Chapter 309

AURELIA’S POV After Seraphina left, the air felt heavier, like her words had taken shape and were pressing down on me. “When the right time comes,” she’d said. But when was that? And what truth was she hiding from me? I didn’t have long to dwell on it. Mother glided toward me, every step graceful, her face an unreadable mask of composure. She paused by my side, adjusting my veil with hands that trembled only slightly. “You look beautiful,” she said softly. Her tone was gentle, but the tension beneath it was unmistakable. “Beautiful,” I repeated numbly. “For a bride who’s being sold?” Her fingers froze mid-motion. “Aurelia—” “No, Mother.” The words slipped out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. I turned to face her, refusing to drop my gaze. For once, she wouldn’t walk away from me without hearing what I had to say. “You can’t tell me this is what you wanted for me.” My voice trembled—not with weakness, but with everything I had been holding in for years. “All my life, you igno