The Moonlight Bargain

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening as if my words had turned to stone. My breath hitched, and my body trembled uncontrollably. The sheer magnitude of his power was suffocating-this man could wipe out the entire Valtoria family with just a flick of his wrist, and I was utterly powerless, paralyzed, unable to do anything to stop him.

This wasn't my real family, but the thought of their lives being destroyed because of me was unbearable. I wanted to experience what it was like to live peacefully with them, to witness Kirill's brilliance, to play with Esther, to rest in Duchess Elowen's lap, and to share laughter and dinners with Duke Oberon and the rest of the family. The idea of them facing death simply because I refused to cooperate with this devil was more that I could handle.

I turned to kairan, my eyes welling with tears. My voice wavered as I sniffled, "What do you want from me? I don't think I have any power o give you, and I have no idea what mysteries you're trying to uncover about this lineage."

He went silent, seemingly taken aback by my tears. Slowly, he extended his hand, palm up, near my face. My tears fell onto his palm.

He clenched his fist and pulled his hand back, speaking softly, "Lady Meredia, you do have power. It's in your blood. As for the spell I need, I might find another way. But I still need your help to uncover the secrets of this lineage, so I can explore those alternatives."

I shook my head, completely bewildered by his words. "Why do you need a spell? What do you plan to do with it? Is this? Why would you hurt me? You're scaring me. I'm just an 18-year-old girl from another world, and I don't know anything about this place or this life. All I know is that I need to survive, to stay alive."

He fell silent again, and it was starting to get on my nerves. Why did he keep doing that? Every time I thought I could finally breathe, he would disrupt my peace with his unsettling silence.

"What is you name?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me.

"Meredia..." I replied, hesitant.

"No, your real name... What's your real name, lady?"

"I... I don't remember much about my past life."

He studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I see."

"I will talk to you later. Please stay awake when the moon is right above your head," he said, his voice calm yet commanding.

Before I could respond, he suddenly disappeared, leaving me reeling from the shock. My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed to the floor, the suddenness of it all overwhelming my senses.

As the day turned into night and the moon hung above, casting its pale light, I peered out from the balcony. The darkness enveloped everything, and even the once-beautiful flowers in the garden were swallowed by the night.

Suddenly, I heard a voice that made me jump. "You're such a brave lady."

I spun around to find Kairan standing there, his pet lounging behind him, licking its paw nonchalantly.

"Your... Royal... Highness..." I stammered, my voice betraying my surprise.

He raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. Aren't you a bit scared about why I told you to be awake at this time?"

"I... No. In my world, everyone stays awake at this hour."

"Oh right. The modern world. Quite a confusing place. I've visited a few times."

"You have? How? Can you send me back?"

Kairan walked closer, a dark glint in his eyes. "I don't think so. One year here is equivalent to 32 years in your world. So, it's been 3-4 months since you arrived, right?"

32 years... My body must have decayed by now. No one would recognize me.

"You are just a soul now," he continued, his voice chilling. "You would wander that world like a ghost, with an untimely death."

I looked down, tears welling up in my eyes. What had I gotten myself into? I thought it would have been better to have died from organ failure rather than become entangled in this power struggle and lineage drama.

Kairan gently cupped my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

"Why do you cry every time I see you?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Frustration bubbled over, and I could no longer hold back. I wanted nothing more than to live my life in peace, but it seemed like that was only possible if he left me alone. "It's all your fault! You always make me cry. What did I ever do you? Do you enjoy tormenting me?"

Kairan's lips curled into a cold, satisfied smile. "I do. I enjoy tormenting everyone."

I gritted my teeth, barely containing my fury. "I hate you! I wish you'd just go away and die a painful death!"

Kairan's eyes widened with surprise, and he let out a low, amused chuckle. "I haven't even started tormenting you yet, and you're already wishing for my painful demise?"

