I won't fall for the queen who burned my world-Chapter 84: You knew?

Elysia groaned into her hands, as if by sheer will alone she could erase the past few minutes from existence.

Thalor, unfortunately, was still there. Still watching her. Still waiting.

"Are you planning to suffocate yourself, or is this just your way of avoiding the conversation?" he asked, amusement lacing his voice.

Elysia wanted to ignore him. She really, really did.

But, as always, Thalor was relentless.

She dragged her hands down her face, glaring at him. "You cannot just ask things like that!"

Thalor shrugged. "Why not? I'm your father. I'm allowed to ask if my daughter is making... questionable choices."

Elysia narrowed her eyes. "Questionable?"

Thalor's brows lifted slightly, his expression shifting from amusement to something more knowing. "Elysia, she is a demon queen."

"Yes, I know—"

"And not just any demon queen," Thalor continued, undeterred. "The one who conquered nations, the one with a reputation that even the most ruthless warlords respect, the one who—"

"Yes, I know who she is!" Elysia snapped, exasperated.

"Good," Thalor said, voice suddenly sharper. "Then think."

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Elysia stiffened.

The playfulness from earlier was gone now.

Thalor wasn't teasing anymore.

His eyes, were serious. Piercing.

"You cannot afford to be reckless with her," Thalor continued, his tone dropping into something quieter, something heavier. "Malvoria is... dangerous. And not just in the way people assume she is."

Elysia swallowed.

Her father knew Malvoria was powerful. That much was obvious. But this wasn't about power.

This was about something else.

Something deeper.

"I know that," Elysia murmured, though even to her own ears, it sounded uncertain.

Thalor exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Elysia, you're smart—gods know you've always been smarter than most. But even smart people fall into traps when emotions get involved."

Elysia tensed.

"That's not—"

"It is," Thalor interrupted. "You might not see it yet, but Malvoria is playing a very long, very careful game."

Elysia bristled. "She didn't plan to save me just to trap me."

"Didn't she?" Thalor countered, tilting his head. "She came for you. She carried you back here. She stayed by your side even after the healers had finished." His gaze sharpened. "She's reeling you in."

Elysia clenched her jaw.

She hated that his words made her pause.

Because deep down—deep, deep down—there was a sliver of doubt whispering at the edges of her mind.

But she couldn't believe that.

Not after everything.

"I know what I'm doing," Elysia said finally, her voice steady.

Thalor gave her a look. "Do you?"

Elysia clenched her fists against the blankets. "Yes."

A beat of silence passed.

Then, Thalor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Fine," he muttered. "Let's say you do know what you're doing. Let's say this isn't a trap, that Malvoria isn't trying to manipulate you." He leveled her with a knowing look. "Then what is this?"

Elysia hesitated.

That was the problem.

She didn't know.

She wasn't stupid. She felt the shift in their dynamic. She felt the tension between them, the heat of Malvoria's touch, the way her lips had lingered just a second too long.

But what did it mean?

Elysia wasn't naïve. She wasn't a starry-eyed fool who believed in fairytales.

This—whatever this was—was dangerous.

And yet, when Malvoria had kissed her... when she had kissed Malvoria back...

It hadn't felt like a trap.

It had felt real.

And that was the most dangerous part of all.

Elysia exhaled, looking at her father. "I don't know."

Thalor's expression softened, but there was still worry in his eyes. "Then figure it out, before it's too late."

Elysia nodded, her throat tight.

The weight of his words settled over her like a thick fog.

Because if it was a trap...

She wasn't sure she'd be able to get out of it.

Before either of them could say anything else, the door suddenly swung open.

Zera stood in the doorway, arms crossed, looking very unimpressed.

Elysia barely had a second to process before Zera spoke.

"Are you two done scheming, or do I need to come back later?"

Elysia groaned.

Because, of course, Zera would walk in now.

Thalor let out a long, tired sigh, glancing between Elysia and Zera. His eyes lingered on Elysia for a moment longer, as if silently asking if she would be okay.

Elysia nodded—small, almost imperceptible—but it was enough.

Thalor exhaled, rubbing his temple. "I'll leave you two to talk," he said, his voice quieter now. "Try not to kill each other."

Zera scoffed, stepping aside to let him pass. "No promises."

Thalor shot her an unimpressed look before finally stepping out, closing the door behind him.

