I was exposed, hood off, in front of the princess—the very reason I'd been keeping my human identity hidden. Her eyes were fixed on me, intrigued and a little surprised.
Behind me, Liona was fixed to the spot, pale and mortified.
"Shit!" I muttered sharply, and my hand shot up instinctively, yanking the hood back over my head.
Liona finally snapped out of her fixed state. She stepped closer and tugged lightly at my sleeve, speaking with a low voice.
"Let's go."
I hesitated for half a second, then turned to follow her.
"Wait."
The voice was calm, smooth—Lucerielle's.
I stopped.
Beside me, Liona stiffened. She glanced at me, then gave a small, warning nod.
Lucerielle noticed it.
Her lips curved in an amused smile. "Is that how it works?" she asked lightly. "You need permission before you move?"
That made me turn.
I faced her fully, my jaw tightening. I'd been insulted before—plenty of times—but never like this. Never so... casually. Never by someone who looked at me like I was something she'd already sized up and dismissed.
"You trying to pick a fight or something?" I said, my tone flat but edged.
Her eyes flicked to meet mine for a moment.
"A fight?" she repeated softly. "No. I'm just curious."
She tilted her head, gaze sliding briefly to Liona, then back to me.
"You're… unlike anyone I've ever seen. Not like any race I know." Her head tilted towards Liona. "And you seem to obey every single command that woman gives you. I was wondering if you were her guard."
...
"Or... her pet."
Something in my chest twisted sharply.
The way she said it—so certain, so dismissive—made my teeth grind.
So this was Princess Lucerielle.
And just like that, whatever curiosity I'd felt about her died.
"I'm not her pet."
The words came out sharper than I intended.
Lucerielle tilted her head, "Is that so?"
Her gaze dropped to the bag hanging from my hand.
"Then tell me," she said lightly, lifting a finger toward it, "why are you carrying her things?"
"They're mine," I replied immediately.
Her eyebrows tilted slightly.
She leaned just enough for her eyes to catch on something near the opening of the bag—a pair of panties, most likely one of the pieces of clothing Liona bought.
"So," she said with a smooth voice, "should I assume you wear this kind of… undergarment?"
My stomach dropped.
Behind me, I felt Liona stiffen.
Her cheeks turned pink. She reached out and shoved the panties deeper into the bag before pulling her hand back.
"I think that's enough, Your Highness." she said, irritated. "We have other places to be."
For a brief moment, Lucerielle looked at her with a somewhat blank expression.
Then she turned back to the stall.
"Very well," she said, waving a hand.
"Take your pet and go."
Heat flared inside me.
I sucked in a breath, about to snap back—
—but Liona's hand clamped over my mouth.
"Don't," she whispered urgently, already tugging me away. "Let's go."
I let her pull me along, aware of eyes starting to stare at our direction.
Behind us, the demon princess never looked back.
.....
The walk back to the temple was silent and uncomfortable.
My thoughts kept circling back to Lucerielle words, no matter how much I tried to shake them off.
Pet.... The word kept knawing at me
The way she'd said it—like that was what i was worth made my jaw clench.
By the time the temple came into view, it was far busier than when we'd left in the morning. People moved in and out through the wide entrance, fulfilling whatever duty they had to do.
Liona slowed, scanning the area. "I don't see Gaylord and Felix out here," she said after a moment. "They're probably inside."
She turned and started toward the entrance. "Come on."
"Liona," I called.
She stopped, glancing back at me.
I hesitated, then asked, "Back there… did I really look that way? Like a pet?"
She didn't answer right away.
"I don't know," she said finally, her voice flat. "That's how she saw it."
Then she looked away. "And you shouldn't waste your time caring what she thinks."
I didn'tknow what to make of Liona's words.
She started walking again, and after a second, I followed.
Together, we stepped back into the temple.