Lucrin was a gorgeous city, most famous for its tea, was also quite popular for its many activities that delighted both residents and tourists. Its streets smelled of perfumes and freshly baked breads, children squealed in delight as they played outside, the rushing water from large marble fountains brought an extra splash of beauty to the surroundings. It looked just like the shopping center where Mia lived, but dated and more enchanting.
She looked around in awe as she walked closely behind Atlier. The streets were bustling with people and yet it wasn't congested so it was impossible to walk. Everyone in the city seemed to either be laughing or had a smile on their face.
"Mia, where would you like to go first? Do you have any idea of what you would like to see here?" Atlier halted in front of one of the fountains and took Mia's hand in his, staring into her eyes. She blushed a bit, "Can I possibly get some clothes of my own? No offense to the person who owned these before me, but these aren't exactly my style. Besides, it feels a little awkward to wear someone else's clothes."
Atlier's face darkened. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm just acting spoiled, it's alright these clothes are fine! I'm grateful to even have anything to wear!" Mia scrambled to try to make him feel better, noticing the shift in Atlier's mood. He shook his head in response and smile, "No my dear, it's alright. You should wear your own clothes." Atlier led Mia into a nearby dress shop and held the door open for her. It was painted white with black and white tile flooring. Gorgeous dresses filled the shop windows and the display mannequins inside.
The workers inside flocked to Atlier, bowing and giving their greetings to the duke. "Are any of these dresses to your liking? If not, we can get something custom made, it's no issue."
"Of course, madam! If our clothes do not suit your tastes, we most certainly can create anything you wish for. Anything for a friend of the duke." The, what Mia assumed was, shopkeeper said.
Mia smiled and looked around at the dresses, "They're all so beautiful, but….a bit long."
The shop owner's eyes widened in horror, "Long? Madam, are you sure?" He laughed awkwardly, "This is the typical length of a respectable lady." Mia bit her lip and looked over at Atlier who looked very amused. She thought back to their first meeting. He didn't seem to have a problem with her short skirt when they first met, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue right?
"Well, I like to be ahead of the trends. I promise you, soon it will be what every girl is wearing." The shop owner looked over to Atlier, shooting him looks of SOS. Atlier merely shrugged, "If that is what the lady wants, then I shall be happy to support her wishes." Mia smiled and mouthed the words 'thank you' to him to which he responded with a nod. The owner, however, looked like he was going to have a meltdown.
"I suppose I can make it shorter. How short would you like it?"
Mia wanted to be comfortable but she couldn't completely ignore the ideals of this society. In the end, she decided it was best to compromise. "How does knee length sound?"
He scoffed, "Knee length?! " He shot another look at Atlier, who only responded by nodding. "Alright, we shall get you a knee length dress."
Atlier watched full of joy as Mia excitedly described how she wanted the dresses and picked out the fabrics. Her smile when she was getting fitted was unlike anything he had seen before. He could watch her all day.
By the time they were finished it was already time for lunch, to which they decided to eat at a café. The street was getting a little more crowded now since most people were closing their shops to come eat. Mia grabbed his hand to make sure she didn't get lost in the now sea of people. He stopped as soon as she grabbed it, a flush of pink spreading across his face and his heart beating loudly against his chest.
It wasn't like he'd never had physical touch with a woman before, but for some reason his body just reacted at the touch of Mia's. He had found her to be a nice new play thing that he was interested in, but he didn't think of her romantically, until right now.
Mia let go immediately upon noticing that he had tensed up, "Sorry. I didn't want to get lost." Atlier couldn't get any words out of his mouth so he just ignored her, grabbed her hand, and led her to the café.
The two sat down across from each other at a small table inside. The air was filled with delicious scents that were all complimentary to one another. Atlier refused to make eye contact and sat with his arms and legs crossed, his foot twitching.
"Are you alright? It's okay if you're upset that I grabbed your hand. You don't have to hide it."
He heart began to beat faster. It was okay for him to be upset about something? Not that he WAS upset, but it had been so long that someone would ALLOW him to be upset. Why was he all of a sudden feeling this way? It wasn't like he hadn't held her hand before. He adjusted himself and cleared his throat, "There is nothing wrong. I was just lost in thought."
