Chapter 635: The Moment Truth Was Twisted

Life had a way of twisting things until they no longer resembled what they had once been. It was, in simple terms, cruel.

Or perhaps it was not life itself that was cruel, but the people within it—the ones who looked at something simple and reshaped it into something else entirely. A glance could become an accusation. A word could be sharpened until it cut deeper than any blade. Intentions could be stripped apart and rebuilt into something unrecognizable, something convenient.

Sophia did not understand that at first.

She had not known that something so small could become something so irreversible.

She had not seduced him.

The thought alone felt foreign, distant, like something that did not belong to her at all. She had not even realized he had been looking at her. She had not known there was anything to notice.

She had only been passing through.

She had gone to the kitchen.

It had been a simple thing, something she had done countless times before without consequence. The halls had been quiet, the air still, and she had moved without thinking, her steps light against the polished floor.

She had not expected to run into anyone.

But she did.

The collision had been soft, unexpected enough that it stole a small sound from her. She had barely had time to step back before hands had caught her shoulders, steadying her in a way that felt... wrong.

She looked up then, and the man smiled at her.

At the time, she had not understood what was wrong with it. It had seemed normal, almost. Just a guard, someone who worked within the castle, someone who may have seen her in passing before.

But there had been something in his eyes.

Something that lingered too long.

"You should be more careful," he had said, his voice low, almost amused.

Sophia had nodded quickly, her instinct already urging her to step away.

"I’m sorry," she had murmured, the apology automatic, as it always was.

She had tried to move past him.

But his hand had tightened slightly on her arm.

Not enough to hurt.

But enough to stop her.

That had been the moment something inside her had shifted.

A quiet unease, creeping up her spine, settling somewhere deep in her chest.

"I didn’t mean to—" she had started.

"You don’t have to apologize," he had said, cutting her off gently.

Too gently.

His fingers had slid slightly, brushing against her wrist in a way that made her skin prickle.

Sophia frowned. Confusion came first, followed by discomfort.

And then... fear.

It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was there.

"I need to go," she had said, her voice smaller than she intended.

She had tried to pull away, but his grip tightened again.

"Come on, sweet girl," he said, licking his lips. "Being in this place alone must be boring. I have things I can show you."

"I’m not interested, sir," she said. "But thank you for the suggestion."

She tried to leave again, but the man held firm. "Come on, when next are you going to have the opportunity to spend time with someone like me? It’s just for a little while."

Sophia stared at him with a frown. "I have to go. I appreciate you—"

"Really?" the man asked, leaning closer so that Sophia could feel his breath on her skin.

It smelled faintly of smoke, and it irritated Sophia immensely.

"I’ve seen you around. You’re always so quiet," he had said, his gaze lingering on her in a way that made her stomach twist. "You don’t talk to anyone."

Sophia didn’t respond.

She didn’t know what to say.

Her heart had begun to beat faster, her thoughts scrambling for something—anything—that would get her out of the situation without making it worse.

"I said I need to go," she repeated, a little more firmly this time.

This time, forgoing any respect she had for him. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

But instead of letting her go, the man only smiled further, breathing her in.

"You smell good," he said.

Sophia had no idea when instinct took over; the next thing she heard was the sound of her palm hitting him... hard.

She stared with wide eyes, and the man had the same expression on his face, his hold on her lax now.

Sophia didn’t waste the opportunity. She immediately escaped from his hold and ran.

The man stared at her, his eyes twinkling with something akin to delight. Sophia didn’t dwell on it, though, because she was of the opinion she wouldn’t see the man again.

She did not tell her mother what had happened, keeping it a secret instead.

She never understood what had been seen, what had been heard, or what had been assumed. But when her mother called for her that evening, there had already been something different in the air.

She had entered the room quietly, her hands clasped in front of her, her posture instinctively careful.

"You called for me?"

Her mother had been standing near the window.

She had not turned immediately.

The silence stretched just long enough to make Sophia’s chest tighten.

One thing that did not sit well with Sophia was the fact that her mother had summoned her to her room, and the man was present, staring at Sophia with a delighted look on his face.

"You disgust me," her mother said suddenly.

Sophia blinked, the meaning not quite settling at first.

"...What?"

Her mother turned then, her face scrunched up in disgust as she stared at Sophia.

"You think I don’t see it?" she continued. "The way you behave. The way you look at people."

Sophia’s confusion deepened.

"I don’t—"

"Don’t lie to me!" her mother snapped, her voice rising suddenly.

Sophia flinched.

"I didn’t..."

"You were in the kitchen," her mother continued, her tone cutting through her words before they could fully form. "With one of the guards."

"Not really," Sophia told her. "I just wanted to..."

"You will not speak while I speak, Sophia. Not until I am done speaking," her mother told her firmly.