Chapter 4

It was late at night.

The guests outside the church slowly drifted away, and the Montier family's servants showed Thorne and Daisy to the rooms prepared for them in the manor.

The room was large and lavishly decorated, with candlelight flickering everywhere.

Daisy sat on the edge of the bed, still wearing that vacant, dreamy expression, staring at the moon outside the window and murmuring, "The moon... it's so round..."

Thorne stood in the doorway, watching her.

He had to try — to see if he could help bring her back to her senses.

His mentor had told him that destined partners share a certain resonance. Maybe prolonged contact could wake her up.

Thorne walked to the bed and reached out to undo the buttons on Daisy's wedding gown.

The moment his fingers touched her shoulder —

A powerful force exploded from within Daisy and sent Thorne flying across the room, slamming him hard into the wall.

At that same instant, the demon inside him let out a piercing, agonized shriek.

"No... please... I'm begging you..."

The demon's voice echoed through Thorne's mind, filled with terror.

Thorne steadied himself and looked up at Daisy.

The girl was still sitting on the edge of the bed, but she was completely different now.

Those eyes, once empty and blank, were now clear and sharp — like they could see straight through everything.

Her expression was calm and composed, and a sacred energy radiated from her.

"Who are you?"

Daisy's voice had lost its dazed, childlike quality. Now it carried a cool, watchful edge.

Thorne paused, then said calmly, "Thorne Victor. Your husband."

"Husband?" Daisy let out a cold laugh. "I don't remember agreeing to this marriage."

Thorne was quiet for a moment. "Your father and grandfather arranged it. At the church today, you said 'I do.'"

Daisy frowned, as if trying to recall something.

After a moment, she shook her head. "I don't remember... My mind is clouded most of the time. I only come back to myself under certain circumstances."

She fixed her gaze on Thorne, and her eyes suddenly sharpened. "There's a demon inside you."

Thorne didn't deny it. "Yes."

"So they married me off to you to use my ability to suppress demons?" There was a bitter edge in Daisy's voice.

Thorne shook his head. "I don't know what your grandfather had in mind. But I agreed to this marriage because my mentor told me my destined partner could help me get rid of the demon inside me for good."

"Destined partner?" Daisy stood and walked to the window. "Sounds like a fairy tale."

She turned to face him. "Do you know what I am?"

Thorne shook his head again.

"The power that awakened inside me is Holy Light," Daisy said evenly. "It naturally suppresses all darkness and evil. But it's too powerful — my body and mind can't handle it, so most of the time I'm... not myself."

She paused, then continued. "The only time my mind clears is when it senses a powerful dark force. Then it forces me awake to deal with the threat."

Thorne understood. "So when I touched you just now..."

"The demon inside you is too strong. Its presence triggered my Holy Light." Daisy looked at him steadily. "Do you understand what that means?"

Thorne said nothing.

"It means the gap between us is enormous," Daisy said. "I carry Holy Light. You host a demon. We are opposites by nature."

She stepped toward him and looked up at his face. "You are not worthy of being my husband."

Thorne didn't get angry. He just looked back at her, calm and steady.

"Walk away from this marriage," Daisy continued. "While you still can. My father has a bad temper, but he'll understand."

Thorne was silent for a long time.

Then he spoke. "I'm not walking away."

Daisy frowned. "Why?"

"Because I gave my word." His voice was flat. "I promised your grandfather I would take care of you. I promised my mentor I would find my destined partner and deal with the demon."

He looked at her. "But I can also promise you this — once it's done, I'll leave."

Daisy stared at him, caught off guard.

Thorne turned and walked toward the door. "Until then, I'll do what a husband is supposed to do. I'll look after you and protect you. Whether you accept that is up to you."

He opened the door and walked out without looking back.

Daisy stood there and watched his figure disappear down the hallway.

She looked down at her own hands.

In that moment just now, she had felt it.

The demon inside Thorne was powerful, yes — but Thorne himself... his soul was clean.

Cleaner than most people's.

"What a strange man..." she murmured.

Her awareness began to blur. The Holy Light settled back into silence.

Soon she was herself again — or rather, the other version of herself — sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling absently at the moon outside the window.

......

Early the next morning.

Thorne woke up in one of the guest rooms.

He hadn't gone back to the bridal chamber. He'd found an empty room somewhere in the manor and slept there.

He had just finished washing up when he heard quick, heavy footsteps outside the door.

Then the door was kicked open.

Adrian stormed in with a group of guards, his face dark with fury, a hunting rifle in his hands.

"Thorne Victor!" Adrian roared. "You demon!"

Thorne frowned. "What's going on?"

"Don't play dumb!" Adrian raised the gun. "I know everything. You have a demon inside you. You monster — and you dared to marry my daughter!"

Thorne's stomach dropped.

Who told him?

Then an old man in a priest's robe stepped out from behind the guards.

His face was gentle, almost kind — but his eyes held something cold and deadly.

"Thorne Victor." The old priest spoke slowly. "I am Father Bell. In the name of God, I am here today to cleanse your soul — a soul that has been defiled by a demon."

Thorne looked at him and let out a short, humorless laugh. "Cleanse? That's a polite word for it. You just want to kill me."

Father Bell shook his head. "The demon inside you is too dangerous. It must be destroyed before it fully awakens. This is for everyone's good."

"Including Daisy's," Adrian said through gritted teeth. "I will never allow my daughter to live with a demon."

Thorne said nothing more.

He glanced at the doorway. The guards had every exit blocked.

Adrian raised the rifle and aimed it at Thorne's head.

"Die, demon!"

Just as his finger tightened on the trigger —

"Stop!"

A clear, calm voice rang out from the far end of the hallway.

Everyone froze.

Daisy came walking toward them in a white nightgown, barefoot.

Her eyes were clear and steady. She was lucid again.

"Daisy?!" Adrian was stunned. "You're... you're awake?"

Daisy walked up to Thorne and stepped between him and the gun.

"Put it down, Father," she said quietly. "He is my husband."