Chapter 280: Unwelcome Events
The entire empire was alight with celebration. From the grandest noble estates to the bustling streets of the capital, everyone was rejoicing. Flowers adorned the roads, banners bearing the Imperial crest fluttered in the wind, and performers filled the squares with music and dance.
The engagement of Prince Cassian and Lady Annora was being hailed as the event of the decade. Nobles, commoners, and foreign dignitaries alike were in attendance, eager to witness the union of the empire’s most powerful figures.
The palace was a spectacle, glowing under the lights of thousands of lanterns, its grand halls filled with laughter and revelry.
But amidst the joy, two figures stood apart from the rest.
Adeline and Benedict.
Inside the ballroom, lords and ladies twirled across the polished floors in synchronized dances, their laughter ringing through the golden-lit chamber. Servants glided between the guests, offering glasses of fine wine and trays of delicate sweets. Conversations hummed in every corner—some genuine, most filled with flattery and calculated pleasantries.
Near the center of the room, Annora stood beside Cassian, a perfect picture of elegance and grace. She wore a deep red gown embroidered with gold, her long hair styled with pearls that shimmered under the chandeliers. Cassian, dressed in ceremonial white and crimson, held himself with the same composed, distant expression he always had.
They looked like the ideal couple.
But Adeline knew better.
She watched them from the far side of the ballroom, her grip tightening around the glass of wine in her hand. She had attended because it was expected of her, but every fiber of her being told her to leave.
This was wrong.