Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 552: Derek’s Intention

Chapter 552: Derek’s Intention

Islinda winced as a sharp pang of pain shot through her arm, and she instinctively brought her hand up to inspect the injury. A line of crimson marked her skin, evidence of the strike from Derek. Anger surged within her, fueling the fire in her eyes as she glared at the wound, the sight of her own blood intensifying her frustration.

Islinda’s voice echoed through the kitchen, laced with fury and disbelief. "What in the Fae!" she shouted, as she shoved Derek forcefully in the chest. Despite the impact, Derek’s expression remained stoic, as if he had no idea what she was talking about. Islinda’s frustration only grew at his lack of reaction.

"Whoa, no fighting here!" Gabbi rushed over to separate them, her hands gently pushing them apart. However, her eyes widened in shock when she noticed the injury on Islinda’s arm. "Oh no, Islinda, are you okay?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice.

Islinda hissed, pointing a finger accusingly at Derek. "This idiot cut me!" She showed Gabbi a closer view of the wound, her frustration evident.

Gabbi turned her attention to Derek, her hands planted firmly on her hips as she addressed him with a stern tone. "Derek, what happened? You should be more careful," she scolded him, her disappointment evident in her expression.

Derek responded, devoid of any remorse, "I was just trying to help her. It’s not my fault she wasn’t paying attention and cut herself on my knife!"

"No, don’t you dare!" Islinda’s voice rose, her anger boiling over. She gritted her teeth, glaring at Derek with intensity. "Don’t you dare twist your way out of this! You harmed me on purpose."

She could sense that Derek had purposely cut her, and while he tried to look remorseful to Gabbi, Islinda could see a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"And why would I try to harm you, human?" Derek sneered at her.

Islinda felt a surge of indignation at Derek’s mocking tone. She clenched her fists, struggling to contain her rising anger. This was not over.

Islinda’s voice dripped with contempt as she shot back, matching his sneer with equal ferocity. "You never liked me from the beginning, you ugly, dumb-ass Fae."

Derek’s confident demeanor wavered, his expression shifting to one of disbelief. "Ugly? Dumb-ass Fae?" he repeated, visibly taken aback by Islinda’s words.

Islinda could see the impact of her insult sinking in, knowing full well the significance of attacking a Fae’s pride, especially regarding their appearance. In the world of the Fae, beauty was often revered and praised, and to insult one’s appearance was to strike at the very core of their identity.

She recalled stories she read from Aldric’s library, tales of Fae who demanded adoration and praise for their beauty, even resorting to drastic measures to ensure their egos remained inflated. Some would go as far as kidnapping humans to serve as court jesters, solely for the purpose of extolling their beauty.

Islinda remained defiant, refusing to back down in the face of Derek’s intimidation tactics. She squared her shoulders, meeting his gaze with unwavering determination, unapologetic for her choice of words. It was not like she lied anyway. Derek had nothing on the princes. He was truly an ugly asshole both on the inside and out — Islinda might have exaggerated a bit out of anger.

Derek’s calm demeanor was disconcerting, but he chose to let the matter slide, though it clearly irked him. With a hint of annoyance lingering in his voice, he reasoned with Islinda, "You are with my crown prince, why would I harm you and risk incurring his wrath?"

"For starters, I am not together with your crown..." Islinda bristled, ready to fire back a retort fueled by her temper, but then something dawned on her.

The question echoed in her mind once more: "And why would I try to harm you, human?"

Why, indeed? It seemed suspiciously timed. Why would Derek choose this moment to harm her when he had plenty of opportunities in the past? Why cut her right after that incident with Valerie, immediately following her push that sent him stumbling into the wall? Islinda couldn’t shake the memory of Valerie’s wide-eyed shock when he reached behind his head and came up with blood.

If Derek truly resented her and wanted to punish her, he could have inflicted a deeper wound to cause significant pain or even harm her fatally, all while claiming it was an accident. Yet he chose to make a shallow cut on her arm, as if testing the waters. As if he was testing to see if she bled like a human... Damn it.

A wave of cold dread washed over Islinda as she realized Derek’s intent. She fought the urge to cover the wound with her hand, knowing it would only draw more attention to it. Islinda might be many things, hot-tempered, impulsive, reckless, but her instincts were never wrong. Valerie was beginning to suspect she was something more.

Ignoring the stinging pain in her arm, Islinda took a deep breath and composed herself. Getting into a conflict with Derek would only make things worse.

With a strained smile, Islinda turned towards Gabbi, her voice masking the discomfort she felt. "I’m returning to my room to treat this," she declared, her words sounding more composed than she felt.

"Oh, right. Please take care of yourself, or do you want me to help?" Gabbi’s kindness radiated in her offer, her concern genuine.

"No, someone has to make breakfast. The wound is not even that deep. I’ll be done in no time," Islinda reassured, her attempt to downplay the severity of the situation evident in her tone.

"Sure," Gabbi replied with a smile, accepting Islinda’s decision.

Returning the smile, Islinda turned to leave, anxious to treat this wound and get it over with. She was no longer comfortable knowing Derek’s intention to expose her identity. However, her departure was halted as Derek reached out for her arm at the last minute.