Deviating from the original plot

Chapter fifty-four

The carriage rattled softly over the cobblestone road when her mother broke the silence.

"You didn't seem as excited today. Is something troubling you?"

"What?" Celeste arched a brow.

"You always gush about the prince afterward. And before, you would spend hours perfecting your appearance for the queen's dinner," her mother observed carefully.

Celeste shrugged. "I've decided those things are rather silly. I prefer a more... levelled approach now."

"Levelled?" her mother repeated. "Your father may not approve of that."

Celeste stiffened at the mention of him. "Well, he is not here..."

"Even so," her mother pressed, "he expects you to give your engagement the utmost effort. Everything must be flawless."

Her hands curled into fists. "Didn't you hear me? I said I'm taking a more levelled approach. I never said I wasn't doing anything!" she snapped, her temper flaring.

"I was merely reminding you," her mother replied evenly.

"Fine. Consider your efforts acknowledged." Celeste rolled her eyes and turned to stare out the window, her mood darkening.

When they reached the estate, Celeste swept out of the carriage without another glance at her mother. She stormed straight to her chambers and flung herself onto her bed, brooding.

A knock came at her door, followed by her maid slipping inside.
"How was it—" she began, then faltered at the sight of her mistress's stormy expression.

"What do you want?" Celeste barked.

The maid's shoulders sagged. Not again... she thought wearily, before brightening as a memory struck her.

"A letter arrived for you today. It's from Lady Valenford."

"Lady Victoria..." Celeste whispered. At once, her eyes brightened, and she leapt from the bed, snatching the letter eagerly from the maid's hands.

The maid allowed herself a small smile. 'There it is. She is always like this when it concerns the Young Lady of Valenford.'

Celeste turned the envelope in her hands, her earlier anger, replaced by a childlike anticipation. She carefully broke the seal and unfolded the letter.

Dearest Lady Celeste,

A blessed New Year to you. I trust your day was filled with warmth and delight and that you welcomed the season in a way most pleasing to you.

I have instructed my maid to reach out to Freya regarding the matter of the casino. Anne believes she may have useful knowledge of it. Once I receive word, I shall inform you and Lady Evelyn without delay. Until then, may fortune and good health remain with you.

Your friend,
Victoria Valenford

Celeste's lips curved into a soft smile as she traced her fingers on the paper, reading Victoria's words once more.

"She writes beautifully..." Celeste murmured under her breath.

The maid, still standing quietly, noticed the sudden softness in her mistress's demeanour.

"Shall I bring you tea, my lady?" she asked gently, almost hopeful.

"Yes," Celeste replied absentmindedly, her gaze fixed on the letter. The maid released a quiet sigh of relief before hurrying out of the chamber to prepare the tea.

✦ ✦

Cassius had been summoned to his father's chambers. His father rarely took part in his mother's gatherings, and the request to see him afterwards was unusual.

When he entered, the sight before him was far from surprising. His father reclined in a silk robe, flanked by two women both giggling at some jest.

Cassius did not flinch. He had long since grown accustomed to his father's indulgences. As a child, he had once believed he could somehow bridge the rift between his parents, naively thinking they might reconcile if he simply tried hard enough.

But those hopes had long since withered. His father had always been warm enough toward him, even willing to go along with his schemes, but his mother preferred to keep her distance from them. She would only acknowledge him when appearances demanded it, all smiles in public yet cold and unreachable in private.

The bitterness inside Cassius had grown over the years, a quiet ache that accompanied every glance his mother spared him or every time he tried to impress his mother.

The two women whispered something and laughed again. Cassius's father waved a hand dismissing them; the two women got up and left.

"Cassius," his father drawled. "You're here."

Cassius inclined his head with respect. "You summoned me, Father."

"Of course." The Emperor gestured lazily toward the chair opposite him. "Sit."

Cassius obeyed.

"You must have been surprised to see me at your mother's dinner," the Emperor remarked, his tone carrying the faintest amusement.

"I was," Cassius admitted. "I thought she made it clear that her gatherings were... off limits."

His father chuckled, lips twisting into a sly smile. "Your mother cannot forbid me anything. I go where I please. I merely allow her to believe otherwise." He leaned back, eyes glittering with amusement. "Ah, your mother—so feisty. To me, she's utterly adorable."

Cassius's brow tightened, unable to reconcile the image of his composed, stoic mother with the word 'adorable'. Their relationship remained an enigma, a puzzle he had long since stopped trying to solve.

The Emperor continued, as if reading Cassius' thoughts "You don't understand her. But I do. Enough about that—let's speak man to man. I wanted to know why you sought my counsel a while back."

"You did...?" Cassius murmured, uncertain.

"Of course," his father replied. "As a man—and a future emperor—you need to know how to hold your ground. Your opinions must carry weight, and your voice must be heard." Cassius nodded.

"Do what you must. I am with you," the Emperor added. Cassius felt a surge of gratitude.

He straightened in his seat, letting the gravity of his father's words settle. For the first time in a long while, he felt a measure of clarity.

Cassius stood, bowing his head slightly in respect. "Thank you, Father."

The Emperor gave a small nod. "Rest well tonight."

"You as well, Father," Cassius replied before turning and leaving the chamber, his resolve steadier than ever.

He had always favoured his father over his mother. The Emperor, despite the weight of his duties, still found the time to indulge Cassius's curiosity, to speak with him, and to give him advice. His mother, on the other hand, kept everyone at arm's length.

For the first time, he no longer cared what his mother thought. Whatever path he chose, it would be in defiance of her.

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A/n: Hello guys, I want to publish this chapter 2 days ago, when I discovered DFTOP had already reached 10k reads, I was so happy but then I had a minor issue with my laptop, so I had to wipe everything off my hard disk...

But I am back! And now DFTOP had reached 12k🥳🥳. Thank you all for reading my book, I really appreciate your votes and comments! It really gets me going.

What do you all think the Emperor and Cassius discussed about huh😏?