On the other side, after leaving Lyana in her chamber, Len's measured steps turned toward another path of the palace. He advanced with a profound calmness, the thud of his boots entirely silent against the plush carpets.
Numerous magnificent chambers and corridors adorned with ancient artifacts receded behind him. The cool light of the embedded blue crystals was somewhat dimmer here, leaving a mysterious stillness draped across the hallway.
As he walked, Len came to a halt before a massive, heavily carved wooden door of ancient craftsmanship. Outside this chamber, two heavily armored and towering sentries stood guard with absolute vigilance, gripping their spears.
The moment their sharp gazes locked onto Len, who had appeared so abruptly at this hour of the night, a deep respect and solemnity surfaced on their faces.
Knowing the sheer influence of the person standing before them, they bowed their necks in deference and stepped a pace backward without uttering a single question or barring his path.
With immense ease, Len rested his long fingers against the cold, carved panel of the door. Without a shred of haste, utilizing a slight pressure from his palms, he nudged the door inward.
The moment the door parted, an intensely brilliant, divine golden light erupted from within the room, spilling into the dark corridor outside like a flood. The entire chamber was completely illuminated by an ethereal, magical radiance.
As the doors fully opened, Len's deep gaze pierced through the intense light, locking directly onto the center of the room.
There, right in front of an immensely grand and massive royal bed, a commanding silhouette sat upon a carved velvet sofa with absolute relaxation and ease. The posture of the figure suggested they had already been awaiting Len's arrival.
Len's stride did not falter for even a fraction of a second upon beholding this unexpected presence. No trace of astonishment surfaced in his eyes, nor did any hesitation or panic ripple across his face.
Squaring his shoulders, he stepped forward with absolute dignity and authority into the chamber bathed in golden light.
Len advanced his steps without a shred of hesitation. His stride carried that same inherent composure, betraying his absolute unbothered nature even within the closed chambers of the palace.
As he drew closer to the silhouette resting on the sofa, the stark gravity of his features softened slightly, and a very faint, familiar smile surfaced across his lips.
"Why are you still awake at this hour?" Len asked in an incredibly calm, low voice, his tone carrying no haste to disturb the stillness of the night.
The commanding figure offered no immediate reply. Shifting her hand slightly where it rested upon the velvet arm of the sofa, she leaned her head against her palm, using her fingers for support.
Her posture spoke less of exhaustion and more of an unspoken contemplation. Lifting her lashes just a fraction, she spoke in a very soft, velvety tone, "It is nothing... I simply could not find sleep."
Len averted his gaze from the silhouette and walked toward a massive, ancient carved bookshelf standing in a corner of the room. He came to a halt right before the wooden frame.
Releasing the heavy, leather-bound book he had carefully brought back from his hidden journey, his eyes found a small vacant slot nestled between the rows of volumes—a space perfectly carved for that exact book. With immense delicacy, Len slid the volume into the empty space.
The moment the book settled into the shelf, a faint click resonated through the quiet, as if an ancient, incomplete piece had finally returned to its rightful sanctuary.
Having secured the book in its proper place, Len exhaled a quiet breath. Pivoting on his heels, he directed his steps back toward the sofa.
As he stepped closer into the primary source of the intense golden light, the hazy aura completely dissolved. The silhouette seated upon the sofa was now perfectly distinct and clear. Resting there was none other than Astria. The golden brilliance cast a divine contour across her sharp features.
From her position on the sofa, she kept her deep, mesmerizing blue eyes pinned directly onto Len. Within the depths of those azure eyes, an unspoken question and a quiet reassurance of his safe return could be vividly read.
Beholding Len advancing toward her, a deep, enigmatic smile drifted across Astria's lips. Lifting her head from the arm of the sofa, she pinned her azure eyes directly into his.
"Has your anger finally waned a bit?" Astria asked in her velvety voice, a subtle tease laced within her tone.
Len offered no direct reply to her inquiry. Moving forward without a shred of haste, he settled onto the massive velvet sofa, leaving only a short distance between himself and Astria.
The moment he sat, he leaned his head back against the frame, where the golden crystal light vividly exposed the tense lines creasing his brow and the strain anchoring his eyes. The heavy gravity of his expression seemed to drop a sudden weight into the surrounding air.
"Does it truly make any difference to you?" Len countered in a weary, grave voice, his gaze remaining fixed on the ceiling above.
Astria released a soft breath and shifted her posture on the sofa, turning slightly toward Len. "Why are you holding onto such a trivial matter so deeply, Len?"
An understanding patience echoed in her tone. "You despise my uncle, I am well aware of that... but even I can do nothing about this. Some things simply rest beyond our control."
Len drew his eyes shut. He forced the muscles of his face to relax, as if manually suppressing the tempest of thoughts churning within his mind. When he reopened his eyes, that stark, unyielding composure had fully returned.
"I have no desire to speak on this subject, Astria," Len stated in a flat, blunt manner, his fingers subtly tightening against the plush velvet of the sofa.
"But are you keeping this wrath within yourself..." Astria pressed, moving forward as her lips prepared to forge another sentence.
Before she could piece her next words together, Len moved with the swiftness of lightning, extending his hand forward.
Cradling her face with immense delicacy yet absolute authority, he leaned in abruptly and pressed a deep, unexpected kiss upon her soft lips. The sudden gesture melted the thick tension of the room in an instant, weaving a strange sweetness into the air.
As Len pulled back a fraction, a remarkably gentle, calm, and rare smile played across his lips. Without wasting a single moment, he lowered his neck and, with absolute familiarity, rested his head right into Astria's lap.
"I told you... I do not wish to speak about this," Len repeated in an incredibly quiet, low whisper, closing his eyes as his head rested in her lap. Immediately after, he allowed his frame to go completely slack along the length of the sofa, stretching out to rest fully.
Astria gazed down at Len's calm face cradled in her lap. The astonishment that had briefly flared within her azure eyes gradually dissolved into a tender affection.
Threading her fingers through his hair, she began to stroke it with immense gentleness, though a sharp undertone still lingered in her voice.
"You are merely finding a way to evade my questions, Len," Astria remarked with a soft, ironic undertone, releasing a deep sigh, even as her fingers continued to glide through his strands with absolute devotion.