Chapter 5

Two days passed, and at last, the Duke's daughter's engagement banquet was underway.

Veyna wears a sage green gown, its flowing skirt adorned with delicate white lace. She had deliberately avoided bold colors, choosing instead to match the event's elegant and celebratory mood. At first, she had considered a deep red wine dress, but for once, she felt compelled to show a hint of generosity on this occasion.

Standing alone in a quiet corner of the ballroom, a glass of wine in hand, she surveys the grand hall. As expected, the turnout is overwhelming. The Ashvale Duchy is not a name to be taken lightly as they re one of the most powerful and fiercely loyal families in service to the king. Their influence run deep, and tonight, their power was on full display.

Lost in thought, Veyna barely noticed the approaching figure until a familiar voice cut through the chatter of the ballroom. A lady in a light blue gown stopped before her, and at the sight of those unmistakable curly red locks, Veyna rolled her eyes in quiet exasperation.

"Oh my, Lady Veyna. You're looking quite lovely tonight~" Amber cooed, her tone laced with false sweetness.

Veyna took a slow sip of her wine before setting the glass down, her gaze drifting lazily over Amber from head to toe. The youngest daughter of an earl, Lady Amber, also one of the few people Veyna has no patience for. Instead of responding, she simply turns away, hoping silence would be enough to end the conversation.

But Amber is persistent.

"Why are you all alone, Veyna? No company tonight? Oh, wait, there never was any in the first place," she sneers, her voice dripping with mock pity. "No one can stand you."

A few nearby guests chuckle under their breath, entertained by Amber's cruelty. She stands there, waiting for Veyna to crumble under the humiliation.

Instead, Veyna let out a soft chuckle of her own. She tilts her head slightly, amusement dancing in her cold eyes.

She isn't entirely alone tonight. She was accompanied by her so-called uncle and aunt, also their son, Wayne. As soon as they arrived at the banquet, Veyna was immediately left alone without a single word from them. She expects nothing coming from a fake family who clearly despise her to the core.

"I don't need company," she replied smoothly. "Unlike some, I'm not a pathetic little lady who grovels for a man's love, especially when that man is out parading with mistresses behind her back."

Amber's smug expression froze. The laughter around them died instantly.

Everyone knew exactly who Veyna was referring to. Amber's husband, the very man she had fought so hard to marry who is notorious for his affairs. And now, the humiliation is hers to bear.

Amber's face twists with fury, her pride stung by Veyna's sharp words.

"You-" she started, voice seething with anger.

But before she could lash out, the room shifted. A hush fell over the crowd as the herald's voice rang through the grand hall, announcing the arrival of the evening's true star, Lady Evelyne Ashvale.

All eyes turned toward the grand staircase, where Evelyne descended with effortless grace. Dressed in a flowing gown of soft, fading pink, she needs no extravagant jewels to command attention. The simplicity of her accessories only highlighted the quiet maturity she carries. Her beeline honey-colored hair cascades in soft waves, framing a face both delicate and striking. But it is her eyes, deep violet, rare and mesmerizing.

Men paused mid-conversation, caught in her silent spell. Even women, some envious, others admiring, couldn't deny the presence she carries.

Veyna exhaled quietly, watching the scene unfold. Lady Evelyne is not just beautiful, she was a force, a reminder of the power the Ashvale name holds.

Veyna's gaze remained fixed on Evelyne, taking in the effortless grace with which she moves, the way people gravitate toward her with warm smiles and soft words of admiration.

What a perfect, lovely woman she is.

The thought is bitter on her tongue.

Her eyes drifted to the crowd, their faces alight with affection, their voices filled with warmth as they greeted the duke's daughter. And then, something unfamiliar stirred within her chest, a sensation both foreign and eerily familiar, clawing its way to the surface.

The room suddenly felt darker, the laughter and music fading into a dull hum. And then, the whispers began.

Soft at first, like a breeze against her ear.

"Look at her... loved and cherished, while you're just a useless little thing, easily discarded."

The voices curls around her like smoke, unseen yet suffocating.

"Unfair, isn't it? She is like a character written to be adored, the perfect protagonist of a grand story... while you?"

A shadow flickers at the edge of her vision. Her grip on the wine glass tightened.

"Such beauty... such fame... such love. Why can't you have that too, Veyna?"

"Only if you could break her down and strip all those perfection from her."

A sharp pang struck her chest, something between longing and resentment. Veyna clenches her chest tightly as a sudden wave of cold spread through her, creeping from the core of her heart like ice slithering through her veins. A sharp, familiar sting settles deep inside her, an unbearable chill that no warmth could reach.

Cold sweat beads on her skin, her vision blurring for a moment. Her breath grew heavy, uneven. She had endured this for years,this silent, relentless curse that she dared not reveal to anyone. A sickness she keeps hidden beneath layers of poise and indifference.

But tonight, it is stronger. Harsher. As if something had stirred it awake.

Her fingers tremble slightly as she fight to keep herself composed. She couldn't afford to break. Not here. Not now.

She still could hear the whispers that began to het louder by seconds. Colliding with her sharp pain in her heart. She feels like collapsing.

"Veyna?" A voice, real this time, pulled her from the suffocating haze.

Veyna blinks, the whispers dissolving like mist as reality snapped back into focus. The warmth of the ballroom returned, the golden glow of chandeliers, the hum of conversation, the clinking of glasses. However the pain of her freezing heart doesn't go away.

She turns her head slightly, eyes landing on the person who had called her name. It was Amber who is looking at her with puzzled expression. Concern or disgust, Veyna isn't sure either.

"Are you okay? You re sweating like crazy! Did some kind of demon possessed you or something?". Amber questioned her while keeping her grip on Veyna's arm, preventing her from falling to the floor.

"Well, i m already aware that you re the devil itself but-". Veyna stopped her sentence that was dripping with sarcasm and concern at the same time by taping Amber's hands to loosened the grip on her arm.

Veyna looks up to Amber with a total confusion. They were having a small argument just now, yet she shows her a generous by being concern?

"I m good... I need some fresh air."

As soon as Amber released her arm, Veyna wasted no time. She turned on her heel and walks away, her steps urgent yet measured, fighting to maintain her composure. Every breath felt heavier, the freezing sensation tightening its grip on her chest.

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