Chapter 2
1086 Words
The Market and the Trap
Therry walked through the market without his mask, dressed in plain clothes to avoid attention. It didn’t work.
Even without the mask, he stood out—tall, broad-shouldered, with a cold, sharp face that made people stare and then look away. His presence alone was too familiar in the capital. The Dark Devil didn’t need a mask to be recognized.
He ignored them. The palace felt like a cage, and he left it whenever he could. Physically, mentally, it didn’t matter. He didn’t trust anyone there. Not even his father.
_Mother._
Her face flashed in his mind. She’d died in the palace, and her last words had been a warning: _Avenge me. Don’t fall in love._
Talia had been a commoner. The palace hated her for it. The maids treated her like dirt. The queen despised her. Only the king, Theron, had chosen her, going against his parents and his arranged marriage. For years, she endured it all for him.
And it got her killed.
The murderer was never found. Everyone else moved on. Therry didn’t.
His stomach growled, cutting through the memory. Thego had interrupted his meal earlier, and now he was starving. He spotted a small cafeteria and stepped inside. The owner’s eyes lit up the moment she saw him.
“Welcome! What can I get you?”
Therry glanced around. A group of men were eating something unfamiliar, steaming in a clay bowl. The woman followed his gaze and grinned.
“Oh, that? It’s a dish from the neighboring kingdom. Want to try it?”
He didn’t answer. Just nodded.
She served him quickly, talking the whole time. “This is my signature dish. Nobody makes it like I do. Go on, tell me how it is.”
He took a slow bite.
He froze.
“It’s good?” she asked, leaning forward eagerly.
Therry nodded again. Better than good. He ate the whole bowl, then asked for another. And another. He didn’t stop until he’d finished five.
The woman beamed. “It’s rare to see someone eat that much and still look like you.”
“How much?” he asked, wiping his mouth.
“Ten oaks a bowl. Five bowls is fifty. But for you, forty-five.”
Therry reached into his pocket. His hand stopped.
He’d left his pouch in the palace.
“Forty-two then,” the woman said, mistaking his silence. “I can see you’re a special customer.”
Her smile faded when she saw his face.
“What’s wrong?”
Therry exhaled. “I forgot my money.”
The woman’s expression changed instantly. “You’re kidding me.”
“I’ll come back and pay today,” he said evenly. “Or I’ll send someone.”
“You think I’m stupid?” She grabbed his sleeve. “Who eats five bowls and walks out? GUYS!”
Men at the tables stood up. They knew this routine. Someone eats, refuses to pay, gets taught a lesson. A crowd started gathering, waiting for the show.
“Teach him a lesson now!” the woman shouted.
The men closed in.
“I’ll pay.”
The voice was clear and calm.
Everyone turned. A girl stood there in a yellow dress, petite, with long hair and eyes too bright for a place like this. The men hesitated.
“How much?” she asked.
“Fifty oaks,” the woman snapped, annoyed at the interruption.
The girl counted out the coins and handed them over. The woman’s face relaxed.
“You’re lucky,” she told Therry, shoving him back. “Don’t come here again.”
The men stepped aside, muttering. Therry adjusted his clothes and walked off without looking at her.
---
Mabel couldn’t believe him.
She’d been exploring the market after slipping past her father’s guards when the commotion started. Curiosity got her to stop. Then she saw him—tall, cold, pretending he didn’t care.
So she paid.
And now he was walking away like it meant nothing.
She chased after him.
From the corner of his eye, Therry saw her following. He ignored her. She kept coming.
He vanished into a narrow alley and doubled back. When she stopped, confused, he tapped her shoulder.
She jumped, then glared. “You—how dare you?”
“Why did you follow me?” he asked.
“Why did I?” She crossed her arms. “Is that all you have to say?”
He didn’t answer.
“Thank you,” she said flatly.
“For what?”
“For saving your dignity back there. You couldn’t even say it?”
Therry almost laughed. He didn’t.
“You think that look scares me?” she said, trying to look fierce.
“Did you pay to get a thank you?”
“No, but it’s common courtesy.”
“Little girl,” he said, staring at her. Before he could stop himself, he reached out and ruffled her hair. “Stop being stubborn and go home. The world isn’t safe.”
He smiled slightly and walked away.
Mabel stood there, stunned. _Girl? He called me a girl?_
“Lady Mabel.”
Her guards had found her.
---
“You’re late,” Lorry said as Therry entered. “The queen sent someone.”
“I know.” Therry started changing into his royal attire.
“Anything fun happen?”
Therry raised an eyebrow.
Lorry grinned. “You’re smiling.”
Therry froze.
Was he thinking about that girl?
---
*Royal Dining Hall*
Therry arrived late and sat without explaining himself.
“How do you explain this?” King Theron asked, voice low. “Do you know how long we waited?”
“Your Majesty, Therry probably had something to attend to,” Queen Hilary said smoothly.
“Didn’t you deliver my message?” the king asked Thego.
“I did,” Thego replied, glaring at Therry.
“Lydia,” Theron said.
“Father, let’s eat before the food gets cold,” Princess Lydia said, winking at her brother.
Therry smiled back. She was the only one here he cared for—his half-sister, the only princess of Gashi.
“Preparations for your mother’s birthday are underway,” the king began.
Therry tuned him out. Eating with them felt like an obligation. None of them were family to him. Except Lydia.
He ate in silence, eyes down, thoughts elsewhere.
He wasn’t thinking about the queen’s speech.
He was thinking about the girl in yellow who called him a thief and paid anyway.
- Writer
