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Dagmara’s heart stopped. One person remained standing at the back of the room, barely visible in the shadows. His hands were poised behind his back as he stared at Dagmara with a smirk plastered to his face and ice-blue magic shimmering in his eyes.

Sabien Renaud.

He tilted his head ever so slightly, and the water in the bowl rippled.

Thoughts rushed through Dagmara’s mind like a tidal wave as everything made sense. Sabien was the one who healed Claude in Sailonne, not Dagmara. His hand was over hers the entire time. She was never the one with magic. She was horribly ordinary and Sabien was…he was…

A Guardian of Life.

CHAPTER 51

Dagmara

Dagmara felt like she was going to faint.

Claude rose to his feet. In unison, the rest of the audience straightened. Even Annette stood, her face red with embarrassment.

“Let us eat!” Claude yelled, though his voice was muffled. He was miles away from Dagmara. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from Sabien, and the Captain of the Guard wasn’t backing down either as the magic faded from his eyes.

Music flooded the room once more, and the clattering of plates and utensils turned into a cacophony of noises.

“Are you alright?” Claude placed his hand on Dagmara’s lower back.

“Y-Yes,” Dagmara stammered. “I just need some air.” She yanked away from Claude. Hiking up her wedding dress, she raced out of the room through the closest door.

Once the door had slammed shut behind her, she nearly collapsed into the wall, leaning her shoulder against it to keep her upright. She felt sick to her stomach.

It was him. Sabien Renaud. He had created the wolf figure in the air. He had water magic. There was no other explanation. She remembered their first interaction in Azurem and how he commented on the wolf sculptures in the tavern. She remembered shoving him into the rapids—

It made perfect sense now that she saw him for who he was. The rapids had healed his injury. He must have commanded the water to bring him to safety. That was the only explanation for how he had survived.

Then why would he step in and create the scene in the banquet hall? Why let everyone think Dagmara had magic? He made it seem like she had healed Claude, and then he put on the show with the wolf figure in the water. Why didn’t he let the truth be exposed? It didn’t make sense.

“Princess.”

Dagmara whirled at the voice, coming face to face with Martine.

“Are you alright?”

Breathless, Dagmara nodded.

“What happened in there?” Martine asked, her eyes full of concern.

Dagmara leaned her back against the stone wall, clutching her chest. She avoided the direct question. “You followed me?”

“It is my job to watch you,” Martine said. She took a step closer, taking Dagmara’s free hand. “But I am not only your guard. I would like to be a friend.”

Another pang radiated in Dagmara’s chest. She was lying to everyone, even Martine who knew she wasn’t a guardian.

“You are a good friend, Martine. There are things I wish I could tell you, but you are still Ilusaurian.”

“I may be Ilusaurian, but that doesn’t make us enemies. As your guard, everything I do is for your safety. And as your friend, everything I do is because I want to help.”

Dagmara smiled. “It feels good to have a friend again. I—”

Another voice interrupted them.

“Hello, Princess, or shall I say, Queen.”