Chapter 53: Chapter 53

DAHLIA:

I stood frozen on the spot. I should have moved away, but I can’t… It was as if my whole body was paralyzed.

Tristan lightly tapped the lady’s hands that were coiled around his body. “You know I can’t do that…”

“Why? Is it because you are mates? A fated mate’s bond can be undone, you know. If either of you reject it, it can be undone” she said.

“Livia, why don’t you just be a good girl and not think of such things, hmm?…”

“We’ll I’m being a good girl that’s why I am saying this,” Count Jeteris’ daughter exclaimed. “You can’t possibly be happy with her.”

“Don’t say that, alright. And please don’t make Dahlia’s life miserable. I saw how you acted on her earlier.”

“Serves her right for charming you…”

“Livia!...”

“Alright, alright… I’ll play my part as long as she keeps herself away from my business… Gosh!”

It has been a while since I had discovered this ugly bit of exchange. I wanted to burst out and scream at them, or at least Eva wanted to so badly. I can feel the extent of her rage seeping through, threatening to spill and wreak havoc as my body trembled.

However, physically, I was just transfixed on the spot, unable to move, and unable to breathe at all.

I heard an anguished whisper. “Dahlly…”

I looked listlessly to my right and a saw a figure come to me from the hallway. As the person came quietly by, I saw his face.

It was Kaist.

“Dahlly, what are you doing here?... Come on…”

Tears started to flow from the corners of my eyes. Tristan and Lady Livia were still talking, but my mind felt fuzzy. I couldn’t make any sense of their words at all.

Kaist tugged softly at my wrist, pulling me to the direction of the door towards the study. “Come on, you have to show yourself to them.”

He frowned at my shaky, rigid body. I didn’t want to go there. I didn’t want to enter it…

“No,” I barely mouthed my words. “I want to be away… I need to get away from here…”

But how could I? I can’t even move an inch on my own. I could only stay there in horror and hear the words I dreaded to hear.

Without another word, Kaist bent down and carried me into his arms, enabling me to finally walk away from that blasted scene.

When we reached the middle of the hallway’s intersection, he turned towards the direction of the party. I panicked once more.

“No, let’s not go there… Take me to my bedroom please.”

“Where is it?”

I pointed my fingers weakly to the eastern hallway. “It’s at the end.”

He clicked his tongue violently, but nevertheless, he carried me to where I wanted to go.

As soon as Kaist had put me down on the sofa, he slammed the bedroom door shut.

There weren’t any lights on the bedroom, but the moon was full, and the brightness from it was enough. I covered my eyes with my hands and began to cry.

‘How pathetic,’ that was all I could think of myself…

Why can’t I do it? Why didn’t I have the strength to confront them right then and there? Wasn’t what I heard enough proof that they were doing something wretched against my back?

No matter how much I wanted to stop, tears kept pouring down my eyes, which made me feel more hurt and anguished.

After a while, Kaist sat beside me, patting my head.

“Now, now, Dahlly… Your eyes will swell…”

The more he patted me, the more pitiful I feel, and therefore the more I cried.

“Listen. If you cry like this, you’ll be the only one hurt. Shouldn’t you make them hurt more since they were in the wrong?”

“I… g-guess you’re right,” I said, feeling a little bit calmer after hearing Kaist’s words. I dabbed the wet tears from my eyes and stood from the sofa.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going back outside.” Whether I liked it or not, there was still an ongoing party by the garden, and I was its hostess.

“You can’t go back like this… Just stay here. Besides, you’ve got a new co-host now,” Kaist softly said.

“As you can see, the one who was supposed to host that party with me was rather occupied,” I replied dejectedly.

“I’m not talking about your stupid husband… I’m referring to myself,” Kaist said after a deep sigh.

Once again, Kaist lifted me up in his arms. I gasped and started to protest. “What are you doing? Put me down!”

He did not listen to me of course. He carried me towards the bed.

“You need some rest. I know you get tired when talking to people for a long time anyway.”

I was not surprised that Kaist knew what I felt. We had known each other for a long time already that we need not even say what we feel. Just one look and we could tell what it was that’s going on in each other’s heads.

“Kaist,” I said, clinging to his sleeves before he parted away from the bed. “Please don’t reveal anything to anyone… I’ll confront Tristan about it… I just need some time and rest today.”

“Fine,” he said reluctantly, “as you wish, Dahlly… Now, hurry up and rest. I’ll inform everyone that you’re tired and would need some peace and quiet.”

“How about just informing everyone that I’ll be out in an hour? I don’t want to ruin everybody’s mood…”

“Okay then. I’ll tell them that and send Lina to assist you here,” he finally conceded.

Once Kaist disappeared, I was left on my own thoughts…

I’m sure about what I heard, and I wasn’t wrong, was I? Tristan was having an affair with that girl…

But why?... She was equally beautiful and powerful. If Tristan wanted the power I had, then why was he separating me from my father? He wouldn’t gain the power of the duchy if he did, didn’t he?

Did he want money? After all, he did ask papa to give him a sizeable amount of dowry… But after sending it back last time, Tristan never brought it up again with me.

So aside from separating me from my father, I don’t have any clue what Tristan would like to get from me by clinging so hard like he must be doing…

“There’s one thing he would have wanted in the entire world, wouldn’t he,” Eva hissed in our shared consciousness.

My heart raced. Eva was absolutely right. He had told me about it before himself...

He said he’d never rest until he got it... He was absolutely sure when he said it…

“If it was revenge that he wanted, he will surely stick to my side… He’ll hang on to me no matter what, right?”

There was only one way to find out.

I have to quit this sorry sympathy for myself now and set out to find the truth.