đ
The air around him felt⊠wrong.
Not suffocating.
Not threatening.
Justâtoo controlled.
As if every breath, every movement, every word he spoke was carefully measured⊠and still dangerous.
Rosy didn't step back.
Even though her instincts screamed at her to run.
Instead, she stood there, staring into those dark, unreadable eyes.
"âŠI think you're mistaken," she said slowly.
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
Because insideâ
Panic.
Who is he?
Why does he talk like he knows Isle?
And why does my heart feel like this�
The man tilted his head slightly, observing her like she was something fascinating.
"Am I?"
One step closer.
Rosy felt it againâthat strange pull, like gravity bending toward him.
Her fingers twitched at her side.
Stay calm. Don't break character.
"I don't recall meeting you," she continued, lifting her chin slightly.
Cold.
Distant.
Just like Isle would be.
For a brief momentâ
Silence.
Thenâ
A soft chuckle escaped his lips.
Low. Dangerous.
"Is that so?"
He leaned in just enough that his voice brushed against her ear.
"Then it seems⊠you've forgotten more than I expected."
Rosy froze.
That didn't sound like a guess.
That sounded like a fact.
Before she could respondâ
"Isle."
Another voice cut in.
Sharp. Familiar.
The crown prince.
Rosy immediately stepped back, putting distance between herself and the stranger.
When she looked backâ
He was already standing straight, expression calm, as if nothing had happened.
"âŠYour Highness," she said, bowing slightly.
The prince's gaze flickered between them, suspicion clear in his eyes.
"You seem quite⊠comfortable," he said coldly.
Ah.
There it is.
Jealousy? Suspicion? Ego?
Rosy kept her face neutral.
"I was simply speaking with a guest."
"Guest?" the prince repeated, frowning.
The man beside her smiled faintly.
"Forgive the intrusion," he said smoothly. "I was merely curious about the empire's⊠famous Grand Duke."
His tone was polite.
But his eyesâ
Still on her.
Still watching.
Still interested.
The prince clicked his tongue.
"Curiosity can be dangerous," he muttered.
Rosy almost smiled.
If only you knew.
---
The hallway felt quieter after that.
Too quiet.
Rosy walked alone now, her steps slower, her thoughts louder.
"âŠWhat was that?"
She pressed her fingers to her temple.
Everything felt off.
That manâ
No.
That devil.
There was no other word for him.
The way he looked at herâŠ
It wasn't admiration.
It wasn't hatred.
It was something far more unsettling.
Likeâ
He had been waiting.
---
"Milady."
A maid approached, bowing respectfully.
"Your father is requesting your presence."
Rosy blinked.
Right.
The father.
The one she accidentally calledâ
"âŠdarling," she whispered under her breath, her face heating up slightly.
Great.
Just great.
"Lead the way," she said, clearing her throat.
---
The Blackwell estate was⊠intimidating.
Not just because of its size.
But because of its atmosphere.
Dark.
Elegant.
Silent.
Like it was watching you.
Rosy followed the maid through long corridors until they stopped in front of a large door.
The maid bowed again.
"He is inside."
Rosy nodded.
Then paused.
Took a deep breath.
And pushed the door open.
---
He was standing by the window.
Tall.
Composed.
Bathed in soft light.
For a momentâ
Rosy forgot how to breathe.
"âŠThis is illegal," she muttered under her breath.
He turned.
And just like thatâ
Her brain stopped working.
Black hair.
Sharp features.
Eyes that held something ancient⊠something unreadable.
And a face that looked far too young for someone who was supposed to be her father.
Oh no.
No, no, no.
This is bad.
Very bad.
"Isle."
His voice was calm. Deep.
Dangerously gentle.
Rosy straightened immediately.
"F-Fatherâ"
She stopped herself just in time.
Almost.
"âDuke," she corrected quickly.
His gaze lingered on her.
Longer than necessary.
"âŠYou seem nervous."
"I'm not," she replied instantly.
Too instantly.
A pause.
Thenâ
He took a step closer.
Rosy's heartbeat picked up.
Why does everyone in this world walk like they're about to ruin my life?
"You've changed," he said quietly.
There was no accusation in his tone.
No judgment.
Just⊠observation.
Which somehow felt worse.
Rosy forced herself to stay still.
"I don't understand what you mean."
Another step.
Closer.
Too close.
"You will," he said.
And for a split secondâ
His eyes shifted.
Darker.
Colder.
Not human.
Rosy's breath hitched.
What was that�
Before she could process itâ
He turned away.
"Assemble your knights," he said, his voice returning to normal. "You leave for the northern border tomorrow."
Tomorrow?
So soon?
Rosy blinked.
"Yes," she replied automatically.
But her mind was still stuckâ
On that moment.
Those eyes.
That feeling.
---
Later that nightâ
Rosy sat alone in her room.
The moonlight spilled through the curtains, casting shadows across the floor.
She stared at her reflection again.
"âŠThis world is insane."
A devil who knows her.
A father who doesn't feel human.
A prince who already dislikes her.
And a story that ends with her disappearing.
She laughed softly.
"âŠPerfect."
Her purple eyes gleamed faintly in the mirror.
"Then let's make it interesting."
If this world wanted a villainâ
She would give them one.
But not the kind they expected.
No.
She would beâ
The kind that wins.
---
Far awayâ
In the darkness of a quiet corridorâ
A pair of eyes watched the Blackwell estate.
Sharp.
Patient.
Hungry.
"âŠYou really don't remember," he murmured.
A slow smile formed on his lips.
"That's fine."
His gaze darkened.
"I'll just make you remember again."
---
End of Chapter 2