Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 198

Chapter 198: Promise Me
Ahcehera stirred, her lashes fluttering against her skin as she felt the bed shift beside her.

The room was quiet, save for the ragged breaths beside her, the faint tremors that ran through the mattress.

Her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the dim glow of the moon filtering through the sheer curtains. The air was cool, crisp with the scent of the night. But something was wrong.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on Rohzivaan. He sat up, his body hunched over, his hands gripping the sheets so tightly that his knuckles had gone white.

His chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, his shoulders shaking, his head bowed.

Then she saw them, silent tears slipping down his cheeks, catching the light as they fell onto his bare skin.

Ahcehera’s brows furrowed, concern tugging at her as she pushed herself up. She reached out, touching his arm lightly.

“Rohzivaan?” she called softly. He did not answer.

His body continued to tremble, his fingers curling into fists, his throat bobbing as if he was struggling to swallow something heavy, something unspeakable.

Ahcehera sat up completely now, the warmth of sleep fading as a cold unease crept over her.

She had seen Rohzivaan in many ways, proud, fierce, even vulnerable in rare moments, but never like this.

Never so…broken.

She touched his shoulder again, firmer this time, her fingers tracing over the tense muscles beneath his skin.

“Talk to me,” she whispered. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Still, he said nothing.

His body trembled harder. His breath hitched. And then, before she could fully process what was happening, Rohzivaan turned toward her and buried his face against her shoulder.

His arms came around her, wrapping around her waist tightly, desperately, as though she might slip away from him at any moment. Ahcehera froze.

For a moment, she didn’t move, her mind reeling at the suddenness of it. She felt his breath against her collarbone, warm and unsteady, the dampness of his tears against her skin.

Her heart clenched.

This man, her mate, the powerful Northern Duke’s heir, the warrior who stood beside her on battlefields, who faced enemies with unwavering strength, was trembling in her arms like a child lost in the dark.

She exhaled, her hands slowly lifting, settling against his back. She rubbed slow, gentle circles against his skin, her fingers threading through his hair.

“It’s okay,” she murmured. “I’m here.”

Rohzivaan tightened his hold on her, his breath ragged. He tried to speak, but his voice failed him.

She didn’t rush him.

She only held him.

Minutes passed like that. Just silence. Just the sound of his breathing, the occasional tremor that ran through his body.

She pressed her lips against his hair, her warmth seeping into him, grounding him. Eventually, his breathing steadied. The tremors eased.

But when he finally pulled away and she looked into his eyes, she saw the torment still lingering there.

She cupped his face gently, brushing her thumbs against the damp trails of his tears. “What happened?” she asked softly.

Rohzivaan swallowed thickly. He tried to find the words, but every time he opened his mouth, nothing came out.

The dream, the nightmare, still clung to him like a shadow, dark and suffocating. He had lost her.

In that world, she had vanished before his eyes, slipping away like mist through his fingers.

And even now, awake in the reality where she was right here in his arms, the fear refused to leave him. He took a shuddering breath and whispered, “I lost you.”

Ahcehera’s heart stilled. She looked at him, searching his face, trying to understand the depths of what he was feeling. “You dreamed of losing me?” she asked.

Rohzivaan nodded weakly, his jaw tightening. “You disappeared… and I couldn’t stop it.”

His voice cracked at the last word, and he clenched his fists in frustration, hating how vulnerable he felt.

Ahcehera felt something deep within her twist. She had never seen him like this. Rohzivaan was always composed, always strong.

To see him unravel like this, to see his fear so raw, so real, it made her chest ache in ways she hadn’t expected.

She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his. Their breaths mingled, warm, steadying. “You didn’t lose me,” she whispered. “I’m right here.”

Rohzivaan closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, as if trying to imprint her presence into his very being.

“But what if one day I do?” he asked, his voice barely above a breath. “What if one day… you’re gone?”

Ahcehera didn’t answer right away. Because truthfully, she didn’t know. Fate was cruel. Life was unpredictable.

And deep down, she knew that despite everything, there were forces beyond their control.

So instead of promising him something she wasn’t certain of, she cupped his face, tilting it so he had no choice but to look at her. “Then let’s not waste the time we have now.”

Rohzivaan stared at her, his golden eyes searching hers, trying to find reassurance in the depths of her violet gaze.

Slowly, something inside him settled. She was here. She was real. And right now, in this moment, that was enough.

He exhaled deeply, his fingers loosening, his hold on her becoming less desperate and more grounding. Ahcehera smiled softly and wiped away the last of his tears.

“Come,” she said, shifting the blankets. “Lay with me.”

Rohzivaan hesitated for only a moment before he let her pull him down, their bodies molding into the warmth of the bed.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, her fingers tracing soothing patterns against his back.

And as the night stretched on, as his breathing finally evened out, as sleep slowly reclaimed him, Rohzivaan held onto her just a little tighter.

Because even if he couldn’t control fate, even if the fear still lingered in the back of his mind, at least for now. She was still in his arms.

Ahcehera remained awake, listening to the steady rhythm of Rohzivaan’s breathing.

The warmth of his body pressed against hers, his grip still firm, as if afraid she might vanish the moment he let go.

She sighed softly, her fingers tracing idle patterns against his back, feeling the tension finally ease from his muscles.

“Sleep,” she whispered against his hair. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Rohzivaan stirred slightly, his lips brushing against her collarbone as he exhaled.

“Promise me,” he murmured, half-asleep.

Ahcehera hesitated for a fraction of a second before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“I promise,” she whispered.