Kylian returned to the palace like a ghost.
The sun had already set by the time he walked through the main gates. His clothes were dirty from kneeling at the grave, his hair messy from the run through the forest. His eyes were red, his face pale and hollow. The guards at the entrance took one look at him and quickly stepped aside without a word.
He didn’t speak to anyone.
He avoided the main hall, avoided the dining room where his family might be waiting, avoided every servant who tried to approach him. His footsteps were heavy as he climbed the stairs to the second floor and headed straight for his private office.
The moment he stepped inside, he locked the door behind him with a loud click.
He leaned against the door for a long moment, breathing hard. The weight of Rachel’s confessi
