Several days had passed since the incident, yet Irene had still been unable to leave her room. It was not merely because of her injuries, but also because she had chosen to distance herself from everyone, unwilling to face what had happened and the consequences that had followed.
As for Lucas, he had not returned to the palace since then.
---
**Knock, knock.**
"Yes?"
The door opened quietly, and Sally stepped inside, carrying a small tray of food. She placed it on the table beside the bed before turning toward her mistress, who was standing by the window, silently gazing outside.
"Please, Your Highness, eat something. You'll collapse if you continue eating nothing but fruit."
Irene did not turn around. Her eyes remained fixed on the view beyond the glass, as though her thoughts were somewhere far away. After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke in a calm voice.
"Sally, have you told them to prepare my carriage?"
Sally froze for a moment.
"Yes, I have, but... Wouldn't it be better to postpone your departure until things settle down a little more in the palace? You know how things are right now. The situation is still tense despite the passing of several days, so there's no way the servants will keep their mouths shut. And if you leave now, things might only get worse..."
Irene interrupted her calmly, without raising her voice.
"Sally... Things couldn't possibly be worse for me right now. You know better than anyone that I'm running out of time, especially if the rumors reach Eiscard."
Sally fell silent.
She didn't need any further explanation to understand what Irene meant. The spread of rumors throughout the palace was not something that could simply be ignored, especially if they reached the kingdom Irene came from.
If that happened, the consequences would be far more serious than mere whispers among the servants or contemptuous looks from the royal family. Irene knew her father, Arxon, all too well. He would have no hesitation in getting rid of her now that she was no longer of any use to him. After all, she was no longer providing him with any valuable information...
Irene let out a quiet sigh before adding firmly,
"I'm leaving now."
Sally hesitated, looking at her with growing concern.
"But wouldn't it be dangerous for you to go alone? At the very least, let me accompany you."
Irene finally turned toward her. A faint smile appeared on her lips, though it never quite reached her eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
Sally wasn't entirely convinced, but she realized that her mistress had already made up her mind. She gently squeezed Irene's hands, as though trying to express everything she couldn't put into words, then reluctantly nodded.
She didn't argue any further and simply accepted Irene's decision, even though the worry never left her face.
---
Irene left her room and walked down the palace's long corridors at a calm, steady pace.
The moment she appeared, the servants' eyes began following her discreetly. Some merely stared, while others exchanged whispers, apparently believing she wouldn't hear them.
The disgust and contempt in their eyes were unmistakable, and they made little effort to conceal them.
Nevertheless, Irene continued walking without paying them the slightest attention.
She held her head a little higher, maintaining a composed expression as though their looks meant absolutely nothing to her. After all, this had been her life in Eiscard. Even though she hated it, she had grown accustomed to it.
She continued down the corridor until she reached one of the doors, where she stopped for a moment.
This was the place she had wanted to visit since that morning, before leaving the palace.
She reached for the door, but before she could even touch it, a guard stepped forward and raised his hand to stop her.
Irene took a small step back, looking at him in surprise.
"Forgive me, Your Highness, but you cannot enter."
Her brows knitted together as she stared at him for a moment before replying in a stern voice.
"I only wish to see how my father-in-law is doing. I know perfectly well that this is an appropriate time for a visit, so why are you stopping me?"
The guard seemed hesitant for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and answered in a tone he tried to make firm.
"I understand your position, Your Highness, but I have received explicit orders not to allow you inside."
At first, Irene couldn't quite comprehend what she had just heard.
She stared at him in silence, as though waiting for him to take back his words or explain that he had made some kind of mistake.
But the guard remained firmly in place, showing no intention of letting her pass.
Irene wanted to make absolutely certain of one thing before asking,
"Are... those orders meant specifically for me?"
The question left her lips with difficulty, as though she feared hearing the answer despite already knowing what it would be.
Silence lingered for a few moments before the guard nodded.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Irene froze.
She was no longer capable of saying anything.
It felt as though something inside her had just crumbled, as if everything she had tried to build over the past year had suddenly fallen apart.
She didn't need to ask the guard who had issued those orders. She already knew the answer.
Elizabeth.
There was no doubt about it.
Irene closed her eyes for a moment, struggling to control the conflicting emotions stirring within her. She had never expected things to reach this point. Nor had she imagined that she would be forbidden from visiting even her own father-in-law, as though her very presence in this palace had become so utterly unwelcome.
She had done everything in her power to behave in a manner befitting her new position and to carve out a place for herself within this family. She had endured countless unpleasant situations and overlooked numerous insults. She had even tried, time and time again, to look past their coldness toward her.
But it seemed that all those efforts had been nothing more than a fragile structure, one that had collapsed at the very first real test.
And now, nothing remained but scattered fragments.
She opened her eyes again and took a step backward.
She didn't argue with the guard or ask him to reconsider his orders. What would be the point when she knew perfectly well that the decision hadn't been his to make?
She simply gave him a slight nod before turning around and walking away.
Her steps were slower this time, heavier than they had been on her way there. She tried to maintain her composure, but her chest grew tighter with every passing moment, as though the air in the corridors had suddenly become too heavy for her to breathe.
She couldn't tell whether what she was feeling was anger or disappointment. Perhaps it was both.
---
On the other side of the palace, the doors to the magnificent royal office opened, and Lucas stepped inside with firm, measured strides.
The office was spacious, with a massive royal desk made of dark wood occupying its center. Documents and letters were neatly arranged across its surface. The walls were adorned with portraits of former kings, alongside several ancient weapons displayed with care, reflecting the long history and prestige of the royal family.
King Christoph sat behind his desk, surrounded by several attendants who were engaged in a rather lively conversation with him.
On the other side of the room, there was Bastian.
He was seated at the smaller desk assigned to him, occupied with reading some documents.
The moment the door opened, Bastian lifted his eyes from the paper in his hands.
His gaze met Lucas's for a brief moment.
There was no need to interpret his brother's expression.
To be continued....