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00:02I've been a mute since the day I was born.
00:05Truth is, I wasn't born broken, I just chose never to speak.
00:09My father already had two daughters, and he was desperate for a son to carry on his mediocre
00:14legacy.
00:15When my twin brother and I were born together, his joy was instantly soured by my unnecessary
00:20arrival.
00:22He just waved a dismissive hand at my elder sister and muttered, we grew up in the shadow
00:27of poverty, and my father tried to abandon me more times than I can count.
00:31Only my mother's fading guilt kept me under their roof, but by the time I was five and
00:36still hadn't uttered a single word, they realized I was truly mute.
00:39Even my mother gave up on me then, in my father's eyes.
00:42I wasn't a daughter, I was a defect, a mouth that ate but didn't speak.
00:47I learned to survive by working the hardest, eating the least, and becoming invisible to
00:51avoid his drunken rages.
00:52When I turned 18, the Vans family the most powerful billionaires in Los Angeles began
00:57a desperate search for a girl with a specific spiritual frequency to marry their dying second
01:02son, Silas Vans.
01:04Everyone knew Silas was a walking corpse, a man cursed by his own fortune.
01:08Rumor had it that the Vans family practiced archaic traditions, and any bride sent there
01:13was expected to be buried alongside him as a sacrifice.
01:16It was a death sentence.
01:20But the Vans offered a dowry that no ordinary person could refuse, $2 million in cash.
01:26My father, a man who had scraped through the dirt his whole life, saw those zeros and lost
01:31his mind, selling a defective daughter for a fortune.
01:35To him, it was the deal of a century.
01:38Naturally, he handed over my birth records to the Vans' lawyers without a second thought.
01:42As it turned out, my soul matched Silas's perfectly.
01:46The Vans moved fast.
01:47Within three days, their black SUVs lined up in our dusty driveway.
01:52They brought lawyers, a marriage contract, and a mountain of luxury goods to save my father's
01:57pride.
01:58They demanded the wedding happen in 72 hours.
02:01My father, standing tall for the first time in his life, smiled at me with a terrifying
02:06warmth.
02:06Ivy, I've raised you for 18 years, and finally, you're worth something.
02:11Once you enter the Vans' estate, serve your husband, obey your in-laws, and listen to
02:17me carefully.
02:18Don't ever come back.
02:20Not even if you're begging.
02:21I sat in the back of the sleek limousine, frozen and silent.
02:25My second sister, moved by a rare moment of pity, shoved a crumpled paper bag into my
02:30hand when my father wasn't looking.
02:31Later, I opened it.
02:33It was a warm, half-crushed croissant, her favorite treat.
02:37It was still warm from being hidden against her body.
02:40I knew she was scared for me.
02:41But in the face of the Vans' family's power, what could a girl do but survive?
02:49The Vans' estate was draped in ominous luxury to welcome their new sacrifice.
02:54Silas was too weak to even stand.
02:56So the family forced his elder brother, Julian the Cold, terrifying head of the empire, to
03:01stand in his place for the ceremony.
03:03At least there was no rooster.
03:05Just Julian's icy gaze that felt like a blade against my neck.
03:08As I was led toward the west wing, I caught a glimpse through my veil.
03:12In the courtyard, hidden behind white roses, sat two sleek, black mahogany coffins.
03:18One for him, and one for me.
03:21They left me in the master suite.
03:22I heard a shallow, rattling breath behind me, revealing a face so pale it was almost
03:28translucent, yet breathtakingly handsome.
03:31Silas Vans.
03:32Before I could even process his beauty, he shoved a thick envelope and a duffel bag toward
03:37me.
03:38Take it.
03:40Marrying you was my parents' desperate madness.
03:44I won't let another innocent soul burn in this hell.
03:47There's a car at the back gate.
03:49Go.
03:50Now.
03:51I quickly helped him back to bed, but the effort triggered a violent coughing fit.
03:55He collapsed forward, his blood splattering on the white silk sheets.
04:00Panic surged through me.
04:01I grabbed him, rubbing his back to help him catch his breath.
04:23I shook my head and gently tucked him in.
04:28He looked at me, confused.
04:30Can you...
04:32Can you...
04:32Not speak?
