Ethan Portgas . . .
We meet at last, you bastard.
He just turned his attention back to where it was before, as if he didn't see his fiancé.
He ignored me.
Me. Jade Louise.
But you know what, screw him.
" Milady, if you may take a look at these." Baron Dominic disrupted my train of thoughts.
I looked at them briefly, there were many.
" I have no time, pack them all at once." I replied. I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.
" Understood." And the baron ordered the workers to pack it all as soon as possible.
"What's the meaning this?"
Ethan.
" Ah. Lady Pattinson bought them all, my lord." Baron bowed, a little shocked to find the little duke here.
" Greetings, sir Ethan Portgas. What a coincidence." I greeted him with curtsy—although my posture was a little awkward.
He forced a smile at me.
" Lady Pattinson, what might be the reason that brought you here?"
" I was just thinking of shopping for myself, milord."
He was taken aback, confusion forming on his handsome face.
As I thought. He was bothered by my sudden confidence.
I was no longer the old Velvet who trembled when talking to him.
" Now if you'll excuse me, milord. I have some business to do." I turned to the baron. " Send these packages in the Pattinson mansion right away."
Baron Dominic nodded.
I was about to leave but Ethan stopped me.
" Wait." He said. " Would you like to have some tea with me?"
Now what?
Didn't you hate me?
" Ah . . . sure." I forced myself to utter these words.
It would be rude to decline his offer so I had no choice.
We were in a famous restaurant slash coffee shop to have some tea with the duke's son.
We told our guards and Dellie to leave us alone for the mean time.
Ethan ordered slices of cakes, cookies, and tea and sat beside the glass window showing a beautiful view of the square.
" What are you up to?" he asked, sipping his tea.
I knew it.
" What do you mean?" I asked, acting all innocent.
" Those men clothes."
I shouldn't be telling him, but I had this desire to piss this little duke off. I bet it would be highly satisfying.
" I was thinking of training myself as a hobby." I said, forcing a smile.
He scoffed.
" What? A girl must not be thinking of such thing as merely a hobby." He sipped his tea. " Why don't you do embroidery instead?"
I looked at him in the eye.
" I have my reasons."
Strange. I've only been here earlier and it seems like I'm adapting in a hasty manner.
" We are alone right now. I suggest we drop the formalities."
I smiled faintly at the edge of my lips.
" Why? Are you going to mock me again like you did last time?" I said as I sipped my tea . . . bitter.
He was about to sip his tea, but stopped, his hand flinching.
Unfortunately for you, I am an expert in bullying.
He chuckled.
" What are you saying, Lady Pattinson?"
" I was just complying to your suggestion of no formalities, Ethan"
He smiled.
" Was it because I called you timid, and pusillanimous? "
Would you take a look at that?
Alexa, play "True Colors" by Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick.
" Oh . . . Right. I'm timid and pusillanimous indeed. " I said, my voice cracking as I wiped my eyes, acting as if there were tears.
" You talk like an idiot."
" Of course I talk like an idiot, how else would you understand me?"
I saw a vein surfacing on his forehead.
Good. He was pissed.
" You're crazy." He said as he glared at me, no longer using a smile as a façade.
" Oh, sanity is highly overrated." I said as I ate a cookie.
He placed his teacup on the table with subtle force.
" Have you ever met a human version of a headache?"
" I do."
" I do as well, and what's bizarre is that she's eating a cookie right this moment."
I forced a smile.
" May the chocolate chips on your cookies turn out to be raisins."
" I love raisins."
Who in the world would like raisins over chocolate chips?
" You're weird." I blurted.
" We have something in common then."
I faked a smile.
" You're as sharp as a marble."
" Are you insulting me?"
" Oh not at all, milord. I'm describing you."
We both sipped our tea. What's this, water break?
" Why did you ask for tea?"
" I want to."
He crossed his arms.
" Oh, I have prepared a poem for you as thanks for the tea, milord."
He looked at me strangely, maybe because he expected bullsh!t.
And he was right.
" Roses are red, violets are blue, I have five fingers, the middle one is for you."
His mouth slightly opened, shock visible on his face.
" You are batsh!t crazy . . ."
" Is your arse jealous of the amount of poop that comes out of your mouth?"
" . . . and vulgar."
