"IT'S A COMPLIMENT, LADY HOPE."
That made me smile, "Then, thank you. And yes, I know a little bit. Since I was old enough to drink, I enjoyed it quite a lot. However, the alcohol here in the south is weak. They all taste like they are 87% made out of water and have only 13% of the ingredients needed for good alcohol. It's quite annoying!"
He seemed to enjoy my opinion, "Finally someone agrees with me. Most people here say that the south alcohol is the best out there, while the northern is a drink for barbarians!" Oh? I've read about that in the novel, people did judge the northern alcohol a lot, just because it made them get drunk easily. "You seem to have a great taste for these things, Lady Hope."
I rolled my shoulders, trying to look like it was nothing, "Maybe. But it might be the fact that I don't get drunk easily as well. It's like that thing with spicy food, the more you eat, the more you get used to it and stop being effective, so you began going after the ones that are spicier than what you are used to it. Now, with alcohol is more like tending to go after the drinks with the strongest percentage of alcohol, and that can get me drunk!" When I noticed what I said to a gentleman like him, I bit my bottom lip. "I mean, not that I want to get drunk. After all, that isn't very ladylike, right?"
As I waited for him to say something to reprimand me, I was left hanging, as he just… giggled softly. "You are more amusing than I first predicted, Lady Hope. And far more interesting than the rumors give you credit for!"
Sigh. "Well, that isn't reassuring, since the rumors haven't been very kind to me. Especially not since I broke off my engagement with that count… I mean, with Sir Jacob!"
He giggled again, "He's indeed a cunt, isn't he? And as the rumors said he broke off with you, I guess they were wrong."
I arched my eyebrows, "Who told you such bullshit?" Scoff. "Ha… I wish he had broken off before, but that coward chose to cheat on me. How humiliating. But no," I turned to look up at him, staring at his beautiful mask. "I was the one who broke it off, a week before the date first set for the ball that I'm hosting tonight."
Tilting his head for the right light, he seemed curious about it, and I was happy to be able to get a better angle at his sharp jaw. Not to mention that his adam apple's also very attractive. "How so?"
I didn't think he would press the matter, but it's not like it is uncomfortable to talk about it either way, so I don't care. "I went to my favorite bookstore downtown for a while, and I planned to have lunch outside," then I proceeded to tell him the whole story, including how my dad came in and that was the reason why I hadn't killed Jacob at that moment, kind of. "Then they got married a month later, and today she came here telling us that she's 3 months pregnant!"
The sexy man blinked, dumbfounded, "Wait, what? Three months? The math doesn't add up. That means she was already pregnant when you caught them together!"
A nod, "Yes. Meaning that the horns in my head are so big that they are probably as long as my legs!"
"The what?"
I chuckled softly. Of course, he doesn't understand what I meant. It's a 21st-century earthly thing. "I once read in a book that some people used metaphors for being cheated on. So, if you got cheated on, you would have an invisible horn in your head, which will only become a problem once you learn about the betrayal, which will make them visible. The more times your get cheated on, the longer the horns in your head, and the bigger the humiliation."
"Very interesting metaphor," he said smiling, probably thinking I'm weird. "But think of it in a better way. If you hadn't caught them, you could have married him clueless about everything. He doesn't deserve a string of your hair, so it's better now. Let's just hope you find a better man that will treat you the way you deserve, Lady Hope!" Damn, his voice is enchanting.
"Are you single?" I asked suddenly when he took another sip of his champagne and he gasped.
Choking on it, "Pardon me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I too direct? I tend to speak my thoughts. Not very ladylike," I muttered the last part, reprimanding myself.
When he was over the choking on the champagne part, he chuckled softly, "Are you hitting on me, Lady Hope?"
I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my lips. I'm sure I'm blushing now. "Yes."
"Oh, wow, you are indeed very straightforward! I'm more used to the Ladies hitting on me subtly, so it's quite an amusing surprise," at least it's not a bad one.
"You are quite the sight to behold, so I'm not surprised that you have Ladies hitting on you like that," oh my God, I'm cringing at myself.
He grinned sensually and extended his gloved hand to me, and I took it, then he came to the middle of the ballroom and held me by my waist, "I hope you don't starve yourself to possess such a thing waist, Lady Hope!" I'll take that as a compliment.
"Don't worry. My metabolism allows me to eat as much as I want, and I'm quite the foodie, without gaining weight," he made a satisfying sound and I felt my face hot again. "I'm not bragging, alright? It's just that my genes are that good." I bit my lip realizing that I do sound like I'm bragging. "I'll just shut up!"
The hot man chuckled softly again, and I was already getting used to that sound. Then he tightened his grip on my waist making me gasp, "You can brag as much as you want, Lady Hope. I don't mind. You do have reasons to do so. And I'm glad that you like to eat, and still possess such an attractive body!"
I raised one of my eyebrows, "Oh, now look who's hitting on who?!"
"I'm just stating the truth. And judging by the confident air around you, I'm sure you are very aware of the charms you possess," wow, he's smart and seems to be quick to catch on to things as well. "I'm 22, by the way, so you don't need to worry about me being a creepy guy twice your age, hitting on you, just because I look young!"
That made me laugh. Really laugh, "God's above, you can also be funny? Damn, don't you possess any red flags? Because you can't be this perfect," to hell with everything, he didn't complain about me flirting with him, so I guess I don't need to contain myself.
"Everyone has some red flags, don't you think? I believe mine would be my possessiveness towards everything that's mine. Or my ruthlessness while dealing with things that I despise," well, he's being very honest.
I tilted my head to the side, amused by the fact that the song changed and he didn't let go of me, and only brought me closer, "Those can be both good and bad flags though. The possessiveness can indicate the fact that you care for what is yours, and you don't let anything harm it. You just have to be careful when it comes to people, and give them some freedom and space so they won't feel cornered and imprisoned. Now, the ruthlessness with those you despise is very understandable, and I can relate to it!"
Even though I couldn't see his eyes, I felt the pressure of his gaze on mine. "Then why don't you get revenge on what that cunt and the whore you have as a half-sister did to you?" He catches on fast.
A grin took over my lips, "Oh, but who said I wouldn't? I may not harm them physically, now that, like it or not, she has an innocent baby in her belly. However, I can still get back to them in other ways."
By the smirk on his kissable lips, I could tell that he liked what I was saying. "If you want help with it…" He didn't finish it, but I got the message.
"Do you know a mnemonic mage that can see and expose people's memories?" I know it's kind of risky to trust him when I don't even know his name, but my gut is telling me to accept his help.
It's telling me to do way more than that, actually. Like jumping on him and kissing his lips, or taking him to a silent place with no one around and making him deflower me. Yeah, I'm feeling quite horny. He's making me feel quite horny. Not my fault, I can't control my hormones.
But it wasn't like I could do it right now.
He seemed to ponder it, then nodded, "I do, actually. Want to expose what you saw when you caught them in the act?" Oh, wow, he's amazing.
"Yes," was all I said.
"Tonight?"
"If she tries to take the spotlight with the news of her pregnancy, then yes!" Knowing her and Lorena, they will probably do that. "So, I better be prepared, since that's probably going to happen!"