The great hall of Everhart was alive again, though not with music or feasting. Nobles gathered in clusters beneath glittering chandeliers, their silks and jewels dazzling under golden light. They whispered like serpents, their laughter too sharp, their smiles too thin.
Andy walked at Nia's side, his shoulders tense. He had faced monsters without fear, but here he felt every eye like a blade on his back. To them, he was not a man, not even a warrior—only a prize, a tool, a piece of fate to be bargained over.
The whispers reached him as he passed.
"Kayla has the grace of true nobility."
"Perhaps she, not Lady Nia, is his destined match."
"A bond formed before the System's meddling… now that would be powerful indeed."
Andy's jaw clenched.
"Don't react," Nia whispered, her voice like steel hidden in velvet. "They feed on cracks."
He exhaled, forcing his steps steady.
At the head of the hall, Lord Everhart sat at ease, cane resting against the dais. His smile was warm for appearances, but his eyes gleamed with amusement, as though he relished watching his daughter tested.
Kayla stood among the nobles, radiant in pale lavender, her hair shimmering rose-silver beneath the chandeliers. She greeted each person with grace, her laughter soft, her smile flawless. To watch her was to feel as though she had always belonged.
"Lady Kayla," one lord declared, bowing low, "to appear at such a moment—it cannot be coincidence. Surely, fate itself has returned you to him."
Kayla lowered her gaze modestly, her lips curving in that sweet, aching smile. "Not fate, my lord. Devotion. I followed where my heart never ceased to lead me."
A sigh of admiration rippled through the hall. Fans fluttered, goblets raised in approval.
Andy opened his mouth, but a baroness spoke first, her words sharp as glass. "A devotion so deep, it humbles those of us who thought ourselves loyal. Perhaps not all bonds are equal." Her glance cut sideways toward Nia.
Heat surged in Andy's chest. He nearly stepped forward, but Nia moved before him.
"Devotion?" she said, her voice clear, ringing across the hall. "Curious devotion, then—so hidden that none of us knew your name until yesterday. Curious devotion that emerges only after Andy fought, bled, and carried Everhart's burdens on his shoulders."
The words dropped like stones into water. Whispers stilled.
Kayla's smile faltered—just for a heartbeat—before soft sorrow replaced it. "My lady, forgive me. I had no strength then. What could I have offered but prayers? But now… now I can stand at his side, as I always wished."
Murmurs rose again, divided now.
"She speaks with humility…"
"Yet Lady Nia has a point. Where was she before?"
"Grace, beauty, devotion… surely such a woman cannot be dismissed."
Nia stepped closer, her silver eyes gleaming. "Pretty phrases are not proof. Bonds are not made of illusions. They are forged in trial, in blood, in fire. Andy and I have endured all of those together."
Her words rang with such force that silence followed. Even the chandeliers seemed to burn brighter, as though in agreement.
Andy's chest swelled. He wanted to take her hand, to shout his pride for all to hear. But he stayed still—because this was her battlefield, and she was winning.
Kayla bowed her head gracefully, her smile returned, serene as ever. Yet Andy caught it—the flash in her eyes, too sharp, too cold for even her mask to conceal.
Lord Everhart's chuckle carried across the hall. "Bloodline and duty on one side, devotion and destiny on the other. What a delightful tension." His gaze swept the nobles, then lingered on Andy. "Perhaps the System itself will decide."
The whispers rose once more, louder than ever, nobles leaning close, some smiling at Kayla, others reconsidering Nia.
And then—the System stirred.
> [Bond Progression: 103% → 104%]
Trust fortified through political defense.
Andy exhaled, his hand brushing against Nia's lightly. She stood straight, proud, her silver gaze unwavering. For the first time since Kayla's arrival, he felt something stronger than dread.
Pride.
And hope.
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