EDITED.
"They cast me aside as though I were nothing, but from the shadows, I have risen, a specter of vengeance that will haunt their every step." ~Araneae Ruber
~
STRANGER stepped away from the steam carriage and glanced at Ser. Chandler and Louisa.
"What letter?" Louisa asked, limping forward, and away from Ser. Chandler.
"What letter? Of course, A marriage proposal"
"Marriage proposal?!" Louisa echoed his words. Her brows furrowed in bemusement, but as she was a smart girl, she could quickly comprehend his words.
"You don't mean?" She whipped her head towards her sister, who was leaning out the window of the carriage. Luella was smiling down at Mr. Stranger.
'He was serious about wanting to marry me?' She thought to herself. 'I sincerely thought he was only going with the flow of the mood. I never thought he was sincerely serious about it. Sigh, oh how I wished I had taken off his mask that time'
"Luella is engaged and with a man already. If you have even a single iota of respect for her, you would not do such humiliating feat".
Mr. Stranger doubles down with laughter. He clutched his tummy like what he had just heard was the funniest thing he had ever heard in his life.
"You are as hilarious as you are stupid"
"What?"
Pointing to Luella without looking at her, "My princess is not that shameless enough to continue a marriage with a cheater… She would rather kill the said cheater"
Louisa and Ser. Chandler's eyes widened with shock as they both whipped their heads in Luella's directions, only to see her smiling back at them.
'This was weird. It was all going wrong!! This isn't how the night should have gone,' Louisa screamed in her head. 'This man is ruining everything. Luella was supposed to cry and scream and get hurt at the fact that her lover was cheating with her own sister… But who is this pathetic, deranged man!!'
"What do you mean by kill the said cheater? Luella will never kill her husband"
"Hmm? I never said anything about it being him? After all, he did not cheat on her with himself, did he?" A cynical smile played on Mr. Stranger's face as he stared at it.
"Stop with your nonsense!!! Luella will never kill me! I am her only sister… and her blood"
This time, the smile disappeared from his face as he glared down at Louisa, "And it is still her blood sister who betrayed her… If I were Luella, I would kill you first and then the wretched cunt behind you over there".
He looked back at Luella. "You sure you don't want to kill them?"
"Don't get any idea." She retorted.
Meeting Ser. Chandler's eyes, she ordered him, "Go get the driver, I want to go back home." relaxing back in her seat.
Ser. Chandler gritted his teeth as he watched the nonchalant lady order him like she was above him.
"Do you want another blow to the head. I promise you, If you don't leave I will punch you so hard your head will slit into two"
Ser. Chandler clenched and unclenched his fist and he made moves to leave and do as he was ordered, after all he didn't want to get punched in the head again.
'What a humiliating man. I can not believe this was the man I bet my plan on.' Louisa cursed as she watched Ser. Chandler leaves the place to get their driver.
'I will have to get back with mother on what to do next.' Louisa bit her teeth as she watched the stranger's attention turn back to her sister.
"I don't trust your safety with these two," Mr. Stranger stated, letting her know of the worry in his heart.
"Hmm?" She hummed as she looked up to meet her sister's eyes staring back at hers.
"Like I told you before. I am completely worn out of being the perfect marionette of the house of Van-Rensselaer. " She pulled her eyes away from her sister's and returned it to Mr. Stranger's masked one.
She traced her fingers across his clothed jawlike as she smiled at him. "I wish to sleep… of a long time."
His brows deepened with annoyance. Though she could not see his face, she knew her words had somehow offended him, but she didn't say anything to comfort him, after all. She wasn't lying when she said. She wished she could sleep for a long time.
"What if you find out my real identity?"
She arched her brows and let out a chuckled. "I doubt your identity would change my opinion, but you are allowed to try. "
"I will send the letter of marriage proposal to the dukedom tomorrow. Please don't do anything crazy"
"I won't"
Nodding his head, he proceeded to ask again, "When will I get a response?"
"If you send it in the morning you will get a response at noon, if you send it at noon, you will get it at early dusk"
"And if I send it at Dusk?"
"You will get a response, early dawn the following dawn"
"I see… Then, I shall send my proposal, identity and gift to the dukedom"
"I shall await your letter. " She gave him a smile as he returned it. "May I have your hand, my princess? " Mr. Stranger asked, and she gave it to him.
He placed a soft kiss on the back of her palm, "I shall see you soon, my princess"
Before she could reply, Ser. Chandler came back with the driver. The driver's eyes widened as soon as he saw the cloaked figure.
"Step back, my lady, that is the man that the soldiers are looking for." He ordered, stepping in front of him. Louisa rolled her eyes at the idiocy of the lowly servant.
"I know, right? Are you going to scream?" Mr. Stranger taunted as he stepped away from Luella to answer the driver.
Suddenly, he jumped on the fence behind him. "I wonder if they would catch me?" Glancing at Luella, he asked, "What do you think, my princess? Wan to make a bet?"
Luella suddenly felt her heart pound with excitement. 'I can't wait to know who you are, Mr. Stranger.'
But she shook her thoughts from her head, "I don't care" She replied, folding her arms and closing her eyes.
Seconds later, she opened one of her eyes and looked at him, "I will be waiting for your letter… So don't die," she muttered.
But it was enough for him to hear.
"As you wish, my princess," He smiled.
And without thinking, Mr. Stranger did a backflip and disappeared behind the walls of the place.
The soldiers came seconds later, armed and ready to shoot at the cloaked man.
"Lady Van-Rensselaer, Lord Havemeyer," They greeted, bowing at the two ladies and Ser. Chandler.
"We got wind that the cloaked man that invaded the ball was lurking around here"
Louisa opened her mouth to make reports of what she knows, but Luella beat her to it.
"He jumped over the fence"
"Jumped over?" They clearly didn't believe what she said and frowned at her statement.
Was she trying to prevent them from doing their work? One p the soldiers stepped forward to face Luella.
"Pardon my rudeness, my lady—"
"Then don't be rude. You don't get to say 'Pardon my rudeness' and then sprout insult from your lips"
The soldier bit his lips before bowing at her comment. "I apologize. But my lady, please understand that it is our duty to ensure the safety of all nobility present at the banquet"
"I am not preventing you from doing your job, am I?" She asked, not waiting for a response, she shook her head at him.
"And besides, I have already told you the truth. The cloaked man was indeed here, and he jumped over the fence and escaped"
The soldiers looked at the high fence and then back at her. They knew it was humanly impossible for someone to jump over a fence like that and not get injured or worst injured.
The soldier cursed under his breath and gave several commands to the soldiers around to spread out and find the intruder. Before leaving, the soldier turn to glance at Luella, who received his eyes with a sweet smile.
He cursed again before leaving her presence.
Luella smiled as she looked back at the fence Mr. Stranger jumped from. 'I wonder if he got away?'
Turning to the driver, she ordered, "Take me home. NOW!"