Chapter 230 What Did Naomi Discover?

The official opening of Silver Moon Technologies was followed by an entertainment party. Publicly, the company was celebrated for its groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence, satellites, cybersecurity software, and aerospace technology. Behind closed doors, however, it secretly funded research into supernatural artifacts, silver-resistant materials, advanced medical treatments for werewolves, and secure technologies designed to keep werewolf packs hidden from human discovery.

Bernard became very busy. However, his business never comes between them. He gives Elara undivided attention whenever she needs his attention.

When she wasn’t too busy, Elara would visit him at the company.

Seven days before the royal mating, Elara moved into the Silverville Estate.

It didn’t take long for her to notice Maelis.

The older woman never seemed to stay idle. One moment she was helping in the cookhouse, the next she was arranging flowers in the sitting chamber or checking on the younger servants. She did whatever needed to be done without asking whose job it was.

“Maelis, aren’t you supposed to be resting?” Elara asked one highmoon after catching her carrying a basket of fresh laundry.

Maelis smiled warmly. “I’ll rest when there’s nothing left to do.”

“But this isn’t even your responsibility.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” She shrugged. “If I can help, I will help.”

Elara couldn’t help smiling.

Little by little, she found herself seeking Maelis out for conversations, sharing meals with her, and enjoying the older woman’s quiet company. Before she realized it, Maelis had become the mother figure she never knew she needed.

Originally, Elara had planned to move into the Silverville Estate after the royal mating. However, after Naomi was sent there to keep an eye on Maelis, Emma convinced her to move in sooner. Elara agreed and moved in earlier than planned.

Naomi, who had been sent to keep an eye on Maelis, slowly forgot why she was there in the first place.

“Emma and I asked you to spy on Maelis, remember?” Elara teased one moonfall.

Naomi blinked before letting out an embarrassed laugh. “Honestly… I completely forgot.”

Elara chuckled. “I noticed.”

It was hard not to grow attached to Maelis. She treated everyone with the same warmth and patience, whether they were royals or servants.

She practically ran the entire Silverville Estate. If something needed to be done, Maelis had already taken care of it. The staff respected her, and neither Bernard nor Elara had ever found a reason to question how she managed the estate.

There was, however, one thing Elara found unusual.

“Moon Princess, don’t spend too much time on social media,” Maelis reminded her one highmoon.

Elara laughed. “You tell me that every day.”

“And I’ll keep saying it every day.”

“Why do you dislike it so much?”

Maelis simply smiled. “Not everything that watches you has eyes.”

It was the only question she never answered directly.

Unfortunately for Maelis, staying away from social media wasn’t exactly an option for Elara. She was one of the kingdom’s biggest stars—a celebrated singer and one of its greatest dancers. Even though she had retired from dancing four winters ago, she still released new songs every winter. With more than four hundred and fifty million followers eagerly tracking her every move, disappearing from social media simply wasn’t possible.

Maelis believed Elara should deactivate her social media accounts and focus on her mate, their company, and the beautiful life they were building together.

Whenever Elara asked why she disliked social media so much, Maelis always came up with another strange old-fashioned answer that left everyone laughing.

Five days before the royal mating, Bernard and Elara went to a studio for a pre-mating photo shoot to help settle their nerves. Every picture turned out better than they had imagined.

Back at the estate, the two of them sat side by side in the living chamber, scrolling through the photos.

A knock sounded at the door.

Maelis stepped inside. Her eyes landed on the pictures, and a wide smile spread across her face.

“They’re beautiful,” she said, leaning closer for another look.

Elara smiled. “Sit.”

Maelis settled onto the couch, still admiring the photos.

“Oh.” She looked at Elara. “Kalira has been waiting in the garden since two this afternoon.”

“Send her in.”

A moment later, Kalira walked into the living chamber.

Elara held up her tablet. “These are the ones I picked. Upload them.”

Kalira nodded and stepped closer.

Maelis looked from Kalira to the tablet. The smile on her face slowly disappeared.

She turned to Bernard with a knowing look before facing Elara again.

“The bad people are going to see them too, right?” Elara asked.

