Layne’s Point of View

Father’s entrance was grand, and nobles looked at him with great respect. My heart softened because the person whom I yearned for years was right in front of me.

Will he know that his daughter is here?

Despite feeling a spark of anticipation, I grew tense as my hands were sweating like crazy. I continued to fixate my eyes towards him as I saw him exit the Banquet floor. My gut told me to follow him. But Rafaelo would question me if I stayed out of his sight.

“Rafaelo, you are a fine knight.”

“How come your muscles are these hard?”

Ladies at this time flocked towards him. Despite the amusement I feel when he is embarrassed, I can’t help but roll my eyes as they throw themselves towards him. But anyway, perfect timing, now that he was distracted, I carefully tip-toed away and was successful. I gulped as I walked inside the passage father went in. With my mother’s hatred towards him, I will never know when I will get this chance again. It was perfectly lit but I failed to see my father’s shadow. I guess he went in further.

It is all or nothing.

My days here in the Royal City ratified my poor sense of direction because as I strode even further, I reached a dead end.

Where is he?

“Who is this little mouse trying to trail me.” I heard a deep man’s voice from behind. I quickly turned around, surprised as to who it was. It was the Archduke. Our eyes met, fixated on one another. His frosted eyes gave me chills down my spine. You can trace no emotions from those eyes.

“Who are you?” He asked coldly, looking at me with disgust. I did not expect this reaction.

I am your daughter.

I could have said that, but my mouth was frozen. No words seemed to come out of my lips. “Are you a spy?” with a blink of an eye, he was inches away from me, holding a dagger, pointed towards my neck. I gulped in fear. One step at a time he moved forward, making me cornered against the wall, unable to run.

“Now tell me who you are, or I will slit your throat open,” he stared at me coldly like a predator ready to kill its prey. I felt the sharpness of the dagger as he continued to press it towards me.

“I-Iam Layne Theone, y-your d-daughter,” I said while shivering in fear. I thought he would lower his guard but the dagger was still pointed at me and his gaze was unfazed.

“I-I know you wish t-to find m-me,” when I said this, he lowered the dagger and laughed sarcastically. “You are quivering in fear,” he said.

Who wouldn’t be?!

“How disappointing,” he scoffed and turned around.

“You even inherited your mother’s cowardice. I wouldn’t have searched every inch of Axen if I knew you were this weak,” he started to walk away. When the shadows of him were gone, my eyes became blurry and tears cascaded down my cheeks. I walked the halls while it flowed like a river, with no intention of stopping. Mother was right, he was a treacherous monster!

I hated the fact that I yearned for a father like you.

You are better off dead to me!

I cried my heart out until I was out of breath. I wiped the tears with my bare hands because my handkerchief was with Rafaelo. The maid’s hours of effort to make me beautiful were ruined just like that. When I grasped where I was, it was no banquet hall but a garden. The moon was lit above, showing its majestic beauty. Its presence gave me a sense of comfort somehow. But this comfort did not last long as his voice echoed inside of my head.

‘How disappointing’

‘You even inherited your mother’s cowardice. I wouldn’t have searched every inch of Axen if I knew you were this weak’

‘How disappointing’

‘You even inherited your mother’s cowardice. I wouldn’t have searched every inch of Axen if I knew you were this weak’

‘disappointing’

‘weak’

My knees gave up and I slammed on the ground. I was engulfed with so much; fear, anger, and sadness to the point of not recognizing who I was. I repeatedly inhaled and exhaled to gasp for air. I groped my chest when the rhythm of it couldn’t seem to normalize. It’s the same sensation I felt yesterday and earlier when I went in the carriage. Unable to move from where I am, something warm dripped from my face. It wasn’t tears but blood. The pain was indescribable, and my vision slowly became blurry and ruffled.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Mother, Uncle, Rafaeolo… help me.

Lady Montes’ Point of View

As expected, numerous nobles flocked towards us after we greeted the Count and Countess. They crowded me and Miern but on the other hand, they were bypassing my daughter as she was pushed around. I signaled Rafaelo to do his job and take my daughter out of this congestion.

“Count Miern, my daughter would like to request an audience with you-”

“How about my cousin Count? She is very good with embroidery-.”

