LOGIN(Several Moments Ago)Kaelyn’s heart had nearly leaped out of her chest when she had heard the knock on the door.She could sense it was Becca, mostly because of the way she had knocked, as if it was her room and she had every right to be let in.Actually, Becca wasn’t wrong in knocking in a way that demanded she be allowed in but Kaelyn hasn’t expected her to return so soon.“Of all the times she could have returned, she had chosen now.”Kaelyn could barely contain the excitement bubbling inside her. She had been waiting for an opportunity like this.The moment she had heard the maids approaching the room earlier, she had quickly looked at herself in the mirror and deliberately messed up her hair. She had loosened a few strands until they fell carelessly around her face, making it look as though she had just woken up.She had also made sure her nightdress looked slightly disheveled.Everything had to look perfect, or rather, everything had to look exactly the way Becca would misunder
Becca woke up feeling better than she had in days, but who could blame her. She had been in bed all day for a while and she was sore from doing absolutely nothing.She was tired of seeing the same ceiling and also having to deal with the constant smell of strong herbs.Becca laughed at herself for being trained on being a healer but had become so fed up with the smell of herbs just after being confined to this room for days since her childbirth.The first thing she noticed was the sunlight. It streamed gently through the curtains, painting warm golden patterns across the floor and making the room feel brighter than usual.The second thing she noticed was the sound of her baby. A tiny, sleepy whimper came from the crib beside her bed and Becca immediately smiled.She pushed herself upright, her eyes lighting up as she looked toward her son.“Good morning, little one” she said happily.The baby stirred again and Becca laughed softly.She felt different today, lighter, stronger, more ene
The mansion had finally fallen quiet.After an exhausting day filled with accusations, arguments, and whispers, the corridors outside Eugene's chambers had become almost completely silent. Only the faint sounds of guards changing shifts could occasionally be heard beyond the heavy doors.Inside the room, the fire had burned low and Eugene was asleep on the couch. He had refused to take the bed, just as he had promised.One of his arm rested beneath his head while the other lay loosely across his chest. His breathing was slow and even, and the exhaustion that had followed him throughout the day was evident on his face.Kaelyn, however, was nowhere near asleep. She lay on the bed with her eyes open, staring into the darkness.She had been thinking and thinking.She had come into this room believing she could get closer to Eugene. Instead, he had placed himself on the couch as though there were an invisible wall between them.Kaelyn slowly turned her head toward him. Even asleep, he look
Eugene returned to his chambers feeling more exhausted than he could remember being in a very long time.The events of the day had followed him everywhere.Eugene stopped in the middle of his room and sighed heavily. He had barely eaten.He had intended to remain in the dining hall longer, but somehow he had found himself returning to his chambers instead.He frowned as he remembered the dinner.“Why did I even bother going back there?” He wondered.He shook his head. Max hadn't been there either. That was unusual.Normally, Max would have remained close by whenever Eugene was dining, especially with everything happening in the mansion.Eugene walked toward his wardrobe.“Perhaps he's still angry.”He couldn't blame him. Earlier, Eugene had ordered Jack to take responsibility for the guards stationed around the estate.Max clearly hadn't liked the decision. Eugene had seen the look on his face.He had also seen the way Max had glared at Jack but he trusted that he would eventually und
Jack had never expected Mira to come to his room, not at this hour and certainly not with those words.“I want to spend the night with you.”The sentence kept replaying in his mind as he stood beside the door, staring at her. Mira seemed nervous too.Jack closed the door and the soft click of the lock somehow made the room feel smaller.“You're sure about this?” he asked.Mira nodded.“I am.”Jack studied her face. There was worry in her eyes and that somehow made his chest tighten.“This is the first time you've ever come to my room by this time and you suddenly want to spend the night here?” he said.Mira gave him a small smile.“I told you. I don't want to be alone tonight” she replied.Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead.“You're making me nervous” he admitted.Her eyes widened slightly.“I'm making you nervous?” She asked.“Yes” he answered.“You're the one who has been acting strangely all day” she said.“I've had a difficult day” he replied.Mira's expression softened.“I know.
Max stood outside the private chamber for a moment, his expression grim as two guards carried the dead maid inside.He had personally ordered that no one else be allowed near the body until the autopsy was completed.The maid’s death had been disturbing enough, but what bothered Max most was how little sense the entire situation made.The body had supposedly been attacked by rogues, yet something about it felt wrong.It was too convenient, too perfectly timed nd Max had learned a long time ago that when something felt too convenient inside the royal estate, it usually meant someone was hiding something.“Make sure no one enters this room without my permission,” Max instructed the guards.“Yes, Beta.”“And what about the medical practitioner?” Max asked.“He should arrive shortly” the guard answered.Max nodded.“Good.”He turned away from the chamber, his jaw tightening. He had another matter to handle and its name was Jack.Max had been suspicious of him from the moment the maid disa
Becca barely had time to brace herself before the guard’s hand shoved her hard.Her knees slammed against the cold marble floor with a sickening crack, pain shooting up her legs as her palms scraped harshly across the polished surface.Ariel’s scream echoed through the grand hall.“STOP IT!”The so
Becca’s hands were still shaking but not from fear. She only felt rage now and it directed at one person who had dared to cross her.The army commander’s words echoed in her head again and again, each one sinking deeper like a blade meant to humiliate rather than kill.He had the guts to call Eugen
Becca woke slowly, dragged out of sleep by a dull ache that seemed to live in her bones.It was the kind of ache that wasn’t born of injury alone, but of tension held too long. Her body felt heavy, as though the bed itself had swallowed her halfway, reluctant to leave her alone.Becca’s stomach twi
Becca walked quickly, not because she was afraid but because if she slowed down, she would start thinking and if that happened, she would start remembering Seraphina’s face in the garden.That cold, perfectly composed face twisted by fury mixed with her harsh words."You are nothing here."Becca’s







