The Bride Of The Devil-Chapter 47: Ghost Of The Past

The three of them sat quietly around the dining table. The room was dim, lit by soft candlelight that made shadows dance on the walls. The air felt heavy but calm, filled with a strange silence that none of them knew how to break. Outside, the night was still, and the faint sound of the palace guards’ footsteps echoed in the distance.

Lydia glanced back and forth between Ivan and Tatiana. She felt a swirl of emotions inside her—confusion, embarrassment, and something like a little spark of jealousy. Why did Ivan look so different when he looked at Tatiana? She had never seen that side of him before. His face was unreadable now, as if he was lost deep in thought, and he didn’t say a word. Her heart beat a little faster, but she tried to keep calm.

Tatiana noticed Lydia’s curious eyes and smiled softly. "It must have been embarrassing," she said gently, her voice calm and kind. "Since I interrupted both of you."

Lydia’s cheeks flushed red. She didn’t know what to say. Ivan still didn’t move or speak. Tatiana stood up and walked over to Lydia. She reached out carefully and helped tighten the ties on Lydia’s dress, making sure it fit just right. The fabric felt soft beneath her fingers, but Lydia felt uneasy inside.

"Don’t worry," Tatiana said with a warm smile. "You can carry on. I will come to your chambers tomorrow morning, Your Highness." Her eyes shone with kindness as she spoke, and Lydia found herself wanting to believe her.

Lydia blinked, surprised by how softly Tatiana said her title. Tatiana yawned slightly, rubbing her eyes. "I’m feeling sleepy. I have been traveling for many days," she explained quietly, her voice tired but polite.

Then Tatiana turned to Ivan. "It’s good to see you again, Your Highness," she said politely.

Ivan nodded slightly but said nothing. His mind seemed far away. Lydia watched him, wishing she could reach inside his thoughts and find what he was really feeling.

Feeling overwhelmed, Lydia quietly excused herself and walked toward her chambers, her footsteps soft on the polished floor.

---

Her maids were waiting for her, ready to help with her bath. Lydia sank into the warm water, letting the calm waves soothe her tired body. But her mind was still racing. She kept thinking about the way Ivan had looked at Tatiana — a look she had never seen on him before. It was different, strange, and it made her heart ache in a way she couldn’t explain.

She sighed deeply. Her maids noticed.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" one of them asked gently, her voice full of concern.

Lydia shook her head. "No," she whispered, her voice small.

One maid leaned closer and asked quietly, "Is it because of the new lady-in-waiting? Are you worried about her?"

Lydia looked down, uncertain. "I don’t know," she said honestly, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of the bath.

The maid gave her a warning look. "You better be. She’s young and beautiful. You know how dangerous it can be to keep a beautiful girl close to your husband. Especially when this palace has a history..."

The other maid immediately shushed her. "Why are you bringing that up? It’s not right to speak such things to her Highness."

The first maid lowered her voice but continued, "I’m sorry, Your Highness. But you should know. Years ago, something happened between the grand duchess and her lady-in-waiting."

Lydia’s eyes grew wide. "What happened?" she asked, voice trembling.

The maid’s voice dropped to a whisper. "The grand duke fell in love with the lady-in-waiting. Worse—she seduced him. They even had a son."

Lydia’s heart beat faster. "You mean... Ivan?"

The maid nodded slowly. "Yes. The worst part is that the two women were friends—childhood friends, like sisters."

Shock hit Lydia hard. She didn’t know what to think. Was this true? Was Ivan’s mother really someone who had betrayed the grand duchess? Her mind swirled with questions and doubts, her chest tightening.

Before the maids could say more, Katherine, Lydia’s trusted handmaid, appeared and scolded them firmly. "How many times have I told you both to stop saying rubbish to her Highness?"

The two maids quickly apologized and left the room. Katherine gently helped Lydia out of the bath and wrapped a soft towel around her. The warm fabric comforted Lydia, but the chill in her heart did not fade.

"Do not concern yourself with what they said, Your Highness," Katherine said softly, her voice steady and calm.

Lydia’s voice trembled. "Is it not true? Did she really do that?"

Katherine said nothing. She just looked away, silent.

Lydia’s voice grew firmer, though still quiet. "What about Tatiana? Is she a good person? Should I be worried about her?"

Katherine remained silent, avoiding Lydia’s gaze.

Frustrated, Lydia asked gently but with anger beneath her words, "Why won’t you say anything? I just want answers."

Katherine sighed and said quietly, "Sometimes, it’s better not to know."

She finished dressing Lydia and brushed her hair carefully, the soft brush strokes almost soothing Lydia’s troubled mind. Then she started tidying the room.

Lydia sat alone, hugging her legs to her chest in a wooden chair by the window. The moonlight spilled in, casting pale light across her face. She felt lost and confused. She had no one to ask. No one to trust. How could she understand what really happened when no one wanted to tell her the truth?

She took out a small notebook and began to write down her feelings—her confusion, her loneliness, her fears. She wrote slowly, pouring out everything she felt but couldn’t say out loud. Each word was a small release of the weight inside her chest.

When she looked up, she saw Katherine still cleaning quietly. Lydia said nothing. She simply went to her bed, feeling too tired and too sad to hope that Ivan would come to her room that night.

She lay down, sulking in the darkness. The soft rustling of the curtains was the only sound. Then she heard the door to her chambers open and close quietly.

She didn’t bother to look. She thought it was Katherine coming back to check on her.

But then, soft footsteps approached her bed.

It wasn’t Katherine.

Ivan was there.

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