A Deal with the Devil || K.TH

22: Lie

"Caught in a lie~ Take me out of his Hell. I can't free myself from this pain. Save me who's being punished" -Jimin, 'Lie'

"Really? Are you sure?"

He nodded solemnly as his lover faced him.

"I'll let her go." He said, hiding the sorrow that laid in his broken heart. Krystal smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a tight hug.

"I knew you weren't completely changed. Let's go tell her the good news." She said. Taehyung forced a smile as he shook his head.

"No, no, you go. I have some work to do."

Krystal gave him a long, sweet kiss before leaving towards the East Wing, where Aurora had not moved from for the past few days. He would secretly watch her when he had the chance through mirrors, but all she did was sit still and stare at nothing. She only got up to eat, but she barely ate anything. He sighed as he headed to his study.

Inside, he saw his desk was full of letters. He raised an eyebrow before sitting down and putting on his glasses. Today was going to be a long day.

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"Why?"

Krystal looked down as she fidgeted with her dress. Aurora looked up to the ceiling as she laid on her bed, not bothering to face the younger angel.

"If you don't have a reason to why he's letting me go, why did you bother to come in to tell me?" Aurora asked coldly. Krystal frowned at Aurora's behavior. She had been told that Aurora was very sweet and kind.

"Irene told me of how sweet and innocent you were, but obviously she spoke wrong." Krystal said. Aurora scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Forgive my rudeness, but who told you to tell him to let me go? Did you think he actually had feelings for me?"

Krystal shut her mouth at the question. Of course she thought Taehyung had feelings towards Aurora, with the way he was kissing her the other night. Anyone who didn't know who they were would've assumed they were lovers. Aurora made her wings appear and plucked a feather out carelessly before the feathers vanished once again.

She twirled the feather in her hand before asking, "Did you perhaps think I was a competitor for his feelings?"

Aurora casually flicked her eyes over to see Krystal fuming with rage. She scoffed softly as she turned back to her feather.

"So you are jealous."

Krystal's anger diffused as she realized Aurora was right. She was jealous, jealous of the fact that Taehyung could kiss Aurora with so much passion compared to when he was with her. Taehyung only kissed her halfheartedly, as if he was forcing it.

"If jealousy is your motive to get me out of your way, by all means take Taehyung. After all, I don't think I would have any feelings for the man who used me." Aurora said with a shrug.

"How can you not have feelings for him after what happened on the other night?! You can't say that you didn't like that!" Krystal accused her, but Aurora was unfazed. If there was one thing being with Taehyung has taught her, it's to always have a mask for everything.

"I was just as much of a toy to him as any one of his other female consorts. Ask him about Tzuyu and he'll tell you about all those nights."

Krystal choked at the name Tzuyu. Tzuyu was the name of her niece, who was a baby at the time of her death. Apparently she had done enough bad things in order to become a demon in her afterlife.

"Well then, why'd you agree to become his fiancé? Surely you knew of the dangers of making a deal with the Devil."

Aurora twirled her feather around listlessly as she digested what the angel had said.

"I did know the dangers, but I knew that if I could save Heaven and my brother, it would all be worth it." She explained, watching the gold in the feather shimmer as she turned it. The sleeve of her dress fell as she did so, revealing the silver bracelet on her wrist. Krystal's eyes widened as she seized the elder's wrist, looking at the bracelet in shock and asking in alarm, "Where did you get this?!"

Aurora pulled her wrist away as she sat up and looked at it fondly, admiring it.

"Pretty isn't it? I found it on Earth a few weeks ago."

Krystal looked at her in shock as she said, "But I thought you weren't allowed to leave this palace."

"Not during this time period. It was back a few centuries I think, right around the time of your death. It looked pretty, so I picked it up. I was planning to give it to Taehyung, but it seems you found it first." She explained as she removed the bracelet and held it on the very tips of her fingers. Krystal snatched it back quickly before putting it on.

"Other angels can time travel? I thought it was just Azazel who could do that." Krystal recalled.

"With the help of a certain potion, you able to time travel. But you do not know to where or when; only very powerful angels are able to control that." Aurora explained as she put the feather she had plucked down and got up.

"Well, if V is really kicking me out of this castle, I guess it is best I leave."

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"Taehyung, you should really go to bed, you've been up all night."

Taehyung ran a hand through his hair as Krystal stood nearby, watching him scribble on another scroll.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to get all of these letters done before the demons start barking at me." He apologized as he sealed the letter and tossed in another pile of completed letters. Krystal looked at him in worry as she walked over and rubbed his shoulders.

"Taehyungie, I just don't want you to overwork yourself." She said. Taehyung looked over to her with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Well then, my dear, give me a good reason why I should be going to bed now." He said coyly. Krystal whispered something softly into his ear before kissing his temple.

"I promise you'll enjoy it." She said before leaving. He smiled at her and turned back to finish one last letter. As he began writing, his mind began to wander off to Aurora, who had left him with a single diamond rose with a note attached to it, along with Aurora's returned engagement ring.

'May you two remain happy for an eternity. -Aurora'

He shook his head as he put the quill down and his hand reached over to pick up the already wilting rose laying on his desk. He gently twirled it around before feeling a sharp sting on his finger. He dropped the flower with a curse and saw that his finger was bleeding.

How ironic. Two beautiful flowers only leave me with wounds. He thought as he watched blood ooze from the cut. His hand gently brushed the flower's petals and his eyes followed the streak of red that stained the flower's white petals.

It seems that you're not the only who's left with a mark on them.