The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 95: Lavish Nightmare I

Chapter 95: Lavish Nightmare I

Ren stood before a grand white stone mansion, its elegant silhouette rising against the pristine sky. She tilted her head, eyes narrowing in thought. This is a dream... isn’t it? She was in the training hall!

She glanced down at her hands, then at the light blue dress cascading around her legs. Everything felt too vivid, too tangible to be an illusion. The air carried the soft hum of life, grounding her in a reality she wasn’t sure existed.

She drew a slow breath, her gaze sweeping over the tranquil surroundings. It was beautiful, achingly so. Just as she’d once imagined a life stripped of crowns and bloodlines. A quiet farm. Honest labor. Loving and being loved in return until her final breath. The sky above was a canvas of endless blue, unmarred by storm or shadow of war. She wandered forward, climbing a hill to stand under a lone oak tree, her steps were light, and soon she caught sight of workers toiling peacefully in the distant fields.

"Wife, why are you standing here alone?"

The voice cleaved through the stillness like lightning. Ren flinched, her shoulders tightening as a warm hand clasped hers.

Kai? Her breath hitched. Was she dead?

He didn’t wear that beautifully menacing smile, the one that always unsettled her, yet somehow his face drew her in. But his hair was shorter now, and his eyes lacked the wild, feral light that used to both confuse and captivate her. His expression was soft, serene... like the gentle breath of spring.

This isn’t right.

"Am I dreaming?" she murmured, her brows pulling into a frown.

Kai turned to her and gently cupped her face. "Isn’t this the life you’ve always wanted?"

Her frown deepened, the creases on her forehead etched with anxiousness. This man looked like her husband, but he wasn’t. Something in her bones rejected him. He leaned in, lips nearing hers, when her eyes flew open in alarm.

His scent hit her, a strange blend of damp earth and crushed grass. Not the scent of her Kai. It was like water soaking into dry soil, wafting an air of a dull peace. Familiar, yet foreign. Wrong.

She pulled back slightly, eyes narrowing. No... she was certain now. This man wasn’t her husband.

And this dream, it wasn’t a dream at all. It was too vivid, too visceral. Something was deeply, dangerously off.

"You didn’t use the cologne I made for you," she said, testing him, voice calm but edged with fire.

Her patience steamed, threatening to boil over. She needed answers. Now. The beauty of this place, its peace, its warmth, could no longer mislead her. Maybe, for one fragile moment, she had wanted it to be real. But without him, this was nothing but a gilded lie... a nightmare dressed in sunlight.

"Did you make me a cologne, wife? How kind of you," he replied with a hollow smile.

Ren let out a low, incredulous chuckle. Nice try.

Her Kai would’ve remembered. He would’ve been flustered, teasing, smug, but never indifferent. This man? His eyes held no spark, no recognition. Not even the raw, hungry way Kai looked at her. She could feel no warmth, no pull of their bond, Nothing.

This wasn’t him. And this wasn’t real. Her hands curled into fists at her sides.

He leaned in further, aiming to press a kiss to her lips, only for her to slam both fists into his chest and take a sharp step back.

"You’re not my husband, asshole pervert. Who are you?"

The man blinked, caught off guard. His head cocked in a mockery of confusion. "Love, come here."

But Ren didn’t move. Her body remained tense, eyes blazing with a feral defiance.

"Who are you? Lutherieth? His fucking mad brother?" She lost her temper.

His shoulders squared, and he exhaled slowly as if the game had finally lost its thrill. His hands shifted behind his back, posture relaxing into something more sinister.

"This could be fun... until my brother’s wife decided to be this clever. Tsk. Boring."

Lutherieth?!

He hadn’t confirmed it with words, but the truth rang out loud and clear in the low growl that followed.

"You’re not someone to be toyed with, are you?" he mused, and as the words left his mouth, a gust of sand spiraled around him and the illusion shattered.

