The amount of rumors circling around me started to grow.
Most of them were no good...
"Lady Arielle, I heard a few unpleasant rumors about you that Lady Kaya was spreading," a girl from my class said to me in private. "Of course everyone who knows you well does not believe in them one bit, but there are some who like to put flames where there are not any."
"...I understand," I said.
Even though I said that, I did not understand what I should have done then.
As I was walking down the stairs, I suddenly felt a push from behind my back.
As I was falling, I threw my hands out. The person who caught me into her embrace soon afterwards was Charlotte who held both me and herself with the stair railing.
"Safe...Arielle, are you alright?" Charlotte asked.
"Charlotte!" I said in surprise.
"I saw you falling and caught you just in time," Charlotte said.
"Thank you," I said.
"You! I saw you push her!" Charlotte screamed at a girl at the top of the stairs.
"N-No, I didn't!" she said in a fluster.
"Don't lie! I clearly saw you push her. He did as well!" Charlotte said as she looked at the man on the other side of the staircase.
"...It looked a bit suspicious how her hand was pushed out in front of her when Lady Arielle fell," the man said.
"It is all Lady Arielle's fault! You were talking to my fiancé behind my back!" the girl said.
People soon began gathering due to the loud commotion.
I had to clear the rumors right away.
"...I was in the study hall all day. There was no way that I would have had time to talk to someone much less someone else's fiancé," I said.
"...Lady Kaya surely said—"
"About your fiancé...I saw him talking to Lady Kaya rather intimately in the orchid garden. Maybe you are the one who should check whether your sources are reliable or not," Charlotte said coldly.
A teacher soon came by and escorted the girl away to guidance, while Charlotte and I went to the Library.
"Have some tea," Charlotte said as she made me a cup of tea.
"Thank you for saving me again, Char. I do not know what would have happened if you weren't there," I said as I shakily held the cup in my hands.
"That Lady Kaya Ouchi is shameless! Lady Arielle has done nothing wrong to earn her hate. This is all just wretched jealousy!" Grace said angrily.
"...There must be some underlying reason for her hate," I said as I picked up my teacup and swiveled the liquid.
I never tried to understand her or her actions. That was the main reason for how things ended as they did in the first cycles. I have no excuses for what happened then.
Maybe the hate I earn now is equivalent to the wrongs I have done in my past...
"You are a bit too kind, Arielle...It is a good quality to have, but people will take advantage of you," Garett said.
"You are one to talk," Charlotte said.
I felt my face flush when I saw Garett's face turn red.
Has he really taken advantage of me before?
As if he tried to avoid answering, Garett quickly took a sip from his tea out of embarrassment.
A few moments later, the cup fell out of his hands.
"Garett?" I asked.
Garett slapped the cup out of my hands and placed his right hand over his mouth with a distressed face.
"...Do...not...drink..." Garett said as he covered his mouth with his hands. "It's poisoned..."
He suddenly coughed up some blood into his hands and fell to the ground as his entire body started lightly convulsing.
The throbbing in my chest is painful...
The scene of blood gave me horrid memories back of when I saw people I loved die...
"...D-Doctor...we need a doctor!" I said as I went to Garett's side.
I am aware first-aid treat for poison, but was unable to access that information from the stress.
I cradled his head in my lap as I began crying.
I moved my hands towards my face and began running my fingers through my hair as I pulled it away from my head.
No matter what I do, I bring misfortune to everyone around me...
"Lady Arielle! Keep yourself together!" Grace said as she shook my shoulders.
My heart calmed down slightly despite my tears profusely falling from my eyes.
"If he stops breathing, please begin perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation for me...I will tell you how to do it," I said.
Charlotte had already left to find a doctor while I was in the middle of panicking.
It will be soon until the doctor gets here...
"Hold on," I told Garett as I held grabbed his hand.
My cheek was suddenly touched.
"I...will...be fine," Garett said before he fainted.
My heart was tearing to pieces as Garett continued throbbing around in pain. Every time he moved around, I felt like dying.
"If you die, you will be taking half of my heart with you...Please don't die!" I cried.
I cannot have you dying again!
The person who carries half of my heart is here. I finally realized my feelings. If you die here, I will not forgive you or myself for the second time...
It was then that I begged God to not take him from me.