secret love

Episode 12

As chaos unfolded, Herry looked around anxiously and said, "What should we do now?"

Aria, equally bewildered, whispered, "What is happening?"

"Please, stay quiet," Herry urged her.

He then bent down and tried to lift Lera, who was slowly regaining consciousness. As her eyes fluttered open, Herry's gaze softened. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Without waiting for a response, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. Then, straightening up, he spoke again, this time with urgency. "I don’t need you to explain anything right now. Just tell me—can you shrink into a smaller form at this moment?"

Lera, still weak, shook her head. "No, I don’t know how to change my form. It happens on its own."

"You can do it," Herry insisted. "Please, if someone sees you like this, we’ll be in serious trouble."

Aria stepped forward, grasping Lera’s hand reassuringly. "You can do this," she encouraged.

Taking a deep breath, Lera closed her eyes. Both Herry and Aria watched intently as her form began to shift. In a matter of seconds, she transformed into a small mouse. Herry quickly picked her up and turned to Aria. "We need to get out of here. Now."

The two hurriedly made their way back, but before they could leave, Max appeared in front of them, blocking their path. He glared at Herry. "I told you not to come here, and yet, you still did."

As his gaze shifted to Aria, his expression changed. He was stunned. Aria, unable to meet his eyes, lowered her head in shame.

Max opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Aria suddenly broke down into tears. "I’m sorry," she sobbed. "Prince Herry brought me here."

Herry immediately stepped in. "Don’t blame her. I was the one who asked her to come with me."

Max’s expression softened as he looked at Aria. "It’s okay," he said gently. "As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters."

Aria continued crying silently, while Max turned to Herry. His eyes held an unspoken message, a silent plea. With a subtle nod, he signaled Herry to take Aria away.

Herry understood. He placed a hand on Aria’s shoulder. "We should leave," he whispered.

Without another word, Herry and Aria turned away and disappeared into the night.

---

Herry’s Room: A Night of Secrets and Tension

Herry entered his room, and Aria followed closely behind. Carefully, he placed Lera, still in her mouse form, on the bed. Both of them watched in anticipation as Lera’s small body slowly transformed back into her human form.

As she regained consciousness, Lera’s eyes fluttered open, finding Herry sitting beside her while Aria stood near the door, watching intently. Embarrassed, Lera quickly pulled the sheets closer to her. Aria, however, wasted no time. Marching toward Herry, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"You shameless man!" she yelled. "Get out!"

Herry, stunned, rubbed his cheek before silently exiting the room.

Still flustered, Aria took out a set of clothes she had prepared beforehand and handed them to Lera. "Here, wear these," she said.

Lera nodded, quickly dressing up before stepping out to find Herry. She stood before him, lowering her gaze slightly. "You can go back inside now," she said softly. Then, after a brief hesitation, she added, "And… I’m sorry for speaking to you like that."

Herry let out a small sigh, running a hand through his hair. "No, it was my fault," he admitted.

Together, they returned to the room, where Aria waited. Herry sat down and explained everything to Lera—the dangers they had faced and the situation they were now in. Lera listened carefully before finally speaking.

"I’ve had this magic since childhood," she confessed. "But I was always afraid that people would see me as a monster and try to kill me. At night, it happens on its own… sometimes."

Herry’s brows furrowed. "No one in your family knows about this?"

Lera shook her head.

A wave of protectiveness washed over Herry, and without thinking, he pulled Lera into a comforting embrace. "It’s okay," he assured her. "I will protect you."

As he released her, Lera’s gaze shifted toward Aria. "Who is she?" she asked.

For a moment, Herry froze, completely forgetting to introduce them. Without thinking, he blurted out, "She’s my sister-in-law!"

Both Aria and Lera stared at him in shock. Realizing his mistake, Herry quickly corrected himself. "No, no! She’s a maid in our palace!"

Lera still looked skeptical. Turning to Aria, she asked, "You won’t tell anyone about this, right?"

Aria smiled warmly and took Lera’s hands in hers. "I promise," she assured her.

Just then, Aria glanced at the window and noticed how late it had gotten. "It’s already so late. I should go now," she said, making her way to the door.

But as soon as she stepped outside, she froze. Max was standing right in front of her.

Without taking his eyes off Aria, Max spoke to Herry. "I’m coming inside."

Herry’s heart pounded, but he quickly took action. Before Max could step in, he discreetly hid Lera.

Max walked into the room and looked around. "What’s going on?" he asked.

Aria let out a breath of relief, knowing that Herry had managed to keep Lera hidden.

Max’s gaze then shifted to Herry’s face. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the bright red mark on Herry’s cheek. "What happened to your face?" he asked suspiciously.

Before Herry could answer, Max stepped closer and asked in a dangerously low voice, "Did you misbehave with Aria?"

Before the situation could escalate, Aria quickly intervened. "No, Prince Max," she said. "There was… um, a mosquito on his cheek, so I accidentally slapped him."

Herry immediately nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes! That’s exactly what happened."

Max raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but let the matter go. "Alright then," he muttered. "But there’s something strange. When you two came out of this room, that mysterious plant disappeared. Should I take that as a coincidence?"

Herry’s eyes widened. "What?! The plant vanished?" he asked, suddenly alarmed. "What does that mean?"

Max’s expression darkened. His eyes gleamed with suspicion as he glared at Herry. "Why are you just standing there?" he snapped. "Come with me! We need to find it!"

Herry swallowed hard, then glanced at Aria. With a meaningful look, he silently told her to take care of Lera in his absence.

Max turned to Aria. "You shouldn’t leave this place tonight," he said firmly. "It’s too late. You can stay in the guest room."

Aria hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Thank you, Prince Max," she said.

With that, Max and Herry hurried off into the night, leaving Aria alone with the secret she now had to protect.