Deviating from the original plot

Chapter twenty-one

Celeste tilted her head. "But the good kind of strange. I like it."

Victoria blinked. "Uh... thank you?"

"You're welcome," Celeste said with a chuckle.

"Well, I should head home now," she added, holding the handkerchief. "I can't just return this to you like this."

"It's fine—you can keep it," Victoria replied with a small smile.

Celeste paused, then nodded. "Alright then. Thank you again, Lady Victoria."

She gave her one last glance before turning and leaving the powder room.

Victoria exhaled, alone again. "I suppose I should head home too," she murmured, brushing a hand over her skirt as she prepared to leave.

✦ ✦

Later that day, despite returning home with a ruined dress and sticky hair, Celeste felt unexpectedly light.

She stepped into her chambers and was immediately met with a gasp.

"My lady! Your dress—what happened?" Her maid cried out, rushing toward her in alarm.

Celeste blinked down at the soiled dress. "Oh... right. I forgot about this mess." She waved a hand dismissively. "Help me out of it, will you?"

The maid wasted no time, carefully unfastening the bodice and helping her into a fresh gown.

"I'll wash the stained dress right away—before it sets in completely," the maid said, gathering the dress in her arms.

"This too," she said, holding it out. "But make sure it's cleaned carefully. And return it to me when it's done."

The maid blinked, surprised by the instruction, then nodded. "Of course, my lady."

Celeste stayed quiet as the maid curtsied and slipped out of the room.

She lowered herself onto the edge of her bed, hands resting in her lap, while her thoughts drifted back to everything that had happened. The sting of embarrassment still lingered—being disrespected, losing her temper, and crying alone in the bathroom. It wasn't her proudest moment. And yet... even after witnessing all of that, someone hadn't looked at her with fear or mockery.

"Victoria..." she muttered.

She didn't treat her like a problem or a burden. She had consoled her, yes—but also scolded her in the same breath. Honest and firm. Not out of cruelty, but because she cared enough to say something.

The same girl who had stopped her weeks ago in the garden, who warned her to behave properly. Celeste had thought she was just being annoying back then. But maybe that wasn't it. Maybe Victoria was just trying to help her before she did something she'd regret, the one that would only turn more people against her.

Not that Celeste ever truly cared about being liked. She was used to being disliked—she'd embraced it. But Victoria... didn't seem to dislike her. Or if she did, she was very good at hiding it.

Celeste sighed.

"She's such an idiot... Doesn't she know who I am?" she muttered under her breath. But there was no real anger in her voice this time.

With a faint smile tugging at her lips, she lay back on her bed.

"I should keep an eye on her," she said to herself.

✦ ✦

A few days later, the event at Lady Ria's brunch circulated to the whole nobility, and everyone apparently had half their thoughts about it, changing the story and spreading rumours about the capital.

"I heard the Crown Prince and Lady Evelyn meet regularly in secret. Maybe that's why Lady Celeste attacked her at the brunch."

"I don't really mind that, though. I just don't want someone as vile as Celeste Ashford as the queen. I won't even acknowledge her as that."

"I knew it; even since they danced together so beautifully, I knew they would have to have some type of connection established between them."

At the Leclair estate, Evelyn was suddenly flooded with letters and invitations—most of them from nobles desperate to get close to her in hopes of gaining favour or more gossip. Some were marriage proposals from admirers who had previously been too shy to confess their feelings but were now scrambling to make their move before the Crown Prince claimed her for good.

Being rumoured to have the prince's attention had, quite suddenly, made Evelyn the most desirable young woman in the city.

"My lady", her maid said gently as she stepped into the room. "You've received another letter. It's from Lord Henry—again."

Evelyn sat at her vanity, running a brush through her hair. She didn't glance up as Emily placed the letter beside the mirror.

"He's... rather persistent, isn't he, my lady?"

Evelyn set the brush down and turned slowly toward her maid.

"Emily, from now on, if you see anything from Lord Henry—or anyone else sending the same kind of letter more than twice—just dispose of it. Don't even bring it to me."

"...Understood, my lady." Emily bowed and quietly left the room.

Once the door shut, Evelyn reached for the letter, crumpling it in her hand with a sigh.

"This is getting ridiculous..." Evelyn muttered, tossing it aside. And it wasn't even noon yet.

Needing a distraction, she stood and picked up the book the bookshop owner had recently recommended. She curled up on the settee by her window and cracked it open where she left off.