Chapter 278: Dawn Of Darkness

Dawn came painfully slowly.

It felt as though the night had refused to end.

For some reason, it had been so long since the ball began that Lydia had almost forgotten what morning felt like. But when the first light finally appeared over Svetlana, the city was already awake.

Only this time, people were not waking up to talk about the beautiful masquerade ball.

They were talking about the Baron.

News had spread throughout the night.

The Baron had been caught after kidnapping the Grand Duchess and attempting to have her killed.

By the time the sun rose, almost everyone in Svetlana knew.

It was practically treason.

And the punishment was death.

The Baron and his accomplices had been executed at the town square before dawn.

People gathered around the square to watch.

Some came because they were shocked.

Others came because they wanted to hear the details.

It had been decades since anyone had been executed in Svetlana. For most people, it was something they had only heard about from their parents or grandparents.

And now a Baron had been beheaded for attempting to kill a member of the royal family.

A Baron.

That alone was enough to make people talk.

The fact that the target had been the Grand Duchess made it even worse.

Everyone had questions.

Who would be foolish enough to attack a member of the royal family?

Why would a Baron risk everything?

Who else was involved?

And most importantly, why would anyone think they could get away with it?

The streets were filled with whispers.

Some people were afraid.

Others were fascinated.

But almost everyone agreed on one thing.

The Baron had been out of his mind.

Meanwhile, Anna stood alone on the terrace.

She paced slowly from one side to the other.

Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her.

She had barely slept.

She had heard the news hours ago, but somehow, hearing it and accepting it were two different things.

Footsteps approached from behind.

Anna turned.

Boris was walking toward her.

He stopped a short distance away and gave her a quiet nod.

Anna immediately understood.

Konstantin Federov was dead.

So were the men who had helped him.

For a few seconds, Anna said nothing.

She simply looked at Boris.

She had spent years wishing that man would disappear from her life.

She had hated him.

She had hated the way he treated her.

She had hated the way his family treated her.

There had been countless nights when she had prayed for a way out.

Sometimes, in her darkest moments, she had even prayed for him to die.

And now he was dead.

It should have made her happy.

Instead, her chest hurt.

Boris stepped closer.

"Are you all right?"

Anna nodded.

"I’m fine."

Boris studied her face.

"Are you really fine?"

Anna nodded again.

"I’ll be fine."

Her voice was quiet.

She looked away.

"He was my husband."

Boris said nothing.

Anna swallowed.

"Since I was seventeen."

Her eyes became wet.

"Half of my life."

She gave a small, sad laugh.

"He was a horrible man."

Boris remained beside her.

"He never treated me like a human being," Anna continued. "Neither did his family."

A tear slipped down her cheek.

"I used to pray sometimes that he would die. I really did."

She wiped her cheek quickly.

"So why does it hurt?"

Her voice broke.

"Why does it hurt when I know I hated him?"

Boris moved closer.

"You don’t have to feel guilty for that."

Anna looked at him.

"You can hate someone and still feel something when they’re gone."

She looked down.

"I don’t understand it."

"You don’t have to."

Boris gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You were married to him for years. That doesn’t disappear just because he was a terrible man."

Anna covered her face as she began to cry.

Boris stayed beside her.

He did not tell her to stop.

He did not tell her she should be happy.

He simply let her cry.

After everything Konstantin had done to her, Anna had finally been free.

But freedom did not mean she could erase every year of her life with him.

And perhaps that was why his death hurt.

Not because she loved him.

But because a part of her life had ended forever.

---

Lydia sat quietly beside her window.

The morning light entered the room, but she did not seem to notice it.

She had barely moved.

Her thoughts were still somewhere between the events of the night and the morning.

The ball.

The attack.

Ivan.

The baby.

Everything had happened too quickly.

She heard the door open.

Katherine entered quietly.

For a moment, she did not speak.

Lydia turned her head.

"How’s Anna?"

Katherine walked toward her.

"She’ll be fine."

Lydia nodded.

Her eyes returned to the window.

Katherine watched her for a moment.

"And what about you, Your Highness?"

Lydia remained quiet.

"How are you?"

Lydia’s fingers slowly tightened together.

She stared outside.

"I don’t know anymore."

Katherine’s expression softened.

Lydia had spent so long pretending she knew exactly what she wanted.

Lydia lowered her eyes.

She didn’t know what would happen next.

For once, she didn’t even know what she wanted to happen.

---

Tatiana was pacing around her room when Yelena entered.

Yelena closed the door behind her.

She looked nervous.

"My lady."

Tatiana stopped.

"What is it?"

Yelena lowered her voice.

"Lord Federov has been executed."

Tatiana’s face changed.

"And his accomplices?"

"They were executed too."

Tatiana stared at her.

For a moment, neither woman spoke.

Yelena continued carefully.

"Luckily, he didn’t mention your name."

Tatiana should have felt relieved.

She should have been grateful.

She should have been happy that no one had connected her to the attack.

But she wasn’t.

Instead, she became even more agitated.

"Leave me."

Yelena hesitated.

"My lady..."

"I said leave."

Yelena immediately bowed her head.

"Yes, my lady."

She turned and walked out.

Tatiana continued pacing.

Her hands were shaking.

The plan had failed.

Lydia was still alive.

And now Lord Federov was dead.

Everything had gone wrong.

She had thought that by morning, Lydia would be gone.

Instead, the entire city was talking about the failed attempt on the Grand Duchess’s life.

Tatiana stopped near the mirror.

She stared at her reflection.

Her breathing became heavier.

She had to think.

She could not allow anyone to discover her involvement.

And she could not allow Lydia to remain in Ivan’s life.

Not after everything.

Not when Ivan still looked at Lydia as though she was the only woman in the world.

Tatiana clenched her hands.

She was more frustrated than she had ever been.

---

In Ivan’s study, the morning was much quieter.

Ivan sat behind his desk while a legal adviser stood in front of him with several documents.

They had been discussing the matter of the Federov barony.

"The crown will hold the confiscated properties," Ivan said.

The adviser nodded.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Ivan looked down at the documents.

"The title?"

"It will be revoked."

Ivan nodded.

"Send a messenger to His Majesty."

"At once."

The adviser gathered the papers.

Ivan remained silent.

His thoughts were not really on the barony.

They were on Lydia.

The attack had been stopped.

She was alive.

That was all that mattered to him.

Still, knowing someone had planned to kill her made his stomach turn.

He had almost lost her.

Again.

A knock came at the door.

Ivan looked up.

"Come in."

The door opened.

It was Irina.

She stood at the entrance, looking serious.

Ivan’s eyes immediately went to her face.

"What is it?"

Irina hesitated.

"There is something you need to know."

Ivan’s expression became tense.

"What?"

Irina stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

Ivan waited.

The morning had barely begun, but already it felt like another long day was waiting for him.

And whatever Irina had come to tell him, he knew it could not be something simple.