The Night Belongs to the Moon | Taeyong

10 | Glimpse of the Moon

A wisp of cold air caressed Dal-ae's ashen face but she did not shiver, nor did she move. Someone was screaming in agony. A woman, no, a man, maybe a child. Dal-ae couldn't tell anymore. The room reeked of blood and death, filled with the sound of ripping flesh. Terror seeped into her bones but she remained still, muffling her sobs.

Suddenly, everything halted. A sinister silence hung in the air and a new kind of terror gripped her. Flames of orange roared upwards to the sky and she heard someone cry out.

Dal-ae woke up with a jolt, cold sweat drenching the back of her gown. There were no flames nor any smell of blood. She was safely tucked in her own bed in the Night Mansion. Huffing out large volumes of warm breath into blue of her room, she ran her fingers over the thick blanket covering her as though confirming if it was real. Instinctively, the next spot her fingers found was the wound on her neck only to discover it sealed.

'You're awake,' came a man's voice in the dark, startling her. But Dal-ae knew who the voice belonged to; she had been in the Mansion long enough to recognize Doyoung.

'Who is screaming?' she asked.

Doyoung got up from the cushioned chair and flicked the lamp on. 'The guard from the district. They brought him in this morning.'

'Why is he screaming like that?'

'He is being interrogated,' Doyoung said evenly. 'Those who refuse to speak when asked, meet this consequence in this Mansion.

'You mean to say that, Tae- Master is torturing the guard?'

Doyoung gave her a look on the slip up then replied with a curt nod. He sat on the bed next to her and tilted her head backwards by the chin.

'Does it hurt?' he asked, pulling his glasses down to look at her neck.

'Did you seal my wound?'

'That is not an answer.'

Dal-ae remained silent while another blood-curdling scream reverberated throughout the Mansion as though the walls itself were wailing.

'It does not hurt,' she finally spoke in a small voice.

'Good,' he said, 'I did not seal your wound. I was only asked to keep you company.'

'By...'

Doyoung nodded. 'The Lord asked me to stay with you.'

Another scream sounded in the silence and then everything went still before the Mansion returned to its usual calm.

'Is it over?' Dal-ae asked after some time, as Doyoung returned to the chair by the window.

He shrugged in response without looking at her. The open window allowed a light breeze inside, fluttering the curtains as it brushed past them.

'If you feel a chill, let me know,' Doyoung said.

'Oh, uh, no I don't, thank you for asking,' she replied and Doyoung turned to the night sky outside, looking upon it with gleaming eyes like a child discovering the wonders of the moon for the first time.

There were a thousand things on Dal-ae's mind including changing out of her cold gown, but at the moment, she decided to rest too, watching the clouds sail like waves in the black ocean.

After some time, a gentle knock sounded on the door. Doyoung stood up, straightened his suit and was just about to walk towards it when the visitor got impatient and slowly pushed the door halfway open.

'My Lord,' Doyoung stopped to bow.

'Is she still asleep?' Taeyong whispered, holding the door open.

'No, my Lord, she is awake. Please come in.'

Dal-ae heard a cough and a shrug of clothes before Taeyong emerged from behind the door, stoic and calm, his arrival filled the chamber with a sweet smell. His velvet blue nightgown was hung loosely over his shoulders, revealing a part of his pale chest with his wet hair falling over his dark eyes. He had not even waited to dry them before heading over to her room.

She stared at him, her eyes expressionless and her lips pressed together.

Softly, he asked, 'Are you feeling alright,' and received a gentle nod in response before Dal-ae turned away.

He walked to her bedside but instead of sitting himself on her bed, Taeyong went down on his knees with his head bowed and hands clasped in front of him.

For a few moments, nobody spoke anything. Dal-ae was stunned. Her mouth agape and her eyes wide, she stared at her Master, dumbfounded.

'I apologise to you, Dal-ae, for losing control with you.'

'Ma-master...'

Taeyong looked up at her with sincere eyes and a soft smile. 'When I took you in, I promised to take care of you, Dal-ae, and I am ashamed that I could not control myself.'

Her lower lip trembled and her eyes turned red. She stayed staring at him for several seconds but could not utter a word. Slowly, Taeyong got up from the floor and sat himself on the bed in front of her.

'Let me see you,' he whispered and gently touched her cheek. When his cold hands met her warmth, Dal-ae shuddered, but only for a second. Taeyong lifted her chin to examine the wound on her neck, gliding his fingers across her jaw, over her cheek, her neck and up her arms. There was no awkwardness nor any hesitation in his gesture but a possessiveness – Dal-ae was his and to look after her was his duty.

'Is there something you wish to say?' he asked after some time, seeing her dazed expression.

She remained quiet for a while before saying, 'Are you doing this out of guilt?'

Taeyong stopped. He looked up at her. His gaze was steady. 'Even if it is out of guilt, why can't I take care of you?'

'I don't need your pity.'

'I won't pity you, then,' he returned.

Dal-ae had nothing else to say.

'I am sorry,' she spoke after a while and Taeyong smiled. He rubbed his thumb over the spot on her neck one last time before retrieving his hand.

'I am sorry for being rude to your consort and...' Dal-ae sighed, 'for making you apologise to her on my behalf.'

The curtains rustled as the cold winds swept inside. The clouds shifted in the night sky and the moon revealed its innocent face, shrouding the night in its glow.

Taeyong nodded and patted her gently on the head and that's when Dal-ae noticed his hands.

'Your hands, Master,' she said, alarmed.

'Hm?'

Dal-ae took his pale hands into hers. His knuckles were covered in cuts and scratches. There was no redness, nor did Taeyong feel any pain so naturally he had not noticed.

'Oh, this might be from before,' he said almost in a chuckle.

'Interrogation?' she asked. 'How long will it take to heal?'

Taeyong smiled his heart-melting smile again and caressed her cheek. His eyes were sparkling as he fixed them on Dal-ae. Gently, he pulled her hands to cover his knuckles. And after a few seconds he said, 'Look,' and slid his fingers back to reveal his smooth pale skin, untouched and without scars.

'They heal when I want them to heal,' he told her.

'Must be convenient.'

'Mhm.'

A knock came on the door again and Taeyong turned to Doyoung, 'It's Jaehyun. Can you let him in.'

Author's Notes:

Hi my lovely people. How are you all. Hope you are doing good.

I am doing a triple update this week too!

And... the next chapter is up as well so head on to Chapter 11, loves ɷ◡ɷ

- this one's for you morkiebug , cheer up bby :*