Chapter 154: The Music of Silence
The Académie de l'Étoile had never felt so alive.
Eva had never seen so many people in one place. Their laughter and voices floated above her like an orchestra warming up before a performance — chaotic, vibrant, just a little too loud. The reception hall shimmered with chandeliers and champagne flutes, polished marble and soft string music threading through the air. Everything sparkled. It should have made her nervous. It didn't.
Her song had already filled this place. Her harp, her voice. Her soul. They'd floated above the audience like something alive. And Seraphina had smiled at her the entire time. That was the only part she remembered perfectly.
Now she sat at a round table draped in white linen, with Briony sipping sparkling water beside her and Vivienne moving between clusters of well - dressed adults like a swan among ducks. The room was beautiful — but Eva felt cocooned, a little detached. It wasn't the glittering crowd she cared for. It was the girl who stood across the room in a storm - blue dress, her auburn hair shining under the chandelier.
"Okay," Briony finally said, tapping her fingers against the side of her glass. "How do you do it?"
Eva blinked. "Do what?"
"Be… you." Briony gestured toward the stage where Eva had performed earlier. "It's not just the music. It's the way you speak. The way you think. The way you just —" She exhaled. "You're seven, and sometimes I forget that."
Eva smiled, small and secretive. "That's not my fault."
Briony gave a dry laugh. "You talk about composition like it's breakfast. Then you start casually slipping into M•••••••. And your F••••• is better than mine. It's… wild."
"It's not wild," Eva replied calmly. "It's just part of how I understand things. Music. People. Languages. The world."
Briony raised a brow. "You're really telling me you understand the world?"
Eva tilted her head thoughtfully. "I think I understand more than most people want me to."
Briony studied her for a moment, then muttered, "Terrifying."
Before Eva could respond, Vivienne reappeared with a flute of sparkling water and a fond smirk. "Don't let her scare you, Briony. She only uses her powers for good."
Eva accepted the glass with both hands, her fingers delicate against the crystal. "Did you send the video?"
Vivienne winked. "Of course I did. Evelyn's going to melt."
Briony didn't flinch at the name — of course she didn't. She knew Evelyn. They all did. The mystery wasn't for her to solve. Eva, on the other hand, didn't show much interest either. She looked down into her glass and asked flatly, "Did you send the whole performance?"
"I did," Vivienne said, a little too casually. "Even the part where you forgot to breathe for six bars because you were staring at Seraphina like she was a sunrise."
Briony snorted.
Eva narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't staring."
"Oh, darling," Vivienne murmured fondly. "You absolutely were."
But Eva had already drifted again — her eyes had found Seraphina across the room. She stood near a few of the academy's patrons, speaking softly, nodding graciously, laughing now and then with polite disinterest. And yet, everything about her presence was magnetic. Eva could sense it from across the hall.
"You love her, don't you?" Briony asked suddenly, her voice so soft only Eva could hear.
Eva's answer came without hesitation. "Of course. She's mine."
Briony's brows lifted, but she didn't mock her. Not this time. "You're very sure of that."
"I don't need to be unsure."
"That's not usually how love works."
Eva turned her pale gray eyes toward her. "That's exactly how it works. You take someone into your heart, and they stay there. Forever. Whether they want to or not."
There was a beat of silence.
"That's a bit dark," Briony said lightly.
"It's just true," Eva replied.
Before Briony could find a clever reply, the low music swelled slightly, and the atmosphere of the room shifted. The conversation dimmed, heads subtly turned. Seraphina had begun to move. She slipped between groups like a shadow in velvet, graceful, sure - footed, with that haunting red gaze scanning until it landed squarely on Eva.
She crossed the room with calm command, her dress brushing softly against polished floors. And the moment she reached them, Eva was already out of her chair and in her arms.
"Did you have fun?" Seraphina asked, brushing a soft curl back from Eva's cheek.
"Not really," Eva whispered against her shoulder. "They kept staring."
Briony leaned in. "Who did?"
"Everyone."
Seraphina's arms wrapped tighter. "That's because they don't know how to see you yet," she said softly. "Not properly. But I do."
Eva didn't answer. She didn't need to.
They sat like that for a while, Seraphina with Eva in her lap, Briony sipping from her glass in silence. The music changed. The air shifted again.
"I liked your piece," Briony said after a pause. "The one you played. It was… otherworldly."
