[✔️] Across The Years | Seulrene

Ch. 20 - The garden

Charles laughed then leaned in close, "I'll tell you a little secret. Stagefright, I suffer from terrible stagefright. Always have."

Seulgi did a double take. From what she knew of Charles Green and his career he was cool as a cucumber before he went on stage, "What? I never suspected. How do you deal with it?"

Charles paused for a moment, as he listened to their host introduce them. He then looked back to Seulgi with a wry smile, "I just act as if it doesn't bother me at all. I do believe it's time. After you my lady."

The pair hit the stage and Seulgi simply acted as if the stage fright didn't bother her. Soon they were in the scene and all was going well.

Irene quickly moved to the front and was quickly impressed by Seulgi's acting skill. It was amazing of how the Seulgi she knew quickly vanished and was replaced by sinister Lady Macbeth. Irene was more than impressed.

As the performance went on, Irene found herself wondering about that tattooed roses on her. Roses' signified love and from what Irene knew about tattoos is that they were of a great significance to the person with it.

"Roses with huge thorns, someone must broke her heart. It has to mean that. Who gave her that roses with thorns? Someone had to have," she whispered to herself, as she further mulled it over.

Seulgi and Charles Green's performance, though short, was very well received. They got a quick and vigorous round of applause from the assembled.

After they were done and changed back into their clothes, Sir Miles came up to Seulgi and Charles looking quite pleased. They also noticed he was carrying two glasses of wine.

"You've both performed beyond my fullest expectations. I'll be sure to pay you both a bit extra. But in the meantime, while you mingle with the impressed crowd, have a glass of my finest wine, Chateau Yquem 1796."

Seulgi smiled, took the wine and had a sip. Her mother was a huge wine snob and Seulgi reveled in the fact that her mother would die of envy if she knew her daughter was drinking wine from 1796. The best part was the wine itself was pretty damn good.

For a time, Seulgi basked in the adulation of the crowd. She was dying to know what Irene was thinking of it, but she hadn't spoken to her yet.

Finally, Seulgi felt a tap on the shoulder, to see a smiling Irene. "Seulgi, your performance was marvelous. I was quite impressed. You are a consummate actress."

Of all the praise that night, Irene's was the most important. But the words consummate actress bothered her. It only reminded Seulgi that she was still acting and had been the whole time. That feeling of guilt quickly returned and with a vengeance.

Seulgi for a while longer mingled and danced with several other young men, but this time she had a harder time pretending to be enjoying herself.

"I'm a liar and a fraud," Seulgi thought to herself as she danced with a young military officer. As she danced, the thoughts and doubts kept coming. "Irene's so pretty and good. What right do I have to seduce her? I just need to save her. Do we belong together?"

Across the room, Irene kept watching her. While she initially appeared to be enjoying her dancing, Irene quickly realized that she wasn't and guessed she hadn't been at all. It only further confirmed her suspicions that Seulgi preferred the company of women.

After Seulgi danced with all she had said she would, she decided to have a walk in the gardens outside of the mansion to think. This severe attack of guilt had come at a most inconvenient time and she just needed some time alone.