The Villainess Wants To Retire-Chapter 419: Tomorrow

She gave her head a tiny, sharp shake, refocusing on his words.

"As for the preparations," Soren was saying, misinterpreting her silence for hesitation. "I know you’ve been under a tremendous amount of strain. If you’re worried about the workload, you don’t need to be. I usually handle the festival preparations myself. Even though it is technically the Empress’s purview to manage the feast and the decorations, I don’t mind doing it for you. I want you to rest."

"No," Eris said immediately. Her voice was firm, cutting through his offer.

Soren blinked, startled.

"I can handle it," she said, her stubborn pride flaring. "You are already handling the trial of the century, the fallout of the arrest, and the border disputes. I am not going to sit idly by and add my responsibilities to your pile. I will manage the festival."

Soren felt a sharp, sweet ache in his chest. She cares. She’s trying to protect me. But the worry remained. "Eris, you still need to rest. Your seal... "

"I am fine, Soren," she said, her eyes flashing with that familiar, fiery spark. "Do not coddle me."

Soren lowered his gaze, his heart sinking. "Of course. As you wish. I should also mention... you don’t have to attend the festival itself. After the opening ceremony and the feast, the public celebrations continue for the rest of the day. It’s not required for the Empress to stay."

Eris considered this. In Solmire, she had hated public gatherings. But the way he described it... the skating, the stories, the communal warmth... it sounded... different.

"I think I want to," she said softly. "From what you’ve explained... it sounds fun."

Soren’s head snapped up. I want to go with you, he thought desperately. I want to show you the sculptures. I want to see you smile at the children on the sleds. Gods, I miss you.

"Of course," he said aloud, his voice strained as he tried to sound casual. "If you want to try it, that’s fine. But don’t overdo it. The cold can be deceptive."

Eris leaned forward slightly. "Will you be attending? Aside from the opening?"

Soren caught his breath. He didn’t know how to answer. If he said yes, would she think he was crowding her? If he said no, he wouldn’t be able to stand the thought of her out there alone.

Before he could answer, Eris straightened her spine. "We’re both going," she said, her tone returning to that matter-of-fact imperial command. Then, she softened, her voice dropping an octave. "I’d like for you to be there. But if you’re too exhausted, it’s fine."

"No!" Soren said, the word coming out far too quickly. He flushed, composing himself with a quick breath. "I’m not exhausted. Let’s attend together."

He couldn’t hide the relief in his eyes. The prospect of being with her... even in public, even under the eyes of thousands... was like water to a man dying of thirst.

"The festival is tomorrow," he added. "It gives us less time for the bureaucracy to get in the way."

The air in the room shifted. The mention of "tomorrow" made the distance between them feel absurd. The professional mask was cracking, the warmth of the small seating area finally beginning to melt the ice of the last four days.

Eris lowered her gaze, her fingers tracing a pattern on the velvet arm of her chair. The silence was no longer thick with awkwardness, but with a burgeoning, painful vulnerability.

"How are you, Soren?" she asked quietly.

She paused, then looked up, her amber eyes searching his. "Truly. How are you feeling? I know the trial preparation is a nightmare. Are you managing alright? Have you been eating? Sleeping?"

Soren felt his resolve crumbling. He wanted to say: I miss you. I miss you so much it hurts to draw a breath. I want to jump across this table and kiss you until neither of us can remember our names. I want to be inside you again, to feel your heat surrounding me and hear you moan my name in that broken way you do.

He wanted to tell her he was dying in the silence of his study.

"I’m fine," he said.

Idiot, he screamed at himself internally. You absolute, monumental fool.

Eris looked at him for a long moment. She knew he was lying. She could see the tension in his shoulders and the way his hands were clenched. But she didn’t push. She wasn’t ready to break the fragile peace they had just built. She just nodded, a small, sad smile playing on her lips.

"I see."

Eventually, the conversation wound down. The logistics were settled, the documents signed. Eris stood up, her movements slow, as if she were reluctant to leave the orbit of his presence.

"Thank you for explaining," she said, the formality returning as a defensive reflex.

Soren stood as well. "Of course."

He walked her to the door, his hand hovering near the small of her back but never quite touching. He wanted to grab her hand, to pull her around and beg her to stay, but the ghost of Caelen and the fear of her pity kept his arms at his sides.

"I’ll see you tomorrow, then," she said at the door.

"Tomorrow," he whispered.

The door clicked shut, leaving him alone in the sudden, freezing silence of his office. Soren leaned his forehead against the heavy wood of the door and exhaled a long, shaky breath.

He was happy... he had seen her, and she had come to him. He was exhausted... the emotional toll of the meeting was greater than any trade treaty. He was aching... missing her more now than he had ten minutes ago because he had tasted what he was missing. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

But he was hopeful.

Tomorrow, they would be together. Tomorrow, the world would see them as one. He returned to his desk and tried to focus on the witness testimonies, but the sky looked like her hair and the words on the scroll sounded like her voice.

Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.