"You sure you should be slacking off?"
"You have got two days left, Sici."
"You sure are talkative today," Sici goes to the balcony for some fresh air ignoring Melina's words.
"Just giving you a reminder."
Since the wine was now mixed with her saliva, she couldn't just put the glass back. Without emptying it at least.
She decides to pour it down the balcony while she's still alone.
Little did she know that there was someone present in the same spot she had decided to pour it, mindlessly.
A man's sudden sound of surprise made her pay attention and look down over the balcony. "Uhm, shit shit shit..."
Two man were standing. The one who made a sound seemed like an aid, standing in front of the person who unfortunately was now drenched in wine.
Without a second thought, Sici left the scene, hoping they couldn't recognize that it was her. They shouldn't considering the lighting had hidden her features.
But they did notice her red hair swaying away when she made the run without a moment's hesitation.
"Should I follow after her, your grace?" The man's aid said.
"Leave it. Won't be hard to find her anyways," the man replied, wiping the wine off his face with a handkerchief.
The handkerchief contained a symbol of a dagger, indicating the household of Sylvess, holding the title of a duke.
"I will call for the carriage then," His aid rushes off.
The man sighs, "The day keeps getting worse."
He slides his hair back, "Now how should I deal with this little bunny?"
.....
"You really can't behave in a proper manner, now can you, bumpkin?"
"Shut up! Why was someone standing down there anyway?!" Sici tries to think of something to avoid the man she just offended.
To top if off, she fled from the scene without making an apology. She indeed had just the talent to make things worse for herself.
She places the empty glass on the table and searches for Luke to immediately leave the place even if she had to cause a scene.
"Where's the brat when you need him??" She was hardly able to maintain her expressions now as her heartbeat continued to rise.
"Calm down first," Melina adviced.
Sici manages to spot Luke, who was busy talking to someone. She didn't bother checking who it was and called out while walking towards him, "Luke! We are leaving, now!"
Luke frowns, "Why? What did you do now?"
"Nothing! Let's just go, seriou-" She stops, noticing the person he was talking to.
Eren smiles seeing her finally taking notice of him, "Good evening, Melina."
"Uh... Good evening, your highness," she manages to get some words out her mouth.
While in her head she had started mentally preparing herself for the worst outcome, "Well fuck, I'm dead."
She glances at Luke to catch him surprised by her response, "Since when did you call him like that? Something's definitely been wrong with you these days."
Sici holds herself back, "Not your business, now is it?"
She tugs his arm, pulling him closer, "Can we go now? Please, Luke."
He starts to look worried seeing her desperate like that, "Are you feeling sick again? Did you drink something?"
"No. Quit asking and let's just leave!"
Eren decides to break their conversation, "My love, if you're feeling sick, we could go and get you checked right now."
Luke replies, "Right. We could."
Sici gets scared hearing his words yet holds her composure, "Don't concern yourself to this, your highness."
Eren chuckles, "Luke, she seems to be feeling fine to me."
Luke seems to ponder for awhile before parting his lips, "Are you having fun worrying people now?"
Sici's at a loss for words.
The song in the ballroom changes, giving Eren an opportunity to keeping her longer.
He stretches his left hand out to her, "How about a dance before you leave, love?"
Luke rolls his eyes at the scene and leaves them alone, "What love birds, annoying me as usual."
Sici decides to reject the offer but Melina objects this time, "If you say no, the consequences won't be nice."
She ends up nodding as the voice rings in her head, allowing him to take her hand to escort her.
"What consequences...." She didn't complete the thought assuming she wasn't going to get an answer.
"People are watching, Sici. Remember that," Melina says.
"The bigger issue should be that I don't know how to dance," Sici thought, unable to let it out.
Eren places his hand on her waist first, then slowly tracing it and moving his hand to her back, "Just follow my lead."
Sici doesn't like intimacy, specially with him for many reasons she didn't want to even think about.
Each second makes her regret accepting his invitation.
He steps forward with his left foot making her step back with her right. His grip tightens on her as he notices her tense up, "Relax. Why are you so tense, love?"
"Don't call me that," she hisses.
Nor the system or Melina was helping her right now so she might as well just behave like herself.
With each step, her dress and sways along to his lead. While she kept her eyes slightly open, Eren's piercing eyes was focused on the crowd that was busy prying on their conversation. A glare combined with a smirk was enough to get those prying eyes off of them.
She had given up since she didn't know much about her part and simply followed along.
As he steps back with the left foot and moves sideway to the left as she moves to the right, he pulls her closer. Their breathing started to match.
Sici kept tapping her fingers as her left hand was placed on his shoulder.
He whispers in her ear, seeing her nervousness build up, "Why? You used to love it."
"The letters weren't enough to explain it?" She took a risk with her choice of words. Judging from the previous conversation, she assumed Melina wanted to break off the engagement for god knows what reasons.
"Yeah. I suppose it was," he changes the steps and makes her spin along as the song comes to an end.
"Then again, you're not Melina," he smirks, "Now are you?"
Sici's eyes widen.
He kisses the back of her hand, "Now, do you feel like talking? M'lady."