Ruby finally lifted her head, meeting Matthew's gaze.
His golden eyes were as sharp as blades, but there was something else in them, something that always seemed to pull her in.
Despite knowing how dangerous he was, she couldn't help feeling drawn to him.
"I'm willing to go with you, Your Majesty," Ruby wrote on a piece of paper she'd picked up earlier.
Writing in his palm might have been easier, but Ruby always felt it wasn't right to touch a king's hand for too long.
Matthew's eyes didn't leave hers. "Then why do you still look so sad? Are you upset about leaving your home?"
His voice wasn't harsh. He was only curious.
Ruby scribbled quickly. "I don't have good memories in that house. There's nothing there for me to miss."
Matthew took a deep breath and leaned his elbow against the carriage window.
His eyes drifted outside, watching the soft green fields pass by as the carriage rolled along the roads of Wridal.
Then, without looking at her, he asked, "Are you afraid of me, Lady?"
He didn't sound hurt. There was no anger in his voice, just a flat, matter-of-fact question.
Like he'd asked it before and already knew the answer.
Ruby didn't respond right away. Her eyes flicked around nervously. Her fingers gripped Helena's hand tighter, like she was drawing strength from the only family she had left.
Matthew turned his gaze back to her and studied her face again. "So … the rumors about me have already reached your kingdom?"
Ruby froze for a second, then nodded slowly.
She braced herself, thinking he might get angry, but instead, Matthew chuckled. A low, soft laugh that filled the carriage.
"You've heard all the terrible things about me," he said, smiling slightly, "but you still agreed to become my mate. Why?"
Ruby didn't hesitate. She wrote boldly. "Because you promised to protect me and to help my mother. Besides, you can provide us with food and clean clothes."
Matthew raised an eyebrow. "So you know what that makes you, don't you?" he teased lightly. "A little gold digger."
Ruby's expression turned sullen, and she hastily wrote a defense. "You also want to take advantage of me. So we're even."
That made Matthew laugh again, a real laugh this time.
It softened his features, melted away the sharpness, and for a brief moment, Ruby felt something strange … like warmth.
It was the first time she'd seen him smile like that.
And before she realized it, she smiled back.
"There it is," Matthew said gently. "A new expression. Are you not scared of me anymore, Milady?"
Ruby clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning pale. She didn't know how to answer. Because the truth was that she wasn't sure.
The fear hadn't completely left. The stories she'd heard still haunted her thoughts.
Matthew Harelle, the cold and ageless Lycan King. The women who died before they could ever become his mate. The whispers that said he was cursed.
But at the same time, the man in front of her didn't match those stories. At least, not yet.
He hadn't been cruel. He hadn't raised his voice. And when she was in danger, he'd bled for her.
Still, a part of her couldn't let go of the doubt. Because everyone always wears a mask at the beginning, right?
"Rumors …" Matthew said quietly, breaking the silence. His smile faded, replaced by something more serious. "They're a dangerous thing."
He paused, then added, "I won't pretend they're all lies. Not everything said about me is false. But there's one thing I want you to know, My Lady, I will never harm you."
He looked her in the eyes again, more sincerely this time. "Though I understand words like that … probably sound like nonsense to you right now."
Then he sat up straighter and said something that made Ruby's breath hitch. "That's why I want to change our agreement."
Ruby's eyes widened and a wave of panic surged in her chest.
[What if I offended him?] she thought. [What if he changes his mind and refuses to help my mother now?]
She quickly reached for her pen, ready to write an apology, but before she could move, Matthew spoke calmly, almost gently.
"If, after marrying me, you find yourself unhappy," he said, "then I'll cancel the contract and allow you to leave the Veritas Kingdom."
Ruby froze.
"But of course," Matthew added, "there's a time limit, Milady. I'll give you three months. At the end of that time, I'll accept whatever decision you make."
The pen trembled in Ruby's hand.
In her entire life, no one had ever given her a choice. Not once.
People told her what to do, where to go, how to behave. They never asked what she wanted.
They never believed she even had the right to want something. And now here he was—a man that was rumored to be terrifying—offering her a way out.
She swallowed and wrote hesitantly. "What if I get pregnant during that time … and still choose to leave?"
Ruby wasn't naïve. She had read some of Liliana's hidden erotica romance books.
She knew marriage didn't just mean living under the same roof. It meant sharing a bed and having sex.
Besides, Matthew openly wanted Ruby to conceive his child, so of course, they would do it as soon as their marriage was officiated.
Matthew didn't flinch. "Then you may leave Veritas after giving birth," he replied evenly. "And I'll still fulfill my promise. You'll be protected, always. No matter where you choose to go, there will be guards watching from a distance, ensuring your safety."
He said it so casually, like it was no big deal.
But Ruby saw the faintest shift in the colors that surrounded him.
Blue.
It was so faint, but was enough to be noticed by her.
The Blue that symbolizes sadness or disappointment.
Why? Why would he go through all this trouble for her?
He could've forced her to stay. He could've tossed her aside once she gave him what he wanted. He had the power to do either.
But he didn't.
Instead, he gave her freedom. Choices. Respect.
Matthew's attitude increased the trust in Ruby's heart, making her start trying to forget the rumors about Matthew out there.
She wrote carefully, her handwriting softer this time. "Thank you, Your Majesty. You've been kind to me."
Matthew just responded with a faint smile, then resting his cheek against his left hand, he leaned against the side of the carriage.
That's when Ruby noticed the stain on his sleeve again.
She frowned as she remembered that he had injured himself just a moment ago.
Was he alright?
Realizing that Ruby continued to pay attention to his wound, Matthew immediately rolled his sleeves up to his elbows.
What Ruby saw made her eyes widen again.
His skin was perfectly smooth and unmarked. No wound. No scar. Nothing.
If not for the blood on his clothes, she would've believed he had never been hurt at all.
"I have a high regeneration ability," Matthew explained. "A wound like that heals in seconds."
Ruby was stunned.
She had never seen anything like it. Even skilled werewolves took half an hour to heal from serious wounds. But Matthew? His body didn't even leave a trace behind.
It was no wonder the other kings of the Raeludin Empire avoided conflict with Veritas.
Even the emperor had allowed Matthew to rule with his own laws.
It turns out they did that out of fear of Matthew's power.
Marquess Barnette was lucky Lucas stepped in, Ruby thought. If he hadn't, he'd probably be dead by now.
More than that, she doubted Greysen would lower his hand to avenge the Marquess's death, since even a small conflict could lead to a great war.
Ruby reached for her pen again, but then paused.
Every scrap of paper she had was already filled with writing. There was nothing left to write on.
Before she could panic, Matthew extended his palm toward her. "Need a place to write, Milady?" he asked.
Maybe it was just an illusion, but Ruby seemed to see yellow starting to appear on him.
A strong, glowing shade of it. It started to take over, pushing away the cooler, darker colors that usually surrounded him.
He's happy …?
Ruby stared at him in disbelief. She blinked again to make sure it wasn't just her imagination, but the yellow remained, clear and bright.
[Why would he be happy?] she wondered. [Is he secretly laughing at me for always running out of paper?]
She wasn't sure.
But for the first time, the colors around him didn't scare her.
• • • • • • • • • •
[Mini Theater]
Matthew: *Happy because he wants to touch Ruby's hand so badly*
Ruby: Is he laughing at me? What a scumbag!