Chapter 102 - Cedric POV
For the past couple of weeks, there's been an unofficial war brewing inside the estate. The kind where no blood is drawn, but blades are constantly being sharpened in silence. My vassals whisper, the staff walk on eggshells, and the air is so thick with tension it could be sliced clean through with a knife.
The Duchess' people avoid mine. Her wing has become a fortress in itself, and the guards stationed there glare at mine with open hostility. It's ridiculous.
All my hard work, my achievements, my transformation—they mean nothing now. Because she's angry. And when the Duchess is angry, the entire estate holds its breath.
People have grown cautious. They remember who her family is. They remember that her sister is the Crown Princess and her brother-in-law is the heir to the throne. That kind of power casts long shadows, and I am suddenly aware of how small I am beneath it.
