The Devil's obsession with the Heiress

[Music recommendation: Jordan Critz - Îles]

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"If you are the devil, then why are you here... in the world of the living?"

The moment the question left her lips, she felt Gavriel’s body stiffen.

His face revealed nothing, but she knew instinctively that her question had touched something raw. An old wound she hadn’t even known existed.

At the back of her mind, Cillian’s words echoed once again...

’Just know that there are things he has endured...’

Those words had remained with her ever since he had spoken them, and now she couldn’t help but wonder what a powerful and terrifying ruler of the Underworld could possibly have endured.

The thought of him enduring any kind of pain squeezed her heart tightly, and seeing the sudden, distant look in his eyes made her instantly regret bringing it up.

Just as she opened her mouth to take the question back, he spoke.

"I was banished."

His voice was soft, but the weight of his words hit like a thunderclap.

Aliana’s eyes widened in disbelief, her mind momentarily struggling to process what she had just heard.

Gavriel watched the utter shock settle across her face. He gave her a moment to gather her thoughts before she finally managed a faint whisper. "W-who would dare banish the ruler from his own world?"

He released a quiet sigh, leaning his head back against the cushion as his gaze drifted toward the ceiling. "Who?"

His eyes slowly returned to hers. "Probably the one who gave him the title in the first place."

Aliana’s brows furrowed upon hearing his answer, and she shook her head lightly. "I don’t understand."

Gavriel gently caught another lock of her hair, twisting the silky strand around his index finger. "How much of that book did you actually read?"

Aliana pursed her lips. "Just the first couple of pages. I couldn’t read any further after the section on hierarchy."

Gavriel gave a slight nod. "So you know that the underworld’s hierarchy is built entirely on power."

When Aliana nodded, he continued, "At the absolute top of the ranks are the royals. There is always a king to maintain order, and serving directly under him are the seven princes. Each is exceptionally powerful in their own right, and each rules their designated territory as they see fit, provided they adhere to the king’s supreme command. But unlike the human world, where a king passes his crown to his firstborn heir, the underworld operates on a very different law."

"Really? Then how is the next ruler chosen?" Aliana asked. She subconsciously leaned into his touch when he released her hair and rested his palm against her cheek, as if he needed constant physical contact with her to ground himself.

Gavriel’s icy blue eyes roamed over her features. "The one destined to hold the title of the devil is born with innate abilities that far surpass any other prince. They match or exceed the power of the reigning king. It makes no difference whether they were born first or last."

Aliana processed his words carefully before asking, "So how does anyone know who the next king will be?"

"The prince chosen by fate is born with a mark. Furthermore, our realm has an oracle capable of seeing the future, who receives a vision the moment the next ruler is born."

Aliana looked closely at him, her brows pulling together. "But... I’ve seen your body, and I didn’t notice any mark." She trailed off, adding quietly, "Or... do I just lack the ability to see it?"

A faint smile curved Gavriel’s lips at her innocent question.

"Undo my buttons, baby."

Aliana looked into his eyes before her gaze drifted down to his shirt, where the top few buttons were already undone.

Uncertain of his intent, she still complied. Her fingers worked through the remaining buttons one after another until his chest was bare. She looked back up at him, her eyes silently asking if she should continue.

Finding her utterly adorable, Gavriel couldn’t resist pulling her face into a deep kiss.

He kissed her slowly, his fingers weaving through her thick hair while his other hand gently traced the curve of her back, and Aliana’s heart fluttered like trapped wings as her own hands wandered over his bare chest.

Just as her palms settled against his heart, her eyes snapped open upon feeling the scorching heat surged from beneath his skin.

She pulled back from their kiss with a quiet gasp, and Gavriel opened his eyes, which were shining blood-red.

Aliana then felt a pulse of electricity shoot through her spine, and she removed her hands from his chest, only for her eyes to widen upon seeing, at the centre of his chest, a magnificent emblem flaring to life.

The glowing emblem bore an intricate sword entwined with a dragon, flanked by swept wings inside ancient concentric circles. It was beautiful, grand and exuded the undeniable authority of an underworld sovereign, and she recognized it instantly.

It was the exact same sigil carved into the heavy doors of his study and engraved into the mansion’s courtyard fountain.

"This..." She reached out to touch it, hesitating for a fraction of a second to look into his glowing red eyes.

When he gave her a reassuring nod, she placed her fingertips against the glowing mark and let out a breath. "It’s beautiful..."

She traced every detail of the glowing emblem before meeting his gaze again. "I always wondered why this symbol was everywhere... on your study door, out by the fountain, and even on the engagement ring box."

"So is this your royal crest?" she asked, looking up at him.

Gavriel gave her a nod, and she murmured softly, "I see..." Then another question popped into her head. "Why couldn’t I see this mark until now?"

"The mark only appears when I want it to, Ana. It is embedded into my soul, so I can conceal it at will," Gavriel answered softly. He closed his eyes, and the crimson glow faded away. When he opened them again, his irises were back to their striking blue.

"I never cared much for displaying my royal symbol," Gavriel explained, his fingers lightly smoothing her hair. "However, when Cillian’s family constructed this estate for me, they integrated my mark into the architecture and my possessions out of honour and allegiance."

"Oh..." Aliana absorbed his words, her mind piecing together the connections. "I found out Cillian is a noble last night, but I’ve never met any of his relatives. Where are they?"

"Unlike royals, nobles and lower ranks can move between the underworld and the living world with ease. They are likely in the underworld right now."

"You said unlike royals," she caught on quickly, searching his face. "Does that mean royals can’t travel freely?"

"No." Gavriel held her gaze steadily. "The universe demands balance, and royals possess far too much power to move back and forth at will. They are bound to the underworld. They cannot step into the living world without sacrificing something of equal value, or unless the king grants them explicit permission to travel for a limited period of time... which has never occurred."

Aliana fell silent as she stared at him. Concern slowly replaced her curiosity, and after gathering enough courage, she finally asked the question that had been forming in her mind.

"Then..." Her voice softened. "What happened to you?"

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