The Damned Demon

After letting out a low sigh, Naida, her voice embodying the gentle but firm tone of a mother's guidance, took hold of Silvia's wrist and guided her to sit, "When I told you to be sincere, I thought you would understand it doesn't mean you have to completely act like your usual self. It's fine if you are mischievous before me or your family, but you shouldn't trouble your king when he is on official duty. Imagine the consequences if he had failed because of you. I thought you knew better," she explained, her brows knit together in mild disapproval.

The reprimand stung Silvia more than she anticipated. It was rare for her mother to adopt such a stern demeanor, and the seriousness of her words weighed heavily on Silvia's heart. Yet, amidst the rebuke, another thought weighed heavier on her heart which she struggled to express.

Still, thinking about what her mother said about troubling Asher, Silvia looked up with a aggrieved look,

"B-But Silvia helped him—"

"Yes. I know you not only helped him but our kingdom. But it was a play of luck and fate. Can you guarantee that things will go beautifully well every time you cause trouble? No. If you truly wish to be his woman, then you have to think from his place as well and not your own. Otherwise, in his eyes, you would only seem like a burden," Naida continued, squeezing Silvia's hand reassuringly yet firmly.

Silvia's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she absorbed her mother's words. Pressing her lips tightly together, she slowly raised her gaze to meet Naida's, "Silvia understands and will never repeat the same mistake again. But...Silvia wanted to know…" Her voice trailed off, her eyes darting away, as if her mind was plagued by some other thought.

Naida's expression softened, a smile touching her lips as she sensed the shift in her daughter's mood, "What is it? You can tell me anything."

Silvia kept glancing around but then her demeanor suddenly brightened, a shy yet elated smile spreading across her face, "S-Silvia got her first kiss with him."

Naida inhaled sharply, a mixture of surprise and delight animating her features, "That's wonderful, my lovely rose. Even if you caused trouble, you still ended up clearing a great hurdle for him. Mother is happy for you," she responded, her voice warm with genuine happiness for her daughter's personal milestone.

Encouraged by her mother's reaction, Silvia's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red as she ventured further, her voice a hopeful whisper, "Does this mean Silvia has a chance of becoming his woman?"

Naida's giggle, light and musical, filled the air as she responded to Silvia's question, "If he kissed you without you asking for it, then that means he is at least fond of you. If you keep this up, then the more he kisses you, the more he won't feel like letting you go."

Silvia's eyes sparkled with delight, her mind whirling with the implications of her mother's words and how she knew Asher so well.

She pondered whether her mother's insights were particular to Asher or if they held true for all men, though she found it hard to believe that most men were quite like Asher when it came to matters of the heart.

Catching sight of the book in Silvia's lap, Naida's curiosity was piqued, "What are you hiding in there? Can Mother take a look?" she inquired, leaning slightly closer.

Silvia, ever eager to share her joy, nodded excitedly and opened the book to the page where the rose petal was carefully preserved. The delicate petal lay against the paper—a symbol of a cherished memory.

Naida's gaze fell on the petal, and she asked, "What's special about this petal?"

With a radiant smile, Silvia explained, "This petal contains the proof of his and Silvia's first kiss. It will be forever preserved even after Silvia dies after becoming very old and wrinkly."

Her voice took on an unusually wistful tone as she continued, "Since he is immortal, he will definitely live way, way longer than Silvia. So after Silvia is gone, he can still remember Silvia by taking a look at this book, which will contain proof of all our special moments."

Naida's expression softened as she absorbed the depth of Silvia's feelings, touched by her daughter's thoughtfulness and foresight, "Silvia..." she murmured, realizing just how deeply her daughter was invested in her relationship with Asher.

"You really take after me..." Naida commented softly, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Silvia blinked her ruby red eyes in confusion, tilting her head slightly, "Silvia does what?"

"Nothing," Naida replied, dismissing the thought with a shake of her head and a gentle smile.

Then, remembering something, she leaned in, her voice tinged with intrigue, "Did you meet the Nightshade Princess? I heard both of you had quite an encounter."

