The Damned Demon

789  Secrets Everywhere

The next day in the Nightshade Castle,

The grand hall outside the recovery room was bathed in a somber glow, the soft flickering of enchanted lanterns casting shadows on the walls. The air was thick with tension and exhaustion, a silence that neither Sabina nor Silvia could bear to break.

For more than a day, they had stood waiting, their nerves stretched thin, their minds replaying the events that led them here over and over again.

The wait was agonizing.

Rowena and Isola were both lying unconscious inside, battling the aftermath of a war that had torn their world apart.

Multiple physicians, some of the best the Nightshade Kingdom had to offer, were inside—working tirelessly to tend to their wounds.

But it had been so long, and neither of them had woken up yet.

Sabina crossed her arms, tapping her fingers impatiently against her bicep while leaning against the cold stone wall.

Silvia, on the other hand, stood rigid, her hands clasped together as if in silent prayer, her ruby-red eyes brimming with worry.

The door to the recovery room finally creaked open, and both women stiffened.

From within the dim-lit chamber, King Lakhur emerged.

His expression was solemn, his posture carrying the weight of unspoken words.

Silvia and Sabina held their breath, exchanging a brief glance before fixing their gazes on him.

Lakhur sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose before speaking, "You two should finally take some rest. Your queen is in stable condition, but Consort Isola's injuries are... more severe," he admitted.

The moment the words left his lips, Silvia's eyes widened, her breath hitching.

"No… Please tell Silvia she's going to be alright, Uncle Lakhur. She's like a sister to us—we can't lose her," Silvia pleaded, her voice quivering.

Sabina also slowly nodded with a complicated expression. Even if she was holding a grudge against Isola for not telling them why Asher left, she couldn't deny Silvia's words.

Lakhur let out a slow exhale before meeting their gazes.

"We are doing everything we can," he reassured them. "But her injuries were deep—some of her organs nearly ruptured. It will take time before we can say for certain whether she'll fully recover. The protection hit she took for your queen was meant for a peak Soul Devourer and not a mid-level Soul Devourer like her… and she took it while she was completely out of mana."

A heavy silence settled over them.

Silvia bit her lip, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Sabina's fingers curled into fists, her jaw clenching.

They both knew what he said was true. They had heard about it.

The way Isola had thrown herself in front of Rowena, shielding her without hesitation, despite knowing she had no mana left to defend herself.

It was a sacrifice that neither of them could repay.

But then, Lakhur's tone shifted, his gaze turning more contemplative, "But her valiant act saved something else... something just as precious."

Both Silvia and Sabina snapped their gazes toward him, their expressions mirroring the same confusion.

Sabina narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean? Saved what exactly?"

Lakhur studied them for a moment before his eyes softened slightly, "Your queen's and your king's unborn child."

Silvia's breath caught in her throat, her heart skipping a beat.

"P-Pregnant?" she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sabina, usually undaunted, had her jaw slack, blinking rapidly in stunned silence.

Lakhur gave a small nod, "So you truly didn't know…"

Sabina's expression twisted with conflicted emotions before she let out a frustrated scoff.

"How could she… How could she hide that from us?" She took a deep breath before adding, "I doubt our husband even knows. Otherwise, he would never leave her side even if the world was ending tomorrow."

Lakhur sighed and said, "She must have had no choice. Maybe she only found out right before the war started and didn't want to worry anyone. According to my physicians, she conceived recently. She probably didn't want to burden anyone with this knowledge."

Silvia wiped her eyes, her lips parting into a soft, trembling smile.

"It's okay, Sabina… Something good finally happened." Her voice wavered with emotion, "Our husband and our queen are going to have a child. We're going to be aunts."

Sabina exhaled sharply, rubbing her forehead as if processing everything.

Seeing Silvia's tearful but genuine smile, her own anger and frustration began to wane.

"You silly girl..." Sabina muttered, but the warmth in her tone betrayed her fondness.

Even amidst all this pain and ruin, this was something worth celebrating. It was the only thing that could provide some relief and happiness to their people.

But before they could fully digest the news, a weary voice suddenly spoke from behind.

"The queen is pregnant?"

They turned swiftly to see Seron, his usual composed demeanor replaced by a pale, exhausted expression.

Sabina's eyes darkened, her hands immediately resting on her hips.

