What Am I Left With? • Monsta X

v. [END]

The castle was abuzz the next day, everyone rushing about and whispering in small groups. Aurelia's disappearance had immediately been noticed, and her father was seeking out all information. Of all the treasures in his castle, she was the most important, after all. Less shiny, perhaps, but a glorified object nonetheless. Just another tapestry with legs and a smile.

It didn't take long for suspicion to fall upon Hyungwon. Everyone else was a familiar face after all; as the outsider, it was only natural that Hyungwon's presence would come into question.

After feeding Aurelia to his brothers, he'd debated running back to the sea, but he couldn't leave them behind. He hadn't fixed their situation, only prolonged their captivity. So he'd stayed and awaited whatever would come next.

He was dragged from his room the morning after her absence had been discovered and hauled by two guards to the large hall where he'd first met Lord Barrymore. He was forced to his knees, his arms bound behind his back and a blade resting against his throat.

"The traveler," Lord Barrymore said, frowning at Hyungwon, his eyebrows knitting up. "What is your name?"

Hyungwon kept silent. He had a concept of his name, but he knew it in his siren tongue. He didn't know how the two-leggeds would pronounce it.

Barrymore's frown deepened. "Your silence will not protect you," he growled before nodding to his right, where a spindly man with thick lenses over his eyes stood, bony hands resting on a spherical object. "My acquaintance is a truth-seeker," he said. "If you lie to me, he will know. Do you understand?"

Hyungwon stared straight ahead until the blade touched his throat, not deep enough to pierce the skin but a kind reminder. He gave a delicate nod; he wasn't sure how two-leggeds responded to injuries, but he wasn't keen on finding out.

"Do you know where my daughter Aurelia is?" Lord Barrymore asked, trying to keep his voice firm, but it wavered ever so slightly. Hyungwon's eyes dipped to see Barrymore's hands clenching the armrests of his throne.

With the knife at his throat forcing his hand, Hyungwon gave a brief nod.

"Speak," the truth-seeker commanded.

"Yes," Hyungwon clarified. "I know where she is."

Barrymore drew in a shaky breath before looking to his right. Hyungwon didn't understand how the truth-seeker could read the sincerity of his words, but the man gave a small nod, and Barrymore exhaled unsteadily, nodding to himself.

"You speak the truth," Barrymore said, his fingers flexing on the armrests. "Where is my daughter? You must tell me."

Hyungwon hesitated. If he told Barrymore that his daughter had been devoured, Barrymore would kill his brothers before killing Hyungwon himself. If he kept silent, Barrymore would kill him anyway, and his brothers' suffering wouldn't end.

The knife tapped against his throat, and Hyungwon fixed his eyes on Barrymore's.

"I know where she is," Hyungwon said, speaking slowly, "and I will tell you, but you must do one thing for me first."

Lord Barrymore's eyes flashed darkly as he scowled, jumping out of his seat to tower over Hyungwon. "Do not play games with me! Tell me where my daughter is or I will have you killed!"

"Then you will never see her again," Hyungwon responded, forcing himself to keep still and unaffected.

Barrymore shook, his fists clenched at his sides, but he still forced himself to look over at his truth-seeker, who once again gave a small nod.

Barrymore sucked in a thin breath, the air whistling as it was sucked into his lungs. "If I do this one thing, do you promise to tell me where she is?"