A cold smile spread across Evarion's face. It lacked even a flicker of warmth, brimming instead with a lethal edge that made the old man feel as though his very soul—and his lies—were being laid bare.
"Spoiled, huh? That means you've been taking excellent care of her over these years," Evarion remarked, his voice dropping to a dangerous silkiness.
"Yes... yes, of course. After all, all the wealth we possess is held in trust for the young madam," the old man stammered in response.
Evarion's chilling smile widened. He tilted his head slightly, appearing to debate internally whether it would be simpler to just eradicate the entire family then and there.
"Fine. Since my bride has gone out for 'fun,' I shall return in three days for her. If you cannot produce her by then, you are all dead," he declared. He rose to his feet and swept out of the room without another word.
The moment he vanished from sight, the room exhaled in a collective, ragged sigh of relief. The younger men rushed forward to help the trembling old man back into his chair.
"What do we do now? She has been missing for years! How are we supposed to find her in three days?" a middle-aged man cried out, his voice cracking with rising panic.
The old man leveled a murderous glare at him. "We are in this mess entirely thanks to your 'good' wife. Demand she confesses where she is hiding the young madam immediately, otherwise, we may as well begin measuring ourselves for coffins!" he barked.
"I..." The middle-aged woman bit her lower lip, her face ashen. "I... I honestly can't remember the details. All I recall is handing her over to some men to keep her for a few days. I never truly intended to harm her!" she squealed.
"Why would you even do such a thing in the first place? Look at the shadow you've cast over us!" the middle-aged man bellowed.
"I... I thought she was your illegitimate child!" she countered, her heart racing. "You all doted on her so much more than your own legitimate children. I didn't know she wasn't related to us, or that everything we own actually belongs to her!"
The middle-aged man gritted his teeth in fury while the patriarch spat on the floor. "It is a family motto to marry a sensible wife. How did you end up with such a brainless creature? Now she has put every life in this house on the line!" he scolded.
"Grandpa," a young lady interrupted, a practiced, beautiful smile on her face. "She is just a girl, and I am a girl too. I am far more refined than she is. Why don't I approach him and make him forget her? I find him quite to my liking anyway."
The old man hissed in derision. "You aren't to be blamed; your mother is a fool, so how could you be any better? Go ahead, then, if you are so tired of living," he shouted, standing up abruptly. "Let it be known: in three days, if she is not found, we lose our lives." He threw one last hateful look at them and stormed out.
The middle-aged man sighed helplessly and followed suit, leaving the silence of the room heavy with dread.
.....
The next morning, Devannie's eyes fluttered open. Her first instinct was to reach for the space beside her, but she found it cold and empty. Tears immediately welled in her eyes as a hollow ache settled in her chest.
She scrambled out of bed, her feet bare, and rushed to the door. Throwing it open without hesitation, she raced to the gallery. Down in the living room, she saw him. He was sitting calmly, but his expression was so stern and terrifying that he looked like a god of war. Yet, Devannie felt no fear.
Seeing him there brought a surge of overwhelming relief. "Eva!" she cried out through her sobs, sprinting down the stairs.
Evarion, hearing her tearful voice, stood up instantly. His murderous aura evaporated without a trace. Before he could even take a step toward her, Devannie collided with him, throwing herself into his embrace and weeping intensely.
"I have offended my Queen," he murmured, his voice thick with genuine heartache as he tried to console her. "Don't cry, please. You can strike me instead if you are angry, but please, do not cry."
Devannie buried her face in his chest, her sobs only growing louder. "I thought you had left me again! I... I didn't see you when I woke up. I was so scared," she confessed between gasps for air.
Evarion fell silent for a moment, realizing the depth of his oversight. "I am so sorry. From this moment on, I will never leave your side. I will be the first person you see every time you open your eyes," he vowed, gently stroking her hair.
Devannie finally calmed enough to look up at him, her eyes red-rimmed. "You... you promise?" she sniffled.
"I promise," Evarion affirmed, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "Dry those eyes. It wounds me to see my beautiful Queen in pain."
Devannie lowered her head and wiped her cheeks. "You promise not to leave me?" she whispered once more.
Evarion smiled and scooped her up into his arms, realizing only then that she was barefoot. "I promise."
