Chapter 237: The First Prince
The air was quiet between Adeline and Dimitri, a tension lingering that neither seemed willing to break at first. They were alone in the study, the fire crackling softly in the background. Dimitri leaned against the edge of the desk, arms crossed, his sharp eyes fixed on her.
Finally, Dimitri broke the silence. "Will you tell me now... What happened back there? Your conversation with Annora." His voice was steady but stern. It was clear that he was not willing to let this go.
Adeline flinched slightly. She knew this question was coming. She had been dodging it ever since the temple incident, brushing off his probing glances and changing the subject whenever he tried to bring it up. But she had underestimated Dimitri’s persistence. He wasn’t the type to let things go, not when it came to her.
"Dimitri," she started, her tone soft, almost hesitant. "I don’t think it’s something you need to worry about."
Dimitri’s jaw tightened, his expression unreadable. "That’s not an answer," he said simply.
Adeline sighed, rubbing her temples as she turned away from his piercing gaze. She couldn’t tell him the truth... Not this time. There were too many things she had to keep hidden, too many secrets that she could never reveal. And this? This was one of the biggest.
"Why won’t you just tell me?" Dimitri asked, his voice quieter now, but still firm. "You’ve always trusted me before. Why is this different?"
Adeline’s heart ached at his words. She knew he wasn’t trying to pressure her, but the disappointment in his tone made her feel like she was failing him. And maybe she was.
"It’s not about trust," she said, finally meeting his gaze. Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed the turmoil she felt. "It’s... Complicated. It’s something I can’t tell you."
Dimitri’s expression didn’t change, but she could see the flicker of hurt in his eyes. That hurt cut deeper than she expected. "Why not?" he asked, the question simple, but heavy with meaning.
Adeline hesitated. How could she explain something like this? That he wasn’t real, not in the way she was? That he was a character from a story she had read, living out a life that had already been written? No, she couldn’t. She wouldn’t.