Page 47 of A Heart Disguised 1

He clutched his chest in mock offense. “You wound me, my lady. I’ll have you know that unexpected entrances are a specialty of mine.”

“Along with eavesdropping, I presume?”

“Merely satisfying my curiosity,” he said with a wink. “One can never know too much about one’s future sister-in-law.”

“You seem to know who I am. Are you related to the duke somehow?”

He grinned, unfazed by my scrutiny. “Clever observation. I’m Caelum, Darius’ younger brother. And you must be Darius’ bride.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m Robin,” I offered, extending my hand.

“A pleasure to finally meet the human who’s captured my brother’s attention,” Caelum replied, taking my hand. “Almost as captivating as my acrobatic entrance, I hope.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his playful tone. “Well, Caelum, I’m not sure I can compete with such a dramatic entrance, but I’ll do my best to keep things interesting.”

His silver eyes twinkled with mischief. “Oh, I’m sure you will. For starters, how about you show me around this place? I’ve only been here a few times, and I’m dying to know all its secrets.”

A wry smile played at the corner of my mouth. “Secrets? You flatter me, Caelum. But I must confess, I’m as new to the mysteries of this castle as a fish to cycling. I’ve barely dipped my toes in its depths.”

Caelum’s grin widened, revealing a hint of shared conspiracy. “Then it’s settled. We’ll embark on this grand tour together, two explorers in a labyrinth of stone and secrets.”

“I hope you’re prepared for disappointment.” I chuckled, admiring his enthusiasm. “The most exciting thing I’ve stumbled upon so far is the library—and that’s only if you consider dust bunnies a form of wildlife.”

“Ah, but you underestimate the allure of literary safaris,” he said. “There are worse fates than being devoured by a particularly vicious encyclopedia.”

Before I could retort, a voice cut through our playful banter like a foghorn in a library.

“Lady Robin! Lady Robin, where are you?”

Meredith’s voice was tinged with panic, and I turned to see her bustling toward us, her face as red as a tomato left too long in the sun.

Caelum cocked his head to the side, watching her approach with an amused twinkle in his eye. “Is she always this… animated? Or did someone put firecrackers in her shoes?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his observation. “Only when it concerns wedding preparations. I think she’s more excited about this marriage than I am.”

As Meredith drew near, her gaze landed on Caelum and lingered for an uncomfortable moment. She studied him as one might appraise a peculiar work of art—or a particularly exotic insect.

“My word,” she finally exclaimed, “what a beautiful little demon. Like a porcelain doll with horns!”

Caelum’s cheeks turned a shade that almost matched Russet’s fur. “Little?” he echoed, sounding like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

“Meredith,” I interjected gently before she could further ruffle Caelum’s feathers, “this is Caelum. He’s the duke’s younger brother.”

With impeccable manners, Meredith curtsied to Caelum, who managed a bashful nod in return, looking like he wished the ground would swallow him whole.

“Oh! My lord,” she said with an apologetic smile. “Pardon my forwardness. I didn’t realize demons came in fun-size.”

Caelum’s face fell, his earlier mischievous grin replaced by a tight-lipped smile that didn’t reach his eyes. I noticed his shoulders tense, and for a moment, the confident demeanor he’d been projecting cracked, revealing a flash of insecurity.

“Yes, well,” he said, his voice strained as he tried to maintain his composure, “we demons come in all shapes and sizes. Some of us are just… more compact than others.”

I could see the way Caelum’s eyes darted to the side, as if searching for his brother’s towering shadow. It was clear that Meredith’s words had struck a nerve, reminding Caelum of a comparison he’d likely heard countless times before.

Meredith, oblivious to the impact of her words, then turned her attention back to me, urgency seeping into her voice like water into a sinking ship.

“Lady Robin, Madame Elodie has arrived for your final fitting, and all your other outfits are awaiting inspection too. The wedding is but a few days away! We must hurry before she turns into a pumpkin—or worse, leaves!”

As Meredith clutched my arm with the strength of a bear trap and began to steer me toward the castle, Caelum piped up behind us.

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