Chapter 113

• I stepped onto the balcony, allowing the crisp morning breeze to brush against my face. The sun was rising slowly, casting a golden glow across the flawless sky. It should have been the start of a beautiful day, but I found no joy in it. My heart felt unbearably heavy, a weight I struggled to carry within my chest.
• Clarity had finally settled over me, sharper than ever before—how foolishly naive I had been. Hadrian and Selene were not just husband and wife; they were king and queen. Meanwhile, I barely held the precarious title of "respectable" mistress. If a royal prince from the human world had ever asked for my hand, it would have been obvious that I was far beneath him and could never hope to be queen. So why had I convinced myself it would be any different with Hadrian? I had clung to the idealistic belief that "love conquers all," but my life had always strayed far from romantic fantasy.
• I wanted to believe in Hadrian, to trust that he would soon make me his queen. But how much longer could I wait? My heart and mind were both painfully aware that by day, and in their shared bed, Hadrian belonged to Selene. And if not for the unwavering loyalty of the Royal Army, Selene would have ensured I remained hidden away, a prisoner in my own chambers, suffering humiliation at every turn. Hadrian's promises to protect me had always rung hollow, no matter how fiercely he swore them.