Lina wondered if she was in the wrong to ask her husband. Wordlessly, she slipped under the blankets, deciding she'd ask him about boundaries tomorrow. Without another word, she let out a soft yawn and curled under the icy bed covers, wishing her husband would come home quickly.

  Soon, Lina fell into a deep sleep.

  That is, until a chilly hand touched her some time into her slumber. It didn't feel right and she instantly felt alarmed but Lina didn't open her eyes.

  "Lina," a masculine voice called.

  Her shoulders had tensed and she tried her hardest to not shake with fear.

  Lina attempted to remain perfectly still as if she were in the deepest sleep.

  Lina tried desperately to keep her breathing slow and under control.? She somehow sensed danger. This hand didn't feel like Kade, but she was so tired and it was dark meaning her judgment was impaired.

  It could be Kade. It could not be.

  Lina daren't take a peek. Was it an intruder?

  "Are you awake, my Lina?" A somber voice asked.

  Lina didn't want to properly wake up. His tone seemed scary. This didn't sound like her dear husband.

  Lina squeezed her eyes shut. Her weariness made her feel dazed.? Perhaps it was Kade? She was so fatigued from their night of love-making that her head was heavy. Yes, maybe it was Kade?? If he was going to come back this late and talk to her like a corpse, she'd just ignore him.

  "My Lina," the man repeated.

  This time, he said it in a low whisper like he was trying to wake her up.

  When Lina didn't move, the hand retracted from her face, followed by a sigh. She heard disappearing footsteps. Even so, she didn't open her eyes. If it were an intruder, it could be a diversion. He could be pretending to leave the room.

  Finally, the doors opened and closed. She waited a few more minutes. Then, the doors opened again.

  "Hah…"

  Lina's eyes shot open. Now, that sounded like her husband. Did his temper go away?

  Lina sat upright, her heart thundering in her ears. She was delighted to see him. So, that must've been him previously.

  Lina realized she was being overly paranoid. Her sleepiness was causing her confusion and she considered whether she had dreamt about the voice murmuring her name.

  "Kade—" Lina's voice died in her throat.

  There was blood on his face. He seemed to have changed clothes, but didn't realize splatters were still on his tanned skin. Additionally, his hand was still stained pink.

  Where did he return from?

  "My wife," Kade coldly stated, his voice as bleak as previously.

  Lina's shoulders dropped.

  "My Lord—" Lina clamped her mouth shut.

  "My husband," Lina corrected herself. "Did you injure yourself?"

  "Worry about yourself first," Kade spat out.

  "I—"

  "I heard you didn't eat dinner," Kade said with a deep frown, his eyes agitated.

  "I was waiting for you…" Lina mumbled. "To enjoy it together—"

  "Don't be foolish."

  Lina's attention flew to him. Her face paled at his words. Was he going to turn out like her father, the Emperor?

  "I thought a husband and wife were supposed to eat together," Lina said. "It'd be wrong if I ate first after you've spent a long day at work…"

  "My work was torturing people. You'd want to wait for a husband with that job?" Kade said.

  Lina tightly clenched the blankets. "Work is work."

  Kade let out a scoff. "Work is work?"

  Lina nodded. "Love is love, my mother used to tell me."

  Kade's hardened expression seemed to soften. He contemplated her words carefully. Then, he tossed his sword onto the ground. It loudly clattered and she didn't even jump. Instead, she stared at him with sincere and earnest eyes.

  "You were raised with so much love," Kade said like he despised this thought.

  Lina recalled what they said about him. The Unfavored Prince. She understood how he could resent her, for she had everything in the world, and he had nothing. What commonality did they share?

  "Too much love comes at the cost of freedom, it's not a fair exchange," Lina responded.

  Lina felt like he was upset over something, but couldn't voice it. She could only do her duty as a wife and comfort him. He had consoled her after she cried from the pleasure. It was only right to do the same.

  "Nothing in life is ever a fair exchange, you just have to force it with brute strength," Kade sneered like her words were humoring, but also hurting him.

  "Were you raised without love?" Lina asked, testing the water.

  Kade raised his gaze. It paralyzed her heart. There was darkness within those eyes. A deep, dark void where monsters under the bed lurked. He had a distant expression on his face.

  Work was work.

  His wife had said that. Such a stupid phrase, really. He didn't understand why it was affecting him like this. He almost felt warm on the inside. What the hell was that?

  "I was raised without love," Kade stated. "Because of that, I am unable to love you or anything in this world. I am only able to be so possessive over you. I want to shrink you and carry you with me everywhere."

  Lina's lips trembled. Her heart hurt for the little Kade, who must've watched his half-siblings receive all the adoration in the world. He must've been too young to understand the agony.

  Love was love.

  Even if Kade couldn't offer that to her, she'd learn to accept his way of adoring her.

  "Then let me love you the way you should be loved," Lina said, clamoring forward in bed.

  When Lina was near the edge, she spread her arms wide.

  "And what way is that?" Kade scoffed, glancing at her like she was crazy.

  Kade ignored the way his stiff heart was slowly coming to life. He felt it beat like a teenage boy.

  "With as much pureness in this world as possible," Lina stated.

  Kade narrowed his eyes. This woman was either stupid or insane. No, scratch that. This wife of his was either stupid or stupid. There was no other option. Even so, he found his feet walking to her on their own accord.

  Kade was known to be a sly and sinister man. Who'd think he'd fall into his wife's embrace like this?

  "Yeah?" Kade mused, allowing her to embrace him.

  Lina was small. Her face barely met his chest, and she was on a raised bed.

  Even so, Kade embraced her tiny head. His fingers slipped in between the silky locks of her hair. They were the softest material in the world.

  "Yeah," Lina agreed, flashing him a smile.

  Kade's heart jumped. He felt an overwhelming urge to hug her until she popped. How could he feel for something so strongly like this? Especially someone with as silly and naive of an expression as hers?

  Kade did not know.

  Perhaps, that was what their love revolved around—unable to pinpoint why they liked each other so much. They just did.