Chapter LXII - Say It Again
The world became very quiet after that.
Snow drifted softly beyond the windows. Lantern light flickered gently across the chamber.
And Prince Rui stood impossibly close, forehead resting lightly against Shen Li’s while his confession still echoed through her chest.
“This prince loves you.”
No titles. No restraint. No hiding.
Just love.
Warm. Terrifying. Completely sincere.
Shen Li’s heartbeat softened so painfully it almost hurt.
Because somehow— Prince Rui said those words like survival itself depended on her hearing them properly.
Dangerous man.
Very dangerous man.
Prince Rui watched her silently afterward.
Then quietly:
“Princess Rui still looks shocked.”
Shen Li finally exhaled softly. “…Your Highness confessed like someone discussing military strategy.”
Prince Rui actually looked thoughtful about this.
Then calmly:
“This prince planned to say it more carefully originally.”
The image alone nearly made her laugh softly.
Prince Rui planning romantic confessions like battlefield operations.
Impossible man.
Then Shen Li looked at him properly again beneath warm candlelight.
And suddenly— she realized something else.
Prince Rui looked nervous.
Only slightly. Almost invisible.
But there.
The terrifying war prince who stood calmly before armies now waited quietly for her reaction like someone uncertain whether his heart would be accepted safely.
The realization touched her so deeply her chest ached.
Then softly she asked:
“Your Highness worried this daughter wouldn’t return those feelings?”
Prince Rui remained silent briefly.
Then honestly:
“Yes.”
The directness nearly broke her heart completely.
Because even now— even after everything— Prince Rui still feared wanting her more than she wanted him.
Dangerous man.
Shen Li reached up slowly afterward.
And held his face gently between both hands.
Prince Rui froze instantly.
Because Shen Li rarely initiated affection first.
Yet now she looked at him with painful warmth beneath dim lantern light.
Then quietly— very quietly—
she whispered:
“This daughter already loves Your Highness too.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Prince Rui stopped breathing completely for one dangerous second.
Because Shen Li rarely spoke emotional truths directly.
Yet now— there was no hesitation. No distance. No uncertainty.
Only love.
Warm, steady, terrifyingly sincere love.
Prince Rui’s eyes darkened immediately.
Something inside them softened and shattered simultaneously.
Then suddenly—
he kissed her.
Not desperately. Not roughly.
Only deeply.
Like someone finally receiving something precious after surviving endless winters alone.
Shen Li’s fingers tightened softly against his face while warmth spread through every part of her chest.
The kiss tasted like relief. Like home. Like impossible peace.
And somewhere deep inside—
both of them understood something terrifying now:
There was no returning from this anymore.
When Prince Rui finally pulled back slightly, his breathing remained uneven.
Yet his gaze never left her face.
Then very softly— almost disbelievingly—
he asked:
“Say it again.”
The vulnerability in the request nearly destroyed her.
Because Prince Rui— the man feared across the empire— looked at her now like hearing those words once wasn’t enough to believe them yet.
Shen Li’s chest softened painfully.
Then she smiled faintly.
Small. Warm. Entirely his.
And gently— with deliberate tenderness—
she repeated:
“This daughter loves Your Highness.”
Prince Rui closed his eyes briefly afterward.
As though steadying himself against the force of it.
Then suddenly— without warning—
he lifted her directly into his arms again.
Shen Li laughed softly in surprise. “Your Highness!”
Prince Rui buried his face briefly against her shoulder afterward.
And for one dangerous moment—
he simply held her tightly.
Too tightly.
Like someone terrified she might disappear if released.
Then quietly— his voice rough with emotion she had never heard from him before—
he admitted:
“This prince thinks he waited his entire life to hear those words.”
The confession shattered her completely.
Because suddenly Shen Li understood something painful:
Prince Rui had spent years surviving without expecting love at all.
Not romantic love. Not gentle love. Not peaceful love.
Only duty. War. Loneliness.
And now— somehow— he held her like someone finally allowed happiness for the first time.
Dangerous man.
Very dangerous man.
Then Shen Li softly brushed fingers through his hair once more.
And whispered near his ear:
“Then this daughter will say it for the rest of Your Highness’s life.”
Prince Rui’s arms tightened instantly afterward.
And for the first time since becoming Prince Rui—
the terrifying war prince truly looked happy.