Hearing her words, Nova's brows furrowed and the earlier words echoed in his head as well, all causing nothing more than confusion to him, something that he did not like, not in the slightest.
The words echoed in his mind like a taunt and a call but one that sounded true to the heart and not a part of this game.
"You are my son, no matter what they say."
He kept his face impassive, but beside him, the masked woman straightened slightly. She felt it too, something important was unfolding and she did not know whether to intervene or let it all play out, so she took a step back, wanting to let him choose for himself, though he grabbed onto her wrist, keeping her in her place beside him.
"Was your son a noble?" Nova asked carefully, trying to keep the tremble from his voice.
She looked away briefly, sadness brushing her expression. "He was… supposed to be. But fate did not favor us. I was told he died. Long ago. I mourned him in silence while the court spoke of disgrace."
