Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 92: Waiting for You...

Chapter 92: Waiting for You...

Evelina’s breath hitched as her eyes locked on the scary words: "You’re not safe."

The ink was dark, hastily scrawled, the letters uneven as if written in a rush—or by someone trembling. A chill crept up her spine, not from the cool air against her damp skin but from the message itself.

She scanned the room, her pulse pounding in her ears, but there was no sign of anyone. Just the flickering candlelight casting long, shifting shadows.

She walked carefully toward the door, taking quiet, cautious steps. Her fingers shook a little as she picked up the small dagger from the wood, its sharp edge shining softly.

The note drifted into her hand. She turned it over, looking closely at both the parchment and the dagger, trying to find any sign or detail that might reveal who had left them.

Relia’s voice pierced the tense silence. "Well, that’s not threatening at all. What’s next? Blood dripping from the ceiling?"

Evelina didn’t respond.

Instead, she closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to the note, willing her ability to activate—to pull any trace of the past from it.

But nothing happened.

No flicker of memory.

No vision. Just the frustrating void of emptiness.

"Why isn’t it working?" Evelina whispered under her breath, feeling more and more frustrated.

Relia’s voice became a bit gentler, though some sarcasm remained. "Your fear is holding you back. You’re too tense. You need to look beyond this."

Evelina clenched her jaw. "I don’t have time to look beyond it." She exhaled sharply. "The dragon pearl is more important now. I’ll finish bathing and then find Damian. Maybe he’s found something."

She crumpled the note slightly, her fingers still tight around the dagger. "With the dragon pearl, I’d get a vision."

Relia huffed in her mind. "The pearl only amplifies what’s already there. If there’s a vision to see, it helps. But if there’s nothing, well... it amplifies nothing."

Evelina rolled her eyes as she turned back toward the bath. "Thanks, that’s really helpful."

Relia’s laughter echoed softly in her mind. "Ah, there it is. The famous Evelina stubbornness. Feared across kingdoms, undefeated even by magical artefacts."

Evelina felt a slight smirk at the corner of her mouth, but the heaviness of the note still affected her—it was like a shadow that hung nearby, just out of view.

Evelina dressed quickly after her bath, the chill from the note lingering under her skin more than any cold draft. She slipped the crumpled parchment into her dresser alongside the dagger, not wanting to think too much about it or its implication.

That she truly wasn’t safe.

The halls outside her chamber were quieter than usual, the distant sounds of footsteps and soft murmurs echoing faintly through the stone corridors.

She found Damian near the palace’s inner courtyard, pacing with the familiar intensity she’d come to recognise. His silver eyes flicked toward her the moment she approached, and his posture relaxed slightly, though his expression remained sharp.

"You’re finally here," Damian’s voice was low but edged with relief. "I’ve been looking for you all day."

Evelina managed a small, tired smile. "Sorry. It’s been... a long day."

His eyes scanned her face, concern flickering beneath his usual stern demeanour. "Did something happen?"

She hesitated for a moment, then gave him a summarised version—omitting Blaze and the note pinned to her door. She spoke of returning to the well, her investigation, and finally, the sudden attack.

"Assassins?" Damian’s eyes narrowed, his entire body tensing. "They tried to kill you?"

Evelina nodded. "Three of them. Well-trained. They weren’t just thugs."

His jaw clenched, and for a moment, his composure cracked, revealing something raw and fierce beneath. "Are you hurt?"

The question caught her off guard—not because of the words themselves but because of the way he said them.

His voice softened just enough to tug at something inside her. She hadn’t realised how tightly she’d been holding herself together until now.

"I’m fine," she replied, her voice quieter than she intended.

Damian moved closer, his silver eyes focused on hers, showing a protective intensity that made her catch her breath. For all his usual stoicism, this felt different—more personal.

And for some reason, it mattered more than she wanted to admit.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly as if the question mattered more than her well-being.

Evelina hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line before she finally spoke. "Someone... rescued me," she admitted, her voice low but steady. "After the attack. He kept me safe until it was clear to return to the palace."

There was a pause—a beat of silence that seemed to stretch too long.

"Technically, he kidnapped you after saving you," Relia’s voice quipped in Evelina’s mind, filled with dry amusement.

"Damian doesn’t have to know that," Evelina shot back inwardly, her jaw tightening slightly as she avoided Damian’s gaze for just a heartbeat too long.

The effect on Damian was immediate.

His expression hardened, his silver eyes narrowing slightly as a muscle in his jaw twitched. He didn’t speak right away, but the shift in his stance spoke volumes.

His posture straightened, shoulders tensing as if bracing against an invisible force.

"Someone else kept her safe?" Storm’s voice growled quietly in Damian’s mind with irritation.

"Apparently," Damian replied sharply.

Without another word, Damian stepped back—a subtle movement, but Evelina noticed it. The space he created felt heavier than his presence had.

He gazed at her for a moment longer as if he wanted to say more. Instead, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to control the emotions swirling inside him.

"Have you talked to Lily yet?" Evelina asked, her voice cutting through the tension as she purposefully shifted the conversation.

Damian’s expression remained guarded, but he gave a short nod. "I was waiting for you."

His words were simple, but there was an undercurrent to them—a flicker of something unspoken, hidden beneath his calm appearance.

Without another word, he motioned for her to follow. They left the palace’s stone corridors and stepped into the cool night air of the palace gardens. The moonlight bathed the trimmed hedges and marble statues in a soft glow, casting long shadows across the cobblestone path.

As they walked, Damian’s expression grew distant. Evelina sensed the flicker of a mind link—a brief pause in his step confirming it.

A few minutes later, they heard soft footsteps approaching from behind. Lily came into view, looking tense as she walked toward them, her eyes flicking nervously between Damian and Evelina.

"Your Highness," she greeted immediately with a deep bow. "Is... is my sister okay?" she asked. "I’ve done everything you asked. I haven’t told Lady Selene anything."

Damian’s silver gaze hardened slightly. "That’s half of what we asked. The second part requires you to tell us what Selene is planning."

Lily hesitated, wringing her hands. "She doesn’t have much planned right now. She’s... observing. Waiting. She said things are shifting and wants to see how they unfold."

Evelina’s eyes narrowed. "Observing what?"

Lily looked down, avoiding their gazes. "You. The council. Lady Evelina."

A cold knot formed in Evelina’s stomach. "And the dragon pearl? I heard you know almost everything going on in the palace. So, do you know where it is?"

Lily’s face paled slightly. She hesitated before nodding. "Lady Selene has it. I... I was the one who gave it to her."

Evelina’s breath hitched, her fingers curling into fists. "You gave it to her?"

"I—I didn’t think it was important!" Lily stammered. "I didn’t know what it was, I swear. I’m sorry. It dropped off the day you were taken, and I showed it to her. She then decided to keep it."

Evelina stepped closer. "You gave it to her. Now you’re going to find a way to get it back."

Lily’s lip trembled slightly. "And what about my sister? She’s innocent. When does she get to go home?"

Damian’s expression remained cold, his voice steady. "When you find and return the pearl."