I won't fall for the queen who burned my world-Chapter 176: A little walk

The garden had changed since Elysia first arrived at the castle. It was subtle, not obvious to an outsider but to her, it felt like a quiet evolution.

The sharp corners of discipline and structure were still there this was still Malvoria’s domain, after all but there were new colors, new scents, new things growing in places that had once been only stone.

The roses had flourished.

She could see them now soft pink, deep crimson, pale gold threading their way through the trellises like careful rebellion.

The gardener, an old demon woman with vines for hair and a back bent like a question mark, had once grumbled that they were too delicate for the demon realm. But clearly, someone had convinced her otherwise.

The sun was just beginning to dip below the western towers, painting the sky with bruised violets and soft, fading gold.

A cool breeze rustled the tall grass at the edge of the stone path, and the shadows of the hedges lengthened, stretching like lazy cats across the ground.

Elysia walked slowly, arms folded loosely in front of her, her shawl draped around her shoulders.

Malvoria walked beside her, hands tucked behind her back, gaze flicking occasionally toward the horizon but more often toward Elysia.

They didn’t speak for the first few minutes.

It was a quiet she’d grown to love.

The kind that didn’t demand anything of her.

The kind that didn’t fill space with noise just for the sake of avoiding silence.

Eventually, Malvoria broke it.

"So," she said casually, in a voice that was just too smooth to be innocent, "your chambers seemed... lively earlier."

Elysia didn’t blink. "Did they?"

"Mm. A touch of chaos in the air. The sort that usually involves explosive sugar or emotional revelations."

"Must’ve been the pastries."

"You didn’t even have that much pastries."

Elysia looked at her. "Are you sure?"

Malvoria arched a brow. "Are you?"

Elysia grinned and kept walking.

Malvoria followed, her tone dry but amused. "There were at least four maids sweating in place. One of them saluted me. And I swear someone muttered a prayer in an old dialect when I opened the door."

"Sounds like a normal day in the castle."

Malvoria gave a low chuckle. "You are alarmingly good at this."

"At what?"

"Deflection."

"I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"Mmhm."

They reached the lavender patch, where deep violet blossoms swayed in the wind. Elysia paused, brushing her fingers along the tops of the flowers. The scent hit her almost instantly earthy, calming, rich.

She let out a slow breath and said nothing.

Malvoria stepped beside her, close enough that their shoulders nearly touched.

"Well," she said after a beat, "those maids are a bit overreactive, though."

Elysia tilted her head. "You did inherit them from your mother."

"Unfortunately."

"They’re loyal."

"They’re nosy."

"They also make great tea."

"They also installed a soundproofing enchantment in your room without my approval."

Elysia blinked. "Wait, what?"

Malvoria smirked. "Apparently, your ’privacy’ became their top priority after the second night you didn’t leave my chambers."

Elysia flushed and turned quickly to hide her face in the lavender.

"They’re terrifying," Malvoria added lightly. "Adorable. But terrifying."

"They’re sweet."

"They’re spies."

"They care."

That made Malvoria pause. The teasing in her voice softened, just a little. "They do."

They started walking again, taking the long curve of the path that led past the koi pond.

Elysia saw her reflection ripple briefly on the water, her silver hair, her pale shawl, the slight furrow in her brow she hadn’t realized was there until now.

She was still holding on to the morning’s events.

The test.

The glowing sigil.

The quiet knowledge that something was growing inside her—something that was half hers and half Malvoria’s.

She didn’t know how to tell her.

Not yet.

But soon.

Malvoria hadn’t pressed again. Instead, she walked quietly beside her, like she knew that forcing the moment would make Elysia retreat. She didn’t reach out. Didn’t ask.

But her presence was enough.

They reached the statue at the end of the garden—an old celestial warrior carved in deep obsidian, wings spread in defiance, arms lifted toward the stars. The moss had grown around its base, and tiny white flowers poked through the cracks in the stone.

Elysia stopped.

Malvoria did too.

"I want to talk about Zera," she said.

Elysia’s breath caught.

The breeze shifted, tugging at the edge of her shawl.

She didn’t turn.

She just stood there, looking up at the statue with a heart that had suddenly begun to beat too fast, too loud, echoing between her ribs.

The silence wasn’t peaceful anymore.

But it was necessary.

Elysia didn’t speak right away.

Her eyes stayed on the obsidian statue, watching the way the fading sunlight gleamed off the curved wings.

Her hands were clenched around the edges of her shawl, fingers twisting fabric, not entirely sure what she was bracing for but bracing nonetheless.

Malvoria shifted beside her, then finally said, voice low but steady, "Zera’s missing."

That snapped Elysia’s gaze toward her.

"She hasn’t been in the castle for weeks," Malvoria continued.

"And at first, I assumed it was distance. Avoidance, maybe. But one of my scouts—someone I trust—confirmed that she’s been meeting with people outside the capital. Humans. Not nobility. Not diplomats."

Elysia’s mouth went dry. "Rebels."

Malvoria nodded. "Likely. We haven’t identified the full group, and I don’t know what they’re planning yet. But she’s helping them."

The words settled like stones in Elysia’s stomach. Heavy. Familiar. Sharp.

She didn’t know what to say—whether to defend Zera, or admit that a part of her had already expected this.

Malvoria didn’t press. Her voice was gentle when she added, "I didn’t want to keep that from you. Not after everything."

Elysia finally nodded. "Thank you."

They stood there a little longer, side by side, both watching the garden as the shadows deepened and the first hints of night crept into the sky. The air smelled like lavender and moss, cool and quiet.

Malvoria exhaled. "Well... it’s almost dinner time."

Elysia glanced at her, brow raised.

Malvoria offered a small smile subtle, real, just for her.

"Let’s get going."