Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 89: The Blue-eyed Guy...

Chapter 89: The Blue-eyed Guy...

Evelina woke up to the sound of a crackling fire. The warmth gently touched her skin, feeling very different from the cold, damp clothes she was wearing. She blinked slowly, her body feeling stiff and sore. The last thing she remembered...

Her breath hitched. The fight. The well. The assassin chasing her. And then—

Him.

The blue-eyed guy.

Her eyes snapped open fully, scanning her surroundings.

A cave.

Dimly lit, with rough stone walls stretching high above her. A small fire burned near the entrance, casting shadows across the uneven surface. A worn fur blanket was draped over her, and a faint scent of pine lingered in the air.

"Oh, great," Relia muttered. "This is becoming a habit."

Evelina groaned, pushing herself upright. Her head throbbed from where she’d been struck, but at least she was alive.

Relia continued, her voice dripping with amusement. "Look at the bright side. At least we’re somewhere better than the last time."

Evelina rolled her shoulders, glancing around cautiously. "Don’t be too quick to assume."

A figure stood a few feet away, his back turned to her. Him.

The man who had "rescued" her. Or kidnapped her. She hadn’t decided which yet.

He stood near the fire, arms crossed, staring at the flames as though they held all the answers in the world. His dark clothing blended into the shadows, but the flickering light highlighted his sharp features, the strong set of his shoulders.

Evelina cleared her throat. "Excuse me."

No response.

Her brows furrowed. "Where are we? And who are you?"

Still, nothing. Not even a word.

Feeling annoyed, she pushed to her feet, swaying slightly before regaining balance. "Hello?" She stepped toward him.

His head tilted slightly. "Oh. She’s awake."

Evelina folded her arms. "I asked you a question."

He didn’t turn around. "Actually, you asked two. I can only answer one."

Her patience frayed. "I swear, if you—"

Relia cackled. "I like him. Can we keep him?"

Evelina ignored her. She exhaled sharply and forced herself to stay calm. "Fine." She crossed her arms. "Answer one, then."

He finally turned, and those piercing blue eyes locked onto hers. Up close, they were even more intense, unreadable yet sharp with quiet amusement.

"Alright." He leaned against the cave wall, arms still crossed. "Ask."

Evelina’s jaw tightened. "Who are you? And why did you hit me?"

His lips twitched. "That’s two questions. Again."

Her fingers curled into fists. "Just answer."

His gaze didn’t waver. "Well, who I am isn’t important."

"That doesn’t answer my question."

"Well, at least it’s an answer to a question."

Her patience was officially gone. She was cold, tired, and sore, and this man was playing word games with her.

Relia snorted. "Can I punch him for you?"

Evelina took a step closer, ignoring the warmth from the fire and the way his presence seemed to dominate the space. "The bigger question," he said in an almost casual tone, "isn’t who I am."

Her brows furrowed. "Then what is?"

"Why those men were after you."

Her stomach twisted, and she turned away to avoid his gaze.

His gaze sharpened as he pressed. "They seemed pretty intent on killing you."

Evelina’s jaw clenched. "I don’t think you’re entitled to an answer when you’re dodging mine."

The man exhaled through his nose, a slow, measured sound. "And I don’t think you want to remain here."

Silence settled between them.

Evelina’s eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

He tilted his head toward the cave entrance. "I brought you here. If I leave, it might take... what? Two, maybe three days for anyone to find you?"

Her hands balled into fists. "Is that a threat?"

He finally uncrossed his arms, pushing off the wall. "No. Just an observation. Come on, just answer me, and we can both get out of here."

Relia’s voice hummed in her head. "He’s not giving us any options, Evie."

Evelina sucked in a breath, weighing her choices. She was sore, disoriented, and exhausted, and this man—whoever he was—held all the leverage.

"Fine," she muttered, running a hand through her tangled hair. "I... I have no idea why they want to kill me. But I guess it has something to do with the fact that there was an outbreak, and I found the cure. But instead of being celebrated, they’re accusing me of being behind it."

She inhaled sharply bitterly. "And now I have two weeks to prove my innocence. But apparently, some people would rather see me dead than free." She threw up her hands. "There. You have it."

For the first time, a flicker of something—thoughtfulness, maybe even mild surprise—crossed his face.

"You found the cure?" he asked.

Evelina blinked. "Uhm... I pretty much just said that."

His gaze darkened slightly, unreadable. Then he murmured a single word.

"Thunderclap?"

Evelina frowned. "What?"

He didn’t reply immediately, his attention shifting toward the entrance of the cave, as if listening for something.

"Uhn?" Evelina followed his gaze, checking the sky for signs of a storm. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

But his next words sent a shiver down her spine.

"Definitely not one of us," he muttered.

Evelina squared her shoulders. "I have no idea what you want, but since I’ve answered your question, you should let me go."

She took a step back, testing his reaction. His expression remained unreadable, but she didn’t miss the slight quirk of his lips, as if amused by her demand.

"You wouldn’t want to keep me here too long," she added, trying to sound confident.

Relia’s voice whispered in her mind, "Tell him. Tell him we have a mate who’s going to come looking. Let’s see how funny he finds that."

Evelina rolled her eyes internally. Not now, Relia.

The man studied her for a moment before replying smoothly, "I’ll let you go."

She blinked. That was easy.

"But," he continued, tilting his head slightly, "on one condition."

Evelina exhaled sharply. "Of course there’s a condition. Fine... what is it you want?"

He smirked. "Your name."