Chapter 59: Crimson Bloom
Ruelle woke up to the soft, persistent chirp that seeped through the thin walls. Light spilt in through the cracks of the curtain. The fireplace had turned cold.
Her eyes drifted across the room. Lucian was gone. His bed lay neat, and she couldn’t tell if he had stayed away all night or slipped out before she woke up. Her gaze then moved to the floor, where the shattered remains of glassware from last night had disappeared, as if what transpired was only a dream.
Looking at the velvet box sitting on her desk, she reached for it.
"I should have worn them two nights ago..." Ruelle whispered as she stared at the earrings. "I shouldn’t have listened to him."
Thanks to him, she would now fall into the bottom of the student ladder, exposed to scorn and humiliation. She had slapped him... something that still didn’t feel real. That wasn’t her. She didn’t do things like that. Not even when she was angry.
A sudden knock at the door broke her thoughts.
"Ruelle? Are you awake?" Hailey’s voice bubbled through, bright and eager. "We have to head to the river!"
Ruelle pushed off the blanket and tucked the box into her bag before opening the door. She greeted cheerfully, "Good morning, Hailey."
"You haven’t even gotten dressed!" Hailey’s eyes widened as she swept into the room like a gust of spring air. "I took the liberty of checking in after spotting Lucian in the corridor. Now hurry—and don’t forget your bloomers," she added, hiking her dress slightly to reveal the off-white cotton fabric just below her knees.
"Are we getting in the water?" Ruelle asked, walking toward her trunk.
"I thought it was better to be prepared," Hailey said with a grin.