Briony leaned her chin on her hand and gave Eva a mischievous grin.
"You know," she said, "if you weren't already spoken for, I might've asked to adopt you. You'd fit right into my side of the family — sharp tongue, dangerous eyes, dramatic tendencies."
Eva gave her a suspicious look. "You'd need Seraphina's permission."
Briony blinked. "Oh? I thought your maman would have the final say."
Eva shook her head solemnly. "Seraphina owns most of my time. And my heart."
Seraphina, lounging beside her, gave a soft hum. "I suppose that makes me your legal guardian and your emotional spouse."
Eva nodded. "I already said my vows."
Briony laughed. "I believe you. And I respect the union. But I'll still bribe you with éclairs if I want your favor."
Eva considered this. "You can bring éclairs to the wedding anniversary."
Seraphina grinned. "She's already planning the menu. I'm not allowed to wear anything off the rack."
Briony feigned a pout. "It's hard being the side character in someone else's love story."
Briony's eyes twinkled. "Then I guess I'll settle for being your cool best friend."
Eva smiled slightly and curled closer into Seraphina's side. "I'm not sure I need anyone else."
The rest of the night passed in elegant blur — soft laughter, candlelight, the clinking of crystal. But for Eva, the only music that mattered had already played. The only home she needed was already here.
The next morning, at The Académie de l'Étoile…
The sun poured into the academy's breakfast lounge. A staff member had laid out trays of croissants, pots of hot chocolate, and other respectable bribes to make the morning after a performance feel less like waking from a dream.
Seraphina and Eva were curled into the corner of a velvet couch — Eva with her cheek resting against Seraphina's ribs, fingers curled around her sleeve, as usual. Vivienne was nursing her espresso like it had offended her.
Briony was scrolling through her phone when she raised an eyebrow. "Eva, I just got a message from your mother."
Seraphina tensed, only slightly.
Eva didn't even flinch. "She probably saw the video."
Vivienne smirked. "She did. She's absolutely furious — because she wasn't there in person to applaud."
Briony read aloud with a lilt of mischief: "'Tell Eva I am devastated to have missed such brilliance. You're all invited to stay at Maison de Corcelle for the week. I want to see her, Seraphina, Briony, and you too, Vivienne. No excuses.'"
Vivienne groaned. "I knew I should've silenced my phone this morning."
Eva blinked. "She wants to see you?"
Briony gave a knowing grin. "Darling, everyone wants to see your Aunt Vivienne."
Vivienne rolled her eyes. "She's just being polite."
Seraphina muttered, "She doesn't do polite."
"Exactly!" Eva said, triumphant. "She only invites people she secretly wants to interrogate."
Briony looked delighted. "Ooh, will she interrogate me? I have answers."
"She already knows everything about you," Seraphina murmured into Eva's hair.
Eva tilted her head. "You do know each other. Maman's not surprised about Briony."
Briony gave a casual shrug. "We've crossed paths. I may or may not have sung backup for Evelyn's fundraiser once. She still owes me champagne."
Vivienne raised an eyebrow. "And now you're on a chaperoned P••••••• retreat with her daughter. Coincidence?"
Eva looked between them, suspicious. "Wait. How close are you two?"
Briony smirked. "Relax, Madame Jealous. I'm not stealing your maman."
Eva narrowed her eyes. "Good. She's not available. And neither is Seraphina."
"I'm really just here for the pastries," Briony said, stuffing half a croissant in her mouth.
Seraphina leaned down to whisper, "Do you want to go to P••••?"
Eva pretended to think for a moment. "Do they have that special pain au chocolat with sea salt?"
"I'm sure they do."
Eva beamed. "Then yes. And I want the blue suite."
Briony asked, "What's the blue suite?"
Seraphina answered flatly, "It's where Eva hides all the books she doesn't want anyone else to read."
Eva looked unrepentant. "And some emergency tiaras."
Vivienne stretched with a sigh. "Alright. To P•••• we go. One child prodigy, one terrifying redhead, one operatic menace, and me — the long - suffering guardian with elegant luggage."
Eva grinned. "I call dibs on sitting next to Seraphina in the car."
Briony winked. "I call dibs on causing problems."
Vivienne raised her cup. "I call dibs on not speaking until we reach the Mansion."
Seraphina just smiled, brushing a lock of hair behind Eva's ear. "I call dibs on keeping her."
Eva curled closer. "You already did."