ARIA

Chapter Eleven

It had been a week since that day. Aria had not meet Prince Noah ever since the hunting day. Not even once. She was not sure if she missed him or not. But she surely kept thinking about him for that whole week.

She was also worried about her illness. She felt heartache for several times in that whole week. It was not that critical so she could hide the pain from her family especially from her young sister. She could hide it from her family so well in the first life, for sure she could do it for the second time.

"Aria. Do you like this one?" Her stepmother showed her a green dress. Aria was out for the first time with her stepmother. She was buying dresses for Aria.

"I like anything that you choose, mother." she slightly smiled. She was not very close with her parents. Of course, she felt very awkward. Her stepmother was a kind lady. She was a commoner who fell in love with a married duke.

She ran away when she finally knew that he's a duke and married to a noble lady. But the duke chased after her. She could not reject him when he was desperately in love with her.

When she finally married him, she wanted to be nice with his eldest daughter. She wanted the best for Aria but as the time went by, she just could not get closer to Aria's heart.

"I'll go there and bring the best dress for you." Aria's stepmother pointed her finger to the other section in the shop.

"Mother..."

Just when her mother took a few steps away, Aria called her. Callisa stopped walking and looked back to her daughter.

Aria stared at her mother's dress from the bottom to the top. It was an old yellow dress that Aria bought for her three years ago. It was already out of fashion. Callisa should have thrown it away but she kept it and even wore it again for their outing.

"Buy a new dress for you too." Aria told her. "Take the expensive one. Don't buy a cheap dress."

Callisa's hands trembled. "Aria, I shouldn't..." She had always buy cheap outfits. The only thing expensive her closet were gifts from her family members.

"Mother, you're a duchess now. You can buy expensive things. Go and choose for yourself. You don't need to buy anything for me." Aria smiled. Even when she smiled so beautiful, Callisa still think that she was far from getting into her daughter's heart.

Callisa did not say anything.

"I'll wait here." Aria told her again.

"Then, I'll go find one for myself. And of course for you too, Aria." Her stepmother insisted. She then left Aria. Aria watched her from afar.

"You're sad?"

Aria startled when she heard the unknown voice. She turned her head to see a lady staring back at her. Her smile was sweet and she gave a majestic aura around her.

"Do I scared you?" she asked again.

Aria did not know who the lady next to her but she had a feeling that this lady meant no harm to her. Aria let her guard down but she still felt awkward with a stranger.

"Pardon?" Aria replied with a question. It's a sign that she wanted the lady to introduce herself. The lady's expression changed. She chuckled as she finally realised that she had forgotten to introduce herself.

"I'm sorry. It seems that I forgot to introduce myself. I am Liliana Weinheart."

Liliana? Weinheart?

Aria quickly bowed her head as soon as she realised that the one in front of her was the previous ruler of Celadric Kingdom, Liliana Van Robersky, Prince Noah's cousin. "I beg your pardon, Your Majesty."