Evangeline looked at the paper, then at Dominic. She noticed the books on the table, which were all too familiar to her. "Did Grandmother give him charge over the hotel as well?" she thought, her eyes narrowing. "She didn't even leave anything for me. She gave it all to this bastard!" Evangeline clenched her fingers in anger, irritated by the sight of Dominic comfortably sitting in the office seat that should have been hers. "What do you need my signature for?" she asked, her voice dripping with disdain.
Dominic looked at her with an emotionless expression, his hands casually dipping into his pockets. "My business trip is coming up next week, so I need you to sign this. It's relevant," he said flatly. "Besides, dinner is close, and I'm already tired." He sighed dramatically, as if the mere act of explaining himself was an unbearable chore.
Evangeline was puzzled. Why did he need her signature instead of using the family's seal? "No, this is suspicious," she thought to herself. "Or maybe it's something important..." She bit her lip in frustration. She had been planning a trip to Rovensth to stay at her father's residence next week, but now she would have to stay home. At least Dominic's absence would be a good opportunity to spend time with Richard. She was tired of Dominic constantly getting on her nerves.
Dominic, sensing her suspicion, wasn't surprised. He called out for Magdalene. When she entered and bowed to him, Evangeline's eyes widened in shock. "Are they in cahoots?!" she wondered. Magdalene, noticing her lady's reaction, subtly signaled with her hand behind her back that they had nothing in common. Still, Magdalene had been discussing things with Dominic during Evangeline's absence.
Seeing Evangeline's reaction to Magdalene's actions, Dominic smirked slightly and checked his pocket watch. "It's time for dinner," he said, tucking the paper back into the book. He closed the book, returned it to the drawer, and brushed his hair back with a casual flick. "It seems like your lady has trouble understanding me, tell her what I explained to you and my instructions. There are some business matters she needs to pay attention to. Let her come back to this office in one hour." With that, he walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Magdalene quickly explained Dominic's instructions to Evangeline, who nodded, her curiosity piqued about the other details. She followed Magdalene out to join Dominic at dinner.
When they reached the dining room, Evangeline sat across from Dominic. They began eating in silence, each one stealing glances like adversaries preparing for battle. Magdalene and Caleb watched the two of them, sensing the tension.
"Ayah..." Caleb sighed in exhaustion. "Another one of their grave silences. They've been doing this since before the wedding. I can barely listen to Dominic's complaints about her whenever we go out." He adjusted his glasses, glancing between Dominic and Evangeline.
"I remember during her coming-of-age ceremony," Magdalene said with a giggle, "how Evangeline set a trap to embarrass Dominic. But instead, one of the guests fell into it and slipped right onto the cake!"
"What was it again?" Caleb asked, scratching his head.
"It was a rat," Magdalene replied, still chuckling. "After the event, Azielle left Lady Evangeline and Master Dominic alone for their first dinner since Richard's arrival. Evangeline, not one to give up easily, decided to try something else since her initial plan failed."
Flashback: The Night of the Coming of Age Ceremony, 1810
The room was buzzing with guests who had come to celebrate Evangeline's coming-of-age ceremony—and to hear about her engagement. The butler introduced Evangeline and Dominic as a couple-to-be, and they descended the stairs together. Dominic, trying to be chivalrous, reached for Evangeline's hand, but she quickly pulled away, leaving him awkwardly standing alone on the steps. Richard was having some discussion with some guests, Evangeline didn't have time to meet him because of what she planned to do.
Evangeline wore a yellow dress with a low neckline, a large bow at the back, and puffed sleeves. Her outfit was completed with yellow jeweled jewelry and shoes that once belonged to her mother. As Dominic was receiving congratulations from the guests, Evangeline slipped to a corner of the room. She pulled a jar from her purse, revealing a little rat inside. With a sly grin, she squatted and placed a piece of cheese on the floor, flicking it towards Dominic. The cheese rolled across the floor, heading straight for him, just as she had planned to get into Dominic's pants to make him lose face.
But then, disaster struck her heel broke. The jar slipped from her hand, the lid popped off, and the rat scurried out, making a beeline for the cheese. Unfortunately, it missed the cheese and ended up under a lady's dress instead. Feeling the rat crawling up her leg into her underwear, the woman shrieked, causing a commotion. Panicked, she tore off her skirt, exposing her underwear to the stunned crowd and the male guests in awe . Oblivious to the chaos, the rat finally found the cheese and scurried away, leaving the lady mortified with cake smeared all over her from falling into it. Some guests laughed at the absurdity, calling her a clown with cake on her face.
Richard also saw this and shakes his head knowing it was Evangeline's doing
"She's a feisty one,"He said to himself while he sipped wine from the cup in his hand.
Dominic, trying to salvage the situation, called for the servants to assist the poor woman. Magdalene led her out of the party while the servants cleaned up the mess. Azielle, who had seen Evangeline's reaction from afar, knew it was her doing but said nothing, just shook her head. She later compensated the embarrassed guest, who, thankfully, wasn't too upset—though she was quite traumatized by the rat.
Evangeline, her plan backfired, simply walked away, leaving the ceremony behind.
Afterwards, at dinner, Azielle left Dominic and Evangeline alone, with Magdalene standing by. Evangeline sat opposite Dominic, glaring at him and refusing to touch her meal playing with it with her fork, Dominic pretended not to notice and calmly ate his food minding his business, As he was about to open a dish containing his favorite seafood, Evangeline's eyes gleamed with mischief. She had set another trap, this time involving a live crab hidden under the lid.
Caleb rushed in, shouting, "Dominic, no!" But it was too late. Dominic opened the lid, and Caleb quickly slapped it shut, but not before the crab clamped onto his fingers with its pincers. "Yelp!" Caleb screamed in pain, hopping around as the crab dangled from his hand. Evangeline stifled a laugh, imagining Dominic in the same situation. Dominic, observing the spectacle, remained unfazed but couldn't hide his surprise. Magdalene hurried to fetch first aid, while the head chef rushed in to remove the crab as they notified him on the incident at the dinning table.
Back to the Present
"Ah, yes! I ended up being the lion's meat," Caleb sighed, glancing at the scar on his fingers. "I told Dominic about Evangeline's schemes with the rat and the crab after I was treated. He said he knew all along, based on the incident of the embarrassed guest at the ceremony and her reaction at dinner. He's aware she never wanted to marry him or stay in the house. Evangeline is a nasty woman." He shook his head, still amazed by her antics.
Dominic finished his meal and stood up, ready to leave the table. Caleb followed him out of the room, leaving Evangeline behind. She placed her fork down and got up as well, heading for the exit. Magdalene followed, gently reminding her about the signature.