Chapter 150: The Path That Was Not Meant for Me
Chapter 149: The Path That Was Not Meant for Me
Lyria’s POV
Theresa stared at me, her eyes wide, but before she could reply, Diana stepped forward.
"Your Highness, we were only—"
"Did I ask you to speak, Diana?" I asked calmly, and by some miracle, I didn’t stutter.
Though would I really call that a miracle? Sometimes I didn’t stutter, though my words would come out slower.
Diana stopped at once. Her lips remained parted as though the rest of her explanation had simply... vanished. For a moment, she looked as though she could not quite remember what she had intended to say in the first place.
Sally tried to salvage it, though not getting the message that I did not want to hear a word from either of them.
"Your Highness, she was only trying to explain the situation—"
I let out a soft chuckle, the sound slipping out before I could stop it. It was not kind, and it was certainly not amused.
"And d-did I ask you to speak either, Sally?" I asked.
That was enough.
Both of them fell silent.
Theresa stood like an animal caught in a trap. She did not look entirely certain of herself. Her posture remained straight, but there was something strained in the way she held it, as though she were forcing herself not to shift under my gaze.
I looked at the three of them slowly, taking in every small detail—the way Diana avoided my eyes now, the way Sally’s fingers curled slightly into her skirt, the way Theresa stood as though she were still trying to maintain control over something that had already slipped beyond her reach.
Then I exhaled softly.
"I see," I said.
And I did.
This was not confusion.
This was not a simple mistake in direction.
This had been planned.
I shook my head once, almost to myself.
"Very well," I said.
They seemed to brace, though none of them moved.
"You may all take your leave, y-your presence happens to affect my eyesight at the m-moment."
The words were calm.
Theresa was the first to react... like always.
"Your Highness," she said quickly, "Her Majesty ordered that we take you to the hall."
I tilted my head slightly.
"And yet," I replied, "y-you are not doing that."
Her expression faltered.
Only for a moment.
But it was there.
We stood in silence for a brief second longer, and then I heard it.
A faint sound carrying through the palace corridors—subtle, but familiar enough that I did not mistake it. It was followed by distant voices, measured and clear, as though carried through something unseen.
The scrying veil had already been activated.
The interview had begun.
Of course it had.
A quiet breath left me. I had my suspicions, but it was quite obvious now.
The Queen had likely ordered them to delay me just enough that I would arrive late.
To ensure that when I did appear, I would already be at a disadvantage, unsettled and perhaps unprepared.
Everyone would also question the reason why I had arrived late, making me a spectacle.
I turned my gaze back to Theresa.
"It s-seems," I said softly, "that you did not understand Her M-majesty’s instructions, as this i-is not the way t-to the hall."
She forced a small laugh, though it sounded hollow.
"Your Highness, you are mistaken. I was merely guiding you along a different route—"
"A d-different route?" I repeated gently.
I took a step forward, closing the distance between us.
"I am q-quite certain," I continued, "that Her Majesty i-instructed you to take me to the hall where the interview w-would take place."
My gaze did not leave hers.
"Not to lead me elsewhere."
Sally shifted faintly from where she stood. Diana remained still, though the tension in her posture was unmistakable now.
Theresa hesitated again, and this time she could not hide it.
"You are being paranoid, Your Highness," she said, attempting a light tone. "We were simply—"
"Simply d-delaying me?" I asked.
She was late... they were all late in replying.
"Your Highness!" Diana said.
"Of course not!" Sally said.
"Why would you think such a thing?" Theresa asked.
Maybe because it was true? I almost asked her, but I kept quiet.
But then I heard a voice call out.
"Your Highness?" he said with a frown.
The voice came from behind us.
I turned toward it.
At the far end of the corridor stood Lucian, his valet and guard positioned just behind him. There was a slight frown on his face, the kind that suggested he had already noticed something was amiss before he had even spoken.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as he approached. "The hall is on the other end of the palace."
I met his gaze calmly and then greeted him properly. "D-duke Aurelgrave."
"No need to be so formal. What is the issue?" he asked me.
"It w-would seem," I said, "that m-my maids are c-confused about the r-route t-to t-the hall."
His eyes shifted past me, briefly taking in the three of them. It was a quick glance, but it lingered just long enough to make Theresa straighten and Sally lower her gaze.
When he looked back at me, there was a subtle change in his expression.
Understanding.
"Where is your guard?" he asked.
I gave a small shrug.
"I d-do not have one," I replied.
He exhaled quietly, his gaze flicking once more toward the corridor we had been following, and then back to me.
"Come with me," he said.
There was no hesitation in his tone.
"If they have mistaken the direction, then I will guide you. We are heading the same way in any case."
The way he said it made it very clear that he did not believe this had been a simple mistake.
I inclined my head slightly.
"Then I s-shall r-rely on you," I said, thankful for his arrival.
Normally I would have rejected it, but at this point, it was better than staying with the maids because they would do anything to hold me back.
