Reborn, Its Time To Save My Family And.. My Enemy!
Chapter 215: leaving her Behind!

Chapter 215: leaving her Behind!

The warmth of the hall did nothing to thaw Olivia’s skin. She stepped back inside with her face pale and hands shivering within her sleeves. Damian was still not there.

Her gaze swept across the gilded ballroom. At the center of it all, Rhistel was dancing with Oriana beneath the grand chandelier, his hand placed delicately at her waist, his smile impeccable.

Olivia did not want to disturb them. She remained at the edge of the floor, half in shadow, half exposed. But she could feel the eyes and now she felt it was more than just a mocking glance or passing curiosity. She felt being watched and predated.

"Lady Olivia." She turned with a startled look on her face.

A man stood before her, elegant in a deep blue coat embroidered with the cloindire crest, a silver crescent moon biting into a sword. His hair was dark, slicked back with precise care, and his hazel eyes glinted with quiet amusement.

"I don’t believe you have danced yet," he said, offering his gloved hand. "May I have the honor of your first dance?"

"I am not feeling well," Olivia said quickly, her voice still polite as she took a step back.

But the man stepped with her.

"Ah, but it’s just a dance. Surely that won’t harm anything." His smile widened, something just short of kind. "After all, it would be rude to decline mingling with us when your sister is going to marry here. And you have already declined me twice in one night."

The subtle threat made her pause and she reluctantly nodded.

"Very well," Olivia said, and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.

"You look scared, my lady. I thought you were a brave one when you ran behind my sister like you know her quite well." That made Olivia freeze for a second. She looked at his face again, more carefully.

And she saw it now, the resemblance. He had the same eyes and hair as Evelyn’s.

His fingers closed gently but firmly around her hand before she could retreat again.

She didn’t fight. Not in front of all these people.

The music swelled as they joined the circling pairs. Olivia’s heart beat in her throat as she watched him.

"You move well," he said idly. "Not like a servant who had served her own sister all her life. Are you going to serve her here too?"

Olivia smiled tightly. "I am only here to attend the wedding.."

"Oh! The whole marriage is organized so that you could be invited here and now you are planning to leave so early! But can you just go because you want to, lady Olivia?" he leaned closer as if whispering his love for her. Olivia went rigid as she heard the subtle threat in his words.

She said nothing, but her gaze locked with his.

He leaned closer, voice smooth as velvet and twice as cold. "We’ve been waiting for you, you know, for such a long time."

She faltered for just a breath and He caught it.

"I meant for the wedding. What are you thinking about, my lady? You look sick."

Then, just as quickly as he had struck, he twirled her outward, guiding her back into position with a smooth turn. From afar, it looked like nothing more than a well-matched dance.

Rhistel’s smile did not falter, but his eyes tracked Olivia from across the ballroom. He noticed she looked uneasy and was trying to control herself hard.

He recognized the man she was dancing with. The Cloindire’s heir, he was a man with power and held a strong position in his territory. He held her a little too firmly. His posture was not imposing but the control was clear. Rhistel’s jaw tightened.

Oriana said something, but he didn’t catch it. His gaze was fixed on Olivia.

"Excuse me," he said abruptly.

Oriana’s hand tensed in his. "What?"

But he had already begun to move, gliding through the swirling dancers, his every step measured. When he reached Olivia, he didn’t wait for permission.

"May I?" he asked, but his hand was already on Olivia’s waist.

The man raised a brow, amused, but stepped back with a mocking little bow. "Of course, Lord Rhistel. I would never dream of interrupting your evening."

Olivia didn’t protest. The moment her hand slipped into Rhistel’s, her body softened with relief.

Oriana stood frozen where he had left her, her fingers curling into her skirts. She watched the stranger walk away, and Rhistel led Olivia into a turn that took them far from the center of the room. Her lips thinned. He hadn’t even looked back at her or apologized.

Rhistel leaned close to Olivia as they danced. "What happened?"

Olivia’s voice was low, trembling despite her composure. "That man, he is Evelyn’s brother. They knew my mother. They said... they remember her and her death."

Rhistel’s hold on her tightened slightly. "What exactly did they say?"

"They didn’t need to say much. Just that they knew who she was. And that they’ve been waiting for me."

"They’re trying to rattle you," he said, glancing around, his tone sharper now. "And they are succeeding."

Olivia shook her head. "No. There was something in the way they said it. They do know something. Rhistel, I need to find out the truth. I never knew my mother visited this land. Do you know her?"

He met her eyes. "I was young so I did not get the chance. But I am sure my father would have met her. I will look more into this. Do you know what exactly I am looking for?"

"I don’t know," she whispered. "But I think it’s where all of this began."

He led her in another sweeping turn, shielding her from view as they neared the edge of the dance floor. Her fingers trembled faintly in his grip, "where is Damien?"

"He will come back in two days. I am sorry, I did not know it would be like this."

From across the ballroom, Oriana watched them vanish into the shadows together. The music continued, but all she heard was silence. Her smile faded and her resentment bloomed.