I walked out of the garden distraught because of the sharp contrast in treatment from Ryan. It was a huge blow. At least, I thought that if he was unbothered towards me then he'd do the other ladies would be no different because then the reason could be well explained and it would be because he was still hung over his late wife.
But I guess I was wrong, especially since I didn't have that much information about him. I my previous life to the point that I didn't know that Miss Harley was his childhood friend.
" Miss Charlotte, you don't look so well. What is my party that is boring to you?" I heard someone say. It was Miss Harley, causally leaning against the wall close to the gate of the secret garden.
" Oh, not at all. Thought you -" I started, but she interrupted me.
" Oh no, I only directed him. Besides, I wanted to have a little chat with you. That's why I stayed and waited for you. But who would have known that you would take so long to come out, tell me you weren't planting any bombs in my garden where you?" She asked
" W-What? No, no, I wasn't." I replied
" Then you must have been snooping around. Let me tell you, my house is well guarded and secured, even if you were to search for something, you won't find anything and if you stole something, you make it out of the gate." She continued spewing accusations at me, but I didn't get angry. My mind was too preoccupied with Ryan and my relationship with him. I had to make it better before, conspiracies start coming up, so "I don't want to get killed." was all I thought about even as I spoke to Miss Harley, and since she's so absorbed in her own world, she didn't notice that I was distracted.
So ignoring her last remark, I said, " You said you wanted to talk to me?" The sooner she did, the better, I had to go back and revise my plans.
" Oh yes, have you consummated your marriage with big brother Ryan?" She asked the simulation so causally as though it was the most normal thing to outrightly ask another woman. At this, I truly couldn't hide my shock at her.
Seeing my reaction, she laughed again and said, " Well then, it would seem that my assumption is correct. That means you two are not married yet because the marriage was only an agreement between two families, without a blessing from our king or royal court. You should have at least secured the marriage by consummation. That way, if our King refused to recognize your marriage, you would prove its authenticity with a red little hankerchief." She said with a chuckle
I was livid, she was beyond rude, this was just unacceptable, " Excuse me, but don't you think you are quite rude, especially considering that we are not acquainted." I retorted
" Oh, am I rude?I apologize. I just like,umm, let's see, being blatantly honest. In fact, it's one of my strong traits, and Eben brother Ryan likes this bad habit of mine. But yes, you are right. We are not related because if we were, the only relationship tying us would be Ryan, where I would have to call you Duchess, but since you two are not -"
" I don't know where you got your assumptions and theories, but you don't know anything about my relationship with my husband, so please don't jump to conclusions. As for my marriage with Ryan, that's a private matter. We will handle it as we see fit." I said. I couldn't let her continue talking because I heard rustling sounds near us, and chances were someone was listening, and I bet she might have been the one who planted that very person who was eavesdropping right now. So, if I let her continue, it would only hurt me more than her.
She chuckled again. As though she noticed that I knew that she planted someone to eavesdrop, she said, " Nice, so you are not slow at all." She gave me a thumbs up as she said this, then continued,
" Then let me give you some advice, and how you use it is up to you. Your situation right now is not good at all, at most, brother Ryan will probably send you back to your kingdom when he gets the chance because though from your side the marriage agreement was announced in front of a crowd, in this kingdom two things matter, the King's approval or an undeniable evidence that your marriage is the real deal and that is the little hankerchief. But since you have neither, you can not hold onto Ryan, you can try, but you will likely fail. This is evident enough that Brother Ryan doesn't want you, and honestly, I am not shocked. I mean, you are far worse than his last "true" marriage. At that woman was able to secure something unlike - "
(slap) I couldn't listen to what she had to say anymore. It was fine if she insulted me, but saying that Ryan's late wife secured her marriage through Jay Jay was unacceptable.
" I can not believe I accepted an invite from such an unscrupulous woman like you who thinks insulting others and being rude is the same as blatant honesty." I said, glaring at her,
" If you are his childhood friend like you said earlier, you certainly don't deserve that title. I have said my part, now please excuse me." I said as I turned to go back to the main venue
She laughed out loud as though amused by something, then rushed over to me and held me by my neck. Her hand was very cold against my neck.
" Ah, you know, I said what I said because of one thing, firstly, all is fair in love and war, and if I insult my rivals to get ahead, then so be it. And yes, I love Ryan, and I am not ashamed to say it. I could ask my dad or whatever to arrange a marriage for me too, but what's the fun in that? I want to rival all his former and future lovers or wives, and show him through each of them that they are not good enough, only I can ever be enough for him.Oh, how I would have loved to be your rival, I mean, before you, I was hers, and now that you are filling in her space, I would have been yours. it's just too bad that Ryan will be the one to send you back to your kingdom even before I get to start being serious about our little rivalry for his love. What a pity." She said and then passed me and left.
From this, I could gauge the only thing. She was a crazy woman, and this made me wonder if Ryan's late wife had to deal with all of this.