Chapter 188: ¹⁸⁸: answers

Chapter 188: 1??: answers

For one last time, I touched up the red lipstick on my lips, carefully fixing the edges before leaning back to examine my reflection in the mirror.

There, perfect. Or at least, as perfect as I could manage without Rose standing beside me, inspecting every little detail as though she were preparing me for a royal coronation.

Speaking of which, I had a very important approval to obtain.

Following Rose’s strict instructions, I took out my phone and snapped a picture of my entire look before sending it to her. I barely had time to lock my screen before her reply came rushing in.

Is this a thirst trap, MA’AM?! I’M ON MY KNEES!

I stared at the message for a second before throwing my head back with a helpless groan. Honestly, what was I supposed to do with this girl? A laugh escaped me despite myself, and I shook my head at her theatrics.

Rose was, without a doubt, one of the best things that had happened to me in this Empire.

After everything that had happened with Romana, I had honestly believed I would never be able to look at friendship the same way again. I had become far more cautious about letting people close to me, convinced that trusting someone would only give them another opportunity to hurt me.

But then Rose had come along, and

Somehow, without even trying, she had managed to prove me wrong. She was a darling. An extremely dramatic darling, but a darling nonetheless.

I’ll take your theatrics as your approval. I’m getting late, so I’m leaving now. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow!

I sent the message quickly, slipped my phone away, and grabbed the heels Rose had picked out to match my dress.

Then, after one last glance at myself in the mirror, I hurried out of the room before I could find another excuse to delay my departure.

Ever since Louis had handed me the invitation to the ball, I had been worried that he might expect me to accompany him to the venue.

It wouldn’t have been an unreasonable assumption. After all, he had personally given me the invitation, and considering the way he had presented it, I had suspected he might have intended to take me along with him.

At the time, the possibility had been nothing short of a headache. Thankfully, Louis hadn’t attended classes today.

Nobody seemed to know the reason for his absence. When Rose and I discussed it, she suggested that he was probably busy preparing for the ball.

Neither of us had any better explanation, so we decided to accept that one. Whatever his reason, his absence had conveniently solved my first problem.

I wouldn’t have to worry about him showing up at the place his own brother owned and offering to take me to the venue himself.

Unfortunately, that left me with my second problem. What if we ran into each other at the ball?

I couldn’t exactly avoid him if he happened to recognise me in the middle of the gathering. And although the mask would conceal my face, I wasn’t foolish enough to believe it would make me completely unrecognisable. Someone who knew me well enough might still identify me by my voice, my movements, or even the way I carried myself.

Still, I had to work with what I had. I could only hope Louis wouldn’t be able to identify me beneath my mask.

Once again, I silently thanked Mayla Kayden for choosing this theme. Thank you, Miss Kayden. Wherever you are, I hope you know you’ve made at least one person’s evening considerably easier.

After settling into my car, I drove straight towards the venue where the Starlight Eclipse Ball was being held.

Every few minutes, my gaze drifted towards the moon. I knew perfectly well that the eclipse wouldn’t begin until after midnight. I had checked the timing more than once, and I wasn’t about to forget something so important on the very night I had been waiting for.

Yet, despite knowing all of that, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from checking. It was as though looking at the moon would somehow make the hours pass faster or reassure me that everything was still moving according to the plan.

Neither, unfortunately, seemed to be happening. By the time I arrived at the venue, the parking lot was already overflowing with luxury cars.

I slowed down, scanning the seemingly endless rows of expensive vehicles before finally finding a spot tucked away in the far corner.

After parking, I sat there for a moment, staring through the windshield. "Is the whole Empire here tonight?!" I gasped.

There were so many cars that I couldn’t even begin to count them. Sleek black vehicles, polished silver sedans, extravagant models I had only ever seen in passing, everywhere I looked, there was another reminder of just how many influential people had gathered for this event.

And this was only the parking lot. I couldn’t even imagine what awaited me inside. Taking a deep breath, I placed both hands on the steering wheel and stared at myself in the rearview mirror.

"Okay, Athena," I muttered, trying to sound like someone who had everything under control. "You just have to go inside, stay unnoticed until midnight, and then find a way to get Kael somewhere secluded for the eclipse."

I paused. "Easy..." Another pause. "Yeah. It should be very easy!" I gave my chest a couple of reassuring pats, as though that would somehow convince my racing heart to cooperate.

I closed my eyes briefly and drew in another steadying breath. One step at a time. I had made it this far. I couldn’t allow myself to lose my nerve now. With that thought firmly planted in my mind, I opened the car door and stepped outside.

The cool evening air brushed against my face as I straightened my dress and adjusted the mask I had brought with me. Gathering my courage, I began walking towards the entrance, keeping my chin lifted even as my nerves threatened to get the better of me.

I was so close now. Everything I had done until this point had led me here. Every conversation with Kael, every risk I had taken to get closer to him, every moment when I had allowed myself to become more involved with him than I had originally intended all of it had brought me to this night.

"You’ll get your answer tonight, Grandmother," I whispered, my fingers curling slightly at my sides as I approached the enormous entrance doors. "I just hope Kael is the one you’ve been looking for."

The words barely left my lips before I reached the entrance. Beyond those massive doors lay the glittering world of the Starlight Eclipse Ball, a gathering of the Empire’s most powerful people and, hopefully, the answer to the question that had brought me here.

I took one final breath and stepped closer.

"Miss—"

My steps came to an abrupt halt.