CHAPTER 159: WHEN EYES MET

Ariana held her breath as Leah tied the straps of her gown. She was wearing a royal blue dress, her hair left loose and wavy, matching perfectly with her gown. Her hairpins, a mixture of gold and royal blue, complemented her elegance flawlessly.

As a Luna, her crown rested gently atop her head. A smile curled on her lips as she turned to Leah with a wide smile.

"Thank you so much, Leah. I cannot explain how thankful and lucky I am to meet you," she spoke.

Leah nodded with a smile—this time, a genuine one, not her usual professional smile.

"My queen, it is my greatest pleasure working with you," Leah replied.

Ariana’s eyes shifted to the basket on the table, where feeding bottles filled with her breast milk were neatly placed. Since Ariana would be leaving for the palace, Leah would be the one spending most of the time with little Vreni.

Ariana walked gently to the baby’s bed. Vreni had just fallen asleep, having been fed before Ariana dressed in her gown.

"Safe journey," Leah said with a wide smile on her lips.

Ariana returned the smile before walking to the door and heading down the stairs for breakfast.

At the dining table, Stephanie was already seated. She raised her head, dressed in a royal milk-colored flowery gown. She had been informed earlier that morning that she would accompany the queen, and the news had made her more than happy.

She didn’t even know why—perhaps because she loved being around Ariana. The Luna’s aura and energy were always warm and soothing, making Stephanie feel cozy and at peace.

"Luna Ariana, good morning. I hope you slept well," she asked with a smile as Ariana sat down.

"Good morning to you too, Lady Stephanie. I did sleep well. What about you?" Ariana replied with a smile.

They both giggledas thier eyes locked again, remembering the little glances they had shared earlier. It seemed they could no longer hold back their laughter.

The reason for their giggle was because they both knew their sleep was not usual—while others had been asleep last midnight, they were still awake talking.

Ariana picked up her cutlery as they both began eating.

"I am guessing you are also curious about why I am taking you with me.i want answers about my..I..." she paused, unsure if she should continue, not wanting it to sound too sensitive to Stephanie.

"You don’t have to worry, Luna Ariana. You can say it—I don’t mind at all, as long as it would help us find out the truth," Stephanie reassured.

Ariana smiled at her words and nodded calmly.

"It seems Lady Emberg knows more than we think she does. I feel she had known me before I got married to the king, and I will be visiting her to find out some things," Ariana spoke softly.

Stephanie nodded as she gently lifted a chopped piece of meat to her lips before taking a soft gulp of the soup.

As if something suddenly clicked, Stephanie asked calmly, her face showing curiosity.

"But what if... what if she remains quiet? Lady Emberg can be very stubborn, and keeping things to herself is her specialty. Who knows what else she knows?"

She shrugged, though Ariana could not ignore the look in her eyes—the sadness was undeniable, even though she also saw the determination not to let it show. Ariana understood Lady Stephanie very well.

"That would not be a problem, as the truth always comes out, no matter how many times people try to hide it," Ariana replied firmly.

Just then, a maid arrived, bowing as she spoke.

"Your Highness, the seer has informed us to send Queen Mother’s meal to her room so she may eat there," the maid explained.

Ariana nodded with a smile.

"That would not be a problem," she replied calmly.

The maid bowed and left. Ariana understood that Queen Mother needed to avoid too much stress before her leg became fully stable again. It reminded Ariana of the time she herself had been in a wheelchair, though she knew she could not compare—the Queen Mother was old, and she was still young, so there was a huge difference.

They ate silently, and when they were done, Lady Stephanie stood, followed by Ariana. Together they walked to the entrance of the duplex where the carriage waited. The driver opened the door for them.

As they entered, Ariana sat on one side while Lady Stephanie took the other.

Stephanie was glad to be going out. Even though it was for serious matters, she could not help but feel grateful. She had been in the duplex for so long that she missed the outside world. Not that she was ever the type to go out much—but perhaps it was because she was going out with Ariana.

The carriage began to move, the gate opening slowly behind them. The path ahead was slightly rough as the wheels rolled forward.

"Luna Ariana, if I may," Stephanie spoke softly. "Would you mind if I asked you some questions? I do not really know much about you." She was genuinely curious, though she still waited for Ariana’s approval, out of respect.

"Sure, Lady Stephanie. What are you curious about?" Ariana asked, shifting her gaze from the window to look at her.

"I am curious about you... if I may ask, are you the only child?"

The words had barely left her lips when she noticed the way Ariana stiffened. Stephanie immediately clamped her lips shut, realizing she had touched a sensitive subject. She saw the quiet sadness in the queen’s eyes.

"I am not. I do have a sister—a twin sister—but we are not identical," Ariana answered softly, her gaze shifting away.

It had been months since she had seen her sister. She wondered how her sister was doing, if she was well. The guilt weighed on her—she felt like a bad person for not asking after her, not even sending a letter. She had thought of her sister many times, yet she had never acted on it...

"Luna Ariana..." Stephanie’s soft voice cut through her thoughts.

Ariana’s lips curved into a faint smile as she shook her head gently.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the carriage came to a stop.

It halted in front of the palace. A guard opened the door, and Lady Stephanie stepped out first, followed by Ariana. Another guard trailed behind, carrying something on her behalf. Ariana did not mind—after all, he was only helping her.

They walked up the small steps until Ariana stopped. Raven stood at the entrance. As Ariana’s gaze shifted, her eyes met Pandora’s.