Chapter 187 - Hiding In The Ball

Chapter 187 - Hiding In The Ball
ADELINE
Cealum’s smirk softened into a well-practiced charm as he tilted his head. “You must be new to the court, my lady. Unlike this celebration, I hardly see people wearing masks in Lykos.”
I faltered, my lips parting as I scrambled for an excuse. “I… I don’t come out often… I’m not from… here,” I murmured, lowering my eyes so he wouldn’t catch the tremor in us.
“Ah,” he said smoothly, circling my words like a hawk. “That explains it. Then I am most fortunate tonight.”
I pressed my hands together, bowing slightly in a way that made my mask shift. My breath caught when my gaze swept across the hall, my mother, Eloise, was not far. I stiffened, nearly losing my composure. Eloise’s dark hair gleamed, her face radiant with smiles as she danced with an older nobleman. For a moment, Eloise looked like a stranger. My stomach twisted.
I turned quickly back to Cealum before he noticed my distraction. “Forgive me, my lord. I should—”
But before I could finish, the music shifted, swelling into a lively rhythm. Pairs of lords and ladies began moving gracefully to the center of the ballroom. Cealum extended his hand toward me. His smile was warm, but his eyes, there was something unreadable there. “Would you grant me this dance, my lady?”
I hesitated, the weight of my mother’s laughter across the room making me feel cornered. But refusing would only draw suspicion. With a shallow breath, I placed my trembling hand in his.
“Of course.”
He led me with elegant precision onto the dance floor. The chandeliers cast golden fire across his polished features, and as we moved into the steps of the dance, he guided me effortlessly, speaking in a low voice. “Auradell can be a lonely place,” he was saying. “Perhaps one day, I will tell you about it. Perhaps one day, you will see it for yourself.”
He's trying to flirt with another woman? Like why would he want to tell me about his kingdom. 
But I masked all my thoughts by forcing a tight smile on my face, my mind half-absent, my eyes still tugged toward my mother who was laughing… laughing, as though she didn’t have two children whose lives she controlled like pawns. My stomach churned with each spin, each gliding across the floor.
Cealum seemed content to fill the silence, weaving idle stories and boasts, his gaze fixed keenly upon me, as if studying how I reacted.
My heart was begging for escape.
And then, like salvation, a familiar voice cut through.
“I believe this dance belongs to me, Lord Cealum.”
Cealum’s smirk twitched into mild annoyance as Ivan approached, every inch the composed nobleman. He bowed his head politely, his expression polite but firm. I exhaled in relief, my tense shoulders softening.
Cealum glanced between us, his smirk returning in a sly curve. With exaggerated courtesy, he released my hand. But not before he bent low, brushing a kiss across my knuckles. His lips lingered just enough to unsettle me.
“The pleasure was mine, my lady,” he murmured before stepping back and offering Ivan a mocking incline of his head.
I swallowed hard, my heart racing as I slipped into the safe orbit of my brother’s arm.
I tried to maintain my composure, to keep the poise of a lady I thought my mother always demanded of me. While dancing with him. But Ivan’s narrowed eyes and faint smile betrayed him before he even spoke.
“Enough drama,” he muttered low, guiding me easily through the next step of the dance. “I know it’s you, Addy.”
I blinked, then laughed softly, her voice trembling with relief. “And here I thought I fooled everyone with this mask.”
Ivan arched a brow, lips twitching like he was trying not to laugh. “You? Fooling anyone? Please. Not Ivan.”
I swatted his arm lightly. “Well, thank you for saving me from that lord… what was his name again? Lord Smirky-Something?”
His mouth cracked into a grin before he bit it back, shaking his head. “Lord Cealum, Marquess of Auradell. Though I prefer your version. Smirky suits him better.”
I laughed again. For a moment, it felt like she wasn’t trapped in a cage of rules.
“I never liked him,” Ivan confessed more seriously. “There are… rumors. Not the good kind.”
My eyes sharpened with curiosity. “Rumors? What kind?”
“Still trying to figure it out,” Ivan said with a vague shrug, though his jaw tensed. “But enough about him. What about you?”
“What about me?” I asked quickly.
“You didn’t sneak all the way here just to… sightsee,” Ivan said slyly, guiding me into another twirl. “Was it for him?”
I blinked. “Him who?”
“Don’t play dumb.” His tone softened, though his eyes flicked in warning. “The hooded one you’ve been sneaking glances at every night. Did you come here for him?”
My cheeks flushed hot beneath my mask. She stammered, “I—I only wanted to see the ball for myself. To feel normal. That’s all.”
Ivan didn’t look convinced, but he let it drop for now.
So I hurried to change the subject. “Where’s Princess Kaira? You spoke of her.”
Ivan’s ears colored faintly, and he avoided my gaze. “She isn’t here yet. Only King Alistair and Darius arrived so far.”
At the mention of Darius, I leaned closer, lowering my voice. “Does Darius have marks on his face?”
Ivan blinked, caught off guard. “Marks? No. Not that I’ve seen.” His brows furrowed. “Why? Was he the one you were hoping to find?”
“No!” I protested quickly, almost tripping over the next step of the dance. “I just… wondered.”
My eyes drifted across the grand hall as we spun, chandeliers scattering golden fire across velvet gowns and polished boots. The sea of nobles parted just enough for my gaze to catch on a figure seated at the dais.
A man, pale yet commanding, sitting with a subtle authority that bent the air around him. His lips curled faintly, as though he was amused by everything and everyone at once.
My chest tightened. The moment my eyes landed on him, flashes seared my mind, memories not my own. That face, twisted into cruel laughter over a battlefield. That same man sitting tall on a throne dripping with shadows.
I shook my head sharply, breaking the vision, my pulse racing.
“Addy?” Ivan’s voice pulled me back. He followed my gaze, then leaned closer. “That’s the king. Alistair.”
My throat went dry. “Why does he feel… familiar?” I whispered.
Ivan smirked teasingly, trying to lighten my seriousness. “Because you think you know everyone here.”
“I’m not joking, Ivan,” I whispered, gripping his hand tighter.
But before he could answer, the music slowed, and our dance came to an end. The crowd clapped politely, bows and curtsies scattering like ripples across the floor.
Ivan and I stepped back into our places, my chest still fluttering with unease. And then—
“Lord Ivan.”
The warm, graceful voice came from our side. Approaching was Princess Kaira, dressed in silver silk that shimmered beneath the chandeliers, and beside her strode man, his expression as sharp as his tailored coat.
I stiffened. Ivan exhaled slowly, bracing himself.