With steady steps, he descended from the carriage and walked straight toward where Elon stood, deliberately ignoring him. She was staring into the distance, her gaze fixed on the end of the road.
'I don't want to brother Thomas with me on. this late hour, he don't like night vists,'
Elon thought as she sighed.
"And the nearest gathering point for my men is just a kilometer away… and night has already fallen. I don't have any weapons. If I lose control it might be, ah! fuck…"
Before she could finish her thought, Elon suddenly felt the ground disappear beneath her. A strong arm had lifted her effortlessly by the waist.
"You depraved jerk! Put me down!"
Her kicks and punches were useless against Derek. He tossed her into the carriage without hesitation, a sly grin stretching across his face as he met her fiery eyes. She looked like a lioness on the verge of snapping.
"Breathe. I don't have time for unnecessary drama. You caught my interest, and I want to talk."
He slammed the carriage door in her face and entered through the other side.
"What's wrong with this man?" she thought, brushing strands of hair behind her ear.
"Exactly that move, and that sigh—she's collecting her thoughts, preparing to strike me with a million sharp questions."
A soft chuckle escaped Derek's lips. Elon hadn't said much, yet every small detail about her intrigued him.
"First off, you're the one to blame for ruining my mother's celebration of my return—alive—after ten years on the battlefield."
A lion's grin spread across her face as he leaned against the window. The glow from the palace reflected its grandeur.
"You mean the same battle you failed to win against the men of the Dark Continent? What did you bring back? A temporary peace treaty? Mercy… I still don't understand why you threw yourselves into a war you were never fit to fight."
Elon's voice was icy. She clenched her worn dress tightly, struggling to contain the emotions surging inside her. Derek was fascinated by her restraint.
"That's your opinion, and I respect it. It's a natural response from someone who's never stepped onto a battlefield—full of strong emotions."
Elon rolled her eyes. She had no desire to talk to him. He didn't stir anything special in her.
"Is this carriage going to move, or do you plan on boring me to death with your chatter?"
At her words, Derek tapped the carriage driver to start moving.
"There's something suspicious about you. I ran a quick background check."
Elon's eyes locked with Derek's. His face turned cold and sharp, the aura around him shifting completely. He looked like a different man.
"You're not just a fallen princess. Your record is too clean. No illegal or immoral activities. No love affairs, no proposals—despite your stunning looks. Anyone who shows interest in you quickly backs off. There's barely any information about you. Elon of Konin… who are you really?"
This was a different kind of headache for her. Why is a commander from the Crystal Kingdom army investigating her? Why now—after she had lost everything?
'Could it be… has the king of the Crystal Kingdom discovered my secret operations?'
The thought alone sent a chill through her. She had hidden her true identity for a decade. If the world found out who she really was—it would cause chaos. But she didn't mind.
"I am Elenora, leader of the Doomskull Gang. Pleased to meet you, Commander Derek. Now drop me off at that bend—my men will pick me up."
Elon didn't blink as she spoke. Derek burst out laughing.
"The Doomskull Gang? Impossible. Even our king is chasing shadows just to meet the leader of that gang and beg for protection strategies."
But then he noticed her steady expression—unwavering, completely unaffected by him.
"Impossible…" he muttered as he signaled the driver to stop. He wanted to see her eat her words in embarrassment if she was lying. But the possibility that she was telling the truth made every hair on his body stand on end.
"Let's say you are their leader. Why didn't you help your father's kingdom?"
The question hit her hard.
"I was on a secret mission to meet the Star Queen. By the time I returned, it was too late for a rescue plan. I was ambushed. For the first time, I tasted defeat—at the hands of the king of the Dark Continent."
"She's still spinning this fantasy…"
"The Doomskull gang members are marked with tattoos. Show me yours."
A wild smile curved her lips. He didn't believe her. "This is the first time I've ever told someone the truth… and you didn't believe me."
Derek raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have a gun?"
Elon moved closer—until there was no space left between them. "There's something you don't know about my gang. Each of us is different. We're… extraordinary."
Her eyes flicked to his, then down to his lips, then back again, following the movement of her brows and lashes. Her body language—unfiltered, unshaken—told no lies.
He didn't even notice when she took the gun from him and fired three shots into the air.
The driver screamed in fear.
"You do realize you're causing trouble with that stunt?" Derek said as he retrieved the weapon and chased after her. She was heading straight into the forest—no one ever dared to enter it at night.
"Thomas will be here in ten minutes. He lives nearby."
She turned to him.
"Who the hell is Thomas? And how's he supposed to know it's really her? I mean, anyone could fire random bullets at night…"
Derek thought to himself as he stepped over thick leaves. He had never walked in this forest—it was off-limits by royal decree.
"Do you know why the king banned all travel and hunting here?" she asked, spinning slowly.
He had been away at war for years and only just returned. He never bothered to look into the king's strange decisions.
"Because it's full of werewolves."
She smiled wide—right as a wolf's howl echoed nearby.
"That's just a coincidence, right?" Derek asked, clearly unsure if he wanted to believe her… or himself.
--