The soft clinking of crystal glasses and the warm hue of candlelight still lingered in the great obsidian hall of House Rotschy. The wedding had passed—quietly sealed with mana-bound rings and the stroke of a signature. Yet the air was far from settled. The scent of sweet wine and rich food mingled with faint tension, as if something—unspoken and waiting—was about to unfold.
Rina sat slouched slightly in her chair, cheeks flushed from too much wine, her golden eyes fluttering with sleep and surprise. Her wedding dress, dyed in a deep red that matched the fire of her hair, had a dark blotch of spilled wine across its hem. In her lap, she clung to a squirming white cat—Nexi—who seemed less enthused about being a part of any celebration.
Beside her, Leona had dozed off entirely, her silver hair tangled and falling across her face, her hand still loosely wrapped around a half-empty glass. Across the grand table, Lady Amelia Amberheart was laughing softly, her movements just a touch too fluid, her voice a little too unguarded—evidence of wine that had begun to whisper secrets into her bloodstream.
But it was Jin who broke the stillness.
He rose smoothly from his seat, dressed in pitch-black formal wear that matched the obsidian walls. His crimson eyes sparkled with mischief. With the grace of a predator and the arrogance of a prince, he stepped up onto the long dining table itself, drawing every gaze in the room—except his mother's. Naoko Rotchi didn't flinch. She didn't speak. She simply watched him with her ever-bored, moon-silver eyes, sipping her wine as if he were performing a theater she'd seen before.
Jin crouched in front of Amelia, elbows on his knees, smile sly.
"Lady Amberheart," he said, voice smooth as velvet, "we just witnessed the ceremonial vow of marriage. So now that we've passed the sacred formalities… perhaps we can try something more exciting."
Amelia raised an elegant brow. "Oh? And what would that be, Lord Jin?"
"A game," he answered, red eyes glinting. "A simple one. I ask, you answer. You ask, I answer. No lies. No deflections. Just honesty."
Amelia's lips curved in amusement. "You want to play truth or dare with a woman who raised a daughter strong enough to marry *you*?"
Jin chuckled. "Truth only. And no dares. Not tonight."
Rina, hearing this, perked up in horror. "Jin… please don't—"
But it was too late.
Jin leaned in toward Amelia, his tone turning playfully sharp. "Tell me, Lady Amberheart… were you in love with your husband when you married him?"
Amelia tilted her head, resting her chin on her knuckles. "Love is a fragile word, Jin. I would say… he served a purpose. And I appreciated his usefulness."
Rina gasped slightly, blinking in disbelief.
Jin's grin grew wider. "So no fairytales for young Rina, then?"
Amelia sipped her wine. "Only the cruel ones are true."
Naoko exhaled lightly through her nose. Still silent. Still sipping.
Jin stood fully on the table now, pacing with theatrical grace. "Your turn, Lady Amberheart."
Amelia didn't miss a beat. "Alright. Why did you agree to marry my daughter?"
The smile faded just a little from Jin's face.
"Because she asked," he said simply, eyes meeting Rina's. "And I don't say no to someone who's brave enough to cry in front of me."
Rina's face reddened again, though this time not from the wine.
Jin turned his gaze back to Amelia. "My question. Have you ever regretted being a mother?"
There was a pause. A long, deliberate pause.
Amelia swirled her wineglass and stared into the dark liquid. "Sometimes. But then she looks at me with those golden eyes, and I remember that regret is a weakness I cannot afford."
Jin nodded slowly, respect flickering behind his grin. "A powerful answer. I'll take that."
Naoko blinked. That was the extent of her reaction.
Amelia's gaze sharpened. "Have you ever killed someone for pleasure?"
Jin didn't flinch. "No. But I've smiled while doing it, and sometimes that's worse."
Rina buried her face in her hands.
"And now," Jin said, taking one last step forward until he stood directly before Amelia, "a bold one."
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Bold? As if you've been modest thus far?"
"Do you think I'll ever be good enough for your daughter?"
Amelia stared at him. Something in her drunkenness cleared, just for a moment. The flames in her eyes softened, and then hardened again.
"No," she said softly. "But that has never stopped an Amberheart woman before. We do not choose 'good enough'. We choose power."
There was a stillness after that.
Jin's grin faded into something real—something thoughtful. He bowed his head slightly. "Then I suppose we understand each other."
Rina stood suddenly, wobbling on her feet. "Enough, both of you! You're turning this wedding into a… a debate club!"
She tripped slightly, and Jin jumped down just in time to catch her.
He smiled, supporting her gently. "Ah, my wife speaks."
"I'm serious," Rina muttered, pressing her cheek against his chest. "This is… embarrassing…"
Amelia chuckled quietly. "You married into a family of fire, darling. Learn to dance in it."
Leona snored loudly in the background, still face-down on the table.
Naoko finally set her glass down.
And said, flatly: "You two are exhausting."
Jin looked at her. "But entertaining, yes?"
She didn't answer.
He grinned. "I'll take that as a yes."
And with that, the wedding feast devolved into a comfortable chaos. A night of bold questions, bolder silences, and a thousand truths too sharp to be whispered in daylight.