Chapter 195: He’s Haunting Her

Elara:

One might think a good night’s sleep would have changed my mood for the better, right? Well not really.

Because the moment I woke up, I found myself facing the previous evening once again in the form of an extremely beautiful and expensive black gown.

I stood there in my bedroom, glaring at the gown I had discarded last night before going to bed. Now it lay across the bed like a personal insult, its rhinestone chains catching the sunlight whenever the curtains moved. It looked beautiful, elegant, outrageously expensive... and completely capable of ruining my mood within three seconds of looking at it.

I had chosen it for a reason. Part of me had wanted Kairo to see what he had lost, to understand that he couldn’t hurt me and still expect me to remain the same foolish girl who had trusted him with her feelings. Yet now that the evening was over, I couldn’t decide what to do with the damn thing.

Keeping it meant keeping a piece of him with me. Every time I looked at those delicate straps or ran my fingers over the intricate chains, I would remember the man who had designed it, the man whose hands had once held mine, whose lips had made me believe that what we shared meant something more than a passing moment. Then I would remember everything else that he confessed last night.

My chest tightened at the memory, and I immediately looked away from the dress. I didn’t want another reminder of Kairo Greymark. I didn’t want to spend another night wondering whether he had meant any of the things he said to me before he decided to tear everything apart.

But throwing it away felt wrong, too. It was far too beautiful to be discarded, and I wasn’t stupid enough to casually throw away something that expensive simply because its designer happened to be an emotionally incompetent idiot. Besides, burning it would accomplish absolutely nothing except wasting a perfectly good dress. Kairo would still be Kairo, and I would still have the memories. The dress itself wasn’t responsible for any of it.

I dragged both hands down my face and let out a frustrated groan. "Why can’t you just be an ugly, uncomfortable piece of fabric?" I muttered at it. "Then I could throw you away without feeling guilty."

The dress, naturally, offered no helpful advice. After another minute of glaring at it, I finally gave up. I folded it as carefully as I could, shoved it into my suitcase, and slammed the lid shut with far more satisfaction than the situation deserved.

I would deal with it later. Perhaps I would keep it, perhaps I would donate it, or perhaps I would eventually find some other use for it that didn’t involve thinking about Kairo. But for now, I had more important things to worry about - and one of them was the fact that my training session with Jasper was due to begin in fifteen minutes.

I changed into my training clothes, tied my hair back, and left my room before I could be tempted to reopen the suitcase and start arguing with a dress again.

The palace corridors were already bustling with activity, servants moving between rooms while the morning light filtered through the tall windows. I greeted the staff as I passed, receiving warm smiles and respectful bows in return.

A few of them looked as though they were fighting the urge to ask about the welcoming party, but fortunately, none dared to question me. I was grateful for that. I had spent enough time being the center of attention last night to last me an entire month.

By the time I reached the gym, I had managed to push thoughts of Kairo, Esme, and the party to the back of my mind, focusing instead on the familiar comfort of physical training.

Jasper and Magnus were already there, and I smiled when I spotted them. Then I noticed the third person standing beside them. My steps faltered, and surprise swept through me so abruptly that, for a moment, I simply stood in the doorway, staring at the unexpected visitor.

Of all the people I had imagined finding here this morning, this was the last one I expected to see so soon after we had parted ways the previous night.

"What is he doing here?" I demanded, my gaze shifting between Jasper and Magnus as I stood in the gym doorway, still trying to process the unexpected sight before me.

Before either of them could answer, the silver-haired man standing nearby spoke, his voice carrying that familiar, infuriating calmness. "That’s no way to greet your headmaster, Your Highness."

I slowly turned toward Lorien Moonveil, narrowing my eyes at the man who seemed to have developed a new and rather irritating habit of haunting me.

Ever since the car accident, I had noticed a distinct change in the way people around me behaved, and Lorien sat at the very top of that list. Somehow, he had managed to attach himself to my side at every possible opportunity.

He had stayed at the hospital until I was discharged, then remained at the same hotel while we waited for Jasper to recover enough to leave. Even after we returned to the Royal Palace, he had found an excuse to visit me almost every day the past week under the pretext of teaching me ballroom dancing for the welcoming party. Now that the party was over and I had finally hoped to enjoy a little peace, here he was again, standing in my gym as though he had every right to be there. I wondered what excuse he had come up with this time.

Of course, if anyone else were watching us, they might have considered his behavior perfectly professional. After all, I was the Crown Princess, he was the Headmaster of Moonveil Academy, and he also happened to be one of Starfall’s current Regents. His frequent presence could easily be explained as concern for my safety following a deliberate attempt on my life. And he always had perfect reasons for his arrival.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t an outsider observing the situation. I was one of the two people involved, and I knew there were other motives lurking beneath his carefully maintained composure. Motives I refused to examine too closely, especially after what had happened following our first kiss.

I had enough complications in my life without adding Lorien Moonveil’s inexplicable attachment to the list.

Forcing a polite smile onto my face, I lifted my chin and addressed him directly. "What are you doing here, Headmaster Moonveil?"

His lips curved into a smile that immediately made me suspicious. "I’m here as your new sparring partner."

For a moment, I genuinely forgot how to respond. My jaw nearly dropped as I stared at him, convinced that I had somehow misunderstood his words. When I realized he was perfectly serious, I snapped my head toward Jasper.

"Why?" I demanded, looking at my blood knight as though he had personally betrayed me.

Jasper suddenly looked as if he would rather be anywhere else in the entire palace. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Well, he offered, and-"

"He offered, and you accepted?" I interrupted, my disbelief quickly turning into indignation. "Jasper, don’t you know how to say no to him?"