In the bright morning light, Denok shared a story with Tama about Prince Lingga. She explained that Prince Lingga was the Crown Prince of a neighboring kingdom that shared a border with Prabu Sanjaya's territory. The royal families had arranged for Princess Kirana and Prince Lingga to marry in order to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two kingdoms. Unfortunately, before the two could even meet, Princess Kirana had already fallen under her mysterious curse. As a result, no one at the Villa, including Denok, had ever seen Prince Lingga's face.
"Oh, so that's what happened," Tama said with a hint of relief in his voice. "But… was the Princess even interested in Prince Lingga?"
Denok shook her head. "Not at all. It was a political marriage. There was no love involved."
"I see. I'm grateful," Tama replied softly.
"Grateful?" Denok raised an eyebrow. "Why would you be grateful?"
"Well… I mean… if the Princess didn't like him, she must've been heartbroken. That's all I meant."
Denok narrowed her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Just admit you're jealous. Why is that so hard?"
After placing Tama's breakfast neatly on the table, Denok exited his room and headed back to the kitchen. On her way, she ran into Princess Kirana, who was also on her way to the kitchen with her used breakfast dishes.
"Princess! You don't need to bring your plate. Let me do that," Denok offered quickly.
"It's fine," Kirana replied casually. "I don't mind at all."
Denok hesitated for a moment, then recalled Tama's question from earlier. "Oh, by the way, Princess… Tama asked about Prince Lingga this morning."
Kirana suddenly paused. "Prince Lingga?"
"Yes, he seemed really curious. Strange, isn't it? I wonder how he even knew about him."
Kirana frowned. "Tch. Annoying. Why is Tama having dreams about my past when I don't even dream about it myself?"
She turned and quickly walked to her room. Once inside, she opened several drawers, clearly looking for something specific. At last, she found it—a worn-out letter. It was the letter from Prince Lingga, the one he had written and thrown into the lake where the Villa now rested.
She stared at the letter for a moment. "Prince Lingga... I never understood the meaning behind this letter. We never even met, so how could you possibly love me?"
Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened another drawer. Inside was a second letter—this one from General John Willem. As she unfolded the letter and read the words, tears welled up in her eyes without warning. She quickly placed it back in the drawer and slammed it shut, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.
"My mood's ruined," she mumbled.
Just then, her phone buzzed. For the first time in a while, she received a message—Devan had sent her a chat inviting her out for lunch. He mentioned that he wanted to interview her for a special segment on his TV show about the mysterious lives of mythical beings, specifically snake demons.
Kirana considered it for a moment. After her morning emotional spiral, she could use some fresh air and distraction. She replied with a simple "Sure," and began to prepare herself.
Meanwhile, Tama was outside sweeping the courtyard when he saw Kirana emerge from the villa looking well-dressed and radiant. His heart skipped a beat. "Where is she going now?" he thought, dropping the broom and jogging after her quietly.
He followed her to the lake's edge and hid behind a nearby tree as he spotted a familiar car. Devan was there, waiting.
Kirana got into the car without hesitation. Devan grinned and said loud enough for Tama to hear, "Your servant is hiding behind a tree."
Kirana glanced briefly in Tama's direction. "Let him be. He'll probably sneak off to Jakarta later anyway."
As the car sped off, Tama's blood boiled. He clenched his fists and punched the tree out of frustration, leaving visible bruises.
"Damn you, Devan! You arrogant playboy!" Tama gritted his teeth. "You're not allowed to touch my Princess!"
With his determination reignited, he decided to follow them.
Meanwhile, Kirana and Devan arrived at a cozy restaurant. After placing their orders, Kirana raised her eyebrows. "So? What's this urgent thing you wanted to ask?"
Devan smiled. "After lunch. I've reserved a meeting room at my office so we can talk comfortably."
Kirana leaned forward. "Why not talk here? Don't you have work to do?"
"Oh, relax. Besides," Devan lowered his voice and gestured subtly toward the window, "your little ghost butler is spying on us again."
Kirana turned her head slightly, spotting Tama crouched outside, peering through the window. She sighed deeply. "Ugh. This guy again. My whole mood is wrecked. Let's finish and head to your office."
They ate quickly, and Devan went to pay the bill. On her way out, Kirana stopped in front of Tama.
"Stop following me, Tama! I have a project with Devan, and I don't need you ruining it."
Tama looked her in the eye. "Devan is dangerous. He's a player. You have to be careful!"
Kirana crossed her arms. "Why do you even care? Whether I go with him or not, it has nothing to do with you!"
After that, she got back into the car with Devan. Tama stood in place, shocked and speechless. As they drove away, he clenched his chest, mumbling, "I care... I just want her to be safe and happy."
Back at the Villa, Tama returned with his shoulders slumped. Limbur noticed.
"Hey! What happened to you? You look like a rejected love confession!"
Tama barely responded. "It's my fault. I introduced him to her…"
He walked off without another word. Limbur scratched his head. "Who is 'him'? Tama, wait—"
Denok heard the shouting and marched toward the security post with a laundry basket. "What's going on?"
"It's a romantic tragedy. Or maybe comedy… not sure yet," said Limbur, chuckling.
Denok raised an eyebrow. "Should we interfere?"
"No way. You know how mad the Princess gets."
---
At Devan's office, he led Kirana to a reserved meeting room and set up his recording equipment.
"So, tell me… What's life like for snake demons?"
Kirana smirked. "Probably more normal than you'd expect. They marry, have families, work normal jobs—just in a different realm."
"Wait, are there malls and airports in the demon realm?"
"More advanced than you'd believe."
"Can I visit?" Devan asked eagerly.
Kirana laughed. "I can arrange that."
As they left the meeting room and walked toward the lobby, Erick—Devan's boss—spotted them from a distance. He raised an eyebrow, mistaking Kirana for Devan's girlfriend.
"Well, well. Already bringing your girlfriend to the office? Impressive," Erick muttered to himself.
What Erick didn't know was that Kirana was no ordinary woman—and certainly no ordinary girlfriend.
And as for Tama... the storm in his heart had only just begun.