And that was the moment I knew. This wasn't just some random question to him. He froze for a second, then asked, "Why... why do you ask? Do you know something about her?"
I could see it in his eyes—this wasn't just curiosity. It was more like panic. Like I'd hit a nerve. But all I knew for sure was that the two main leads met, and they were already in love. But I still had to figure out how deep this story had gone. And it looked like this guy wasn't going to spill the beans.
I rolled my eyes and sighed, turning to walk away without saying a word. "I gotta go, bye-bye," I muttered, heading away.
"Wait, hold on, Cecilia—" Tristian called after me, his voice tight, like he was about to do something stupid to stop me.
I didn't even bother looking back. I just waved my hand dismissively. "Later," I said, stepping out of the space without looking back.
***
I gotta remember this damn novel, man. Am I that stupid I can't even recall the freakin' story? Like, seriously? I squinted hard, trying to think back, but nothing was coming.
Wait... maybe if I close my eyes tight, real tight, I'll recall something! Yeah, like some superhero sh*t. I tightened my eyes like I was about to activate some secret power, standing in the middle of the hallway, hoping the damn story would just pop into my head.
I slapped two fingers to the side of my temple, like I was some genius about to crack the code. Come on, brain. Do your thing!
Nothing.
I squeezed harder, damn near giving myself a headache, but nope. Still nothing.
Ughhhhhhhhhhhh.
I let out a frustrated groan, letting my hands drop to my sides. Why the hell does this feel like I'm trying to force a fart in the middle of class?
Damn it, I'm losing my mind. Stress levels maxed out!
But this stress? It's too much. I need a breather. Let's just blow off some steam, yeah? And there's only one thing that can fix me right now—shopping. Yep, you heard me. Shopping.
In my previous life, I couldn't even afford decent underwear, let alone a freaking shopping spree. But now? Oh, hell yeah. This life? It's time to ball out.
I'm talking full-on splurge mode, baby. I'mma buy everything. Socks, shoes, bags, hats, random stuff I don't even need. Who cares? I'm on a mission.
Does my brain need a break? Yes.
Does my wallet need to suffer for it? Probably.
But who's counting?
I stride straight into a luxury boutique like I own the place. No hesitation. None. I'm about to make this shop my playground.
I walk up to the saleswoman, give her my best don't-fck-with-me* glare, and drop the line:
"Pack everything from here to there. You know what? Just pack the damn store."
***
I stepped out of that Arlen mansion like I owned the place for the first time since I ended up here. As I strolled out of the gate, I saw this massive carriage parked right in front, with this wicked symbol of a howling black panther.
Damn, look at this thing.
Nice.
A guard opened the door, and I slid right in, ready to blow off some steam. Mina followed me in, as usual.
When we rolled into Ashford City, holy crap. No pollution, no cars honking, and no giant concrete jungles like back in Korea. Everything was clean, lively—like people actually live here. No hustle, no grind, just a chill vibe.
Then, the carriage came to a stop, and I hopped outta that thing without even waiting for the driver's hand.
The dude tried to help me down, but I was already on the ground before he could even blink. People around were just staring, and even Mina looked shocked.
I threw my arms out like, "What?"
But then I noticed the driver's hand extended to help me. I shrugged, "Oh, I didn't need help." The guy stepped back, looking a little flustered.
Mina rushed over, like she was gonna lecture me or something. "My lady, you can't jump like that," she said, all worried.
I shot her a look. "Why?"
"It's not lady-like," she said, eyes wide like she was about to faint.
"Ah, who cares?" I said, giving her a shrug like her words didn't even matter. My eyes were already locked onto a fancy boutique infront of me.
I smirked and yelled, "Let's go shopping, Eun-byun Lee."
Mina blinked, her face full of confusion. "Eun Byu... Lee... miss, what is that?" she asked.
I gave her a side-eye. "Nothing. Let's go."
And just like that, we were inside. As soon as I stepped in, my eyes went wide. The dresses? Damn, these were like the stuff you see in those K-dramas. Hot, sexy, and full of style—exactly my vibe.
This was the moment, my friends.
No money issues? Check.
Shopping spree? Hell yeah.
I turned to Mina, grinning wide. "Let's turn this boutique into a personal closet, shall we?"
With that, I strolled forward, my head held high, ready to drop the bombastic line: "Pack everything in this boutique!" But before I could even open my mouth, a voice cut through the air like a bad punchline.
"Cecilia?"
I stopped in my tracks and turned around, and there she was—a girl with pink hair staring at me. My first thought? What the hell is that cotton candy on her head? Seriously, it was like someone dumped a pink cloud on her.
She strutted toward me like she owned the place, asking, "What are you doing here? I thought you were grounded."
Grounded? What's this, detention in royal form? I frowned, leaning closer to Mina and whispering, "Who the hell is she?"
Mina gave me a look like I'd just forgotten my own name. "She's Lady Zara, your tea friend."
Tea friend? Tea friend my ass. Did Cecilia actually have friends?
Zara tilted her head and smiled, though it looked more like a smirk. "Are you here to buy a dress?"
"Something like that," I replied, not even bothering to hide my lack of interest.
Zara scanned me, her smirk growing wider. "I see. Lady Lora needs another dress?" she asked, looking around with that smug expression of hers.
I frowned, glancing at Mina, who seemed to be in on whatever the hell Zara was talking about. But me? Nah, I had no clue. Why the hell would Cecilia come here buying a dress for Lora? Was she Cecilia's personal maid or something? I mean, damn, the way Zara said it sounded like Cecilia was her underling.
"No, I'm here to buy for myself," I said, letting the words drop casually like I was ordering a damn pizza.
Zara shot me another look, eyes narrowing, and then she said with that same condescending tone, "Well, if you're going to waste your time, at least get something nice."
This girl… Damn, why was she so rude? But she wasn't done yet. Zara just had to keep digging, her voice dripping with judgment. "It's not like Lord Victor will even glance at you."
Lord Victor? That name hit me like a truck, and I couldn't help but mumble it to myself, "Lord Victor?" Yeah, I knew that name. I definitely knew that name.
Yeah, that's it. Lord Victor—the second lead in this messed-up novel I was now trapped in. Ugh, I remember now. He was first mentioned at the hunting festival. He was the one who slayed the beast during the hunting festival. A second hero, huh?
Hold up… Lora had been talking about some duke's son too. She was all like, "Oh, I'll help you to get close to the duke's son, blah blah blah." was he the one?
Cecilia, that weak little pushover, was into this guy?