“My sister likes horse riding, perhaps you have-”

“Count Miern-”

“Count-”

“Grand Duchess- oh no, Lady Montes, you’ve appeared!”

“Where have you been all this time?”

“It’s a miracle!”

These remarks as expected because my brother is still a bachelor and I appeared before their eyes after vanishing for almost two decades. We were just smiling and nodding like puppets, not one of them worthy of my real attention because deep inside, each one of them was either praying for our downfall or wished me to have never returned.

“A pleasant evening, Lady Montes, BREVONT,” I heard a familiar voice from afar. When I looked, it was Baroness Grace Hiller. Seeing her again made my blood boil. When we were young, she always rivaled me in all aspects, in the academy, in high society, and even with marriage. She even wanted the Archduke before, but every time she unleashes her scheme, I always find a way to slander it.

“A pleasant evening as well, BARONESS,” I said sarcastically. I emphasized the word “Baroness” to irritate her because she originally wanted to be the Grand Duchess but ended up with a Baron with not much influence among nobles. Her reaction did not please me because she remained composed. When her reaction is like that, she is plotting something evil.

“Oh! Montes! I am glad you are fine. When I heard you ran away, I was hysterical. But now you are back, seeing you again brought me glee.” She said with tears while wiping it with a handkerchief. Nobles around comforted her.

Miern leaned towards me and whispered, “Her husband died a year after you ran away. Oddly enough, she was able to manipulate the situation in her favor. Now nobles see her in good light.” My eyebrow twitched. I can’t imagine this day would come; the notorious villainess of high society was being treated with kindness. I wanted to laugh but since she gained such influence, I couldn’t do that. They might think that I am the villain now. Instead, I walked towards her and hugged her.

This is scandalous. But I need to solidify a place in high society once again.

“Are you surprised?” She whispered and evilly snickered. Now her true colors were revealed.

“Yes, but I can’t be fooled with the mask you have put on. Deep inside, you are still rotten,” I replied.

“You know, Elynos is great in bed,” I was surprised with what she said. Is she bringing this up to provoke me? And why would Lynos give this woman attention?

“Why should I care?”

“You don’t need to care; you just need to listen to what I have to say. Recently, the Archduke and I were having a lovely affair. Filling that divorce, made my life even easier now,” she snickered, “he is all mine.”

Don’t be provoked, Montes.

I slowly let go from our embrace and looked at her straight in the eye.

Show that you are not affected because you and Lynos are far from over.

“Good for you, congratulations Baroness,” I said while giving her the purest smile I could ever make.

“But where is your lover? If he is proud enough to have another, why didn't he escort you here?" I was low-key convinced but at the back of my head, she could still be lying.

Grace took off her glove and showed me the ring she was wearing. My heart felt like it was being pricked by a thousand needles. It was House Theone’s heirloom, passed down to the next Grand Duchess. Lynos gave it to me when he proposed, and I left it when I ran away. Now it is in the hands of this animal.

Lynos, your taste in women has regressed, greatly.

“He gave this to me, I feel lovely being fancied,” she said lovingly with a hint of mockery.

“Well Baroness, I wish your relationship all the best,” I said with a smile then went away.

I head back to where Miern was because I couldn’t take what I saw. I have been gone for too long. A lot of things have changed in those 18 years. “Why? Did Grace do something again?” Miern asked. I held back my tears that seemed to be on the brink of pouring, “She did nothing, I am alright.”

When the evening was just getting deeper, trumpets where heard. Someone will make a grand entrance. I wonder who.

“Entering, Archduke Elynos Theone.”

Just hearing his name made my feet freeze. His appearance was expected because this ball is held by the Kleeves. With what I have learned, my hatred towards him grew deeper and fiercer.

Does my divorce petition reach his ears?

But now that he has another woman, will it even matter?

I give it a thought whether I will talk to him or not because what Grace have said is getting inside my head. My curiosity is getting ahead of me. I wanted to know whether it was true or not. With my head still in chaos I decided to avoid him for now.

From a distance, I saw Rafaelo running in our direction. “Lady Montes,” I can feel a sense of panic in his voice, “Lady Layne has disappeared-” My eyes dimmed and just found my hands against his face.

Yes, I slapped him.