The obsession

The weeks after the banquet passed in quiet ripples, but within the panuwat residence, the air grew heavier with each day.

mos had never been the type to let go once he had spoken his mind. A vow, to him, was as binding as an imperial decree. And his vow to BANKY MONUDOP—to marry him at any cost—etched itself into every thought, every glance, every decision he made.

From the moment banky woke, mos shadow followed.

“Have you eaten breakfast?” mos voice was sharp one morning as he entered banky's chamber without knocking. The servants bowed hastily, retreating at his signal.

“I—yes, Young Master.” banky set down his porridge bowl, startled.

mos scanned the tray, frowning. “Too plain. You’ll lose weight. From now on, have the kitchen prepare double portions. And no more late-night studies—you look tired.”

banky opened his mouth to protest, but the words died under mos gaze. That gaze was unwavering, dark as obsidian, layered with an intensity that felt less like care and more like chains.

“I’m fine,” banky said softly, lowering his eyes.

“Fine?” mos laughed coldly, tilting banky's chin upward with a gloved hand. “Do you think I don’t notice? Every detail of you—I see it all. Don’t hide from me.”

banky's breath caught. For a moment, the warmth of childhood friendship flickered behind mos harshness, but it was gone too quickly, replaced by that suffocating possessiveness.

Later that day, jamie found banky in the garden, watering a small cluster of chrysanthemums. His movements were steady, but she could see the tension in his shoulders, the heaviness in his silence.

“He’s getting worse, isn’t he?” she asked quietly.

banky flinched. He turned, offering her the same gentle smile he offered everyone. “Who?”

“Don’t act with me, banky ,” jamie said, stepping closer. Her fan snapped open, shielding their conversation from prying eyes. “mos" You think I haven’t noticed the way he watches you, follows you, dictates your life? He’s not protecting you. He’s caging you.”

banky's fingers trembled around the watering can. His lips parted, then closed again.

“He’s only… concerned,” banky whispered, though his voice lacked conviction.

“Concern does not crush a bird’s wings,” jamie said firmly. Her eyes softened. “You’re his childhood friend, not his possession. Don’t let him drag you into ruin with him.”

banky turned away, gazing at the chrysanthemums—yellow, delicate, fragile against the autumn wind. His chest ached with a truth he could not speak: that he had once prayed for mos gaze, longed for it, cherished it. That he had wanted, secretly, desperately, to be the only one mos saw.

And now that he was the only one, he felt like he was drowning in it.

That evening, mos summoned banky to his study. The room was lit by a single lantern, casting shadows across the lacquered desk. Piles of scrolls and documents lay untouched.

“Sit.” mos command was quiet but heavy.

banky obeyed, folding his hands on his lap.

“I’ve dismissed Zhou Ming.”

banky blinked. “Your steward? But why—”

“He was too close to you,” mos interrupted coldly. “Always lingering, speaking to you unnecessarily. I won’t have men like him buzzing around you like flies.”

mos heart sank. “He’s served your family for years…”

“And he overstepped,” mos said, eyes narrowing. “From now on, no one is to speak to you without my knowledge. If they do, they’ll face consequences.”

The words settled like iron shackles. banky lowered his head, hiding the pain in his eyes.

“Why?” he whispered.

“Because you are mine,” mos said simply. He leaned forward, gripping banky's wrist with bruising force. “And I will not let anyone—anyone—steal you from me.”

The lantern flickered. Shadows danced across mos sharp features, turning his devotion into something darker, more frightening.

banky's lips trembled. He wanted to scream, to break free, to tell mos that love was not meant to feel like prison bars. But when he lifted his eyes, he saw the madness hidden behind mos affection—the madness of a man who would destroy the world rather than lose him.

And so he said nothing.

jamie warning echoed in his mind: Don’t let him drag you into ruin with him.

But deep in banky's chest, beneath the fear, a stubborn ember of love still glowed.

If only… if only he could learn to love without chains.

✨ End of Chapter 2: The Obsession.

This shows the shift from tender vow → controlling obsession, banky's conflicted emotions, and jamie's role as the voice of reason.

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