Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 249

Chapter 249: A New Direction (13)

In her dream, the domain walls were carved with sigils that glowed faint red under her steps. Liliana walked the path with bare feet, her once-innocent eyes glowing faintly with hidden divinity. Around her, shadows bowed in reverence, for they recognized the return of their goddess.

She was no longer merely the smiling child in royal gowns, doted on by kings and queens. She was the Fourth Demon Goddess, forged in flame, resurrected in flesh, and now bound by a vow stronger than fate. Her fingers gently grazed a mirror etched with dark glyphs, revealing visions of her past life, a silhouette cloaked in fire, ruling legions of shadow beasts, feared by all the realms.

Yet now, the reflection that looked back at her was the child known as Liliana Bloodstone, the treasured daughter of Ahcehera, who tucked her in at night and kissed her forehead with genuine love. It had been a trap. That was the truth. Ahcehera was never supposed to love her, she was meant to be a tool, a pawn, someone who would unknowingly release sealed power from the celestial flame bloodline and break the old balance.

But none of that mattered anymore. The plan had unraveled the moment Ahcehera had embraced her as her own, whispered promises of protection, and made her feel something no throne of darkness ever had, warmth. Love. Belonging. Liliana walked to the heart of her domain, where a throne of onyx and bone waited for her command, but she only stared at it.

“No,” she whispered. “Not anymore.” She raised her hand, and flames curled from her fingers, ready to reignite the seal she had placed on her divine powers, this time stronger.

Her demon heritage called to her, seduced her with the promise of dominion and vengeance, especially against the assassins who had sought to kill her once she was reborn. But she did not come to this life to reign in the dark. She came to protect. To rewrite her destiny.

Her tiny hand clenched tightly, and the energy spiraled outward, sealing the domain for good, until the day it would be truly needed. Not for war. Not for domination. But for the protection of the Bloodstone royal family and the woman who taught her what love meant.

She stepped through the portal again, returning to the familiar comfort of her chambers. The room was filled with childish trinkets, plush pillows, and a small telescope pointed at the stars. She settled onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, the weight of her secret resting heavily on her chest.

She had killed before. She had led armies before. But now, she was simply Liliana, the girl who liked to follow her uncles around and collect feathers. She curled into her blanket and closed her eyes, whispering a silent promise to the wind, “No one will ever harm them. I will become the greatest liar if I must. But I will never be a threat to them.”

Outside, the Sirius skies blinked with distant stars. The moon hung low, casting silver light into her room. Not far away, Ahcehera stood in the hallway, having quietly come to check on her. She smiled at the peaceful sight of her daughter asleep, brushing her fingertips over the doorway.

“Goodnight, my little gem,” she whispered. Unaware of the fire that stirred quietly beneath that gentle face.

In the following days, Liliana kept herself close to Ahcehera. She accompanied her to the academy, observed the students preparing for their intramurals, and often helped sort documents in the military office. She remained the same, bright, observant, and quiet. But her mind never stopped moving.

She took note of every person who looked at her mother with suspicion, anyone who might pose a threat, and especially anyone who had even the faintest trace of demonic energy. She sensed one.

A young man who had transferred from the northern district. He looked ordinary, but his scent reminded her of the border demons who once knelt at her feet. She watched him for days, never approaching, only waiting for him to make the first mistake.

But Liliana wasn’t alone in her surveillance. Riezekiel had begun to notice her, too. Not out of suspicion, but something else, a familiar aura. Something he couldn’t quite name. He had sensed that same vibration once, long ago, in the dark courts of the demon realm. It startled him.

Could it be possible that the Fourth Demon Goddess had returned? But why… in the body of a child? And why in the care of Ahcehera? He began tracing old prophecies again. Prophecies that spoke of rebirths and flame-bound destinies. The pieces did not fit. Not yet. But something in his gut told him that Liliana was more than a child of royalty.

Meanwhile, Liliana had already confirmed his identity. She had known from the moment she probed the arcane records left behind by the old spies of the first demon god. Riezekiel was no ordinary man. He had risen from death. Not as a miracle of fate, but as a convergence of two cursed souls, Rohzivaan and Riezekiel, fused under a demonic resurrection.

She feared him. Not because he was powerful, but because he still carried that deep yearning for her mother, something raw and dangerous. She didn’t know whether to eliminate him as a threat or to keep watching. He had fought assassins recently, and Liliana had received reports from her sparrows. He had survived, but barely. Was that desperation or loyalty?

That night, Liliana stood once again on her balcony, eyes distant and wise beyond her years. A purple-feathered falcon landed on her shoulder, another spy. It delivered its silent report. She read the scroll and burned it with a blink. The demon realm was stirring again. The first demon god’s agents had spotted her.

They suspected the child of light living in the Bloodstone palace wasn’t what she seemed. Time was running out. If they confirmed her identity, they would come. And this time, it wouldn’t be assassins, it would be armies. She turned away from the stars and whispered, “Not yet. Let me live a little longer.”

She returned to bed and stared at the stars painted on her ceiling. She thought about her mother. About her warm hands. Her soft voice. Her laughter when Liliana mimicked her walking style. She thought about the way the king called her “my clever little girl” and how Queen Tereza would brush her hair for hours while telling her old stories of celestial warriors.

A demon should not have known love. A demon should not have wept. But tears slowly slid down Liliana’s cheeks as she whispered a silent prayer, one not to the gods or the stars, but to the woman who saved her soul. “Let me stay. Please… just let me stay this way a little longer.”

And far beyond the royal palace, in a hidden temple buried beneath obsidian stone, an ancient eye opened. A whisper slithered through the abyss, “Found you.”

Liliana stirred in her sleep, her heart pounding, her breath hitching. But she did not awaken. The battle had not yet begun. But the countdown had.