04:35I nodded.
04:37Then, I lay down on the small sofa by the window, turning off the lights.
04:42Silence filled the room, save for our synchronized breathing.
04:46My stomach growl.
04:47My stomach growled like a beast.
04:48I hadn't eaten anything all day except for that crushed croissant.
04:51I closed my eyes, trying to pretend the hunger didn't exist.
04:55Then, I heard him move.
04:57A moment later, a soft clink sounded on the coffee table next to me.
05:01I opened my eyes.
05:03I opened my eyes.
05:03A plate of delicate French macarons and warm sandwiches.
05:06I ate them all.
05:07Every single crumb.
05:09Well...
05:09I realized.
05:11Tasted like heaven.
05:12Since you won't leave, let this be my final selfishness.
05:18I will shield you until the end.
05:20I won't let them bury you with me.
05:23Inside me, something broke.
05:26Something I had kept locked away since childhood.
05:28You will live a long and healthy life.
05:31What?
05:32What?
05:32Ivy?
05:33Did you just... speak?
05:36I stayed silent.
05:37The magic was already flowing.
05:39People didn't know that I wasn't born mute.
05:42I was forbidden to speak.
05:44Because every word I uttered was a truth.
05:46A wish that must manifest.
05:47No matter the cost to my own soul.
05:49I had always been indifferent to life.
05:51But tonight.
05:53I felt a spark of selfishness.
05:55I wanted this man to live.
05:57The next morning.
05:58The sun broke through the heavy velvet curtains.
06:01Silas opened his eyes.
06:02And for the first time in years.
06:04The deathly gray in his skin had faded into a faint glow of health.
06:09Can you help me up?
06:10When the maids entered with water.
06:12They nearly dropped the basins in shock.
06:15The dying prince was sitting up.
06:16Smiling.
06:19After dressing.
06:20I headed for the door to pay my respects to my new in-laws.
06:23But Silas' hand caught mine.
06:25Ivy.
06:26I'm coming with you.
06:28He knew my name.
06:29He had actually looked at the marriage license.
06:31He had actually seen me.
06:36I only had a real name because of my brother.
06:38My father.
06:39In his obsession with having a male heir.
06:42Had paid a high price consultant to name his golden boy.
06:45So he'd have a future in Ivy League schools.
06:47The consultant.
06:48Seeing my brother and me were fraternal twins.
06:51Casually tossed out Ivy as a matching set to his choice.
06:54That was me.
06:55Ivy Sue.
06:55Just a byproduct of my brother's existence.
06:57I realized Silas must have seen my name on the legal documents.
07:01When he saw me lost in thought.
07:03He movements invited the servants to help him up.
07:05But I grabbed his arm first.
07:06I couldn't let him strain his fragile strength.
07:09As we walked through the mansion.
07:10The whispers followed us like a draft.
07:12Every maid and butler stopped in their tracks.
07:14Eyes widening.
07:15To them.
07:16Silas Vans was a ghost that hadn't walked the halls in years.
07:19We reached the solarium where the senior Vans were waiting.
07:22Mrs. Vans born into one of the oldest families in the east coast.
07:26A woman who had known nothing but privilege until the birth of her sickly son rushed toward us.
07:30Her life's joy had been drained by the tears she shed for Silas.
07:34Silas.
07:34What are you doing out of bed?
07:36Her face a mask of panic and hope.
07:38Silas gave her a warm, steady smile and squeezed my hand.
07:41Don't worry mother.
07:42I feel stronger today.
07:44Sorry to have caused you so much grief.
07:47Mother, father.
07:48This is Ivy.
07:52For a moment, the room was silent.
07:54Then, Mrs. Vans lunged forward, grabbing my hands with terrifying intensity.
07:59Dear girl.
08:01We were right to bring you here.
08:04Look at him.
08:05He's standing.
08:07I had never felt such warmth from a stranger.
08:10It made me flinch in confusion.
08:12Eleanor, you're scaring the girl.
08:13Where are your manners?
08:13Oh, of course.
08:15The gift.
08:17Ivy.
08:18This emerald bracelet has been in my family for generations.
08:22My mother gave it to me on my wedding day.
08:24Now, it belongs to you.
08:26I looked at Silas.
