"I see…" Nicole breathed, a fragile smile curving her lips. "Then I owe you my gratitude, Your Highness."
He said nothing.
Havoc shifted beside her, his jaw hardening. The silence between the three of them stretched thin.
Nicole's voice was calm, though her hands trembled slightly. "You look well, Your Highness. The palace must be quieter without me."
Something flickered in Maverick's eyes, too quick to name, but he looked away.
"That's enough," he said. Not loud, but sharp. "Seraphina, return to your chambers."
Nicole blinked, startled. "Your Highness, I-"
"You shouldn't have come here." His tone hardened, his words deliberate, each one landing like frost on her skin. "I have no interest in reopening old wounds."
Silence followed.
The air itself seemed to shatter.
Nicole's throat ached. "I just wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to-"
"You never mean to," he said, his eyes finally lifting to meet hers. There was no love in them now, only exhaustion, and something darker. "And yet somehow, you always do."
Her breath caught, the words sinking deep.
"Crown Prince…" she whispered.
He looked away quickly, as if even hearing his name from her lips burned.
"Don't," he muttered, voice breaking for the briefest moment before he sealed it with ice again. "Don't speak as if you still know me… after pushing me away that afternoon."
What is he talking about? It's my fault for not reading the book.
Don't speak as if you still know me, nye nye.
Nicole smiled faintly, though tears burned her eyes. "Maybe I never did," she said softly. "But I still wanted to say… I'm sorry."
I don't know why I am feeling like this. Why am I crying?
He froze. But his reply came like a blade.
"Save your apologies," he said. "They change nothing."
The room fell utterly still. His pride was stronger than how he looked.
Havoc glanced between them, his expression unreadable. He could feel the pain neither of them would admit.
Nicole bowed her head, her smile trembling. "Then I'll take my leave."
As Havoc guided her toward the door, she dared one last glance back.
Maverick stood unmoving, his expression carved from ice. But his knuckles were white where his hand clenched at his side.
He didn't call after her. Didn't move. Didn't breathe.
Only when the door closed did his fingers loosen, the book slipping from his hand to the floor.
And though his face remained cold, his voice, barely a whisper, betrayed him at last.
"Why did you have to come back?"
The corridor was silent when the doors closed behind them.
Only the faint whisper of Nicole's gown brushed against the marble floor, her steps unsteady but determined.
She didn't look back. Not because she didn't want to.. but because she knew if she did, she might see him standing there, and she might never leave.
She doesn't know why, but she seems affected. Even tho she was not Lady Seraphina.
Havoc walked beside her in silence, his usual stoic expression unreadable. But every few steps, his eyes flicked toward her, the same eyes that once watched Seraphina command entire rooms without flinching.
Now, that same body carried a soul that trembled with feeling.
When they turned a corner, Nicole finally exhaled, pressing a hand to her chest.
Her heart was beating too fast.
"Oh God," she whispered under her breath. "That was… intense."
Havoc frowned. "You shouldn't have gone there so soon. You're still weak, my lady."
She blinked, glancing up at him. "You keep saying that. But I'm really fine!"
"You're not fine," he said flatly. "You were shaking."
Nicole gave a small, low laugh, almost teasing, but not mocking. "You noticed that?"
"I notice everything," he muttered, looking away, ears slightly red. "I am your brother."
That made her smile. "You sound like one of those serious bodyguards from a novel."
Havoc raised a brow. "From what? I am the General of Eldryn."
She froze. Oh, right…
"Never mind," she said quickly, waving it off with a nervous chuckle.
They reached her chamber doors, and the guards outside bowed deeply. Havoc dismissed them with a sharp look before turning to her.
"Why are you acting like that?" he said quietly.
Nicole paused, blinking. "What do you mean?"
His eyes softened, studying her face. "The Lady Seraphina we knew wouldn't have spoken to the prince that way. She wouldn't have smiled. She wouldn't have apologized."