She bit back a laugh. That was always Maelis’s response whenever she posted new pictures for her followers.

“Yes,” Maelis answered herself with a serious nod, pulling the grumpiest face she could manage.

Bernard laughed first.

Elara and Kalira quickly followed.

“And then they’ll come between us and separate us too, right?” Elara asked, repeating one of Maelis’s usual warnings.

Bernard leaned back, laughing. Kalira covered her mouth, trying to hold hers in.

“Yes!” Maelis answered without missing a beat. “And I don’t want that.”

The chamber erupted with laughter.

Maelis looked from one face to another, her brows knitting together. She couldn’t understand what was so funny.

“Ms. Marchant.” Elara slipped her arm through Bernard’s and smiled. “The Moon Prince, who never wanted anyone to know him, and his mate have their pictures all over the internet. Nothing happened to them.”

She gave Maelis’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“Nothing’s going to happen to us either.”

Maelis only pressed her lips together. She didn’t look convinced.

A few minutes later, Kalira let out a sharp scream.

Everyone turned to her.

“My Moon Princess!” She held up the tablet with both hands. “Look at this! In just a few minutes, you’ve already gotten millions of likes, comments, and shares.”

Elara leaned over and took the tablet. Even she was surprised.

She scrolled through the comments until one made her stop.

“Out of all the nobles in the kingdom, you chose a servant the king picked up off the street. What a shame.”

“My Moon Princess, you don’t have to…” Kalira began.

Elara collected the tablet from her.

Her thumb paused on the comment for a second.

She locked the screen and handed the tablet back to Kalira.

“Don’t waste your time on it.”

“Should I delete it, My Moon Princess?”

“No. Leave it.”

“What if more people agree with it?”

Elara smiled. “They’re entitled to their opinion. It won’t change who I’m mating with.”

“Of course, My Moon Princess. I’ll handle it the usual way.”

Before Kalira could finish speaking, more replies flooded in beneath the rude follower’s comment.

“Titles don’t define a person’s worth. The character does. Our Moon Princess is proud of the mate she chose, and that’s all that matters,” one follower replied.

“The Moon Princess chose with her heart, not with social status,” another added.

More replies poured in.

One after another, Elara’s loyal followers shut the troll down. A handful agreed with him, but their comments were quickly buried beneath thousands of others.

Kalira smiled. “Looks like your fans handled it for us.”

Elara’s lips curved into a smile as she watched the comments keep coming.

“Seems I’m not fighting this battle alone after all.”

She scrolled past the troll’s comment without another glance.

**********

Later that day, Bernard and Elara relaxed in the garden, watching the trees sway in the evening breeze.

Bernard lay on the bench with his head resting on Elara’s lap while she ran her fingers through his hair.

Across from them, Maelis sat on a low stool with one of Elara’s feet resting on her lap. Her hands moved gently, working the soreness from Elara’s muscles.

“I thought Naomi was here to help Maelis,” Bernard said, his eyes still on Elara.

“She is.”

“Then why is she leaving?”

“What?”

Elara looked up.

Naomi was walking toward them with a small piece of luggage in her hand.

Elara’s smile faded.

No…

She had grown too attached to Maelis. The last thing she wanted to hear was that Naomi had uncovered something that would change the way she saw her.

“Moonfall, Moon Princess.” Naomi stopped a few steps away and curtsied.

Elara narrowed her eyes ever so slightly.

Naomi caught the silent question and gave a small nod.

“Maelis, would you bring us two glasses of cold juice?” Elara asked.

“Of course.”

Maelis rose at once and hurried toward the main building.

Elara waited until she was out of earshot.

“Naomi, sit.”

She lowered herself onto the bench and rested her small luggage on her lap.

“Luna Emma told you not to come back unless you saw or heard something useful.”

“I remember.”

“Then why are you leaving?”

Naomi lowered her eyes to the luggage on her lap. “I found something… something that might be useful.”

Bernard was already sitting upright.

“What did you find?” he and Elara asked at the same time.

Naomi didn’t answer.

She gripped the handle of her luggage instead.

Elara’s fingers slowly curled into a fist.

“Say it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Now.”