chapter twenty-one

The morning sun filtered through the grand windows of the academy's lecture hall, casting a warm glow over the rows of students seated at their desks. Selene sat beside Arabella, idly tapping her quill against the parchment in front of her. The class was droning on about political alliances between noble houses, but her attention was far from the lesson.

Arabella nudged her elbow, leaning in with a mischievous grin. "If I have to listen to another word about trade agreements, I might just throw myself out the window."

Selene smothered a laugh, earning a disapproving glance from Professor Voss. "Try not to be so dramatic," she whispered back.

Arabella rolled her eyes. "Easy for you to say. You actually understand this nonsense."

With a sigh, Selene glanced at the front of the room. The professor was droning on, oblivious to the hushed conversations around the room. Selene turned back to Arabella, lowering her voice. "What if I promised to help you with the readings later?"

Arabella perked up instantly. "Now that is an offer I can't refuse."

Their whispered exchanges continued throughout the lesson, small remarks, quiet giggles, and exaggerated sighs of boredom. By the time class ended, both of them were barely containing their laughter.

"Remind me never to take politics too seriously," Arabella mused as they exited the lecture hall.

Selene smirked. "Somehow, I don't think you were ever in danger of that."

They made their way to the Great Hall for lunch, the air buzzing with conversations and the clinking of silverware. As usual, Selene found her place at the long table where Eric and his friends sat. Arabella joined them, slipping easily into their routine. Over the past few weeks, this unlikely group had formed a natural camaraderie, an effortless blend of noble heirs and scholars, all bound together by shared experiences.

Selene was deep in conversation with Cedric, her laughter ringing out as he recounted a particularly absurd tale of his younger years. Unlike many nobles, Cedric carried an air of warmth, understanding her in a way that made her feel at ease. Like Arabella, he had become one of her closest confidants__a rare and treasured presence in her life.

"--and then," Cedric continued, grinning, "the entire stable caught fire! Well, not really, but it certainly felt like it at the time."

Selene shook her head in amusement. "You have a talent for attracting disaster, you know that?"

Cedric placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. "I prefer to think of it as an adventurous spirit."

Just as she was about to respond, an unexpected hush fell over the table. Selene glanced up and immediately understood why.

Crown Prince Keith Everhart had arrived.

A ripple of surprise moved through the students nearby as he made his way toward their table, his regal presence commanding attention. Selene stiffened slightly, her fingers tightening around the stem of her goblet. This was not part of the plan.

Keith greeted everyone with his usual politeness before turning to her. Without hesitation, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

The table fell silent.

Selene, despite years of practice in maintaining a composed façade, barely managed to keep her expression neutral. She quickly masked her discomfort, tilting her head toward him as though the gesture was perfectly natural.

Still, she couldn't let it go unanswered. As Keith pulled away, she leaned in slightly, whispering against his ear. "What are you doing? You just made everything incredibly awkward."

Keith's golden eyes flickered with amusement as he responded just as quietly, "We need to make this act convincing."

Selene exhaled slowly, willing herself to remain calm. "I know, but—"

He cut her off by pecking her cheek once more, his voice smooth as silk. "Remember why this is necessary."

Before she could respond, Keith straightened, giving her one last unreadable glance before turning and walking away.

Selene barely noticed the hushed whispers around the table—she was too busy processing the sudden shift in atmosphere. But her gaze instinctively followed Keith as he moved toward the exit of the Great Hall.

That was when she saw Evangeline.

Standing at a distance, the golden-haired noblewoman looked frozen in place, her soft violet eyes filled with hurt.

Keith saw her too. His confident stride faltered for just a moment, his expression darkening as guilt flickered across his face.

Selene turned away. This was no longer her concern.

Keith, however, couldn't shake the heaviness in his chest. As he stepped past the doors of the Great Hall, he caught sight of Evangeline walking away. Without thinking, he moved after her.

It wasn't difficult to catch up. "Evangeline," he called, reaching for her hand.

She flinched, pulling away as if his touch burned her. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Keith's chest tightened. "Evangeline, please—"

"I don't have a right to demand anything from you," she whispered, her voice barely steady. "But if you care about me at all, then don't play with my feelings, Keith. Just let me go."

His breath caught in his throat.

"Evangeline—"

She shook her head. "I don't want to be the third party in your relationship."

Keith clenched his fists. "You're not."

"I am," she said, her voice breaking. "And I can't do this anymore."

Desperation clawed at him. He moved closer, his hands gripping her shoulders as he lowered his voice. "Listen to me. It's not real. None of it."

She looked at him then, pain and uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "Then why does it feel real?"

Keith exhaled sharply. "Because it has to."

Evangeline swallowed hard. "And where does that leave me?"

There was a long silence before she spoke again, her voice small but resolute.

"I can't accept being kept in the shadows, Keith," she said, stepping out of his grasp. "I won't be your secret."

He reached for her again, but she took another step back.

"Although I love you," she admitted, her eyes glistening, "I can't be with someone who will have to marry another before me."

Keith's jaw tensed. "Evangeline__"

She shook her head. "No more excuses. No more stolen moments. No more pretending."

His chest felt unbearably tight.

Evangeline offered him a sad smile, one last lingering glance, before turning away and walking into the distance.

For the first time, Keith had no words to stop her, but he could not help but whisper "I really love you Evangeline and hope you too can see it"