Chapter 58 Feelings

Chapter 58 Feelings
Selene’s cheeks were still warm.

Not from the ballroom lights anymore, not from the crowd or the embarrassment. They were already far from the noise, far from the music, far from the eyes that watched her like she was a story they could twist.

Now it was quiet.

The hallway outside her room was dim, lit only by soft lamps along the wall. The golden light made the stone pillars look warmer than usual. Shadows stretched gently across the floor like the castle itself was finally resting after a long night.

The moonlight slipped through the tall windows at the end of the hall, pale and silver, landing on Selene’s dress like a blessing. It touched her hair, her shoulders, and the jacket Ryzen had draped over her earlier. The light made everything look softer, almost unreal like time was slowing down just to watch them.

Selene stood by her door, hands clasped in front of her, trying to look composed.

Ryzen stood in front of her, closer than necessary. Close enough that Selene could feel him and close enough that she could smell his scent—a clean mix of cold air, forest, and something warm beneath it. A scent that made her heart act stupid every time.

The stain was still there under his jacket, hidden, but Selene could still feel it like a reminder of what happened. Like a mark she couldn’t completely erase.

Ryzen didn’t look angry now.

He looked… quiet. Like his mind was somewhere else. Selene shifted her weight slightly, careful not to strain her ribs.

Ryzen noticed immediately.

His eyes dropped to her feet, then to her posture.

“You’re tired,” he said softly.

Selene forced a small smile. “A little.”

Ryzen’s jaw tightened. “You should have rested instead of going to that dinner.”

Selene blinked. “You invited me.”

“That doesn’t mean I was right,” he replied.

Selene didn’t know what to say to that.

Ryzen’s voice wasn’t cold right now. It wasn’t Alpha-like. It sounded like… guilt. Like regret.

Selene lowered her gaze. “I’m fine, Ryzen.”

Ryzen’s eyes stayed on her. “You always say that.”

Selene looked up again, slightly confused.

Ryzen didn’t speak for a moment.

His gaze moved slowly over her—her face, her hair, the silver dress, the way the moonlight made her look like she belonged to it. Like she was part of something ancient and beautiful.

Selene swallowed.

She felt his stare, not like the crowd’s stare, not like Lyria’s stare.

This was different.

This stare felt… personal.

Ryzen’s thoughts were running in a dangerous direction, and he knew it.

He stood there like a man trying to keep control of his own mind, but losing slightly with every second because Selene looked unreal tonight.

He had seen her injured, pale, weak, barely breathing on a bed. He had seen her quiet, guarded, scared but stubborn. He had seen her laugh with Cariel, listen to Jenna, and soften when she thought no one was watching.

But tonight…Tonight she looked like a moon goddess. The silver dress fit her like it had been waiting for her all along. The fabric didn’t just sit on her—it moved with her, listened to her, followed her like it knew her shape by heart.

Her hair fell softly around her face, and her eyes…Her eyes were tired, yes, but still bright in a way that annoyed him because it made him want to protect her even more and when she smiled at him, even just a little…

Ryzen’s chest tightened.

His heart beat faster, and he hated that it was happening in a hallway like this, under lamps and moonlight, like a foolish boy.

He should be thinking about the council. He should be thinking about Lyria’s family and what to do about them. He should be thinking about threats and politics but all he could think about was Selene’s face when she tried to act calm, even though she was still shaking inside. All he could think about was the way she protected his reputation even when he wasn’t there. All he could think about was how she stood alone, stained, humiliated, and still chose gentleness.

It didn’t make sense. It shouldn’t make him feel this way but it did.

Ryzen’s gaze lowered, lingering too long.

He wasn’t even aware of it until Selene noticed.

Selene’s fingers tightened against each other.

Her heart started to race again, fast and stupid.

“Why is he looking at me like that?” she thought, panic rising softly in her chest.

She had seen Ryzen calm. She had seen him cold. She had seen him playful. She had seen him angry.

But this look—This look was something else. Like he was seeing her for the first time, even though they had known each other for a while now.

Selene’s cheeks warmed.

“Oh no,” she thought. “Not again.”

She tried to keep her face neutral.

Tried to keep her voice normal but the heat rushed to her ears and neck like it had a mind of its own.

Ryzen blinked, as if he realized he had been staring.

He cleared his throat slightly. “You—”

Selene cut him off without meaning to.

“I—I think I should go and change clothes,” she said quickly, voice too fast. “The dress that you specially made is already dirty.”

As she spoke, she reached for the jacket on her shoulders and began removing it carefully.

Ryzen’s eyes flicked to her hands.

To the curve of her fingers around the fabric.

To the way she moved like she was both shy and stubborn at the same time.

“I could buy hundreds of that,” Ryzen said, voice steady but slightly strained. “No need to worry.”

Selene paused, jacket halfway off.

She looked at him, surprised.

Then she looked down at the dress again.

“But this dress is so beautiful,” Selene said softly. “And I love this so much.”

She lifted the edge of the dress slightly and turned, carefully, like she was showing it to him. Not like she wanted attention—more like she couldn’t help herself.

Like a princess of the moon.

The moonlight from the window caught the fabric and made it glow faintly, as if the dress was alive.

Ryzen froze.

His breath hitched.

His heart skipped a beat so hard it almost hurt.

Selene wasn’t doing anything bold. She wasn’t trying to tempt him. She wasn’t trying to flirt.

She was just… happy.

Happy in a quiet way.

Happy like she had forgotten fear for a second.

And that happiness made Ryzen feel something sharp and dangerous inside him.

Because she looked like she belonged to him.

“If anyone tries to hurt her again, I will burn them.”

Ryzen’s fingers twitched at his sides.

He forced himself to stay calm. but his thoughts betrayed him.

“Should I buy every single silver dress in the world for her?” he thought, and the idea didn’t even sound ridiculous in his head.

It sounded right. Like he wanted to give her every beautiful thing she had been denied.

Ryzen swallowed, trying to regain control of his breathing.

Selene turned back to face him, and her smile faded slightly when she noticed his expression.

He looked… stunned and caught.

Selene’s cheeks warmed again.

“Ryzen?” she asked softly.

Ryzen blinked. “Yes.”

Selene stared at him for a second longer, then her eyes darted away.

Her heart was beating too fast.

She felt like she was standing on the edge of something she didn’t understand.

Why was she like this?

Why did her body react like this when she was around him?

Why did she feel excited and nervous at the same time?

She had been betrayed, nearly killed, dragged into enemy territory, and yet—The most dangerous thing right now was a look in Ryzen’s eyes.

Selene cleared her throat.

“I… I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said quickly.