บททั้งหมดของ The Demon King’s Bride: บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 39

Rowan had been riding for hours before he finally decided to stop.The place was little more than a roadside inn along the main road, an old wooden building where travelers could eat something warm before continuing their journey. It was not the kind of place where anyone would expect to find a knight of House Vaelmont.Precisely for that reason, he had chosen to stop there.He entered with his cloak hanging low over his shoulders and took a seat at a secluded table. The place smelled of roasted meat, cheap wine, and road dust.He ordered food.He needed to regain his strength.As he ate, his mind kept circling back to the same thought.Elinor.Everything he had done had been for her.The exchange, the peasant girl, the desperate plan to give Elinor freedom… it had all seemed brilliant when he first imagined it.Now he saw only cracks in the plan that had once appeared perfect.Mistakes.And above all, a king he never should have underestimated.The inn door opened with a harsh creak

The guard bowed his head.“Yes, Your Majesty.”When the men left the room, the study fell silent once more. Edrion remained still for a few seconds, but his mind was no longer on Rowan. His thoughts kept returning to Lyria, to the mark he had seen on her neck and to the story she had told him. She had spoken those words with restrained fear, claiming Rowan had attacked and threatened her, yet the more he replayed that conversation in his mind, the harder it became to accept the story without question.Edrion rested his weight against the table and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to arrange the pieces of a story that was beginning to reveal small cracks. It was not yet a clear suspicion, nor a fully formed conclusion, but rather a persistent feeling, a fracture in the logic of events that widened every time he reconsidered it. Rowan was not some ordinary guard; he had served House Vaelmont for years and had been personally recommended by Elinor’s father when the king requested tru

Lyria’s smile remained in place as she stopped beside the table.The concubines did not return it.Some looked at her with open curiosity, others with barely concealed disdain. Valeria, however, watched her as though assessing a new object whose value had yet to be determined.“Lady Elinor,” one of the women finally said, a redhead with sharp eyes. “We didn’t know you enjoyed the gardens.”Her tone sounded pleasant on the surface, almost courteous, but the intention hidden beneath those words was anything but kind. Lyria recognized it immediately, though she did not allow it to show on her face. She merely inclined her head slightly, maintaining the composure she had spent the entire morning practicing.“I’m still discovering them.”Another concubine let out a soft laugh.“Of course… all of this must be very new to you.”Several glances passed between them.“The gardens,” another added. “The palace. Life… in general.”The words landed softly, yet each carried a sharp intention beneath

The words lingered between them, suspended in the heavy silence of the room.Lyria felt as though the air had become too dense to breathe properly.“Why… are you so certain?” she finally asked.The question left her lips more like a whisper than a clear sentence, betraying the agitation his closeness was stirring inside her. His presence seemed to unravel her little by little, and the frantic rhythm of her heartbeat made it almost impossible to gather a coherent thought. Edrion watched her with quiet attention, as though he were taking note of every small shift in her expression: the blush slowly rising along her throat, the quickening pace of her breathing, the tension gathering in her hands.His gaze lowered briefly to the place where his hand had rested before, and then, with calm deliberation, he lifted it again and placed it gently against her chest, directly over her heart. The touch was light, barely more than a brush, yet the effect was immediate. A shiver ran through her body

The girl trembled violently beneath Rowan’s grip, her breathing turning shallow and uneven against his hand while the cold edge of the knife rested against her throat. Fear widened her eyes so much they seemed almost glass-like in the darkness of the room, and for a moment Rowan was reminded of just how dangerous this situation had become. One scream, one wrong movement, and every guard stationed around the estate would come running.“Silence,” he repeated softly, though the warning carried far more threat this time. “Nod if you understand me.”The maid nodded frantically.Only then did Rowan slowly loosen his hand from her mouth, though the knife never moved away from her skin.“Good,” he murmured. “Now answer carefully. Where is Lady Elinor?”The girl swallowed hard, her voice trembling so badly that the words almost broke apart before leaving her lips.“She… she isn’t here.”Rowan’s grip tightened instantly.“Don’t lie to me.”“I’m not lying,” she whispered desperately. “Please… pl