I'M MARRYING THE DEMON PRINCE BUT I'M WANTED BY HIS FATHER

Ember sat before the grand mirror, her reflection almost unrecognizable in the dim glow of the candlelit chamber. Soft silk cascaded over her frame, the fabric of her new garments lighter than anything she had ever worn before. The maidens worked silently around her, their delicate fingers tying intricate knots on the sashes of her robes, smoothing the creases of the embroidered fabric, and adjusting her posture with careful precision.

She had asked them about Kaelith…where he was, what he was doing…but none of them spoke. It was as if they were under strict orders not to answer her questions. Their expressions remained composed, eyes cast downward, refusing to engage with her inquiries.

It was frustrating.

Still, she had little choice but to let them continue.

One of the maidens reached for a golden hairbrush, her movements graceful as she began to brush Ember's damp, dark locks.

The sensation was oddly calming, lulling her into a moment of stillness.

Then, suddenly….

The door creaked open.

The air in the room shifted instantly, thickening with something almost tangible. Ember's entire body tensed. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

A slow, deliberate stride.

A presence so suffocating yet enthralling.

The maidens immediately lowered their heads, stepping aside without a word as the imposing figure approached.

Kaelith.

Ember swallowed hard, watching him through the mirror's reflection.

He was dressed in dark, layered robes, his silver hair slightly tousled, as if he hadn't bothered to fix it after his bath. The dim lighting cast sharp shadows across his face, making his ethereal features look even more striking….otherworldly.

His glowing blue eyes flickered toward her reflection, piercing and unreadable.

Without a word, he extended his hand, plucking the hairbrush from the maiden's grasp.

The movement was so smooth, so natural, as if he had done it a thousand times before.

The maidens hesitated.

Then, with a simple wave of his fingers, he dismissed them entirely.

They bowed in unison before silently exiting the room, leaving Ember alone with the demon prince.

A shiver ran down her spine.

Slowly, he stepped behind her, his towering frame looming over her seated figure.

For a moment, he said nothing, simply gazing at her reflection in the mirror.

Then….

He ran the brush through her hair.

Ember tensed, lips parting in shock.

The movement was slow, deliberate. The bristles grazed her scalp with a surprising gentleness, gliding down the length of her dark strands.

"You're so small," he murmured, his voice a low hum against her ear.

Ember inhaled sharply.

His fingers briefly skimmed her shoulder before returning to the brush, guiding it with an ease that felt… intimate.

"You look so young," he mused, tilting his head slightly. "How old are you, little human?"

She hesitated, her voice coming out softer than she intended. "I turn twenty-two soon."

Kaelith exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly.

"Too young," he murmured, brushing her hair once more. "Too young to be trapped in a loveless marriage."

Ember's heart pounded.

His tone wasn't mocking.

It wasn't condescending.

It was something else entirely.

Something unreadable.

"Worst of all," he continued, his free hand grazing the nape of her neck before retreating, "you're far too fragile."

The brush stilled.

"For even a human," he murmured, "you're so small, so breakable."

His fingers traced a slow, deliberate path down the length of her hair before stopping just above her shoulder.

Ember swallowed hard, gripping the edges of the vanity table.

The tension was suffocating….thick, pulsating, charged with something she couldn't quite name.

Then….

She shot up from her seat, abruptly turning to face him.

The movement was so sudden that the brush slipped from his grasp, clattering to the floor.

Kaelith barely blinked.

Before she could step back, his hands came up…one pressing against the vanity table beside her, the other resting lightly at her side.

He didn't touch her.

Not exactly.

But he had trapped her.

His body, his presence, his intoxicating scent….it surrounded her, drowning her in an overwhelming sensation of warmth and danger.

Ember's breath hitched.

"You should leave," he murmured, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. "While I'm still restraining the monster inside me."

A shudder ran down her spine.

His voice was low, dripping with something dark….something undeniably seductive.

The way he spoke, the way his lips nearly grazed her skin…it sent a pulse of electricity through her veins.

Ember clenched her fists against the table, fighting the urge to tremble.

Instead, she took a steady breath and did the only thing she could think of.

She pushed at his chest.

Slightly.

Not hard enough to move him.

Just enough to remind him that she wasn't some trembling creature.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said firmly, lifting her chin. "I came here for you to marry me, and I will achieve that."

Kaelith blinked.

Then….

He laughed.

A low, rich chuckle that sent an involuntary heat curling through her stomach.

She stiffened.

Amused, he leaned in closer, his nose almost brushing hers. "You're serious?"

Dead serious.

Her gaze didn't waver. "Yes."

His smirk deepened, his breath warm against her lips. "And what if I don't marry you?"

Ember didn't flinch.

"Why won't you marry me?" she shot back.

Kaelith tilted his head, watching her carefully. "Because I only marry someone I have feelings for. Someone I love."

Her stomach twisted.

But she refused to back down.

Instead, she lifted her chin higher, her voice steady.

"Then I'll make you love me."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Then, something flickered in his eyes.

A sharp glint of intrigue.

Of amusement.

Of something else….something deeper.

Ember held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited for his response.

Then, slowly….

Kaelith smirked.

A slow, dark, utterly wicked smirk.

"Is that so?"

His voice was barely above a whisper, but the weight of those three words sent a shiver down her spine.

For the first time, he looked at her as if she were more than just an inconvenience.

More than just a stubborn human girl.

And Ember realized, with startling clarity….

She had just made a very, very dangerous bet.