The Third Prince Of Darkness

"I Think I'm in Love with You"

When I looked at the smile on Evangeline’s face, something stirred inside me, but I didn't let it show.

"Did you fall in love with me? Well, since you belong to me now, I’ll allow it," I said while lying on my back next to Evangeline.

As Evangeline and I lay side by side on our backs, our breaths settled into a regular rhythm. Despite the intensity of the fight, this moment was unexpectedly peaceful. The silence after the battle felt like a peace treaty settling over us.

"Evangeline, how did you acquire this power?" I asked, my voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and admiration. It was truly astonishing that she could be so powerful and transform into different forms at the same time.

Evangeline turned her head slightly toward me. Her eyes still held the determination of a warrior, but now they told a deep story. "This power came to me by birth," she began. "My mother was a monster-human."

"So, was your mother from the Kagula tribe?" I asked, trying to understand how she could transform into two different types.

A monster-human can change forms in two ways. The first is to transform while retaining human-like features, as Evangeline demonstrated. So, Evangeline didn’t turn into a Kagula deer entirely; rather, she became a more human-like Kagula deer. The second form of transformation is to change directly into an animal of the type you’re connected to. For example, Evangeline could have turned directly into a cat, not a human-like cat.

There was a subtle but important difference between the two. Only an advanced monster-human, like Evangeline, could transform with human-like features.

I looked at Evangeline’s face and noticed her recalling a painful memory. To establish a trust bond and not disturb her, I placed my hand over her warm one. It was indeed warm; as I had read in books, "Changing form" greatly increased body temperature. Feeling my icy hand, Evangeline flinched slightly and looked into my eyes. Unlike her, wearing darkess armor reduced my body temperature more than ever.

"You don’t have to tell me right now," I said simply.

A look of surprise crossed Evangeline’s face, but then she smiled in a way that could even warm my heart. This smile was different from her usual one. It seemed warmer and more genuine.

"Thank you. I’ll tell you when I’m ready" she said, gently stroking my hand.

We both looked up at the sky and then at the setting sun. As I gently stroked her palm and we both enjoyed the serene moment against the backdrop of the setting sun, a voice inside me told me that we were growing closer. As the sun slowly disappeared over the horizon, the world around us turned a golden hue. This moment silenced us both for a while. I didn’t want to break it. Feeling my icy hand on Evangeline’s warm one made me think that we were deepening the bond between us. In the silence, there were things we didn’t say but felt.

After a while, Evangeline turned her head from the sky and looked at me. Her eyes seemed to be holding back something she wanted to say. I waited silently, giving her time. If she wanted to share something, she should do it on her own time. It was important, and I gave her that time.

"I’m hungry."

"... what?"

"Shall we go inside and eat?" Evangeline asked.

Ah, really… I thought she was gathering the courage to share an important secret! Anyway, I stood up and extended my hand to help Evangeline get up. Her light smile replaced the seriousness from earlier. Her sudden change eased the tension inside me.

"Yes, eating is a good idea" I said with a slight smile.

When we went inside, I saw a few servants in the mansion. Evangeline said they were trustworthy and from the servant's guild. She also mentioned that they were given different tasks to ensure they wouldn’t witness our fight. For now, I chose to trust her and went to the prepared dining table. The conversation with Evangeline flowed very naturally. We also talked about Prince Yavein, who married Fiona’s daughter.

"So, you’re saying he’s a sadistic, maniac prince? Is that true?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes. I’m sorry for your sister… but if you want, I can help her" Evangeline said.

She never made me feel like I had a sister, and frankly, I didn’t care much about her.

"No need. Umala and I… wait, no." a sudden idea interrupted my thoughts.

"Can you really help her if I ask you to?" I asked.

Evangeline, curious about my thoughts, nodded.

"Then, for now, ignore her. Don’t do anything until I ask you to protect and help her" I said, and I took a piece of the food that was prepared for us.  

"Alright, let it be as you said. Can we move on to more important matters now?" she said, as if her brother’s marriage was a minor issue.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"When shall we announce our engagement?" she asked, handing me the salad.

"Thanks. When do you want to announce the engagement?" I asked, putting some salad on my plate.

"The best time would be during my brother’s wedding. That way, instead of discussing my brother’s wedding, everyone will talk about us. Plus, we could gain more attention and prestige by revealing your false name" said Evangeline as she finally took a piece of venison and popped it into her mouth.

Relieved, I finally put a big piece of venison on my plate, relieved that she wouldn't mind me eating venison, and with a deep sigh I started to cut into the venison. 

"I can’t reveal my false name, but announcing the engagement on the wedding day is indeed a good time" I said, finally putting a piece of crispy deer meat in my mouth.

"Is it tasty? And why don’t you want to reveal your true identity?" she asked.

"It’s very tasty. And as for my hidden identity… well, I need it" I said.

As Evangeline poured red wine into my glass, she asked, "Try this. But why do you need a hidden identity?" and suddenly stopped pouring.

She squinted at me and asked, "You want to enter the Academy with a hidden identity, don’t you?"

Well, this woman is smarter than I thought. Or maybe she’s just slowly figuring me out. "Yes, but only for the first year" I said, sipping the red wine. And I could definitely say that my tongue felt numb from the effects of the wine.

"Why? What’s your goal?" she asked, filling her own glass this time.

I could tell her I wanted to build a reliable team and continue some secret tasks, but how could I explain that I might seduce another princess? It’s only been a day… also What are we, anyway? Should I ask that old question now? Or are we already together? Anyway, I can’t tell her everything.

"There are many reasons, but primarily, I need loyal subordinates around me, and it will be harder to determine someone's loyalty if I’m known as a prince. Also, for the first year, I’ll be using my false identity to gather as much information as possible about the people at the Dragon Academy, and for that, I need a hidden identity" I said, and I wasn’t lying... I just didn’t mention some truths.

"I see. But don’t hesitate to ask me for help whenever you need it. After all, we are life partners now, aren’t we?" she asked.

Her question sent a shiver down my spine. When I looked at Evangeline, I felt that this was more of a command than a question. "Yes, we are definitely life partners," I said.

"Will you have other life partners?" she asked.

As the atmosphere grew tense, I wondered why I never met a normal woman. Why do I feel threatened right now?! It feels like Evangeline will decide whether to kill me based on my answer.

"Well, there might be some women, but you will always be my number one queen" I said.

Evangeline’s smile seemed to relax with this answer. However, the depth in her eyes suggested that this conversation had more significance. Still, I tried to enjoy the moment.

"Yes, it should be that way," Evangeline said, raising her glass and taking a sip of wine. "But remember, as your life partner, we need to act together on decisions concerning ourselves and our future. And remember, other sluts  will only follow you for your money and power, but I will always be your reliable life partner."

"Absolutely," I said, finishing another piece of crispy deer meat.

"Then you can use other girls for your satisfaction, but you should never trust them with important things. Right? The only person you truly trust is me, isn’t it?"

Once again, it felt like a command rather than a question. I don’t know why she’s acting this way, but for now, let’s continue saying things she likes.

"Absolutely, my queen" I said. "I won’t trust anyone else and will only share important information with you. I truly feel safe with you."

Evangeline’s smile grew even more prominent. "Good" just she said, but I could tell she was happy from the warmth of her smile. I sighed, accepting that another girl in my life was not normal, and returned to my meal.