Evil Iris

Chapter 8

Knight ceremony (Unedited)

I made my way through the palace, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. The maid had told me that the Empress Dowager had summoned me to attend the knight ceremony and that it was essential to have protection.

Lost in thought, I finally reached my palace room. As I sat down at my vanity, my half-brother Andre, the second male lead, filled my mind. He had been acting strangely lately, always inquiring about my whereabouts and whom I was spending time with. We had always been on bad terms, but I couldn't figure out why.
A/N : not real brother

Before I could ponder further, Noah, walked in with a grave expression on his face, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Why did you go out without guards?" he asked, his tone serious.

"What are you talking about?" I replied, bewildered.

He stepped forward, his arm poised to throw the newspaper. It fluttered to the ground, and I realized it was about me and Andre allegedly having an affair at the cake shop in the market. I was taken aback, and a wave of anger and frustration washed over me. I turned to Noah and slapped him across the face.

"I dare you to say it again, your highness," I said, my voice cold and hard.

Noah looked at me in shock, his eyes widening. I could feel the guilt radiating from him, and I knew that he regretted what he had said. But that didn't matter to me.

I walked away from him, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

"Next time, I better not hear news like this again, or it will be bad for you," he warned, tightening his grip.

I glared at him, seething with anger. How dare he threaten me like this? But before I could say anything, he let go of my hand and walked away, leaving me alone in my palace room.

As I sat on my bed, my mind raced with thoughts and emotions. Why did Noah always have to treat me like this? What did I do wrong? And why did he believe such baseless rumors about me and Andre?

I couldn't help but think back to how Iris had fallen in love with him almost instantly. But now, I felt like he was suffocating me, trapping me in a gilded cage.

As I lay there, lost in thought, I knew that I had to find a way out of this situation. I couldn't continue living like this, always on guard and always under Noah's watchful eye. I needed to take control of my life, to break free from the shackles that bound me.

I took a deep breath as I stepped into the garden, hoping that the fresh air and the scent of the flowers would help me clear my head. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see a man approaching me, dressed in the garb of a knight. His hair was a rich, dark brown, and it fell in soft waves around his handsome face. His eyes were a deep, chocolate brown, and they sparkled with intelligence and wit.

"Excuse me, miss," he said, bowing slightly. "I couldn't help but notice that you seem troubled. Is everything alright?"

I felt my heart skip a beat at the sound of his voice. It was deep and smooth, like velvet.

"I...I'm fine," I stammered, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

I didn't even notice the tears streaming down my face until the knight approached me.