Chapter 6:The secret

Oh my goodness...

The devil himself is standing right in front of me.

The thought echoed through my mind as terror gripped my heart.

So the rumors were true.Damon was real.

And he was standing only a few steps away from me.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet his eyes.

"Have you come to destroy our kingdom?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my attempt to sound brave.

For a brief moment, Damon remained silent.Then he slowly shook his head.

"No."

His expression darkened.

"But if anyone stands in my way..." he said coldly, "...I won't hesitate to kill them."

A chill ran down my spine.

He took another slow step toward me.

"Three high priests from this kingdom took part in the murder of my parents."

His voice was calm, but the hatred behind his words was unmistakable.

"I've come to claim the justice they stole from me."

I stared at him, unable to speak.

For the first time, I didn't see a monster.

I saw a man carrying years of pain.

Still...

That didn't excuse the fear he spread across every kingdom.

My heart pounded painfully inside my chest.

"Is..." I hesitated.

"Is my father involved?"

The question escaped before I could stop myself.

Damon held my gaze for several seconds.

"I don't know."

His answer surprised me.

"I came here searching for evidence."

He folded his arms across his chest.

"Tell me..."His dark eyes searched mine.

"Will you help me find the truth?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

What does this monster take me for?

Does he truly expect me to betray my own father?

Never.

No matter what happened...

I would never betray Dad.

Before I could even speak, Damon let out a quiet laugh.

"I already know your answer."

A faint smile crossed his lips.

"You'll protect your father."

Silence filled the room.

Then he turned toward the window.

"I should leave."

Before I realized what was happening, he suddenly stepped forward.

His arm slipped gently around my waist, pulling me closer.

My heart nearly stopped.

I could feel the warmth of his body.

His face was only inches from mine.

My breathing became uneven.

"Tell me something, Princess."

His deep voice was almost a whisper.

"Will you tell your parents..."

He leaned even closer.

"...or anyone else..."

His eyes locked onto mine.

"...about our little secret?"

I blinked in confusion.

"We don't have any secret."

A faint smile curved across his lips.

"Oh..."

He raised one finger and gently pressed it against my lips."But we do."

I froze.

"This meeting..."

His voice became quieter.

"...belongs only to us."

The warmth in his eyes disappeared, replaced by an icy stare.

"Don't tell anyone I was here."

He paused.

"Unless..."

His voice turned dangerously calm.

"...you want to watch your father's kingdom tremble."

Every word sent another wave of fear through me.

Without another glance, Damon stepped onto the windowsill.

With a single effortless leap...

He disappeared into the darkness.

His black cloak fluttered behind him before vanishing completely into the night.

For several seconds...

I couldn't move.

I couldn't breathe.

The room felt strangely empty.

"What..."

I whispered.

"...just happened?"

Only after he was gone did my legs finally give way.

I collapsed onto the edge of my bed, trembling uncontrollably.

All the courage I had forced myself to show disappeared.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to steady my breathing.

The palace was silent once again.

Yet his presence still lingered in my room.

I lay down and closed my eyes, hoping sleep would erase everything that had happened.

It didn't.

Every time I drifted off...

I saw his face.

His scar.

His piercing eyes.

His calm voice.

And the warning he left behind.

By the time dawn finally arrived, I had barely slept.

Sunlight streamed through my window, and I released a long breath.

At least the night was over.

I quickly freshened up before staring at my reflection in the mirror.

I looked exhausted.

I have to tell Dad and Mother.They deserve to know Damon was here.I took one step toward the door...

Then stopped.His warning echoed inside my mind.

"Unless... you want to watch your father's kingdom tremble."

My hands slowly curled into fists.

What if he meant it?

What if telling Dad placed everyone in danger?

I closed my eyes.

For the first time in my life...

I chose silence.

After a few moments, I opened my chamber door.

The two royal guards were still standing outside exactly where Dad had ordered them to remain.

The sight of them made my heart ache.

If Damon had wanted to kill them last night...

He could have.

"Good morning, Your Highness," they greeted respectfully, bowing their heads.

"Good morning," I replied softly.

After making sure I was safe, the guards left.

I remained standing in the corridor, lost in thought.

Then I heard a familiar voice.

"Lisa!"I turned immediately.

Mother hurried toward me with worry written all over her face.

Without saying another word, she gently took both of my hands.

"How did you sleep?" she asked anxiously.

"Everything was alright, wasn't it?"She carefully brushed my hair away from my face before examining me from head to toe.

"Nothing happened to you... did it?"

Seeing the fear in her eyes almost broke my heart.I forced myself to smile.

"Of course, Mother."

I squeezed her hands reassuringly.

"I'm perfectly fine."

The smile on my face felt painfully heavy.

For the sake of my family...

For the safety of our kingdom...

I lied.