Chapter 169 - 168: The Softness Between Them

The pillow wall had quietly disappeared two nights ago, though neither of them had said anything about it directly. It had simply not been rebuilt, and Eleanore had let the matter drop without comment, which was, in its own way, its own kind of admission.

Tonight, though, she found herself lying rigidly on her side the moment she heard Caelestis’s footsteps approaching the room, eyes squeezed shut, breathing carefully measured into something that was meant to pass for sleep. It was, in hindsight, a ridiculous plan. She was fully aware of how ridiculous it was even as she committed to it.

You are a grown woman, married even, she told herself, listening to the door open and close softly. You do not need to fake sleep like some nervous young lady.

And yet.

There was something about the quiet shift in things between them. The kiss, the promise, the strange, unfamiliar warmth that kept creeping into her chest at odd moments during the day that had left her feeling unaccountably shy the moment actual proximity was involved. It was easier, apparently, to face down business rivals and tabloid scandals than it was to simply lie in the same bed as her husband and have an ordinary conversation about it.

She felt the mattress shift as he settled onto his side, felt the brief pause where he must have glanced over at her, and held perfectly still, hoping it read as convincing.

It did not, apparently, matter either way.

She felt him move closer, unhurried, and then the soft, warm press of his lips against her forehead. It light, careful, lingering just a moment longer than a simple goodnight required. "Goodnight," he murmured, quiet enough that she was fairly sure he thought she couldn’t hear it. "Sleep well."

Something in her chest went very warm and very tight all at once, an unfamiliar, fluttering feeling settling low in her stomach that she didn’t have a name for and wasn’t entirely sure she wanted one. She kept her eyes shut, kept her breathing even, and listened to him settle beside her, close enough now that she could feel the warmth radiating off him even without touching.

It took her a long time to actually fall asleep after that. When she finally did, it was with that same strange warmth still humming quietly beneath her ribs.

She woke slowly the next morning, the room bright with early light, and it took her a moment to register that Caelestis was still there. Not asleep, but propped up slightly on one arm, watching her with an expression she couldn’t quite read.

"Morning," he said, entirely too pleased with himself for someone who had clearly been awake for a while.

"How long have you been staring at me?"

"Not staring. Admiring. There’s a difference."

"There is not."

"There absolutely is." His smile widened slightly, something teasing creeping into it now. "Speaking of which. Why’d you pretend to be asleep last night?"

Eleanore froze. "I wasn’t pretending."

"You were breathing like someone trying very hard to look like they were breathing normally. It’s not as convincing as you think."

Heat crawled up her neck immediately, betraying her before she could even attempt to argue the point further. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Eleanore."

"I was tired."

"Eleanore."

"I really don’t see why this is relevant—"

"You’re blushing," he said, far too delighted about it, propping his head on his hand to study her more closely. "You’re blushing right now, this very second, over a forehead kiss. This might be the most interesting discovery I’ve made all week."

"I am not—" She stopped, aware of exactly how warm her face had gotten, and gave up on the argument entirely. "This conversation is over."

"We haven’t even started it."

"It’s over," she said, already throwing back the blanket and swinging her legs out of bed with far more urgency than the situation strictly required, ignoring his soft, amused laughter behind her.

"Running away won’t make it less true, you know."

"I’m not running. I have things to do."

"At seven in the morning."

"Important things."

"Eleanore." His voice softened slightly behind her, losing some of its teasing edge, though the smile in it was still audible. "It’s okay, you know. Whatever this is. You don’t have to bolt every time it gets a little soft between us."

She paused at the door, hand resting on the handle, something in his tone catching at her more than she wanted to admit. She didn’t turn around, wasn’t sure she trusted her expression not to give away exactly how much that landed but she let her shoulders ease, just slightly, before finally stepping out into the hallway.

"I’ll see you at breakfast," she said, and shut the door behind her before he could see the small, helpless smile that had crept onto her own face despite every attempt to stop it.

|| Mission 1, Phase 1: Change Caelestis Destiny. Has been successfully completed.

Phase 2: The Rebels

The Kingdom of Seraphine has been plagued by this organisation called Rebel. They are after the crown and want to kill the royal family, so that they can attain a complete dictatorship. These rebel groups also involve some of the nobles of the empire, who harbour hatred against the royal family of Seraphine.

In their madness for the throne, many innocents die, including you. Your death triggers Caelestis’ fate falling into darkness again and Hael turning against his dear friend again.

Chapter 1: The Woman Named Barbra

Barbra was known to be a very gentle and kind woman of the kingdom. She was always quiet and had no enemy. Until she fell for the wrong person and tried to win him over only to be trampled on completely by the queen of the social circle, Eleanore Sinclair (You)

Quest 1: Death Case Of Lady Barbra Fein

Task 1: Collect information on the relationship between Eleanore Sinclair (you) and Lady Barbra Fein

Do you accept the task?

Yes/No

Note: Reward: + 100,000 reputation

Penalty: -200,000 coins

Total Reputation: -100,000

Total Coins: +90,100||