The two of them ordered and sat awkwardly eating. Atlier was at a loss for words, although he'd occasionally glance up at her. Mia felt distraught, she could feel the tension that had appeared in the air, and she could tell that something happened with him. Once they finished eating, they made their way back around the city. This time though, Atlier was the one to initiate the hand holding.
Mia tilted her head in confusion. What was going on? She desperately wanted to know what was going on, but she knew that she wouldn't get any more information out of him.
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That night, Mia lay on the large bed with all of the goods they'd bought while out in Lucrin. She rolled over, staring at the multiple bags. They were filled with sweets, books and accessories. Since their lunch, everything between them had been awkward. Atlier hardly spoke to her, although he was being more physical with her, touching her hands and arms often. It wasn't that she minded, she really liked his touch, it was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Even though she was engaged to Lance, she thought back, when was he ever REALLY affectionate with her? She couldn't think of a time.
Sure, they kissed, hugged and held hands, but none of it felt as it did with Atlier. Most of the time she'd fantasize about things they could do, hoping that once they got married and were less busy with school that it would get better.
She sat up in the bed. Maybe this was for the better. Maybe, she wasn't meant to be with Lance and her getting sent here was actually some sort of blessing. Her hand flew up to her mouth, stifling a gasp, "Wait….did I indirectly wish for my own death? I did wish that we could do all of these things, and be really touchy and lovey dovey but…. I didn't think I would have to die for it…" she wondered aloud as she touched the side of her head that would've been hit by the blow from Lance. The shine in her eyes disappeared as she thought back to that night.
Shouldn't she be crying? It felt like she should, her heart hurt. Did she cry out all of her tears already or was her heart hurting for a different reason? There was no way she could sleep now. She hopped off the bed, grabbed one of the books she'd purchased earlier, and exited the room. After wondering around a bit, she finally found her way to the study. Even though she'd been there twice already, the estate was extra difficult to navigate during the night.
Carefully, she pulled the doors open, attempting to make as little sound as possible. Sitting inside, hair in a low side ponytail and pulled over his shoulder and a pair of glasses, was Atlier looking over numerous documents. He looked up at her and turned red when he saw her, averting her eyes.
"I didn't expect anyone to be up at this hour. Am I disturbing you? I'm sorry." She stood in the doorway awkwardly, fiddling with the doorknob.
"No. Hurry up and get in here." Atlier stood up and ushered her in, looking around the hallway before closing the doors behind them. He picked a blanket up off the couch and wrapped it around her, looking away as he did so. "You're wearing nothing over your night gown, you can see everything." Mia turned a bright red and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. The nightgowns she would wear back home were much more opaque, so she could freely walk around the house, and even to the convenience store, without any issue.
"I-I didn't realize! I'm sorry!"
"It's alright. You're covered now. It's no disturbance to me if you'd like to be in here."
Mia nodded and sat down on the couch to read her book, smiling wide as she stared at Atlier. He didn't notice until he sat down in front of all his papers. "What is it?"
"Nothing, you just look really cute with glasses."
He chuckled and went back to his work. "Cute. Pfft."
"What is it that you are working on?" Mia asked while looking over at the documents. She tried making sense of them, but the information she was seeing was numbing her brain.
"Oh. I like to play detective. It's an odd thing, I know."
Mia winced, wondering if there was currently a detective looking for her body out there somewhere before shaking her head. "I don't think it's weird. Lots of people are into this kind of thing. They used to even have murder mystery parties where I lived."
Atlier smirked and stared at her, "You're really bad at keeping your story straight. Be honest with me, what is your story? Hm? You've forgotten that you've supposedly lost your memory so many times now."
Mia pursed her lips, "You never believed me anyways."
"Even if I had, it wouldn't have taken long to figure out. You've given yourself away already."
"Okay fine, my memory isn't gone, but I can't tell you…."
"Why can you not tell me? I am no threat to you."
"I can't tell you because I don't know you well enough to tell you. You probably wouldn't believe me."
"Then get to know me."
Mia blushed. Was that a challenge? "F-fine, I'll get to know you then….Detective Montz."
Detective Montz? Now that was a name he could get used to.