Supreme Warlock System : From Zero to Ultimate With My Wives

Warlock Ch 360. I'm Holding Back

Damian turned toward the sound, still standing halfway between the mirror and the bookshelf. His fingers flexed briefly. He expected Cassius, maybe Evelyn.

But the presence behind the door wasn't them.

"Come in," he called.

The door eased open.

Selena stepped in, gently closing it behind her. She clutched her hands loosely in front of her, her eyes searching his face with quiet intensity.

"Princess," Damian greeted with a polite nod, masking the slight surprise in his voice. "What brings you to my room? Do you need something?"

She blinked at him, then offered a small smile—nervous, hesitant. "Nothing. I just… wanted to talk." Her eyes softened. "Like a chat. I have nothing to do, after all."

Damian's brow arched slightly, but his expression remained calm. "Please, sit." He gestured to the armchair across from his, and as she moved toward it, he flicked his fingers, activating [Telekinesis] to return the thick tome to its place on the shelf behind him with a gentle thud.

Selena sat carefully, hands folding over her lap. "Am I bothering you?"

He shook his head and moved to sit across from her, elbows resting on his knees, posture casual but alert. "Not at all."

She gave a small nod, glancing briefly at the window before looking back at him. He caught it again—her hesitation.

"Tea? Coffee?" Damian offered.

Selena shook her head. "No. Thanks."

"Alright," he said with a quiet sigh. "Then what do you want to talk about?"

Selena tilted her head slightly, studying his face. "You look different."

That caught him off guard.

Damian blinked. "Different how?"

Her gaze didn't waver. "Back during the entrance exam, you looked more reckless. Messy. Kind of like a typical Rank A mage who got in by some miracle. Maybe a little arrogant, maybe a little stupid."

Damian narrowed his eyes, lips twitching with the start of a grin. "Thanks?"

She flushed. "No—I mean, that's what it looked like. At the time." She looked down briefly, then back up at him, expression softening. "But now… just a few weeks later, you're like a completely different person."

He leaned back slightly. "Different how?"

Selena hesitated for a moment, choosing her words. "Sharper. Quieter. Like you're always two steps ahead of everyone else. You walk into a room like you own it, like you already know what'll happen. But back then, during the exam, you were—"

"—Less impressive?" Damian finished, raising a brow.

She bit her lip, then let out a small laugh. "I didn't want to say it like that."

He gave a low chuckle but didn't deny it. "I was... holding back."

Her eyes narrowed just slightly. "Why?"

Damian shrugged, voice low. "Didn't feel like showing my cards in front of the Council."

Selena leaned forward a bit. "So you covered your power when you joined the exam?"

He nodded once. "Kinda."

There was a beat of silence before she spoke again, her voice gentler now. "But that masked warlock who saved you in the forest… that was you, wasn't it?"

Damian exhaled, eyes flicking toward the window for a brief second. "Yes… and no."

Selena tilted her head, visibly confused. "What does that mean?"

"It was the past me," he said softly. "Not me."

Her brows furrowed. "That… makes no sense."

Damian looked at her then, the shadows in his eyes deep and old, older than they had any right to be in someone his age. "There are things I can't talk about, Princess."

She sat back slightly, his words clearly cutting deeper than he intended. "Because I'm a stranger?"

He winced. "That's not what I meant."

"Really?" Her voice was quiet, but it stung. "Because after everything—after risking my life to come here, after offering to help, after choosing to stay—you're still keeping me at arm's length?"

"It's not about trust," Damian muttered.

"Then what is it about?"

Damian's fingers curled into fists for a moment before he forced them to relax. He sighed and looked up at her. "It's about danger. The more you know about me—the real me—the more risk you take on. And you've already taken enough."

Selena didn't look away. "You don't get to decide that for me."

Her voice was firm now. Steady. She wasn't some fragile little noble playing rebellion for fun. She meant every word.

Damian let out a breath, dragging a hand through his hair. "You deserve to live a good life, Princess. Not get dragged into the shadows with me."

"And what if I'm okay with the shadows?" she whispered.

That stopped him. For a long moment, he didn't speak. Couldn't.

Selena blinked, her voice softer now. "I know I'm not like Evelyn, or Victoria, or the others. But I meant what I said—I'm not here because I want to play politics. I'm here because I trust you, Damian. And maybe because I…" She caught herself, looking down quickly. "Never mind."

Damian swallowed thickly, heart hammering against his ribs. "Princess…"

She stood abruptly. "Forget it. I didn't mean to make things weird."

He stood too, stepping forward. "You didn't. It's just… complicated."

She looked up at him, and the light from the window caught her eyes just right—soft and stormy and full of hope. "Life is always complicated."

There was a beat of silence. Then Damian sighed and nodded. "Yeah. It is."

She gave him a small smile—brave and fragile at the same time. "Thanks for talking with me."

"Anytime, Princess."

Selena turned and walked to the door, her hand pausing on the handle. She glanced back over her shoulder. "And Damian?"

"Yeah?"

"If it still hurts… Please come to me."

And then she slipped out, the door clicking shut behind her.

Damian stood there for a moment longer, the echo of her words settling heavy in the room.

'You're such a disaster,' the Demon King murmured in his mind. 'You know she's in love with you, right?'

"I know," Damian whispered back.

'And you're going to break her heart.'

Damian didn't answer. He just turned toward the window again, jaw clenched.

He hated that the Demon King was probably right.