LOGINMalric’s POV Princie.My body stilled the moment she mentioned the name.“Where did you hear that from?” I asked, my gaze locking onto hers, sharp and unyielding.She didn’t answer.Instead, she pushed herself off the floor like she hadn’t just said something that shifted everything… and turned to walk away.My hand shot out, gripping her arm before she could take a step.“You haven’t answered me.”She snapped her head to me, irritation flashing in her eyes.“I don’t know,” she said. “Don't ask me.”I didn’t loosen my grip. That nickname… Sharina used to call me when she was a child. No one else did. And hearing it from Emily right now… it didn’t feel distant. That unsettled me, making my initial anger slowly fade.My gaze lingered on her face, searching, trying to make sense of something I couldn’t quite grasp.There was something about her I had never noticed before… something familiar that tugged at me in a way I couldn’t explain.“Someone used to call me that,” I said slowly, th
Emily’s POVThroughout the day, my mind kept drifting back to what the maids had said. But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t make anything out of it.Later that night, just before going to bed, the thought crossed my mind to go into the woods… to see the forest guardian one more time.But what would I even tell Malric? There was no way he would let me go into the woods, especially at night. So I dropped the idea.Sleep came quickly. And once again, the dream of that young boy ‘Princie’ returned. He saw me where I hid behind the curtains and he carried me again, leading me back to the man he called my father.But just like the last time… I couldn’t see the man’s face. A sharp knock on my door pulled me out of the dream before he could turn.My eyes snapped open, irritation rising instantly.“Who’s there?” I called out, my voice edged with annoyance—frustrated at being pulled away just when I was about to see my father’s face.Unexpectedly, Malric’s voice came behind t
Emily’s POV “Stop defending me!” The words came out louder than I intended, sharp and raw. I didn’t even try to take them back. “It’s obvious,” I continued, my voice shaking despite myself. “I’m not who you want me to be. I’m not a healer.” His expression shifted, just slightly, but he didn’t interrupt. He just stood there. Listening. And somehow, that made it worse. “Let’s just stop deceiving ourselves,” I went on, my voice dropping, breaking at the edges. “You and I… we won’t work.” The words hurt even as I said them, but that was the pure truth. “I’m tired,” I whispered. “I’m just… tired of all this. Please.” I didn’t wait for a response. If I stayed any longer, I might not be able to leave at all. So I turned and walked away. By the time I got to my room, my head was pounding. Not just from exhaustion… but from everything I had been holding in. For three days, I had tried. Tried to believe. Tried to prove something I wasn’t even sure existed. And all that time, I kep
Malric’s POV I stood up, assuring Emily I would return shortly, then excused myself to meet Sarah. Following the brutal war, I had revoked the order that forbade her from entering the place without being summoned by me. Not because I had suddenly grown gracious, but because I had witnessed her unwavering loyalty during the war… and how she had nearly sacrificed her life. So, I allowed her. “Malric,” she began the moment I approached. “Two maids are down with an unknown illness. I think this is the perfect time for Emily to prove herself, if she truly is what she’s claimed to be.” “She didn’t claim anything,” I corrected. “She simply bears the same mark, in the same spot. That alone is proof enough of her identity.” She grumbled lightly. “Fine. Let her follow me now and prove it. But if she isn’t, that means she’s an imposter, and that won’t be taken lightly. She will be punished.” I frowned. “What do you mean?” She extended a stone tablet toward me. “What’s on it?” “Read it
Emily’s POV The tight knot in my chest finally loosened after talking to Malric. Not completely… but enough for me to breathe again. We spent hours at the gazebo, longer than I had planned, longer than I probably should have allowed myself. Still, I didn’t want to leave. Not yet. Not when everything between us still felt… fragile, like one wrong word could shift something I wasn’t ready to lose. At some point, he mind-linked the servants, and our meal was brought out to us. I watched quietly as the plates were arranged on the table. The subtle clinks of cutlery, the soft movements of the servants as they stepped away—it all felt like the world had slowed down just for this moment. We ate there, under the quiet evening sky, the soft breeze brushing against my skin, carrying a calm I hadn’t felt in days. For a while, neither of us spoke. It wasn’t awkward. Just… quiet. Comfortable in a way that didn’t demand anything from either of us. But our eyes kept locking. Then, in the mi
Malric’s POVMy eyes locked with those familiar blue eyes.At first, they were misty… hesitant… as though she wasn’t fully sure I was real. As though one more blink might make me disappear again.Then something in her shifted.She ran.And I didn’t hesitate.I stepped forward and caught her in my arms, pulling her in firmly, instinctively tightening my hold around her as if daring the world itself to try and take her away from me again.She belonged here.With me.Her body trembled the moment she collided against my chest, and then the dam broke.She cried.Hard.The kind of cry that came from relief, from exhaustion, from everything she had been holding in finally spilling out all at once.And it twisted something deep inside me.Pain.Sharp and immediate.I never wanted to see her like this.“I'm sorry,” she whispered through her sobs, her voice breaking against my chest. “I'm sorry I never trusted you. You asked me to… but I was too blind that—”“It's okay, my love,” I cut in gentl







