novelraw Chapter 208: No Way...
Chapter 208: No Way...
Audrey closed the door behind her with a soft, deliberate click, sealing the room in quiet intimacy. She turned toward the woman standing poised in the middle of the space, the lamplight casting gentle shadows across her features.
"Please," Audrey said gently, pressing a hand to her chest as if to steady her racing heart. "Make yourself comfortable. I’ll bring you a clean dress."
Lirien... still cloaked in her disguise, still bearing another woman’s face... nodded with composed calm, her movements graceful and unhurried.
"Thank you," she replied, her voice smooth and measured. "You’re very kind."
Audrey swallowed hard, her throat suddenly tight.
Up close, the woman was even more stunning than she’d appeared from afar. Her posture was impeccably elegant, her skin flawless and luminous, her presence carrying a weight that Audrey couldn’t quite explain.. an aura that pressed in on the room. It made Audrey’s chest feel warm and constricted at the same time, a fluttering sensation she tried to ignore.
"I’ll... I’ll just be a moment," Audrey said, her voice faltering slightly as she turned toward the adjoining wardrobe door.
"Wait."
Audrey froze mid-step, her hand hovering near the handle.
She turned back slowly, her eyes meeting Lirien’s. "Yes?"
Lirien glanced down at the elaborate dress clinging to her form, then lifted her gaze again, her expression remaining calm yet subtly troubled. "I’m afraid I don’t know how to take this off properly. I’ve never worn something like this before."
Audrey’s breath hitched audibly in the quiet room.
"Oh," she said quickly, her cheeks warming. "You... you need your maid?"
Lirien shook her head once, a small, deliberate motion. "If you don’t mind helping."
Audrey stepped closer without even thinking, drawn forward as if by an invisible thread.
"It’s fine," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can help. I’m very good with it."
Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for the back of Lirien’s dress. The fabric was luxurious... fine silk, expensive and smooth beneath her fingertips, whispering against her skin. She tried to focus solely on the task, on the hooks and fastenings, but her thoughts wandered traitorously.
’So close,’ she thought, inhaling subtly. ’She smells so nice... like fresh blooms and something deeper, intoxicating.’
Lirien stood perfectly still, her breathing even, pretending not to notice the way Audrey’s fingers lingered longer than strictly necessary on each clasp, brushing lightly against the warm skin beneath.
The dress slid down slowly, pooling at Lirien’s feet in a rustle of fabric.
Audrey’s throat went dry, her mouth suddenly parched.
Then came the corset, rigid and confining.
She hesitated, her fingers hovering near the intricate laces at the back, uncertainty and something hotter warring within her.
"Go ahead," Lirien said gently, her tone reassuring, almost encouraging.
Audrey pulled at the ties, one by one.
With each loosened knot, Lirien’s chest rose more freely, her breaths deepening as the pressure released. When the corset finally came off and dropped to the floor, Audrey had to bite her lower lip to keep from staring openly at the curves now unrestrained.
Lirien was left in only a thin, sheer gown that clung translucently to her skin, leaving little to the imagination in the soft light.
Audrey’s eyes betrayed her completely. She stared, transfixed, heat rising in her face and neck.
Lirien noticed the lingering gaze.
She pretended not to, maintaining her serene composure.
"Could you find me something easier to wear?" Lirien asked calmly, breaking the charged silence. "Something without a corset."
Audrey blinked rapidly, snapping back to herself as if awakened from a daze.
"Ah... yes! But... um..." Her voice faltered, trailing off as she gestured vaguely. "It might be difficult because of your chest."
Lirien tilted her head slightly, a faint curiosity in the motion. "It will be fine. They may be large but they are firm enough."
Audrey stared again, her eyes widening involuntarily. Seconds stretched out in heavy silence.
Inside, Lirien sighed quietly to herself.
’Pervert,’ she thought, a flicker of dry amusement beneath her outward calm.
Audrey flushed hard, a deep crimson spreading across her cheeks, and turned away abruptly. "I’ll... I’ll check the closet."
