Chapter 9

The city was restless that night.

Evelina sat in front of her vanity, staring at her reflection in the dim candlelight. The Queen's words echoed in her mind, looping over and over.

"Like a girl who does not know when to stop."

A warning. A challenge. A statement wrapped in silk but sharpened like a blade.

She exhaled slowly, reaching for her hairpin. Her fingers brushed against the cold metal, her mind already racing through possibilities.

The Queen would not make a move openly.

No, she would strike in a way that could not be traced back to her.

A whisper.

A rumor.

A subtle, quiet push that sent the entire court into motion.

And Evelina would need to be ready.

Because this was no longer a game.

This was war.

---

At dawn, the first attack came.

Evelina arrived at the Academy gates to find the whispers already spreading.

The noble students stood in clusters, their conversations hushed but urgent, their eyes flickering toward her with something new.

Not just curiosity.

Not just uncertainty.

But suspicion.

She didn't react immediately.

She walked past them, head high, expression calm.

But their words reached her all the same.

"She's been summoned by the Queen, hasn't she?"

"What did she do to gain such favor?"

"Or rather… what has she done behind closed doors?"

The whispers curled around her like a serpent tightening its grip.

Evelina's fingers curled around the folds of her gown.

So this was the Queen's first move.

She wasn't discrediting Evelina directly.

She was making others question her.

A slower, more dangerous kind of poison.

Evelina smiled faintly.

How predictable.

---

She entered the Academy halls, her steps unhurried.

As she moved through the corridors, she felt it.

The shift.

The noble ladies who once watched her with fascination were now hesitant.

The young lords who had been drawn to her unpredictability were now calculating.

Even those who had remained neutral were now choosing a side.

The Queen had tilted the board.

And everyone had felt it.

Evelina stopped at the entrance of the grand hall.

Across the room, near the large arched windows, stood Seraphina.

She was smiling, surrounded by a group of noblewomen.

But it was not her usual smile.

It was sharper. Triumphant.

A statement without words.

Evelina watched her for a long moment.

Then, slowly—she smiled back.

Because Seraphina had made a mistake.

She had revealed her hand too soon.

And Evelina would make her regret it.

---

The first lesson of the day was a discussion on political influence and manipulation.

Evelina almost laughed at the irony.

She sat in her usual seat, listening as the instructor spoke about power—who wielded it, who lost it, and why.

"Power is not always won in battle," the professor said. "Sometimes, it is stolen through perception. Control how people see you, and you control them."

The words lingered.

Because they were exactly what the Queen had done.

She hadn't attacked Evelina outright.

She had simply changed the way others saw her.

A calculated whisper here, a suggestion there.

It was enough.

For now.

Evelina's gaze flickered toward the window.

Rain had begun to fall again, light and steady.

A reminder.

A storm was still coming.

And she needed to be ready.

---

After the lesson, she was not surprised when she found Cassius waiting for her.

He stood at the end of the corridor, his posture tense, his blue eyes unreadable.

Evelina stopped a few steps away.

"Your Highness," she greeted.

Cassius exhaled.

"You heard the rumors."

It wasn't a question.

Evelina tilted her head.

"I hear many things."

Cassius's jaw tightened.

"You shouldn't have gone to the palace."

Evelina arched a brow.

"Would you have ignored a summons from the Queen?"

Cassius hesitated.

Then, softly—

"She's testing you."

Evelina already knew that.

But hearing it from Cassius?

That was interesting.

Evelina exhaled.

"Good," she murmured.

Cassius frowned. "What?"

Evelina smiled.

"If she's testing me," she said lightly, "it means she hasn't made up her mind yet."

Cassius stared at her for a long moment.

Then, finally—he sighed.

"You're going to make this difficult, aren't you?"

Evelina's smile widened.

"I would hate to be predictable."

Cassius ran a hand through his hair, muttering something under his breath.

Then—without another word, he turned and walked away.

Evelina watched him go, expression unreadable.

She had expected anger. Frustration.

Not… whatever that had been.

Interesting.

---

Later that evening, she found herself in the study of House Everhart.

Adrian leaned against the desk, watching her with an expression of mock amusement.

"So, how does it feel to have the entire court whispering about you?"

Evelina sighed. "Exhausting."

Adrian laughed.

"And yet, you're still standing."

Evelina met his gaze.

"Should I not be?"

Adrian tilted his head.

"Most people would panic."

Evelina smiled faintly.

"I am not most people."

Adrian chuckled, shaking his head.

Then, more seriously—

"You do realize what's happening, don't you?"

Evelina exhaled. "The Queen is shifting the narrative. If enough people begin to question me, my influence will weaken before I can solidify it."

Adrian nodded.

"And?"

Evelina sighed.

"And Seraphina is helping her."

Adrian leaned forward slightly, his silver eyes gleaming in the candlelight.

"Then I suppose the real question is—what are you going to do about it?"

Evelina smiled.

"Watch and see, Lord Everhart."

Adrian smirked.

"Oh, I intend to."

---

Across the city, Seraphina stood in the grand hall of House Lenore, fingers tightening around the edges of her silk sleeves.

Duchess Rosamund sat across from her, swirling a glass of dark wine in her hand.

"You made your first move," the Duchess murmured.

Seraphina exhaled.

"Yes."

Rosamund studied her.

"And?"

Seraphina hesitated.

Then, finally—

"It wasn't enough."

Rosamund smiled.

"Of course it wasn't."

She leaned forward, her emerald eyes gleaming.

"If you want to win, Lady Seraphina, you must do more than whisper."

Seraphina swallowed.

"...Then what do you suggest?"

Rosamund's smile sharpened.

"You take something she cannot afford to lose."

---

Evelina sat in her study, staring down at the flickering candlelight.

The whispers had begun.

The court had shifted.

And Seraphina was not finished.

She felt it.

A storm was coming.

And she was ready to meet it head-on.

---