Chapter 71
The Mark of Love and Betrayal
Damion’s resilience was extraordinary. The fact that he got up from his hospital bed and went looking for Anshi on the very day he woke up proved it well enough. In less than a week, the man had fully recovered and been discharged.
Upon arriving in the capital, they got into the carriage that had come to meet them at the station. Anshi sat silently, staring at Damion seated beside her.
Sensing her gaze, Damion turned his head. Their eyes met.
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes… No, it still hurts.”
Damion started to answer immediately but then stopped for a moment, furrowing his brows as though in pain. Anshi remained silent for a while.
Was it obvious that he was faking? Damion was about to change his answer and admit he was fine when—
“If you’re uncomfortable anywhere, tell me. You should rest well at home for now. You’re still a patient.”
“Hmm, my heart feels uncomfortable.”
“…”
His heart? Did the gunshot wound affect his heart too?
That thought flickered through her mind briefly, but then Anshi shook her head. It couldn’t be that—Damion was still smiling, after all.
Clearly, he was about to say something like, It’s uncomfortable because it races whenever I’m with you.
Damion had always enjoyed teasing her with lines she could never quite get used to, but during his stay in the hospital, that habit had intensified. So this much was entirely predictable.
“I’m serious.”
When Anshi didn’t reply, Damion spoke again. She nodded.
“I know.”
“You don’t.”
“I do.”
He said it playfully, but in truth, his heart was pounding so hard it was almost uncomfortable. Damion reached out, intending to place Anshi’s hand on his chest so she could feel for herself.
But Anshi moved first. She took one of his hands and placed it over the upper part of her chest.
Damion’s eyes widened.
Her heart was pounding rapidly.
“I said I know, didn’t I?”
Anshi asked coyly. Damion couldn’t answer—he only nodded slowly.
He had never expected that she would feel the same way. He had poured out his emotions to her countless times, asking that they make each other the purpose of their lives… but he had always doubted the depths of her heart.
And yet, this heartbeat seemed to speak for her in ways words never had.
“Do you want to lean on me?”
She patted her shoulder lightly. Damion didn’t refuse; he rested his head on her shoulder. Despite its delicacy, it felt strangely solid and comforting.
Her unkempt hair spilled like a wave across Damion’s face. Worried it might tickle him, Anshi tucked it gently behind her ear.
He smiled brightly.
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s not funny—it’s just… nice. That you care about me. Ah, what if we share a room? Like we did in the north.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
He had only thrown the idea out casually, but Anshi agreed without hesitation. Damion raised his head and looked at her in surprise. Who knew an injury could be so advantageous?
His eyes asked if she truly meant it. Anshi nodded. Looking into those clear eyes, Damion found himself wondering what more he could ask for.
“Then let’s do that.”
He smiled widely and rested his head on her shoulder again, toying with her hand. Anshi lowered her gaze to the man sitting beside her, his soft golden hair reminding her of a puppy.
She reached out and gently patted his head. Damion lifted his face, their eyes meeting.
“You’re like a puppy.”
“Me?”
Anshi nodded. Instead of denying it, as if he were about to, the man laughed and rubbed his head against her hand.
“Then will you take me for walks too?”
They arrived at the second floor of the mansion and headed toward the rooms. Anshi’s room was just beyond Damion’s. He turned to bid her a short farewell—
But instead of going to her own room, Anshi stopped with him in front of his.
Realizing what that meant, Damion froze for a moment. She had stopped here to keep the promise they had made earlier—to share a room.
But he had meant sharing the master bedroom as a couple, not going straight into his room the moment they arrived.
They needed time to sort through their belongings and move what they needed, time to prepare themselves mentally. Of course, if Anshi insisted on staying together immediately, he wouldn’t refuse…
The memory of her pounding heartbeat returned, and Damion’s own began to race even harder. The thought of merging their lives completely—waking up to her every morning, occasionally having simple meals together in the room, sharing lunch, dinner… drying her damp hair at night before bed… falling asleep in the same bed—
Damion swallowed hard.
He definitely needed a moment to prepare himself.
“We can merge the rooms a little later—”
“I’ll change your bandages.”
They spoke at the same time and stared blankly at each other.
Damion then realized why Anshi had come with him to his door: to change his bandages.
For such a pure and warm reason, she had planned to enter his room.
Not that Damion’s own thoughts had been pure…
No, he admitted it—his thoughts had been anything but pure. In that single second, he had imagined countless things.
“Thank you. But I should wash up before changing them.”
“Oh, I’ll help—”
“No.”
He firmly refused before she could finish. True, washing was inconvenient because of his wound, but not so much that he needed help. If she helped him bathe, who knew what might happen?
“Then I’ll wash too and come to your room after.”
Anshi entered her room without a trace of hesitation. Only then did Damion let out the breath he’d been holding.
But even after that, time passed far too quickly. By the time he finished his bath and Anshi returned to his room, his heart was still anything but calm.
“We can use this bandage, right?”
Her hair was still slightly damp, gathered to one side as she asked. Damion said nothing, just nodded.
“Sit down.”
Anshi took the bandage, sat him on the bed, and positioned herself behind him. She frowned slightly—he seemed rather tense.
“Don’t worry. I’ve changed bandages before. There was a young lady from Jidenga who got hurt, and I was in charge of changing hers.”
She had experience, so there was nothing for him to fear. That was why Anshi had confidently offered to help.
But when she pulled down his nightgown, a strange tension surged within her.
At the center of his straight, well-balanced back ran a strong spine, flanked by broad, toned muscles.
Even clothed, she had often thought he was well-built—he was a soldier, after all. But seeing him bare surpassed all her expectations.
Muscles sculpted to perfection stretched before her eyes, leaving her unsure where to lay her hands.
Then something on his waist caught her eye.
“Ah…”
A faint, translucent heart-shaped mark.
The same color as hers.
‘When you meet your soulmate and truly love them, a mark will appear on you. And if your soulmate loves you too, the same mark will appear on them.’
Sophia’s words echoed in her mind.
If I love my soulmate…
Anshi reached out and gently traced the mark with her fingertips.
“A nurse said there was a spot there. Is that true?”
Apparently, Damion didn’t know about the mark. Since it was on his back, he wouldn’t notice unless he checked in a mirror.
“There’s proof that we’re soulmates.”
“Proof?”
Anshi nodded.
“This mark—I have one too. People of Lubelsa say that when you meet your soulmate and love each other, a heart-shaped mark appears. And your partner gets one too.”
“Does this have anything to do with your ability to see my future?”
“No.”
In truth, the mark had darkened every time she saved him from death, but there was no need to mention that. She wanted this mark to feel like something purely good to him.
She began wrapping the bandage. His wound was near his lower abdomen. On his back was the mark showing she loved him—and on his stomach was the wound that testified to her betrayal.
Her chest ached.
“I’m sorry.”
She whispered the words after fastening the tape to secure the bandage.
Damion turned to look at her. Her lowered eyes were filled with guilt.
“Anshi.”
He cupped her cheek and gently lifted her face. He knew that sorrow in her blue eyes came from this wound.
“Wounds heal, eventually.”
“But scars remain.”
She hadn’t forgotten that Damion still carried the trauma of being shot by his aide, Leo.
He lowered his head and kissed her lightly.
“Don’t make that face. Compared to the mark you left on my back, this scar is nothing.”