Silvia, her eyes bright with the innocence of newfound friendship, nodded enthusiastically, "Kayla is so nice. Even after she recovered, she said she still likes to be Silvia's friend."

"So it really came true..." Naida murmured, a distant look briefly clouding her gaze as her mind drifted away for a moment.

Silvia, catching the change in her mother's expression, tilted her head curiously, "What came true, mother?"

Naida reached out, her hand gently caressing Silvia's cheek, her smile warm, "It's just that I always wished you would have a true friend to have fun with rather than the ones here who only befriend you for your last name and not for who you are as a person."

Silvia's lips pursed thoughtfully, her voice carrying a hint of wisdom befitting her age;, "Silvia only needs one friend as long as they are nice, even if Silvia lost her last name."

Naida's chuckle was soft and loving, echoing around them like a gentle breeze, "I have a feeling that Kayla is such a friend for you. Cherish her just as she will cherish you," she advised.

Her thoughts then turned back to other pressing matters, her voice carrying a trace of concern, "So, did anything else happen? Did our king say anything or learn anything from Kayla? Now that she has recovered, she could be considered the only survivor of that tragic day other than Rebecca. I am sure our king must have tried to find some answers for our queen"

Silvia's expression became heavy suddenly and briefly averted her gaze before looking at her mother, "The queen's mother...she was your only friend just like Kayla is mine, right?"

Naida's eyes dimmed with a sorrowful acknowledgment, "Yes. Layla was the only person who I could proudly call a friend. Even after she became the queen, she always tried to look out for me. It's been decades, yet it still pains me how things ended. If only fate was less cruel to us..."

As Silvia absorbed her mother's words, a complex mix of emotions played across her features.

She looked up at her mother with her inner brows raised, "Did...fate have a good reason for what happened? Or is Silvia wrong to think that way?"

Naida's expression became heavy as she slowly shook her head, "Fate can never have a good reason for what happens to someone. It is always cruel, Silvia. Otherwise, why would we be born in a doomed world like this? We were cursed to suffer the moment we were born. Fate only gives us an illusion of control," Naida explained, her voice tinged with decades and decades of experiences and memories.

Silvia, her face creased with concern, pressed her lips together and ventured a fragile question, "Was fate cruel to you, Mother? Like...very cruel?"

Naida offered a weak smile, a glimmer of resilience flickering in her eyes, "I always felt like that, but after you and your brother were born, that feeling lessened, and now good things keep happening that make me feel like maybe fate is trying to pull me into an illusion I want to see."

"Does that mean...Mother and Silvia are forever trapped by fate?" Silvia asked, her voice laced with sorrow.

Naida inhaled deeply and shook her head slowly, her tone infused with a newfound determination, "I did think like that long ago. But now, even if fate wants to put us in an illusion of control, we just have to try hard enough to fool fate into thinking it's in control and break free from our chains. It all comes down to how far you are willing to go to achieve that."

Silvia's eyes widened with anxious realization, and she was about to speak when her mother gently pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her with a tender gesture, "You have nothing to worry about because I will fight fate for you. Everything I have done and will do will be for you as well, and not just for me."

Overcome with emotion, Silvia leaned forward, embracing her mother tightly, "Silvia will fight anyone, be it fate, for Mother as well," she declared, her voice muffled against Naida's shoulder.

Naida chuckled softly, a sound of both warmth and melancholy, as she kissed Silvia's forehead.

As they parted, Naida's eyes drifted toward the distant crimson skies, her smile slowly fading like the light of the setting sun.

However, quite some distance away, from another part of the castle above, Vernon looked at Naida and Silvia sharing a warm moment.

"You seem a bit out of it these days, Father. Is it regarding Mother and Sister?" A young man's voice gently echoed from behind.

Vernon's eyes flickered as he slowly turned around to see his son Jael step forward with a concerned look.

Vernon let out a low sigh and said, "I was just worried about our future. With everything that has been going on recently, I fear difficult trials lay ahead of us. So it will be up to us to try our best to protect our House and our family...no matter what."

Jael narrowed his eyes as he slowly nodded, "That's a given, Father."