"This world wouldn't allow a woman to survive on beauty alone. It demanded sharp minds and sharper words."
***
The soft rustle of Evelyn's gown was the only sound in the library, blending with the occasional creak of the towering shelves around her. She had found solace in the quiet of the room, away from the stifling expectations of the court and the gnawing uncertainty that plagued her since her arrival in this world. The faint glow of a lantern illuminated her corner of the library, her fingers grazing the spines of books as if they could offer her answers.
A familiar voice broke the silence, low and warm. "Lady Seraphina."
The lanternlight trembled in her hand as her heart raced. Slowly, she turned, her amber eyes meeting icy blue ones. Adrien Valmont stood in the doorway, his lantern casting a soft halo around him. His figure, tall and imposing, filled the space effortlessly. His brown hair, slightly tousled, framed his strong features, and his lips carried a smile that hinted at mischief but held something deeper.
"Your Highness," she said, dipping into a curtsy more out of habit than intent. Her voice was steady, but her pulse betrayed her. "This is… unexpected."
Adrien stepped into the room, his gaze never leaving hers. "Unexpected, perhaps. But not unwelcome, I hope." There was a gentleness in his voice, yet it carried the weight of a man accustomed to getting what he wanted. He approached slowly, his movements deliberate, like a predator careful not to spook its prey.
"What brings you here, My Lady?" he asked, stopping just close enough to make her breath catch. "A noblewoman wandering alone in the dead of night is far from ordinary."
Evelyn's grip on the lantern tightened, though she forced herself to remain composed. "I wasn't aware the library had a curfew," she replied, her tone light, though the intensity of his gaze unsettled her.
A smile tugged at Adrien's lips, softening his otherwise sharp features. "No curfew, no. Just… curiosity." He tilted his head slightly, his expression almost boyish in its sincerity. "I couldn't ignore the light through the crack in the door. Or the thought of you, alone, amidst the shadows."
Evelyn squared her shoulders, refusing to let his presence rattle her. "I came for answers," she said plainly. "Answers I can't find in my chambers."
"Answers to what?" he asked, his voice softer now, as though coaxing her to share a secret.
She hesitated, caught in the pull of his attention. "Everything," she said finally, the word a quiet confession. "The banquet. The accusations. This… life."
Adrien's gaze darkened, his easy smile fading. He stepped closer, his lantern casting warm light across the curve of her face. "You handled yourself well tonight," he said. "More than well. You were brilliant."
Her eyes widened slightly at the unexpected compliment. "I wasn't aware brilliance was required to defend oneself from baseless accusations," she replied, a faint edge creeping into her tone.
"Not brilliance, no." Adrien's voice dropped, his tone both tender and unyielding. "But you didn't crumble. You didn't falter. That's rare." His eyes searched hers, his intensity unnerving yet strangely comforting. "And it's not the Seraphina I remember."
Evelyn's breath caught. "People change," she said softly, her words measured. "Perhaps you've simply never looked closely enough."
Adrien's lips curved into a smile, but it was tinged with something almost bittersweet. "You think I haven't noticed you?" His voice was quiet, carrying a weight that made her heart ache. "I've always noticed you, Seraphina."
Her chest tightened, her pulse quickening. "I find that hard to believe, Your Highness," she said, deflecting. "You've always seemed rather preoccupied with matters far more important than me."
He let out a low chuckle, a sound that wrapped around her like velvet. "More important? Perhaps in the eyes of others. But never to me." His gaze softened, and he reached out, his fingers brushing hers where they rested on the desk. The contact sent a shiver through her, and she found herself unable to pull away.
"Why are you doing this?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Adrien's smile faded, replaced by an earnestness that made her chest tighten. "Because I can't help myself," he admitted, his voice thick with emotion. "You've been in my thoughts since the moment you stood tonight, unyielding, untouchable. It's maddening."
She tried to look away, but his hand gently caught hers, holding her in place. "Adrien…" she began, her voice trembling.
"Don't," he said softly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. "Don't tell me to stop. Because I won't. I can't."
The raw honesty in his voice left her breathless. He stepped closer, his free hand coming to rest on the edge of the desk beside her, his presence consuming. "You drive me to distraction, Seraphina," he murmured, his gaze flickering to her lips for the briefest moment before returning to her eyes. "And I'm not sure I want to be free of it."
Her heart thundered in her chest as his words sank in, each one weaving a thread between them that felt impossible to sever. "Why me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why now?"
Adrien's expression softened, his features losing their usual sharpness. "Because you've become impossible to ignore," he said simply. "And because I see you now. Truly see you. And it terrifies me how much I don't want to look away."
She felt the warmth of his hand over hers, his steady heartbeat beneath her palm, and the weight of his gaze that held her in place as though the world itself revolved around her. "You don't have to let me in," he said softly, his voice tinged with a sweetness that caught her off guard. "But I'll stay here. Close enough, just in case you change your mind."
Evelyn's breath hitched as he stepped back, his hand releasing hers reluctantly. His smile returned, softer this time, almost boyish. "Goodnight, my lady," he said, his tone lightening, though his eyes lingered on hers as if he didn't want to leave. "Dream of me."
With that, he turned and walked away, his lantern casting a flickering glow that faded as he disappeared into the shadows. Evelyn stood frozen, her heart racing, her thoughts tangled in a web of emotions she couldn't untangle.
***
Back in her chambers, Evelyn sat before her mirror, staring at the face reflected back at her. It was a face she still struggled to claim as her own.
"I am not Seraphina Aveline," she whispered, her voice firm, her resolve solidifying with each word. "But I'll become her. Not the woman they expect, not the woman they dismiss. I'll be something else entirely."
Her gaze sharpened, her reflection no longer foreign but a challenge. "Let them play their games," she murmured. "I'll rewrite the rules."