Crossing her arms in defiance, Liliana walks side-by-side with the black-eyed man around the park as a dangerous silence filled the air between them. Through the trees, Liliana could see flashes of scarlet move about before disappearing behind evergreen leaves.
"Who are you?" Liliana finally decides to ask. He hmmphs lightly as he glanced down at the raven-haired woman beside him. "I should be the one asking that question; yet, you only called yourself a 'nobody' when we first met."
"I am a nobody in the grand scheme of things," Liliana waves off. "Just another faceless citizen in the kingdom."
"A Duke's daughter would never refer to her in such a way," he comments and Liliana arches a brow.
So, he has looked into me.
"One would preserve their identity if they believe themselves to be in danger, would they not?" Liliana retorts and he nods.
"I suppose so, Lady Marzinal."
"And what shall I call you, then?" Liliana asks, eager to put a name to his handsome face.
"Your savior?" he suggests, emitting a low scoff from Liliana.
"Don't become too egotistical now that you've helped me out once," she swipes back. "Say, how's that wound I inflicted upon you?" Liliana asks.
He pats his arm lightly. "Just fine."
There was a lull in the conversation for a moment before he decides to comment again.
"You are far from what the rumors say about you, Lady Marzinal, and I don't know whether that's a good or bad thing."
Liliana didn't know whether to feel ridiculed or complimented.
"Always glad to be entertainment for you, sir, as that will always be my highest calling," Liliana sarcastically drawls out, deciding on the former. "But if all we are ever going to discuss is the matters of my behavior, I believe this will be a good place to close and end today's rendezvous."
"We still have many matters to discuss, Lady Marzinal," he informs as his face grows stern. "We made a deal, once upon a dream, that we would exchange a hit-for-a-hit."
"You wish to pierce me with your blade?" Liliana questions as her face pales slightly. Dying once was painful enough and she definitely didn't wish to experience that again.
"Not quite, unless you wish for me to?" he asks cockily.
"I'd rather you not, thank you."
He nods firmly. "I need a favor, then."
"A favor?" she echoes as her brows lace together.
"Yes, quite a simple one. In three days time, I shall be journeying once more to the capital city for the 1st Prince's birthday ball. I shall need a partner to accompany me."
Liliana's face hardens. "I am attending that ball as well."
"It is a perfect fit, then-"
"With my fiancee," she on adds as his brows rise. "Oh, really? I did not know." Liliana noticed how he didn't bother to apologize at all.
"It's very low in profile as we wish to confirm it by the New Year," Liliana dryly comments. "That's why you wouldn't have heard of it alongside the other gossip you've seemingly collected about me."
"Actually, I already know," he chuckles. "That's why I need your assistance."
Well, that's quite a turn of events.
Liliana pauses, now turning fully towards him. "What do you know?"
He stops and turns towards her.
"I know that the Fourth Prince was seen flirting with a woman much lower in rank and that she was given an invitation to the ball as well," he informs and Liliana's eyes widen.
In the original memories of this body, the image of the Fourth Prince dancing more with the commoner floats through Liliana's consciousness.
She can't let that happen anymore or else she'll find herself dead in the next year.
"I...I see..." Liliana trails off and his brows furrow.
"Do you have feelings for the Fourth Prince?"
Liliana is quiet for a moment while attempting to think of a suitable answer.
"It is an arranged marriage and I care for him as a friend. Just as most marriages are," she admits and he chuckles lowly.
"And you do recall how your fiancee's grandmother was a commoner?" he interrogates as he waits for Liliana to squirm uncomfortably.
"I do." Liliana keeps her face impassive as to not let the man best her. "I also recall how the Fourth Prince's grandfather was engaged to another high-class woman before annulling their marriage and married the commoner instead."
"Then do you acknowledge-"
"I do, sir," Liliana interrupts. "But I will not betray my Prince based off a stranger's information."
"Aleric Strentheld," he states and she arches a brow. "Hm?"
"That is my name," he says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Liliana's eyes widen in an awkward realization. "Oh, well, uh, yes...you, er, you already know my name," she tacks on awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. He chuckles. "I do, Lady Marzinal."
Liliana shudders involuntarily. Compared to before, the way he said it sounded so weird... "Well, I am so very sorry I cannot be your partner at the ball. But, I am a woman of my word, and shall repay my debt in the future."
He nods at this. "Good. I believe we shall see each other in the future very soon, then." Aleric bows as Liliana curtsies in response.
