Chapter 81: Silver Moonlight, Silver Tears

Ovelia's POV

The sudden solitude between us pressed against my skin like a physical weight. Ann's retreating footsteps had been deliberate - she'd orchestrated this moment, leaving me alone with Ace in the moonlit clearing. My fingers twisted in the fabric of my dress, the silence stretching uncomfortably between us.

"Ace," I finally ventured, my voice sounding too loud in the quiet, "is there anything I can do to help?"

He lowered himself to the ground in one fluid motion, the dried leaves crunching softly beneath his weight. "Nothing." His silver eyes tracked Philip and the others loading unconscious bandits onto wagons. "Just watch. These are our people doing their duties."

Our people. The words sent an unexpected jolt through me. "What do you mean by 'our people'?" I asked, unable to keep the hesitant curiosity from coloring my tone.