Chapter 90 — Waiting For Him
Night had fallen, and the days were slowly growing shorter, with the sunset arriving earlier than in summer. The sun had already given way to darkness, casting long shadows across the courtyard as Cynthia stood waiting in the yard, her arms wrapped around herself against the growing chill.
She had been waiting for Lucian to arrive for hours, feeling the weight of her own frustration settling over her. Despite her resentment, she didn’t want to jeopardize what she had built so far. She needed to keep her emotions in check.
"I’m such a fool. I should have accepted his apology last night," she thought, anger toward herself growing as she pressed her lips into a thin line.
Anxiously, she bit her nails, her gaze flickering to the clock hung in the entrance hall, its face dimly visible from where she stood. It felt like time itself was mocking her and her patience.
"It’s already ten," she mumbled under her breath, a white smoke forming due to the cold weather at night, her voice barely audible in the still night.
"Will he not come home from now on? Was I too rude?" She wondered aloud, her heart sinking at the thought. A shiver ran down her spine. "No, no. The princess is still here. He will come home for her at least..."
A bitter taste filled Cynthia’s mouth, sharp and unyielding. She knew, painfully well, that he would never return home just for her. Yet, it stung all the same, stirring a pain she thought she’d buried long ago—her past self, perhaps, the one who once dared to hope he cared.
Suddenly, the distant sound of wheels crunching on the paved road caught her attention. Cynthia’s heart skipped, and the anxiety that had been gnawing at her began to ease.
He’s here.
A faint smile broke through her tension as she turned, watching the carriage roll to a stop. She took a step forward, but abruptly halted, her conflicting emotions pulling her back. She was supposed to be upset with him—
No.