I was just a side character, so why are you crying?

Chapter 6: The Expectation

The air in the carriage was so thick with tension I could practically see it swirling like the steam off my (now cold) tea.

Julian sat across from me, his posture perfect, his emerald eyes fixed on me with a gaze that felt like a physical weight. In the original story, Genevieve would be vibrating with excitement right now, trying to touch his sleeve or chirping about how the light hit his hair.

I just leaned my head against the window and watched the commoners scatter as the Royal Crest passed by.

"You haven't said a word, Genevieve." Julian’s voice was smooth, but there was a sharp edge to it. "Usually, I can't get you to stop talking about the floral arrangements for the wedding you've already planned in your head."

I didn't turn around. "I've realized that flowers die, Julian. It seems like a waste of mental energy."

I felt him shift. "And the 'medicine'? Felix mentioned you were being... difficult this morning. You look pale."

At the mention of the medicine, my stomach did a slow, nauseating flip. I finally turned to look at him, and for a split second, I didn't see the handsome lead of a romance drama. I saw a man who had known a girl was being drugged for years and had done nothing because it made her a more predictable pawn.

"I'm perfectly fine," I said, my voice dropping into that low, dangerous Genevieve register. "In fact, I've never felt more awake. Is that why you're looking at me like that? Are you afraid of what I might say when I'm not 'focused'?"

Julian’s eyes narrowed. He reached out, his gloved hand moving to brush a stray hair from my forehead, but I flinched back instinctively.

His hand froze in mid-air. The silence that followed was deafening.

"You flinched," he whispered, his expression darkening into something possessive. "You have never flinched from me. Not once in fifteen years."

"There’s a first time for everything, Your Highness," I snapped.

The carriage came to a halt in front of the Great Cathedral. The bells were tolling, a deep, resonant sound that vibrated in my teeth. Outside, I could see the crowd gathered for the Saintess. And standing at the base of the white marble stairs, looking like a monolith of steel and duty, was Cassel Thorne.

He saw the carriage. He saw the door open. And the moment our eyes met, I saw his grip tighten on the hilt of his sword.

"Stay close to me," Julian commanded, stepping out and offering his hand. "Liana is nervous. You are to stand behind her and provide the 'support' of the Blackwood name. Do not embarrass me."

I looked at his hand, then looked up at the Cathedral. I could feel the "Villainess" instinct itching under my skin, whispering for me to trip the girl, to scream, to make a scene. But Mikaela—the girl who just wanted to live—was steering the ship now.

"Support?" I let out a dry, humorless laugh as I ignored his hand and stepped down onto the pavement. "Oh, I'll give her support, Julian. But you might not like the way I do it."

I started up the stairs, my emerald skirts snapping in the wind. As I passed Cassel, I leaned in just enough for only him to hear.

"Keep your eyes on the Saintess today, Commander," I whispered, my gaze fixed straight ahead. "Because I think the 'script' is about to have a very messy rewrite."

Cassel’s breath hitched. "Genevieve, wait—"

But I was already through the heavy gold doors. The smell of incense and old stone hit me, and there, at the altar, stood Liana. She looked like a dove lost in a den of lions.

I took my place behind her, feeling the eyes of the entire nobility on my back. I could feel Julian’s heat behind me, and Felix’s shadow somewhere in the rafters.

The High Priest raised his hands. "Let the Saintess receive the Blessing of the Sun!"

This was it. The air in the room didn't feel holy; it felt heavy, like the atmosphere before a lightning strike. I stood two paces behind Liana, my hands folded demurely in front of my emerald skirt. I didn't reach for the vial in my sleeve. I didn't move an inch.

But I could feel the eyes.