The moment the peerless youth walked into the birthday banquet, all eyes stared. The boy was indeed worthy of being called heavenly without a doubt.
He was like a beam of light overshadowing everything, his white tuxedo radiating off of the lights of the chandelier.
Eyebrows like willow leaves and beautiful jade-like skin, the boy was shining in every possible way. His movements as he walked through the parted crowd were graceful and noble.
This boy was too charming!
Sensing a few stares, he stole a glance at a pair of girls and raised his lips gently. Receiving his breathtaking smile, the girls felt their hearts pound madly.
Ahhh! His smile! It was like being rushed away from a pile of fragrant rose petals!
"He smiled at me! He smiled at me!"
"What are you talking about, he was looking at me!"
"I'm blind! Someone help me, I think I just saw an angel!"
Emilia observed the group of squealing fangirls and felt her brows jerk.
Ugh, those airheads…what peerless beauty? What angel? The so-called 'heavenly boy' was nothing but a shameless pervert bathing in their praises!
Look, he even had a gloating expression on his face!
Emilia resisted the urge to slap her forehead and sigh. Meanwhile, Mimi continued making her way through the crowd until she was standing in front of Emilia and the group of girls.
"Ladies, Miss Bellard." The boy's voice was as smooth as silk as he bobbed his head gently.
Olivia Bellard felt her cheeks grow warm, his velvety voice caressing her ears.
"Y-You…who are you?"
Mimi tilted her head and replied politely. "Answering Miss Bellard's question, my name is Andras."
In response, Olivia couldn't help but widen her eyes slightly, her lips parting in shock.
A-Andras?!
Not only Olivia, but everyone else present appeared to be stunned.
Who hadn't heard of the name Andras?
He was the youngest entrepreneur who developed his company from scratch and raised rapidly in the industry.
At such a young age, he was already at the same level as many of the legends like Tobias Itou and Henry Hirogori!
A young man laughed. "So that's him! Wow, I didn't know he was so attractive. I even felt my heart skip a bit there."
"No kidding, for a second I thought it was love at first sight! That was until I realized he was a man."
"Screw his gender! The guy is good-looking, wealthy, and successful! For someone like that, I'd gladly bend!"
Though some of the men in the crowd were making jokes, others were dead serious. If Andras even asked them, they wouldn't hesitate.
Unfortunately for them, that would never happen.
The girls in the crowd rolled their eyes, but suddenly their eyes lit up.
"Hey, does that mean that Olivia knows him?"
"It's possible! Otherwise, why else would he be here?"
"Ah, then they must have a close relationship!"
Everyone stared at Olivia and Andras with intense gazes, some wanting to walk up to establish connections.
Olivia listened to everyone's words and felt her heart grow anxious.
Though she and many others heard of Andras, she didn't know him well enough to invite him to her birthday banquet.
So, what was he doing here?
As if reading her thoughts, the boy chuckled softly. "I'm a plus one. The person who was invited here asked me to be their date."
Olivia was a bit disappointed when she heard this and furrowed her brows. "Ah, by whom?"
To answer Olivia's questions, the boy shifted his deep, green eyes behind her and curved his lips. When seeing where his line of sight fell, Olivia felt her heart sink.
No way…did he mean?
"Emilia," The boy called her name softly. "I am sorry I was late. There was a little traffic jam so my ride was delayed."
Emilia knew the girl was lying and puffed out her cheeks, her beautiful silver eyes displaying great arrogance.
Emilia dipped her chin. "Hmph, you made me wait for so long! Had you not shown up, I would have left this dull party!"
Mimi's bright rosy lips had a faint smile and she chuckled at the girl's blame filled words. She couldn't help but reach her hand out to caress her soft head.
"Don't be mad. I'll get you that jade necklace you wanted to compensate, all right?"
Emilia's eyes lit up. She peeked at the girl and saw the teasing glint in her eyes behind her contacts. Tightening her lips, Emilia huffed.
"Fine! It better be bright, I want to try it out with that bracelet you gave me last week."
Mimi nodded her head with a smile. "I'll make sure it's the most dazzling jade you'll ever see."
To the girl's clear, pacifying words, Emilia held back the urge to laugh and twisted her lips into a gratified grin.
"Good, then you're forgiven."
Mimi laughed and fondled the girl on the head again, relishing in the sensation of the beauty's soft, golden hair.
Everyone: "…"
What…What the fuck?!
So Andras didn't come because he knew Olivia, but because he was Emilia Yimo's date?
Everyone was stunned.
What made them more shocked and feel the urge to vomit, was the endless [1] dogfood the pair was feeding them!
Who would have thought the two would be so close and intimate!
Olivia and the group of girls watched the two as if they had been struck mercilessly in the face multiple times.
Emilia knew Andras?!
Olivia struggled to maintain her tender smile. "Ah, so Andras is Emilia's date. How come you've never told me, Emilia?"
Emilia glanced and noted the jittery expression on Olivia's face as she looked between her and Mimi. Emilia haughtily raised her chin.
She sneered and said, "Hmph, why should I tell you? So you can slander me and claim to be a saint? Or so years later you can come to me again and twist the truth for your own sense of pride?"
Olivia, who was completely caught off guard by Emilia's face slapping words froze. Her cheeks flushed red, tingling in humiliation.
"Emilia you…how could you say such a thing? I was only trying to help you back then. If you weren't so blinded by Landon's act, you would see that!"
Emilia glared. "Do you want to be slapped recklessly again? Hmph, you're right. I was foolish back then, but that didn't mean I was blinded by yours either. Don't try to pretend you weren't interested in Landon by saying I was love-struck. Why else would you try getting with him while I wasn't around?"
