CHAPTER 220: FORBIDDEN

It was late in the night.

Peri was already asleep after dinner.

Maybe it was the excitement, maybe it was the date, but she had grown tired much faster than she expected. The moment they lay on the bed, she drifted off instantly, even though just minutes earlier she had boldly claimed that she would keep him awake till late.

Hades only smiled at the memory, his eyes softening as he looked at the girl curled up beside him. Peri slept soundly, her lips slightly parted, one small hand clinging to his shirt as if she didn’t want him to go anywhere.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead, brushing his thumb lightly against her cheek.

"Sleep well," he whispered.

Carefully, he loosened her grip and placed her hand beside her pillow. Then he sat up and quietly stepped off the bed.

He already knew where the bathroom was, so he didn’t need to turn on any lights or disturb anyone.

As he walked down the hall, his thoughts shifted to Luna.

The last time they spoke, she had just left the governor’s office. The governor had arranged a room for her in the village, and she planned to rest there before starting her investigation.

She mentioned she would go out around midnight. During the day, the village was too crowded, and if she openly investigated, people would gather around her, curious and anxious. The moment someone from the capital was seen meddling, the whole place would explode with questions.

It wasn’t that Luna feared people or avoided answering them. She just didn’t know what she *could* say—not yet. She had nothing to reassure them with. There was still no clear cause behind the sickness spreading through the village, and that uncertainty bothered her more than anything.

That was why she was pushing herself so hard.

"Just don’t push yourself too much, Luna..." Hades muttered under his breath as he stepped out of the bathroom, wiping his hands and looking down the quiet corridor.

His eyes drifted toward the open door leading to the terrace.

Moonlight spilled into the hallway, casting a soft shadow across the floor. Curious, he walked closer—and then he saw someone standing by the guardrail.

"Enjoying the breeze?" he asked gently.

Beatrice flinched.

That alone surprised him—she was usually too sharp to ever miss someone approaching.

"Ah, yes," she said with a small nod as she turned toward him.

Hades stopped for a moment, simply taking her in.

She wore a pink nightgown held up by thin straps, the fabric hugging her shape in a way that made her look effortlessly graceful. Her golden hair was loose, falling over one shoulder, and her soft, dove-like eyes held a quiet warmth that matched the night.

Her curves were highlighted by the gentle glow of the moonlight, giving her a natural, feminine charm that was impossible to ignore.

"Hades?" she called softly, snapping him out of his thoughts.

The redhead blinked and shook his head lightly.

"You look lovely," he said.

Beatrice’s cheeks warmed instantly. She looked away, flustered, and whispered, "I’m not even wearing anything special."

Hades smiled as he stepped a little closer.

"And that’s what’s charming about you."

Beatrice had faced many admirers in her life—men her age, men older, even men as young as Hades.

Most of the time, she would simply smile, accept the compliment politely, and then let it pass without a second thought.

But with him...it wasn’t the same.

Something about Hades lingered with her, quietly, stubbornly.

Maybe it was the time they spent together in that temple, alone with nothing but danger and trust between them.

Maybe it was how easily he understood her without needing to pry.

How he reassured her when she doubted herself.

How he had risked his life to save someone dear to her.

Beatrice couldn’t name it.

She only knew that Hades was the kind of man any woman would want by her side.

Strong.

Reliable.

Gentle when needed.

And undeniably handsome.

Silence drifted between them, but there was no awkwardness—only a calm, shared stillness under the moon.

Then Beatrice spoke softly, "For you to be awake at this hour...did you have a fight with Peri?"

She doubted it even as she asked.

Hades was far too patient, far too loving for that.

And she was right.

"She fell asleep," he said with a small smile. "She was tired—I noticed it during dinner."

There was no trace of disappointment in his voice, even though he had reunited with Peri after an entire week apart.

Beatrice lowered her gaze and whispered, almost to herself, "You’re quite lenient with your wives..." Her lips curved, a gentle warmth in her tone.

"And that’s why even my cautious Peri is so in love with you."

Hades chuckled softly. "Well, we understand each other. Sure, there are moments when we get frustrated by what the other does, but we talk it out right away instead of letting it sink in and turn into resentment."

Beatrice’s smile deepened. "That *is* the right thing to do. That’s the root of any healthy relationship."

Hades hummed in agreement as he placed his hands on the cold guardrail, the night breeze brushing past them.

After a short silence, he spoke again, his tone gentler than before.

