novelraw Chapter 61 : Accusation
Chapter 61 : Accusation
Breakfast was quiet. Too quiet.
Papa sat stiff, his food untouched, his eyes fixed on Mama across the table. Mama fed Riaz with one hand, her expression as calm as ever, though I noticed the faint twitch in her brow.
Finally, Papa spoke. His voice was low, but sharp.
“Selene… who is it?”
The spoon in her hand clattered against the bowl. Her eyes narrowed, her smile gone in an instant.
“…What did you just say?”
He didn’t flinch. “You come home late every night. Exhausted. You hide things from me. If you’re seeing another man—”
“Lyra,” Mama’s voice cracked like a whip.
The maid was at attention instantly.
“Take Rooga and Riaz to their room. Now.”
Lyra glanced at me, worry flickering in her eyes, but obeyed. She scooped up Riaz and ushered me down the hall.
But I couldn’t help myself. I lingered by the door, ear pressed against the wood.
Inside, Mama’s voice exploded like fire.
“So you think I come home late because I’m lying with some man? ARE YOU DUMB, DARIUS?!”
The silence after her shout was so sharp I almost pulled back.
“When I was drowning in blood and suffering, who showed me love? When the whole empire laughed at me as I wept, who stood by my side?” Her voice broke, raw and shaking. “It was you, Darius. Only you. YOU ARE MY WORLD, AND NOTHING CAN REPLACE YOU!”
I covered my mouth, my chest tight.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“When you marched to war, every time I thought it was the last I’d ever see you. Every time I feared the letter would come, saying you were gone. And I swore—if that day came—I would follow a step behind.”
Her voice softened, trembling.
“But that’s changed. It’s not just you in my world anymore. I have Elara. Rooga. Riaz. And even this one.”
I imagined her hand pressed to her stomach, where a new life was already stirring.
“So don’t you dare think I’d waste my time with another man when all I ever wanted… was you.”
The silence stretched again. Then, quieter, steadier, she finished:
“Tomorrow… I’ll bring her here. As proof.”
I stepped back, my heart pounding, unsure whether to cry or smile.
That night, the house was quiet again. Too quiet.
Mama had taken Riaz to bed, Lyra disappeared with her usual shadowy silence. The only light came from the single candle at the dining table, flickering against Papa’s face.
He sat alone, staring at the blade resting across his lap. His expression was unreadable, but the weight of it pressed on the whole room.
I padded forward, bare feet soft on the wood, and climbed onto the bench across from him.
“…Papa.”
He looked up, surprised. “Rooga. You should be asleep.”
I shook my head. For a moment, I couldn’t find the words. Then they tumbled out. “I’m sorry.”
His brow furrowed. “Sorry? For what?”
“For hearing all that. I wasn’t supposed to.”
Silence. Then a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “…You’re too sharp for your age. Just like your mother.”
I lowered my gaze. The candle wavered.
“Papa… there’s something I want to ask.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Go on.”
I clenched my hands together. “Why? Why did you accept that duel? You knew about the curse. You had to know it was eating you. So why… why fight when you could have refused?”
The room fell still.
Papa set the blade down on the table. His voice, when it came, was low and steady.
“…Because I made a promise. To Bastille. When he took the throne, he needed a sword at his side. I told him that as long as I lived, I would cut down any who dared to challenge me, curse or no curse. Even if I was dying, I would hold my blade until the end. That was my vow.”
I swallowed hard, staring at him. “…Even knowing it would kill you?”
His smile turned faintly bitter. “That’s the pride of Valemont. Or perhaps… my foolishness.”
He leaned back, his gaze drifting toward the dark window.
“Bastille called me an idiot, you know. He said he’d rather see his friend die of old age than by a sword in the chest.”
His hand clenched loosely around the hilt. “But a promise is a promise. That’s the man I chose to be.”
The candle burned lower, shadows creeping up the walls. I sat in silence, staring at the man before me—my father, my hero, and the weight he carried.
And in that moment, I swore I would never let his promise chain me the same way.