Chapter 370
Flora got out of the bed and went to wash her face. She looked at herself in the mirror and again broke down. Her sobs echoed in the washroom and for a while, she only cried until they stopped coming.
After washing her face again, she returned to the room. She wished to go back but for Amelie’s sake she didn’t want to. Returning to the bed, she again stared at the blank wall in front of her.
Taking a deep, steady breaths, she finally calmed down herself. “I shouldn’t have run away and explained myself right there. I think I even ruined Juniper’s special night,” Flora murmured.
She put on the slippers and walked out of the room into the night just to take a stroll. While walking, she realized the palace had an eerie silence at night. But this silence seemed better than the noises that almost haunted her earlier.
As she walked through the empty corridor, her heart finally turned steady.
“Oh… where have I come?” Flora murmured, glancing around in confusion. The corridor stretched unfamiliar before her. She turned in a slow circle, her brows knitting together.
“Flora p>
The sound of her name, carried softly but clearly, made her spin toward the voice. Zilia stood a few paces away with concern and curiosity.
“What are you doing here?” Zilia asked.
“I—I was just walking,” Flora admitted. “But I must’ve lost my way.” She hesitated, then added, “Sorry about earlier. I just… needed to be alone. But… why are you here p>
“And I understand you wanted to be alone. My brother is staying in this chamber,” Zilia said, gesturing toward a door on her left.
“Oh.” Flora’s eyes followed the direction of her hand. “Did he already fall asleep p>
“Yes, he has,” Zilia replied with a small nod. “If you’re not ready to sleep, then… shall we talk p>
Flora hesitated. “What about Prince Casaio? He must be waiting for you p>
“Casaio?” A faint smile touched Zilia’s lips. “He’s already asleep. He drank far too much tonight.” Her tone softened as she turned her eyes back to Flora. “But you know, I might be the best person for you to talk to. I’ve made my own mistakes too, the kind that once landed me in prison p>
Flora blinked, confusion furrowing her brow. “Prison? What do you mean p>
Instead of answering directly, Zilia reached out and clasped Flora’s hand gently. “Come. I’ll tell you p>
Without another word, she led Flora through the dim corridor, back toward her room.
As she shut the door behind her, Flora sat down on the bed. Zilia settled beside her and began, “Amelie is truly a wonderful elder sister. She confronted Juniper’s friends p>
“Yeah, she is. She has always protected me,” Flora said with a smile. “But I never did anything good for her. It’s true I’ve been selfish for a long time. I wanted Alex for myself. I didn’t know she was pregnant. But there was a moment when I asked Alex why he let Amelie stay alive. I must be out of my mind. They weren’t completely wrong about me. I-I did so bad to Amelie that I-I can’t even protect myself. I wanted her downfall until the very end. But I-I never planned any attack on her. By the time I realized what Alex did, I was being dragged away, my father had almost lost his life. A lot happened on the day I was supposed to wed Alex. I was so foolish. How could I stand with Alex and let him do whatever he wanted p>
Hearing the confession of her mistakes, Zilia placed her hand over Flora’s.
“But after that, you decided to turn into a better person. And you’re thriving toward it,” Zilia stated softly.
“But can I ever be a better person in the eyes of the others? I did wrong. Sometimes, I think I should disappear,” Flora said, lowering her head.
“Those who love you will be in pain for their entire life. I have witnessed it myself,” Zilia stated. “I don’t know if Amelie told you about me or not but I was a spy for the Alpha of Blood Dominion p>
Flora turned her head promptly to look at her. But she didn’t comment right away rather she chose to listen to her.
“I was forced to be a spy ten years ago for the life of my brother. But when I came here, I found my mate in Casaio. He has been always been a wonderful man. I should say I never saw a man like him ever in my life. I kept rejecting his proposal for ten years because I didn’t wish his life to come into danger because of me p>
She took a brief pause before continuing,
“However, I was caught in the end. I was thrown into the prison. I was ready to serve my punishment. I knew it was over for me. Casaio rejected me because of the pressure on him. And I accepted it because it was the best way to let him go. I remained in prison for weeks, hoping for my last day. But Casaio couldn’t let me go. Even after everything turned well, I decided to leave Casaio’s life forever with my brother and wanted to a far place p>
“Then, what happened?” Zilia questioned.
“Casaio found me and confronted me. He confessed he couldn’t live without me and I must heal him for breaking him apart. Now, everything has turned so well. See, he even proposed me,” Zilia stated, showing her ring to Flora.
“That’s beautiful,” Flora said.
“That’s why don’t lose hope. You made mistakes that were unforgivable. But that phase has already passed. Amelie is happy in her own life. People love to gossip about the others. What you’ve to do is move on for yourself. You deserve a joyful life like the others. You’ve lost too much, so be ready to gain too. Also, Amelie told us how you chose not to come into the words of the witch, who approached you with evil intentions. If you wanted, you could’ve taken that help for gaining everything back. But you didn’t. That’s define the new you. You are a good person, Flora. Your past shall no longer define your present. Always keep that in mind p>