Chapter 19: The Names We Hide

Dark, crackling flames sparked from the Duke's hands, casting eerie shadows across the bedchamber.

Betty stared up at him, her eyes completely devoid of fear. "Your forbidden magic will not work on me anymore. Now, get off of me."

"Forbidden magic?" the Duke echoed, his grip tight but hesitant. "Betty, I will not get off. You are my wife."

"You threw away the right to call me your wife a long time ago," she spat back, her voice shaking with years of hidden pain.

The Duke's eyes softened, a raw vulnerability breaking through his cold noble mask. "Betty... I love you."

"But I don't love you," she whispered.

"How can you hate me?" the Duke pleaded, leaning closer. "Have you completely forgotten that day? Have you forgotten how we began?"

Betty stared into his eyes, and a sudden, violent wave of memories rushed into her mind, taking her back thirty years into the past...

---

Thirty Years Ago...

A ten-year-old Betty was bouncing on her heels, smiling up at her mother. "Mom! I'm going out to play in the garden!"

Her mother smiled gently from her chair. "Okay, dear. But please, don't wander off too far. You're still just a little kid."

Betty huffed proudly, crossing her arms. "Stop it, Mom! I am ten years old now!"

"Alright, go on then," her mother chuckled.

Betty ran out of the lavish mansion, stepping into the massive, sunlit estate gardens. Mm, the air is so incredibly fresh out here, she thought, skipping down the cobblestone path.

As she neared the edge of the property, she stumbled across a hidden, stone archway leading into a massive, dark tunnel that went deep underground. She stopped, blinking in curiosity. Mm... what is this place?

Unable to resist, she sat down on her hands and knees and began to crawl inside. The bright sunlight instantly vanished, replaced by a suffocating darkness. It's so dark in here... I can't see anything, Betty thought, her heart racing slightly. She kept crawling through the dirt, her palms getting dusty. I'm so tired... how long have I been in here? It feels like it's been minutes.

Finally, the tunnel opened up into a hidden, rocky clearing at the edge of the forest. Sitting right there in the dirt was a tiny boy. He was completely alone, curling into a ball and tightly hugging his knees to his chest as he wept silently.

Betty tilted her head. Who is that boy?

She walked over quietly, kneeling in the dirt right beside him. She gently reached out, her hand touching his trembling arm. "Hey... why are you sitting here crying all by yourself?"

The boy snapped his head up, revealing a pale, tear-stained face. Betty offered a warm, bright smile, leaning in to gently wipe the tears from his cheeks. "Crying all by yourself can be so lonely," she whispered softly. "So... why don't you join me in my happiness instead?"

The boy stared at her, his voice trembling. "Who... who are you? Aren't you scared of me?"

Betty's smile only widened. "I am Betty Astern."

The boy panicked, pulling away from her touch. "Go away! You're going to get hurt if you stay near me!"

Instead of running, Betty firmly grabbed his small hand, her grip warm and reassuring. "Do you want to be my friend?"

The boy's face instantly exploded into a bright crimson blush. He frantically squirmed, trying to break free. "Leave my hand alone!"

"I am so lonely out here," Betty admitted softly, looking around the massive estate. "I'm just staying at my aunt's mansion. Let's be friends, okay? We're both completely lonely, aren't we?"

The boy looked away, his jaw clenching as he yanked his hand out of her grip. "Just leave me alone," he muttered, turning around and crawling back toward the dark tunnel exit.

Betty's shoulders slumped, a deep wave of disappointment washing over her. But just before the boy vanished into the shadows, he paused, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Well... you better come back here tomorrow," he muttered defensively before disappearing into the dark.

Betty's face instantly lit up, a brilliant, radiant smile breaking across her face. "Yes!" she shouted to the empty trees.

---

The Present Day...

The Duke loomed over Betty on the sofa, his eyes locked onto hers as the memory faded. "Yes... that day, you were so sad because I told you I didn't want to be your friend."

Betty looked up at the terrifying man he had become, her voice soft. "That was different. But... I was still the one who found you in that darkness."

"And you were the one who dragged me out of that black world," the Duke whispered, his dark flames completely extinguished.

"But you are still trapped in that world, Alberd," Betty said, her blue eyes glistening with tears.

The Duke flinched at the name. "How?"

"This black magic..." Betty murmured, her hand rising to touch his cheek. "Remember when you first started practicing it? What did I tell you back then?"

The Duke's gaze fell, the heavy memory weighing on his chest. Together, their voices echoed in a quiet, synchronized whisper: "The person who uses black magic... is always the one in the most pain."

"So, I am still in pain," the Duke whispered, his voice cracking. "But you refuse to see it, Betty."

"I was in pain too," Betty countered brokenly. "But did you ever notice it?"

"I noticed," the Duke insisted fiercely, his grip softening until he was simply holding her hands against the cushions. "I noticed every single time you were hurt. Especially... that time when I confessed to you."

---

Twenty Years Ago...

A twenty-year-old Betty was elegantly climbing the grand marble staircase of the royal academy, her arms full of parchment. Suddenly, she froze, tapping her chin. Oh no! I completely forgot my textbook in the courtyard!

She turned around too quickly, her heel catching on the edge of the stone step. Her balance broke, and she began to slide backward down the steep stairs. "Ah!"

