Elsewhere—
Freya and Adelyn were sitting at a restaurant, waiting for the food to be served.
Since neither of them was particularly extroverted, the air between them was quiet. Yet, neither felt awkward.
Freya would occasionally speak a few words —to which Adelyn would respond simply. The back-and-forth continued for a while before there was nothing left to say.
Freya was curious to know Adelyn more deeply, but she didn’t want to seem too probing. So, she held herself back from asking anything that might make things uncomfortable.
Just as the silence settled again—
A waiter approached, bringing their dishes. He began placing them on the table when a soft yet distinct ding of a notification made Adelyn glance at her phone.
She paused when she noticed Eira’s na pop up on her screen.
Text image from Baby Eira.
As promised to the girl, Adelyn didn’t delay reading it.
She tapped it imdiately, only to see an image attached to the ssage.
[Mama ... Eira is having lunch. Have you had yours?]
Along with it was a slightly blurred picture of her bowl of rice and a few small dishes at the side.
Adelyn’s lips curved instantly.
She couldn’t help but imagine the little girl’s face asking her the sa thing in person—
Her eyes looking straight into hers, as if connecting with her naturally.
As if that bond had always existed.
"What’s wrong?" Freya asked suddenly, noticing Adelyn smiling at her phone.
Adelyn lifted her gaze and shook her head.
Then she looked at the table.
The food had already been laid out.
She quickly snapped a picture and typed a response.
[Baby, Mama is having hers now —and missing you. We’ll have lunch together soday.]
The reply from the other end ca almost instantly—
A nodding sticker.
Adelyn couldn’t help but smile again.
When she set her phone aside and looked up, Freya was watching her with a curious expression.
Not understanding the look, Adelyn asked, "Sister Freya, is there sothing?"
Freya nodded before serving herself a dish and passing the bowl to Adelyn.
"Yes," she said. "This is the first ti I’ve seen you smile. And I must say —the way your lips curve suits you."
"First ti?" Adelyn paused, then chuckled lightly. "My smile isn’t that rare."
Freya shook her head.
"Your genuine smiles are."
Before Adelyn could respond, she continued,
"The kind of smile that reaches your eyes. And the kind ..." she gestured toward the phone Adelyn had just set aside, "... you were giving just now to whoever you were texting."
Adelyn stilled for a mont.
Her gaze shifted back to her phone.
Was she really smiling like that?
"I was just texting my friend’s daughter," she said, partly explaining and partly trying to understand it herself. "She’s too sweet to be given anything that isn’t real."
Freya listened, and suddenly she was reminded of sothing.
The evening they first t Adelyn ...
And a smile made her lips curl. She looked at her and said,
"You seem good with kids."
Adelyn didn’t quite understand at first.
So Freya added,
"The first ti we t —you handled that little girl well too."
And suddenly—
Adelyn rembered.
That had been her first ti eting Eira.
And yet, they had already ford a connection.
Eira had clung to her even then...
Was it really all just fate?
—————
Later—
After finishing lunch, both Adelyn and Freya left the restaurant together.
Freya had to return to the company, while Adelyn said she would head ho.
"Do you want to drop you?" Freya asked.
Adelyn shook her head politely.
"It would be trouble for you, Sister Freya. I can go on my own. You should head back to the company."
Freya didn’t insist.
She nodded, got into her car, and left.
Adelyn booked a cab for herself, which arrived shortly after.
But just as she was about to get in—
From a distance, a pair of eyes caught sight of her and froze.
The gaze lingered.
Then turned almost desperate.
But Adelyn didn’t notice.
She got into the car, gave the driver the destination, and asked him to start.
As the car drove away—
Soone ca rushing after it.
But by the ti they reached the spot—
Adelyn was already gone.
Another person ca hurrying over.
"Celeste, where were you running like that?" she asked, frowning.
But Celeste didn’t look at her.
Her eyes remained fixed in the direction the cab had gone—
As if trying to confirm whether what she saw was real.
"Was it really her?" she murmured under her breath.
Beside her, Lyla frowned.
Following Celeste’s line of sight, she saw nothing.
"There’s no one there," she said, turning back to her. "Who are you looking for?"
Celeste turned slowly.
After a pause, she asked, "Did you see who left in that cab just now?"
She pointed in the direction.
But Lyla shook her head.
"I didn’t see any cab. I was on a call with Mr. Williams when you suddenly started running."
Celeste’s brows furrowed.
Seeing her expression, Lyla asked, "Who was it? Soone important?"
Celeste turned and began walking back.
"Soone who wouldn’t co back."
With that, she continued ahead.
Lyla was left confused.
But before she could ask more, Celeste had already walked ahead.
So she simply followed.
After finishing the eting at the restaurant, when they were finally leaving —
Lyla’s phone dinged with a ssage.
She halted to check it, and for a long second didn’t move.
"It really happened?" she muttered.
Celeste heard it and turned back.
"What happened?" she asked.
Lyla looked up at her, still slightly stunned.
"Clara Scott wasn’t selected for The Empress’s Grief."
And then, she pointed at her phone and said, "The people at the company are quite shocked. They are all talking about it."
Lyla wasn’t really a gossiper, but given how she was reacting, one could tell that this was sothing she couldn’t stop herself from reacting.
However, Celeste seed quite calm.
Seeing her like that, Lylas asked, "Wait ... how are you so calm. Does it not surprise you?"
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