08:27He nodded gently.
08:28I took the box with a shaky hand.
08:30Then, Mr. Vans handed me a thick folder.
08:32And this child.
08:34These are the deeds to several prime estates in downtown LA.
08:37And a trust fund in your name.
08:38As long as you take care of Silas, the Vans family will ensure you never want for anything in this
08:42life.
08:43It was too much.
08:44I hesitated.
08:45My heart pounding.
08:47Silas reached over.
08:48And took the folder for me.
08:50On her behalf.
08:52Thank you, father.
08:53Mr. Vans patted Silas' shoulder.
08:55His eyes gleaming with a joy he tried to hide.
08:57Sit.
08:58Let's have breakfast.
08:58Julian had to leave early this morning to handle an emergency with our shipping lines in the east.
09:02He'll be thrilled to see you on your feet when he returned.
09:04I lowered my head.
09:05I looked at the extravagant breakfast.
09:07Spread caviar.
09:08Fresh pastries.
09:09Fruits I couldn't even name.
09:11All this because of one sentence I whispered in the dark.
09:14But Silas wasn't just a benefactor anymore.
09:16He was the only person who had ever treated my name like it meant something.
09:22Breakfast at the Vans mansion was a display of obscene wealth.
09:25There were velvety truffle omelettes.
09:27Smoked salmon crepes.
09:28And pastries so flaky they melted on the tongue.
09:31At home, I survived on thin porridge and hard bread.
09:34Eggs and meat were reserved for my father and brother.
09:36Despite my attempt at poise.
09:38I couldn't stop the hunger rising in my throat.
09:41Silas personally placed a warm steak and cheese croissant on my gold rim plate.
09:45Try this Ivy.
09:46It's light but filling.
09:47I think you'll like it.
09:49The savory richness exploded in my mouth.
09:51I closed my eyes in pure bliss.
09:53No wonder my father and brother fought over food like scavengers.
09:57By the time I had finished three croissants.
09:59Two fruit parfaits.
10:00And a bowl of lobster bisque.
10:02Silas gently intervened.
10:04Don't eat too much at once.
10:07Your stomach isn't used to such heavy richness after.
10:10If you like them the chef will make them for you whenever you want.
10:13I froze, realizing I'd cleared more plates than anyone at the table.
10:16I looked up, face flushing.
10:19Across from me, the senior vans weren't disgusted.
10:21Their eyes were filled with a strange, tearful joy.
10:24They seemed thrilled just to see someone alive and eating at their table.
10:28After breakfast, Silas looked pale.
10:30The effort of the morning had drained him.
10:32He retreated to the master suite to rest.
10:35I decided to head to the kitchen, the one place I knew how to control.
10:38I found a group of maids huddled together.
10:41Did you hear?
10:42The dead boy walking actually got out of bed today.
10:45Probably just last flare before the light goes out.
10:47A death wrassle.
10:48My mother says if Silas dies, that little mute girl goes into the ground with him.
10:52It's part of the van's secret vow.
10:54Cruel, isn't it?
10:58What do they care?
10:59She's just a country bumper.
11:01Her father sold her like a piece of livestock if she weren't a frequency match.
11:06Do you think she'd ever step foot in a mansion like this?
11:09Once Sila is gone, she's just trash to be burned.
11:12I stepped into the light.
11:13Their voices died instantly.
11:15A senior maid named Ginny stepped forward.
11:17Madam, we were just discussing household duties.
11:21The master doesn't allow outsiders to mess with his diet.
11:24Please, leave.
11:26She looked at me the way my father did.
11:27Like I was a defect.
11:29I ignored her.
11:30I walked straight to the stove.
11:32Ever since I could remember, cooking was my only language.
11:35When my mother was sick, my soup was the only thing she could keep down.
11:39Silas was too thin.
11:40I needed to nurse him back to life myself.
11:43Two hours later, I was bringing a tray of carefully prepared herbal chicken essence and light rice porridge back to
11:48the room.
11:49Ginny blocked the door.
11:50Mr. Silas has a dedicated nutritionist.
11:52He won't eat this garbage from the sticks.
11:55Take it to the servants' hall if you're so hungry.
11:57Suddenly, the door swung open.
