The moment Damian loosened his grip on her head and waist, Eilika quickly scrambled back to give them both space. She fanned her hands across her heated cheeks while Damian sat up, resting his arms over his knees and looking out at the water.
"My father gifted me this place when I turned ten," Damian confided, his voice nostalgic. "Back then, it was just a small, one-story cottage. I would come here whenever I needed time to myself, away from the expectations of the palace."
She tilted her head, resting her hands in her lap as she listened to the history of the hidden estate.
"When I turned eighteen, I decided to reconstruct it. I wanted it to be a sanctuary for me and Liliana," Damian asserted, his gaze hardening slightly. "It hurts that the meaning of this place has changed so entirely. But even if the building is gone, the serenity of the scenery remains. That is what I want to hold on to."