Nicole's lips parted slightly. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe. "I… guess dying changes a person," she murmured with a crooked smile.
Havoc frowned at that, but before he could reply, she turned away, entering her chambers. The door closed gently behind her, and the mask she had worn all this time began to slip.
Nicole sank into the couch, her hand trembling over her chest.
er reflection shimmered faintly in the gilded mirror across the room, the same golden hair, the same cold beauty that once defined Seraphina. But the eyes that stared back were alive, uncertain, and full of ache.
"She really loved him, didn't she?" she whispered to herself.
There was no answer, only the echo of her own heartbeat and the faint memory of Maverick's voice saying her name.
She tilted her head back, exhaling shakily. "So this is what it feels like… being her."
A soft, broken laugh escaped her lips. "And I said I can rewrite it for them?" She let out another low laugh.
Her gaze drifted toward the window where the sunlight spilled in golden ribbons. Somewhere out there, the prince was still standing in that chamber, pretending he didn't care.
Nicole closed her eyes. "Don't worry, Seraphina," she whispered softly, almost like a vow. "I'll make things right for you so that when you come back, everything will be fine and you will live happily with you beloved fiancée."
Outside, the wind carried her words into the distance, a promise sealed in the hush of a palace that had forgotten how to be kind.
And in the hallway beyond her chamber, Havoc lingered, his hand resting on his sword, his eyes dark with thought.
She fell asleep with Havoc by her side and Havoc places a kiss on her forehead, "good night, my lady."
He watched her for a while and left her chambers quietly.
Seraphina wasn't really sleeping. As soon as her brother left, she opened her eyes and let out a small sigh.
The silence of her chamber wrapped around her like a soft blanket, the only light coming from the moon that spilled gently through the window.
She got up and walked slowly toward the desk, Seraphina's desk, and sat down. The surface was perfectly neat, her quill and ink untouched. Her silk gown shimmered faintly under the pale light, making her look like a ghost in her own story.
"Okay," she whispered to herself, her tone half serious, half nervous. "Here's the plan."
She picked up the quill, tapping it lightly against her chin. "First, I'll return Maverick's love for her… somehow." She sighed, glancing at the stack of letters Seraphina once wrote but never sent. "Then, I'll fix her reputation. Everyone in this palace thinks she's a monster, well, not for long."
Her eyes drifted to the mirror across the room. Seraphina's reflection stared back, calm, elegant, untouchable. But Nicole tilted her head and smiled mischievously. "You might be cold and scary, Lady Seraphina, but I'll make them see you differently."
She started pacing around the room, her mind racing. "I'll help the maids, maybe visit the town, smile more, talk less… and definitely not scold anyone!" She paused, realizing how strange it sounded coming from Seraphina's lips. "Ugh, this is going to be hard."
Her gaze fell on the portrait of Maverick that hung on the wall. His sapphire-green eyes seemed to watch her, calm but unreadable. Nicole crossed her arms and pouted. "You. You're next on my list, Your Highness. I'll make you fall for her again, whether you like it or not."
Then she flopped back on the bed, stretching her arms out. "Alright! Operation Fix Seraphina starts- Next- ugh! Nevermind!"
But as she said it, the smile on her face softened. Her eyes wandered toward the window, where the moon glowed brighter than before.
"And Seraphina," she whispered quietly, "I'll make sure that when you come back… you'll be loved. Truly loved."
The morning sun rose gently over the palace, washing the roses and marble halls in soft gold.
Dew clung to every petal, glimmering like scattered diamonds beneath the early light.
Nicole woke up feeling tired from the day before, but she quickly cleaned herself up, fixed her hair, and slipped into a soft-pretty gown. Taking a deep breath, she looked at her reflection and whispered,
"You can do this." She took a deep breath.
Without wasting time, she left her chambers early that morning, her footsteps light against the marble floor as the first rays of sunlight filled the palace halls.
- Vivi ( =＾ω＾)