3.16

                                    

                                          
Victor held onto Mark's hand, as if any moment, they would be separated. Actually, after confessing his real feelings, he would always see images. In those images, Mark was killed in front of his eyes. In other images, Victor had pushed Mark away. 
                          
Every single time, Victor would see the feelings within Mark's eyes, hurt yet also content. Victor knew it wasn't real, but those images made him feel fear, a sense of danger that felt so familiar. Victor didn't know why his heart was always hurting, beating so wildly as he watched Mark collapsed. Was this how Mark had felt every time Victor had died right before his eyes? Helpless and powerless, but unable to do anything?
                          
"Are you alright?" Mark asked, his eyes carefully looking at Victor who was unconsciously blanking out, staring at an empty space.
                          
Victor looked at Mark when he heard the question. He calmed himself. It was something that he would figure out later. Right now, what mattered most was that the man he loved was with him now, standing by his side and holding his hand. "Yeah, just nervous." Victor slightly grimaced as he said this.
                          
Mark's stoic expression made it hard to tell the emotions he expressed, but Victor was able to see the slight differences in it no matter what. Worry, that's what was expressed from the slight twitch in Mark's lips. "Take it easy, you've been running around to get everything done. We're almost back to A Nation, it'll take less than two days to arrive to the borders of A Nation."
                          
Victor had told the generals and their soldiers to dispatch back to A Nation ahead of them. They were the only two who were still within the borders of Y Nation. "I know, I have you here, how can I be worried?" Victor winked at Mark, disguising his tension.
                          
Mark had a light smile on his face. "I'll always be here, no matter how much things change. Thank you for confessing, I don't think I would've ever had the courage to do something like that." Mark pulled Victor's hands to his mouth and planted a soft kiss on it.
                          
Victor couldn't help but laugh, "If I had known that it would be this easy, I would've done it from the beginning. I'm only thankful that you also have the same feelings."
                          
Mark could only smirk as he saw the bright look on Victor's face. If this was the meaning of his life, Mark would gladly live it out. He could only wish that their life would always be this peaceful, that he would always be able to hold onto this man's hand, never letting go. 
                          
Victor gave Mark a new meaning to life. With him here, everything seemed to be brighter, his world seemed to have more warmth to it. He didn't know how he had lived before knowing Victor, but he wished to never return to something like that. Every single thing was now imprinted with Victor's touch, his will to loving was Victor. This person, who was both courageous and kind, stubborn but also free, this was the man that Mark loved. This was the man who held his heart.
                          
This was the man that he would love forever.
                          
[Male lead's love percentage is at 99%.]
                          
 

                          
Lucius looked at Ray, his hands now free as he sat across from him. 
                          
"So, are you ever going to tell me why you have me locked away inside a room? It's not like I can escape and tell my family about this. Why would you even kidnap me, it's not like my disappearance would change anything." Lucius knew that he supposed to be scared since he was still a hostage, but Ray didn't seem to be dangerous in front of his eyes.
                          
Ray looked at Lucius as he heard the words from his mouth, "Your Highness, believe it or not, your disappearance would change everything." It would change the fact that you would have been kidnapped by the others, forced to live a life bonded to someone you don't love. But Ray didn't say anything, he didn't want Lucius to know how his life would've turned out if Ray had not taken him away from the castle.