Alex quickly walked out of her house. Once outside, she took a long, deep breath. The air outside was crisp, but it did little to cool her emotions. Her father's cold words echoed painfully in her mind, leaving her feeling completely torn apart. She hugged her arms around herself, wandering aimlessly into the night.
As she neared the edge of the property, a figure came into view. Standing beneath the faint glow of a streetlamp, Daman's familiar silhouette softened her emotions a little. His eyes met hers, filled with genuine concern.
"You weren't looking good when you left..." he said quietly. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."
Alex managed a small, weary smile. "I don't know if I am okay… but thank you for being here."
Daman offered his hand, and without hesitation, she took it, feeling comfort in his warmth. "Let's go somewhere quiet." he suggested gently. "We can talk. Maybe it'll clear your head a little."
They walked together in silence, the quiet night surrounding them. The streets were empty, the soft hum of distant streetlights flickering.
Then, suddenly, everything stopped—the world around them, came to a halt.
The rustling trees stilled. The soft hum of distant city lights flickered into silence. The air turned sharp, biting cold creeping into their bones.
Alex's breath hitched. This spell—
"Damn it! It's Spatial Isolation!" Daman whispered. Alex shot him a look.
'How does he know?!'
A spell that locked an area away from the rest of the world, cutting it off from time and space itself. But in a world where magic didn't exist, it only meant one thing—
Whoever cast this wasn't from here.
Her body tensed, instincts screaming at her to run, but it was already too late.
Dark figures emerged from the shadows. Cloaked in obsidian robes, they moved without a sound, forming a perfect circle around them. The silver embroidery on their cloaks glinted under the dim streetlights, and the moment Alex's eyes landed on it, her blood ran cold. Unwanted memories started to resurface.
Her stomach twisted violently.
Screams—terrified, helpless screams. Shackled hands. Children crying. Shadows looming over them, laughter cold and merciless.
She couldn't breathe.
The phantom cries rang in her ears, drowning out the present. Her hands shot up to her head, pressing against her ears as if that could silence the memories clawing their way back into her mind.
'No, not them—not them again.'
Then, a deep, smooth voice cut through the silence.
"Our Lord is waiting for you, Princess."
Hearing that, Alex froze.
Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it.
Before she could react, Daman stepped in front of her. His stance shifted—protective, unwavering. His usually playful expression was long gone, and now, a cold murderous look remained.
"Daman, stay away! It's dangero—" Alex was interrupted by the sudden thunder rumbling around them.
Lightning erupted around Daman, crackling fiercely as a radiant sword materialized in a burst of light. Alex was extremely shocked to see what unravelled in front of her eyes. Without a word, he stepped forward—and vanished.
Alex barely registered the movement. In the blink of an eye, he was already among the assassins, his blade flashing like a streak of white fire. His strikes were fluid and silent, precise to the point it was almost beautiful—a deadly dance, unlike any combat style Alex had ever seen. Not brutish or explosive, but calculated and elegant, like water flowing between blades.
But the enemies weren't completely helpless. One of them, quick to react, managed to tackle him mid-swing, knocking the weapon from his grip. The sword clattered across the ground, a flicker of light fading as it skidded to a stop. Instantly, the other assassins seized the moment, rushing Daman together in a coordinated, deadly strike.
Alex's breath caught. She stepped forward, ready to fight, but she didn't have to.
Daman raised a single hand.
With a sharp snap of his fingers, his sword flew through the air like a bolt of lightning, slashing through the attackers mid-charge. The blade returned to his hand in a flash, glowing brighter now with a pulse of energy that made the air hum.
Then he moved again.
It was like time had slowed around him. His strikes were too fast, too fluid—as if he were pulling from a style lost to the world, something no knight or soldier could ever master. Alex could only watch in awe and disbelief.
The assassins, once confident and composed, began to falter. Their movements lost rhythm. Their formation broke. Panic flooded their expressions.
"He's dangerous…!" one of them gasped before being struck down.
The enemies retreated, their bodies dissolving into smoke and shadow as they activated their escape spell.
Just like that, the battlefield was silent again.
And all Alex could do was stare—her heart racing, her thoughts spiraling.
This was not the Daman she knew.
_____________________________________
Only the faint crackling of residual lightning remained, flickering around Daman as he exhaled, lowering his sword. The effects of the spacial isolation also disappeared.
Alex remained frozen, staring at him.
Her chest tightened. He had been hiding this from her. Not just the magic. Not just his strength.
Everything.
Her breath came out shaky.
'What if he purposefully started a relationship with me... while knowing who I truly am..?'
That thought terrified her more than anything. She had no choice but to be suspicious because that was how life always treated her.
She took a step back.
Daman turned, catching the look in her eyes. "Alex—"
She took another step.
"Wait." His voice softened, his hand reaching for her.
"I'll act like nothing happened." she murmured. Her voice was quiet, yet heavy with unspoken pain. She was afraid to hear the truth. She truly loved him.
Daman let out a slow sigh, his fingers tightening slightly. "I know you find it hard to trust me right now."
For a brief second, her expression darkened.
Daman stiffened. A chill crawled up his spine.
Then, she exhaled, the shadows in her eyes fading as quickly as they appeared.
Her voice was steady when she spoke. "Do you know who I am?"
A pause. Then—
"Yes."
She clenched her fists.
"Then tell me. What is my real identity?"
Daman's gaze didn't waver.
"You are Alexandra Althea Rosenberg, the Princess of the Archduchy of Rosenberg."
Her heart clenched when she heard his answer. She swallowed hard before asking the next question.
"...Did you intentionally accept my confession, knowing who I was?"
Daman hesitated, but only for a moment.
"Yes."
She felt her eyes getting tear-filled. Her hands trembled as she turned away, stepping forward.
But before she could leave, Daman caught her wrist again—pulling her toward him.
"Alex, listen to everything first. Then judge me."
Taking a deep breath, he confessed, "I.. actually work for Crown Prince Ricardo of Sybellia."
This took her by surprise. Crown Prince Ricardo was her cousin. Daman continued.
"But… he didn't send me here." Daman rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh… ran away."
"...Eh, what?"
"There was just so much work." He sighed dramatically. "Endless meetings, military drills, strategy discussions—ugh, it was exhausting. That son of a motherf*cker dumped all of his work on me! So I thought, 'Hey, why not take a break and give him some headache?' And since I'd heard so much about you from Ricardo, I got curious and, well…" He shrugged. "I came here."
Alex stared at him, completely dumbfounded.
"...Are you serious?"
Daman gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah."
"Can I really believe you?"
"I have the official golden badge of the Sybellian Palace. I can show it to you." Saying that, Daman took it out from his pocket.
"Doesn't this belong to Ricardo? The one that gives you full access to the entire Palace?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, I mean, I was the one who did all his work so he gave it to me."
She facepalmed. "That bumbling fool..."
"And, listen!" He took her hands in his, his eyes suddenly sincere. "I was genuinely happy when you confessed to me. And I meant it when I accepted."
He pressed a soft kiss to her hand. "I really do care about you, Alex."
She blinked, her face heating up. How was she supposed to respond to this?!
Daman, however, took her silence as an opportunity. With a cheeky grin, he leaned in closer, wrapping his arms around her and cuddling her. "Sooo, am I forgiven?"
Alex snapped back to reality. Her expression twisted into playful disgust as she shoved him away.
"Where the hell did my charismatic boyfriend disappear to?!"
Daman pouted. "I'm still here~"
"Get away from me, idiot!"
He laughed, catching her wrist again and pulling her into a proper hug.
Despite everything, Alex found herself smiling.
And for the first time that night, the weight on her chest felt a little lighter.