11:59Silas leaned against the frame, looking at us.
12:01Ivy?
12:02Why aren't you coming in?
12:04Mr. Silas, the madam didn't like our food.
12:07She insisted on cooking for herself.
12:08I was just telling her to eat in the side room.
12:11I didn't argue.
12:12I just lifted the tray so Silas could smell the steam.
12:15He looked at me, a soft realization dawning in his eyes.
12:18You made this?
12:19For me?
12:20I nodded.
12:21Ginny, for insubordination and disrespecting my wife, go to my mother.
12:25Tell her you're fired.
12:26Effective immediately.
12:28I paused.
12:29He was protecting me, without asking for an explanation, without hesitation.
12:33It was the first time in my life someone had stood between me and the world's cruelty.
12:38My heart, usually cold and silent like my voice, gave a sudden, painful throb.
12:45I set the table, helping Silas into his chair.
12:48He took a sip of the herbal broth and his eyes widened.
12:51I nodded, ladling another bowl for him.
12:54It's refreshing.
12:55Ivy, you have a gift.
12:57Did you ever go to school?
12:58I shook my head, in the sticks.
13:00School was a luxury reserved for the successor, my brother.
13:03His hand resting gently on my hair.
13:05Then let me teach you.
13:06It was a touch so light, so different from the rough shoves I was used to.
13:10I'll teach you to read and write.
13:12In return, you teach me how to understand you.
13:15Sign language, gestures, anything.
13:17I want to know when you're happy, and when you're not.
13:20I stood frozen.
13:21I had survived insults far worse than Ginny's my entire life.
13:24I had learned to turn my heart into a stone that nothing could chip.
13:28But listening to Silas, that stone began to crack, and something warm and painful leaked out.
13:33Silas fans, I whispered his name in the silence of my mind.
13:37In the weeks that followed, I became his shadow.
13:40I cooked every meal, balancing his nutrition.
13:43I walked with him in the gardens.
13:45Slowly, the deathly pallor left his skin.
13:47He gained weight.
13:48His eyes lost their sunken shadows.
13:50And one morning, I noticed the black mahogany coffins in the courtyard were gone.
13:55The gossiping maids began to look at me not with mockery, but with envy.
13:58One afternoon, Silas's mother, Eleanor, called me to her private parlor.
14:02She pushed a heavy jewelry box across the table.
14:04Inside were diamonds, emeralds, and vintage gold.
14:08Take them, Ivy.
14:09If there's nothing you like, we'll fly to Paris for a custom fitting.
14:12You saved my son.
14:13It's time for your homecoming visit to your parents.
14:17Silas is still recovering, so I will accompany you myself.
14:20Homecoming?
14:20I never wanted to see that house again.
14:22The debt was paid, but Eleanor was a hurricane of maternal gratitude.
14:25There was no stopping her.
14:29The morning of the trip, Silas walked me to the car.
14:32I'm sorry you have to go back there, even for an hour.
14:35You never have to apologize to me.
14:37Silas, I thought.
14:38When the black SUV pulled up to the rundown shack I used to call home, my father was yawning on
14:43the porch.
14:44When he saw me step out, he didn't see a daughter.
14:47He saw a nuisance.
14:49Ivy?
14:50What the hell are you doing here?
14:52Did you run away?
14:53You're going to get me killed!
14:54Get back to the city or I'll beat you myself!
14:58Stop!
15:02Ivy is a vans now.
15:04If you touch her, you answer to me.
15:06My father's face went white.
15:07He began groveling instantly, his eyes darting to the expensive gift boxes the driver was unloading bribery for his silence.
15:13But Eleanor didn't give him the satisfaction of a conversation.
15:16Ivy has fulfilled her duty to you.
15:18From this day forward, she is our daughter.
15:21Her ties to this place are severed.
15:23Forever.
15:24She took my hand and led me back to the car.
15:27Let's go home, Ivy.
15:28As the car pulled away, I felt an unfamiliar warmth in my chest.
15:31I looked back at the shack getting smaller in the distance.
15:34People said the Vans family was cursed.
15:37That their house was a tomb.
15:38But for the first time in my life, I realized I wasn't a sacrifice.
15:42I had finally found a home.