She hurried off, her steps quick and flustered, disappearing into the adjoining space.
As soon as she was gone, Lirien’s expression shifted subtly... serene mask giving way to sharp focus.
She moved toward the bed with purposeful grace.
There, she felt a faint pressure in the air that was lingering like an echo. She could feel it. It was definitely a demonic residue.
She knelt smoothly and reached beneath the bed frame, her hand extending into the shadows.
Her fingers brushed something cold and sticky.
Blood.
It was not that fresh. She rubbed her fingers together and felt how dried and crusted... but unmistakable in its metallic tang.
Her eyes darkened, narrowing with realisation.
’This is royal blood,’ she realised instantly.
Rin.
She stood slowly, composing herself, and closed her eyes for a brief moment.
"He’s alive," she murmured to herself, voice a low assurance. "He wouldn’t fall so easily."
Her gaze shifted to the desk across the room. Her eyes met with a book, innocuous on the surface. She approached, opened it... and felt it immediately, a pulse of dark energy.
"A contract," she whispered, tracing the pages lightly. "So that’s it."
She closed it carefully and returned everything to its exact place, erasing any sign of her intrusion, just as the door opened again.
Audrey entered, several dresses draped carefully over her arms, her composure somewhat recovered but still tinged with nervousness.
"Pick whichever you like," she said, her voice a touch higher than usual. "I’m sure they’ll all fit you."
Lirien picked one at random, holding it up.
It was loose and flowing, simple yet elegant.
"This one is better. I love it. I must say, your taste is exquisite."
"Thank you my lady."
She changed into it swiftly, the fabric draping softly over her form.
Yet even then, in the simpler garment, Audrey couldn’t stop herself from staring, her gaze drawn repeatedly despite her efforts.
After Lirien dressed, she stepped forward and hugged Audrey gently, a brief but warm embrace.
"You must be strong," she said softly, her words carrying quiet weight.
Audrey nodded, breathless, her heart pounding from the proximity. It wasn’t because of the word but because of the hug. She escorted her out of the room and down to the waiting carriage.
At the carriage, Audrey waved goodbye, her hand lingering in the air.
Their eyes locked for a long moment.
Lirien smiled faintly, a knowing curve to her lips.
Then she briefly glanced once toward Mirielle who was standing nearby.
Mirielle shivered involuntarily, a chill racing down her spine.
As the carriage pulled away, Seraphina leaned over from her seat, concern creasing her brow. "Why are you shaking?"
"I don’t know," Mirielle whispered, wrapping her arms around herself.
Audrey returned to the ladies’ moments later, after trying to compose herself.
"Is Rin really dead?" Mirielle asked suddenly, her voice cutting through the quiet.
Audrey rolled her eyes, a hint of exasperation. "Don’t tell me you doubt me."
"I just... felt cold," Mirielle admitted, rubbing her arms.
Audrey smirked, a sharp edge to it. "Maybe it’s his ghost."
She paused for effect, letting the words hang.
"However, if he wants revenge, he should haunt Seraphina."
Mirielle stiffened, her posture going rigid. "What? Why would he go after Seraphina?"
"She’s the one who brought him here."
Mirielle shot to her feet, anger flaring. "That’s a lie! I drugged him! I moved him here myself!"
Audrey folded her arms across her chest, unmoved. "Sera... would you care to explain?"
Seraphina sipped her tea calmly from the sidelines. "Does it matter? We all got what we need, right?"
Mirielle trembled with rising fury. "You stole from me. I swear, you’ll pay for that."
She stormed off, her footsteps echoing sharply. Audrey laughed lightly, a satisfied sound.
Seraphina shrugged indifferently. "What the hell can she do?"
Audrey smiled, confidence gleaming in her eyes. "You ask like you don’t know. Since Rin is gone, she’ll be a duchess soon."
Seraphina froze, her teacup pausing midway to her lips.
"No way..."
By the time she looked up, her composure was cracking little by little... Audrey was gone.
"No... way."