The corridors of the palace were quieter than Eliana had ever heard them.
The music of the ballroom had long faded behind them, leaving only the soft echo of their footsteps along the polished marble floors. The grand celebration continued somewhere far away, but here, the palace seemed to breathe in silence.
Sebastian walked beside her, his expression unreadable.
He had barely spoken since they left the ballroom.
Eliana glanced at him once or twice, wondering if he was angry… or simply thinking. But his face revealed nothing.
When they reached their chambers, the guards opened the doors and bowed as they entered.
The room was dimly lit, the golden glow of candles flickering gently against the tall windows.
Sebastian removed his coat and draped it over a chair without a word. The tension of the evening seemed to follow him inside the room like a shadow.
Without looking at her, he loosened the collar of his shirt.
"I'll return shortly," he said quietly before disappearing into the bathing room.
The sound of running water soon filled the silence.
Eliana stood near the window for a moment, staring out into the dark gardens below. The events of the evening replayed in her mind—the whispers, the shocked faces, and most of all… Adrian's voice.
Why couldn't you have chosen Princess Fiona instead?
She closed her eyes briefly.
The door of the bathing room opened.
Sebastian stepped out, his hair slightly damp, dressed now in simpler clothes. He looked calmer, but there was still a quiet heaviness in the air around him.
He moved to the bed and slipped beneath the covers.
Then he turned onto his side.
Facing away from her.
Eliana hesitated before finally changing out of her gown and lying down beside him. The bed was large, yet the space between them felt strangely vast.
The silence stretched on.
She watched the steady rise and fall of his shoulders, wondering if he had already fallen asleep… or if he simply didn't wish to speak.
After a moment, she shifted slightly closer.
"Sebastian," she said softly.
No answer.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the sheets.
"Are you alright?"
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then slowly, he turned.
His eyes met hers in the dim candlelight.
They were calm, but there was something thoughtful behind them, as if he had been turning the same question over in his mind again and again.
When he spoke, his voice was quiet.
Not accusing.
Not angry.
Just honest.
"Did you ever love him?"
The words seemed to settle heavily in the air between them.
Adrian.
Sebastian's gaze did not leave her face.
And suddenly Eliana realized something that made her heart beat faster.
This was the first time since their marriage that he had asked about her past.
The first time he had asked about another man.