As Daniel closed the door behind him, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips—rare, unreadable, and dangerous. He leaned against the wall for a second, staring at nothing in particular.
"She's cracking," he murmured to himself, his voice low and amused. "But not too fast... patience."
He slipped his hands into his pockets and made his way down the hallway, the echo of her voice—*"Heat. There's heat."*—still ringing in his ears.
If only she knew how much she was affecting him too.
Inside the room, Jade was still pacing like a storm in a teacup.
"This man is dangerous… dangerously hot," she whispered to herself, collapsing face-first onto the bed, muffling a dramatic scream into the pillow.
Then she turned her head and narrowed her eyes toward the door.
"I won't fall for him. I won't. I'm strong. I'm—ugh—whatever."
Pause.
She sat up suddenly.
"But what if I made him fall first?"
A mischievous grin spread across her lips.
She slipped into the blanket again to sleep.
"Sweet dreams, your majesty," she murmured mockingly after him with a smile.
But Jade's expression darkened again. Her sarcasm had masked the fear, but deep inside, *Vesperis* still echoed.
And it was only the beginning.
.
.
.
Riguel had just finished his nightly workout and was heading back into the mansion when he paused near the hallway. Voices echoed from the drawing room—Daniel's parents.
"I'm worried, Laurent," Meredith said, her voice low and anxious. "If the curse has already taken hold of Daniel, someone might take advantage of it."
"Don't say such nonsense," Laurent replied sternly. "We don't even know if the curse is active. Daniel acts normally, as if nothing is wrong."
"That's exactly what frightens me," Meredith said, her tone tight. "The worst part is… we know nothing. He says nothing. He hides everything behind that calm mask."
"Let the Lord of Constellation protect him," she added solemnly.
From the shadows of the hallway, Riguel listened quietly. A slow, devilish smirk crept across his face. His eyes gleamed with a dark glint, and that familiar ominous aura wrapped around him like smoke.
As if a dangerous idea had just bloomed in his mind.
.
.
.
The next morning, it was time for Daniel and Jade to return to the city. The others were still asleep, except for Daniel's parents, who were there to see them off.
"Why do you have to leave so early? The others aren't even up yet," Meredith said, clearly disappointed.
"Sorry, Mother, but I have an important meeting. I can't wait," Daniel replied politely.
He stepped into the car while his father walked him to the driver's side, leaving Jade with Meredith.
"I was really glad to meet you, Jade," Meredith said warmly, holding her hand. "Please take care of Daniel. He may seem cold and mysterious, but deep down, he's truly adorable."
Jade nodded with a soft smile, though something flickered in her eyes as she turned away.
*"If only you knew…"* she thought, *"All of this is fake—and it ends in exactly twelve months."*
Still, as she settled into the car beside Daniel, one thought burned stronger than ever in her mind:
*Vesperis.*
She was determined to uncover the truth—whatever it was.
.
.
.
They arrived in the city, and Daniel went directly to work. Meanwhile, Jade wasted no time—once home, she opened her laptop and began her research.
She typed: "Vesperis."
There weren't many results, just scattered pieces of information—most vague and cryptic.
VESPERIS a rare constellation that appears only under unusual celestial alignments. In certain old folklore, she was described by some as a goddess, by others as a curse and even as a demonic entityin darker tales.
Jade frowned, her curiosity deepening.
"A folklore? A goddess?" she whispered to herself.
She typed again: "The goddess VESPERIS ."
Nothing.
She tried: "The devil VESPERIS ."
Still nothing useful.
Suddenly—
"Jade?"
She flinched, instinctively slamming her laptop shut and turning sharply toward the voice.
Her mother stood in the doorway.
"Mum? You've been here long?" Jade asked, trying to sound casual.
"Not really. But you looked completely absorbed in whatever you were searching," Madame Lee replied, her gaze a bit too sharp, too observant.
"It was nothing,"Jade said quickly, walking over to her.
But as she approached, her eyes narrowed.
"Mum… you look tired. You haven't been sleeping?" She reached up and gently touched the shadows under her mother's eyes.
"Just work. I had night shifts this weekend,"her mother said with a tight smile.
"Are you sure?" Jade asked softly, unconvinced.
There was something off in her mother's eyes—something hidden.
Her mother spent few hours with her and went back home but she knew something was going wrong with her mother. So decided that tomorrow she will go there to her place and see it.