Chapter 264
Chapter 264
Elara’s POV
“Wait.”
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I froze mid–step, every muscle in my body tense. My heart raced, my fingers clenching the hem of my skirt, and a flicker of hope sparked in my chest. Was the king changing his mind?
“Go apologize to the young master.”
Thorne’s voice cut through the tension, as cold as ever, but I couldn’t shake the knot in my stomach. This wasn’t just any apology. This was humiliating.
I turned, my face burning with shame. His eyes bored into me like daggers. The boy–Judith–looked at me with those unblinking, expectant eyes, and I couldn’t help but feel the weight of every single gaze in the room drilling into me.
The King was still watching.
With the room suffocatingly silent, I shuffled forward. The ground felt miles away as I approached Judith, and all I could hear was the sound of my own breath.
“Sorry.” I whispered, barely a sound.
He pouted, lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes narrowing. “You were a lot louder when you yelled at me.”
The sting of his words hit harder than I expected. I drew in a shaky breath, the tears threatening to break free. But I couldn’t let them fall, not here. Not now.
“I- I’m sorry!” The words came out louder, trembled with the weight of my frustration, but I didn’t care anymore. It was humiliating. Embarrassing. And for what?
Judith raised his chin, his eyes twinkling with mischief, the nerve of him making me feel small in front of everyone. “You need to apologize to my nanny too. And you need to say she’s the prettiest woman you know.”
What?
The audacity. Not only did I have to grovel to this brat, but now I had to bow to his nanny, some lowly servant? How dare-
But before I could protest, Thorne’s voice sliced through the tension again, low and menacing. “You heard the young master.”
My stomach turned over with dread. There was no escape.
I took a slow, painful step toward Lady Alara. Every nerve in me screamed in protest, but I swallowed down the bitterness, forced a smile onto my lips. “Lady Alara, you are the most beautiful woman I know.”
My voice came out flat, dry. I could feel the heat of humiliation crawling up my neck, but what else was I
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Chapter 264
supposed to do?
:.
Elara cleared her throat, her lips twitching in the slightest of smiles. “Apology accepted.”
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I didn’t wait another moment. I turned and fled, desperate to escape the suffocating room, the whispers, the cruel laughter ringing in my ears. I couldn’t stand it.
As I walked toward the door, my mind reeled. Why? Why had I let myself get so far into this game? It wasn’t worth it. None of it was worth it.
I heard Thorne speak again, his voice chilling as he turned toward the elder. “You didn’t do a very good job with that list. A rash and uncourteous woman like that should never have been brought before me. She’s not fit to be my Luna.”
The elder bowed, clearly rattled. “My deepest apologies, my King. The rest of the candidates are all virtuous. Perhaps we should move on?”
Thorne barely acknowledged him, his eyes cold and distant. He reclined back on the throne, his posture indifferent, almost bored. The elder, sensing the King’s apathy, turned toward the remaining ladies, giving them the signal to present themselves.
Nine women still stood in the room. The competition was fierce, each one more refined than the last. There were those who came from noble families, those with prestigious education, those who seemed to have it all. But I couldn’t bring myself to care. I wasn’t here for any of this.
Not anymore.
But my eyes couldn’t help but wander. Three women caught my attention more than the rest. Ellington, Blanca, and Gabriel. Each of them held something that could catch the King’s interest–power, knowledge, beauty. But I didn’t know them. I didn’t want to know them.
And yet, my mind couldn’t shake the thought. Thorne’s Luna would have to come from among them. There was no way around it.
When the introductions were finally over, I stepped forward, my heart thudding in my chest.
“My name is Elina Alara, from Obsidian Pack. I’m 28 years old.”
That was all. No pretense. No boastful claims. Just the truth.
I stepped back into the line, feeling the eyes of the women on me. The elder looked at me, a frown deepening on his face. “Is that all?”
A few murmurs rippled through the room. The others were talking about their prestigious families, their impressive achievements. Lady Gabriel had even gone as far as to present a diamond hairpin to the King, trying to show off her beauty.
But me? I couldn’t care less.
“Are you interested in any hobbies? Reading? Painting?” the elder asked, trying to give me a chance to impress.
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Chapter 264
I shook my head. “I just sit around and do nothing.”
He sighed heavily, clearly frustrated. “Which school did you attend?”
“I dropped out. Not really a learning material,” I said, shrugging.
The crowd snickered.
“Do you play any instruments? Cook?”
“No,” I replied, calm. “Music makes me fall asleep, and I burn everything when I cook.”
More jeers, more disapproval.
But I didn’t care. I didn’t need them to like me.
I didn’t want this life.
The elder looked defeated. “My King, are there any ladies you would like to get to know better?”
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For a long while, Thorne remained silent, his gaze like ice, piercing every woman in the room, searching. No one dared to breathe too loudly.
Finally, he spoke.
“Yes. There is one.”
The air grew heavy with anticipation. Every woman’s heart skipped a beat. They leaned forward, desperate for their names to be called.
“Lady Alara.”
Lady Alara.
The words hit me like a ton of bricks.
I blinked, unable to comprehend. Did he just call my name?
I stood frozen.
Everyone was watching me. Their eyes. The whispers. I could feel the weight of their scorn, their confusion. But none of it mattered. Not anymore.
I took a shaky step forward. “Yes, my King.”
Thorne’s
eyes
locked onto mine. “You didn’t say much about yourself.”
“I’m a boring woman, my King,” I said, flatly, trying to hide the tremor in my voice.
A small, mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips. “Hardly. Maybe you can start by telling me more about your ex–husband.”
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Chapter 264
:
:
The room gasped. I stood frozen, not knowing what to say.
“I don’t think it’s relevant.”
Thorne’s eyes darkened, his tone sharp. “It is relevant. I want to know.”
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Judith tugged at my sleeve and looked up at me, his voice sweet but innocent. “Are they asking about your husband? Why don’t you’tell them how wonderful he is?”
I felt a twist in my gut. The boy idolized his father. And I couldn’t disappoint him.
With a deep sigh, I gave in. “Yes. My husband… is a wonderful guy.”
“Wonderful how?” Thorne’s voice was tight, barely contained.
“He’s wise, caring, brave. He’s good with the kids. A great listener…” I trailed off, the words hanging in the air like a curse.
Thorne’s expression darkened even more. Something primal flickered in his eyes. I didn’t know where the anger came from, but I could feel it building.
He stood up abruptly, the chair creaking under his movement. “If he’s so great, why did you divorce him?”
And that was it.
The tension in the room was palpable, and I realized that this conversation, whatever it was leading to, wasn’t going to end well.
