Chapter 149
I could hear the laughter and chatter of people around and during all this time, Queen Luna kept looking at me.
Her gaze clung to me like a shadow, cool and calculating, even as she appeared to engage effortlessly with the nobles around her.
I shifted my attention across the room, as I was determined to distract myself. My eyes. landed on a figure near the far end of the hall.
There was a woman whose face sparked a flicker of recognition in my mind. She looked familiar, but her name danced just out of reach, teasing my memory.
“Do you know her?” Faye whispered, following my gaze.
“I think so,” I replied slowly, narrowing my eyes. “But I can’t remember where I’ve seen her before.”
Faye looked worried. “If the Queen asks you about her, do you know what to say?”
Before I could answer, Queen Luna’s calm voice came out. “Lady Faye,” she began, her tone, as soft as silk but with an undercurrent of authority. “You seem eager to speak. Tell me, did you know Doris at the time of her past actions?”
Faye stiffened beside me, her hands trembling slightly. “Your Majesty,” she said hesitantly, “I didn’t know Doris back then. I… I cannot defend her actions.”
Her words felt heavy and serious, like a thick fog that made it hard to feel okay. Faye looked at me with an apologetic expression, but I shook my head gently, offering her a reassuring look. My eyes locked with hers, silently saying, It’s okay. Don’t worry.
I took a deep breath, ready to address the Queen myself, when a familiar figure emerged.
from the crowd. Carlos.
He looked nothing like the academic prince I’d grown accustomed to. Gone were the simple
Mivine Un
sparch. Second Chance at Happiness
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tunics and scholarly aura.
Tonight, he was regal, dressed in royal finery that made heads turn and whispers ripple through the hall.
Carlos bowed slightly to Queen Luna, his voice steady and confident. “Your Majesty, if I may speak on this matter?”
The Queen gave him a nod. Carlos turned toward me, his gaze firm yet warm. “I’ve known Doris for some time now. I can vouch for her character and her actions.”
Gasps echoed around the room, and I felt my heart jump into my throat.
“And how can you be so certain, Prince Carlos?” Queen Luna asked, her tone still gentle but with a slight edge.
“I observed her carefully during that time,” Carlos replied, his words measured. “I knew her decisions and her behavior intimately. Doris has always acted with honor, even when others doubted her.”
“The Queen studied him for a long moment before nodding. “Thank you, Prince Carlos. Your
words carry weight.”
She then turned back to me, a small smile gracing her lips. “Doris, please accept this gift as a token of our meeting tonight.”
She handed me a box wrapped in elegant fabric. I bowed, murmuring, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
But as I straightened, I caught the faintest flicker in her expression. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, and the warmth that should have come with her gesture felt distant.
There was something about her that didn’t sit right with me, a subtle coldness hiding behind the polite mask she wore.
I realized then that she didn’t like me, though she was too composed to let it show. She kept her poise, but there was an undeniable barrier between us.
Giving Up My
Happiness
looked down at the box in my hands, the soft fabric wrapping it feeling unexpectedly heavy. The air around us seemed to thicken, weighed down by something unspoken.
eyes were
Even though her words were polite and her smile was there, it felt hollow. Her cold, almost unreadable, and I couldn’t ignore the feeling that she was hiding something.
The discomfort was overwhelming, but I tried to push it away, focusing instead on the box in my hands. It didn’t help much. The feeling stuck with me, growing more unsettling by the
second.”
Carlos stepped closer, his sudden proximity sending a wave of heat up my neck. “May I have this dance, Doris?”
The room fell silent. Every eye was on us.I froze, Carlos? Dance? With me? The crowd.
erupted in murmurs.
“Did he just ask her to dance?” someone whispered.
“Prince Carlos has never asked anyone to dance before!” another added, incredulous.
“Not even Miss Odette!”
I hesitated, glancing at Faye, who gave me a small nod of encouragement.
Carlos reached out his hand, waiting patiently for me to take it. When I finally did, the music started, and he gently led me to the middle of the floor.
We began to dance a waltz, moving together in perfect rhythm. With each step, we twirled around the floor, our feet moving smoothly as if we’d danced like this before, lost in the
music.
My heart was beating fast, a mix of excitement and nerves. His touch felt comforting, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
The music seemed to take over, and for that moment, I wasn’t thinking about anything else. I was just dancing with him, enjoying every second.
“Giying Up My First Love For Secret Research: Second Chance at Happiness
