The Betrayed Princess Rising Chapter 164

Iris' POV

Since this morning I hadn’t seen Lylah anywhere.

Not even once.

Where was that busy girl?

Lylah always seemed to have a dozen responsibilities tangled around her schedule. And once the afternoon arrived, her endless projects would surely steal her away again. Which meant if I wanted to see her today, it had to be now.

I wanted to thank her for last night, for agreeing to have dinner with me.

The memory made me smile despite myself. The food at that new restaurant had been incredible.

And if Cora and that insufferable witch Soren hadn’t shown up, the night would have been perfect for us.

I decided to wait outside Lylah’s office. If she returned, she’d see me immediately.

But just as I turned the corner,

“Iris Grey!”

I stopped and looked over my shoulder. A girl hurried toward me, her dark curls bouncing around her face. The badge pinned to her coat caught the light.

Modern Healing Department.

“I’m really sorry to bother you,” she said breathlessly. “I’m Gretta.”

She fidgeted nervously with the strap of her bag.

“I heard you’re a teaching assistant, right? So you’re probably familiar with the study materials here.” She hesitated before adding, “Could you help me find a book in the library?”

I smiled politely.

“Of course,” I said. “But aren’t you in the Modern Healing department? I’m actually an assistant in Traditional-"

“I just transferred,” she interrupted quickly. “From Traditional to Modern. And… well… I don’t really have any friends in the new department yet.”

Something about the way she said it tugged at my chest.

That made sense.

Students in the Modern Healing field were known for their fierce independence. They rarely collaborated, even among themselves.

This poor girl must have been struggling.

“Alright,” I said warmly. “Let’s go find your book.”

Gretta led the way toward the academy library.

The moment we stepped inside, I couldn’t help staring around. It was far greater than the library used by the Traditional students.

Rows upon rows of towering shelves stretched across the vast hall, packed with neatly organized volumes. Polished wood floors gleamed beneath the tall windows, and the air carried the comforting scent of parchment and ink.

“Over there,” Gretta said, pointing toward a tall shelf near the back. “I think it’s on the seventh row.”

I followed her gaze.

The shelf was lined with thick textbooks on muscular anatomy and healing structures.

“Alright,” I said, scanning the titles. “Which one do you need?”

“The one with the blue cover, I think.” She pointed higher. “Do you see it?”

I squinted upward.

“But to reach it we’ll need the ladder,” she added quickly. “And that’s actually the problem. I’m terrified of heights, Iris."

I set my books down on the nearby table.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll get it.”

Gretta’s face brightened instantly.

I dragged the wooden ladder over and positioned it carefully against the shelf, making sure it lined up with the book she’d pointed out.

Then I started climbing.

The higher I went, the stronger the faint scent of old paper became.

Just as I reached the row—

“Wait, Iris!” Gretta suddenly called from below.

I paused halfway up the ladder. “What?”

“I think it’s the other one!”

“Which one?”

“The one at the far end!”

I leaned sideways, balancing carefully as I scanned the titles. “This red one?”

“Yes! That one!”

Reaching it was awkward.

The book sat farther along the shelf than I’d expected, forcing me to stretch dangerously to the side. My fingers brushed the spine once… twice—

Finally, I managed to pull it free.

At the same moment,

The soft click of the library door echoed behind me.

“This one, right?” I asked, glancing down as I started to descend.

But the moment my eyes reached the floor, my breath caught.

Gretta was gone. Standing in her place was someone else.

Soren.

“Soren?” I frowned. “What are you doing here? When did you come in?”

“Oh?” She tilted her head slightly, a mocking smile tugging at her lips. “So you do remember my name now, Iris Grey."

Her eyes gleamed with cold amusement.

“That's surprising, considering how you just called me an 'ugly bitch' yesterday."

A chill crept down my spine as she walked closer.

Closer.

Straight toward the ladder.

My wolf stirred uneasily inside me.

Then Soren’s hand closed around the ladder’s side.

Instant panic shot through my body.

My heart began hammering violently, though I forced myself not to show it.

“S-Soren,” I said sharply, my voice trembling despite my effort to steady it. “What are you doing?”

She looked up at me.

“I truly don’t understand how your tiny brain works, Iris Grey,” Soren said, her voice dripping with scorn. “But I can assure you—no one has ever called me ugly in my entire life.”

Her eyes gleamed faintly, the gold of her wolf flashing beneath the surface.

“Isn’t ugliness something subjective? I thought we all knew that.” Her smile turned cruel. “But if someone were to fall from up there…and smash that pretty little face against the floor—”

Her gaze locked onto mine.

“That wouldn’t be subjective anymore.”

Before I could react,

Soren shoved the ladder.

The world tipped sideways—

And I fell.