Mimi hid her amusement and arched a brow. She made no move to stop Emilia from spewing harsh words.
Initially, everyone watching on the side assumed Emilia Yimo was a spoiled, brainless fool who didn't understand right from wrong.
But after overhearing her words they came to a realization.
Ah, so it was like this!
Those who were clever enough could connect the dots and understand the reason for Olivia's invitation for Emilia. In addition to her apparent, loud outburst, it was clear what was going on.
It was true that Emilia humiliated her in public by slapping her, but did she need to purposely invite her to shame her at her birthday banquet for revenge?
Besides, viewing it in Emilia's perspective, most of the spoiled, prestige girls would have done the same at a young age.
To be slandered in front of their crush by someone they thought was a friend; they'd tear their face to shreds!
Olivia noticed the shift in everyone's moods and felt panicked. Her large doe eyes grew teary. The girls behind her were also anxious but tried their best to comfort Olivia.
One of the girls shot a glare to Emilia and snapped. "Emilia! Just because you have your father's support to be lazy and not take responsibility for his company, doesn't mean you're better than everyone! At least Olivia worked and trained to please her family! You... all you do is sit back and be spoilt!"
Mimi held back the urge to snort. To declare these words in a room filled with aristocratic, spoiled girls - she couldn't help but find it funny.
"Emilia, lazy?" Mimi laughed amusedly. "Surely you must be thinking of another person."
The girl retorted. "Of course not! Didn't you hear? She plans to step down from taking her father's position, how can she not be lazy? She's just a good for nothing spoiled brat!"
A sinister shadow dimmed across Mimi's eyes. "Oh? So stepping down from an undesired position to pursue her own business is considered lazy?"
"Ah, what? What do you mean?" The girl was confused.
Mimi smiled, but not a trace of gentleness could be seen in her eyes. "We planned to keep this a secret, so it's no surprise you haven't heard yet. But hearing you call her careless and a good for nothing, then I don't see the harm in sharing it."
She stole a glance in Emilia's direction who merely shrugged her shoulders, an apparent look of delight shining in her eyes. Mimi grinned and turned to look back at Olivia and the crowd of youths.
"The reason Emilia has chosen to step down from the head position of her father's company is that for the past year now, she's been working to develop her fashion corporation. A few others and I have already invested in it."
Mimi spoke the truth. After serving in her company, Emilia decided to start her own fashion business, rather than taking over her father's.
It was still developing and not many new besides her father, Mimi, Jean, and considered investors.
Everyone was beyond astonished by the boy's words. The girl who had called Emilia out, blanched.
"I-I didn't know!"
Mimi sighed softly. "You're right, you didn't and that's not your fault. But your previous words were still wrong. Not everyone's future relies on their family's inheritance. Some people have a passion and even if they didn't, there's nothing wrong with wishing for an ordinary life within this complex industry."
Some of the young youths listened to Mimi's words and bobbed their heads unconsciously with respect. It wasn't their faults they were born into prestige families. Even if they were raised this way, some still sought an ordinary life.
So, what was wrong with that?
To make their families proud, did they need to slave away and labor for their parent's companies or become successful?
Mimi's words indicated that there were no faults in seeking a normal life, while the girls made it seem backing down from a high position was considered careless.
They looked at Mimi with more gratitude and Olivia's group with disdainful glares.
Suppressing the urge to break into fits of giggles under their worshipping stares, Mimi cleared her throat and gazed sternly at Olivia.
"As for you, Miss Bellard, I understand you and Miss Yimo bear past resentment. However, considering this is your coming of age banquet, I would expect you to be more mature about matters like these. Perhaps you should wait another year and train even harder if you still resort to underhanded, petty methods."
Though Mimi's words were said in a soft, patient tone, Olivia couldn't help but tremble. The boy's green eyes hinted with purple infiltrated through her soul, making her shiver.
"N-No…I'm sorry!" Olivia bit down on her lip and lowered her head.
"Then as long as you understand, I won't continue to disrupt your party." Mimi's smile reverted to its sweet self. "Everyone, please proceed among yourselves and don't mind us!"
Everyone awkwardly nods their heads and stiffly tried to return to normal. Olivia and her group bowed their heads with pale faces and scurried away. Mimi watched them leave and grinned.
"Hehe, did you see that? I saved you twice, so my reward doubles now!" Mimi secretly whispered to Emilia.
Emilia's face twisted and she gritted her teeth. "Shameless! Who saved who? I was fine by myself!"
Mimi giggled. "Fine, fine, you had it under control. But I was still handsomely cool, right?"
Cheeks slightly red and eyes shiny, Emilia averted her gaze, muttering behind her cup. "Hmph, you did look pretty cool and handsome…"
Mimi leaned in closer. "Hmm? I didn't hear that?"
Emilia blushed and snapped fiercely, "There will be no second time! Now scram and get me a plate of food! I haven't eaten anything yet because a certain someone was late!"
Mimi snickered. "Very well, I won't let my little beauty starve, wait here."
Mimi turned to leave, but halted midway and tilted her head in Emilia's direction. Pulling something from her pocket, she waves it in her hand teasingly.
"Even if you didn't repeat it, I already recorded everything being said the moment I entered."
Staring at the tape recorder in Mimi's hand, Emilia was speechless. This girl…did she bring that so she could replay everyone's praises toward her?
A chill ran down her spine as she stared at the small, departing figure walking to the table of food.
___________
[1] Dog food. Single people's self-pity triggered by public displays of affection by couples online or offline.