"I'll be sure to craft a will in the meantime, then," Liliana mutters under her breath. He gives a hearty laugh at this, sounding less forced than his usual laugh.
"Farewell, Liliana Marzinal," he turns around and walks off.
"And to you, Alex Strain-Held." Liliana purposely says his name wrong and when he turns around to confront her about it she was already walking away.
=
"Thank you for coming to my ball, Lady Marzinal," the First Prince greets with a charming air, a black-uniform clad arm interlinked with his wife's silk. Liliana curtsies at the both of them.
"Thank you for inviting me, Your Highnesses."
Liliana walks past him and once more steps into the ballroom. Thankfully, it was a maskless ball; but unthankfully, she had to see Aleric Strentheld's stupidly attractive face.
"Liliana," a voice calls from behind her and she turns to see a familiar blonde man. "Reginald," Liliana smiles. "How are you?" He asks and she shrugs. "So-so. The weather is quite chilly lately and I can no longer go out without bundling up 10 stone."
He laughs. "I suppose it is getting colder; however it means the time of our announcement is arriving soon."
Liliana's smile waves for a moment as she recalls her and Aleric's previous conversation. "Reginald, please tell me..." Liliana trails off and looks him directly in the eye. "If there feelings for another in your heart?"
His eyes flicker in surprise and his voice catches in his throat. "O...of course n-"
Liliana sighs, "Dear, I can tell you are lying."
"I would never-!"
"Don't worry, I understand," Liliana smile sweetly at him while internally screaming on the inside. "I shall not intervene upon your romance. I just wish for your happiness."
"And I wish for your own." He pauses, "What do you wish to do, then? Now...now that you know," he sounded unsure of himself when he asked this.
"I don't wish to sound rude," Liliana hums lightly, "but we cannot go on like this."
'What are you doing?' 008 asks and Liliana ignores it.
"We...we cannot?" He echoes, clearly dumbfounded.
"Obviously not," she tuts. "You're such a dear friend, I'd never wish you to live unhappily. After the ball, we can discuss more of this, alright?"
Before he can stutter out another word Liliana puts her hand on his left cheek and kisses him lightly on the right cheek. She lets her hand linger for a moment more before walking away and not looking back.
'What did you just do?' 008 asks and Liliana chuckles inwardly.
'He wanted the commoner because he's the opposite of Liliana: kind and sweet. At the masquerade ball, I had shown this sweetness to him, reinforcing it over the past few weeks in our letters,' she explains. 'But in these past few weeks, I abruptly cut off this sweetness. Now that I've shown him that I know, he'll do anything he can to get back into my good graces.'
'You're acting as a temptress, then...' 008 murmurs. 'Didn't know you had it in you, to be honest.'
The System shuts off as Liliana walks to a table and sits down. Within five minutes she had been invited to dance multiple times but calmly denied each invitation as she felt Reginald's eyes on her. She'd make Reginald feel as if he lost a rare commodity forever which makes her even more valuable in the end!
"May I have this dance?" a familiar voice asks and Liliana looks up to see Aleric.
"I'm here with my fiancee," she responds and he arches a brow. "Your fiancee has been looking glum and you're not supporting him with a waltz? How could one considered to be here with another when you're so lonesome?"
"Let him be that way," she shrugs and sips lightly on her flute of champagne. "It is his choice to flirt with other women. And I am not lonesome, thank you very much."
Aleric chuckles black eyes flickering dangerously. "I see what you're doing. I must suggest that you'll be even more of a seductress if you dance with another man," he offers suggestively and Liliana's eyes light up. "You know, you're exactly right." She rises, looking at a man who was approaching her table. Ignoring Aleric's hand Liliana meets the red-haired figure halfway.
"Excuse me, sir," Liliana blushes as she averts her eyes slightly as if she was too shy. "But, may I have this dance?" With a slow look upwards from black lashes, the man is smitten and his face as red as his hair.
He accepts, leading Liliana to the dance floor. He stumbled lightly but Liliana held strong, leading the dance as they whirled around the floor. They were led into the circle formation alongside the others and he whirled Liliana over to her next partner.
Liliana looks up and meets a certain pair of ink-black eyes.
"Well well, look who I ran into, what a coincidence," she crows and he chuckles. "There's no such thing as coincidence in the eyes of fate," he remarks. Liliana rolls her eyes at his cheesiness.