15:46After leaving the shack, Eleanor didn't take me straight back to the mansion.
15:50She directed the driver to the Gilded Plate, the most exclusive restaurant in the city.
15:54Ivy.
15:55Their lobster risotto is legendary.
15:57Today, it's just us girls.
15:59Then we're going to the boutiques.
16:01You're always in such muted tones.
16:02A girl your age should be dripping in Dior and vibrance.
16:05Standard rules, dear.
16:07A gift from an elder cannot be refused.
16:10It's a Vans family law.
16:12I smiled, gesturing a small thank you.
16:14Eleanor watched me, a flicker of sadness in her eyes.
16:17She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper.
16:19I need to find you the best specialist in the country.
16:22Perhaps your muteness.
16:23Perhaps it can be cured.
16:25No one should be allowed to silence a girl like you.
16:28Though I suppose I'll have to learn sign language myself.
16:31Otherwise, I'll just be the one doing all the talking.
16:34I felt a lump in my throat.
16:35I had been practicing my writing with Silas every night.
16:38I asked the waiter for a pen and a napkin, scribbling four words before sliding it to her.
16:43Thank you, mother.
16:44Eleanor's eyes suddenly filled with tears.
16:47She gripped my hands so hard it hurt.
16:49Ivy, I should be the one thanking you.
16:52And I owe you an apology.
16:55Buying a bride for a ritual, it was an act of desperation.
16:59My only son was dying and I didn't want him to be alone in the dark.
17:03I won't lie to you.
17:05At first, people suggested that if Simus passed, you should follow him.
17:11A widow's sacrifice.
17:14It was an irrational, cruel thought born from a mother's grief.
17:19But you are a wonderful girl, Ivy.
17:21I've burned those thoughts away.
17:22From now on, whatever happens to Silas, you are free.
17:25Stay or go, this family will support you forever.
17:28Silas has suffered his whole life because of a mistake I made during my pregnancy.
17:31He never blamed me.
17:33Not once.
17:36I realized then that not all parents were like my father, who saw children as currency.
17:40Some, like Eleanor and her husband, saw their children as their very souls.
17:44When we returned to the mansion, the moon was high.
17:47Silas wasn't asleep.
17:48He was propped up in bed, reading a leather-bound book by Amber Lamplight.
17:53You're back, did you have a good day?
17:55Tucked the silk duvet around him and signed,
17:57It's cold.
17:58Don't get a chill.
17:59I looked at him at the man who had fired his favorite maid for me.
18:02Who had convinced his mother to personally escort me home just to ensure my safety.
18:07I felt a sudden, uncontrollable surge of courage.
18:10I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest.
18:15My little bird is sad today.
18:17Did the world treat you unkindly?
18:19Don't worry.
18:20In two days I'll take you out myself.
18:22We'll go to the bakery in the South District.
18:24I hear their chestnut tarts are incredible when hot.
18:30And that estate my father gave you.
18:33There's a natural hot spring on the grounds.
18:35We'll go there.
18:36Just us.
18:37We'll stay as long as you like.
18:38I knew the truth now.
18:40The servant's respect.
18:42The mother's kindness.
18:43It was all because of him.
18:44Silas Vans.
18:46A man everyone whispered was a walking ghost.
18:48Was spending his limited strength building a fortress for me.
18:52He was so afraid his time would run out that he was feverishly laying down every escape route.
18:56Every comfort.
18:57And every scent to ensure I would never be a victim again.
19:00Silas.
19:01I thought.
19:02How lucky I am to be loved by a soul like yours.
19:07That night.
19:08Despite his weak protests.
19:10I refused to leave his side.
19:11I crawled into the vast bed and lay beside him.
19:14Silas sighed.
19:15A soft sound of surrender.
19:17And pulled me into his arms.
19:18My face flushed hot against his chest.
19:20But I didn't pull away.
19:22Ivy.
19:23There's no turning back now.
19:25You can't regret this.
19:27Regret?
19:28Never.
19:28Silas.
19:30I strapped my arms around his waist.
19:31Settling into him.
19:32But moments later.
19:33I felt his body temperature rising.
19:34Panic flared.
19:35Was it a fever?
19:36I reached up to touch his forehead.
19:37But he caught my wrist with surprising strength.
