Page 50 of A Heart Disguised 1

Tilly and Tessa exchanged excited glances. “Do you think we could make something like this for ourselves?” Tilly whispered, not quite quietly enough. “I bet Thomas would love it.”

Tessa giggled, nodding enthusiastically. “Oh, and imagine Harold’s face if I wore something like this!”

Madame Elodie’s eyes lit up with a spark of entrepreneurial spirit. “Ladies, I believe we may have stumbled upon a new market. Imagine, a line of… intimate apparel for the upper class.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. Wearing such revealing garments would certainly expose more than I was comfortable with—my very identity at risk under such scant protection. Dread curled in my stomach like smoke around embers.

“Surely there’s been some mistake,” I said weakly. “Perhaps these were meant for someone else?”

Caelum shook his head, his expression a mix of amusement and sympathy. “I’m afraid not, Robin. It’s an important part of demon wedding traditions. You’ll have to wear them.”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. How could I possibly wear these without revealing my secret? It seemed an impossible task.

“Well then,” Meredith said, clapping her hands together, “we’d best make sure everything fits perfectly! We wouldn’t want to disappoint the duke on his wedding night, would we?”

As the women around me buzzed with excitement over the lingerie and its possibilities, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of impending doom. This was one secret I wasn’t sure I could keep under wraps—quite literally.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on my shoulders as Caelum and I made our way to the dining room, Finn, the young servant boy, leading the way lest we lose ourselves in this labyrinth of opulence. Caelum’s laughter echoed off the stone walls, a sound so light and carefree that it seemed out of place within the castle’s stoic embrace.

“Stop it, Caelum,” I muttered, my cheeks still burning from the indignity of the fitting session. “It’s not funny.”

He chuckled, a twinkle in his silver eyes that suggested he found my predicament utterly hilarious. “Oh, Robin, if only you could see the humor in it. You, trying on every piece of clothing known to demon and humankind, including the… ‘lingerie.’” He said the last word with a flourish, as if it were a joke only he was privy to.

I shot him a glare that could have wilted the hardiest of flowers. “It’s not as if I had a choice. And speaking of choices, I can’t believe I had to try on every single one of those… garments. And the lingerie—I can’t believe Meredith barged into the bathroom insisting on seeing how it fits!”

A blush crept onto my cheeks as I remembered staring at my reflection in the mirror, clad in silk and lace that left little to the imagination. It was like gazing upon a stranger—a vision of allure and forbidden secrets. “There’s no way in hell I’ll wear any of those intimate pieces,” I muttered under my breath, “let alone let Darius see me in them.”

As if reading my thoughts, Caelum said, “It’s too bad you didn’t come out to let us see how you looked in the lingerie. But I understand, you’re a woman, after all.”

I felt the weight of his gaze on me, and my glare intensified. Was he truly this oblivious, or was he teasing me? The way he emphasized ‘woman’ made it clear he was enjoying every moment of my discomfort. The line between ignorance and playfulness seemed to blur when it came to Caelum.

We finally reached the dining room, and the moment we stepped through the grand arched doorway, it was as if we had entered a den of lions. The duke’s lieutenants—Sir Zephyr, Vex, Thorne, Orion, and Fenris—surrounded Caelum in a flurry of hearty claps on the back and deep, resonant laughter.

Sir Zephyr was the first to embrace Caelum. “Little lord, you grow more handsome each time I lay eyes upon you,” he said, his voice laced with genuine affection.

Sir Vex, ever the silent observer, gave a rare smile, his icy demeanor thawing slightly at the sight of Caelum. Sir Thorne lifted Caelum off his feet in a bear hug, his booming laughter reverberating through the hall.

Sir Orion, the most reserved of the group, offered a nod of acknowledgment, a small smile playing on his lips. And Sir Fenris clapped Caelum on the shoulder, his stern features softening.

It was clear they adored Caelum, and for a moment, I felt a pang of envy. They treated him as if he were a younger brother, beloved and cherished. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever find my place among them, or if I would always be an outsider, a human masquerading as a noblewoman in a court of demons.

As I watched the camaraderie unfold, I realized that despite the laughter and the warmth, I was stepping into a world much more complex and dangerous than I had ever imagined. And as much as I wished to turn back, to flee from the trials that lay ahead, I knew I had no choice but to move forward, one tentative step at a time.

The sight was heartwarming—these fearsome lieutenants showing such open affection for Darius’ younger brother. Watching them interact, I couldn’t help but feel an odd pang of envy at their easy camaraderie. It seemed even demons valued family ties more than Lord Aldercrest ever did his own flesh and blood.

As the lieutenants’ greetings subsided, the doors swung open once more. The duke strode in, his imposing figure commanding attention, with Grand Duke Ignatius close behind. The moment Caelum caught sight of the grand duke, he tensed, looking as if he might bolt at any second.

But the grand duke was too quick. With a gleeful roar, he swept Caelum into a crushing bear hug, lifting the smaller demon off his feet.

“Unhand me, you overgrown firefly!” Caelum shrieked, pounding his fists against Grand Duke Ignis’ massive chest. “I swear by all that’s unholy, if you don’t put me down this instant—”

Grand Duke Ignis’ booming laughter drowned out the rest of Caelum’s threats. “Oh, how I’ve missed your dulcet tones, little one!” He finally set Caelum down, ruffling his hair affectionately. “Why, I do believe you’ve grown a whole inch since last we met. You’re positively towering now!”

Caelum smoothed his rumpled clothes, glaring daggers at the demon lord. “How kind of you to notice. I was beginning to think your eyesight was as dim as your wit.”

“Such a sharp tongue,” Grand Duke Ignis chuckled. “We must find time for some fun before I return to my domain. Perhaps I could teach you how to reach the top shelf without a stepladder?”

“Oh, joy,” Caelum drawled. “I can hardly contain my excitement. Shall we practice reaching for your intellect while we’re at it? I hear it’s quite elusive.”

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