Chapter 6 #9
Shockingly, the beast actually recoiled seeing a mortal yelling at it.
The younger brother appeared beside her a second later with shadows already curling violently around his hands.
But before he attacked, Nina noticed something. The creature wasn’t enraged.It was injured. Its leg trembled beneath its weight while broken chains dragged behind it across the street.
Her expression changed instantly.
“Oh.”
The younger brother blinked once. “Oh?”
“That’s not an attack animal.”
The entire marketplace stayed frozen while Nina lowered the spear. Then carefully, like she was approaching a frightened dog instead of a nightmare monster, she stepped closer.The guards stood still. The younger brother looked one second away from cardiac arrest.
“Nina.”
“Relax.”
“That statement has never comforted anyone.”
The creature growled weakly again while Nina crouched near the broken chains around its injured leg. Then quietly, soft enough that only nearby people heard , she said:
“…Someone hurt you first, huh.”
Silence spread across the marketplace. The beast stopped growling. And somewhere behind the crowd, one older demon whispered in disbelief:
“The human pitied a shadow beast.”
The marketplace stayed completely silent after that.
Nina crouched beside the injured creature while everyone else in the southern district looked seconds away from collective panic.
The beast growled weakly again. Its massive body trembled beneath broken chains cutting into dark skin while silver blood stained the stones beneath it.
Nina’s expression hardened instantly.
“Oh I’m going to kill whoever did this.”
“That,” the younger brother muttered while watching her carefully, “is the hottest thing you’ve ever said.”
“Now is not the time.”
“It is always the time.”
The shadow beast flinched slightly when Nina reached toward the chains around its injured leg. Immediately the surrounding guards raised weapons again.
“No,” Nina snapped sharply without even looking back.
Surprisingly,every single guard froze. The younger brother noticed too. Actually, no. He seemed utterly ruined by it. Because Nina didn’t command people through fear. She just acted like protecting others was obvious.
And everyone obeyed anyway. The chains finally snapped apart beneath the younger brother’s shadows while Nina steadied the creature carefully beside her. Then softly like she was speaking to something frightened instead of monstrous, she murmured:
“There. Better.”
The beast stared at her silently for one long second. Then lowered its enormous head against her shoulder gently. The entire marketplace gasped.
One older demon whispered, “The shadow beasts trust almost nobody.”
The younger brother radiated smug satisfaction.
“Obviously.”
Nina pointed at him. “Do not make this weird.”
“It became weird the second you adopted Hell wildlife.”
Meanwhile farther across the city:
Eva’s district assignment had become equally disastrous for the council’s original expectations. By sunset, the lower markets weren't afraid of her anymore. They'd adopted her.
Demons crowded around market stalls laughing while Eva sat beside several elderly vendors arguing passionately about recipes while children followed her through the streets carrying glowing flowers and little paper lanterns.
One older merchant shook his head in disbelief. “The prince chose a terrifyingly kind woman.”
Above the district balconies, hidden council members watched the scene quietly.
“She remembers names,” one ruler muttered softly.
Another watched Eva help a frightened child fix a broken lantern with careful hands before quietly adding:
“…The people stopped fearing royal guards while she was here.”
And standing silently beside them the demon watched Eva laugh with the market citizens beneath the glowing silver lights.
The expression on his face changed afterward. Not pride exactly. Worse. Devotion. Complete and irreversible.
One older council member finally smiled seeing her. Then sighed softly into the evening air.
“Oh he’s never recovering from this.”
By the time both assignments ended, the palace halls had already filled with rumors again.Not scandal this time. Something softer. Stories. The humans who walked through Hell like people mattered.
The humans who spoke to citizens directly. Who protected strangers. Who made ancient demons laugh. Who treated monsters gently.
By the time Nina and Eva finally returned to the palace that evening, the atmosphere had completely changed. Servants bowed differently now. Not fearful but warm .
And waiting near the enormous palace entrance stood nearly the entire council. Nina stopped walking. “…That many old people together cannot mean anything good.”
One ruler actually smiled slightly. Honestly, it was a terrifying experience. The younger brother stepped beside Nina casually while the demon moved automatically toward Eva the second she approached the palace stairs.