19:40Ivy.
19:42Don't move.
19:43His breath hitching.
19:44His voice dropping into a raspy, dark baritone.
19:47I froze.
19:48Understanding dawning on me.
19:49My face burned as I hesitated.
19:52Then tentatively moved my fingers to the silk tie of his robe.
19:55He pinned my hands down gently but firmly.
19:59Not yet.
20:02Not until I'm strong enough to give you the night you deserve.
20:06I retreated into the safety of his embrace.
20:08Nodding against his heart.
20:10Yes.
20:10He was still healing.
20:11I had to be patient.
20:12The next six months were a miracle.
20:15Under my care.
20:16Silas didn't just survive.
20:17He flourished.
20:19Except for a slight sensitivity to the changing seasons.
20:21He was indistinguishable from any healthy man.
20:24As Silas' health returned.
20:26So did his brilliance.
20:27In the city.
20:28People no longer spoke of the deathbed sun.
20:30Now.
20:31They whispered about the dashing.
20:32Intellectual Silas fans the second heir to the empire.
20:39To them.
20:41I was just a mute peasant girl who had stumbled into a gold mine.
20:45I was an obstacle to be removed.
20:47The Vans empire was expanding.
20:49Silas' elder brother.
20:50Julian.
20:51Was a ruthless genius in trade.
20:53Under his hand.
20:53The Vans family had become the wealthiest merchant house in the country.
20:57Even my father.
20:58Sensing the shift.
20:59Started sending me groveling letters.
21:02Begging me to let my second sister join the household as a companion for me.
21:06But Silas had spent these months teaching me more than just literature.
21:09He taught me accountancy.
21:11Management.
21:11And the cold logic of power.
21:13In a world where women were mere appendages.
21:16Silas was training me to stand alone.
21:18He never asked about my trauma.
21:20He just loved me so fiercely that the old wounds started to fade.
21:24One afternoon.
21:25While I was inspecting one of our textile boutiques.
21:28I was cornered.
21:30So.
21:30You're the famous Ivy Vans?
21:32I looked up.
21:34It was Chloe Thorne.
21:35The daughter of the local magistrate.
21:37She stood there in a gown that cost more than my entire village.
21:40Her lips curled in a sneer.
21:42I gave her a polite, silent nod.
21:44I forgot.
21:45You're mute.
21:46A mute little peasant.
21:48Hahaha.
21:49Look at you.
21:50You're a stain on the Vans name.
21:53How long do you think a man like Silas
21:55will tolerate a broken doll at his side?
21:57I'm talking to you.
21:59What makes you think you're worthy of-
22:02She doesn't need to consider her worth.
22:10Because it is I who am not worthy of her.
22:16It's getting cold.
22:18You should have worn your furs.
22:20I gave him a reassuring smile and tugged at his hand, wanting to head home and avoid the scene.
22:25But he stood like a rooted oak, unyielding.
22:28Miss, my wife is mute, but her silence is not a weakness.
22:33If she ever offends you, you are welcome to file a claim with the Vans estate.
22:37We are happy to pay any compensation required.
22:40But if I find that someone has deliberately targeted her because she cannot speak, knowing she cannot voice her grievances,
22:48then I am not a merciful man.
22:49There will be a price to pay.
22:51For anyone.
22:53One more thing.
22:54The Vans family has a code.
22:56One life.
22:56One wife.
22:57No mistresses.
22:58No combines.
23:00As for me, no matter what happens in the future, Ivy Vans will be the only woman by my side.
23:06Ever.
23:06Thymus Vans!
23:08Do you hear yourself?
23:09Her background is lower than my scullery maids!
23:12You chose her?!
23:13Before Silas could answer, I stepped forward, gripping his hand tight.
23:18He looked down at me and smiled, his tension melting.
23:21At the very least, she has a kindness and competencies that you could never dream of.
23:25Good day, Miss Thorn.
23:27Do not trouble my wife again.
23:30The humiliation was too much.
23:32Chloe turned and fled into her carriage.
23:34I looked at Silas with worry.
23:36Don't fight the law, I thought.
23:38The magistrate was powerful.
23:41Don't worry.
23:44The Vans family may be merchants, but we are imperial suppliers.
