Vivid | Lee Minho

☙ Act 1 • Scene 1

"Marry me."

There was a breath of silence after you had uttered those words in which the world seemed to still and halt on its axis. The masked figure above you only stared, taken aback for only the briefest of seconds before barking a vibrant laugh that ricocheted across the walls of your bedchambers, uncaring for who or what might overhear.

"What a peculiar thing to say right before one's death!"

His knee was pressing against your stomach, sure to leave an ache after this ordeal ended, and he had gripped your wrists to restrain you while his other hand clutched a cruel blade. It shone in the sliver of moonlight creeping through your window, mimicking the twinkle of your assailant's eyes through the dark swath of fabric.

He was not a trained assassin, but you could tell that he was familiar with taking lives for despite his brutish ways, he had successfully rendered you helpless.

But you were not one for theatrics.

"Lord Lee."

The young man bristled at the mention of his identity. You did not grant him the luxury to react further, gritting out, "We are of the same mind. You and I both want to stop the Crown Prince's plans."

The pressure against your middle did not cease. He was unflustered.

"I want t-to make a deal with you," you proposed, struggling to keep your voice steady. You were no stranger to pain, but you did not enjoy it either. The sooner this ended, the better.

Carefully, the masked man spoke, "What benefit would I gain from dealing with you?"

"Fifteen years—" you gasped. "I have been at his side for fifteen years. There is no hideout nor base I am unaware of.

"If you agree to marry me at tomorrow's banquet, I will give you the locations of each of his secret military bases."

Still, he did not falter, and you did not expect him to.

He muttered, voice taking on a dark tone, "Why should I believe you?"

"I swear it," you coughed before adding, "You may kill me at any moment you doubt my sincerity."

Very slowly, his knee lifted, though his skepticism remained. "And you? What do you gain from this deal?"

You took a deep breath, relishing the lightness you finally felt. When you answered him, you made sure to hold his smoldering gaze coolly. "I want an aide. Someone with the necessary resources and influence to defy the royal family."

You saw the contemplation in his eyes. He was calculating, weighing the value of your offer against your price. If he needed a few moments to decide, then you would happily grant him the time, for you knew that the information you had dangled before him was too precious to forego. After all, you had been planning this for a very long time.

"The locations for the promise of marriage..." he mused, a scoff dancing in the wake of his words, before suddenly releasing your wrists and easing himself off your bed. "Fine."

You watched him, still lying right where he had rudely interrupted your sleep. The young man slipped the dagger into the sheath strapped to his chest then held out a hand, declaring, "We have a deal, Lady Y/n."

You pushed yourself to sit, nightrobe and hair a mess, and took his grip. "We have a deal, Lord Lee."

He might have smiled. You did not know, nor did you care.

He stopped after he had turned around to drop out of the window he had crept through, and glanced back. "I still do not understand.

"What is your end goal? It surely cannot be to become my wife."

There was a dangerous glint in his eyes, the kind that could silence a hall of blubbering advisors at once. You had chosen him for a reason, the culmination of all your lifetimes in this world.

With your best courtly smile, you told him, "I only wish to rest, in peace."