The Slave Queen - Chapter 88: Chapter 88

Meanwhile, at the Ice Party.
With Jaylee holding them up, it was getter darker outside.
The dead of winter was harsh enough, but with the Ice Party in full swing, the night wind whipped flurries of snow through the air, making the cold cut even deeper.
Though draped in a fur cloak, Raelynn's constitution had been weakened by years of living in exile and malnutrition since childhood. Even after returning to the Duke's estate, she hadn't fully recovered before entering the palace, where her health deteriorated further.
As a result, even this biting wind was more than her fragile body could bear.
Shawn gazed at Raelynn, her nose red from the cold, his eyes softening with unexpected tenderness.
But Raelynn merely assumed this was just how he always was.
With sincere gratitude, Raelynn gave a graceful curtsy. "My thanks for speaking up for me just now, Lord Shawn."
Shawn made a rare smile at her.
Raelynn looked at him in confusion.
Shawn said teasingly, "You announced our engagement in front of everyone today. If I didn't back you up, wouldn't we be the laughingstock?"
Hearing this, Raelynn pressed her lips together and lowered her head, pointedly ignoring his remark.
She thought, 'Announcing our engagement in public today was merely a tactical move.
'All I wanted was to leverage Shawn's name to put Julia and Verda firmly in their place, especially after realizing they both had their eyes on him.
'Honestly, I admit I don't have any romantic feelings for Shawn right now. Still, he's my fiancé, after all. In a way, he's mine. So if girls like Julia or Verda keep having designs on him, I can't help but feel a bit troubled.
'By announcing my engagement in public, I've completely cut off any possibility of Julia making advances toward Shawn in the future.
'As long as Julia is unhappy, I'm happy.
'After all, it's truly liberating not to be the pushover anymore.
'I never expected Shawn would find out about this so soon.
'Now I feel like I've been caught red-handed. How embarrassing!'
Seeing her fall silent, Shawn gazed at her strikingly beautiful face, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
His usually sharp eyes, softened by the street light, now held a subtle tenderness.
In a low voice, he murmured, "You wielded my name quite handily when shutting down Miss Ramos and your foster sister earlier. So why so quiet now?"
Seeing him tease her like that, Raelynn felt a retort bubbling up inside her.
She was already in a combative mood from earlier today. So she took a deep breath and met Shawn's gaze.
With a huff of defiance, she shot back, "Well, Lord Shawn, didn't you just now call me 'Raelynn dear' so affectionately when Miss Ramos was here?"
Hardly had the words left her lips when she realized something was amiss.
As she grasped what she had just said, her face burned crimson. She was rooted to the spot while fuming at herself.
She thought, 'What on earth was I thinking? I must have gotten completely carried away in the heat of the moment today. Not only did I dare talk back to Shawn, but I even made such an embarrassing remark!
'He wouldn't think I said that on purpose, would he? He couldn't possibly think I'm actually that full of myself, could he?'
Raelynn took another deep breath.
The air around them seemed to suddenly go still.
Nearby, Sienna nearly dropped her jaw in shock.
'Is Lady Raelynn actually flirting with her future husband?' Sienna wondered.
Whatever this was, it certainly didn't look like a bickering.
Sienna, at this thought, glanced back at the Goose Pavilion.
To her surprise, Margot and Esther, who had been sitting there just moments before, were already nowhere to be seen.
A conflicted feeling rose in her chest. She couldn't tell whether she felt more relieved or regretful.
When Jaylee came to bully Raelynn earlier, Sienna was torn. On one hand, she hoped Margot would witness it and come to Raelynn's rescue; on the other, she dreaded that Margot would be heartbroken to see her Raelynn being mistreated.
At this moment, though, Sienna couldn't help but wish Margot were here to witness the interaction between Raelynn and Shawn.
The magnetic chemistry between them was so palpable that even a bystander could feel it.
Margot's greatest wish in life was to see Raelynn marry into a good family.
If only she could see this with her own eyes, she'd be over the moon.
However, she wasn't around at this time.
Sienna stole a furtive glance at the pair and discreetly stepped aside.
She wanted to give them some privacy.
Sienna thought to herself that when she got back today, she'd head to Embergrace House to find Esther.
She'd ask Margot if she'd seen anything interesting today.
While she was at it, she'd share the latest about Raelynn and Shawn. Sienna believed that this would make Margot happy.
While Sienna was lost in thought, Raelynn gradually regained her composure under Shawn's slightly teasing gaze.
She forced herself to look away from him.
She reminded herself, 'He is to going to be my husband. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we'll be bound together for this lifetime.'