Before she could crash, a pair of strong, familiar arms shot out from the shadows, catching her perfectly mid-fall and pulling her securely against his chest. Betty gasped, her breath catching as she stared up into the intense, striking eyes of the young noble lord holding her.

The young man offered a playful, charming smirk. "Why do you always manage to fall, Missy?"

Betty let out a relieved sigh, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Oh... It's just you, Alberd."

"Yes," he murmured, his arms remaining locked around her waist.

"When did you even get here?" Betty asked, her face flushing.

"Wherever you are, Betty... that is exactly where I am," Alberd replied smoothly.

Before Betty could process his words, the future Duke slowly sank to his knees right there on the stone steps, never releasing her hand. He looked up into her eyes with pure, unyielding devotion. "Betty... I love you. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

---

The Present Day...

The Duke's face flushed a deep crimson as the memory ended, and he looked down at his wife. "And do you remember what you said back then?"

A soft, genuine smile finally broke across Betty's face, her eyes glossy with tears. "I said... I love you more than anyone else in this world."

"Then why do you deny me now?!" the Duke demanded, his voice cracking with a mix of anger and desperation. "Do you genuinely want to see me hurt?!"

"I don't," Betty whispered.

Without another word, she reached up, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pulling him down into a fierce, protective hug. The Duke froze, completely stunned, before sinking into her embrace.

"Then why do you say such horrible things to me...?" he murmured against her shoulder.

"I love you, Alberd," Betty whispered into his ear.

The Duke stiffened, his breath hitching. "What did you just call me...?"

"I used the name you gave me," Betty said softly, her fingers gently running through his hair. "The secret name that you've never told another living soul. I will forgive you, Alberd... but I want my Alberd back. Not this cold, ruthless Duke."

A genuine, soft smile finally spread across the Duke's face, the dangerous noble monster completely vanishing. "Then he is all yours, my Betty."

Outside the window, the soft yellow light of the moon glowed peacefully over the estate, leaving the room in a beautiful, warm silence.

---

Meanwhile, Deep Underground...

Back in the quiet stone refuge, Ethan stared intently at the man sitting at the edge of his bed. "What... what did you say your name was again?"

The man offered a kind, tired smile. "It's Steevan, kid."

In an instant, the puzzle pieces clicked in Ethan's mind, and he threw off the blankets. Without warning, he lunged forward and threw his arms tightly around the man's neck. "Uncle Steevan!"

Steevan froze in absolute, paralyzing shock, his arms hanging in the air. "You... you really are Ethan?!"

"Yes! Yes, it's me, Uncle!" Ethan cried, burying his face in the man's shoulder.

Steevan's eyes welled with tears, and he tightly hugged the boy back. "My god... Ethan! It has been three whole years since I last saw you. You were only two years old when your family vanished..."

Steevan suddenly pulled back, his hands gripping Ethan's shoulders as he looked around the room. "Wait... where is Sam? Where is your father's loyal guardian? And how on earth did you two end up falling off a cliff like this?!"

Ethan's ecstatic smile instantly vanished. He went completely still, his crimson eyes lowering to the bedsheets as a dark, suffocating silence filled the space.

"Uncle Steevan..." Ethan whispered, his voice trembling. "Mister Sam... he's dead."

Steevan's breath hitched. "What?! How?!"

"My own inner monster... it ate him away," Ethan confessed, his hands clenching into tight fists. "I couldn't control it. I killed him."

Steevan's face contorted with immense worry and grief. "Then... how did you survive all this time alone?"

"I ran away," Ethan growled softly, staring at his clawed hands. "And now... I am a killer myself, Uncle."

"Ethan... I can't understand any of this," Steevan stammered, his mind spinning. "Please, you need to tell me everything in detail. What happened to your parents' lineage?"

Ethan shook his head, his teeth grinding. "I'm sorry, Uncle... but I can't tell you right now. It's too dangerous."

Seeing the deep trauma in the young boy's eyes, Steevan's heart broke. He pulled Ethan back into a protective, loving hug. "It's okay, baby... It's okay. You don't have to say anything."

From across the mattress, Iris was sitting up, watching the emotional family reunion with wide, awe-filled eyes. Steevan pulled back from the hug, finally noticing her bright blonde hair and glowing red eyes.

"And who is this young lady?" Steevan asked kindly.

"This is Iris," Ethan introduced, his tone softening as he looked at her. "She's my partner. She's trapped in the exact same dangerous game that I am."

Iris immediately stood up on the mattress, smoothing down her ripped dress, and bowed gracefully to the hosts. "Hello, Mr. Steevan. I am Iris. Thank you for saving our lives."

But just as the words left her lips, Ethan's eyes darted to the dark stone wall right behind her. His hybrid senses picked up a massive, terrifying spike of malicious energy. A giant, towering shadow began to manifest out of the stone cracks, looming directly over Iris's head.

Ethan's face went completely pale. "IRIS, WATCH OUT!"

He lunged across the bed at an impossible speed, throwing his body forward to tackle her out of the way.

Behind them, Steevan and Noorin's eyes bulged in pure, unadulterated horror as the massive, giant creature fully emerged from the shadows, its claws raised to strike.

---

[Chapter Ended - To Be Continued]