Malvias's POV
The celebration had ended hours ago, Yet sleep refused to come. I cannot forget the words of the princess's guard and the insults she directed at me. She humiliated me in front of a princess, she embarrassed me. I will never forget that and I will make her regret what she did. you just wait.
I sat alone inside my study, one hand resting against my temple as moonlight spilled through the tall windows.
Velmora slept peacefully outside.
How ironic.
The city slept because of men like me. Because while they dreamed safely in their beds, someone was willing to do what was necessary to build a stronger future.
Most people lacked vision. They saw only cruelty. Never purpose. Never sacrifice.
A soft knock echoed from the door.
Malvias raised his eyes.
"Enter."
Lady Cecilia gently opened the door and said with a warm smile, "I'm sorry if I interrupted your work, but could you spare a moment for us to talk?"
"Of course, Auntie," Cassian said with a forced smile. "Please, have a seat."
Lady Cecilia sat on a sofa away from the desk where Malvias was sitting and said, "Today's party was lovely, wasn't it?"
Malvias rose from behind his desk and sat on a sofa opposite Lady Cecilia, saying with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Yes, you're right, it was a good party."
"And Princess Lyria is a nice girl," Lady Cecilia said with a smile, "but she also has a strong personality and great confidence."
"That's my opinion of her," Lady Cecilia's eyes sparkled , "What do you think of her?"
"Umm, yes, she's a very beautiful girl," said Malvias, crossing his legs and grinning. "She has a great and important future ahead of her, and whoever takes her as a wife will be very lucky."
Lady Cecilia was excited by his words. Yes, you two looked so beautiful standing next to each other. Why don't you go and see him again tomorrow? You could invite her to dinner or you could take her on a tour of the city.
Malvias remembered when he invited Princess Lyria to dinner, but she refused his invitation. So, so as not to embarrass himself in front of his aunt,
he said with a fake smile . "That's a good idea, but I'm very busy at the moment and I don't have any time to invite her."
"What are you saying now?" Lady Cecilia said, feigning anger. "This is a golden opportunity for you, and you're at a suitable age for marriage. Perhaps this girl is right for you, but you're putting your work first."
"Tomorrow you will go to the Duke's palace under the pretext of work, and you will ask to see Princess Lyria and invite her out with you, and I am sure that she will not refuse you,."
"you are the man every girl dreams of. I'm sure she'll fall in love with you if you treat her kindly."
"Yes, yes, I'll think about it," Malvinas said, trying to change the subject.
After a short silence, Lady Cecilia was asked the question she had wanted to ask ever since she entered his office.
"I was wondering, why did you leave the party so quickly today, as if you were angry too? Did something happen when you were talking to Princess Lyria?"
Malvias froze for a moment and didn't know what to say. "Don't worry, Auntie, nothing happened. I just had to leave because of some urgent business."
He tried to change the subject, "and now tell me why you are not asleep yet, it is very late, and staying up late is not good for your health."
Lady Cecilia got up and said, "You too shouldn't stay up so late. Work won't run away. You need to take care of your health."
Malvias nodded with a small smile, "Goodnight."
Lady Cecilia said with a warm smile, "Good night, and don't stay up too late," and left the room.
Malvias leaned back, sighed loudly, and said, "I thought she wasn't going to leave. She has to interfere in everything."
After several minutes of silence, a knock was heard on the door.
"Enter."
The door opened immediately. One of his spies stepped inside. The man's face was pale.
Malvias's expression hardened. Something was wrong.
"Speak."
The spy swallowed. "There is a problem, my lord."
The room became quiet. Malvias slowly lowered his wine glass. "What happened?"
The man hesitated. Then spoke. "The two monsters stationed in the eastern forest…"
Malvias's eyes narrowed. "What about them?"
"They disappeared."
Silence. For several seconds Malvias simply stared at him. Then he laughed softly. "Disappeared?"
The spy flinched.
"Y-Yes, my lord."
Malvias slowly stood. The smile had vanished from his face. "When?"
"Yesterday." The spy hesitated a little. " and…."
"What's wrong, speak."
"The two men you turned into monsters are in the Duke's palace. This is reliable information I received from a spy working in the Duke's palace."
His eyes darkened.
"Leave."
The spy immediately bowed and hurried away.
The moment the door closed, Malvias vanished. Dark shadows spread beneath his feet. The room twisted. And moments later—He emerged within the depths of the eastern forest.
The cave was empty. Completely empty. No monsters. No traces of battle. No corpses.
