Chapter 447: Bait
Damian stood on the balcony and watched the carriage disappear through the palace gates, his expression remaining calm until the last glimpse of it vanished beyond the outer walls.
Candice sat inside with three Royal Guards accompanying her, exactly as he had ordered. To anyone watching from a distance, the arrangement looked like a precaution taken by a cautious prince after discovering that the woman had unknowingly become connected to an assassination attempt.
In reality, Damian had deliberately placed a target on her back. The rumor spreading through the capital was that Candice had agreed to cooperate with the Royal Police and was currently helping them reconstruct the faces of the people connected to her dead boyfriend. The Royal Guards protecting her apartment were there to make the story convincing, but they also served another purpose. Damian wanted anyone watching her to believe that she was valuable to him.
Damian had lived his entire life as the Prince of Lust under the constant shadow of powerful beings who either wanted his inheritance, his position or his life. Danger had never been an unusual occurrence for him. Even now he had an abyss attempting to consume his soul while his own Godly brothers waited for the slightest weakness to eliminate him.
Compared to those things, the Order of Demons was simply another problem demanding his attention. At this point, even the most serious threats could usually earn little more than a frown from him.
"Sire, are you sure it’s wise to send her back outside?" William asked from behind him.
They already had the faces they needed but now they have been told to withhold releasing the posters yet for the sake of this plan.
Damian didn’t turn around. His eyes remained fixed on the distant carriage until it finally disappeared from sight.
"How else am I supposed to lure out those rats?" he asked casually, as though William had just questioned the necessity of setting bait for ordinary animals.
William’s expression remained troubled.
"Sire, she is a normal demon. She has no access to demonic force, no combat training and no means of protecting herself against someone from the Order. Snapping her neck would be as easy as flicking a finger."
"Exactly." Damian finally turned around. His calm expression made William’s concern seem almost amusing. "That makes her perfect bait."
William’s brows tightened, but Damian had already lost interest in the argument. He looked toward the balcony entrance and saw Mary approaching with a wine jug in one hand and a goblet in the other. Her long black hair swayed gently behind her as she walked, and the contagious smile on her face immediately pulled one from Damian in return.
"Wine?" Mary asked as she approached.
Damian’s expression softened. "You know me too well."
He reached out and casually patted her head, his fingers sliding through her black hair before his palm moved down to her cheek. Mary didn’t resist. Instead, she tilted her face slightly into his touch, and Damian leaned down to kiss her forehead.
"Sire, please hear me out." William’s voice interrupted the moment.
Damian and Mary both turned toward him at the same time, their expressions almost identical in their complete lack of enthusiasm. Neither moved away from the other. Damian’s hand remained against Mary’s cheek while she continued holding the wine jug.
"Alright." Damian said with a faint sigh. "Go ahead."
William straightened slightly. "Sire, if anything happens to that girl after we spread the rumor that she is cooperating with us, your credibility and strength will be questioned. People may begin believing that the Order of Demons can strike at anyone under your protection. If that happens, more people may become willing to cooperate with them because they will believe you cannot protect those who stand beside you."
Damian stared at him for several seconds then he chuckled. The sound was quiet, but there was enough amusement in it to make both Mary and William look at him with confusion.
"And what happens when I successfully protect the girl from the Order?" Damian asked.
William’s expression changed. The answer suddenly became obvious.
"It will prove that Your Majesty is mightier than the Order of Demons." William said slowly. "People will realize that cooperating with you does not make them vulnerable. It makes them protected. More people will therefore be willing to provide information or cooperate with you."
Damian nodded firmly. "Exactly."
William’s shoulders relaxed slightly as the pieces finally fell into place. Damian wasn’t merely setting a trap for the Order. He was creating a public demonstration of his authority. If the Order attempted to silence Candice and failed, Damian gained credibility. If they never appeared, he could still use the investigation to expose their network. Either way, the trap benefited him.
Damian returned his attention to Mary, who had been staring at him with strangely emotional eyes throughout the conversation. The amusement in his expression softened again as he raised his hand and traced one finger along her lower lip. Her lips were painted black, making the contrast with her pale features even more striking.
"I left my shadow with her." Damian said casually.
William’s eyes immediately widened.
Damian glanced back toward him. "And we both know that in this realm, there is no greater security than myself."
The realization hit William so quickly that his entire expression changed. Of course, Damian would never send Candice outside unprotected. He had simply made sure the protection wasn’t visible.
The shadow Damian had left behind could remain concealed until the precise moment someone attempted to attack her. Whoever came for Candice would believe they were striking at a helpless ordinary demon under the protection of only three Royal Guards. They wouldn’t realize that they were walking directly into Damian’s trap until it was already too late.
William immediately bowed deeply.
"Forgive this old fool for not understanding Your Majesty’s intent."
Damian waved the apology away with a small smile. "It’s alright."
He then turned toward Mary and pulled her slightly closer. "Now give me and my girl a little privacy."
William’s mouth twitched slightly, but he wisely said nothing. He bowed again before turning toward the entrance. "As you command, Sire."
The door opened a few seconds later, followed by the quiet sound of it closing. Only after William had left did Damian’s expression collapse.
He released a long, exhausted breath and staggered backward until his back struck the stone railing. For several seconds he simply stood there with his eyes closed, his shoulders sinking as though someone had suddenly removed whatever invisible force had been holding him upright.
Mary’s smile disappeared.
Damian wasn’t physically tired. His body could continue moving for years without suffering the kind of exhaustion ordinary demons experienced. What was worn down was everything behind his eyes.
He had spent the entire week moving from one noble family to another, gathering allies and negotiating marriages. He had barely finished building a foundation for himself before discovering that the political struggle he had been preparing for wasn’t even limited to the two factions he had originally expected to oppose.
There was a third force moving in the shadows and Damian had to deal with it while simultaneously fighting to regain his realm and managing his growing household.
Mary’s expression softened. She had watched him push himself throughout the entire week.
She slowly walked over.
Meanwhile, Damian had already slid down the railing by the time she reached him. His back remained against the stone as he lowered himself until he was sitting directly on the floor, one knee raised while the other leg stretched out before him.
He didn’t even seem to notice how undignified the position was.
Mary didn’t care either.
She lowered herself beside him and placed the goblet on the stone floor between them. Without saying anything, she picked up the wine jug and filled it.
"Take a sip." She said softly. "It will lessen your burden."
Damian turned his head and stared at her.
There was no political calculation in Mary’s eyes. She simply looked at him with tenderness.
It was a strange kind of tenderness, too. Hazel was protective of him, but her protection carried the warmth of someone who wanted to stand beside the man she loved and fight alongside him. Mary was different. There was something almost maternal about the way she looked at him, as though she could see through the Prince of Lust and the terrifying reputation surrounding him and only saw the exhausted man underneath.
Damian stared at her for another few seconds before reaching for the goblet.
Mary smiled faintly as he took a small sip.