When The Moon Loved The Devil

arrogant man

third person

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Then, without another word, Aurelia turned around and walked out of the room, her laughter still echoing faintly in the air.

[ Rose… a breathtakingly beautiful woman , around twenty-four years old. She appears calm and delicate, almost fragile at first glance. Yet her beauty is so mesmerizing that people would willingly fall to their knees before it.

Rose is the royal dancer of Crimson Palace , a place where no one is allowed to enter—except blackwood's . ]

[ Aurelia… the anuty of Crimson Palace also known as the head lady of the place. She is the eldest and the one who holds authority over everything here. Aurelia is around forty-eight years old.

She has no family of her own. Her family abandoned her when she was just a child. Since then, Crimson Palace has been the only world she has known.

By nature, Aurelia is a harsh, short-tempered, and cunning woman , someone whose sharp mind and cold demeanor make people think twice before crossing her. ]

...

Rose

The entire hall of Crimson Palace shimmered with light. Colorful illuminations glowed from every corner, casting a dreamy haze across the room. The floor was decorated with deep red roses, their fragrance drifting through the air and filling the hall with a sweet, intoxicating scent.

Across the hall, A man sat on the luxurious sofa, one leg resting over the other as if the entire world moved at the pace he allowed. His posture was effortless, yet there was a quiet dominance in the way he occupied the space around him.

The dim lights caught the sharp angles of his face, carving shadows along his jawline. A cigarette rested between his fingers, and with every slow breath he took, a cloud of smoke escaped his lips, drifting through the air like a silent warning.

There was something about him—something dangerously calm, like the stillness before a storm. His presence alone carried the weight of authority, the kind that didn't need loud words or sudden movements. Even in silence, he looked like a man capable of turning the world upside down with a single command.

His eyes held a depth that was hard to read—cold, powerful, and unsettlingly confident, as if nothing in this world could ever challenge him. The room didn't just belong to him… it bent around his existence.

Yes… that man was Master — Christian blackwood The king of this world.

He was dressed in a perfectly black business suit, the expensive fabric hugging his broad, muscular frame like it was made only for him.

The crisp white shirt beneath it stretched slightly over his strong chest, the top buttons left open just enough to reveal the hard lines of his collarbone.

The sleeves of his coat were folded a little, exposing his forearms. The veins on his hands stood out sharply, running beneath his skin as if they carried nothing but raw power.

His fingers looked strong and commanding — the kind that could either protect… or destroy without hesitation.

His shoulders were wide, his posture calm yet intimidating. Even standing still, there was something dangerously dominant about him — the kind of presence that filled the entire room without him saying a single word.

I stood quietly behind the curtain , watching Master from a distance. He looked as though he had already burned even his soul in the smoke that surrounded him.

Aurelia was standing beside me. After a moment, she left me there and walked into the hall. Reaching him, she lowered her head respectfully in front of Master.

She said

(Master… if you permit, rose wishes to present her dance in your gathering.)

I turned my gaze away from Master. This moment felt unbearable to me.

I had never learned to bow like this… never learned to kill my own soul just to stand quietly before someone.

But this cursed love had turned me into a slave, breaking the very backbone of my pride. Perhaps now… I would never truly rise again.

My thoughts shattered when a sharp voice cut through the hall—Master's.

"Everyone leave… except rose."

His deep voice echoed through the entire hall. For a moment, it felt as if even the air had stopped moving. His voice wasn't just deep… it carried an unsettling authority. The kind of voice that didn't need to be loud to command the entire room.

When he spoke, it felt as if the air itself paused to listen. Every word left his lips slowly, heavily… like a storm rolling across a silent sky. There was a rough edge to it, dark and magnetic, the kind that could send a chill down someone's spine.

A faint flicker of unease crossed Aurelia's eyes, yet the same sly, bowed smile remained on her face.

She immediately lowered her head in obedience.

(As you wish, Master… the gathering is yours, and so is the command.)

One by one, the servants, the musicians, the light men… everyone began to leave. The hall slowly emptied until there was nothing left but me, him… and the suffocating silence of palace.

Standing behind the curtain, I had already curled my fingers tightly into a fist.

My heart was pounding so violently that it felt as if it would start making a sound of its own… just like the anklets around my feet.

Aurelia glanced at me one last time as she was leaving and said—

(Go… Master does not wait for anyone.)

I took a deep breath… and stepped out from behind the curtain.

The entire hall now felt heavy with his presence alone. Sitting on the sofa, he carried the same authority, the same cold expression… and those eyes—once drowned in a quiet intoxication, but today reflecting nothing but my anger.

I lowered my head, my gaze fixed on the floor.

He brought the cigarette back to his lips once again, taking a slow drag.

(Why did it take you so long to step into my gathering…)"

The coldness in his voice made my heart pound faster. My lips trembled, but I kept my voice under control.

"I - I was tying anklet bells …" I replied softly.

He stood up and slowly walked toward me. The sound of his shoes echoed clearly against the floor — each step felt like it was landing right on my heart.

Then he stopped right in front of me. a cigarette dangling between his fingers. With a sharp flick, he tossed it aside, letting it vanish into the floor, and casually slid both hands into the pockets of his pant.

"Look up" Master commanded, his voice low and merciless. But I didn't have the courage to look up and see him. "I don't like speaking to someone who doesn't even have the courage to face me." His words were absolutely full of arrogance.

My gaze stayed lowered as I nervously clutched the fabric of my dress in my hands.

No matter how much I hated him, whenever he stood this close to me, something inside me weakened. My heart was pounding so loudly it felt like he could hear it, and the tension in the air grew heavier with every second he came closer.

" I said, lift your gaze.... " He repeated his words again, but quietly. I can't believe how calm he is.

now he shouted. ( I said lift your gaze )

His shout through the air, low and rough, like gravel scraping against steel. It wasn't loud, but it carried a sharp edge that made my heart skip. Every word trembled with controlled anger, sending shivers down my spine.

My eyes were brimming with tears, and my lips began to tremble. I summoned all my courage and took a deep breath… my body was shaking as if I'd been left standing in the freezing cold without a coat.

Then he spoke again, and I lifted my gaze. My eyes met his — directly, for the first time in so many days. His eyes, his nose, his jaw… and those lips! Just looking at them always drove me insane.

Suddenly, my body went from the chill of Shimla to burning like the desert. And those same arms of his… wrapping around me in my mind, making my heart race uncontrollably.

Those arms, which I once thought were the safest place in the world… that face, which used to be my peace… today, that very face terrified me more than anything else.