A week later, Emily could hardly contain her nerves.

  It was her first social event of such magnitude—hosted for one of the most influential families in the kingdom. Everything had to be flawless. She could not afford to disappoint the Grand Duchess.

  As servants hurried back and forth making final adjustments, Emily checked the arrangement of the tables again and again—the flowers, the golden emblems adorning the hall. Her breathing was shallow; each step echoed against the marble floor like a reminder of the responsibility resting on her shoulders.

  At that moment, Sofia appeared in the doorway, elegant as ever, Lusian at her side.

  "Emily," she said firmly, "today you will host alongside your fiancé. Do not leave his side."

  Emily nodded at once, suppressing the mixture of anxiety and pride surging within her.

  One by one, the noble families began to arrive. The crests of each house caught the light of the crystal chandeliers as greetings and measured smiles were exchanged. The murmur of conversation filled the hall with a festive air, though beneath it lingered a subtle tension—the echo of recent news, quiet suspicions, fragile alliances.

  Then the herald announced the arrival of the royal family.

  The atmosphere shifted instantly. Every guest bowed in reverence as the monarchs advanced with solemn grace.

  Standing beside Emily, Lusian found his gaze drawn inevitably to Elizabeth.

  She wore an imperial-purple silk gown that flowed like a river of light across the polished floor. With every movement, the silver embroidery at her waist shimmered, and her dark-blue pearl earrings seemed to hold the reflection of the night sky itself.

  Elizabeth noticed him as well. For a fleeting instant, their eyes met—and time seemed to still. It was a silent exchange, heavy with emotions neither could afford to reveal.

  She approached Emily with impeccable poise.

  "It is a pleasure to see you, my dear," she said with a flawless smile. "And happy birthday to you, Lusian."

  Her tone was courteous, almost indifferent. Yet as she passed close to Emily, she leaned slightly toward her ear and whispered something that left the young woman frozen—face pale, lips parted.

  For a moment, Emily could not move. Elizabeth was already walking away, disappearing into the crowd, while Lusian watched, unable to grasp what had just transpired.

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  Later, in a more secluded corner, Elizabeth's gaze sharpened like a blade as she spoke in an icy voice.

  "Do you know why you are here? Or must I explain it to you?"

  Emily trembled, lowering her head in a respectful bow.

  "No, Princess… I do not."

  Elizabeth lifted her teacup with calculated elegance. The faint clink of porcelain was the only sound before she continued.

  "I have heard—from a very close friend of yours—that you wish to break off the engagement," she said, studying every flicker of Emily's expression. "But, of course, you are held back by fear of the consequences."

  She paused, letting the words settle like poison in the air.

  "That is why I summoned you. I can help you end that engagement… without you facing any risk."

  A knot tightened in Emily's stomach.

  A friend? No… Alejandro. I told him not to do anything foolish.

  Yet she kept her composure.

  "I appreciate your offer, Princess," she replied, her voice trembling yet dignified. "However, I will fulfill my responsibilities—to my family and to this house."

  For a split second, the delicate composure on Elizabeth's face cracked. A flash of restrained fury ignited in her eyes.

  "You are a coward!" she snapped. "I offer you the chance to run into your beloved's arms, and you waste it… out of fear."

  Startled by the sharpness in her tone, Emily met her gaze directly for the first time.

  "I do not know what Alejandro told you," she said steadily, "but I feel no romantic attachment to him. We are only friends. I have never intended anything more."

  Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, analyzing her with cold precision.

  "Then… do you care for Lusian?"

  Emily hesitated. When she spoke, her voice was soft but firm.

  "I have begun to form a close bond with him. And I believe that, in time, I may come to love him."

  Her fingers intertwined nervously in her lap.

  "But it is not only that, Princess. I have seen how he is treated—how he is pressured. If I were to abandon him, he would have no one to rely on in this rigid and superficial duchy."

  Elizabeth studied her for a long moment without speaking. Then she leaned back slightly in her chair.

  This foolish girl… I will have to open her eyes before power devours her.

  "Very well. You may leave," she said at last, her tone final.

  When the event drew to a close, the families began to depart.

  Before leaving, Elizabeth approached Lusian. Her voice was sweet, yet her gaze concealed something far less gentle.

  "I will give you your gift another day," she whispered. "But we will need to be alone… without interruptions."

  Lusian nodded, though the chill settling in his chest unsettled him more than her words.

  Laurence was barely seen throughout the gathering. His pale face and hollow eyes reflected the grief consuming him since Caleb's death. His mere presence weighed upon the atmosphere, though in Lusian it stirred only a faint sense of pity.

  Emily, meanwhile, could finally breathe. The tension of the past days—the orders, the preparations, the scrutinizing stares—slowly dissolved as she realized everything had gone smoothly.

  When the last guests departed, Sofia approached her with a serene expression and led her to her study, where the fireplace cast soft shadows along the walls.

  "You did well, Emily," she said calmly. "Everything proceeded as expected."

  Emily smiled, relieved.

  But Sofia continued, her tone turning more solemn.

  "Make the most of these days with your family. They will be the last you spend with them."

  Emily looked at her in confusion.

  "The last?"

  "Yes," the duchess confirmed. "When the academy season ends, you will move here. It is time for you to assume your place as Lusian's fiancée… and begin preparing to become a duchess."

  The words lingered in the air—heavy, inevitable.