Chapter 164 Princess Aeris
My heart paused for a beat, stunned by the familiar scent that drifted through the air. Then it spiralled into a crazy beat, I even thought it was going to jump out of my chest.
Then I saw her.
She stood at the top of the grand staircase, her silver-white hair pinned up with delicate threads of light that shimmered softly under the golden chandeliers. The deep blue sapphire gown she wore glowed like it had been woven from stardust, fitted perfectly at her waist, and cascading to the floor. She didn’t just look beautiful... She looked otherworldly.
She descended the stairs slowly, each step as graceful as it was deliberate. The music softened, and the conversations quieted down. Heads turned towards her, like she was the most beautiful creature they had ever seen.
Everyone saw a princess, but I didn’t. I saw Ember... My mate.
I saw the girl who once chewed my lips because she thought I was a mutton. The one who once looked at me like I was the only one she loved the most. The one who is always dramatic and always claims she was a genius. The one who broke through the walls of my heart, and stole it... even when I refused to acknowledge it.
But as I watched her now, I felt she had changed. Her eyes didn’t sparkle the way they used to. Her expression was calm and composed. There was not a hint of mischief, and not a trace of the warmth I remembered.
Then our eyes met. And for a brief second, something flickered across her face. It could’ve been confusion, or hesitation, or maybe even recognition, I wasn’t sure. I held my breath believing if I breathed... time might pass and she would look away.
But whatever it was, it disappeared as quickly as it came. She looked away, completely unbothered by me, her face returning to that unreadable stillness, like I was just another face in the crowd.
Like she didn’t know me at all.