Chapter 172: Chapter 172

Irina sat quietly in the parlour of her new manor. The soft golden light from the lamps made the room warm, but her heart was not calm. She kept her eyes on the wide window where raindrops slid slowly down the glass. The sky outside was dark and heavy, and the endless sound of falling rain filled the silence.

Her fingers played nervously with the edge of her shawl. She was trying to appear calm, but her face betrayed her. Her lips were pressed together, her brow tight, and her eyes full of hidden pain.

The door opened gently. Damir walked in, his steps steady but his gaze immediately caught his mother’s expression.

"Are you okay, Mother?" he asked softly, standing near her.

Irina nodded quickly. "I am."

But Damir tilted his head and studied her closely. "I know you," he said with quiet certainty. "You aren’t. What is it?"

Irina looked away from him, her gaze returning to the rain outside. For a moment, she said nothing. Then in a voice barely above a whisper she said, "It’s about Lydia."

Damir sat down beside her. His face softened. "I thought so," he said. "The rain worries you too."

Irina’s throat tightened as she nodded. "The rain has returned, and I cannot stop thinking of her. I am worried."

"Me too," Damir admitted. His hands rested on his knees, his voice calm but his eyes troubled. "But you know her, Mother. Lydia is strong. She is not the type to fall easily. She has been through storms before. She will survive this one too."

Irina tried to smile, but her lips trembled. Tears began to pool in her eyes, and her voice cracked. "I know she is strong," she said, "but my heart aches for her. She lost her parents. She lost her child. She has lost so much. I just do not want her to suffer again. I am afraid, Damir. I am afraid the past will repeat itself, and she will be hurt once more."

She covered her face with her hands for a moment, her sob breaking the air.

Damir’s hand reached out slowly and rested on hers, pulling them down gently. "What if there was a way I could protect her?" he asked softly.

Irina’s eyes widened. "What do you mean? Tell me."

But Damir shook his head. "I can’t say now. Not yet. But don’t worry. I’ll let you know when the time is right."

"I don’t understand," Irina said, her voice full of confusion. "What are you saying?"

"You don’t have to worry," Damir said firmly. His eyes held hers with strength and promise. "Mother, I’m here. I will protect her. I’ll make sure she never gets hurt again. I’ll make sure she is happy."

He reached forward and hugged her tightly, holding her as if to reassure both her and himself. Irina leaned into his embrace, closing her eyes. The warmth of her son’s arms was the only comfort against the storm outside.

Far away, in the palace, Ivan stood stiffly in the lounge by the tall window. His hands were behind his back, but his shoulders were tense. His eyes stared at the sky where the rain was beginning to ease into a light drizzle. His face was pale, his jaw tight, and his heart restless. All he could think about was Lydia. Was she alright? Was she safe in this storm?

The sound of the door opening broke his silence. Boris entered, walking calmly but with purpose. His eyes narrowed when he saw Ivan’s expression.

"I heard from Katherine what happened between you and Lydia," Boris said. His voice was steady, but there was weight in it. "It can’t be true, right?"

Ivan’s lips parted, but he spoke quietly. "It’s true."

Boris’s brows drew together. "What?"

"Everything is true," Ivan said with a heavy breath. His eyes stayed on the window, not daring to look at his friend. "It is all because of me."

Boris stepped closer, confusion clouding his face. "It doesn’t make any sense. You would never... Did you really do that to her? Did you abandon your own child?"

Ivan said nothing. His silence filled the room like a wall. Get full chapters from Nov3lFɪre.ɴet

Boris’s voice rose, louder and more broken. "Why won’t you answer me? Ivan, tell me why. Why did you do that? You know how much she loved you. I don’t understand anything anymore. Why would you abandon her because of some deal with the queen to spy on you—a deal we both know she never made? So why? Why did you do it? Tell me, Your Highness. I thought you loved her."

Still, Ivan gave no response. His throat tightened, and his eyes burned with unshed tears.

Boris’s hands clenched at his sides. "You always hated His Majesty because you felt abandoned by him," he said bitterly. "But you did the very same thing to your own son. How could you? At least His Majesty did not abandon you. But you... you abandoned your own flesh and blood."

His voice broke with anger and disappointment. He shook his head. "I can’t believe you."

Tears began to fall from Ivan’s eyes, sliding down his cheeks silently. Boris saw them but said nothing. His anger was too deep, his disappointment too heavy. He turned his gaze away from Ivan, but his mind was not at peace either. He thought of Lydia, of her pain, of how she must feel now with the rain falling again.

Meanwhile, in the cemetery outside Svetlana, Lydia stood in front of a small gravestone. The rain had soaked her completely. Her hair clung to her face, and her cloak was heavy with water. But she did not move. She simply stood there, her eyes locked on the stone that marked the resting place of her baby.

On it lay a dried flower, its petals fragile and brittle. Lydia reached down and picked it up carefully, holding it in her trembling hand. She thought of her godmother, who must have come by recently to place it there.

As soon as she held the flower, her chest tightened, and tears spilled down her face. She broke down completely, falling to her knees before the gravestone.

"I’m sorry, my darling," she sobbed. Her words came out broken and desperate. "I couldn’t protect you. I couldn’t save you. I’m really, really sorry. I’m so sorry. My poor baby."

Her body shook as she wept, her tears mixing with the rain. She pressed the flower to her heart.

After a while, she wiped her eyes roughly, though her tears would not stop. Her voice changed, trembling but full of anger. "You don’t have to worry," she whispered. "I’ll make him pay for what he did to you. I’ll make him suffer. I promise you, my darling, you don’t have to worry anymore."

Her vow lingered in the cold air as the rain dripped down around her.

Then came the sound of soft footsteps. Lydia turned slightly. Katherine was there, her cloak dripping wet. She walked carefully toward Lydia and touched her shoulder gently.

"You disappeared," Katherine said softly. "I was worried."

Her eyes moved to the gravestone. She looked at it sadly, then whispered, "Is it his?"

Lydia wiped her tears, her face pale and broken. "Yes."

Katherine’s eyes filled with sorrow. "I’m so sorry, Your Highness. Maybe if I had been more attentive back then, I would have noticed you were with child. Maybe this would not have happened."

Lydia said nothing. Her eyes returned to the gravestone, empty and tired.

Katherine’s voice dropped lower, heavy with regret. "I didn’t even know he was buried here in Svetlana."

Lydia’s lips parted. Her voice was soft, almost weak. "Let’s go back to the palace. I’m exhausted."

Katherine nodded gently. "Of course."

She slipped her arm around Lydia’s, supporting her. Together they walked away, the rain softening to a drizzle around them.