That Prince Is A Girl: The Vicious King’s Slave Mate Novel

Chapter 473: Surveying her neat nails, her smile grew wide. "Calm yourself, Lord Zaiper. Vladya is gone, and he's not coming back."

PRINCESS AEKEIRA

"Let's go back to the fortress," Lord Vladya announced suddenly, his voice breaking the silence between them.

Aekeira turned to face him, her brows furrowing in surprise as she took in the serious set of his features. They were lying side by side, his face as composed as ever, yet the weight of his words hung in the air. "Are you sure?" He nodded once. "Yes."

The simple word left her momentarily stunned. She had spent so long trying to convince him to return, to go back to the fortress and face what he'd been avoiding. He had always been so stubborn, so adamant in his refusal. And now, just like that, he was ready?

"What made you change your mind?" she asked curiously.

"A few reasons," he said, staring into her eyes. "I realized I had placed my life on hold, waiting for this, when I should be living it to the fullest."

He paused, and Aekeira kept silent, waiting patiently.

"You are here," he said, his voice dropping slightly, "and suddenly, I don't want to simply wait anymore."

Aekeira's heart skipped a beat. Was he aware of how words like these, from him, affected her?

"I want to go back to my world. I miss my people." His tone remained as monotone as ever, but his eyes grew thoughtful. "And…"

"And?"

For the longest time, he didn't answer. Those sharp, storm-gray eyes watched her in silence, as if he were searching for something in her expression.

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"And, I want to bring you into my world, Aekeira," he said at last. "To show it to you, properly this time." It warmed her heart.

To think, he had that blank stare, speaking in the flat, dead tone of a soulless male right now. And yet, somehow, the detached delivery made his words feel even more heartwarming.

An involuntary smile tugged at her lips as she stared at him in wonder. Who is this person before me? she marveled silently.

He was still Lord Vladya, yet he seemed like someone entirely new. In these past few weeks, he had revealed so many sides of himself she hadn't known existed. Layers she had never imagined were there. And as much as Aekeira had wished for him to return to Blackstone, dread suddenly filled her.

What if, when they went back, this version of him-the male before her now-vanished?

What if he was replaced by the cold, distant Grand Lord Vladya she had known before? The one who kept his emotions buried so deep they were unreachable?

What if the real world reminded him of all the bridges between them and everything that had once kept them apart?

Aekeira closed her eyes briefly, trying to steady her racing thoughts. She had loved him before, hadn't she?

The darkness, the madness, the ugliness… all of him. She had embraced all of it, even when it had almost consumed her. But now… now she wasn't ready to let go of this new side of him.

This side that looked at her as if she truly mattered. This side that listened to her, that let down his guard, showing her glimpses of vulnerability. This Lord Vladya, who was so attentive to her needs, who spoke words that warmed her heart.

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