It's been a week now, the duke and the rest were coming home today and there's even a homecoming party for the knights who fought bravely at the North at the duchy, that's why Acantha sneak out as she knows that the crown prince will be there too and besides, it will also give her the chance to roam this place.
She was also wearing a cloak cliché may it sounds, but with the real Acantha's reputation she will surely attract peoples attention without even doing anything.
There are so many things at the capital, she looked at the fruits that the man were selling.
"My lady, do you want one?" The man said as he smiled at her, Acantha look at the man who was still smiling at her while offering her some of the fruit that he was selling, he looks old but not too old maybe he's a little bit older than the duke
"Thank you," She was about to get her money at the pocket of the cloak that she was wearing , but when she touch her pocket the small purse she brought wasn't there anymore.
"I'm sorry, I lost my money, " She said politely as she was still trying to touch her, pocket to double check if she really lost it.
She was about to leave when-
"Here," said a voice behind her, she turned her back to see who's her benefactor and she saw a handsome face.
He has a brown hair and his eyes were the same shade of the chocolate, she looked at him from head to feet, the man has definitely a nice body. With his built and the way he dressed she was sure that he came from a noble family.
I accept the fruit and I walked away without saying thank you, I know it was rude but- I was surprised when someone tapped at the back.
" Can I get some thank you?" The man said as he flashes his smile flirtatiously. " And what are you doing here, Lady Acantha? Where are your knights?" The man asked continuously.
Wait? He recognized me?, I looked at him as I frowned my brows as there were no use on hiding my identity from him as he already knew who I was.
"Do I know you?" I asked as I looked at him with my motionless face.
"What? are you joking now, lady Acantha?" he said as he was laughing at what I said as if it was a joke to him.
I looked at him as he was still laughing as I crossed my hand, is this man crazy?
He stopped laughing when he notice that I wasn't even laughing.
"Is that true?" He said as he tried to looked at my face trying to see if I was telling the truth or not.
"How could you forget about me?" He said dramatically as he clutches his chest. I looked at him annoyingly.
"And why not?" I said as I was trying to walk again as that man start to get some attention from the people who were passing.
"Why not? I am the man that you confesses that you love, I am the man who you proposes marriage with!" He said loudly as he was still dramatically causing some scene which catches the attention of those people who were around us.
"Isn't that lady Acantha with Lord Triduexfort," Someone pointed at where we are and everyone who was there also looked at us as they start whispering.
She was about to say something but the man pulled her and they walked very fast until they were gone from the peoples eyes.
"What do you think you are doin?" I said as I removed his hand from mine, I looked at my wrist and it was now red, How much pressure did he put when he was grabbing my wrist to make it swollen a little bit.
He was about to say something when he notices her wrist that now was slowly turning a little bit purple, " I'm sorry are you alright?" He said as he was looking at my wrist with concern.
"Am I alright? look?" I said as I let him see my wrist that has now some purple color on them which was caused by him. "Do this look alright for you?" I said as I was caressing my wrist that he hurt.
"I'm sorry. I didn't meant to hurt you, I was just trying to get you out from the crowd," He said as he looked at me, and what happened to the flirtatious guy that I met a while ago?
I didn't answered him instead I started walking again as I notice that it was already afternoon and Mildred was probably worried about me now.
"Is it really true you don't remember me?" He asked as he chase me, I stopped and looked at him.
"Where are you from?" I said as looked at him giving him a cold shoulder and an annoyed looked, I sighed and decided to tell him, " Haven't you heard ? Everyone in the capital knows what happened so, you should go ask them," I said as I took another stepped.
"W-"
"My lady"
He was cut when Mildred appears from nowhere, " I have been looking for, the duke was already there and he was also looking for you, " Mildred said as she still hasn't notice the presence of the man.
"I was just trying to look at something in here, " I said as I looked at her, I tried to look at the man and saw that he was just listening to us.
Mildred notices that I was looking behind me and her eyes got big when she saw the man, "L-Lord Triduexfort," Mildred said as she greeted the man.
So, Mildred knows this man too? He wasn't mentioned in the novel so was he?
"Mind if I take you to the duchy?" The man said as he offered us a ride.
"Apology my lord , but the duke was already there and he sent me here with a carriage," Mildred said as she was apologizing from the man.
"It's alright, " The man said and Mildred pulled me to the direction where the carriage with the duchy symbol was.
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After they got home it was almost night, Acantha was wondering why everyone seems so busy doing something.
I walked toward the hall and was about to get near the stairs when suddenly;
"Aki" Someone said behind me and the only person who calls me that was my father, the duke.
I felt dizzy suddenly as some blur memories flash on my head and was also calling me the way the duke was calling me affectionately.
"Are you alright, Aki?" I didn't notice that the duke was already beside and was trying to help me from falling.
"I just feel dizzy, " I said as I tried to looked okay. "Welcome home father, " I said as I smiled at him.
The duke just smiled at me but he still looks worried, "By the way father, what was going on in here?" I asked as I roamed my eyes around the house and saw so many attendants were preparing for something.
"We are holding the homecoming party here later," The duke said as he was still looking at my face trying to see whether I am fine or not.
I frowned as I know that the homecoming party will be at the palace to welcome them and giving them some awards.
" I thought the party was going to be at the palace?" I asked as I was trying my best to feel okay when I felt dizzy again.
"Yes, but this is my homecoming party as well as a thanks party for the victory that we had in the North, " Father said as he looks proud of what he had achieved. "It was just a small party for my knights who fought with me in the North, " The duke explained when he saw that I didn't say anything.
"Alright, I'll just get dressed for the party," I said as I start to go upstairs.
Damned... why am I feeling dizzy again? is it because of those memories? but whose memories are those?
"No need, just try to have a rest you don't look good." Father said and I stopped from walking and looked at him, "Your health is more important than this party, and besides it's not good for you to stay late at night as the doctor said it will take you a month to recover all your energy," The duke continued to said and I nodded and smiled at him and I continued to go to my room, and rest...
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Helion was now in front of the huge door of the duchy Solaris he just went off from his carriage to attend the party, the duke was not aware that he was arriving as he declined his offer awhile ago to attend the party, but he changed his mind and he went here.
He roamed his eyes on the place as he forgot how this place looked like when he was always going here for his sword training.
He walk inside and saw that there are already many people who was dancing, eating and drinking, he tried to looked for the duke and saw him talking to one of his commander.
He was about to take another step when-