"Did you get that from a poetry book?" she asks and he chuckles, beginning to lead the waltz. "Maybe. Any lady loves a good poem," he comments as he spins her in his arms.
"Well," Liliana says as she removes her arms from his hold, holding them at her sides. "I love many other things as well. Maybe you can charm me even more so if you ever return my shoe."
He laughs as he puts a gentle hand around her waist, swaying the two gently. Liliana's skirts shift and sway gently before the cloth spins when Aleric walks Liliana in a small circle.
"You seem well experienced with ballroom dancing. Do you frequently do this with the ladies to manipulate them?" Liliana accuses gently and he smiles as he lifts her arm, holding her hand tightly.
"Only with those who managed to stab me in the arm," he sarcastically smiles and with the squeeze of his hand the dance's foreplay ends and the real waltz begins.
Liliana puts her other hand on his shoulder and he does the same as they fall into the normal waltz pattern.
"I wonder how many scars you've gained, then," she says and he spins her out of his arms before pulling her back in, lingering for an extra moment.
"Just one."
He returns her to the normal position and the two fall into a normal routine, with every spin bringing them somehow closer and closer. Their eyes were locked as they danced beat for beat in a silent battle for an unknown cause.
He lifts her up by the waist and spins her around as a sense of exhilaration fills Liliana. He brings her back down slowly, purposely positioning his face close to Liliana's. She could feel his hot breath on her face while his vortex-like eyes still bore into her icy-hued blues.
The song ends as he sets her down on the last pluck of the violin and the two bow to each other. Looking at the crowd that had formed around us and the other dancers, Liliana made eye contact with Reginald. His nostrils flared slightly and the Fourth Prince disappeared into a crowd of people as a small blonde girl scurries after him, lost in a sea of satins.
=
"My lady," Amelia walks approaches her master in the Marzinal private library, causing Liliana to glance up from her book. "Yes?"
"You have a visitor," she bows, turning to the side as Aleric walks in. He wasn't as ornately dressed as he had been at the ball but he looked Kingly in his beautiful silks.
"Aleric Strentheld," Liliana greets and stands up, giving a slight curtsy. "I wasn't expecting you," she accuses through clenched teeth and he responds with a forced smile.
"I've been meaning to visit you, we talked about it at the ball, remember?" He asks, glancing sideways at Amelia, who was looking at her mistress and awaiting an answer. Internally punching Aleric in the face, Liliana gives a tight smile. "I'm sorry, I forgot," she laughs ditzily and turns towards Amelia. "Amelia, you are dismissed."
The maid curtsies before leaving the room. Looking back at Aleric, Liliana sits back down on the overstuffed leather chair and sets the bookmark in a groove of her book. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?" she asks with an exasperated voice as he sits down across from her.
"A week ago at the ball, you saw the Fourth Prince with the woman," he points out and Liliana arches a brow. "Yes, I did. I suppose you plotted for me to see the two together, did you not?"
His lips quirk up in a smile. "I hoped for you to see it sometime during the night, but I did not know it'd be then."
"What do you want, then?" she sighs as he gasps. "Lady Marzinal, all I wish for is a mere moment of your time," he rests his chin on the palm of his hand while he places his elbow on the coffee table.
"Mhm," Liliana sarcastically nods and he chuckles. "You're not an easy woman to convince, are you?"
"I'll forever be skeptical as long as there are people like you in the world," she retorts. He places a hand to his chest as if he was offended. "You wound me, Lady Marzinal."
"Not the first time I've done that," she adds dryly. He laughs lightly before his face becomes serious.
"But in all reality, I trust you, Lady Marzinal," he suddenly comments yet his voice was completely flat.
"Trust me with secrets?" Liliana arches a brow.
He shakes his head. "I trust you to keep quiet when you've seen things."
Liliana doesn't respond and he crosses his arms.
"Do you even know who I am?" he asks, his tone haughty.
"Probably some foreign Duke, based off your accent. You are from the North, correct?" Liliana theorizes and he nods. "Yes, I am from the North. My family has been long associated with the Royal family, as my grandmother's sister married into your Royal family."
Liliana realizes the connection. "You are of a distant Royal bloodline to Terria then?"
"Yes, but I have about three fourths the power you hold as a Duke's daughter," he notes.
Something about his tone sounds like he's lying about the amount of power he holds, but I won't press it to him.
"What do you want, then?" Liliana asks, slightly annoyed with the chitter-chatter lull in the conversation.
"I want your hand in marriage, Liliana."
=
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