CHAPTER 65: BALL DRESS

The day ended without much activity, as Lilith spent most of it with her friends in the kitchen. She only returned to her chambers late at night when she was ready to sleep.

Morning came quickly. Lilith climbed out of bed and peeked through the window. Soft white flakes of snow were falling gently from the sky.

She let out a quiet sigh and crawled back into bed, only to be roused again by a knock at her door. Groaning softly, she dragged herself out of bed and shuffled toward the door.

Standing in front of her was Thalia, holding a basket in her hands.

"It’s good to see you are finally awake," Thalia said with a cheerful smile. "The seamstress delivered your ball dress. I have seen it for myself and it is stunning. I do hope you love it too."

She extended the basket to Lilith, who accepted it with a grateful nod.

"Thank you," Lilith said before closing the door behind her.

Curiosity tugged at her, itching to see what the dress looked like, but she decided to wait until the evening to try it on. Carefully, she placed the basket on the table in the corner of her room and returned to her bed.

She tried to go back to sleep or distract herself with something else, but her thoughts were consumed with excitement over the exquisite dress. Letting out a sigh, she accepted that she wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else while the dress remained in the same room with her.

Determined to clear her mind, she decided to get dressed and leave her chambers. She wrapped a thick scarf around her shoulders and pulled on a pair of thick gloves before heading down the stairs toward the servants’ quarters to see Fiona.

To her disappointment, Fiona was not around—she had gone out and wasn’t in the palace. Unwilling to return to her room just yet, Lilith decided to visit the crypt and check in with Lord Lucian. Perhaps she could pass the time with training.

Thankfully, she made her way to the crypt without much difficulty. She knocked on the door, and on the third knock, it creaked open. Lucian stood there silently, then turned and walked away from the entrance, giving her space to step inside.

"Have you fully recovered?" he asked, turning around to face her. "I expected you to rest for the remainder of the week."

"I have recovered, and I would like to resume my training. I believe I have rested enough," Lilith replied.

Lucian studied her, clearly not fully convinced. "I swear on it," she added, though even she wasn’t sure that would change his mind.

"Very well," he said, strolling deeper into the room. When he reached the center, he turned to face her again. "Before we begin, I must ask—what exactly happened between you and those men? How did you manage to attack them?"

Lilith blinked several times, then swallowed. "I... I don’t really know. One minute I was lying on the ground, and the next, I felt this overwhelming heat surge through my body—like it was trying to break free. When I opened my eyes, everything around me was... scattered. I don’t know how I did it."

Lucian appeared thoughtful, his gaze drifting away for a moment before returning to her. "I believe the situation you were in triggered your powers to awaken and act in your defense."

Lilith gave a small nod in agreement.

"We must train you to summon your powers not only in moments of distress," Lucian said, slowly circling where she stood, his hands clasped behind his back. "You need to be able to call upon them at will."

"And how do I do that?" she asked, a furrow of worry forming between her brows.

"You’re the only one who can discover how to tap into your magic, I can only suggest what I think might help. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and try to connect with the core of your powers. Focus on that feeling of heat, then learn to control it," Lucian instructed.

Lilith frowned. That sounded like far more than she was ready for.

Lucian must have caught on to her hesitation through her expression. "We’ll take it step by step," he said reassuringly. "First, I need you to come sit here."

She moved toward the chair he indicated and sat down.

"Close your eyes and relax every nerve and muscle in your body," Lucian said in a calm, measured tone. "To gain control over your power, you must first learn to be still."

Lilith did as she was instructed, placing her hands flat on her thighs. Within minutes, she managed to reach a state of inner calm. However, she struggled to grasp hold of her powers—perhaps because she wasn’t in immediate danger.

"Try harder, Lilith," Lucian’s voice echoed softly from somewhere nearby.

She swallowed and pushed further, trying to summon the power—but felt nothing. Frustrated, Lilith decided to draw herself into a state of fear, hoping it would force her powers to respond. She began recalling the events of that night—the horrifying voices of the men, the cold blade gliding across her skin. The memory alone made goosebumps rise on her arms.

Slowly but surely, she began to feel the heat stir within her. A flicker of excitement sparked in her chest, encouraging her to dig deeper—past the pain in the woods, and into the buried torment of what her stepfather had done to her.

The heat surged, expanding through every limb, consuming her from the inside. Her breathing grew louder, more erratic, and her heart pounded so hard she could hear each frantic beat in her ears. Her fists clenched, trembling slightly under the strain of it all.

She heard her name faintly in the distance—soft, barely audible. The moment the heat completely consumed her, Lilith gasped and opened her eyes just as her body hit the ground with a heavy thud.

She groaned, rubbing her shoulder before glancing around—only to see Lucian struggling to get back on his feet, a trickle of blood slipping from the corner of his mouth. A visible crack in the concrete wall behind him revealed just how hard he had been thrown.

Scrambling to her feet, Lilith rushed toward him, but Lucian raised a hand to stop her before she could touch him. He groaned as he stood upright, brushing dust from his clothes.

"Dear goodness! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that to you," Lilith cried, her eyes widened and filled with tears.

"No worries," Lucian said with a breathy sigh. "I must warn you that fueling your powers with anger and pain is incredibly dangerous, Lilith. If you keep accessing them that way, they might eventually destroy you."

"I’m sorry. I couldn’t do it naturally. I thought—"

"You thought wrong," he cut in gently. "For your safety and everyone else’s, don’t ever use that method again."

He moved with a slight limp, picked the fallen chair off the ground, and sank into it with a grunt. "We shall continue tomorrow morning," he added.

Lilith felt a pang of guilt for causing Lucian pain. "Once again, I’m truly sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you," she said softly.

"I’m alright. There’s no need to keep apologizing," Lucian replied. "You may return to your chambers."

She offered one last apologetic nod before quietly exiting the crypt. A sudden gust of cold air swept over her, and she rubbed her arms for warmth. Her footsteps echoed faintly through the quiet, dimly lit corridors as she made her way back toward the main castle.

As she stepped through the main entrance, her eyes landed on the prince and Lord Viktor. They were deep in conversation—well, Viktor was the only one speaking while the prince listened intently. Whatever they were discussing seemed serious, judging by the tension in Viktor’s expression.

Both men turned to look in Lilith’s direction. She quickly lowered her gaze and offered a polite bow, keeping her head low. She could feel their eyes on her as they walked past, still engaged in conversation, before turning down a hallway she had never ventured into.

That reminded her—she hadn’t truly explored the castle since her arrival. It had been a while, and it felt only right to get familiar with her surroundings. Perhaps she would discover something that could keep her busy when she wasn’t tending to the prince, training with Lord Lucian, or spending time with her friends in the kitchen.

She had missed reading, so the library would probably be the first place she’d explore. Letting out a deep sigh, she made her way to the servants’ quarters to check if Fiona had returned. Fortunately for her, Fiona had just gotten back a few minutes earlier, and with her in the room were her sister and Erick.

Lilith was greeted with warmth and cheerful smiles. She made herself comfortable, settling on the bed between Erick and Fiona’s sister with a small smile tugging at her lips.