Eve slowly woke up, her eyes blinking as the morning light filled the room. For a moment, she felt confused. The bed was too soft, and the warmth around her felt strange. Her heart skipped as she remembered—she wasn't in her world anymore.
The previous day's events came rushing back: the accusations, the dungeon, the Dragon Pearl… Damian.
Her breath caught as she realized where she was—Damian's chambers.
"What the hell," she muttered, sitting up abruptly. The soft duvet slid down, and she froze.
"Why am I on the bed?" she muttered. "I was supposed to be on the floor."
Relia's amused voice filled her mind. "Relax. Nothing happened."
"Nothing? We slept on the same bed!" Eve hissed internally. "And you say nothing happened?"
"As much as I hoped it did," Relia replied with a mischievous tone, "you passed out almost the moment your head hit the pillow."
"And Damian?" Eve pressed.
"The prince was... surprisingly honourable. Still very much a gentleman, though you made it difficult," Relia teased.
Before Eve could respond, the door swung open.
Damian strode in, his silver eyes landing on her. He paused mid-step, his expression flickering as memories of the previous night came rushing back. Eve froze as their gazes locked.
Then Damian's eyes dipped downward, and he quickly turned his head to the side, clearing his throat.
Eve frowned, following his line of sight—and that's when she realized.
Her gown had slipped during the night, leaving her upper body exposed. Her left breast was fully out, almost like it wanted to personally greet the prince. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she scrambled to grab the sheets and clutch them tightly to her chest.
"Can't you knock?" she snapped as her cheeks flamed. "You don't just walk in on someone like you own the place!"
Damian's lips curved into the faintest smirk. "I do own the place," he replied smoothly in an annoyingly casual tone.
Eve glared at him, her mind scrambling for a comeback. "You're such a pervert," she accused. "Walking in with unholy intentions."
Damian raised a brow, his arms crossing over his chest. "Unholy intentions? Don't act innocent, Evelina. After all, you were the one trying to seduce me last night."
Eve's jaw dropped. "Me? Seduce you?" Her voice rose. "I was asleep when you—" She paused, eyes narrowing. "You tried undressing me!"
Damian tilted his head, an amused gleam in his eyes. "You undressed yourself."
Eve froze as Relia chimed in smugly. "He's right, you know."
"What?!" Eve blurted out.
"You were mumbling something about being hot," Relia explained casually. "And then you started undoing your dress. I couldn't stop you but honestly, it was quite the show."
"Nothing happened, though?" Eve whispered internally, still trying to process the mortification.
"Nothing at all," Relia teased. "But wouldn't it have been fun if it did? For what it's worth, I kind of wish something had."
Eve groaned, dragging her hand down her face before refocusing on Damian. Her cheeks burned as she met his amused gaze.
"So let me get this straight," she began sarcastically. "You had me half-naked in bed, and yet nothing happened. That can only mean two things—you're either a eunuch or you're impotent."
Damian's composure cracked as his jaw tightened. "Excuse me?"
Eve smiled slightly, feeling a sense of victory from getting under his skin. "Now I see why Selene is so—"
Before she could finish, Damian closed the distance between them in a flash.
One moment he was standing near the door, and the next he was looming over her, his silver eyes glowing faintly as his wolf pushed closer to the surface.
"Do you want to test that theory?" he growled softly. "Let's see how impotent I am or how much of a eunuch I have become, huh, Evelina?"
Eve swallowed hard, her heart pounding as her gaze flickered over him. The morning rays caught the sharp lines of his jaw, the tousled strands of his brown hair, and the intensity burning in his eyes.
She bit down on her lower lip, trying to mask the flutter of nerves in her chest. "Do you even have what it takes?" Eve challenged, though her voice wavered slightly.
Damian's smirk returned, more wolfish this time. "Why don't we find out?" He leaned closer, his scent—cedarwood and rain—flooding her senses.
Eve's breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, her mind went blank as the tension between them thickened.
Before either of them could act, the door swung open with a loud creak.
"Your Highness!"
Both Eve and Damian turned their heads sharply to see Jasper, Damian's ever-spirited manservant, standing in the doorway.
He froze mid-step, his eyes widening comically as he took in the scene—the prince leaning over Evelina, who was clutching the sheet to her chest, her cheeks flushed and her eyes wide.
<Author: Ooohhh it was quite the sight.>
"Well, well, well," Jasper drawled, his lips curving into a mischievous grin. "Am I interrupting something, your Highness?"
Damian straightened immediately, running a hand through his hair as he turned away from Eve. "What do you want, Jasper?"
Jasper held up his hands innocently, though the grin on his lips only grew wider. "Just delivering the morning report, Your Highness. Didn't realize you'd… already started your day so intimately."
Eve groaned, burying her face in the pillow. "Kill me now," she muttered.
Damian glared at Jasper. "Out. Now."
Jasper gave a mock surrender, backing out of the room with a cheeky salute. "As you wish, Your Highness. Don't let me stop you two."
The door closed behind him, throwing the room into silence.
Eve peeked out from behind the pillow, her face still burning. "Great. Now your staff thinks I'm…" She trailed off, too mortified to finish.
Damian ran a hand through his hair again, muttering something under his breath. "I'll deal with Jasper later."
"He couldn't even knock," Eve said, raising her hands in the air. "Like servant, like master."
Damian pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something under his breath before looking at her. "Get dressed. We have a long day ahead."
Eve tilted her head. "You know, a real gentleman would apologize for barging in."
Damian arched a brow, his lips twitching. "You're the one who accused me of being a eunuch. I think we're even."
Eve huffed, watching him as he turned and strode out of the room. She muttered under her breath, "Phenomenal douchebag."
"I heard that," Damian's voice replied from just outside the room.
Eve sighed, flopping back against the pillows. "This day is off to a fantastic start."
Relia's laughter echoed in her mind. "Admit it—you're starting to enjoy this."
Eve scowled, though she couldn't entirely deny the flutter in her chest as she pulled herself out of bed to prepare for the day ahead.
'Another endless fleeting freedom. I better prove my innocence fast and escape Damian. The question now was how?' she thought as she made her way to the restroom.