Chapter 419: The Banishment

Grayson lowered himself onto his knees before the edge of the bed, his broad hands carefully holding Mailah’s foot. He inspected her skin with the intense focus of a man trying to solve a dangerous puzzle.

"Does it hurt when I press here?" Grayson asked softly, his deep voice rich and quiet as his thumb pressed gently against her ankle.

"Not at all," Mailah smiled warmly. She reached out, her fingers sliding through his thick dark hair, gently massaging his scalp. "It feels completely fine, Grayson. The swelling went down hours ago."

Grayson closed his eyes, letting out a low, soft sigh as her fingers moved through his hair. His sharp jaw relaxed, and for a quiet second, the proud lord of darkness looked like nothing more than a devoted man resting his head in his wife’s lap.

"You must tell me the exact second you feel any pain," Grayson murmured, leaning up to press a light kiss onto the top of her foot before carefully wrapping her legs in the soft blanket. "If you hide your pain from me just to keep me happy, I will carry you everywhere for the next three months. Do not test me, Mailah. I will gladly do it."

"I know you would," Mailah laughed softly, her heart melting as she leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Now get up here and rest."

Grayson didn’t hesitate. He shifted onto the mattress beside her, pulling her small body close against his broad chest. He wrapped his long, strong arms securely around her waist, resting his chin on top of her head. He breathed in her sweet scent, his body relaxing as the heavy rain continued to tap against the balcony glass.

Within twenty minutes, Mailah’s breathing slowed into a steady rhythm. She was fast asleep, her hand resting gently over Grayson’s heart.

Grayson lay still in the quiet room, listening to the soft beat of her heart. A look of deep tenderness filled his dark eyes as he looked down at her sleeping face. He carefully brushed a stray lock of hair away from her forehead.

My sweet wife, he thought, his chest tight with love. She sees the good in everyone. She wants to open our home to a wild, loud demon girl simply because she believes in kindness.

Then, Grayson’s jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed in the dark room.

However... I am still a demon prince.

He had promised Mailah that he would not hurt Chloe. He had promised he would not drag his brothers to the estate or throw his cousin into the cold ocean. But Grayson was a clever creature, and he knew how to work around his own promises.

He had never promised Mailah that he would refrain from hiring someone else to dig up the truth.

The Elders of the upper realm were cold and proud. They did not banish royal demon daughters over broken teacups or ruined clothes. Chloe had done something severe. And if there was a hidden danger lingering near his wife, Grayson was going to find it and deal with it before it could ever touch a single hair on Mailah’s head.

Carefully, with absolute skill, Grayson slid his arm out from under Mailah. He replaced his chest with a soft velvet pillow, making sure she remained warm and undisturbed. He stepped off the bed silently, pulled on a dark robe, and slipped out of the master suite like a shadow.

The estate’s private study was dark and quiet, smelling of rich wood and old books.

Grayson walked behind his massive desk, sliding his hands into his robe pockets as he stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the rain-soaked gardens.

"She thinks she can fool me with pink hoodies and cheap iced coffee," Grayson muttered darkly to himself, his deep voice echoing in the quiet room. "Foolish girl. She forgets who I am."

Grayson turned toward his desk. Before his sudden memory loss months ago, the "old" Grayson had been a ruthless, overly prepared dark prince who kept records of every magic creature and broker in the human realm. Though his memories of those years were still hazy, his habits remained sharp.

He knelt beside the bottom drawer of his desk, feeling along the carved wood until his fingers pressed a hidden latch.

CLICK.

A false bottom popped open, revealing a dusty, thick address book.

Grayson picked it up, blowing a layer of dust off the cover. He flipped through the pages, his sharp eyes scanning the names written in his own elegant handwriting.

His finger stopped on a specific name near the back:

Jasper Smith– Supernatural Investigations & Lost Secrets. Note: Very fearful of dark magic. Highly efficient. Pay him in human cash. Do not let him talk too much.

A cold smirk touched Grayson’s lips. "Perfect."

Grayson reached for his sleek smartphone resting on the desk. He typed in the long phone number listed beside Jasper’s name and hit dial. He held the phone to his ear, leaning his broad frame against the edge of the desk.

Ring... Ring... Ring...

"Hello?" a fast, nervous voice answered on the fourth ring. "Who is this? It’s three in the morning! If this is another spirit asking for a fake ID, I told you I’m retired!"

"Jasper Smith," Grayson said flatly. His deep voice carried a cold authority that seemed to drop the temperature of the phone line instantly.

