At the back of the hall, Ara and her sister were having fun, laughing and teasing each other, but Anne wasn't that happy about the placement. Even though she hadn't been to many events before, she knew what it meant to be seated at the back. Anne had pouted at first, but as the celebration progressed, she began to enjoy the back seat.
Anne had only come to the celebration to get back at Claire, but the witch wasn't making any attempt to cross their way this time, maybe it was best to just let the grudge go now, since Claire wasn't bothering them. And Anne had enjoyed Claire's reaction when they first came into the hall, that was enough slap for now.
Anne glanced to the front seats, to see Claire having fun with her friends, the witch wasn't really doing anything this time? She looked away and focus on the delicious dessert in front of her.
"Anne, enough of that already, you've had too much sweet dessert for today, it may cause you to have stomach problems...you didn't even touch your food, but you've had three plates of that dessert." Exclaimed Ara with a small frown. Ara had noticed her sister eating only the dessert, she hadn't even touched her food once, but kept ordering for the sweet dessert, Anne had even taken the one in front of Ara, and eaten them all.
"I can't help it, it's delicious." Responded Anne while eating the dessert, Ara couldn't help but smile at how Anne was devouring the innocent sweets, "How about we tell the chef at home to make it for you? But it's enough for now."
Anne nodded with a smile,"Okay, fine, let me finish this one then."
Anne's smile brought some warmth to her chest, she never really enjoyed these kind of social events, but no matter the place as long as her sister was with her, it made her forget the kind of place she was at. Just then she suddenly saw Anne holding her stomach with a little frown on her face,
"What's wrong Anne?" Ara asked worryingly.
"I think I need to use the restroom, sister." Anne said while she got up her seat.
"Should I come with you?" Ara asked again with a worried voice, but Anne shook her head, "No, I'll be right back, I just need the restroom."
Ara nodded, "Okay, don't stay long." Anne nodded and walked away, Ara followed her with her gaze until she was out of sight.
Just after Anne left, Ara heard some footsteps coming her way, she glanced up and saw three ladies standing beside her table with a smile on their faces,
"Hello, it's been awhile lady Arabella." Said Eleanora, who Ara couldn't even remember, her memories weren't that clear, she couldn't recall if she was on good terms with the people who approached her, but Ara could still remember a little about Claire and it wasn't that clear, she didn't want to appear rude and simply replied,
"Yes, it's been awhile."
"Can we join you? I wanted to apologize for what happened at the masquerade ball...So If you don't mind, can we seat with you?" Asked Claire with an innocent expression, she had a polite smile on her face, which even Ara found innocent, actually Ara had been curious about what had happened at that masquerade ball everyone was talking about, even Anne had said something about the ball, which she didn't understand. And Ara didn't see anything bad about letting the ladies join her, besides they was five empty chairs at the table.
"Yes, you can seat." Said Ara with a soft smile, they all sat down happily. Claire was holding four glasses of wine in a tray, she sat down and said, "I brought this for us while we talk." Claire dropped each glass in front of all the ladies at the seat, but Mary wasn't among them.
Ara looked at the glass in front of her, she couldn't even remember who these young ladies were. Ara had lived another life for nineteen years before returning to the past, the faces of the people who had little to do with her didn't remain in her memories.
Although she could still remember a little about Claire, but that doesn't mean she trusts the young lady, besides Anne had said she had a grudge against Claire. Maybe she should put up with them before Anne gets back? Ara would love to hear what they had to say. And she could see behind those fake smiles on their faces now that they were seating in front of her, but still she wanted to know what they had done at this masquerade ball,
"Thanks." Ara said with a smile, but didn't make an attempt to take the wine.
"I don't know where to start, but am really sorry about what I did at the masquerade ball..." Said Claire with teary eyes.
Ara looked at Claire's teary eyes with a little frown, what was this Claire up to? Ara didn't even know what to reply, because she doesn't even know what Claire was apologizing for, what did she do? Only Anne and these ladies knew what had happened at that masquerade ball. Where was Anne now that she needed her? Why was she taking so long?
Back at the restroom, Anne stood before a washbasin to wash her hands, while she murmured to herself, "Why did I even come to this banquet? That witch didn't even make an attempt to bully us this time...lucky her, I came prepared for her stupid act today...Humph."
Anne finished washing her hands and wiped the water away with a wiper, she was about to step out when she heard something like a sob from the other side of the restroom. Did she just hear a sob? Or maybe her ears were hearing things, Anne took another step, but she heard the sob again. Who could that be? Maybe she should just leave? the person might want to be alone. Anne turned to leave again, but the sob got louder,
She stop and made her way to the direction the sob was coming from, when she got there, Anne saw a young lady with dark skin crouch down in a corner and was crying, the lady looked pitiful to Anne, "Hello, are you okay?" Anne asked concerned, but there was no response from the dark lady, "Why are you crying?" She asked again, but still no response, Anne crouch down and handed her handkerchief to the crying lady, who looked at Anne with her eyes swollen as if she had been crying for awhile, now that Anne saw her face, she remembered seeing the lady with Claire in the hall...
Wasn't she Claire's friend? Did that witch bully her? Was that why she was here crying?
Mary took the handkerchief, and wiped her face, she also blew her nose out on it, then stretched out her hand to give back the handkerchief she just used to blow her nose, but Anne shook her head, "You can keep it...why were you crying? Did Claire bully you?" Anne looked at the pitiful lady before her, she was beautiful even with her dark skin, her big brown eyes looked like a doll's.
Mary nodded, "Yes...they said am ugly...and nobody...woul-" Mary burst out in tears again, as if remembering it was painful, she covered her face with her palms while she continued to cry, she peeked through the gaps in her palms to see if Anne had fallen for her pitiful state, Anne who didn't know Mary was pretending patted her back to calm her down,
"It's okay...don't mind whatever Claire and the rest say to you...you're beautiful to me, and if you want I can be your friend." Anne remarked softly, but Mary who was initially pretending at first froze at Anne's words, she looked up with the fake tears in her eyes at Anne astonished, no one had ever said something like that to her, that she was beautiful, she could see the sincerity in Anne's eyes and she suddenly burst out in real tears.