The ball continued in full splendor. Music wove through the air, the gentle hum of noble chatter punctuated by occasional laughter.
Crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow over the vast ballroom, illuminating silks, satins, and jeweled finery.
Servants weaved discreetly through the crowd, refilling glasses of wine, while the scent of lavender and candle wax mingled in the air.
Eleanor moved through the sea of guests with practiced ease, her polite smile never faltering. But her mind was elsewhere.
Victor's words still lingered in her thoughts, tangled with the whispers that followed her since the dance. She had been careful, maintaining distance, ensuring that no one could claim she had misbehaved. Yet, the court was a place of constant scrutiny, where a single misstep could become a scandal.
