A/N: This chapter is written in the Third Person's POV style, this chapter is the flashback to the time that Adeline went back into her world.
After the sudden visit of the Emperor, Madeleine remained in a deathlike slumber. Invitation letters lay in an unheeded pyramid upon her table—none had been answered. In the eerie stillness of that silent chamber, the only sound was the soft rustle of paper and the distant drip of water, a reminder of neglect and unanswered duty.
Haisley left the manor with a heavy heart. Though her mother had urgently requested that she bring Madeleine home for the birthday celebrations, Haisley had found an excuse—her own burden too heavy to bear the sight of what had become of Her Grace.
With each step along the bustling, lamp-lit streets of the Capital, Haisley struggled to steady her mind. The soft murmurs of gossip floated through the night air, and though she could not catch every word, the snippets of conversation set her pulse racing.
