CHAPTER 74: NOTHING MORE

As she stared longer at the paintings, the pain in Lilith’s chest intensified until it became difficult to breathe. She let out a shaky breath and quickly looked away, forcing her eyes to focus on anything else in the room. She had always suspected there was something between Kathryn and the prince, but she never imagined their relationship had been so deep.

The emotions captured in those paintings—the longing, the yearning in their eyes and expressions—were unmistakable. She swallowed hard, blinking back the tears threatening to spill, especially as she noticed Kathryn watching her closely.

And Lilith wasn’t about to let Kathryn see how much those images had affected her.

She smiled, masking the pain behind her eyes. "Unfortunately, I can’t recall much of what happened in the ballroom... or my conversation with you and your friends."

Kathryn returned the smile. "I understand. As I mentioned before, after I told you about my complicated relationship with the prince, you offered to help us resolve it. I brought you here to show you how deeply we felt for each other." Her fingers grazed one of the paintings—more precisely, the prince’s face. "He was the first man I’d ever been intimate with. I still remember our first kiss, the first time he touched me... it was like being lifted to the clouds and brought back to earth."

Lilith swallowed again. Why was Kathryn telling her all of this?

Kathryn blinked, then smiled again as she turned to Lilith. "Forgive me for oversharing. I got lost in my thoughts."

"If you and the prince were truly so in love—"

"We are in love," Kathryn interrupted sharply, her tone suddenly firm before she caught herself and softened. "Forgive me."

"Why don’t you speak to him yourself? I’m sure he’d be willing to talk about it," Lilith offered, ignoring the sudden shift in tone.

"The prince doesn’t want to see me," Kathryn said with a sigh. "I believe his uncle is to blame. He never liked me—never approved of our relationship. During our time apart, he must have filled Hades’ head with vile thoughts about me. That could be why the prince became cold. And maybe... maybe that’s why you’re here. To help him move on."

Lilith frowned. She was certain that wasn’t the reason she’d been brought to Valyron. Was Kathryn unaware of the prince’s curse? If they were truly as close as she claimed, wouldn’t he have told her?

So many questions raced through her mind, each one making her doubt the truth in Kathryn’s words.

"I can assure you that my arrival here has nothing to do with you. And there is nothing between the prince and me," Lilith said calmly.

"I know," Kathryn replied, her smile widening. "You mentioned at the ball that Hades hasn’t bedded you after all this time. It’s quite obvious he doesn’t find you attractive—well, not attractive enough to bed, at least. He still thinks about me."

Her words stung. Lilith had never been one to obsess over her appearance, but now she couldn’t help thinking about what Kathryn had said. Did the prince truly find her unattractive? Was it her hair? Her body? Or... her scars?

"And I assure you, I also don’t care about the prince in that way," Lilith added, masking her discomfort with a smile.

"Of course not," Kathryn echoed. "So, will you help me get back with the prince?"

Lilith hesitated. "I don’t know how to do that."

Kathryn’s smile brightened. "You can start by asking him about me—or casually bringing me up in conversation. Then, you’ll return with whatever he says."

"I’ll have to think about it," Lilith replied honestly. "As much as I’d like to help, I can’t afford to upset the prince. This palace is my home now. I have nowhere else to go if I get sent away."

Kathryn’s smile faltered slightly, but she quickly masked it with polite composure. "Very well, then. Think it over. But I would appreciate an answer soon."

"You will," Lilith said as she turned toward the door. She paused at the threshold, intending to say something, but Kathryn spoke first.

"Have a nice evening."

Lilith gave her a stiff smile before walking away, hearing the soft thud of the door closing behind her.

For the rest of the day, Lilith found it nearly impossible to concentrate. The images of the prince and Kathryn haunted her thoughts, and despite her efforts to suppress it, the tightness in her chest persisted. She eventually decided—she needed to hear the truth from the prince himself.

After dinner, she made her way to his chambers. She hesitated in front of the door for a long moment before finally knocking. As usual, the door opened almost immediately, and her heart jumped to her throat, her palms growing clammy.

