I won't fall for the queen who burned my world-Chapter 131: What is the problem?

One week had passed.

One week since Malvoria had let those foolish, utterly humiliating words slip from her mouth.

One week of pretending it never happened, of burying herself in her office, drowning in paperwork and reports, and doing absolutely everything in her power to avoid thinking about it.

And yet, her thoughts betrayed her at every turn.

My heart does weird things.

Malvoria groaned and dropped her forehead onto her desk with a soft thud, barely resisting the urge to let out a frustrated growl.

She had ruled for years with unwavering strength, had led armies, conquered nations, and held her ground in political and military battles that would make lesser beings crumble. But now?

Now she was reduced to hiding in her office like a sulking teenager because she couldn't face the consequences of her own reckless mouth.

Her declaration—if it could even be called that—had been entirely unplanned, slipping from her lips before she had the chance to stop herself.

And now, instead of confronting it, instead of dealing with whatever the hell this thing between her and Elysia was, she had chosen to avoid it completely.

Coward, a voice in her mind sneered.

Malvoria scowled, lifting her head and running a hand through her thick red hair. She wasn't a coward. She had just made a strategic retreat. Yes, a retreat. A calculated, temporary retreat to reassess the battlefield. That was all.

And yet, despite all her careful avoidance, despite locking herself away in this damned office, despite shoving every possible distraction into her schedule to keep herself occupied—Elysia still haunted her.

The way she had looked at Malvoria in the moonlight, the way her lips had parted slightly as though she was about to say something but never did.

The way her silver hair had caught the glow of the lake, turning her into something untouchable. The way Malvoria had wanted, more than anything, to lean in and steal a kiss.

She groaned again, slamming a fist against her desk.

"Pathetic," she muttered under her breath.

As if summoned by the sheer force of her suffering, the door to her office suddenly swung open without so much as a knock.

Malvoria didn't even have to look up to know who it was.

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Her mother.

"Ah," the older demon woman drawled, stepping into the room with the casual grace of someone who had just caught their child doing something ridiculous. "So this is where you've been hiding."

Malvoria sighed through her nose and pinched the bridge of it, already feeling the migraine forming. "Mother, I'm working."

Her mother hummed in amusement, closing the door behind her before leaning against it with a knowing smirk. "Are you? Because from what I heard, you've been avoiding work. And people. And your wife."

Malvoria stiffened. "I have not been avoiding anyone."

Her mother arched a delicate brow. "Really? Then I suppose it's pure coincidence that Elysia has been wandering the castle looking suspiciously not annoyed by your presence because she hasn't seen you all week?"

Malvoria clenched her jaw. "She hasn't been looking for me."

Her mother laughed, and Malvoria hated how much it made her sound like a fool.

"Oh, my dear, sweet daughter. You are truly terrible at this, aren't you?"

Malvoria's eyes narrowed. "At what, exactly?"

Her mother's smirk widened, and she took a slow step forward, hands clasped behind her back like a general surveying a battlefield. "At love."

Malvoria groaned, slumping back in her chair and staring at the ceiling as if the stone might crack open and swallow her whole. "By the Abyss, mother, please—"

"Oh, don't 'mother, please' me," her mother chided, now standing directly across from her desk, looking down at Malvoria like she was a child caught in a tantrum.

"You've been sulking in here for seven whole days. Do you think no one noticed? Do you think your wife hasn't noticed?"

Malvoria exhaled sharply, fixing her mother with a glare. "She doesn't care—"

Her mother let out a sharp, delighted laugh. "Oh, she doesn't care? So why is she constantly looking for excuses to wander near your office? Why does she look disappointed every time she realizes you're not around?"

Malvoria stilled.

Her mother's smirk turned smug. "Oh? Did you really think she wouldn't notice your absence? That she wouldn't feel your absence?"

Something deep in Malvoria's chest twisted at that.

Of course, she had assumed Elysia wouldn't care. That she would be relieved, even, to have space from her. She had to be relieved, right? But if what her mother was saying was true...

No.

She wouldn't let herself think like that.

Elysia had made no move to seek her out. If she had really cared, she would have knocked on Malvoria's door herself instead of just loitering nearby.

Wouldn't she?

Her mother tilted her head, watching her carefully. "What exactly are you afraid of?"

Malvoria's fingers curled into fists on the desk.

"I am not afraid."

Her mother let out a long, knowing hum. "Of course not. The great Demon Queen, afraid? Unthinkable."

Malvoria resisted the urge to throw something at her.

"And yet," her mother continued, pacing around the desk like a predator circling its prey, "you're acting exactly like someone who has just realized they might have feelings for someone and has absolutely no idea what to do about it."

Malvoria scowled. "That is not what this is."

Her mother raised a brow. "Isn't it?"

Malvoria opened her mouth to argue—but nothing came out.

Her mother grinned.

"Ah," she said triumphantly. "So you don't know what it is. Interesting."

Malvoria exhaled slowly, closing her eyes for a brief moment before rubbing her temples. "Mother, what exactly do you want from me?"

Her mother leaned forward, resting her hands on the desk, her smirk still firmly in place. "I want you to stop running away like a coward."

Malvoria shot her a glare. "I am not running away."

"You are absolutely running away," her mother countered, unbothered by Malvoria's growing irritation. "And quite frankly, it's embarrassing."

Malvoria clenched her jaw. "I am a Queen. I do not have the luxury of indulging in feelings."

Her mother clicked her tongue. "Ah, yes. The classic excuse. 'I am a ruler, I must be cold and unfeeling and stoic.'" She rolled her eyes. "Give me a break."

Malvoria exhaled sharply, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "What exactly do you expect me to do?"

Her mother straightened, looking unimpressed. "I expect you to be honest with yourself. I expect you to stop acting like a scared little girl who doesn't know how to deal with emotions."

Malvoria growled under her breath, dragging a hand down her face. "I loathe you sometimes."

Her mother grinned. "No, you don't."

Malvoria sighed heavily, glaring at the ceiling as if it might offer her salvation.

"Now," her mother continued, stepping back with a knowing look, "tell me. What is the problem?"