Maliny kept talking cheerfully while laying on Druvok's broad back, her fingers gently tapping his shoulder as he carried her up the long hallway.
"I swear Druvok… the little birds sang the most beautiful songs this morning. Their voices… so soft, like tiny bells in the wind. And their feathers, so fluffy I could almost feel clouds between my fingers," she giggled softly.
Druvok let out a low sigh. "You talk too much, little blind thing."
But Maliny didn't hear the annoyance in his voice — or maybe she did and chose to ignore it. Midway through her words, she grew quiet, her breathing steady. Druvok glanced at her and realized she had fallen asleep against him.
He carried her to her room, gently laying her down on the large velvet bed. She curled into the blankets like a child. Druvok stared at her face for a moment, a strange softness flickering in his eyes.
He brushed a lock of silver hair from her cheek and mumbled under his breath, "You such a demanding little thing… at least you're cute when you sleep."
Without another word, he stood and silently left the room.
⸻
In the far side of the estate's garden, hidden from the main house, Druvok stripped his upper cloak and began training in secret. His muscles tensed as he moved through brutal, precise strikes.
From the shadows, a servant watched, eyes wide. He rushed away toward the eastern wing.
⸻
Inside Leonardo's study, the servant kneeled.
"My lord… the goblin… he's training again."
Leonardo smiled, a twisted, knowing curve to his lips.
"Good," he whispered. "Let him. Act like you've seen nothing."
The servant hesitated, his face uneasy, but bowed in obedience.
⸻
Next Morning
Druvok returned to Maliny's room with a tray of breakfast. She was already awake, sitting cross-legged on the bed, her face bright with excitement.
"Druvok! Druvok!grandpa gifted me this book yesterday. It's written in raised ink for the blind. The story's about a mermaid who falls in love with a pirate captain! Can you imagine that?" she giggled softly.
Druvok snorted as he placed the tray down.
"Sounds foolish."
"It's not!" Maliny pouted, grabbing a piece of bread. "She loved him so much she chose to be human. I think… it's beautiful." Just then, the door opened.
The familiar scent of cinnamon and something darker — maybe wine or cedar — filled the room. Maliny's face instantly brightened.
"Leonardo, you're here!" she beamed. "I can smell your cologne from the hallway."
Leonardo chuckled as he entered, his voice smooth and teasing.
"Should I be flattered or concerned, little sister?"
Maliny giggled. "It's always the same. Cinnamon and… something bitter. It's you."
Leonardo moved closer, brushing his fingers gently through her silver hair, though his expression carried that usual gleam of mockery.
"I have news," he said, a glint in his eyes. "We've been invited to a royal banquet."
Maliny's smile faltered, the spoon slipping from her fingers and clattering to the tray.
"A… a royal banquet?"
Leonardo sat on the bed's edge, fingers tapping his knee.
"Yes. It'll be magnificent. The kingdom's elite, dressed in their finest silks and jewels. Laughter, whispered deals in the corners, eyes watching for weakness… and of course, the royal family themselves."
Maliny's throat tightened. The memory surfaced uninvited — the scent of lilacs in the banquet hall, warm candles, and the firm, possessive grip of a hand around hers.
The third prince… her former fiancé.
He'd never let go of her hand at such gatherings.
Druvok stiffened nearby.
"I… I want Druvok with me," Maliny whispered.
Leonardo's expression twisted into something amused, leaning a little too close.
"Oh, little dove… you know well a beast like him doesn't belong there. He's not a servant, he's a creature. An ex-general of the monster army, remember? At best, a slave now. At worst… an unsightly shadow trailing you."
Druvok's eyes narrowed, but he stayed silent.
Maliny bit her lip.
"I… I just… what if I see him there…?"
Leonardo softened his tone — for once, no mockery.
"You'll be fine," he said, ruffling her hair again. "I'll be by your side. No prince or noble bastard will touch you as long as I'm breathing."
A maid nearby watched the exchange, her eyes flickering nervously between them. She clutched the serving cloth too tightly.
Leonardo noticed, smirking.
"What's wrong, darling? Afraid the monster might snap and tear the place down?" he sneered.
The maid flinched, lowering her head.
"Relax," Leonardo chuckled. "Nothing will happen — yet."