The Cursed Prince

The next morning, Harlow eventually woke up to the sound of something cooking over the fire. She sniffed the air and knew for a fact that Icecube can't cook, so she quickly stood up and went over to find Julian over the fireplace.

The handsome adventurer was cooking breakfast and he quickly glanced over her with a grin. "Hey, good morning! Did you sleep well, princess? Any sweet dreams about me and our upcoming adventures together?"

Harlow nearly wanted to choke the guy but restrained herself because she was actually relieved to see him in one piece and not devoured by the demon from last night.

"Where were you last night?! I nearly got myself killed because of you!" she chided him.

"What?" Julian tilted his head in confusion. "Killed? What are you talking about?"

"I saw a demon last night!" Harlow shouted at him angrily as she balled her hands into fists but then she calmed down when she remembered how worried she was last night when she couldn't find Julian. She sighed and gave him a stern look. "Never mind. I'm just glad you're alive and not dead."

Julian batted his eyes at her statement, and slowly smiled in amusement. "Wait… did you actually start looking for me last night?"

Harlow looked away with a pout.

The man pressed a hand to his chest and showed a moved expression on his face. "I'm quite touched that you care about me, princess."

Frustrated, Harlow sat across from him and looked at what he was cooking. The man actually had his own rations and was cooking up something delicious in his pan and it made her mouth water. 

However, she was still a bit upset.

"I said I saw a demon and that's what you're paying attention to?" Harlow muttered.

"Princess?"

"Stop calling me that. Just call me, Harlow, okay? That's my name." The princess crossed her arms and eyed the food sorely. "Did you have any idea of what happens at night? Where did you sleep?"

"Wait, didn't you know what happens at night here in the Wilderness of Thorns?" Julian raised a brow. "I would assume that your elven friends would have at least told you about it before you headed here."

"My elven friends?" Harlow blinked and then looked at him suspiciously. "And how would you even know if I have elven friends?"

Julian shrugged as he tossed some eggs into the pan. "Naturally, you would have made some allies in the elven kingdoms before coming here. Did you not make friends? I assumed the shallow and vain princes would all be attracted to such a beauty like yourself."

"Friends is a word I wouldn't use," Harlow said. She had real friends back home. Louis, Loran, Jorei, Ava… even her brothers were her friends, not those elven princes. The beautiful girl raised a brow. "But what actually happens here in the Wilderness?"

Julian smirked a little and then passed a plate of delicious food to Harlow. The princess was too distracted to even start eating because of how smug the man looked. So, she narrowed her eyes at him, urging him to answer her question.

"Fine, I'll talk. You do know how there is a portal to the demon realm here, right?"

"Yes, That, I know."

"Well, let's just say that the elves cast a protection spell that prevented demons from coming to their lands," Julian explained with a carefree shrug. "That's why you will see this wasteland change at night time."

"But it's only at night?" Harlow frowned as she slowly tasted the food. Her eyes widened when she realized how good it was and she started to become more focused on eating while Julian talked.

The man cooked so well enough to be a housewife. Ahh.. perhaps, he was used to taking care of himself and cooking his own food on his journey so he became good at it.

"During the day, it's easier to defend themselves and demons are slower during the day, so it's at night that they cast the Thorn Labyrinth Wall to prevent demons from passing through." Julian gave the explanation while paying attention to how Harlow was eating his food happily.

The princess gulped her food down and then looked at Julian with a raised brow. "Are you not going to eat?"

"You eat so well that it makes me happy. I almost forgot to eat." Julian chuckled as he offered her some extra food, transferred some for himself, and then fed the rest to Icecube who happily scarfed the food down.

Harlow blushed and realized that her manners were a bit rough after traveling just by herself. She cleared her throat and decided to change the subject while they were still eating and said. "So what treasure are you after?"

"Hmmm?"

"I mean why are you going to steal from the demon realm specifically?" Harlow asked. "You could probably just steal from the Elves and call it a day, right? What does the demon realm have that the Elves don't?"

Julian chuckled and then shook his head. "Of course not. Each realm has its own treasure. What the demon king has… is something the elves don't."

"That is?"

"Ahh… I am not telling," Julian shrugged. "I don't want to inspire you to desire the same treasure."

"Huh? I don't need any treasure," Harlow scoffed. She was the crown princess of a very wealthy kingdom. She didn't lack anything. So, she felt offended that this presumptuous man accused her of wanting his treasure.

"So, why are you going to the demon's realm?" Julian asked back. "If you told me your reason, I might tell you what is it that I want to get from the demon king's lair."

'Wait... you want to get something from the demon's king's place?" Harlow moved back so she could see the man better. Was Julian really brave... or dumb?

Wasn't it very dangerous to sneak into the demon king's lair and look for trouble? 

"Yes," Julian replied calmly.. "After traveling to so many places, I found out that the artifact that I am looking for belongs to the Demon King of Ascalon."