Chapter 12
1016 Words
Morning dawned, and Zephyr slowly opened his eyes to the sight of Camellia fast asleep in his arms, her legs and hands wrapped around him.
He gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, watching her peaceful slumber. He then kissed her neck, leaving a faint red mark, but she slept on, undisturbed.
Zephyr knew what that mark meant. He also knew the storm brewing.
"She's really cute when she's asleep… but even cuter as a child…" he whispered, a touch of bitterness in his voice.
He pulled her closer, closing his eyes. Camellia awoke, thinking Zephyr was still asleep.
She touched his nose; his eyes flew open. Startled, she pushed him, sending him sprawling to the floor.
"Ouch…" Zephyr groaned.
"Sorry… it's your fault anyway! Why were you so close?" Camellia protested.
"What are you talking about? You were the only one clinging to me! You even embraced me while asleep!" Zephyr retorted, trying to keep his tone light.
"I didn't! I was unconsciously sleeping!" Camellia insisted.
"Yeah, yeah… right," Zephyr muttered skeptically. Unconsciously sleeping, my foot.
The door burst open. Devin and Kael entered, seeing Zephyr on the floor and Celest on the bed, immediately suspecting a k********g.
Kael grabbed Zephyr by the collar and punched him. "You jerk! What did you do to my sister?!"
Devin quickly put his coat around Camellia. "Hey, Grandma… are you okay?" he asked, then scooped her into his arms.
"Brother, let Zephyr go! Actually…" Camellia began.
"You guys misunderstood! I saved her!" Zephyr interrupted.
"Saved her from what? You're just making excuses! Sister, tell me the truth! What happened?" Kael demanded.
"I swear, he saved me from demons! If it weren't for him, I'd be dead!" Camellia lied, her voice firm. She had no idea why she was lying, but it felt right.
Kael hesitated, then released Zephyr. Devin, carrying Camellia, along with Kael and Zephyr, left the small house.
"I'm sorry, Zep," Kael apologized. "I thought you took advantage of my sister."
"Yeah, I'm fine. You almost killed me, though," Zephyr replied, rubbing his jaw.
Lukas appeared. "Your Highness, let's go. We need to heal your bruise."
"Lukas is right," Camellia said. "Hey, chicken, put me down! I can still walk."
"Don't be stubborn, Grandma," Devin said, holding her close.
"I'm no damsel in distress, you chicken!" Camellia insisted.
"But you're my fiancée, so I have the right," Devin replied, a playful smirk on his face.
Zephyr felt a surge of jealousy. You're wrong, Devin. Celest is my fiancée, not yours. She's just… unaware. He suppressed a sigh.
"I think we should go. It's kinda dangerous here," Camellia said, breaking the tension.
"Jasmine's right. Devin, I'll carry her. She's kinda heavy," Zephyr offered.
"No need. I won't let anyone carry my fiancée," Devin replied, his tone possessive.
"You jerk! Just let me walk!" Camellia exclaimed, exasperated.
Devin opened a portal back to the Duke's residence. Her parents rushed to embrace her.
"My child! Are you okay? Did the demons hurt you? Let me see," Ariana, her mother, cried, examining her closely. Arthur, her father, joined in the examination. A maid brought Camellia a blanket.
"So, you were kidn*pped by a demon… and you happened to meet Prince Zephyr, who was hunting demons, so he saved you, and you both decided to stay there for a night since the demons are more active at night…" Arthur summarized.
"Yes… that's right, Father," Camellia confirmed, completely innocent.
"Lord Arthur, pardon me for not informing you earlier. I caused you all worry," Zephyr apologized. He was already calculating how to explain this to her parents.
"No, Your Highness, we should thank you… for saving our Jasmine. We don't know what we'd have done if we lost… Jasmine again," Ariana said, tears welling in her eyes.
"It's nothing, Madame Ariana. The demons always target Jasmine… so I planned to stay here until the barrier is fixed for her safety. It's our responsibility in the Constellation Realms," Zephyr explained.
"If that's for Jasmine's safety, then… thank you very much, Your Highness…" Ariana said, her voice choked with emotion Camellia calming her down.
"It's the least I can do… I owe you a lot, Madame, for raising me…" Zephyr replied humbly.
"Mother… I also owe you a lot for raising me… and as Jasmine's fiancée, I will stay here too… to protect her," Devin declared.
"Are you out of your mind? He just called my mom 'Mother'! Remember this, Devin… you and my sister aren't married yet!" Kael shouted, furious.
"I know, brother… but we're engaged, so it's just normal…" Devin replied calmly.
"Don't call me brother! You're making my hair stand on end!" Kael yelled.
Devin suddenly noticed something. "Wait, what's that red mark on your neck?" he asked, pointing to Camellia's neck.
Camellia tilted her head, touching the mark. "Oh, that? A mosquito bite, I think! They were awful out in the woods!" she said, completely unaware.
Ariana frowned slightly. "A rather large mosquito, wouldn't you say?" she asked, her tone slightly puzzled but still completely missing the implication.
Arthur nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, a rather… aggressive mosquito."
Kael shrugged. "Maybe it was a mutant mosquito from the demon-infested woods?"
Only Zephyr understood the true nature of that "mosquito bite," and the implications of everyone else's cluelessness. He knew he had a lot of explaining to do – eventually.
The conversation drifted to other, less scandalous topics, leaving Zephyr simmering with a mixture of frustration and amusement.
He watched as Camellia
, Devin , and even her usually perceptive parents remained utterly oblivious to the true meaning of the mark on her neck.
Kael, ever the observant one, suspected something, but lacked the crucial piece of information to connect the dots.
Is this the start of rivalry of the two prince? how long will she able to keep her identity hidden? can she truly trust someone in the Duke's Residence or will they turn against her in the end of the day once they found out she's an imposter? she must know them carefully so she will not get deceive...
- Writer