" Coming from you—"
Suddenly we heard a loud scream—a girl's.
That scream just came out from outside! I peeked through the window in haste and saw two middle-aged men having a fistfight in public.
I was about to stand, but Ethan stopped me . . . again.
" You must not involve your guards and yourself in a commoner's street fight." He said as he poured tea on his cup. " You're not a hero but a noble."
What?
Well, that pissed me off.
It just proved that status is everything in this world.
Well, if my guards were not supposed to meddle then I, myself, was going to interfere.
No one else was taking action anyway.
I ignored what Ethan said and rushed to the place where the fight was taking over.
He sighed and had no choice but to follow me outside. Of course, his father would be furious if he found out that he let his fiancé get involved in a street fight.
" Screw you!" the first man yelled at the other man as he punched the crap out of him.
The other man seemed harmless and couldn't do anything to defend himself.
" Misters!" I said with authority. " Stop this at once."
The crowd fell in silence, but it lasted not very long.
" How can I stop?!" The violent man said. " This man and my wife cheated on me!"
" I-I swear I didn't know she had a husband!" The other man justified, his eyes barely visible due to swelling.
I sighed.
This was a fight that a mere fourteen year-old mustn't interfere.
But I couldn't just let things go on like this. It was causing a huge disturbance to me and to other people in the town square.
The man continued punching the helpless dude, how violent it was scaring the children playing.
I sighed in frustration.
I guess this would be the first time using my skills in this world.
No longer hesitating . . .
I held my guard and aimed for his nose. Not wasting a single second, I rotated my hips for maximum power and launched my rear palm and striked his jaw.
Palm strikes were safe substitutes to punches. Using the heel of the palm to your attacker's nose, jaw, or ear could not only cause severe damage, but it could potentially knock them out cold.
He yelled in agony.
" You can't control your stupidity, can you?" I said.
His nose was bleeding. I didn't want to knock him out so I at least made his nose bled.
" Was it really necessary for me to use a palm strike to knock some sense into you?"
" Y-you're just a little girl! Don't meddle while adults are talking!" said the man I made the nose bled.
" You call that talking?" I said. " And what? A little girl?"
There were a lot of people watching the commotion and most of them, include Ethan, seemed to have felt intimidation.
" Look closely at my hair."
He rudely scanned me from head to toe using his eyes.
" Why would I—"
He gulped.
Realization overcame him.
He kneeled in haste and bowed.
" F-f-forgive my rudeness, my lady." He said as he trembled violently. The other man involved did so as well.
I heard whispers from the crowd but I didn't pay attention to them.
" Allow me to teach you something, misters. First, you." I pointed at guy whose nose was bleeding. " You are partly at fault that your wife cheated on you, probably because you didn't give her much attention. Judging by your uniform, I reckon you are seriously doing a great job, and that's nice, but you failed to pay close attention to your wife.
" The person who is really at fault is your own wife who committed infidelity. Cheating must be deemed unforgivable.
"And you." I pointed at the other man who was beaten up by the red-nosed dude. " You must always check your lover's relationship status first before you make decisions . . ."
The men, including the crowd, was rendered speechless.
" W-we know that . . ."
I sighed.
" From the looks in your eyes, you're probably thinking that a mere fourteen year-old girl has no knowledge about things such as this.
" Some might say that I am not old enough meddle in things I might not even fully understand.
" Well, maybe, it was my mistake for jumping into conclusions. However, you are causing a huge commotion." I turned to the crowd. " And not even one of you people tried to stop these idiots. Look at the children! They were playing, for heaven's sake!
" Violence is not something that should be seen by a child's innocent eyes."
I massaged my hand.
" Leave, before I file a complaint for public disturbance."
I was about to leave but I remembered something important.
" I almost forgot." I said and turned to the man I striked. " You'll probably faint later on because of the impact. I suggest you go to the nearest hospital."
And just like that, I left the town.
Someone's POV
The way she talked didn't sound like the usual her at all.
She astonished me, that woman.
I was about to step in the scene because I never liked the noise, but she was able to get there before I did.
How peculiar.
I combed my silver hair using my fingers so the bangs won't hinder my vision.
" What will you be doing now, my prince?" My aide asked.
" Let us return to the Imperial Palace."