The old noble guy suddenly collapsed right in front of her.
Like thud. No warning. No fainting like those delicate noble ladies. Just a whole body crash onto the marble floor like a sack of potatoes.
"Huh?! Wha what just happened?!" Nimara blinked, staring at the wide eyed man now very much bleeding out on her slippers. Ew. Ew. Ew.
His hand suddenly jerked up, clutching her wrist so tight she almost yelped. He was shaking and trying to talk. His mouth moved weirdly, and she leaned in, heart pounding.
"What, what are you saying sir?! Speak properly, please?!"
Something about mirrors? Watching? Her? Or was he saying milk? No, definitely mirrors. "Don't… they… watching… tell her… before,before…"
Its.....not your … fau ..fault…she….kne…
He coughed. Right on her.
"Sir?! Who's watching?! Who's 'her'?! What are you even?!" she half whispered, half squeaked, but his eyes already looked kinda… gone.
Oh no. Oh no, no, no.
She froze.
People started screaming behind her. Like actual screams. And someone dropped a wine glass.
Then BOOM, dozens of guards stormed in like ants who just got their hill kicked.
Eros came in at the same time, his royal cape flapping like he was in some slow-motion scene.
"What happened?!"
He pushed through the circle of gasping nobles and saw the body, his body, her hands covered in blood, her face probably looking like she just killed a guy at brunch.
"Y-you're late!" she blurted at him without thinking.
He stared at her. Then at the dead guy. Then back at her.
Yeah.
She was so going to prison.
Eros stood beside her, eyes flicking to the corpse before glancing at Nimara.
"Of course," he said under his breath, "it has to be you in a place like this."
She turned, narrowing her eyes. "You talk as if I drag corpses around for fun."
He smirked, folding his arms. "No, but if someone were to die while dancing, I'd expect it to be after stepping on your toes."
Before she could respond, the grand doors swung open. Chief Advisor Verentia stormed in, like a panicked goose, robes flapping behind him. "Are you unharmed, my lord?!" he panted, clutching his chest dramatically as if he was the one who just got stabbed.
Behind him trailed Zoya, as graceful and elegant as always, except her eyes were practically throwing daggers at Nimara.
The advisor turned to her.
"Zoya, daughter, take the prince to his chambers and tend to him. He must be shaken."
Eros didn't even blink. "I'm not a fainting goat, old man. I'm perfectly fine. He's the one who got stabbed in the heart, not me."
The advisor blinked. "Ah, yes…"
He squinted at Nimara, whose hands were still, very obviously, painted red. "And… what about the young lady? Is she harmed? Her hands…"
"I'm fine!" Nimara squeaked.
The advisor rubbed his temples,
Eros's jaw tensed as he looked down at the noble's lifeless form. "He was a low rank finance noble… but trusted. Too trusted."
Zoya crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. "Then what was he doing with her?"
Nimara, still crouched beside the dead man, slowly lifted her hands. "I would really like someone to tell me that too."
Eros didn't even glance at her. "I have some things to discuss with the princess."
Verentia blinked, eyes darting between them. "But this is no place for…"
"Advisor," Eros interrupted, "you may investigate the scene. But leave the rest to me."
A flicker of tension passed over Verentia's face before he nodded stiffly.
"As you wish, Your Highness." He cast a long glance at Nimara before turning back to the corpse.
As the crowd began to scatter under the advisor's orders, Eros leaned toward Nimara.
"Does this always happen around you?" he asked. "Or is this your attempt at entertainment?"
"I don't have time for your royal sarcasm," she muttered.
"Oh? But you had time to sneak a needle into your glove?"
She glared at him. "Maybe you should've let me stab you."
He tilted his head. "Now tell me, what did he say before he died?
She stiffened.
"What makes you think he told me anything?"
Eros said "You were alone with him. You looked like you saw a ghost."
"Maybe you are the ghost haunting me" Nimara replied in an unbothered tone.
"Don't flatter me." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Just tell me what he said, Nimara."
She crossed her arms. "Why are you investigating me so much? Are you the one who killed him?" Don't tell me, that you will end me too.
Eros raised a brow, half amused. "If he told you something would I kill you too?"
"That's exactly what a murderer would say." Said by Nimara.
He let out a short laugh. "You little brainless assassin. Your tiny brain thinks too much."
"Excuse me?!"
"I'm just making sure there won't be a scandal about my future wife."
She froze.
He turned away without saying any word.
"I'd rather marry a goat," she muttered and left.
Back in her chambers, Nimara face planted onto her bed with the grace of a fainting goat. Her heart was still going thump,thump,thump like it hadn't got the memory of that the noble guy was already dead.
She rolled over, reached into the drawer, and pulled out the pendant he'd pressed into her hand. The metal felt cold. Weirdly cold. On the back was a symbol, a phoenix wrapped in thorns.
"Who even are you?" she muttered, turning it over in her palm.
"Did you know Lia? Or... did you mean Lia?"
His final words echoed in her ears. "It was never... your fault... She... knew..."
What did she know? And how much did he know?
She stepped out onto her little balcony, the night breeze slapping her cheeks like, hey girl, time to freak out now. Stars sparkled overhead like they were mocking her confusion.
Her brain was a complete mess, filled with blurry flashes. A forest. Smoke. Hands around her throat. Mud. Someone dragging her.
Lying on her bed, she thinks, I couldn't stop asking myself, why the heck did I end up in her body? What's the point of all this? And where's the real owner of this skin? Did she die? Or is she somewhere out there, probably wondering why some random stranger is crashing her royal life?
But one thing, I do know I wasn't going to sit around waiting for answers.
The truth was out there.
And this time, I was going to find it, even if it meant lying, disguising, or charming my way through every locked door in the palace.