Fated Eclipse: The Illegitimate Princess And Her Alpha Suitors

Chapter 291: More Than Friends, Best of Friends?

The man sighed then, a long, weary sound that seemed to carry the weight of unspoken warnings and years of experience. His voice, when he spoke, was low and serious, stripped of all the levity it had carried moments before.

”Be careful, Bridget,” he said. ”I do not intend to lose you before everything is finalised. There is too much at stake. And too many pieces are still in motion.”

Bridget opened her mouth to respond, to tell him that he need not concern himself with her and that she was fully capable of taking care of herself, despite what he seemed to believe. But before she could utter a single word, he was gone.

His body seemed to dissolve into the shadows, his figure becoming one with the darkness as though he had never been there at all.

She remained rooted to the spot for a long moment, staring at the place where he had stood. The corridor was empty now, the silence pressing in around her. She could never understand how he moved so silently, so seamlessly, as though he belonged to the darkness itself. It was something she envied and something she had never quite mastered.

She sighed and shook her head.

No one would ever suspect that someone like him gathered information for his lord, nor that he was exceptionally skilled at doing so.

And considering who his lord was, she doubted he was gathering information solely about Baron Frederick.

She shook her head again, choosing not to dwell upon it, and glanced around the empty corridor.

She considered whether she should inform Elara to place people around this area.

Though Princess Lyria now had maids and guards working exclusively for her, they were still very few compared to what a princess ought to possess—and certainly far fewer than Princess Jacinta herself commanded. The imbalance was striking.

Perhaps if there had been more maids or guards, Baron Frederick would not have met that suspicious man in a location so close to the Princess’s chambers.

Once more, Bridget sighed.

This was not the time to think about such things.

She had to leave.

She knew that if she remained away from Princess Lyria’s side for too long, questions would arise—especially if the Queen or Princess Jacinta discovered her absence.

Her purpose was to protect the Princess, not to bring suspicion upon her.

And there was also the matter of what she had overheard.

She had to tell the Princess.

She had no idea whether the information would prove useful.

No.

Princess Lyria was clever. She would find a way to make use of it.

Bridget drew a breath and made her decision.

She would return to the maids’ quarters to change. She would continue her investigation that night, when the palace slept and the shadows grew deeper.

For now, she had to be a maid.

---

Meanwhile, in the library, the light had shifted, casting long golden shadows across the floor.

Lyria was still seated with Baron Redwick, the book open before them, though neither of them had looked at it for some time.

Lyria did not understand why, but for some reason Baron Redwick seemed nervous.

She could feel the tension radiating from him. She could see the way his hands clasped and unclasped in his lap, the way his jaw tightened and loosened, as though he were struggling to find the proper words.

She drew a breath and spoke, her voice soft but steady.

”I d-do not feel uncomfortable,” she said. ”And I k-kind of understand, my lord.”

He looked up at her, his eyes searching her face with an intensity that made her want to look away.

”Understand what?” he asked.

She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. Her fingers traced the edge of the book.

”If s-someone else was b-being close with s-someone I c-considered a friend,” she said, ”and it was at a p-place that felt as though it should h-have been just for us, I w-would also feel jealous. I think it is n-natural to feel that way when you c-care about someone.”

Baron Redwick chuckled.

It was a hollow sound, devoid of any true amusement, and it echoed in the quiet space between them.

What she had just said was very far from the reason he had reacted as he had upon seeing her with Evander.

Lyria frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion.

”What is it, m-my lord?” she asked.

He shook his head slowly, adjusting his spectacles with a gesture that had become familiar to her.

”You truly only consider me a friend?” he asked.

She blinked, taken aback by the question.

The weight of his words settled over her, and she found herself uncertain of how to answer.

”Yes,” she said. ”I d-do.”

She paused, gathering her thoughts, her gaze dropping to the book before her.

”No one w-would do for me what y-you are doing if they w-were not a friend, or someone who c-cared. You are t-teaching me to read. You are s-spending your time with me. That is what f-friends do.”

Baron Redwick was quiet for a moment.

Then he spoke, his voice low and careful.

”I do not intend to be friends with you, Your Highness.”

Lyria blinked, clearly taken aback.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she felt something shift in the air between them.

”I am s-sorry,” she said slowly. ”I thought that p-perhaps we could b-be friends. But m-maybe I m-misunderstood your intentions?”

He shook his head, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

”You did not misunderstand them,” he said. ”But I do not wish to lie to you. I will accept being friends with you for now, even though it pains me.”

Lyria’s confusion deepened.

She tilted her head, studying his face as though she might discover the answer written there.

”What d-do you mean,” she asked, ”when you say you d-do not want to be friends?”

He looked at her directly, his gaze steady and unwavering.

”I mean,” he said quietly, ”that perhaps I wish to be more than friends.”

Lyria blinked.

Then she asked, her voice small and uncertain,

”Best of f-friends?”