Chapter 11: Before the Darkness
Marius couldn’t take his eyes off her. Sonia stood near the entrance of the ballroom, greeting acquaintances with a smile that seemed brighter than the chandeliers overhead.
He couldn’t believe it. After all these years, she was here—alive, well, and just as beautiful as he remembered. The room seemed to close in on him, drowning out the meaningless chatter and music. All he could see was Sonia.
For a long moment, he stood frozen, his heart pounding. But then he remembered himself—he was the Duke of Wittelsbach now. He couldn’t afford to appear weak, not when everyone was watching.
Steeling himself, he approached a group of nobles, standing just close enough to catch snippets of conversation.
"...Yes, that’s her. I heard she was terribly ill," a young lady whispered to her companion.
The man beside her nodded. "Indeed. Almost a decade without appearing at any gatherings. They say it was a rare affliction—something that affected her lungs. I heard that for years, she could barely leave her bed."
"Poor thing," the lady murmured. "But I suppose it makes sense. Even after her recovery, the Mitfords kept her secluded, not wanting to risk a relapse. Only recently did they let her return to society. It must be overwhelming for her."
Marius clenched his fist, nails digging into his palm. Hearing it confirmed—Sonia had truly been suffering all this time, just as the rumors had suggested years ago. Yet even now, he didn’t know the full extent of what she had endured.
He cursed his own helplessness—not for lack of trying, but because even his extensive network of informants and connections had come up empty. He had poured resources into uncovering what had happened to Sonia, but the Mitford family guarded her situation with an impenetrable silence. It was maddening. For the first time, his influence had failed him.
He wanted to rush to her—tell her he was here, that he never stopped thinking of her. But he hesitated. Would she even remember him after all these years? Would she see him as the awkward boy from the garden—or had time and distance turned him into just another stranger?
He spent the rest of the evening keeping her within his line of sight, planning his approach. When he finally gathered enough courage, he found her standing alone, her previous conversation partners moving on.