**************
CHAPTER 11
~Jade's POV~
The next morning, I heard the maids gossiping about the Alpha Triplets, and when I asked to confirm, they informed me they had returned to Central City in preparation for their work.
When they confirmed it, something pricked my chest for some reason I couldn't tell. Somehow, within the space of 24 hours, I had managed to bridge the gap of hate or anger between two of my mates.
All that was left was Xavier.
I wanted to know where we stood before we resumed. The last thing I wanted was rumours flying around school that I was whoring myself around our lecturers.
"You're…" I looked up to see a sharp frown on Duchess Ember's face. My breath stilled for a second there, already anticipating the screams that were to follow. "You're early."
A sharp exhale escaped my lips. I barely had time to jubilate at my situation when her thundering voice rang out. "Don't slouch. Stomach tucked in, chest out, but not too much, you do not want to look like a walking duck."
And just like that, day in, day out, I was faced with one teaching or the next till all lessons were drilled into my bones. Before I knew it, twenty-nine days had drifted past like it was nothing.
Dinner that night felt… different.
The long table was filled as usual—King Ash at the head, Beta Davion to his right, Lady Ember across from me, and Silvie and her mother, Lady Autumn, seated beside her.
The golden lights above reflected softly against polished silverware and crystal glasses, casting a warm glow over everything. Yet beneath that calm surface, my chest buzzed with nerves I couldn't quite name.
King Ash cleared his throat, his sharp eyes softening as they settled on me. "Tomorrow marks the end of your stay here for now, until you finish your senior year, Jade," he said. "You've done well."
I smiled before I could stop myself, warmth blooming in my chest. "Thank you, Father." I kept my voice steady. "For everything. For giving me this chance."
His lips curved into a rare smile. "You earned it."
He turned to Lady Ember. "How was the teaching? Are you ready?"
Lady Ember dabbed her lips with her napkin before responding, posture straight as ever. "She is not perfect," she said bluntly, then paused. Silvie giggled a little, but it did not go past me or the King. "But she understands the basics properly and can hold her own up to an intermediary level. Her progress has been… satisfactory."
I resisted the urge to grin. Coming from her, that was high praise.
"As for continuation," Lady Ember went on, "we can proceed twice a week via video call. Discipline and consistency will ensure she does not regress."
King Ash nodded, clearly pleased. "That will do. I'm glad to hear it." He looked back at me. "You'll be taken to school very early tomorrow. Be careful, Jade. And do not hesitate to seek help if you need it."
His gaze sharpened slightly. "You can meet the triplets if you need assistance. They are your protectors."
At that, I noticed Silvie's grip on her fork tighten, her knuckles paling for just a second. The metal scraped faintly against the plate. I pretended not to see it, keeping my expression neutral.
"Focus on your studies," Father continued. "Do not worry about anything else."
"Yes, Father," I replied.
The rest of dinner passed in calm conversation, but the weight of his words lingered with me long after we rose from the table.
That night, the maids bustled in and out of my room, packing the new clothes King Ash… sigh, my father, as he usually asked me to call him, had ordered for me. Neatly pressed uniforms, elegant coats, and shoes polished to a mirror shine. Everything screamed confidence—authority, even.
"I want her to look sharp," the king had said earlier. "No one should ever look down on her again."
As I watched the wardrobe fill, goosebumps rose along my arms. A strange sense of dread curled in my stomach.
What if I went back and nothing had changed?
What if it was worse?
My mind drifted back to my days in high school and that night on New Year's Eve.
What of Troy?
I sank onto the edge of the bed, my fingers twisting into the fabric of my nightdress. For a moment, the palace walls felt too far away from the chaos I knew waited for me.
"You're thinking too much again," Javelin said gently, leaning against the doorframe.
I looked up at nothing in particular, managing a weak smile. "What if they still see me the same way?"
She gave a small smile in my mind. "Then that's their problem. You're not the same Jade you were a month ago."
"I don't feel that different," I admitted.
She snorted softly. "That's because you don't see yourself the way others do. Lady Ember didn't just teach you etiquette. She drilled confidence into your bones."
I let out a quiet breath. "I just… don't want to break again."
Javelin let out her aura, but not in an overpowering manner; it was soothing. "No matter what happens, I've got your back. You're not alone anymore."
Her words settled something inside me, easing the tightness in my chest.
Later that night, when the palace finally fell quiet, I wrapped a shawl around myself and made my way down the hall. My feet carried me toward the king's chambers without conscious thought.
Until now, I still have not got the answers he had promised me. And honestly, the thought of returning to school still vaguely unsettled me.
I knocked, but no answer.
I tried again, a bit louder this time in hopes he would hear me, still, nothing.
Just like every other time I tried to see him about my real mother.
A familiar ache pressed behind my ribs. I turned away, swallowing the questions that had no answers, and returned to my room in silence.