Malvias crouched and touched the stone floor. His mana spread outward. Searching. Analyzing. Following remnants.
And then—His expression changed. For the first time in months. Shock.
The transformation spell was gone. Not broken. Not weakened. Gone.
As if it had never existed. His hand slowly tightened. Impossible. No one could undo it. No one. That spell came from the forbidden grimoire itself. A curse that rewrote flesh. Soul. Mana.
To reverse it should have been impossible. Yet someone had done exactly that. Someone had returned them to human form.
A dangerous silence filled the cave. Then malvias slowly stood. And suddenly—Everything became clear.
The princess. The Duke. The sudden banquet . And most importantly—the princess's guard.
His brown eyes narrowed. He remembered the banquet.
The way that guard watched him. The way she never left the princess's side. The way she spoke to him on the balcony. Not like a servant. Not like a guard. but Like a hunter already certain of her prey.
A cold smile slowly formed on his lips.
"I see."
He had mistaken her confidence for arrogance. That had been his mistake. They already knew. Or at least suspected.
The celebration had never been a celebration. It had been a trap. And he had walked directly into it.
A quiet chuckle escaped him. Then another. Soon laughter echoed through the empty cave.
Not amused laughter. Dangerous laughter.
"So this is your game."His voice echoed against the stone walls. "You found me, princess ."
The shadows around him trembled. For a long moment he simply stood there.
Thinking. Calculating. Adapting. Because unlike most people—
Malvias never panicked. Panic was for those without options. And he still had many.
The shadows swallowed him once more. When they released him—He stood inside a hidden chamber deep beneath ground outside Velmora.
The forbidden grimoire rested upon a stone altar. Even after all this time, looking at it still made the air feel heavier. Like standing before something ancient. Something hungry.
Malvias approached slowly. The black cover seemed almost alive. Breathing and Waiting.
His fingers touched the book. The pages opened by themselves. A chill ran through the room. Then words began appearing across the parchment. Letters formed from crimson light.
Slowly Malvias's eyes followed them.
THEY KNOW.
The room became silent. New words appeared beneath them.
THE CURSE HAS BEEN BROKEN.
His expression remained calm. But inside—His suspicions became certainty.
More letters appeared. This time slower. As though the book itself enjoyed delivering bad news.
THE HUNTER WALKS BESIDE THE PRINCESS.
The guard Without question.
The shadows around the room twisted violently.
Malvias stared at the message for several seconds. Then he smiled. The first genuine smile he had shown all night.
His fingers brushed the page.
"I didn't expect the game to start this quickly. ."
The book remained silent.
But Malvias already knew what came next. If they knew his identity—They would move soon , very soon, perhaps tomorrow.
The Duke would gather soldiers. The princess would stay protected. And the hunter would lead the hunt.
A direct confrontation would be troublesome. Not impossible. But troublesome.
Which meant there was only one logical move. Take away their greatest advantage.
The princess.
His eyes gleamed. Without princess—The Duke would lose leverage. The guard would lose focus.
And most importantly—He would gain the perfect hostage.
A simple exchange. One princess. For his freedom. Or perhaps something even more valuable.
The shadows beneath him stirred eagerly. Almost excited.
Malvias closed the grimoire. "Let's move first."
Hours later. The entire Ducal Palace slept. The halls were quiet. Dark. Still. Even the guards were beginning to grow tired. The sky outside remained black.
Dawn had not yet arrived. Deep within the palace—A shadow detached itself from the wall. No sound. No footsteps. No warning.
Malvias emerged from darkness itself in front the room of the future Queen. His brown eyes swept across the door .
A faint smile appeared on his lips. Thanks to the spy working in the duke's palace, he already knows where Princess Lyria's room is and when she is alone.
The Duke believed his protections were enough. They were not. The shadows guided him. Slipping through shadows. Through darkness. Through the palace itself.
Moments later he stepped silently into the room Through Shadows. Moonlight spilled through the window.
And there she was. Sleeping peacefully. Unaware and Defenseless.
Malvias studied her for several seconds. Then slowly approached the bed.
The princess shifted slightly in her sleep. But never woke.
His hand extended. Dark shadows coiled around his fingers. The room grew colder. The darkness beneath the bed expanded.
Swallowing the floor. Swallowing the light. Swallowing everything.
Malvias's smile widened. "Goodnight, Princess."
The shadows surged upward. And the room became empty. Leaving only silence behind. And a bed where the future queen had slept moments before.
When the sun rose—Velmora would awaken to chaos.