Astra walked the long, familiar corridor that led back to her chambers, her steps unhurried, each one echoing softly in the quiet morning air.
The weight of the hidden diary she had read still lingered in her mind like a whisper that refused to fade, brushing against the edge of her thoughts with each breath.
The palace was no longer completely silent now, soft echoes of servants stirring in distant halls but the corridor leading to Astra's room remained as still as dawn, untouched by the bustle.
Until a flash of restless movement caught her eye.
Lily.
The girl was pacing back and forth in front of Astra's door like a panicked little storm, her boots tapping rapidly against the floor as though standing still for even a second might kill her. Her hands were clenched tightly at her chest, her eyes wide with worry.
Every few seconds, she would stop abruptly and stare at the door.
Then resume pacing even faster.
Nearby, Cassia stood with effortless composure, her back straight and hands folded neatly before her. Compared to Lily's frantic energy, she looked almost absurdly calm.
"If you keep walking like that," Cassia remarked dryly, "you're going to wear a hole through the floor."
Lily froze mid-step, nearly stumbling, then spun toward her with a glare.
"How can you be so calm right now?!" she demanded. "She disappeared early in the morning without a word!"
Cassia exhaled softly, a hint of exasperation in her sigh.
"I already told you, this is the palace. Nothing would happen to her. You're worrying over nothing."
Lily crossed her arms immediately.
"That's not the point!"
"It is exactly the point."
"What if something did happen?!"
Cassia raised a brow. "To who? Her Highness?"
Lily opened her mouth—
Then paused.
…Fair enough.
Her highness is very powerful, nobody can actually harm her.
But she paused only for half a second.
"Still she wouldn't just disappear like that!"
Cassia merely shrugged, utterly unconcerned. If anything, Lily's panic seemed to amuse her slightly.
Lily looked moments away from combusting.
But before she could continue her tirade—
Astra stepped into view, emerging quietly from the corridor's shadows. Her presence drew a quiet, natural stillness, like a gentle tide pulling back the chaos around her.
Her steps were deliberate but soft and her expression remained carefully unreadable, a mask of serene composure that concealed any hint of emotion.
Lily, who had been lost in her own restless thoughts, suddenly turned and caught sight of her.
Astra parted her lips, the faintest flicker of a word on the tip of her tongue—
"YOUR HIGHNESS!!"
Before she could speak, Lily's voice burst out, sharp and frantic.
In an instant, Lily lunged forward, practically throwing herself at Astra, clutching her arm with both hands, her eyes wide with panic.
"Where did you go so early in the morning?!" Lily blurted out all at once. "I came to your room and you were gone and nobody knew where you were and I thought maybe something happened and—"
Astra blinked once at the sudden impact. Then slowly, she lifted a hand and rested it lightly on Lily's shoulder.
"I woke up early," she said calmly. "I went to the library for a while."
Her tone was so flat and matter-of-fact that it almost felt insulting compared to Lily's emotional breakdown.
Lily froze.
"…Really?"
Astra nodded.
Cassia stepped closer, her expression still calm, tinged with subtle amusement.
"See?" she said smoothly. "I told you not to panic. But you just wouldn't listen."
Lily immediately looked away, her cheeks puffed slightly in embarrassment, a mix of relief and lingering stubbornness tugging at her expression.
"T-that's different…"
Cassia tilted her head. "How?"
"It just is!"
Astra's gaze shifted between the two of them before she spoke again.
"When does your training begin today?"
For a split second, Lily stiffened. Her grip loosened suddenly and her shoulders tensed.
And for one horrifying moment, memories surged back all at once—scorching heat, burning muscles, flames erupting beneath her feet, and Irfin's merciless laughter flashed through her mind.
Lily's expression visibly paled.
"…Ah."
She took one cautious step backward.
"Um."
Another.
"Well…"
Cassia narrowed her eyes immediately, sensing cowardice.
Lily pointed vaguely down the corridor with the energy of someone inventing excuses in real time.
"I just remembered!" she declared suddenly. "I left something in my room!"
Astra stared at her and Cassia stared harder. Lily continued retreating.
"Something very important!"
Then she spun around and bolted.
"I'LL-SEE-YOU-LATER-YOUR-HIGHNESS—!!"
Her voice echoed through the corridor as she vanished around the corner at full speed, boots clattering wildly against the floor.
Silence settled over the hallway once more.
Cassia watched Lily disappear with an utterly deadpan expression.
"…She's definitely lying."
Astra said nothing.
She stood motionless for a moment, observing the empty corridor, the polished floor reflecting the soft morning light. Her features remained perfectly calm, serene—unshaken by the morning's minor chaos.
Then she turned back toward her door. With a deliberate motion, she pushed it open and stepped inside, the familiar quiet of her room welcoming her once more.
A heartbeat later, Cassia followed behind her, closing the door softly as if afraid to disturb the stillness that clung to the space.
Astra moved to the couch and sat down with composed grace, resting one arm lightly against the armrest.
Cassia went to the side table without a word, poured a glass of water, and returned, placing it carefully in front of Astra before stepping back into her usual respectful stance.
Astra stared at the clear surface of the water for a long moment, her gaze unfocused, as though her thoughts were still somewhere far away.
Then, at last, she spoke.
"You're not needed right now," Astra said quietly. "You may go and practice."
Cassia blinked once. Something in her chest tightened faintly.
She hesitated.
Her lips parted slightly, as if words had risen instinctively to the surface—
Are you alright?
But they never left her mouth.
After a brief pause, she lowered her head respectfully.
"…Yes, Your Highness."
She turned and walked toward the door.
The handle clicked softly beneath her fingers as she opened it, but before stepping through, Cassia glanced back once more.
Astra had not moved.
Her gaze remained fixed on the untouched glass of water.
Cassia lingered for only a second longer before stepping outside and closing the door gently behind her.
Click.
The room fell silent once again.
Cassia stood outside the door for a long moment after it clicked shut, her fingertips still resting on the cool metal of the handle as if held there by an invisible thread.
The hallway was silent, but the silence felt wrong—too still, too heavy, as though something inside that room had swallowed all the sound.
Slowly, Cassia lowered her hand.
Her eyes lingered on the door, her brows had drawn together without her noticing.
Her Highness… seems distracted today. Much more than usual.
It wasn't the calm, poised stillness Astra always carried. Cassia had long since grown accustomed to that.
The princess's serenity was like a tranquil lake, reflective yet unreachable.
Today, however… it was different.
There had been a distance in her eyes, a hollow quiet beneath her voice, as if her mind had drifted somewhere far beyond the walls of the Black Rose Palace, caught on a thought she hadn't brought back with her.
Cassia exhaled softly, her chest tightening for a heartbeat. A flicker of worry crossed her face before she suppressed it immediately.
She was merely a servant of her highness; asking questions about Her Highness's private troubles was neither her right nor her place.
Straightening her posture, Cassia forced the concern from her expression and finally turned away from the door.
Her footsteps were muted against the carpeted floor as she walked down the corridor toward the training grounds once more.
Tall arches stretched overhead, casting long shadows across the walls like silent sentinels watching her pass.
Behind her, Astra's door remained shut.
And the heavy quiet sealed within that room lingered in Cassia's mind long after she left it behind like the faint echo of a whisper she could not quite hear clearly, yet could not forget either.