His hand found hers naturally like he’d been waiting all day to touch her again.
The central ruler studied both women quietly for a long moment before finally speaking.
“The kingdom expected weakness.”
Silence spread through the palace entrance. Then the ruler continued calmly:
“Instead, the humans reminded Hell what strength was supposed to protect.”
The words settled heavily into the silence afterward. Not dramatic. But real.
One older council woman stepped towards Eva before gently taking the glowing silver flower still tucked near her sleeve from the market district.
“The lower city has already started calling you their princess.”
She blinked once. “Absolutely not.”
Nina pointed at both of them. “Yeah no. We should not be trusted with a kingdom.”
Several rulers laughed quietly, and the sound alone made dread settle straight into their stomach. Oh God. It was happening. The council actually liked them now, which felt far more dangerous than when they hated them.
Then unexpectedly, the older council woman reached forward and adjusted a strand of Nina’s hair gently before speaking quietly:
“You already changed this kingdom more in two days than most royals manage in centuries.”
Then beside Eva, her demon looked toward the council calmly before saying the most devastating thing possible:
“I told you she would.”
Chapter 29
Eva POV
His words followed me for the rest of the evening.
Because now every time my demon stared at me afterward, the council started acting totally invested again like terrifying ancient rulers had become relationship grandparents.
Which felt deeply unsafe. Because by the next morning, the palace had transformed into complete chaos.
Servants rushed through the halls carrying silver fabrics, ceremonial candles, black roses, jewelry cases, ancient scrolls, and enough flowers to overwhelm an entire continent.
Nina stopped dead in the middle of the corridor.
“…Why does this look like a supernatural wedding Pinterest?”
One palace servant tilted his head. “What is Pinterest?”
Nina pointed vaguely around the palace. “Based on this place? Probably something demons invented first.”
Meanwhile, several older council women had completely surrounded me near the palace lounge while holding up different pieces of ceremonial jewelry against my neck like I was some kind of thoroughly exhausted doll.
“This silver suits her better.”
“No. The darker stones emphasize the royal mark.”
“She needs stronger ceremonial fabrics.”
I shot my demon a desperate look from across the room. The traitor was clearly enjoying himself. Actually worse,he looked happy.
Nina pointed at him from the opposite side of the lounge where other servants were aggressively measuring her for formal clothing. “You stop looking smug right now.”
“I’m not smug.”
“You’re physically glowing.”
“That sounds medically impossible.”
The younger brother lounged lazily nearby while watching Nina threaten multiple attendants with fabric samples.
“It’s impossible for her to cooperate peacefully, isn’t it.”
“No,” Nina answered. “Peace was never an option.”
Meanwhile one older council woman fastened a heavy silver chain carefully around my wrist before explaining calmly:
“The mating ceremony will permanently bind royal souls.”.
Then Nina raised one hand. “…That sounded horrifying.”
“It is sacred.”
“That did not improve the sentence.”
The council woman ignored her completely.
“True names will be exchanged willingly before witnesses. The bond then becomes permanent.”
The room quieted slightly after that. Because it stopped sounding like romantic chaos and started sounding real. Permanent real. I felt my demon’s attention shift toward me instantly from across the lounge. Like he was checking whether I panicked hearing it.
Before anyone could spiral further, palace doors burst open hard enough to shake the silver lanterns overhead. A demon woman staggered into the lounge breathing heavily. At first I thought she was injured. Then I saw the knife.
After that, everything started happening far too quickly.
“You stole him,” the woman screamed violently before shadows exploded across the room.
Servants panicked hard. Council members surged to their feet. My demon moved instantly but the woman was already rushing toward me.
Silver shadows tore through the lounge while Nina yelled something aggressively nearby and the younger brother lunged forward at the exact same moment.
Then ancient power slammed through the palace hard enough to crack the floor beneath us. The entire room went completely still. Not metaphorically. Literally no one moved.
The attacking demon collapsed instantly under crushing pressure while black fire erupted violently across the lounge walls.
Every council member went dead silent.
Two figures stood in the shattered palace doorway surrounded by enough terrifying power to make the entire room physically shake.
The woman was beautiful in the frightening way storms were beautiful.