The moment he was gone, Zera turned fully to Elysia, her arms crossing tightly over her chest.

For a long, tense second, neither of them said anything.

Then, without warning, Zera strode forward and hugged her.

Elysia stiffened in surprise.

Zera was not one for open affection—at least, not the gentle kind. But right now, she was holding Elysia tightly, her grip firm, unrelenting, as if she were reassuring herself that Elysia was really here, really alive.

Elysia slowly relaxed, sighing into the embrace.

Zera smelled the same—like steel and smoke and something faintly floral, though she'd never admit to using scented oils.

Zera's expression darkened. "Do you have any idea how close I was to murdering every single person in that meeting room?"

Elysia sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Let me guess—Malvoria wouldn't let you."

Zera scowled. "Oh, she wanted to murder people. Just not the ones I wanted to murder."

Elysia snorted. "Shocking."

Zera pulled away, pacing slightly. "She barely talked about what happened. The entire meeting was about how to get you back, but she acted like your kidnapping was some business transaction."

Elysia frowned.

She wasn't surprised that Malvoria had focused on strategy rather than emotion—but still, something about that unsettled her.

"Did she seem... I don't know. Worried?"

Zera gave her a look. "Worried? Malvoria? The woman who practically levelled that hideout the second she arrived? No, Elysia, she wasn't worried. She was furious."

Elysia blinked.

She had seen Malvoria's wrath firsthand—but hearing Zera say it so plainly sent an odd shiver down her spine.

Zera crossed her arms again, scowling at the floor. "And of course, she refused to talk about it after. She didn't care what happened to you there—only that you were taken in the first place."

Elysia hesitated.

That wasn't entirely true.

Malvoria had stayed with her. Had treated her injuries, had refused to leave her side until she was sure Elysia was okay.

And then there was the kiss.

The kiss.

Heat prickled at the back of her neck, and she quickly forced the thought away.

She had bigger problems right now.

Elysia looked at Zera. "She doesn't talk about things that make her uncomfortable."

Zera scoffed. "That's an understatement."

Elysia sighed. "Look, I know she's difficult—"

Zera's eyes snapped to hers. "Difficult? Malvoria is a pain. She is a tyrant. And—" She gritted her teeth, fists clenching. "—she didn't even ask about what they did to you."

Elysia stiffened.

Zera took a step closer, her jaw tight, her voice lowering. "She just acted like it was another problem to solve. Like you were just—just another part of the kingdom she had to manage."

Elysia swallowed.

Part of her wanted to argue.

To say that wasn't true. That Malvoria had cared, even if she didn't show it in the way Zera wanted her to.

But the words wouldn't come.

Because she wasn't sure.

Was Malvoria truly just acting on duty?

Or had there been something more behind her actions?

Elysia hated that she didn't know the answer.

Zera exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I told those rebels to be gentle with you."

Elysia's eyes widened slightly.

A beat of silence passed.

Then—

"What?"

Elysia stared at Zera, disbelief tightening in her chest. "You what?"

Zera clenched her jaw but didn't look away. "I told them to be gentle with you."

Elysia's fingers dug into the sheets, anger rising in waves. "You knew?"

Zera exhaled sharply, as if preparing for a fight. "I didn't know they'd kidnap you. I thought—" She cut herself off, shaking her head. "I thought they'd take you somewhere safe. Somewhere away from Malvoria."

Elysia felt a cold, sharp fury spread through her. "You thought?" Her voice trembled with anger. "You thought betraying me was the solution?"

Zera's expression hardened. "I wasn't betraying you. I was saving you."

Elysia shot up from the bed, ignoring the pain in her body. "Saving me?" she hissed. "By handing me over to people who beat me?"

Zera flinched but held her ground. "That wasn't supposed to happen. I was going to get you out, Elysia. I was going to run away with you."

Elysia felt her breath catch, but the fury burned hotter.

"You had no right," she snarled. "No right to decide that for me."

Zera's fists clenched at her sides. "And what, Elysia? You'd rather stay here? With her?"

Elysia's vision blurred with rage.

"Get out."

Zera's breath hitched.

But Elysia didn't take it back.

Her entire body trembled with fury. "I don't want to see you right now."

Zera hesitated—just for a second—before her face closed off.

Then, without another word, she turned and left.

The door slammed behind her.

And Elysia was alone.