When her order was ready, Selena chose a table on the opposite side of the shop, far enough to avoid any further interaction with the pair but close enough to observe them.
The place was in silence. The noble ladies around them expected a fight, some drama or some gossip, but nothing was happening. They watched with their breath held.
Selena completely ignored them. They had nothing to do with her. She was going to get rid of him anyway. It would be fun to observe how their relationship goes when their biggest obstacle, her, backs out.
Was the plot flimsy? Or was it their relationship? Selena smiled and sipped the tea.
Nicholas and Clara on the other hand kept looking at her cautiously. Somehow it riled him up that she was acting different than usual. He asked for her to leave him be, and now she has done it, what is his problem?
Clara wanted to ask that but stopped herself.
Selena's thoughts were interrupted when Nicholas stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. He said something to Clara, who nodded, and then he began walking toward Selena.
She set down her cup, meeting his gaze with a calm but guarded expression.
"Selena," Nicholas said, stopping at her table. "A word."
Selena gestured to the empty chair across from her. "By all means."
People around them perked up their ears to hear their conversation and Selena didn't speak in hushed tones either. She absolutely didn't care what others thought of her.
He didn't sit. Instead, he leaned slightly over the table, his voice low. "Whatever game you're playing, stop it."
Selena blinked, genuinely confused. "Game?"
"Don't feign ignorance," he said sharply. "You're up to something. You always are."
Selena tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. "You flatter me, Nicholas. But I assure you, my presence here is purely coincidental."
His eyes narrowed. "Stay away from Clara."
Selena smiled, "And why would I want to attack Clara? Could you make it clear why I would hate her?" She asked loudly.
Why should she be ashamed of coming out when a mistress and bastard could walk around shamelessly?
Nicholas was stunned for a second, "Why else? Because I love her. You don't deserve my love."
"Make it clear, Nicholas. Why do you think I would be entitled to your loyalty... Maybe because of the engagement. But sure, I should definitely not get mad at the mistress, I should be mad at the cheating bastard." She stood up and stared at him without a hint of fear.
Nicholas took a step back. She splashed the remaining tea against his face and whispered, "See, I didn't harm Clara like you asked. Now, my rage will be directed only at you."
She loudly said, "At least break off the engagement before flaunting your mistress publicly!" And with that, she left.
The store was in uproar! What is with this Selena?! She would usually hurl crude insults at Clara and earn some hate from the Duke, but this time... She went against the Duke himself!
With hot tea dripping from his face, his expression was twisted. He was never insulted like this before. They were all talking about how Clara was called a mistress... Which was true, but Selena never used that word before.
She would only talk about her bad upbringing, her poor status and how she wasn't worthy of the Duke. This gossip would spread like wildfire even if the Duke interfered. This was the Capital, the domain of the Crown Prince and Selena.
His word and influence were zero here. Hearing the whispers calling him a cheater and Clara a mistress infuriated him. Clara was close to crying. He yelled at them to shut up but that only earned him a few disdainful looks.
He was, in fact, a cheater. Like Selena said, break off the engagement before flaunting your mistress. He grabbed Clara's hand and left the store. They didn't need to take this!
Selena stepped out of the pastry shop, her steps slow and deliberate as if she hadn't just turned the Northern Duke into a scandalised mess.
The cool afternoon breeze greeted her, bringing with it murmurs from the people inside, their voices a mix of awe and disbelief. She could already imagine the storm brewing in the aristocratic circles, and for once, she felt completely at ease.
It was liberating, really. The old Selena had clawed, schemed, and debased herself trying to hold on to Nicholas's affection, destroying herself in the process.
But now? Now, Selena had nothing to lose and no intention of sticking to the narrative that had doomed her in the original story.
Selena suppressed a smirk. For all his arrogance, Nicholas had underestimated the power of perception. It didn't matter how much he loved Clara or how much he despised Selena—by flaunting his relationship before breaking off their engagement, he had tarnished his own honour.
Back in Nicholas' manor, he paced furiously in his study, his wet shirt discarded and replaced with a fresh one. His face was still red with a mix of anger and embarrassment, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"She humiliated me," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "In front of everyone. How dare she?"
Clara sat on a nearby sofa, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Her face was pale, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Perhaps we should have been more discreet," she said hesitantly.
Nicholas whipped around to face her, his eyes blazing. "Discreet? Why should we have to hide our love? She's the one at fault for clinging to an engagement that should have ended long ago!"
"But it hasn't ended," Clara said softly. "And now the entire capital sees me as the villain."