I cleaned up myself using the cold bathwater and put on a simple yellow dress. Walking out of my room I felt the air was dreary. There was no one around and the hallway had gathered up dust, I didn't notice it yesterday since I was hurried to the dining room to meet the Duke.
But now I slowly looked around my surroundings and saw that behind the grand decorations was a high level of disregard toward the care of the building itself. There were tears on the curtains, stains on the carpet and dust accumulated on the tables.
I grew up in an orphanage so I know what poor people's environment look like, this was definitely one of those environments. But I thought a Marquess is supposed to be rich right?
Figures I get reincarnated to the only poor Marquess family available. Hmm.... though I don't remember anything about Elaine being poor, she was supposed to be the evil rich girl that bullies the heroine right?
I walked through the whole mansion and only rooms open to guests seem to be cleaned. There wasn't many maids around. The whole mansion seemed empty. I went to walk around the garden for some fresh air since it seemed too stuffy inside.
I wanted to investigate my situation here as something doesn't seem right, but my investigation was cut short when I see Alex standing in the garden admiring the view. Wonder what he's doing here.
'Sir Alex, pleasure to meet you,' I said. He didn't move to look at me and continued to stare at the tree in front of him. There was a branch that had been broken. His blonde hair was shining against the sunlight and his eyes were as green as the leaves in the garden.
'What do you think happened here?', he asked me. When he spoke there was a sudden chill in the air. Maybe it is because I'm speaking to the man who will one day kill me that I feel on edge.
I looked towards the broken branch and thought that something heavy must've broken it. Though I wasn't sure what. Could that be where I -or Elaine- had fallen? I'm not sure and if I answer wrongly then Sir Alex might know that I'm not the real Elaine.
'Rather than that, why have you come here sir Alex? Is there something you wanted to talk to us about?', I tried to change the subject with another question and he just chuckled as if he knew what I was thinking. He stopped chuckling and then smiled, finally looking in my direction.
'Nothing really, my father just stopped by so to make a formal agreement with your father about our engagement. They are preparing an engagement ceremony for the near future.'
Well that seemed fun. But my heart told me not to think about a party, instead why nothing bad has happened yet. Alex was supposed to hate Elaine and avoid her every time she approaches him, yet here we are talking as if nothing is the matter. Perhaps Alex had grown to hate Elaine because of her behavior after the engagement. I know in the book Alex thought of her as clingy and a nuisance.
Of course, I had no feelings towards him other than fear so he doesn't need to worry that I'll be clingy. Maybe if he doesn't grow to hate me, he won't kill me?
'You've been quiet for a while. What could you possibly be thinking about?', he raised an eyebrow at me curious about my thoughts.
'You are the kind to speak continuously without break, yet you've barely said a word to me today, yesterday as well,' his eyes narrowed. Oh no, he noticed that I was acting differently. But that is fine right? There's no way he knows I'm somebody else inside Elaine's body.
'I have been unwell,' I coughed, 'As you might have heard, I suffered a fall and my body is still recovering.'
The look in his face shows that he didn't buy a single word I said. Well what else was I supposed to say?
Thankfully he decided to drop the subject and began walking around the garden, 'Well then. I hope you recover well Miss Elaine. After all, you are now my fiancé and you must take care of yourself.'
'Are you perhaps worried about me?', the tips of my mouth lifted a little finding humor that this man who is supposed to be my executioner is telling me to take care of my health.
He then looked me straight in the eyes and said, 'Don't be absurd. I'm just worried about my image you see. It would be bad if people started to talk badly about my fiancé which in turn reflects badly on me.'
Wow. I have no words.
Was he always this much of a prick? Could've sworn I liked him, but now I wonder how Elaine could possibly like this guy so much that she would cling onto him so desperately. The most that I feel towards him right now is the will to stab a knife in his chest.
'I see.' That was the best response I could manage.
Yet when I said those two words, he looked at me surprised, 'Really?'
What, was I supposed to be angry at him? I don't feel like giving him the satisfaction of seeing me angry.
'What else do you want to hear, sir Alex?' I gave him a small smile and slightly tilted my head as I said that. Hopefully it will make him more annoyed that I'm not giving him the reaction he wants.
'Let's go to the study. That's where our parents are discussing the plans for our engagement party,' he turned to look away from me. There was a suspicious face he made, but I knew I had won that exchange.
As for the broken branch, that's something that I'll have to ask the servants for what happened. It shouldn't be too suspicious of me to ask. If it comes to it I could also fake losing my memories due to my fall.