"Well, well… Look who finally shows up," she scoffed, tilting her head. "Advisor Seron, we thought you were dead. And now you finally make an appearance—after our queen and Isola have already been unconscious for a day? You were supposed to be here with us, tending to them and telling us what to do next."

Seron sighed heavily, running a hand through his disheveled hair, his usual pristine composure now completely frayed.

"I didn't want to be absent," he muttered, his tone heavy.

"Then what kept you?" Sabina challenged, crossing her arms. Her expression briefly softened as she asked, "Is Silvan fine?" Sabina wondered if Serom returned late because something happened to Silvan.

"He is...fine..." Seron clenched his jaw as Silvan's face flashed in his mind like a tormenting specter.

He felt like a traitor.

Not only to his queen, but to his people, to everything he had sworn to protect.

And he never saw it coming.

The weight of his failure pressed heavily on his shoulders, like chains wrapping around his very soul.

Part of him wanted to leave, to hunt down Silvan and make him answer for what he had done.

But where would he even start?

Silvan had vanished, no traces left behind.

And no matter how much he wanted to chase him down, he knew—deep down—his place was here.

Even if his queen chose to punish him for failing to see what his son had been plotting, he deserved it.

He took a deep, steadying breath, pushing back the storm of emotions, only to feel another piercing gaze settle on him.

Sabina.

Her ghostly red eyes bored into him, full of suspicion and frustration, like she was trying to peel away his silence with sheer will alone.

He couldn't tell them.

Not yet.

His queen deserved to hear it first.

And so, forcing his expression to remain neutral, he finally spoke.

"Consort Sabina, I do want to tell you. But I am afraid the queen needs to hear it from me first."

Sabina scoffed, her tail flicking behind her in sheer disbelief, "Are you serious? Why the hell is everyone keeping secrets from us?! This is ridiculous!" she snapped.

Silvia, standing beside her, gently tapped Sabina's wrist, trying to calm her down.

She understood the frustration, truly she did.

But Seron wasn't just anyone—he was one of their most trusted advisors, and after everything that had happened, she doubted he would withhold something without a reason.

Lakhur, who had been silently watching the exchange, finally cleared his throat, "Advisor Seron, I am afraid you won't be able to talk to your queen right now."

His voice was firm yet calm, "But the moment she wakes up, I will let you know. You all should take some rest now. Only then will you be able to support your queen when she wakes up. I shall now return to my duties."

With that, he gave them a brief nod before turning on his heel and walking away.

The others, despite their emotions, bowed slightly out of respect as he left.

Seron hesitated for a moment before sighing.

"I... I will return when she wakes up," he finally said, his voice heavy, as though every word was dragging him down.

Then, without waiting for a response, he too walked away, his shoulders weighed down by guilt.

Sabina watched him leave, her fingers curling into tight fists.

"I swear I am going to unearth whatever secrets everyone is hiding from us," she muttered darkly.

But before Silvia could respond, another voice cut through.

"Silvia, can I talk to you?"

Silvia turned, her brows raising as she saw Kayla standing a few feet away, her expression serious.

"Kayla? What is it?" Silvia asked, concern creeping into her tone.

Kayla pressed her lips together, her fingers nervously rubbing against each other before she spoke.

"It's something important that I need you to hear first. I remembered something from what happened that 'day'."

Silvia's breath hitched slightly.

That day.

The day Kayla had almost lost her mind.

The day she lost almost everything.

Sabina rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed, "Great. Another secret that nobody wants me to know."

Kayla turned to Sabina, her eyes apologetic, "I'm sorry. But it would only be right if Silvia knows about it first."

Sabina let out a dramatic sigh before waving her hand dismissively, "Fine, fine. Just go and hear whatever it is."

Then, without subtlety, she pushed Silvia forward, earning a mild glare from her. Sabina was confident she can pry out whatever secret it was from Silvia later.

Kayla gave a small, grateful smile before leading Silvia toward the far end of the hall.

Once they were far enough, Silvia turned to Kayla, her nerves already tightening.

"Kayla, you're making Silvia worry. What is it that you remembered?"

Kayla hesitated.

Her dark eyes flickered with unease, her posture stiff.

Then, she finally spoke.

"I remembered who that woman was… the one who crippled my mind."

Silvia felt a cold chill crawl up her spine.

Her heart pounded, her breath hitching.

"W-Who was it...?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kayla took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she finally uttered the name.

The moment the words left her lips, Silvia's eyes widened in sheer horror.

Her body froze, her mind reeling.

'No...It couldn't be...'

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