WHEN I OPENED MY EYES AGAIN, IT WAS nighttime, but it didn't look like the same day. I was also laying on an enormous and comfortable bed, but the room was unrecognizable to my eyes. Meaning, I was not at home anymore, and the hot man had saved me from my family and managed to take me out of there.
But before I could even get up, the door opened widely and a familiar figure came inside and rushed to me with a worried face. "My Lady," Marianne sat by my side and reached her hands to me. "I don't necessarily know what happened, but that man you danced with took us away from the County. And he said you asked him to take us with you, so, he just brought us here to this castle. Tell me we didn't fall into a trap and got kidnapped!"
Oh, so, this is his place. "No trap. I asked Sir Hotness to take me out of there and asked for you," I flinched as a horrible headache spread through my skull and I felt as if I had been thrown over a truck. "God has mercy, Mari, did I hit my head or something?"
"That man told me that because you drank too much, and it seems like the northern alcohol has like a retarded effect or something, you got hit with the drunkenness of it all at once. He also said you would be hangover when you woke up, and because of how strong the alcohol actually was, you would probably feel a horrible headache," she petted my head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have given you that many glasses!"
I brushed her guilty away, "Even if you hadn't, I would have drank just as much, if not more than I did. Don't blame yourself for my habit of overdoing it when it comes to drinking," sigh. "It's unfair, though. He drank as much as I did and didn't blackout."
She giggled softly, "Come on, little Hope, you can't compare the effects on you to him. He's huge, almost twice my height. Of course, he'll have a higher tolerance to it, than you. Because you maybe be tall compared to most of us women, but in front of that giant, you are like an ant," ouch.
"Don't go that far. I'm not that short compared to him!" I exclaimed sulking. Imagine if I had my height from my past life. Hell to the no, that, yes, would make me look like an ant in front of him!
Marianne didn't seem to agree with me, "My Lady, you were using four-inches high heels on the ball. And even with them, he was more than a head taller than you. I don't even want to imagine how tall he'll be when compared to you being barefoot."
Alright, she has a point. "Whatever," I tried to get up and when I realized it, I only had a pair of lingerie under the mattress. "Oh my God, tell me it was you that changed my clothes!"
She chuckled, understanding for once, my dirty-minded meaning, "It was. Oh, and did you propose to him? He said something along these lines, but I had to hear it from you!"
I felt my skin hot again, "Hm… yes? I believe I did. I know what you are going to say, 'Oh, but you don't even know him!', 'Oh my God, Lady Hope, how can you propose to a man when you don't even know his name, or what he actually looks like?', 'You don't know him, what if he's a psychopath?'. And it's quite valid, to be honest. However, I couldn't take the risk of letting him go just like that when he seems to be the perfect match. What if he left and never came back? You get what I mean?"
Scoff, "You can be terribly impulsive sometimes, you know that? Indeed, it is dangerous. But…"
I smiled, "So, there's a but!"
She rolled her eyes, "He defended you from your father. From your entire family. He shielded you with both his body and magic when they tried to attack you while you were unconscious after the memories began being displayed. And he seemed furious beyond his mind when he saw in the memories how that cunt and the bastards beat you up earlier that day!" That day?
"Yeah, yeah. One more reason for me to marry him. He isn't afraid of dealing with them if it's to protect me! But, Mari, how long has it been since the ball?"
"Three days!" What?
I gasped, "Three days? What the hell?"
Sigh, "It's not just the heavy hangover, but you ran out of energy when the Knight displayed your memories like that. After all, it was a connection mind-to-mind. It burns one's energy quite easily, according to what the physician here said, and the man who saved you seemed sure that she was a talented old woman, by how he trusted her words!"
"Oh," I looked around and realized they put me in a very spacious and comfortable room. Very fancy too. "Are you also in a good room?" I asked her while walking to the balcony, with my lower part wrapped around the sheets.
"Yes. He made sure to give us good rooms. Probably because he noticed how you care for us, because he looked rather emotionless," did he?
"That's good. Where are we, by the way?" I don't recognize the view outside, even if it's nighttime.
"We are still in the south, but residing on a mansion in the Southern Duchy," what? "But this doesn't seem like the place that man lives, though. Since most of the people around came here about two months ago."
How interesting. "It kind of makes sense. He doesn't look or sound southern. If I had to guess, just by his silver hair, I would say he's a Knight from the north, but that would be quite annoying. It would mean he works for Duke Luc Von der Meer," and that's a dangerous area. After all, I'm trying to stay as far away from them as possible, not to affect the novel storyline in any way.
At least, not in a major way, like directly interfering in it and interacting with the main leads. I would like to stay alive and live past 22 years old this time. I'm tired of dying young. And even though that only happened once, once is enough!
"I'll never understand why you hate the Northern Duke or the Royal Family so much!" She muttered.
I gasped, "Hate? I never said I hated them!" How could I? They are the main leads, all I read in the book made me adore them. However, I can't get closer, or something could go terribly wrong.
"You always flinch at the slightest mention of them. Especially when it's about Duke Luc Von der Meer, or Princess Alina Desormeaux as if you were scared or disgusted by the idea of getting close to them. Not to mention that you always avoid social gatherings that they attend like a cat avoids water. So, how is it that you don't hate them?" Well, when she says it like that it does look weird.
Sigh. "I don't hate them. Nor do I loathe them, Mari. I just don't like the idea of getting near such powerful people. After all, House Von der Meer is only second in power to Royal Hose Desormeaux. It's not safe to get close. Especially when I tend to annoy people above me, and annoying them would easily get me executed," I walked to where she was. "And my surviving senses are sharper than the sharpest of the blades. They might even be the coolest people in the world, but I have no desire to get to know them."
Marianne bit her bottom lip, "You worry too much!"
"No. I worry just the right amount, Mari. You guys are the ones who don't have a good sense of survival and don't know how to maintain your guard up for your safety," sigh. "I have to bathe, after three days without cleaning myself, I stink like a rat."
Then someone knocked on the door and we jumped startled. "Lady Bissonnette?" It was a male voice, but not a familiar one.
"Yes?"
"The Boss requests to have dinner with you. He sent me here to advise you to take a bath and get ready," is he suggesting I'm dirty?
Scoff, "Got it!" When I was sure he left, I turned to Mari, not filtering my annoyance. "He really called me dirty in a polite way, didn't he?" She said nothing but kept that stupid smile on. "Tsk. I want to take a bath alone. You can leave, Mari. I can doll myself up as long as I have clothes for it!"
She didn't complain, knowing how I like to take a bath alone just so I can sing my lungs out. "The wardrobe is full of dresses and other clothes, he prepared for you a day ago."
I bit my lip, "Now, that's what a gentleman would do."
"Don't take too long, and wash your hair, alright?" A nod. "I'll be going then. Enjoy your singing section," she mocked as usual and I chuckled softly.
"I will!"