Chapter 3
Before my brother could even finish speaking, I pushed myself up from the bed and sat upright.
My inner clothes clung to my back, damp and sticky.
I didn't even bother with that half-open window.
My gaze fell on the stained brocade coverlet, and I pulled a bitter smile.
"Win back what?" I asked.
My throat ached with dryness.
"If you're so hung up on the riches of the Sunstone Palace, why don't you go chase them yourself?" I said.
My brother's expression froze.
He never thought I'd shut him down so harshly.
"Calista."
He looked at me, the weight of his disappointment plain to see.
I met his gaze.
"All I ever wanted was an ordinary husband, someone who knows when I'm cold or warm, who can shield me from the wind and rain," I said.
"As for those lofty gifts from Evander? I can't accept them, and I don't even want them," I added.
My brother backed away a little.
He didn't try to persuade me any further, just turned and walked out the door.
The room fell into dead silence again.
Only the biting scent lingered in the bed drapes.
I slipped out from under the covers and left the bed.
Barefoot, I stepped onto the cold stone floor.
I moved to the window and pushed open its ornate frame.
The night wind rushed in, carrying the chill of dew.
It swept away the feverish heat that had been clinging to me.
Evander stood in the shadow of the courtyard trees.
His black clothes melted into the darkness, almost invisible.
The white pendant he carried caught the moonlight, giving off a cold gleam.
He stepped forward, emerging from the shadows.
His black boots crushed a dry branch underfoot, and a crisp snap rang out.
"Calista."
Evander called my name.
His voice was calm, carrying that familiar confidence he always had.
I didn't respond.
I watched him through the window.
He stopped three steps away.
The pale moonlight caught the chill in his gaze.
"Back in the Golden Hall, why did you ruin the needlework?" Evander asked.
His voice was low, almost a whisper, and his eyes bore down on me, cold and intense.
I dropped my gaze.
A wave of bitterness and nausea welled up in my throat.
"My hand slipped. Sorry, I didn't live up to your expectations, Your Highness," I said.
"Youe hand slipped!"
Evander let out a cold, mocking laugh.
He stepped closer.
His long, slender fingers gripped the window frame so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"I've known you far longer than a day or two," Evander said.
"Your double-sided needlework is the best in Veloren. Do you really expect me to believe you messed it up because of a cup of coffee?" Evander said, his voice cold and skeptical.
He stared at me, trying to catch any hint of emotion on my face.
"You were trying to get yourself kicked out," Evander said.
His tone was full of frustration, clearly annoyed I'd defied him.
I raised my eyes.
I looked straight into those eyes I'd known for more than a decade.
"Yes. I don't want to marry into Sunstone Palace," I said.
I didn't lie; I just tore away all pretense.
His gaze turned icy in an instant.
The air grew tense, frozen between us.
"This is all about Cordelia, huh?" Evander asked.
He sounded so certain, with just a hint of pity, like he was looking down on me.
"So, are you mad because I've been ignoring you, or is it just that I let her into the palace?" Evander asked.
I stared right back at him.
How ridiculous I'd been in my last life, so desperate for his approval, letting every word he said send me into a spiral.
To him, I was just acting out, throwing a fit over petty jealousy.
He never knew the agony of losing a child.
He never felt the stench and pain of his own flesh burning.
He had no idea that, in the midst of the inferno, when he carried Cordelia out, he died in my heart right then and there.
"You're overthinking this,Your Highness," I said.
I steadied myself against the window frame.
"Cordelia's fragile, and it's only right for Your Highness to look after her. I don't hold it against you," I said.
"Honestly, I'm just not cut out for all the power and drama of Sunstone Palace. All I want is a good husband and a quiet life," I added.
Evander's fingers clenched hard around the window frame.
A harsh creak came from the window.
"A good husband?"
Evander repeated, grinding the words out between his teeth.
A surge of violence flickered in his eyes.
"Look around this whole empire, who else but me would ever dare to be your husband?" Evander said.
That familiar, patronizing tone of his, like he was tossing me scraps, made my throat tighten with resentment.
"Anyone will do." I cut him off.
My posture was meek, utterly lifeless; there wasn't a trace of spirit left in me.
"As long as it's not Your Highness, anyone will do," I said again.
Light footsteps drifted from the far end of the gallery.
My maid approached, holding a lamp.
"Miss, you're awake? I heard movement inside," she said.
I didn't turn around, keeping my back to the maid and my focus on Evander.
I locked eyes with Evander. His gaze was burning, red with barely contained fury.
"You should leave now, Your Highness. If the servants see you here, it won't look good," I said.
I gripped the window.
Right in front of him, I closed it without a hint of hesitation.
A muffled thud sounded.
Evander's shadow was left outside, completely cut off from me.
I slid the window latch shut with a firm hand.
Even with just a thin layer of wood between us, I could feel his anger seeping through, pressing in on me.
The maid's footsteps paused outside the door.
I kept my voice steady as I answered.
"Nothing, just closed the window, the wind was strong," I said.
I leaned against the cold wall.
The sound of his breathing lingered outside for a while before finally fading away.
I went out of my way to get kicked out, all because of Cordelia.
Evander's arrogant accusations still hung in the night air.
I let it go, not caring anymore.
In the silence, I slowly closed my eyes.