"Um... may I have a moment of your attention, please?" an unfamiliar voice interrupted.
Devannie startled, glancing back to see a blond-haired man standing nearby, wearing a warm, harmless smile. Her face flushed a brilliant crimson, and she immediately dove back into the crook of Evarion's neck.
"Ah! He saw everything! How embarrassing!" she screamed internally.
Evarion chuckled at his little Queen's shyness. He sat in a large armchair, settling her horizontally across his lap as she refused to pull her face away from his skin.
"Let me introduce to you, my Queen. This is Michael. He is a doctor, and he is one of the servants I have prepared specifically for you," Evarion explained.
Devannie peeked out at Michael for a split second before hiding again.
Michael bowed deeply and respectfully. "I am honored to serve the Queen," he intoned.
Devannie remained quiet for a moment before whispering into Evarion's ear. "If... if I do something wrong, will you hate me? I promise I'll behave. You... you don't have to give him to me if I'm bad."
Evarion's brows knitted slightly. He took her small hand in his. "No matter what my Queen does, she can never be wrong. Everything I possess is yours; you may do as you please with it. The whole world is yours as well," he insisted.
Devannie smiled radiantly and gave Evarion a quick, shy kiss. "I really don't want to wake up from this dream anymore," she whispered.
"This is no dream," Evarion muttered. A dark thought crossed his mind: "I have done something truly terrible by entrusting you to those foolish humans for so long". He looked back at her. "This is reality, Devannie. Not a dream."
"Really?" Her eyes widened. She stretched out her hand, hesitating, intending to pinch herself. Evarion caught her wrist before she could.
"You are not allowed to hurt yourself," he stated firmly. He pinched his own arm instead. "See? I felt that. It's real."
Devannie's eyes grew even wider. "It's not a dream! That means I don't have to fear everything disappearing!" She squealed with delight in her mind and hugged him tightly.
Evarion felt the vibration of her happiness and chuckled. This was all he wanted—her eternal joy.
"So, do you want him, or should I dispose of him?" he asked casually.
Devannie looked at Michael again. "He... I want him," she decided, smiling beautifully.
Evarion smirked. "Good," he said, turning his gaze to Michael. "Your luck is holding out today."
Michael bowed even lower. "It is my greatest honor to serve Her Highness."
Evarion stood up, still carrying Devannie. "You may leave for now. We will discuss the details later," he commanded, heading back toward the bedroom.
Michael nodded and retreated.
Devannie stared at Evarion, completely lovestruck. "He is so handsome," she thought, unable to stop herself from giggling.
Back in the room, Evarion set her on the edge of the bed and knelt to help her put on her slippers. When he finished, he looked up to find her watching him with a wide, adoring grin.
A sly, predatory smile suddenly graced his lips. He leaned closer, bracing his hands on either side of her. "You are staring at me so invitingly," he whispered seductively. "Aren't you afraid I might have... other intentions?"
Devannie's heart hammered against her ribs so wildly it actually startled her. "E... Eva... Eva... I... I..." she stammered, her breath hitching.
Evarion saw her panic and decided to soothe it by sealing her lips with his own.
Devannie froze. Her heart skipped a beat before racing even faster. Her face burned, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned into him.
The kiss deepened as Evarion pulled her closer by the waist. After a long, breathless moment, he finally broke away to let her catch her breath.
Devannie panted, her pulse slowly steadying.
"How is it now?" Evarion asked softly.
"It... it's calmer," she whispered, her eyes blinking cutely. "Can... can we do it again?"
Evarion let out a rich chuckle. "Mm... someone is becoming quite the addict," he teased, arching a brow.
Devannie's face turned the color of a ripe tomato, and she looked down. "I..." Before she could finish, Evarion captured her lips again.
This time, she wrapped her arms around his neck, letting herself get lost in the sensation. "It's so good," she thought, wishing it would never end.
When they finally parted, she was flushed and dazed. "I didn't realize I could be this bold," she thought, sneaking a glance at him only to find him watching her with a knowing smirk.
Unable to meet his gaze any longer, she scrambled to her feet. "I... I'll go bathe first!" she stammered, bolting for the bathroom.
Evarion chuckled to himself and sat back on the bed. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, the warmth in his eyes disappearing as the screen lit up.