Julian muttered. "How can he throw away his military command, and threaten the crown... over a woman? He has turned from a monster to a rabid dog."
Sylas finally stepped forward. He walked towards the overturned table and picked up a fallen queen piece.
"Not his mind, Your Highness," Sylas said calmly. "Just his leash."
Julian frowned and turned towards him.
"What do you mean, Sylas?"
"I saw the Duchess at the hunting grounds yesterday," Sylas said, turning the queen piece in his fingers. "She was coughing up blood and was actually dying. And when Duke realized it, he didn’t just snap, he went as far as to commit treason to remain by her side."
Sylas stood and placed the piece on the edge of the overturned table.
"You are looking at this the wrong way, Crown Prince," Sylas said, looking at Julian. "She is not his weakness. She is his anchor. If we want to control him, we must acquire the anchor first."
Back at the Aldric Keep, the atmosphere was completely different. Esme sat against a pile of soft pillows in the bedroom, quietly drinking warm broth. She finally felt lighter. The pain in her chest had disappeared completely, and her breathing was deep and steady.
But when she glanced at the glowing system interface floating in her vision, a knot formed in her stomach.
[Health Bar: 100% - Stable]
[Possession Meter: 65%]
[Current Status: OVERPROTECTIVE]
Possession Meter.
The word sent a shiver down her spine. The
system, instead of tracking his obsession, was now measuring how much he owned her.
Before she could comprehend what that meant, the bedroom doors clicked open. Eveyr walked in. He had changed out of his bloodstained clothes and was wearing a simple black shirt.
His eyes first examined Esme who looked better now. Then at the two maids who were nervously arranging flowers by the window. Eveyr flicked his wrist towards the door; the maids immediately bowed and hurried out of the room.
Eveyr walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. His eyes scanned her face thoroughly, making sure she was fine now.
"How do you feel?" he asked softly.
"I am fine, Eveyr," Esme said, setting the bowl aside. "The pain is gone."
He reached out and wrapped his fingers around her wrist to check her pulse. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, feeling her steady beat. Only then did his shoulders relax a little.
"What happened at the palace?" Esme asked. "Did you speak with Julian?"
"I did," Eveyr murmured, his thumb slowly stroking her wrist. "The Emperor will not be sending me south for now. I will be staying here, with you, in the capital."
Esme knew Emeperor won’t accept his demand so easily given how Julian himself orchestrated this plan.
He is lying. He must have done something to threaten him!!
But before she could question him further, Eveyr reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an intricate silver anklet.
Esme could feel it humming with magic that gave her goosebumps.
"What is this?" she asked, pulling her legs back slightly under the blankets.
"A precaution," Eveyr smiled.
Without asking, he gently gripped her ankle and moved his hand up her calf. His touch burned against her skin as he clasped the anklet around her ankle.
"It is made with my bloodline magic," Eveyr explained, looking into her eyes. "It will monitor your heartbeat. If your pulse drops, or if you leave the estate grounds... I will know instantly."
Esme quickly reached for the anklet and tried to open it. But it didn’t budge. She glanced up at him, burning with fury. This was her reward for trading the threat of the system’s execution for a life as a prisoner.
"Take it off," Esme ordered. "Take it off right now, Eveyr. I told you to stay with me. I didn’t ask you to collar me like a dog."
Eveyr did not react to her anger. In fact, her fierce resistance only deepened his obsession. He leaned forward and caught her hands, stopping her from removing it. Then he put her hands down onto the mattress and leaned over her, caging her against the pillows.
"You are not a dog, Esme," Eveyr whispered. "You are the only thing in this miserable world that matters to me."
"Then why are you treating me like a prisoner?" Esme shot back, glaring at him.
Eveyr pulled back, his knuckles brushing down her cheek and smiled at her.
"You told me that if I left you, you would die," Eveyr said, resting his thumb on her lower lip. "You put your life in my hands yourself, Esme. I am just making sure the world cannot take you from me."
He stood up.
"Rest, wife. You are safe now. No one will ever hurt you again."
Then he turned and exited the room, locking the door behind him. Esme sat frozen on the bed. The silence felt deafening. She pushed the blankets aside and walked to the window.
She looked out over the sprawling estate, and her breath caught in her throat. From the high walls of the estate rose a massive, shimmering dome of black, translucent magic. It stretched high into the air, completely enveloping the Aldric estate, separating it from the outside world.
Eveyr hadn’t just locked her in a room. He had locked the entire empire out to keep her safe.
Suddenly, a blazing red text flashed across her vision.
[SYSTEM ALERT: Territory Locked.]
[Agitation Point Farming Disabled: Target’s jealousy cannot be triggered in isolation.]
[WARNING: You must find new ways to generate friction to survive.]
Esme touched the cold glass of the window, staring at the black dome. The rules of the game had completely changed again. She was now cut off from the outside world, trapped alone with a monster who loved her so much that he actually caged her.
WHAT DO I DO NOW????
