bookpower Chapter 277: Trails of Light...
Chapter 277: Trails of Light...
chapter 277: trails of light...
in the empire, touching royalty was an act steeped in significance and restrictions, both personal and political.
for most people, the mere thought of physical contact with an imperial figure was unimaginable.
every year, the number of individuals who had the privilege-or audacity to physically interact with royalty could be counted on one hand.
four or five people, at most.
and even among those rare cases, such contact was almost exclusively limited to immediate family members.
not even the empire's most loyal knights, regardless of their rank or years of service, nor the esteemed grand duke or prime minister, could lay a finger on a member of the imperial family without explicit permission.
it was an unspoken rule, one upheld with unwavering reverence.
and yet, here i was, flagrantly defying that unassailable boundary.
my right hand rested on sophiel's cheek, my left on her waist.
no matter how one looked at it, this was a gesture that crossed every line of propriety.
this wasn't an accident, nor was it something that could be brushed aside as a trivial misstep - at least not in the eyes of anyone who might witness it.
this was an act reserved solely for lovers.
adding insult to injury, the proximity between our faces was laughably inappropriate, close enough to make any onlooker question the nature of our relationship.
sophiel's attire only compounded the issue.
that nightgown, coupled with the casual cardigan draped over her shoulders, was far from modest.
while it might have been fine in a private setting, in this context, it all but screamed impropriety.
and then there was her expression-calm, almost amused, as if none of this fazed her in the slightest.
it was the perfect recipe for misunderstanding, one that would spiral out of control the moment an outsider laid eyes on the scene.
unfortunately for me, the worst possible person to witness this scene had walked in.
snow.
the frost in her glare was palpable, her mere presence turning the room into a frozen battlefield of tension.
if misunderstandings could be deadly, this one had the makings of a death sentence.
i had anticipated that snow would address me directly, perhaps to broach the topic of our disagreement regarding my upcoming journey to undertake the trials of light.
but....
'why did she have to come at this exact moment?'
though i was grateful it wasn't the duke or, worse, the emperor who had entered the room- either of whom would have brought entirely different complications-this scenario might actually be worse than both of them combined.
"snow..." sophiel murmured softly, her voice carrying an uncharacteristic hesitance, as though she'd only just registered snow's presence. "i wasn't aware of your return..."
"yes... due to certain unexpected circumstances, i had to temporarily return," snow replied evenly, though her tone was anything but casual. each word was laced with cold precision. "but enough about that."
as snow stepped closer, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet further.
a biting chill seeped into the air, and with each measured step, her presence became almost oppressive.
frost crept across the walls, and sharp, glistening icicles materialized in the corners of the room, pointing threateningly at sophiel.
"what are you doing?" snow's voice, calm yet piercing, sent a shiver down my spine.
sophiel tilted her head slightly, as if momentarily confused by the question.
but then, as if suddenly coming to her senses, she turned her gaze toward me.
her expression shifted, and she quickly took a step back, putting noticeable distance between
us.
"apologies, my lord," she said with an uncharacteristic formality, bowing her head slightly. "it seems i lost myself for a moment there..."
||
".....
"????"
"... uhm... i beg your pardon?"
the transformation in sophiel's demeanor was almost instantaneous.
the frail, apologetic act she had maintained mere moments ago vanished, replaced by pure,
unfiltered shock.
her purple eyes widened as she stared at snow, her carefully controlled composure slipping.
"riley and i are dating," snow declared with unwavering conviction, her tone steady and
firm, as if daring anyone to challenge her words.
the statement landed like a thunderclap. sophiel's reaction wasn't the only one worth noting.
her personal maid, who had maintained an impressively stoic expression throughout the entire encounter, visibly faltered, her eyes widening in disbelief as her poker face shattered in an instant.
and if i had to guess, amana-the shadow knight who was tasked with guarding me from the shadows-was probably sporting a similar expression, wherever she was hiding right now.
the room, which had only just returned to a semblance of normalcy, was once again thick with
tension, though this time it was of a different nature altogether.
sophiel, recovering slightly from her initial shock, tilted her head as though trying to process
what she'd just heard.
"you and lord riley are... dating?" she repeated, her voice laced with disbelief and a hint of
something else was it frustration? or confusion?
snow's lips curled into a faint, almost smug smile.
"yes, we are.... so if you don't mind... could you and your servant kindly take your leave now? i
have some important matters to discuss with my beloved privately. and also..." her gaze
flicked to sophiel, pointed and deliberate, "if you're planning to visit someone, please dress appropriately next time."
sophiel blinked, momentarily thrown off by the remark.
confusion clouded her features as she turned to glance at herself in the large mirror i had used
earlier.
her reflection told her everything.
the sheer fabric of her nightgown, the disheveled state of her hair, the faint flush still
lingering on her cheeks-it all screamed impropriety.
realization hit her like a tidal wave, and her face turned a deep, intense shade of red.
"t-this is...?" sophiel stammered, her voice faltering.
she whirled around, her accusatory gaze locking onto her maid, lumia, who was already bowing deeply, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. "lumia?" sophiel's voice was a mixture of mortification and fury.
"i apologize, your highness!" lumia blurted, her tone desperate. "i tried to stop-"
"enough...."
lumia wanted to apologize but snow's words cut her off, the clear annoyance on snow's face
was all lumia needed to properly shut up... because as loyal and fearful as she was towards
sophiel she knew it was snow who had real power and authority among the imperial princess's. "both of you, leave," snow ordered, her voice cold and commanding, cutting through the
room like a blade.
lumia, without hesitation, grabbed sophiel's arm gently, as if trying to guide her out before snow's temper could ignite further. "let's go, your highness," lumia whispered urgently. sophiel hesitated for a moment, her pride clearly warring with her humiliation, but ultimately she relented, allowing her maid to lead her toward the door. she paused briefly, her violet eyes flickering between snow and me, her expression unreadable.