VIOLETTE. With eyes lowered down, I trailed behind Noah. Tonight was the celebration for him. At least, that was what the King said. The ballroom wasn’t decorated as grandly as the King’s coronation anniversary. It still appeared to be beautiful, nevertheless. Nobles had already packed the room. They giggled, gossiped, sipped their wine, and gave us a side-eye. Busy judging Noah for bringing me, his slave, to his celebration. “Always stay with me, Violette.” Noah reminded me as we stopped at the center of the room. From here, I could notice several guests. Flora stood near the King’s position with an old man; she linked her arm to the man. That’s probably Lord Barlow. Killian was also among the crowds, but I couldn’t spot Kasha. “The King and his Luna have arrived.” Someone announced at the same time with the sturdy door being opened, showing Nash, Olivia, Herta, and the woman I hadn’t known. I waited for them to announce Noah’s stepmother—Godivia, but no one followed them. So I

KILLIAN.Following Violette was never my intention. I had things to do better than walking like a creep behind two women. But I couldn’t help myself. Ever since I smelt her distinct scent, my curiosity spiked up. And, mind you, it rarely happened.The dance I offered was one of my ways to satiate my curiosity. Nash never made me do that. He thought I was genuinely interested in fucking her. The last question I gave was bait, but who thought that she would take it?Despite my instinct telling me she was a witch, I didn’t have proof yet. I needed it before I weighed my choice to tell Nash everything or not.It baffled me that Violette would go around without Noah. She should have known that siding with Noah would always bring her danger, which meant she should be careful with her surroundings. Yet, here she was, getting dragged without putting up a fight.When they stopped, I hid behind an eno

VIOLETTE.Noah walked before me. His expression had turned sour the moment I ran away after telling him my secret. He had asked me to explain, but I refused strongly. And since he was a self-claimed gentleman, he didn’t force me to spill everything.He told me he’d take me to the market today, and we’d meet with someone who would look for my mother. Ever since then, my mood had climbed uphill. I didn’t forget about last night, but I could shove it at the back of my mind with the excitement to search for my mother.“We have to stop at the Barlows before going to the market. You’ll be okay, right?”“Of course,” I replied. As I said, my mood was too good. Nothing could ruin it today, not even Flora Barlow.“Wear this.” Noah hurled a red-colored cloak at me, and I immediately put it on my body.“Thanks.”&ldq

NOAH.No customer packed The Corner Side since I had ordered Varg to let them know about my visit. Usually, this place was an escape from reality. A place to get drunk and lost in dreams. I had bought this place when my father began showing a sign of weakness, just in case Nash wanted to play dirty to get the throne.Good to know that the pieces of gold didn’t come to waste. My people used it as their hideout while I was missing. On the outside, The Corner Side was just a small business, but to us, this was a place where history would be made.Marshall and Dahlia opened the door to the underground, and we descended without words. My heart was beating so hard because it had been so long since I appeared before their eyes. I kept wondering what their reaction would be. Disappointed or happy? After all, I had been missing, leaving them only with dreams.Dahlia turned to face me and flashed me a comforting smile. “You okay?” She asked playfully and punched me on my shoulder.“Just a stage

VIOLETTE.In nineteen years of my life, I had never felt this embarrassed and frightened at the same time. Noah and I had already stood side by side with our proper clothes, although they were wrinkled. While the destroyer, Hudson, stared at us with cheeks flushed.Considering how old Hudson looked, still surprised me that he got shy after witnessing our inappropriate behavior in his library.“Honored Lord, please forgive me for interrupting your hmmm….adventurous activity,” Hudson said with eyes rooted on his old boots.“Why are you here? I remember giving you a gold coin and telling you to leave us. Is that not enough for you?” Noah asked, clearly still pissed that we didn’t get our release.Hudson lifted both hands, shaking them before his face. “I don’t dare to ask for more, Honored Lord. The money is too much for me not to offer service. So, hmmm….I thought it was better to