The Question He Shouldn't Have Asked

The ballroom had fallen into chaos.

Guards surrounded the dead servant while nobles whispered among themselves.

Elara stood completely still.

Her eyes remained fixed on the body.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

In her first life, the servant had survived.

He had been arrested, questioned, and eventually disappeared.

But now...

He was dead.

And before dying, he had looked directly at her.

"She knows..."

Elara's fingers slowly curled into her palm.

Someone had changed the future.

No.

Someone had changed it because of her.

"Lady Elara."

Lucien's voice brought her back.

She looked at him.

He was still standing between her and the crowd.

Protecting her.

Or perhaps...

Watching her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine"

"You don't look fine"

Elara glanced at him.

"You ask too many questions, Your Grace"

Lucien's mouth curved into a faint smile.

"And you avoid too many of them, Lady Valemont"

Before Elara could answer, a royal guard approached.

"Lady Valemont, His Majesty requests your presence"

Her stomach tightened.

Of course.

The King would want answers.

Lucien stepped forward.

"I'll accompany her"

The guard hesitated.

"Your Grace, His Majesty specifically requested Lady Valemont alone"

Lucien's eyes narrowed.

"Then tell His Majesty that I misunderstood"

The guard looked confused.

Elara almost smiled.

She leaned toward Lucien.

"You can't simply ignore a royal order"

"I can"

"You shouldn't"

"I've done worse"

Elara stared at him.

"You're impossible"

"And yet you keep talking to me"

She blinked.

Lucien's smile widened slightly.

Elara quickly looked away.

"Just stay here"

"Are you ordering me?"

"No"

"Good"

"Why?"

"Because I don't take orders from you"

Elara rolled her eyes.

"Then consider it a request"

Lucien leaned slightly closer.

"That depends"

"On what?"

"How nicely you ask"

Elara stared at him.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then she whispered through clenched teeth.

"Please stay here"

Lucien smiled.

"Much better"

Elara turned away before he could see her blush.

"He is insufferable."

Yet somehow...

She felt safer knowing he was behind her.

The King waited in a private chamber.

King Adrian sat beside the fireplace, his expression unusually serious.

Queen Celestine stood near the window.

Crown Prince Cassian was there too.

Elara's heart immediately hardened.

She remembered this room.

In her first life, Cassian had comforted her here.

He had held her hand and told her not to worry.

She had believed him.

Now she knew better.

"Lady Elara," the King said.

She curtsied.

"Your Majesty"

"Tell me what you saw"

Elara carefully explained the servant's suspicious behavior.

She did not mention her memories.

She did not mention the Crimson Order.

And she certainly didn't mention that she already knew what would happen.

The King listened quietly.

Then Queen Celestine spoke.

"You seem remarkably observant for someone so young"

Elara lowered her eyes.

"I simply noticed something unusual"

The Queen smiled.

"Perhaps"

Cassian stepped forward.

"You were also seen speaking with Duke Ardent before the incident"

Elara looked at him.

"So?"

"Did he tell you anything?"

"No"

Cassian studied her.

"Are you certain?"

Elara almost laughed.

In her first life, she would have become nervous.

She would have tried to prove herself.

This time, she simply met his gaze.

"Are you accusing me of something, Your Highness?"

Cassian paused.

The King looked at him.

"Cassian"

The prince lowered his head.

"My apologies"

Elara smiled politely.

"Accepted"

Cassian's eyes narrowed.

He wasn't used to this version of her.

Neither was anyone else.

When Elara returned to the ballroom, Lucien was waiting.

He was leaning against one of the marble pillars, arms crossed.

The moment he saw her, he straightened.

"Did they interrogate you?"

"Something like that"

"Did you tell them everything?"

"No"

Lucien's eyes sharpened.

"Good"

Elara frowned.

"Why good?"

"Because neither did I"

She stared at him.

"You were questioned too?"

"Of course"

"And?"

"I told them I knew nothing"

Elara raised an eyebrow.

"You lie very easily"

"So do you"

She went silent.

Lucien noticed.

His teasing expression disappeared.

"Elara"

She looked at him.

"Something about tonight frightened you"

"I wasn't frightened"

"You were"

He stepped closer.

"Your hands were shaking"

Elara instinctively hid them behind her back.

Lucien noticed.

He didn't tease her this time.

Instead, his voice became softer.

"You don't have to tell me"

Elara looked at him in surprise.

"But..."

"If you're not ready"

He paused.

"Then I'll wait"

Something inside Elara tightened.

No one had ever said that to her.

Not in her first life.

She looked away.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you care?"

Lucien was silent for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"Perhaps I'm curious"

"That's all?"

"Perhaps not"

Elara looked back at him.

Their eyes met.

The ballroom suddenly felt quieter.

Lucien leaned closer.

"Would you like me to give you another reason?"

Elara's cheeks warmed.

"What reason?"

He smiled.

"That would ruin the fun"

Before she could respond, he stepped away.

Elara stared at him.

"You're doing this deliberately"

"Doing what?"

"Making me curious"

Lucien gave her a knowing look.

"Maybe"

She crossed her arms.

"You're annoying"

"And yet..."

He glanced at her.

"...you're smiling"

Elara immediately stopped smiling.

Lucien laughed softly.

For the first time that evening, the tension in her chest eased.

But then—

A palace guard suddenly rushed into the ballroom.

"Your Majesty!"

Everyone turned.

The guard dropped to one knee.

"We found something in the dead servant's belongings"

The King stood.

"What?"

The guard lifted a small black envelope.

"There was a message inside"

Elara's blood ran cold.

The guard slowly opened it.

His face went pale.

"Your Majesty..."

"What does it say?"

The guard looked toward Elara.

Then Lucien.

"It says..."

He swallowed.

"The second life has already begun."

Silence.

Elara couldn't breathe.

Lucien's expression changed completely.

He looked at her.

And for the first time...

He wasn't teasing.

He looked genuinely alarmed.

To be continued...

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