Chapter 57
Sloane's POV
Juan was there, looking both nervous and excited. Eloise stood beside him. Several servants had gathered around, and I could see disappointment on their faces that the testing was apparently over with no one chosen.
The man who seemed to be in charge was middle-aged with graying hair and an air of authority. He wore official robes with the royal seal embroidered on the chest. He looked up at me with surprise.
"And you are?" he asked politely.
"This is my daughter Sophia," Juan said quickly, stepping forward. "She's been resting and missed the earlier testing."
"I'm so sorry I missed it," I said, trying to look properly embarrassed. "Is there any chance I could still be tested?"
Juan suddenly looked around with a frown.
"Wait," he said, "where were you just now, Sophia? One of the servants said they'd been looking for you but couldn't find you anywhere."
Shit. I could feel Eloise's eyes sharpening on me, and Juan's expression shifted from excitement to mild irritation.
I rubbed my eyes and let out a small yawn. "I'm so sorry. I was napping in my room. I had some of that fruit juice Eloise sent up, and it made me incredibly drowsy. I guess I slept deeper than I expected."
Juan's eyes flicked to Eloise for just a moment. It was quick, but I caught it. The air in the foyer went quiet for a beat too long.
Eloise jumped in quickly, her voice a little higher than usual. "The fruit juice was just to help you relax, dear. It has natural calming properties. I thought it might help with your nerves about the test."
"Thank you for thinking of me," I said, nodding.
But Juan was still looking at Eloise with a strange expression. The silence stretched just long enough to become uncomfortable.
Ronnie cleared his throat. "Well, no harm done. Shall we proceed with the test?"
"Yes, of course," Juan said.
Ronnie gestured for me to approach the crystal ball. "Miss Sophia, please step forward."
I walked up to the moonlight crystal ball. Everyone in the room was staring at me. The servants had gathered closer, and even some who'd been working in other parts of the house had shown up to watch.
"The process is quite simple," Ronnie explained. "You'll prick your finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the moonlight crystal ball. If the Moon Goddess has chosen you as her representative, the moonlight crystal ball will respond with divine light."
He handed me a small silver pin. "Ready?"
My fingers were shaking a little, partly from the drug effects, partly from nerves. Looking at that silver pin, I suddenly thought of a terrible possibility. What if my blood had something special about it? What if it exposed my Sanctus Healing Bloodline identity?
But it was too late to back out now. Everyone was watching me.
Just get through this, I told myself. It probably won't work anyway.
I held my breath and pricked my finger with the pin. Blood immediately welled up.
"Now, let a drop fall onto the crystal," Ronnie said.
I held my finger over the moonlight crystal ball and squeezed. The blood drop fell and hit the pale surface.
More than ten seconds passed. Nothing happened. The moonlight crystal ball showed no reaction at all, and an awkward atmosphere filled the air.
Ronnie frowned, studying the moonlight crystal ball carefully. "Hmm..." he cleared his throat, "It appears..."
I felt my cheeks burning. Of course there's no reaction. I'm not really the chosen one.
"It's alright, Sophia," Juan said softly, trying to comfort me, but I could hear the disappointment in his voice.
Several servants began whispering among themselves, and some had already turned to leave. A barely concealed satisfied expression appeared on Eloise's face.
Ronnie began packing up his things. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Stewart. It seems the Moon Goddess has not yet found her representative—"
Just then, the moonlight crystal ball suddenly exploded with blinding white light.
The insanely bright white light made everyone squint and step back.
I stared at the moonlight crystal ball in complete shock. What the hell?
This absolutely shouldn't be happening. I'd been ready for a normal test that would show I wasn't chosen, maybe a faint glow at best. But this...
The light was so bright it made my eyes water. I could hear people gasping and murmuring around me.
"Extraordinary," Ronnie breathed, his voice filled with awe, completely forgetting the embarrassment of nearly leaving. "I've never seen such a strong response."
Juan stared at the moonlight crystal ball with his mouth slightly open, instantly shifting from disappointment to a mixture of shock and pride. "Is this... is this normal?"
"Far from normal," Ronnie said, still gazing at the glowing moonlight crystal ball, his voice trembling. "This is the strongest divine light I've ever witnessed."
I glanced over at Eloise. She looked shocked at first, then her face got weird - like she was jealous but trying to hide it. When she caught me looking, she smiled, but it didn't look real.
"How wonderful," she said, but something in her voice was off. "Though that was... interesting. I've never seen it take so long and then suddenly get so bright."
Juan's eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say, Eloise?"
"Oh, nothing at all! It's just so unusual, isn't it?" She glanced at Ronnie with concern. "I'm sure you've seen this kind of thing before?"
Ronnie nodded thoughtfully, obviously also confused by what had just happened. "Lady Eloise raises a fair point. For the sake of absolute certainty, I think a second test would be wise."
My stomach dropped.
Juan looked between Ronnie and Eloise, then at me. "Sophia, are you feeling well?"
"I feel fine," I said.
"Then let's do it again," Ronnie said, wiping the blood off the crystal ball.
What the hell is going on? I watched him clean it, my mind racing. The first test had been completely insane.
The crystal ball looked normal again, just sitting there like it hadn't just lit up the entire room.
"Ready?" Ronnie asked.
Everyone was staring at me even harder now. I could feel their eyes boring into me.
I pricked my finger again. The blood hit the crystal.
The light exploded out even brighter than before.
"Holy shit," someone whispered.
The whole room lit up like daylight. I had to squint just to keep looking at it.
"The Moon Goddess has chosen," Ronnie said, and his voice sounded shaky. "Miss Sophia Stewart is her representative."
Juan's face transformed. All the confusion and worry melted away, replaced by overwhelming pride and excitement.
"My daughter," he said softly. "The Moon Goddess chose my daughter."
I felt a strange mix of complex emotions. Excitement mixed with fear. Because this gave me a chance to get close to the palace, maybe find Louis.
But this is completely outside my plan. My heart began racing. Being the Moon Goddess's representative meant performing in front of the entire kingdom. What if someone saw through the deception? What if someone in the palace recognized my true identity?
And Eloise's reaction earlier made me uneasy.
"This is truly an honor for your family," Ronnie continued. "Miss Sophia will need to come to the palace in five days' time. The ceremony preparation will take place over the course of three days, and then the blessing ritual will be performed in the main square before the people."
"Five days," Juan repeated. "My girl is going to represent the Moon Goddess herself."
"Someone will arrive tomorrow morning to begin Miss Sophia's preparation," Ronnie explained as he carefully packed away the moonlight crystal ball. "There are specific protocols and rituals she'll need to learn before the ceremony."
"Of course," Juan said eagerly.
As Ronnie and his delegation prepared to leave, I stood there trying to process everything that had just happened.
And now, instead of just having to worry about maintaining my identity as Sophia in this house, I was going to have to do it in the royal palace.