The Eclipsed Bloom-Chapter 117: Felony

Coughing awkwardly to mask his fear, King Alexander snatched a wine glass from a passing waiter and raised it high.

"I hope you’re all enjoying the festivities. I have an important announcement to make."

The nobles turned their attention toward him, raising their glasses in polite response.

"First of all," Alexander continued, voice slightly shaky but masking it with a strained smile, "Miss Himeros has officially been granted the title of Duke of the Southern Territory—which many of you already know."

A chorus of nods and murmurs of acknowledgment followed.

"And today, we celebrate not just her title, but also her marriage. This ball has been arranged to honor Duke Himeros and her chosen Duchess. Congratulations to them both!"

Zara POV:

I narrowed my eyes as the king spoke, catching the flicker of unease in his expression despite the forced confidence in his voice.

So I was right... Himeros probably beat the title out of him.

As I glared at her, I felt her hand sneakily inching toward my waist again. I sharply shook her hand off.

Leaning toward her, I whispered through clenched teeth, "Did you take this title by force?"

Himeros blinked, then chuckled softly, the sound almost seductive.

"Oh darling, you’re so adorably innocent." She leaned closer, her voice like a teasing whisper. "In this world, only strength earns respect. Without it... they’ll treat you like nothing more than a tool. You need to learn about people’s nature."

Her words made my stomach twist. I looked away, biting my lip.

I don’t know why... but her words made some sense.

Power does bring respect.

But that still doesn’t justify hurting the weak.

Groaning softly, I turned my head and muttered, "Just... don’t use force on people if they haven’t done anything wrong, okay?"

Himeros gave me a gentle smile—but it didn’t reach her eyes.

"I can’t promise that, darling. You don’t know how dangerous people can be. Sometimes they look weak... until they stab you in the back."

I frowned. Her words carried weight, but I didn’t like how casually she said them.

Before I could respond, my gaze shifted across the ballroom—just in time to see a small figure walking calmly toward the king.

A child.

He was no older than ten, wearing an elegant navy-blue coat lined with gold trim. His posture was straight, his steps measured. And for a child... his expression was unnervingly cold.

When he reached King Alexander’s side, he spoke in a crisp, emotionless voice.

"Greetings, King Alexander."

The king glanced down at the boy—and snorted, turning his face away in contempt.

But the child didn’t flinch. He merely shifted his gaze elsewhere, as if the king wasn’t even worth his attention.

I blinked. That kid... who is he?

"Isn’t that the previous king’s son?"

Hearing the murmurs among the nobles, my ears perked up. I kept my gaze on the boy as the whispers grew louder.

"Yeah, he was supposed to inherit the Kingdom, but the previous king died, and now he was supposed to inherit the southern dukedom once he came of age."

"But that’s impossible now. The current king appointed another duke—someone not even related to the royal family."

"Poor child. His entire family died in that... accident."

I turned my eyes back toward the boy. He was sitting off to the side, posture rigid, eyes empty. He didn’t react to the murmurs at all as if they were talking about a stranger, not him.

So composed... too composed for someone his age.

"Himeros," I whispered, nudging her lightly.

"Hm? Yes, dear?" she leaned closer, a bit too eagerly.

"Ah... that kid." I gestured subtly.

Her pink eyes glanced toward him, then back to me. "Oh, don’t worry," she said casually. "When we leave this kingdom, the title will be his again."

I blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Himeros smiled, gently brushing a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Yes. I only needed the title for you while we were here. Once we leave, it’s meaningless to me."

I could feel warmth creeping onto my face from Himeros’s affectionate gesture, but I quickly looked away to hide it.Focus, Zara. Don’t get swayed...

Just then, my eyes caught movement—Huh? Where’s he going?

The young boy had stood up and was quietly slipping out of the ballroom. Nothing about his behavior was unusual—except for the woman in a blue dress who was trailing behind him suspiciously.

My instincts flared.

I stood up abruptly, but Himeros’s voice caught me mid-step."Where are you going, darling?"

I turned to her and forced a calm smile."Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere."

With that, I stepped away and began silently tailing the woman.

After a short walk down a quieter hallway, I rounded a corner—and froze.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

The woman had cornered the boy near a storage door. One of her dress straps had slipped off her shoulder in an all-too-familiar gesture. The boy was glaring up at her with barely restrained disgust.

"What are you doing, miss?" I said coldly, my voice echoing slightly in the corridor.

The woman jumped, startled. Her eyes widened in panic as she turned toward me.

"D-Duchess... I—this isn’t—"

I crossed my arms, letting my silence speak for me. My gaze locked on hers, hard and unflinching.

"I’ll ask one more time," I said sharply."What exactly were you doing just now?"

The woman flinched, her body trembling as she quickly dropped to her knees."Duchess, I’m sorry! I—I had no choice. It was the Queen’s order... I couldn’t refuse her!" freewēbnoveℓ.com

I narrowed my eyes.

"Get lost," I said coldly.

She bowed deeply before scrambling to her feet and fleeing down the corridor without another word.

I turned back to the boy, my expression softening. His small figure still stood tall with pride, despite what had just happened.

"Hey, kid," I said gently. "What are you doing here alone? What’s your name?"

He gave me a quick glance, looking me up and down, then snorted."I don’t have to answer you."

I blinked, surprised at his bluntness. Trying to act cool, huh?

"Alright then," I said with a smile. "Let me rephrase it—do you know that woman?"

He frowned and tilted his head like I’d just asked something incredibly stupid.

"Did you lose your common sense or something?" he asked flatly. "What could she possibly gain from sleeping with the future Duke? Can’t you figure it out?"

Huh? Isn’t that... a felony?Sleeping with a minor heir... isn’t that punishable?Wait... don’t tell me in this kingdom it’s... not?

My smile stiffened a little as I internally screamed at this world’s twisted nobility system.

A/N={My internet connection was cut off, so I can’t update the previous day}

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