Chapter 55: Chapter 55
KAIST:
“Did you not come here to learn what I was talking about in my letter,” the lady before me asked again.
She stood from the bench she was sitting at. It was quite dark, but at that exact moment, the clouds from the sky parted away from the moon, revealing a young lady in a dark blue dress with pale, blonde curls and beautiful, light violet eyes.
For a moment, I stood there, completely frozen. This woman really had the same voice as the person whom Count Abell has met earlier in that poorly lit room!
Slowly, my eyes fell at the roses nearby. There were all sorts of roses here – red, white, and peach ones.
Ah, I must have reached the rose garden without meaning to!
“I did,” I replied as soon as I regained my composure.
The real reason I was here was to meet the writer of the second letter. The person mentioned discussing something about my future happiness, whatever that is…
The only thing I had really ever considered remotely connected to my future happiness was Dahlly, and it seemed to me like this lady would actually talk about that…
“First of all, don’t you want to say anything to me,” the girl began.
I asked, puzzled, “What do you mean about that, my lady?”
“Didn’t you and that woman hear us back in there?… Weren’t you going to ask me about that first?”
I can feel the heat of anger rising from my neck up to my ears. “So, you do know we were there all along? Was that why you pained Countess Abell deliberately with your words?!”
“She needed to hear it. Otherwise, she’ll be in much more pain in the future.”
“You – what do you want from me, and what do you want from Dahlia?!”
“What I want from you - I already told you about that, didn’t I? I was concerned about your future happiness…”
“And why is that?”
“Because I am also concerned about someone else’s future happiness…”
Was she talking about Count Abell? She must really be his mistress then!
She sneered and answered as if she saw the thoughts that had flashed through my mind. “You really do have a lewd mind, you know, dear prince… But, it’s alright… I’ll forgive you just this once. Anyway, I need your help.”
She descended from the pavilion and walked closer towards me. For the first time, I saw a diamond necklace hanging over her neck, and I remembered something.
The first letter mentioned something about a rune… What was it again?...
‘If you find the usurper of the rune, better leave her fate to the blood…’
A rune is essentially a stone, right - a stone incorporated with magical powers?
I could feel an invisible power emanating from the necklace she was wearing. Could she possible be the ‘usurper of the rune’ mentioned in this year’s cryptic letter?
If so, what does it mean to ‘leave her fate to the blood?’
“Who are you, and what was that blasted letter about,” I asked, losing a bit of patience.
She curtsied. “My name is Livia, Livia Celeste Jeteris. I am Count Jeteris’ daughter, your highness.”
“Count Jeteris’ daughter?... I did not even know she has a daughter…” He had served the crown and my father for years. How was it possible that I did not even meet this daughter of his once?
“My existence and the complications of my birth are both long stories, my prince, so let’s talk about them another time,” the lady said.
Unlike Count Jeteris, this lady before me was calm but resolute. She had greater exercise over her own temper at the moment.
“Then what could you possibly want from me? Why did you approach me like this?”
“I need your full cooperation. My wishes can work better if I can have your support.”
“Do you need some money?”
“No. I need you to do something for me?”
“What is it?”
“I need you to tempt Lady Dahlia Hurst and separate her from Count Abell. I need you to pull this marriage apart to its roots beyond repair...”
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DAHLIA:
I struggled to reapply the cosmetics in my face. I was not very good with make-up, to begin with. I only knew the basics, and most of the time, it was Lina who turned me into a beautiful thing whenever there was a party.
I couldn’t dare go out from the room though to call Lina lest someone would accidentally see the state of my eyes. I barely survived the scandal of my marriage, and I didn’t want to be any fodder for gossips should anyone recognized that I had just cried my eyes out.
Thus, whatever I did to my face based on my skills, I have to simply put up with.
I was about to go out when the knob of my room opened, and lo and behold, it was my trustworthy husband.
“Dahlia, I knew I’d find you here. The guests are looking for you… Are you alright?”
He walked towards me. I continued to apply the finishing touches of red coloring on my lips, not looking at all in his direction.
“You don’t need to put anything on your face, you know. You already look perfect,” he said smiling at my reflection in the mirror.
He bent down to kiss my cheeks. How dare he?!
Thankfully, I pulled away in time and evaded his lips.
“Don’t ruin my make-up,” I said. I tried to be calm as much as possible, but a slight tinge of irritation still escaped through my voice.
He frowned a bit at he stared back at my face in the mirror.
“Are you alright, Dahlia?... Is there something wrong?”
It took me a while to answer. Lying wasn’t my forte after all.
“Nothing’s wrong… Is there any reason why you’d think that?”
Perhaps it was the smugness in my demeanor and the cold expression in my face, but Tristan enveloped his hands against my chest tightly.
“Dahlia, what’s wrong, hmm? Why are you feeling angry?”
I wasn’t angry… I was beyond furious!
“Didn’t we say we’d be truthful to each other, love? Didn’t we promise to do that just a few weeks ago?”
Yeah, right. You promised me that… You promised to be truthful to me… So why then do you continue to lie and coax me with sweetness using that deceiving face of yours?
Maybe I ought to use this opportunity as a means to test this wolf who called me ‘mate…’
“My dear husband,” I said, gritting my teeth with everything that I had at the moment, “where were you all this time? The guests were looking for you and Lady Livia. It seemed that the two of you had disappeared as soon as she entered the house… Tell me, where did you two go?”