Damned by Him Chapter 5: Interrogation

Novel: Damned by Him Author: Nightshade07 Updated: Jun 05, 2026

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Now reading: Chapter 5: Interrogation from Damned by Him, a Fantasy novel by Nightshade07.

The sound had been small.

Barely more than a sharp intake of breath forced into the shape of a muffled cry.

But in the quiet stretch of the corridor, it was enough.

Both n turned at once.

Lily froze where she stood, her injured foot still slightly raised from where it had struck the edge of the stone divider. The pain lingered, sharp and throbbing, but it was quickly overshadowed by sothing far worse....the sudden awareness of two pairs of eyes fixed directly on her.

For a mont, no one spoke.

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, pressing down on her chest until it beca difficult to breathe.

Then Seth stepped forward.

Unlike the Duke, whose stillness carried a quiet, controlled weight, Seth moved with a lighter ease, though there was nothing careless about the way his eyes assessed her from head to toe.

"Well," he said, his tone mild but edged with curiosity, "this is unexpected."

Lily swallowed.

Her mind scrambled.

Say sothing.

Seth tilted his head slightly, recognition dawning across his features. "You are the princess’s maid... aren’t you?"

Lily forced herself to bow quickly, lowering her gaze in what she hoped resembled composure rather than panic.

"Yes, sir."

Seth’s expression did not soften.

"If that is the case," he continued, folding his arms loosely, "then I must ask.....what are you doing this far from the princess’s wing?"

The question landed cleanly.

Directly.

Lily hesitated.

Just for a second.

But in that second, too many thoughts collided at once, leaving her with nothing clear to say.

"I... was sent," she replied finally, the words coming out uneven despite her effort to steady them. "I was sent to... attend to sothing."

Seth raised a brow.

"To attend to sothing," he repeated, as though testing the shape of her answer. "And that required you to hide behind a corridor divider?"

Lily’s throat tightened.

"I wasn’t hiding," she said quickly. "I only...."

"Only what?" Seth pressed, taking another step closer. "Lost your way? Beca curious? Or perhaps...."

"That will be enough."

The interruption was quiet.

Yet final.

Seth stopped imdiately.

Lily’s breath caught as her gaze shifted....slowly, reluctantly...toward the Duke.

Xandros had not moved from where he stood, but sothing in his presence had changed. There was a subtle sharpness now, a quiet authority that made the space feel smaller, tighter, as though the walls themselves were closing in.

"I was intending," he said calmly, his gaze resting on Lily, "to receive a report regarding the princess."

The words struck her like a blow.

Report.

Princess.

For a split second, her heart stopped.

Then it began again....faster.

Louder.

He knows.

Panic surged through her chest, rising so quickly it almost forced her to step back.

Xandros watched her reaction carefully.

Then, almost thoughtfully, he added, "But it seems... it would be more efficient to ask directly."

Lily’s instincts scread at her to leave.

To run.

To escape before whatever this was beca sothing she could not undo.

Her body shifted.....

And she turned.

But she didn’t make it far.

Seth moved faster.

His hand closed firmly around her wrist, stopping her in place before she could take more than a single step.

"Now, now," he said lightly, though his grip did not loosen. "Running only makes things look worse."

Lily struggled instinctively, but the hold was unyielding.

"Please...." she began, her voice trembling now, "I didn’t an...."

"Look at ."

The command ca from Xandros.

Soft.

Controlled.

And impossible to ignore.

Lily’s resistance faltered.

Her movents slowed, then stilled entirely as she turned her head toward him.

Their eyes t.

And sothing changed.

The world seed to narrow, the edges of her awareness blurring as his gaze held hers.....not forceful, not harsh, but undeniably powerful.

Her thoughts dulled.

Her panic quieted.

Replaced by sothing else.

Stillness.

"Yes," she murmured faintly.

Xandros stepped closer, his expression unreadable.

"Answer carefully," he said.

Lily nodded once.

"Is the princess... the legitimate daughter of the king?"

"Yes," Lily replied at once, her voice steady, devoid of hesitation.

Xandros’ gaze did not waver.

"Then why was she sent away?"

There was no pause.

"No queen wanted her," Lily said plainly. "The current queen convinced the king to exile her. She was sent away when she was eight. She was only brought back now... for the marriage."

Silence followed.

Not heavy.

Not tense.

Simply... still.

Seth’s grip on her wrist loosened slightly, though he did not release her completely.

Xandros studied her for a mont longer.

"And what were you doing here?" he asked.

Lily’s lips parted.

"I ca to spy," she said, the words leaving her without resistance. "To see if you were dangerous... to the princess."

Seth let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a suppressed laugh.

Xandros inclined his head slightly.

"I see."

His tone was calm.

Too calm.

"What a... diligent effort."

The faintest trace of sarcasm slipped through his words.

Lily did not react.

Could not.

Xandros turned away, as though the matter had already lost its importance.

"That will be all," he said.

And just like that....

He walked away.

Seth watched him go, then glanced back at Lily.

For a brief mont, his expression softened....not with kindness, but with sothing closer to understanding.

Then his gaze sharpened again.

"Look at ."

Lily obeyed instantly.

"You will forget everything that happened here," Seth said evenly. "You were never stopped. You were never questioned. You will return to the princess."

Her eyes remained fixed on his.

"Yes."

"And you will act normally."

"Yes."

Seth released her wrist.

The mont stretched.....

Then snapped.

Lily blinked.

Her focus shifted.

Confusion clouded her expression as she looked around, her brows knitting together slightly.

"S-Sir...?" she said, noticing Seth standing before her. "What... are you doing here?"

Seth studied her for a second.

"What are you doing here?" he countered.

Lily hesitated.

"I... I think I lost my way," she said quickly, bowing her head. "I was looking for sothing, but I must have taken the wrong corridor."

Seth nodded slowly.

"Careless," he said.

"Yes, sir. My apologies."

She straightened, still uncertain, still slightly disoriented....but unable to place why.

Then, without waiting further, she turned and hurried away.

Seth watched her go.

"...A good liar," he murmured under his breath.

By the ti Lily returned to Rosaline’s chambers, the familiar quiet of the room settled her nerves, even if she did not understand why her heart still felt unsettled.

Rosaline remained asleep, her expression peaceful, her breathing steady.

For a mont, Lily simply stood there, watching her.

Then she smiled softly.

"At least you’re resting," she whispered.

Carefully, she adjusted the covers around her before stepping back.

There was still sothing that needed to be done.

The wedding.

It was tomorrow.

And yet, the gown had not arrived.

With a small frown, Lily turned and left the room once more, this ti moving with clearer purpose as she made her way toward the Queen’s wing.

The corridors here were brighter, more adorned, reflecting the presence of soone who demanded both beauty and attention.

As Lily approached, voices reached her ears.