"I trusted you," she seethed. "And you stole from ."
Lily was trembling, head bowed, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "M-my lady, I swear, I—"
Evelina’s steps slowed as she took in the scene before her. Lily stood trembling under Selene’s furious gaze, her small fra barely holding itself together as she flinched at every harsh word.
Evelina’s stomach twisted.
She knew exactly what this was about.
Selene was blaming Lily for returning the Dragon Pearl to its rightful owner—her.
This ant that the longer this went on, the more likely Lily would break under the pressure.
And Evelina didn’t know how much longer the poor girl could hold out before blurting the truth—that she had given the pearl to Evelina and Damian.
Relia humd in Evelina’s mind. "Oh, she’s definitely about to snap."
"I know."
"You could just walk away. Let Selene keep pushing until Lily spills everything."
Evelina clenched her jaw. "You know that’s not happening."
Relia sighed dramatically. "I know, I know. You and your ’morals.’"
Evelina ignored her, inhaling slowly as she took a decisive step forward.
"That’s enough!"
Evelina’s voice was sharp and clear.
Selene turned sharply, her eyes narrowing as she spotted Evelina approaching.
Evelina could feel Damian shift beside her, ready to step in, but she shot him a quick look.
Stand down.
To her surprise, Damian obeyed. He exhaled through his nose and took a small step back, arms crossing over his chest as he leaned against the wall.
He was watching, though. Closely.
Selene’s gaze flickered between them before settling on Evelina, her lips curling. "Of course," she sneered. "Of course, you would show up."
Evelina smirked. "And here I thought you’d be happy to see ."
Selene’s fingers twitched. "Stay out of this."
Evelina ignored her. "That’s no way to treat your handmaid."
Selene scoffed. "Like you would know how best to treat a maid. Now, mind your business."
"I will," Evelina said easily, folding her arms. "But after you stop harassing Lily."
Lily looked up at her with wide, startled eyes.
Selene’s eyes flared with barely concealed rage. "You have no idea what’s going on here."
Evelina tilted her head. "Let’s see. You’re questioning her over sothing missing from your chambers. Sothing that she supposedly stole."
Selene scoffed. "That sothing has nothing to do with you."
"Maybe not," Evelina admitted. "But I do know that slapping your maid won’t solve anything."
Lily shot Evelina a pleading look but said nothing.
Selene’s fingers curled at her sides. "You think you can just waltz in and lecture ?" she sneered. "You don’t belong here, Evelina."
Evelina smirked. "Well, I must be doing sothing right, considering you’re so bothered by ."
Selene took a sharp step forward. "You’re insufferable."
"I’ve been told," Evelina said cheerfully.
Selene’s jaw clenched. Then, without warning, her golden eyes flicked past Evelina—straight to Damian.
Her lips curled. "This is your fault."
Damian raised a brow. "Excuse ?"
Selene crossed her arms, her gaze cold. "She’s growing wings because of you."
Evelina blinked. "I’m sorry, what?"
Selene’s eyes snapped back to her. "You think you have a place here, don’t you?" she spat. "You think because the prince slept with you, marked you, that you’re untouchable now?"
Evelina stiffened.
Damian’s posture shifted slightly—just enough for Evelina to sense the tension rolling off him.
Relia hissed in Evelina’s mind. "Oh, hell no. Did she just—"
Selene smirked at the lack of response. "That’s what I thought."
Evelina inhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay calm. "You’re mistaken if you think anyone controls , Selene."
Selene scoffed. "Oh, please. Everyone in this palace knows you wouldn’t still be breathing if it weren’t for him."
Evelina’s jaw clenched, but before she could respond, Damian did.
"Enough."
The command was soft, but it felt significant enough to fill the entire hallway.
Selene paused, her eyes darting toward him.
Damian stepped forward, his silver eyes glinting like steel. "I suggest you rember your place, Selene."
Selene’s lips parted slightly, caught off guard by the coldness in his tone.
Evelina, still fuming, decided she wasn’t done. She took a slow step forward, lowering her voice just enough to be lethal.
"For the record," Evelina murmured, "I saved him. Not the other way around."
Selene’s expression flickered—just for a second.
Evelina smirked. "Now, if you’ll excuse , I have actual problems to deal with."
Selene stared at her for a long mont, then scoffed and turned on her heel, storming down the hall.
Lily let out a shaky breath, still looking down.
Evelina softened. "Are you alright?"
Lily hesitated, then nodded quickly. "Yes, my lady. Thank you."
Evelina frowned but let it go—for now.
As Lily hurried away, Damian exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Well," he mused. "That was entertaining."
Evelina smirked. "Glad I could put on a show."
Relia humd. "And that, my dear prince, is why you should never doubt our girl."
"Glad I was here to see it firsthand, but I have to say... Selene’s getting worse."
Evelina nodded. "That wasn’t about her missing sothing, was it?"
Damian was quiet for a mont. Then, finally, he muttered, "No."
Evelina sighed. "Fantastic. Another ss to deal with."
Damian glanced at her, silver eyes searching. "You handled that well."
Evelina smirked. "Jealous?"
Damian huffed a quiet laugh. "Not even a little."
Jasper suddenly appeared from around the corner. "So, uh... how bad is it? Do I need to start preparing an escape route?"
Evelina groaned. "Just get a drink."
Jasper grinned. "That I can do."
As they walked down the corridor, Evelina felt Damian’s gaze linger on her.
Selene’s words still echoed in her head.
Because the prince slept with you.
Evelina clenched her jaw.
If Selene thought that was all she was worth, then she was about to learn just how wrong she was.
************
Selene burst into her father’s grand estate, the heavy doors swinging open behind her. Her golden eyes burned with suppressed anger as she walked through the luxurious halls, her silk skirts swishing dramatically with each step.
She found him in his study, poring over docunts by candlelight.
Without preamble, she snapped, "Father, we need to talk."
Lord Aldric raised his eyes, his eyebrows raised in slight amusent. "I take it things didn’t go as planned?"
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