Before he could react, the tears I'd been holding back burst forth. I began sniffling and sobbing like a child who had just been scolded by her parents. My face crumpled into a mess of tears and snot. "W-why do you have to scare me so much? I'm just a girl! I didn't do anything!"

Kairan's attempt to maintain his composure faltered as he watched my dramatic meltdown. "I-" he tried to say, but I cut him off with a wail.

"I want to go back to my world! At least there, I could hide in my room, and nobody would bother me! But here, you just pop up everywhere! In my garden, in my room... I can't hide anywhere!" My cries grew loudfer, each sob more desperate than last. "I don't have anyone! You're hurting me! I hate you! Just leave me alone!"

Kairan looked utterly flustered, his usual confident demeanor completely shattered. "Lady, stop crying! Please! I'm trying to help you! I didn't even-"

My sobs only grew more intense, and he started to panic, flailing awkwardly, as he tried to calm me down. "Please, stop crying!" he pleaded, trying to take my hands away from my face. "I didn't mean to upset you! I-I'm just trying to get some information!"

But nothing could calm me down. My crying reached such a high pitch that it seemed to echo through the hall. Kairan's face went from confused to outright panic, as he scrambled to find some way to stop the flood of tears. He ended up awkwardly patting my back, mumbling incoherent comfort. "There, there... I'm sure we can work something out..."

It was a chaotic and absurd scene-Kaira, the feared and powerful figure, rendered helpless by the full-blown tantrum of a young girl.

Kairan's frustration was palpable, his voice a mix of panic and helplessness as he muttered, "Oh no! What did I do?!" His attempts to coax me from the floor only seemed to escalate my sobbing, making him even more flustered.

In a moment of determined clumsiness, he gently scooped me up into his arms. I clung to him, my tears still streaming, as he carried me into the room. He settled me on the chaise with the utmost care, his face a picture of mixed relief and awkward discomfort.

Kairan knelt beside me, his hands trembling slightly as he tried to gently pry my hands away from my face. He lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him. His eyes were filled with a mix of concern and embarrassment, his usual confident demeanor nowhere to be found.

"Hey," he said softly, trying to keep his voice steady. "Look at me. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry like this."

His attempts at comforting me was still somewhat clumsy, but there was genuine warmth in his voice. He kept his gaze steady, trying his best to reassure me while clearly struggling with his own lack of experience in dealing with such an emotional outburst.

"I promise," he continued, his tone growing softer, "I'm not going to hurt you. I just... didn't know how to handle this. I... I didn't mean to upset you so much."

Kairan usual sternness was replaced by a hesitant gentleness, his awkward movements and heartfelt attempts to calm me making the scene oddly endearing despite the chaos.

I looked up at Kairan with tear-streaked cheeks and a quivering lower lip, my voice small and shaky. "promise me? You won't even touch a strand of my hair. I don't want to die."

Kairan's eyes widened, clearly taken aback by my baby-like bargaining. He nodded, trying to suppress a smile, "Okay, okay, I promise. I won't touch a strand of your hair."

I sniffled and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. "And you won't be too harsh with swordplay practice. You'II teach me respectfully, like a proper teacher."

Kairan's expression softened, and he tried to stifle a chuckle. "Deal. I'II be fair and respectful in our training."

I hesitated, still clutching my knees. "And no more popping up out of nowhere! I want to sleep without being scared."

Kairan nodded earnestly, "I swear, I'II stay away. No more surprise appearances."

I stared at him, my tears slowing as I considered his offer. "Alright, I'II help you, but only if you keep your promises."

Kairan smiled, relieved, "Deal. We'II figure this out together. Just... please don't cry like that again."

I nodded vigorously, a small, satisfied smile tugging at my lips. "Okay. No more crying. But remember, promises are promises!"

It was a triumph of sorts, watching Kairan, the supposedly fearsome prince, completely flustered by my dramatic tears. My little performance had done the trick-if not outright winning him over, at least getting him to make promises that would make my life a bit less terrifying. Even a devilish princely wasn't immune to the power of a good old-fashioned sobbing fit.