CHAPTER FIFTY
TANYA'S POV
After Daniel left for his kingdom…
Peace disappeared from my heart again.
At first, I tried convincing myself that everything would be fine.
Daniel was strong.
Wise.
Loved by his people.
Surely the King would understand the truth and still accept him.
But the more I thought about it—
The more fear slowly crept into my heart.
Because unlike Daniel…
I knew very well how cruel humans could become when blood and inheritance were involved.
Memories I tried to bury long ago slowly returned.
Painful memories.
I remembered standing before the human king as a little girl, crying while reporting the abuse my uncle and his family put me through.
I remembered the hunger.
The beatings.
The cold dog house.
The burns and scars.
And yet—
The King never listened to me.
He dismissed my pain like it meant nothing.
That day, I convinced myself that human rulers only cared about power and bloodlines.
Ever since then…
I always viewed Daniel's father as an unreasonable man.
What if he rejected Daniel now?
What if he chose the throne over love?
What if he blamed Daniel for something beyond his control?
The thoughts tormented me endlessly.
That night, I could not sleep.
I kept turning restlessly on the bed while staring at the ceiling of my chambers.
And the more hours passed—
The more I missed Daniel painfully.
His voice.
His warmth.
His arms around me.
Even though we had only been apart for a short time, my heart already felt empty without him beside me.
Finally—
I could not take it anymore.
I sat up slowly before whispering ancient teleportation chants beneath my breath.
Dark wind surrounded my body instantly.
The candles inside my chamber flickered violently.
Then—
WHOOSH!
The covenant disappeared around me.
---
Moments later, I appeared invisibly inside the royal palace.
The familiar human kingdom stood peacefully beneath the moonlight.
For a moment, I simply stood there silently.
This place once carried nothing but hatred inside my heart.
But now…
The man I loved lived here.
Carefully, I followed Daniel's scent through the palace halls until I reached the King's private chambers.
The doors were slightly open.
And what I saw inside made me freeze.
Daniel and the King were embracing each other tightly.
Both of them were crying.
The sight shocked me deeply.
Daniel looked devastated.
Completely broken.
And for the first time, I realized how much this revelation truly affected him.
No matter how powerful Daniel had become…
No matter how strong his bloodline was…
The King before him was still the man who raised him for thirty-five years.
His father.
My chest tightened painfully.
I remained hidden silently while listening to their conversation.
The King held Daniel's shoulders firmly.
"Nothing changes," he said emotionally.
"You are still my son."
Daniel lowered his head painfully.
"But Father—"
"No."
The King interrupted him immediately.
"You are still my heir."
His voice became firmer.
"And no matter what happens, this kingdom still belongs to you."
At first, relief flooded my heart.
I almost smiled.
But suddenly—
Something inside me became uneasy.
The King's voice…
There was something hidden beneath it.
Something strange.
Something that felt dangerously close to greed.
As if the thought of Daniel leaving the kingdom frightened him more than the truth itself.
Then the King spoke again.
"This matter must remain secret."
Daniel frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
The King stepped closer.
"No one must know about your true origins."
His voice lowered heavily.
"You are still the future king of this kingdom."
My eyes narrowed slowly.
The King's expression carried fear.
Not fear of losing Daniel emotionally—
But fear of losing the throne from his bloodline.
Fear that the kingdom would eventually pass into another clan.
I suddenly understood everything.
The King loved Daniel deeply.
That part was real.
But at the same time—
He also wanted to keep power within his family.
And Daniel noticed it too.
I saw the conflict in his eyes immediately.
Pain.
Confusion.
Pressure.
The King continued speaking, but Daniel slowly became quieter.
More distant.
As if he suddenly realized the impossible burden now resting on his shoulders.
How could one man belong to two kingdoms?
The human throne.
And the Snake Pack throne.
Which side was he supposed to abandon?
The conversation eventually ended.
Daniel bowed respectfully before leaving the chamber quietly.
I followed him silently through the palace halls.
His shoulders looked heavy.
As if the weight of two worlds was crushing him slowly.
When he finally entered his chambers, he locked the doors behind him before collapsing onto the edge of his bed tiredly.
The room became silent.
Then slowly—
Daniel reached toward a small table beside the bed.
And picked up a framed portrait.
His mother.
Queen Eleanor.
The woman who raised him.
The woman who loved him despite knowing the truth.
Daniel stared at the picture silently for several seconds.
Then suddenly—
Tears rolled down his face.
My heart shattered instantly.
"I don't know what to do anymore, Mother," he whispered painfully.
His voice cracked deeply.
"How am I supposed to save both sides?"
He lowered his head weakly.
"If I become King of the Pythons…"
"…then what happens to this kingdom?"
"And if I remain here…"
"…what happens to my true clan?"
Fresh tears fell from his eyes.
"I don't know who I'm supposed to abandon."
Seeing him like this destroyed me completely.
Daniel always carried everyone's burdens alone.
Always trying to protect everyone while suffering silently himself.
I wanted to comfort him immediately.
I wanted to run into his arms and tell him everything would be alright.
But I hesitated.
I was still invisible.
And suddenly—
Fear consumed me.
What if my presence only complicated things further?
What if Daniel eventually regretted loving me?
What if I became the reason he lost both worlds?
I stepped forward slowly anyway.
Unable to keep watching him suffer alone.
But before I could decide whether to reveal myself—
Daniel suddenly lifted his head.
Then softly—
His husky voice filled the silent room.
"My love…"
My breath caught instantly.
Daniel smiled weakly while staring directly toward the empty space where I stood hidden.
"I know you're here watching me."
Shock flooded through me.
How did he know?
Then his voice softened even more.
"Please…"
Pain filled his eyes.
"Just show yourself."
My heart trembled violently.
Daniel lowered his head tiredly.
"I want to bury my heart in your arms."
A tear rolled slowly down his cheek.
"Because that's the only place where I can finally breathe again."
At that moment—
I could no longer remain hidden.
END OF CHAPTER FIFTY