I won't fall for the queen who burned my world-Chapter 148: You prepared this

The night air was cool, crisp with the scent of pine and distant rain, but Elysia barely noticed it.

Her mind was still tangled in the weight of Malvoria's words, replaying them over and over again in her head, pressing into her chest like something solid, something inescapable.

Malvoria had looked sad when she spoke about her past.

That alone was enough to shake Elysia to her core.

She had seen Malvoria angry, amused, arrogant—but sad? That was new. That was something Elysia didn't know how to deal with, didn't know how to name.

It made her stomach twist uncomfortably, made something inside her tighten with the kind of concern she wasn't ready to admit to.

And she didn't like that.

Not one bit.

As they walked in silence through the thick trees, the only sounds around them were the rustling of leaves, the distant hoot of some nocturnal creature, and the steady thud, thud, thud of Elysia's own heartbeat pounding far too loudly in her ears.

She wanted to say something—to break the tension, to fill the charged silence between them with some kind of normalcy—but every time she opened her mouth, nothing came out.

Because Malvoria was still looking at her.

Like she meant every word she had said back at the spring.

Like this wasn't just another passing conversation to be forgotten by morning.

Elysia's fingers twitched at her sides. For once, she didn't know what to do.

The tension stretched, thick and undeniable, until—

"You look like your brain just short-circuited," Malvoria said suddenly, her smirk returning like she hadn't just dropped an emotional landmine in the middle of their night.

Elysia snapped her head toward her, blinking. "What?"

Malvoria chuckled, low and smug. "I swear I could hear it overloading."

Elysia glared, but it was weak. "You—"

But Malvoria had already turned away, walking ahead, completely satisfied with whatever reaction she had managed to pull from Elysia.

Elysia pressed a hand to her chest, as if she could physically push her heart back into its normal rhythm.

This was dangerous.

And it became even more dangerous when they finally broke through the trees and arrived at their destination.

Elysia had expected a night spent outdoors, another makeshift camp in the wilderness. But instead, nestled between towering pines and overlooking a vast, moonlit valley, was a cabin.

Not just a cabin—a house.

Sturdy, well-maintained, with a small porch and soft lantern light glowing through the windows. It wasn't extravagant, but it was planned.

Elysia's steps slowed, eyes scanning the structure. "...This isn't a random stop, is it?"

Malvoria, ever unreadable, shrugged. "We have more to see here. It made sense to have a proper place to stay."

Elysia turned to her, suspicion creeping in. "You prepared this."

Malvoria's gray eyes gleamed in the moonlight. "Obviously."

Elysia folded her arms. "And when, exactly, did you decide we were staying here for days?"

Malvoria tilted her head, considering. "Before we left."

Elysia's mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again.

She had planned this. The whole time.

And not only that—this wasn't just some last-minute arrangement. This wasn't a last resort. Malvoria had intended for them to be here, alone, together.

For days.

Something in Elysia's stomach tightened in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with nerves and everything to do with the slow, dawning realization that she was in way, way more trouble than she thought.

Still, she forced herself to remain outwardly indifferent. "You could've mentioned that."

"I did," Malvoria said smoothly, pushing the door open. "I told you we'd be here for a while."

"That's not the same thing."

Malvoria simply smirked, stepping inside.

Elysia huffed but followed.

The inside of the cabin was warm, rustic but comfortable. A small kitchen. A fireplace. A single large bed.

Elysia stopped dead in her tracks.

"There's only one bed," she stated.

Malvoria, already setting down their supplies, didn't even glance up. "I noticed."

Elysia's eye twitched. "You planned that, too?"

Malvoria smirked but said nothing.

Elysia inhaled sharply, hands clenched at her sides. "I—"

"You'll live, wife," Malvoria cut in, entirely unconcerned as she unbuckled her coat. "I don't bite."

Elysia's mind instantly betrayed her, flashing back to the feeling of Malvoria's teeth sinking into her neck. Heat shot up her spine, and she nearly choked on her own breath.

Malvoria, of course, noticed.

Her smirk deepened, her voice dipping lower. "Unless you want me to."

Elysia grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at her face.

Malvoria laughed, dodging it effortlessly. "Feisty."

Elysia groaned, turning away, completely done with this conversation.

---

The night settled around them, quiet and slow.

But Elysia could not, would not, relax.

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Every movement felt amplified. Every glance charged.

And when the time finally came to sleep, the situation only became worse.

The bed was... too big and yet not big enough.

Malvoria laid down first, arms behind her head, seemingly unfazed by the situation. Elysia, on the other hand, hovered awkwardly at the edge of the bed, debating whether it was too late to sleep outside instead.

Eventually, she sat—far from Malvoria, keeping a healthy gap between them.

Malvoria made a sound of amusement but didn't comment.

Minutes passed.

Then an hour.

Elysia, despite her best efforts, could not fall asleep.

She could hear Malvoria's breathing—slow, steady, relaxed.

Too close. Too warm. Too real.

And the worst part?

She liked it.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, refusing to slow, refusing to let her forget that Malvoria was right there.

Elysia exhaled slowly, pressing a hand over her face.

She was in trouble.

Elysia squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to sleep, but it was impossible. The warmth of Malvoria's presence, the steady rise and fall of her breath—it was distracting. It was too much.

She shifted slightly, careful not to move too much, but even the rustling of the sheets felt deafening in the silence of the room.

Malvoria remained still, her breathing calm, almost peaceful. How is she so relaxed? Elysia thought bitterly. Meanwhile, her own heart refused to slow, pounding against her ribs like a war drum.

This is ridiculous, she told herself. It's just Malvoria. Just the Demon Queen who kidnapped me, married me, and is now taking me on a date that somehow involves a week-long hike. Nothing strange about that.

And yet, no matter how much she tried to rationalize it, no matter how much she reminded herself that Malvoria was supposed to be her enemy, she couldn't ignore the fact that she didn't actually mind being here.

That thought terrified her more than anything.

Elysia exhaled sharply, turning onto her side.

She just needed to sleep.

If she could even survive the night.