"Beatrice... I’ve never asked this, but how was your relationship with your late husband?"

He had always been careful about this topic.

He avoided bringing it up around Peri, and even when alone, he held himself back—out of respect.

But maybe it was the quiet of the night...

Or how comfortable their conversation felt...

Or simply how well they were bonding at this moment.

Either way, the question slipped out before he stopped himself.

Beatrice sighed, but it wasn’t a troubled sigh. She didn’t look bothered or reluctant to share.

"We had an arranged marriage," she said calmly. "He actually won the right to marry me during a contest. And since his family was powerful and influential, my father didn’t hesitate to agree."

Hades blinked in surprise. "I thought you married him because you had feelings for him."

Beatrice was a strong woman who has the courage to rule a nation on her own without relying on any alliance until now.

That’s why Hades believed the decision of her marriage must be taken by her.

However, things were different from what he expected.

Beatrice shook her head.

"The first time I met him was two days before the wedding."

The redhead’s brows lifted. "So... you agreed because your father wanted it?"

Beatrice gave a faint, almost nostalgic smile. "I never went against his wishes. And since I had never fallen in love with anyone—and I was already at the age for marriage—I thought it would be fine if I just listened to him. I believed everything would work out."

Hades exhaled, shaking his head lightly. "I never expected that."

A quiet moment passed before he spoke again.

"So? What was he like?"

Beatrice took a small breath. "Ambitious. Respectful... We were only together for a few months, so I didn’t get to know him deeply. But he was a good man."

Her voice softened as memories surfaced.

Six months after their marriage, both her father and her husband left for war—and returned only in coffins.

Even in the short time they had, Terence was often away, stationed at the frontlines or buried under duties tied to his family’s influence.

That was why Beatrice never truly got the chance to know more about him.

This time, the pause stretched longer, the night wind filling the space between them.

Hades swallowed and finally asked, his voice carrying a hint of hesitation,

"Do you... still miss him?"

Beatrice turned her head and looked at him quietly before responding,

"What would you say if I said yes?"

Hades’s shoulders stiffened. He let out a small sigh and shifted his gaze toward the sky.

"I don’t know..." he muttered, trying to sound unaffected, but the slight strain in his tone gave him away.

Beatrice couldn’t help the soft giggle that slipped out.

She stepped closer, closing the last bit of distance between them until their shoulders touched.

In a gentle whisper, she said,

"No, I don’t."

She continued, her voice calm and honest,

"My world is limited to my daughter and her happiness. I became a queen because I wanted to create a peaceful world for Peri... nothing mattered more than that."

Then she paused.

Her fingers brushed against his hand—just a light touch at first.

Slowly, she curled her little finger around his, the contact warm and delicate under the moonlight.

"But maybe..." she murmured, her eyes soft as she looked ahead,

"there is someone who has taken a little space in that world of mine."

Hades turned his gaze toward her.

Their eyes met—slowly, deeply—and in that single locked moment, the world seemed to fall quiet around them.

Beatrice’s heartbeat stumbled.

Her throat tightened, her neck flushed with heat, and her eyes glistened—not with sadness, but with something far more dangerous.

Hades’s gaze lowered.

It landed on her lips.

Soft.

Full.

Slightly parted.

A shade of red that drew him in like a flame calling a moth.

Those lips didn’t just tempt him—they pulled him.

And he moved before his mind could even form a thought.

Beatrice let out a breathy hum as their mouths met. Not startled—never that. More like someone finally receiving what they had already accepted in their heart.

His hands slid around her waist, fingers pressing into the thin fabric of her nightgown, pulling her against him with a hunger he didn’t try to hide.

Her arms wrapped around his neck instantly, clutching him closer as their lips crashed again—this time harder. Rougher. More desperate.

Heat poured into the kiss like a spark catching dry leaves, spreading fast and uncontrollably.

He tasted warmth.

Sweetness.

Her breath mixing with his as she tilted her head, trying to deepen the kiss even more.

"This is so... mm... wrong..." Beatrice whispered against his lips, her voice trembling.

But she didn’t stop.

She didn’t even try.

Instead, she rose on her toes, closed the distance he left, and kissed him again—harder, needier, as if the taste of him had become something she could no longer resist.

For the first time in her life, Beatrice acted purely on impulse.

And the terrifying part wasn’t the mistake.

It was how incredibly, dangerously right it felt.

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.