Eloria Camer thought that she was all prepared to meet the man who gave her all kinds of pain in her past life. She really did.
Nevertheless, now that he was right beside her, trying to win over her again with that fakeness... holding back and putting on a calm demeanor might even be the hardest thing!
She wished to kill him right then and there! But...
If she wanted him to die that easily, she would have already done it a long time ago. She already had the skill to do that but... she didn't wait and let herself be tormented for three long years without a reason.
Why would she let him have the privilege of dying that easy when he let her meet her demise after making her went through hell?
She vowed that she will make sure to see his extreme suffering before death became the only resort for him! This was the only reason why she could hold back and not give him a spiteful glance.
"Your Highness is too kind, living up to his pleasant reputation," Eloria finally muttered while slightly lowering her head as a sign of acknowledgment and 'respect'. Just as expected, her response seemed to amuse the Fourth Prince who was the perfect example of a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"And I think General is nothing like the rumors say," Rayan Varence wittily responded. Then he paused and had his gaze on Eloria's face when he added, "Such a beauty and a heartless warrior? I think they are on the contrary."
She already knew how wickedly intelligent this man was but... Eloria realized more and more that it would be quite easy to underestimate him again as she did in her past life. Rayan Varence was too good at handling people in a way that would suit them.
The way he talked to her now... it was very different from the time he first approached her in her past life. After all, an infamous and cold-hearted General will be more than different from the kind and sheltered girl she once was.
Eloria took a mental note to raise her guard all the time. This Rayan Varence seemed to be much scarier and wicked than the one she used to know.
"Do you know what things and people have in common, Your Highness?" She rhetorically asked and continued, "They are not always like what they appear to be."
Rayan Varence understood the message but he had no idea that the General was talking about him too. As such, he ended up smiling out of amusement. "I realize that the rumors about you aren't completely wrong, General. But you're more honest and daring than I thought. I also think we will get along really well."
A smile flashed across Eloria's face when she heard the Fourth Prince. "You're a royal, Your Highness. I believe that mingling with royals will do a General like me no good." Though her expression was calm, one could probably sense how firm she was.
She was known for being honest and sharp-tongued. Even now, she was only being patient because she wanted to know if Rayan Varence was still the same. She felt like she already got the answer.
He still wanted to use her in his disgusting plan.
Rayan Varence didn't expect the response he just received but when he was about to speak up, he was interrupted by his younger sister who showed up next to him. One glance and it was obvious that the Princess couldn't hide her excitement for seeing the female General she always admired. She was literally beaming with joy!
"This feels like a dream!" Isabella Varence suddenly exclaimed without even introducing herself to the General who was now looking up at her.
Eloria appeared to be confused like before but she knew very well who the girl was.
If she was to list the weakness of Rayan Varence, his only full sibling, Princess Isabella Varence would surely top the list. Maybe because of their mother's passing, Rayan Varence was fiercely protective of his younger sister though he never showed it that much.
Maybe because he was afraid that others would use it against him if they were to know this fact. Even Eloria only knew it because she had lived as his wife for two years.
When Rayan Varence noticed the confusion on the face of the General, he rose from his seat and took the chance to introduce his sister. "This is my sister, Princess Isabella Varence. I hope you understand, General. She is only excited to see you and she has always admired you."
With many memories about the Princess crossing her mind, General Eloria rose from her seat and slightly bowed her head. "It's my pleasure, Your Highness." She shifted her gaze to the Princess who was a few months younger than her and flashed a smile that stuck between genuine and forced.
Why did she forget that she might also meet the Princess when she decided to attend the feast?
The excitement that Princess Isabella felt from meeting the General was slowly replaced by confusion when she noticed the look on the latter's face.
Why was the powerful General appearing so concerned and sad? Isabella didn't understand at all.
"Are you alright, General Eloria?"
Eloria Camer was snapped out of her stupor by the gentle yet worried voice of Princess Isabel. Realizing what she did, she was very quick to regain her composure.
"Yes, Your Highness. I was only stunned by how beautiful the only Princess of our Aritish is." She lied and covered all her inner turmoil with a calm yet fake smile.
The Princess was still innocent and trusting; she was very quick to smile again, brightly. "You're even more beautiful than me!" She exclaimed, electrified.
Beautiful. Beauty.
Eloria hated to be called these yet she already heard them both from the royal siblings. It can't be helped as being called 'beautiful' reminded her of how she was always being compared to a flower in her past life.
A beautiful flower that soon withered.
Nevertheless, she didn't show anything or even respond.
After a few more chats, Prince Rayan finally managed to make his sister leave them alone. However, he too was soon disturbed by some other guests who approached him to have a chat. Eloria took this chance to go to the large balcony on the left so that she could get some fresh air.
With all those memories lingering in her mind, the palace was too suffocating for her. She needed some relief.
Standing near the fence of the balcony, Eloria Camer crossed her arms and glanced up at the vast sky. Though there were no stars, she was glad enough that it wasn't raining.
The palace and rain? It will be just like the one from her memory that she could never forget.
Once again, she found herself being immersed too much in her thoughts. It must also be why she failed to sense the presence of another person who was standing a few steps away from her. And when she did realize, the face of the person made her recall memories that she never thought much about in her past life.....