There was a sudden, violent gasp on the other end, followed by the loud sound of someone crashing into a wooden chair and dropping a stack of papers.

"L-Lord Ashford?!" Jasper squeaked, his voice shaking with pure fear. "My Lord?! Is... is that really you?! I heard rumors you lost your mind! I mean, lost your memory! Please don’t burn my office down!"

"My memory is returning fine," Grayson said haughtily, adjusting the collar of his dark robe. "And my ability to turn loud humans into ash remains completely functional."

"I am listening, My Lord!" Jasper stammered frantically. "What can I do for you?!"

"I have a task for you," Grayson commanded, his tone turning deadly serious. "A royal demon has recently arrived in the human realm. Her name is Chloe. She claims she was banished but failed to mention the reason behind it."

"Chloe?" Jasper repeated, his voice sounding completely lost.

"She is my cousin—a young demon from the realm," Grayson growled softly. "She was recently banished to the human realm, and she is currently in my estate. I want to know the true reason for her banishment. I want the real facts. Not fake stories the Elders give out to save face. I want to know what crime she committed and what secret she is hiding."

Jasper let out a long, shaky breath on the other end of the line. "My Lord... that is not going to be an easy task. I don’t even have a file on her! Royal exile records are locked under five layers of dark magic seals. The Elders don’t just leave those files lying around!"

Grayson’s eyes narrowed. "Are you making excuses, Jasper?"

"No! No excuses!" Jasper yelled quickly. "I’m just saying... an investigation like this takes time! I have to figure out who she even is, track down old court clerks, buy off lower realm guards, and find someone who was actually in the room when she was cast out. It’s going to take days, maybe even a week of quiet digging so I don’t get caught by the Council!"

Grayson’s jaw twitched with impatience. He hated waiting. But he knew Jasper was right about the Council’s strict secrecy.

"You will begin immediately," Grayson ordered, his voice dripping with cold power. "Use whatever money or favors you need. But do not take too long, Jasper. If my cousin brings any danger near my wife, I will hold you personally responsible."

"I’ll start right now! I won’t sleep! I’ll contact my best informants in the lower city tonight!" Jasper promised frantically. "I’ll call you the second I find a solid lead!"

"Do not call me while my wife is resting," Grayson warned smoothly. "Send me a text first."

Grayson hung up the phone without another word. He tossed the device onto his desk, a cold, thoughtful look on his face.

He didn’t have the answers yet. He didn’t know what Chloe was hiding under her loud complaints and designer clothes. But the investigation was moving, and until Jasper brought him the truth, Grayson decided he would keep his sharp eyes glued to his cousin.

The next morning, the Ashford estate was filled with the bright light of a clear sun.

Mailah walked down the grand staircase, wearing a cozy cream sweater and jeans, her leg moving easily without any pain. As she reached the bottom step, she was greeted by the wonderful smell of fresh coffee, sweet bread, and bacon.

She walked into the dining room, only to pause at the funny scene before her.

Grayson was sitting at the head of the table in a custom-fitted dark suit, looking like a powerful king ready to run a business empire. He was holding a silver fork, carefully cutting a piece of fruit.

Across from him sat Chloe. She was wearing an oversized neon-yellow hoodie, fuzzy cat slippers, and massive black sunglasses indoors. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, aggressively spreading strawberry jam onto a slice of toast while glaring at Grayson.

"You are eating like a wild animal," Grayson stated flatly without looking up from his plate. "Put your feet down. This table was imported from France."

"It’s a table, you old hag-prince!" Chloe snapped, snapping her gum loudly. "And these slippers are vintage! You have zero taste in fashion!"

"I have taste in basic manners," Grayson noted coldly. "Which you clearly dropped in the ocean on your way here."

Mailah cleared her throat softly, stepping into the room. "Good morning, everyone."

Instantly, Grayson’s cold posture completely vanished.

He set his silver fork down, stood up swiftly, and walked over to Mailah in long, smooth strides. He wrapped his arm gently around her waist, leaning down to press a sweet kiss against her cheek.

"Good morning, my love," Grayson whispered, his deep voice instantly turning soft and velvety. "Did you sleep well? Is your leg feeling fine? Should I have Mrs. Baker bring you warm tea?"

"I slept wonderfully, and my leg feels great," Mailah smiled warmly, reaching up to fix his silk tie. "Why are you dressed up so early?"

Grayson’s eyes flickered with a quiet moment of hesitation before he forced an impossibly handsome smile onto his face.