Previously
Liliana visits Princess Lucia at the Silver Deer Palace to request help with the Empress Dowager's Birthday Party, using a vulnerable act to win over the cold but soft-hearted princess. Meanwhile, Helio suffers from insomnia in his own palace, realizing he only sleeps well when Liliana is near him.
Faint murmurs of muffled laughter rippled through the surroundings. They clearly were not directed at her; Liliana felt instinctively that she was not the target.
She turned toward Lucia standing beside her, asking with wide, uncomprehending eyes.
Lucia replied tersely without offering an explanation: “Smile.”
Heeding the advice, Liliana smiled delicately.
It was not her usual bright smile, but one far more graceful and refined.
Liliana’s face, unobscured by any fan, was breathtaking and brimming with life. Her large eyes, curved like crescent moons, took in the figures around her, and the truth quickly dawned on her.
People were not just staring at her; they were staring at Vesty as well.
Then Liliana’s thoughts began to turn.
Reflecting on what the Empress Dowager had said right before the whispers and soft chuckles broke out, she understood why.
‘Lady Gabriel must have mocked me again, and the Empress Dowager used it to turn the tables.’
Having reached that conclusion, Liliana lifted her head toward the Empress Dowager, gathered her skirts, and curtsied.
At that, the Empress Dowager smiled, saying with deep satisfaction,
The words carried a quiet implication that an empress was hardly necessary when everything that needed to be done was already being attended to.
Matters seemed poised to conclude warmly in Liliana’s favor while Vesty was left to nurse her reddened cheeks. But from a distance, a man’s hearty laughter rang out.
The Empress Dowager turned her warm gaze toward the sound, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. It was scarcely noticeable that she disliked the man.
The man called out in a booming voice,
From those words alone, Liliana recognized who he was. It was Duke Gabriel, Vesty’s father and a man Helio regarded with great disfavor.
Liliana’s fingertips trembled faintly. It was profoundly unsettling to stand so close to another person who might well engineer her death.
Hiding her distaste behind a smooth smile, the Empress Dowager inquired,
Duke Gabriel answered with consummate confidence,
If clean blankets and beds were furnished, the discarded curtains Liliana had provided would lose all their value. Liliana realized he was scrutinizing her with calculated intent.
Even so, on the surface, everything appeared entirely unexceptional.
Finding no fault in his words, the Empress Dowager nodded in agreement.
Duke Gabriel offered a proud, knowing smile.
Duke Gabriel concluded, turning his eyes directly upon Helio.
Duke Gabriel declared it with absolute clarity.
Helio looked at him with an enigmatic, unreadable smile, then shifted his gaze to Liliana.
Taken aback by the abrupt question, Liliana quickly composed herself and answered with a serene smile,
Helio smiled back.
Having said that, he paused thoughtfully before nodding in satisfaction.
Helio continued,
It was a clear, unmistakable message:
‘The Emperor has no intention of arranging an engagement yet.’
Grasping the meaning behind those words, Duke Gabriel turned abruptly, his glare piercing Liliana like a beast poised to devour its prey. A chill swept through Liliana, cold sweat dotting her brow, and she retreated half a step.
Lucia asked under her breath,
Liliana nodded, but her complexion had drained so pale that it was impossible to hide that something was amiss.
Assuming the banquet’s tense atmosphere had overwhelmed her, Lucia stroked Liliana’s back gently.
Sophia stepped forward and supported Liliana.
Helio’s gaze tracked Liliana’s faltering steps.
A flicker of concern flashed across his eyes, only to vanish an instant later.
Everyone in the hall was watching Helio. Any sentiment he held toward Liliana could not be perceived as anything beyond political intent.
Resuming his demeanor as the absolute monarch, Helio engaged Duke Gabriel in a tranquil tone, the two trading calm, veiled provocations.
❈❈❈
Liliana slipped out of the banquet hall into the corridor. Away from the prying eyes of the crowd, her racing heart gradually slowed to a steady rhythm.
