Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 48: An Accident?

Chapter 48: An Accident?

The morning sunlight filtered into Damian’s chambers, pulling him from his restless sleep. He sat up quickly, the tension from the previous night still tightly wound in his chest. Selene’s angry face appeared in his thoughts, but he set it aside. He had more urgent matters to focus on.

Pulling a robe over himself, he stepped toward the door, pulling it open and calling for the guard stationed outside. "Any messages for me?" he asked curtly. "Has the King summoned me?"

The guard straightened. "No, Your Highness. No messages, and no summons from His Majesty."

Damian nodded, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

He half-expected Selene to have stormed to the King by now, spinning her narrative and twisting events in her favor. Yet, there was no word. Perhaps she was taking her time, and planning her next move.

Regardless, Damian decided she wasn’t worth more of his thoughts this morning.

He headed for the bathroom, his mind shifting to Evelina. He hadn’t seen her since she’d hurried out of his chambers after their shared ordeal. He felt a tightness in his jaw at the idea of her being by herself, struggling with the same doubts and worries.

He needed to see her—to talk to her.

*************

Meanwhile, Evelina stepped out of her chambers, the cool morning air brushing against her skin. She had slept restlessly, her mind caught up in the events of the previous day and the vision amplified by the dragon pearl.

The smooth, glowing pearl was still in her possession, tucked carefully into her pocket.

Relia’s voice chimed in her mind. "You’re tense. Is it because you’re thinking about him?"

"Not now, Relia," Evelina muttered under her breath, earning an amused chuckle from her wolf.

Shaking off her nerves, Evelina focused her mind on her investigation.

Brenick.

The name repeated itself like a mantra. She needed to find out the truth. Spotting Jasper near the stables, she quickened her pace, but stopped in her tracks upon noticing Selene with him.

***********

Selene spoke sharply, clearly annoyed. "Why didn’t you tell me she was with him, Jasper?"

Jasper, trying to stay calm despite feeling uncomfortable, replied, "I had no idea myself. The Prince sent me to the kitchen when I met you and I did try to tell you, my lady, but you interrupted me."

Selene glared at him. "You didn’t think it was important enough to push the point?"

Jasper, losing his cool a little, said firmly, "With all due respect, I also tried to tell the Prince. He interrupted me twice." His tone was calm, but it was clear that he didn’t really like Selene and was more loyal to Damian.

Selene muttered a curse under her breath and threw her hands up in frustration before walking away quickly.

Evelina hid in the shadows, observing everything. From Selene’s angry reaction and Jasper’s explanation, it became obvious that Selene was responsible for the aphrodisiac.

Relia’s laugh echoed in Evelina’s mind. "Her desperate little scheme worked out better for us than for her, didn’t it?"

Evelina’s cheeks burned at the memory, and she quickly silenced her wolf. "Don’t," she replied. "We’re not talking about yesterday."

With Selene gone, Evelina approached Jasper, who turned to her with a questioning look. "Lady Evelina," he greeted, bowing slightly.

"Have you seen Brenick? The guard with a scar... I need to speak with him," Evelina said without preamble. "There are questions he needs to answer."

Jasper hesitated, then nodded. "He’s on duty near the eastern gardens. I can take you to him."

**************

As Jasper and Evelina made their way toward the gardens, Damian appeared from the opposite direction, his silver eyes locking onto Evelina instantly. His pace quickened, and Jasper, sensing the need for privacy, offered a quick bow before excusing himself.

An awkward silence stretched between them as they stood face to face.

Damian’s expression softened as he took in her guarded demeanor, but before he could speak, Relia broke the quiet in Evelina’s mind.

"The man of the day has arrived," Relia teased.

Evelina ignored her wolf, folding her arms across her chest. "Your Highness," she greeted formally in a neutral tone.

Damian’s lips twitched at her formality. "Evelina," His voice was low. "We need to talk."

Evelina sighed, shaking her head.

He reached out to touch her arm, and her body stiffened.

Damian froze, his hand falling back to his side.

Her expression remained stoic. "No, we don’t. We should just pretend nothing happened."

"But something did happen," Damian insisted.

"It was an accident," Evelina replied, her eyes flashing. "What happened yesterday was the aphrodisiac working. Nothing more."

Damian’s expression darkened, but he forced himself to nod. He wanted to push back, to tell her it was far more than just the aphrodisiac, but he bit his tongue, sensing it wasn’t the time.

Storm’s voice whined in his mind. "She’s shutting us out. You should say something—anything."

"She needs space," Damian replied silently, though the ache in his chest mirrored Storm’s disappointment.

Breaking the tension, Damian asked instead, "What do you need help with?"

Evelina hesitated for a moment before replying, "I’m looking for a guard. His name is Brenick. I need to question him."

Damian’s brow furrowed slightly, but he nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. "Let’s find him, then."

********

Jasper had been right; Brenick was stationed near the eastern gardens. The scar-faced guard stiffened when he saw Evelina and Damian approaching together, as though he was anticipating trouble.

"We need a word," Evelina said directly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Brenick hesitated but nodded, following them to a more secluded area behind a line of tall hedges. Once there, Evelina wasted no time.

"You planted the vial of poison in my chambers, didn’t you?"

Damian blinked, startled by her directness. "Evelina," he said in a cautious tone. "How are you so sure?"

"I know," she replied simply, without revealing anything about her visions. That was her secret.

Brenick’s face paled, his eyes darting between them. "I-I don’t know what you’re talking about," he stammered.

Evelina took a step closer, studying him and when she spoke, her voice came off low and intense. "Don’t lie to me, Brenick. You were seen, so just admit it."

The guard’s breathing quickened, and his hands clenched into fists. Then, in a sudden, desperate motion, he bolted, pushing past them and sprinting toward the edge of the gardens.

"Stop him!" Evelina shouted, but it was too late. Brenick disappeared into the dense foliage, leaving them behind.

"Fuck!" She bolted after him. "Get him!"