Chapter 23 — The Mighty, All-Powerful Genie

"You said you wanted to understand me better," Bách Nguyên said, gently letting her out of his arms, leading her to sit on the small sofa in the room. "There's a truth I've never told anyone except boss Vĩnh Bảo and uncle Đắc Tường. I think it's time for you to know, because you deserve to know the whole of me, not just a part."

Nhã Kỳ sat down, her eyes were full of curiosity mixed with a bit of vague worry. "You're scaring me."

"Don't be afraid." He smiled reassuringly, then sat down opposite her, taking a deep breath before starting the story that he had kept secret all his human life. "Do you remember the antique bronze lamp that your grandfather still keeps in the basement of the villa?"

"The antique lamp in the glass cabinet?" Nhã Kỳ frowned, trying to remember. "I've heard of it, but I've never been allowed to look at it. My grandfather always kept it very carefully, saying it was the most valuable antique in his collection."

"It's not just an antique," Bách Nguyên said, his eyes became distant as if recalling a long time ago. "A thousand years ago, I was a free guardian angel, guarding a rich land. A treacherous magician used black magic to seal me into that lamp, making me its eternal slave, forced to grant three wishes to whoever owned the lamp."

Nhã Kỳ looked at him, her eyes wide open, not knowing whether to believe or not the story that seemed to only exist in fairy tales. "Are you saying... you're a genie?"

"That's right." He nodded, his voice absolutely sincere, without any hint of joking. "I spent a thousand years imprisoned in that lamp, passing through the hands of dozens of owners, witnessing all kinds of human greed and selfishness, until your grandfather, Đường Vĩnh Bảo, became my final master."

He told her about the rich land between mountains and sea that he once guarded, about the treacherous mage who sealed him away on that fateful new moon night, about the dozens of masters who had passed through his life over the course of a thousand years—greedy kings, selfish merchants, ruthless thieves, no one who had ever treated him like a human being with real feelings. Nhã Kỳ listened to every word, not daring to interrupt, as if afraid that even a small question could interrupt the flow of a story that had been buried for too long.

He told the whole story — how Mr. Vĩnh Bảo bought the lamp through an antique auction, how the two gradually became soulmates for more than thirty years, how he used the first two wishes to save the company and save his son's life, and how, on the last night of his life, he used the third wish — the last wish — to grant him freedom, on the condition that he marry Nhã Kỳ for five years to protect and guide her.

"Grandpa did that for you?" Nhã Kỳ asked, her voice shaking, tears began to roll down her cheeks as she realized the true magnitude of the sacrifice her grandfather had made. "He gave up his last chance to prolong his own life, just to free you?"

"That's right." Bách Nguyên nodded, his voice choked with emotion when talking about his deceased friend. "He said, I don't want to be one of those people who have taken advantage of you for thousands of years. He wants to be someone different. And he also hopes that, in the five years I've been by your side to protect you, if fate allows, you will learn to trust another heart that will not come close to you because of fortune."

She looked out the small window where the late moonlight poured into the room, trying to rearrange her entire perception of the world that she had always believed was completely reasonable, completely explainable by science and logic. Nhã Kỳ sat quietly, trying to digest the shocking truth that had just been revealed. She thought about every strange moment she had witnessed in Bách Nguyên — his extraordinary speed when he saved the child from a truck accident, his ability to analyze and remember data far beyond that of normal humans, his uncanny calmness in the face of all dangerous situations. It all now had a reasonable explanation.

"So do you still have any abilities now?" She asked, her voice somewhat calmer, though there were still many things that needed to be clarified.

"Not as much as before," he replied. "When he transformed into a human, he lost his ability to grant wishes, lost most of his divine powers. He only retained a bit of sharp intuition, physical strength superior to that of ordinary people, and a near-absolute memory. He was now, essentially, a real human being — able to age, to be injured, to die like anyone else. That was the price of freedom, and he had never for a moment regretted that trade-off."

Nhã Kỳ looked at him, a deep understanding gradually spread in her heart. "You gave up immortality, gave up unlimited power, just for the chance to live a normal life, even though that life began with being forced to marry a stranger who always treated you poorly."

She bowed her head, a feeling of guilt once again rising in her heart as she thought about everything she had forced him to endure over the past five years, not only the coldness of a reluctant wife, but also the burden of having to keep such a big secret hidden while still having to learn how to live as a normal person amid countless new emotions.

"I don't regret it." Bách Nguyên grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Because without that trade-off, I would never have had the chance to meet you, never have the chance to learn how to love someone with all my heart. A thousand years of loneliness are nothing compared to five years with you, no matter how difficult the days are."

Nhã Kỳ hugged him, her tears soaking his shirt. "I'm sorry for making those days more difficult for you. But I promise, from today onwards, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, letting you know that the decision to give up everything to be human, to be with you, is a completely worthy decision."

Bách Nguyên hugged her tightly, fully feeling the simple happiness that only a normal person can feel - the happiness of being understood, fully accepted, not because of power or wishes, but because of who he truly is, with all the limitations and normality that a human life brings.

"I don't need to make up for anything," he said, gently stroking her hair. "As long as you're here, right now, accepting all of me, even the weirdest parts of it, that's enough for me."

"This secret, no one else will know except you, Uncle Đắc Tường and the deceased boss," he said softly. "I hope you keep it private, not out of shame, but because this is a part of the world that not everyone is ready to accept."

"I promise," Nhã Kỳ replied, looking up at him with eyes full of love and absolute trust. "My secret, from today, is also your secret."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, feeling his heartbeat beating steadily under her chest, the heartbeat of a real human being, no longer the strange sound of a imprisoned divine being. She thinks about the strange journey that brought them together — an antique lamp, a promise from a deceased person, an arranged marriage that seemed like just a burden — and now, it has all become the foundation for a love that she is sure will last longer than any wish could ever bring.

"I have one last question," she said, looking up at him. "If grandpa hadn't used his last wish to free me, if all of this had never happened, what do you think my life would be like?"

Bách Nguyên pondered for a moment before responding. "Maybe I'm still in that lamp, waiting for another owner, continuing the never-ending cycle of wishes and exploitation. I will never know the feeling of eating a delicious meal, watching a shower, loving someone with all my heart. Thinking about that, I am even more grateful to boss Vĩnh Bảo, and grateful to fate for bringing me to you."