Liliana gave a self-deprecating chuckle. She could hold her ground against Helio, yet when faced with someone who genuinely meant her harm, she had frozen. A wry smile tugged at her lips.
As she was heading down the hallway toward one of the sitting rooms, she spotted a man lingering in the corridor carrying two glasses of wine. She attempted to pass by, ignoring him, but he called out.
Surprised, Liliana turned toward him. He was a man with tanned skin and strikingly vivid red eyes, but she met him with a guarded look.
He was the very man who had been standing beside Vesty. Given his strong resemblance to her, he seemed to be a relative—perhaps not a brother, but kin nonetheless.
Her intuition had proven correct. She nodded in surprise and moved to walk away, but Bail stepped into her path with an easy smile.
Liliana tried to maneuver around him, but with his tall stature, he blocked her way effortlessly. Bail watched her with mild amusement as she went to great lengths to avoid touching him.
Liliana looked him up and down with open disdain.
Bail seemed taken aback by her unexpectedly sharp reaction.
Liliana tried to brush past his shoulder to slip through, but she never anticipated that he would tip the wine glasses in his hand. Wine cascaded over the front of her dress.
While Liliana stood in stunned silence, Bail swiftly produced a handkerchief to dab at her cheeks and collar, but the moment his hand drew near, she slapped it away.
Liliana’s sharp outburst did not stem from nervousness, but from pure revulsion.
The moment Bail’s fingertips brushed her cheek, an abhorrent shiver ran through her, entirely unlike the sensation of Helio wiping sauce from her chin.
Bail apologized in a flurry.
Liliana was convinced his actions were deliberate. Having made no misstep all day, she suspected this incident was staged to manufacture a flaw or pretext against her. She needed to leave the area immediately.
Watching Liliana hurry away, Bail muttered under his breath,
Liliana heard none of it, frantically trying to wipe the wine that soaked her cheeks, shoulders, and dress.
She knocked on the door of a room she assumed was empty, but upon stepping inside, she found someone already there. He looked familiar, but before she could place him, he offered an awkward smile and introduced himself.
Liliana nodded in recognition.
Liliana cut Sophia off. She was the Queen, and regardless of who was at fault, there was no telling how onlookers might twist the encounter. Realizing her slip, Sophia bowed her head in apology.
Terenz’s expression darkened with dismay, and he muttered under his breath,
The moment Liliana spoke those words, the door swung open and someone stepped inside.
He did not bother checking who was present, but his sheer, unyielding confidence made his identity obvious at once.
Liliana folded her hands over her waist and offered a formal greeting, but Helio ignored the gesture entirely and strode straight toward her.
He reached out and touched the strands of her wine-stained hair.
Liliana stared up at him, wide-eyed.
It was entirely different from when Bail had offered his handkerchief.
Her heart skipped a beat the moment Helio extended his hand. Even though he scowled with clear displeasure, the fluttering sensation remained the same.
Helio held out an open palm toward Terenz, who quickly handed over a clean handkerchief. Taking it, Helio began dabbing at Liliana’s cheeks and neck, though the drying wine was stubborn.
“That bastard… Does he not have eyes? Do you honestly believe it was a mere collision?”
Helio was right. Had Bail not stood in her way holding the glasses, it never would have occurred.
Helio carefully reached out to touch Liliana’s shoulder.
As his fingers brushed near her collarbone, Liliana flushed with embarrassment and recoiled slightly.
Liliana’s face burned a deep crimson as she stood flustered, while Helio coughed awkwardly to clear his throat.
As the two stood side by side, clearing their throats in silence, Sophia and Terenz exchanged glances. Without making a sound, they began inching backward toward the door. Just as they reached for the handle to slip out—
Click!
The door burst open, and someone else strode into the room.
The woman with the tall stature and charismatic voice was none other than…
It was Princess Lucia.