His features morphed, his entire form shifting. The man who now stood before her was hellishly beautiful, striking in a way that stole breath and stirred unease. There were traces of Kai in him... The same black hair, sharp cheekbones, and a tall, regal bearing. His nose was straight, flawless. But where Kai’s presence was fire and gravity, this man was as dull as sand, his silver-gray eyes gleaming with an unnatural light. His face held no emotion, not even a shadow of it. As if he’d never smiled. Never felt. His skin was impossibly pale, untouched by the sun, smooth, flawless. He wore long robes of dark gray, finely embroidered with intricate silver patterns. His entire being was giving off a regal distant and yet cold air.

"You’re not Lutherieth?" she whispered.

He shook his head. "I’m Azrael. Your husband’s eldest brother."

Her heart lurched. "Why did you bring me here? Take me back. I don’t belong here. Please."

Azrael shook his head once more, his tone flat. "Woha, you are bold to ask for that. You’ve brought chaos to my father’s realm. And I’m told to keep you here till he asks me to let you go, so please, make yourself at home."

Ren’s eyes narrowed. "What’s that got to do with me? Two of your brothers have been at each other’s throats for a thousand years, long before I was even born. If Lutherieth would just stop being an ass, maybe nothing would be falling into chaos!"

Azrael turned to her slowly, his gaze hardening as if trying to determine whether she was playing dumb, truly ignorant, or entirely unaware of who she was!

"You don’t know, do you?" he flashed her a scrutinized glare.

Ren’s stomach twisted. "Know what?"

His expression darkened, shadows settling over his face like a storm cloud. Silence hung heavy in the air for a while until he crushed it with something viciously harsh.

"You’ll live here for ten years in the Dreamland," He said at last. "Find the truth... and I’ll let you go."

A sharp twist coiled in Ren’s stomach, but before she could protest, shout, anything... He simply vanished, not owing her an explanation. Gone like a breath of wind, leaving behind a shuddering chill that crept down her spine.

Ten years? In this place?

Her breath caught. How long is that in her world?

Her knees buckled, and she crumpled to the ground just as a young woman rushed toward her.

"Milady, are you alright?"

Ren shook her head, wild-eyed. "No. I’m fucking not okay!"

The woman flinched, stunned. "Oh! I’ve never heard you speak like that, Lady Anarya!"

The name struck Ren like a whip, freezing her mid-breath.

Lady Anarya?

She spun around and grabbed the girl’s shoulders, panic flaring in her chest. "What do you mean? Why did you call me that?!"

The woman’s brows knit together in concern, but Ren studied her closely now. Her dress was delicate, made of white lace. Her light brown hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her eyes, a light shade of purple?! The jewelry woven into her locks was nothing like the styles Ren had ever seen in her world. And those ears! Pointed Fae ears! Her blood ran cold.

That bastard Azrael hadn’t even told her where she was.

"Where am I?" Ren asked, her voice low and urgent.

The girl’s concern deepened. "Milady, you’re in the summer mansion in Azgaith."

Ren went still. Azgaith!? Wasn’t that the birthplace of the only legitimate princess of the Fae? Her breath locked in her chest.

And this girl... she believed Ren was that princess?

Without wasting another second, Ren bolted toward the unfamiliar, lavishly adorned mansion. She darted through its grand halls until she found the nearest silver-framed mirror.

She found it hard to breathe the moment her reflection stared back. She winced, her heart slamming against her ribs. This wasn’t her. She wasn’t this beautiful.

The eyes were the same, clear, piercing blue, but the rest... The face was more delicate, the bone structure refined, ethereal. The body was taller, stronger, and sculpted with an elegance she’d never known. This body belonged to someone else. And she was trapped inside it. What was the truth she must find?

Ren’s shoulders dropped, "I don’t remember who I am!" She felt her childhood memories were fading. This was absolutely a nightmare, the one that you lived and enjoyed to the marrow and once you looked into a mirror, you couldn’t feel or find yourself who lived that perfect moment and someone else was laughing and enjoying it, you were just a beholder.

She averted her head and saw a quill on the table, rushing to it. She sat on the chair and started taking notes of who she was, everything that could link her back to reality and Kai, and the way she could return, finding the truth that could lead her out of this nightmare. This game was dirty, Azrael was taking her memories to make it hard for her.

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