Page 87 of Villainess's Redemption
My heart hammered against my ribs as his gaze held mine.
“Lady Ilyana?” The Queen’s voice snapped me out of my shock. “You were about to say something?”
I forced myself to look away from him and focus on Queen Felicia.One crisis at a time. Deal with that particular demon later.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” I swept into another curtsy, buying time to steady my voice. “I’ve come to claim the reward you so graciously offered.”
The Queen’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Of course, dear. What would you like?”
I lifted my chin, steadied my breath, and plastered a smile on my face. “I wish to divorce Lord Noah Stormbourne.”
I could still hear the words echoing through the vast room.
Were my hands shaking? Yes!
Was my mouth as dry as the desert in the south? Yes!
But did I stand down and try to make it better? Absolutely not. I made it worse.
“Yes, you heard that right. I want a divorce.”
The words hung in the air like a dropped crystal glass, waiting to shatter. Several gasps echoed through the room, followed by the delicious sound of scandalized whispers. From his spot by the column, HE kept sipping on his wine.
Well, at least someone’s enjoying this spectacle.
Queen Felicia’s face remained carefully blank, her knuckles drumming on the throne’s armrest. “That’s… quite a request, Lady Stormbourne.”
“D’Arcane,” I corrected automatically. “I prefer my maiden name, if it pleases Your Majesty.”
Gasps filled the room. Whispers followed. I could practically hear the gossip mill churning with fervor.
“Perhaps,” the Queen said slowly, “we should discuss this matter in private?”
But I wasn’t done creating chaos. “No, I want to finish this right here and right now. Besides everyone will know by sunset anyway. Might as well give them an accurate version to spread.”
But before the Queen could respond, I caught movement at the edge of my vision—Mother gliding towards me, her face a thundercloud of fury.Great. I had totally forgotten mother would be invited too.
At least Anderic, Noah, and Rosalind weren’t here to witness this spectacular family drama. Small mercies.
Mother swept into a graceful curtsy before the throne. “Your Majesty, please forgive my daughter’s… momentary lapse in judgment. The recent poisoning attempt has clearly addled her mind.”
“Mother—”
“Silence!” she hissed through clenched teeth, her fingers digging into my arm. The familiar scent of sweet perfume couldn’t mask the rage rolling off her in waves.
I opened my mouth to argue, but Queen Felicia’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.
“I agree.”
Mother’s grip went slack. My jaw dropped.Wait, what? She agreed? That easily?
She had promised me one favor.
The Queen’s lips curved into that mysterious smile I’d come to both admire and fear. “Did you not ask for a divorce, Lady D’Arcane? Consider it granted.”
The whispers around us crescendoed into a roar. Mother swayed beside me, probably calculating how many years of social climbing I’d just demolished in five minutes.
Queen Felicia clapped her hands, the sound echoing off the marble columns. “Now, everyone, back to the festivities! I believe Lord Callum and I were about to discuss something?”