Unlike in the morning, the curtains were now open, and the windows let in the cool night breeze. Her eyes landed on the prince, standing in front of a large mirror, wearing only a pair of trousers that hung low on his waist—low enough for her to see the defined V-cut leading down from his torso.

Lilith swallowed hard, her face flushing red. Dear goodness, she whispered internally, the prince’s body is perfect.

"I think I might cut my hair. Make it shorter. What do you think?" Hades’ voice broke her trance.

"I... mm..." Lilith let out a breathy sigh, caught completely off guard by his casual question. Hades noticed her hesitation and turned around to face her.

"You look flustered. Was my question really that provoking?" Hades arched a brow at her.

"Of course not," Lilith said quickly. "I was just lost in thought. And I think shorter hair would look good on you too." She offered a smile.

"Alright," he replied, turning back to the mirror in front of him.

Lilith noticed that, despite being shirtless, he still wore his gloves. She realized he never seemed to take them off. But in Kathryn’s paintings... he hadn’t worn them.

"Why do you always wear gloves?" she asked.

Hades lowered his hands from his hair and turned to look at her. "Control. My powers can be unpredictable. I wear them so I don’t hurt anyone unintentionally." He flexed his fingers as he spoke.

"Do they ever come off? I mean... can you remove them?"

"Yes, I can. They’re not sewn to my skin, little witch," he said.

Little witch. He always called her that. Not once had she heard him say her actual name.

"Why do you call me that?" she asked, meeting his gaze. "That’s not my name."

Hades smirked. "You’re little. And you’re a witch. That’s why I call you that."

It’s obvious the prince doesn’t find you attractive, Kathryn’s words echoed in her mind.

"Why did you end things with Lady Kathryn if you were in love with her?" she asked suddenly.

"In love with her?" Hades chuckled, a dark sound. "Kathryn and I had fucked a few times. She got attached, wanted me to court her. I didn’t. So I ended it. Simple."

Lilith’s heart twisted. "You ended it because of the curse, didn’t you? Love is a dangerous emotion for you. But you got attached too."

Hades narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you alright? Where are you getting this absurdity? I don’t love Kathryn. Never have. Never will. And it has nothing to do with the curse."

"But you brought her to your bed. You touched her. Surely, that means something. You can’t do all that and claim you had no feelings for her."

He chuckled again, darker this time, running a hand through his hair. "Just because I fucked her doesn’t mean I had feelings for her. I was clear with her from the start—there would be nothing more. She agreed to that."

He paused, then asked with sharper curiosity, "Why are you so interested in my past with Kathryn? Did she ask you to talk to me?"

"No! She didn’t," Lilith said almost immediately. Letting out a sigh, she added, "Forgive me for all the intrusive questions. Is there anything you’d like me to do before I retire for the night?" Her voice held no depth, weighed down by exhaustion as she lowered her head.

She heard his footsteps approaching, and when she lifted her head, Hades was standing in front of her—so close she could feel the warmth radiating from his body.

"It seems you were too intoxicated to remember our conversation on the night of the ball," Hades whispered, his breath fanning her lips.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

"You asked me about my relationship with Kathryn, and I told you—she is my past and will remain there. If you’re worried about her feelings for me, you shouldn’t be. Kathryn doesn’t know me well enough to love me. What she loves is the idea of being courted by Prince Hades. She loves the fantasy of sitting on the throne beside me as Queen of Valyron. From the moment we first spoke, I knew exactly what she wanted."

Lilith’s head spun. As much as she wanted to believe Kathryn, Hades’ words made undeniable sense.

He lifted his hand and gently held her jaw, tilting her face up until she met his eyes. His gloved finger brushed against her lower lip, sending shivers racing across her skin.

"W–what are you doing?" she murmured, her heart pounding, the intensity in his eyes nearly unbearable.

"One day," he said softly, "I hope to touch you without these gloves. To know what your skin feels like against mine." He leaned in, his lips close to her ear. "To know what your skin tastes like."

His voice was dark, sultry—and it sent a wave of heat straight through her, forcing her to press her thighs together.