Free Web NovelChapter 182: Chapter 182: The Seed of Doubt
She sat up abruptly, her hands clutching the sheets. "Then what happens now? If they are coming, we have to do something! Can we move the city? Can we fight back?"
Xing Luoguang sighed heavily, rubbing his tired eyes with the heels of his hands.
"I don’t know. We have to find out the truth first. We have to discover how he arrived, or... if someone led him here."
He pressed those last words with a lingering emphasis. freewebnoveℓ.com
The silence that followed was deafening.
Finally, the meaning behind his words pierced through Yue Yue’s panic.
She looked at him, her expression shifting from worry to a sudden, painful realization. She saw the strain in his eyes, the doubt he was trying to hide.
"Are you doubting me?" she blurted out.
Xing Luoguang flinched at her straightforwardness.
He looked down at the bedsheets, unable to maintain eye contact.
Their relationship hadn’t even truly begun. It hadn’t even been a full day since they had shared that first kiss, and already they were drowning in suspicion.
He wondered bitterly if there was even a future for them. His race had always been oppressed; they were a people born from a dark history of betrayal and loss.
His parents and grandparents had taught him to be cautious above all else. Even though his heart cried out to trust her, his mind kept whispering that the coincidence was too perfect.
Yue Yue’s hand, which had been resting near his arm, suddenly dropped away as if she had been burned.
"Luoguang... I would never," she said, her voice trembling with hurt.
"How would I even contact them? Look at me! I have nothing. If I had a way to talk to the Empire, why would I still be here? If I were a spy, I would have been gone the moment I had the chance! I would never put this city in danger. I love the people here!"
She jumped out of the bed, moving away from him. She looked at him with strange, distant eyes, as if he were a stranger.
Seeing her look at him with such heartbreak and distance broke something inside Xing Luoguang.
The suspicion that had seemed so logical a moment ago now felt like a disgusting weight. He couldn’t stand the thought of her hating him.
He lunged forward, catching her before she could move further away. He pulled her into a fierce, desperate hug, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
"I’m sorry, Yue! I’m so sorry!" he choked out, his voice muffled against her skin. "I didn’t want to doubt you. I truly didn’t. I was just terrified... I’m just being paranoid because the stakes are so high. My brother’s words, the boy’s appearance... everything just felt so planned. Please, forgive me."
He held her tighter, almost begging. "I just hope that when everything comes down, you won’t leave. I’m a coward for doubting you. Please don’t look at me like that."
Yue Yue stood stiffly in his arms for a moment, her heart still aching, while Xing Luoguang continued to whisper apologies, his pride completely forgotten in his fear of losing her trust.
Yue Yue felt her anger melt away as she felt the heavy weight of Xing Luoguang leaning against her.
She couldn’t bear to see a grown man, a powerful Prince who protected an entire city, begging for her forgiveness like this.
She wasn’t truly angry anymore; she was just heartbroken.
It hurt that their bond felt so shallow that a single shadow of doubt could make him question her heart.
Why would she ever bring disaster to such a beautiful city?
The people here had cherished her, the caretaker had treated her like a daughter, and the girls had become her friends. She wasn’t a heartless monster.
But as she looked at Luoguang’s bowed head, she felt a wave of empathy.
He wasn’t just a man; he was a leader. He had thousands of lives resting on his shoulders. It was his duty to be suspicious of everyone to keep his people safe.
In his position, he couldn’t afford to be blinded by his feelings.
She reached up, gently patting his back and running her fingers through the messy locks of his hair.
"It is all right," she said softly, her voice steadying. "I don’t take it to heart. In fact, I am glad you asked me directly. If you had kept this doubt inside, it would have poisoned everything between us. This way, I can at least try to clear my name."
She pulled back slightly, looking him in the eyes.
"Can I meet this person? I need to see him. I have to prove to you and your brother that I have nothing to do with the Empire or this intruder."
Xing Luoguang looked at her, his eyes shimmering with a watery layer of relief and lingering guilt.
He looked like he wanted to hide his face from her out of shame. He hesitated for a long moment, thinking of the consequences.
"I cannot decide this alone, Yue," he admitted.
"I have to ask my brother, Luoye. He is already on edge, and he is the one who took the lead on the interrogation. If he agrees, I will take you to see him."
He still hadn’t told her the most shocking part: that the boy was a spitting image of her.
He didn’t know how to explain that the intruder had the same pastel purple hair and the same gemstone-blue eyes.
He feared that if he told her now, the shock might be too much, or it might reignite the suspicion he was trying so hard to bury.
Yue Yue nodded understandingly. "Then ask him. I will wait."
Xing Luoguang felt a massive weight lift from his chest. He pulled her back into his arms, but this time it wasn’t a desperate plea; it was a warm, protective cuddle. He tucked her head under his chin and sighed, his body finally relaxing. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"Thank you, Yue. Thank you for being so patient with a fool like me," he whispered.