23:48Even the governor thinks twice before crossings us.
23:51Look what I found.
23:52He pulled out a roasted sweet potato.
23:54I peeled back the charred skin, revealing the golden, honey sweet flesh, and held it to his lips.
24:01He took a bite, looking at me with puppy-like devotion.
24:05Not as good as the ones you make.
24:07I wish I could eat your roasted potatoes for the rest of my life.
24:11Yes.
24:15Ivy!
24:16You spoke!
24:17He seemed to know something.
24:19Whenever his mother mentioned bringing in doctors to cure me, Silas always found a reason to refuse.
24:25Whenever I had a minor headache, or a slight cough, he reacted as if I were facing a terminal illness.
24:30He never asked why his body had miraculously healed the moment I walked into his life.
24:34It was our unspoken, sacred secret.
24:38The power of the truth speaker, speak it, and it must be.
24:42Silas Vans, I am willing to burn the candle of my own life to relight the one that was supposed
24:46to go out for you.
24:47And as for the price, you have already paid it to me with the only love I have ever known.
24:53That night, everything changed.
24:56We were no longer two strangers bound by a ritual.
24:59We were husband and wife in every sense.
25:02In the quiet aftermath, Silas held me close, his eyes bright with a longing I hadn't seen before.
25:07Ivy, have you ever wanted to see the world beyond the grey fog of this city?
25:12I've spent my life trapped in this room, living through my brother's travel journals,
25:16floating cities built on azure canals, the golden dunes of the southern deserts,
25:20the eternal ice of the northern peaks.
25:22Heaven gave me a second life, and I want to spend it actually living it, with you.
25:26Will you come?
25:29Yes, anywhere with you.
25:33Yes, anywhere with you.
25:35The next morning, his parents greeted us in the Grand Conservatory.
25:39My mother-in-law, Eleanor, pulled me to her side, her lace handkerchief dabbing at her eyes.
25:45Simus told us your plan.
25:47The Vans Empire has Julian the businesses safe.
25:49You are young, and you have missed too many summers.
25:52Go.
25:53Eleanor had already prepared everything.
25:55Trunks of fine velvet, rare medicinal herbs, and enough gold to buy a small province.
26:00Silas's elder brother, Julian, the titan of the merchant world,
26:04handed Silas a master signet ring.
26:06Trade post, ship, and warehouse taken.
26:08The van's crest will answer to you.
26:10If he ever treats you with anything less than devotion, Ivy, send word.
26:13I'll hunt him down myself.
26:15Before we left, I made one last stop.
26:17The slums of the East End.
26:18Not for love, but for closure.
26:21Silas wanted to accompany me.
26:23But I wrote on my slate.
26:25I need to kill the ghost of the girl I used to be.
26:29The sight of my father running out from his crumbling, soot-stained shack made my blood run cold.
26:35Ivy!
26:36My darling!
26:37I knew you'd come back for your family.
26:39Does the vents treasury have silver to spare?
26:42Your brother owes the gambling dem-
26:43I pulled my hand away with a strength that surprised us both.
26:47I placed a heavy purse of coins on the rotting wooden table.
26:50This pays for the bread I ate under your roof.
26:52From this moment, we are strangers.
26:54I signed, my gestures sharp and final.
26:57He shrieked about ingratitude.
26:59But the two vans guards behind me stepped forward.
27:02Their shadows eclipsing his small.
27:04Petty frame.
27:05My second sister watched from the broken window.
27:08Eyes full of guilt and longing.
27:09I didn't look back.
27:11We reached the floating city in late summer.
27:13It was a masterpiece of white marble and azure water.
27:16Small gondolas drifted past arched stone bridges.
27:19And the air was thick with the scent of wild white roses.
27:22We rented a villa that dipped its feet directly into the canal.
27:25No servants.
27:26No society.
27:27No gazers.
27:28Just us.
27:29I learned to bake the local pastries, lemon tarts and honeyed cream puffs.
27:33Silas ate them even when they were burnt.
27:36Laughing as he wiped flour from my nose.
27:38He taught me the poetry of the southern bards.
27:40Like the white lily upon the tide, my heart floats towards thee.
27:44He would hold my hand, teaching me to sign the words of songs I couldn't sing.
