The Boundaries of Possession - Chapter 33
“You still don’t trust me, Elysia.”
“And Your Grace doesn’t trust me either.”
She almost added, How could I trust a man who intends to use my family?—but held her tongue. Even his effortless smile was infuriating.
“Perhaps one day you will. But for now…”
“Yes, for now, let’s enjoy this dance.”
Elysia found herself staring into the depths of his green eyes, which seemed to darken each time he looked at her. He always stood in the same place, while it felt as though she was the only one constantly changing.
As the dance brought them close enough for their words to be a whisper against each other’s ears, Elysia spoke first.
“Remember me as I am today, Andreas.”
“Give me a reason to remember you.”
His pheromones, so near, felt pleasant. Would Andreas ever feel the same way? If enough time passed, would he remember the girl she once was?
Elysia flinched each time his hand brushed the curve of her waist, sweeping upward. She could no longer avoid it, so she simply closed her eyes.
The dance ended all too quickly, leaving behind an unshakable sense of regret. Andreas had other partners to dance with. Just as he had said, she became a wallflower once more, pretending to sip on the sherry set to the side.
Some alphas mustered the courage to approach her, but she turned them down, recalling her father’s words.
“If you give them even the slightest foothold, it will be a disadvantage both among the nobility and in your marriage.”
The fact that only omegas were expected to exercise such caution—whether in engagements or marriage—filled her with quiet resentment.
Her gaze drifted to Andreas, dancing with another partner, and she let out a small sigh.
It was inevitable that someone destined for the throne would need to build various connections. Even knowing that, she couldn’t help but feel unsettled.
She forced herself to swallow the feeling and refocus.
By the time several dances had passed, Andreas reappeared before her, not looking the least bit fatigued.
“Why aren’t you dancing?”
“Because some men’s egos are overwhelming.”
He raised an eyebrow and glanced around.
“Who?”
Elysia frowned as if exasperated, then retrieved a small perfume bottle from her pocket. She removed the stopper and poured the scent liberally onto her skin.
Andreas, watching this, shook his head in apparent disbelief.
It was an unconscious ritual—an ingrained habit, ensuring her pheromones wouldn’t slip out unintentionally. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Elysia forced an awkward smile.
“Why in the world would a dominant omega need perfume?”
She froze at Andreas’s words. Dominant?
Had he assumed all this time that she was a dominant omega simply because she could control her pheromones?
“I…”
She hesitated, but before she could answer, he had already turned his gaze elsewhere.
“You must be bored.”
She turned her head at the unfamiliar voice.
A woman she had never seen before approached them.
Despite being an alpha, the woman’s presence wasn’t overbearing, nor did she carry herself with arrogance.
Elysia’s gaze was drawn to her neatly arranged hair—pure white, like a winter landscape.
“I’m Gréa Celliez.”
Gréa lightly extended one of the two glasses she held.
“Elysia Brillen.”
There were always people like this. Those who approached omegas as if offering kindness.
The Marquis of Celliez was a well-known noble aligned with the imperial faction. Gréa was his daughter.
Elysia clinked glasses with a small smile.
She usually refrained from drinking at balls, but refusing a direct offering would seem strange.
Just as she hesitated, debating whether to take a sip—
“Is there nothing else to drink that you’re settling for this?”
Andreas suddenly appeared, snatching the glass from her hand with force.
The air instantly grew cold.
It wasn’t just his rudeness that froze the atmosphere.
The moment Andreas lifted the stolen glass toward his lips, a shriek rang out from across the hall.
“That’s quite the reckless trick, Lady Celliez.”
Andreas narrowed his eyes and let the glass slip from his fingers.
