Chapter 168: Great Things
She would make Anna pay. Adeline had renewed confidence since dealing with the Holy Temple. She could act, she could do something about it. With dual powers in her arsenal and a family that supported her she believed that she could truly change the plot.
Anna was... A slippery one. It had been days but there was nothing they could find on her. Either she was good at hiding it, or they were laying low... Benedict told her that their plan was to wait and see. However impatient she might be, she had to wait. She could not rush this.
Adeline felt the weight of exhaustion settling over her, though her posture remained composed, a practised smile still on her lips.
Her eyes scanned the thinning crowd one last time, hoping to catch a glimpse of Benedict. He hadn’t come to her, despite the countless opportunities. The realisation hit her harder than she expected. He was here... He saw her... Yet he did not approach her.
"Why didn’t he approach me?" she wondered, her brow furrowing. "Was I so unreliable that he could not even confide in me?"
The thought stung, and she found herself clenching her fists to push back the frustration. Something was wrong—she could feel it,
But there was no time to dwell on it now; everyone was preparing to leave, scattering in different directions like petals in the wind.
Before she could retreat to her chambers to gather her things, a soft voice called her name.
"Adeline," the Eastern Duchess said, stepping out of the shadows of a nearby archway. Her presence was as commanding as ever, her sharp eyes glinting with a mixture of pride and amusement.