27:48In the evenings, we sat on the balcony, watching the sunset bleed gold into the water.
27:53I leaned my head on his shoulder.
27:55The rhythmic sloshing of the waves a lullaby for my soul.
27:58But sometimes, in the dark, I'd catch Silas staring at me.
28:02His gaze wasn't just filled with love.
28:04It was filled with an agonizing, silent realization.
28:07He knew his heartbeat was borrowed.
28:09And I knew that with every happy I signed, the clock of the stars was ticking louder.
28:13Waiting to claim its debt.
28:18Autumn in San Markla arrived with a veil of silver mist.
28:21The vibrant blue of the canals deepened into a moody indigo, and the once warm breeze now carried the bite
28:26of the approaching frost.
28:28Silas had changed.
28:29The boy who was once a ghost in a silk bed was now a man of vitality, his skin tanned
28:34by the Mediterranean sun, his laughter robust and clear.
28:37But the more vigorous he became, the more I felt a breathing coldness in my own marrow.
28:43One evening, while we were strolling along the marble quay, I stumbled.
28:47My knees buckled as if my strength had simply evaporated into the mist.
28:51Silas caught me instantly, his arms like iron bands.
28:53Ivy!
28:54You're cold.
28:55Trembling.
28:56We're going back to the villa.
28:57Back in our room.
28:59The hearth roaring with cedar wood.
29:01He didn't call for a physician.
29:03Instead, he knelt before me, rubbing my frozen hands with his own.
29:07His forehead pressed against mine.
29:08I looked at him, my eyes wide.
29:11I tried to sign I'm okay, but my fingers were too stiff to move.
29:23I found your journals, Ivy.
29:25Not the one you used to communicate, but the old leather bound one hidden beneath your childhood palette.
29:29The legends of the truth speakers.
29:31A life for a life, a flame for a flame.
29:34I'm not a fool.
29:35I saw my health return as your silences grew longer, as your skin grew paler.
29:38He gripped my hands tighter, almost painfully.
29:42Why save a dying man only to leave him alone in a world that means nothing without you?
29:47I felt a surge of warmth in my chest, not the warmth of the fire, but the remaining spark of
29:52my spirit.
29:53I forced my throat to open.
29:55It felt like swallowing broken glass.
30:01Because...
30:02I love you.
30:07I'm yours, body and soul.
30:12The words hung in the air, glowing with a faint, ethereal light.
30:17My last vow.
30:23No more.
30:25I don't care about the canals.
30:27Or the mountains.
30:28Please.
30:30Just stay.
30:31But that night, as Silas slept fitfully beside me, a stranger arrived at our door.
30:36He wore a cloak the color of twilight, and carried a staff carved from the roamed trees of the old
30:41world.
30:41I met him on the balcony, my steps heavy, my breath shallow.
30:47The price must be paid, daughter of silence.
30:53A vow made in blood can be balanced by a sacrifice of another kind.
31:00He gave up his inheritance for you.
31:02You gave up your life for him, now.
31:05Give up your magic.
31:07Become a true mortal.
31:11But if you do, he will be just as fragile as any other man.
31:15I didn't hesitate.
31:16I reached into my chest, metaphorically, and pulled out the golden thread of the truth.
31:20I handed the shimmering light to the stranger.
31:22The light vanished.
31:23A sudden, deep warm flooded my limbs.
31:25I felt the weight of my soul settle back into my body heavy, solid, and wonderfully mundane.
31:30I walked back into the room, and climbed into bed.
31:33Silas stirred, reaching for me in his sleep.
31:36I leaned in and whispered into his ear.
31:38Silas, wake up.
31:41He bolted upright, eyes searching the dark.
31:43Ivy, did you- no, don't speak.
31:45I smiled, and this time, my smile felt real not like a fading dream.
31:51I can speak all I want now.
31:59I'm just a woman who loves her husband.
32:02And we have many more cities to see.
32:04Silas didn't ask questions.
32:05He just wept with relief.
32:07Holding me until the sun rose over the waters of San Markler, painting the world in colors
32:11of gold and hope.
32:12δώ.
32:14Cultures for Love
32:14Whether you were digamos Ми-
32:14In years
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