Never had words felt so liberating to Milena.
Because she was acting so tough and strong all the time, she had almost forgotten there was one place she didn't have to hide to cry, and there were people she could cry to. Raphael was her older brother, and when she suddenly broke out in tears right there and then, he opened up his arms to hug her. His cold embrace was the most warming feeling she could use at that moment, along with Blanche's warm fur rubbed against her skin. He let her cry, long, loud and hard, into his arms, again, and all of the servants who walked by to prepare her father's bath diligently pretended not to see any of that.
Not only that, but when he brought her back to Eugenie's side, she didn't bother to redo her makeup or hide that she had cried. Instead, she let he
