Chapter Twenty-Six – Alicia
Red Flag Realisation
The longer I lived in this world, the more I became accustomed to it.
For example, I no longer missed modern-day technology. I accepted that books were all paper, communication was done via handwritten letters, and information was obtained by those willing to pay for it.
Perhaps that was why things like ‘hangover potions’ were so mind-blowing to me.
I’d woken up this morning feeling like death thanks to my little drinking session with the Emperor last night, but Bella had almost drowned me with a little bottle of brown liquid that tasted like the worst cough medicine I could imagine, and boom.
By the time my bath was done, it was as if my hangover had never existed.
Modern-day society in my old world didn’t need more technological innovation—it needed magic.
We’d left mid-morning for the imperial hunting ground and the royal villas that surrounded it.
All the nobles in the capital were required to attend tonight’s opening ball at the Imperial Villa before the hunt began tomorrow, and if I thought I was nervous about meeting the Emperor last night, it was nothing compared to what I felt about attending the ball as Kalon’s fiancée.
As for last night, my memory was hazy at best. It seemed to waver most after the point that Kalon picked me up and carried me like a princess through the Imperial Gardens, but a part of me thought that might be a good thing.
It wasn’t exactly becoming of a noblewoman to get drunk and be carried by her fiancée.
The problem was that he’d barely met my gaze all day. Every time I’d tried to initiate a conversation, he’d half-heartedly replied before seeming to doze off into his own world to the point even Sir Hayes was starting to panic.
Still, Kalon insisted nothing had happened aside from me refusing to fall asleep alone, so he’d stayed with me. He admitted to dozing off himself before leaving me alone a little past midnight and had refused to accept my apology for my behaviour, saying he hadn’t minded.
He had to be lying. There was no way he was all right with it. It was almost as if our relationship had done a complete one-eighty in the last eighteen hours, and I really couldn’t pinpoint why, so it had to be something I’d said or done in that period of blackout in my memory.
It seemed Kalon was the one person who knew what’d happened after we’d reached my room. He’d sent everyone away, even after specifically calling for Bella to attend to me, and nobody had heard our conversation from outside.
I believed everyone when they said it. They had no reason to lie—and even if they did, it wasn’t worth the risk of being found out.
He surely wasn’t upset that I’d gotten along with his father so well, so it had to be a drunken slip of the tongue that had offended him.
Grr.
If only he’d tell me what I’d done.
How was I supposed to go to this stupid welcome ball tonight wearing matching outfits and pretending to be the happiest woman in this world when it was like this?
Stupid Kalon.
Stupid ball.
Stupid fancy noble life I hadn’t even asked for.
If I ever met the power that brought me here, I was going to punch it in the face.
Hmph.
“I can’t decide what colour you look best in, my lady,” Annie said, pressing her hands to her cheeks. “Blue and green suit you so well.”
She wasn’t wrong. When I first woke up in this body, I’d been afraid that I would never find anything in this strange world that suited me, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn’t the case.
Maybe it was plot armour. All the antagonists in novels I’d read in my past life were hot as hell, after all.
“Here we are, my lady,” Bella said, adding one last diamond decoration to the back of my head. “You look beautiful. His Highness has wonderful taste in jewellery.”
Annie nodded her head emphatically. “I can’t believe he designed that necklace all by himself!”
Yes, yes. The man was a prodigy who should be worshipped by all.
Whatever.
“Let’s get this over with,” I said, standing up.
“My lady, are you all right?” Bella asked, looking at me with concern. “You haven’t seemed yourself all day.”
Nothing got past her, did it?
“I’m a bit tired. It’s been a busy few days, that’s all.” I smiled. “Please don’t worry yourself over me, Bella.”
“That’s my job.”
“I’m changing your job description then,” I quipped.
“Um, m-my lady.” Annie wrung her hands in front of her. “Could it also be that you’re not looking forward to seeing your family?”
Ah.
There was that, too. I had no idea if the hunt was an exception to Sophia’s socialisation ban but given that it was an Imperial Order to attend, something told me she’d be here for the next few days.
And she’d make the most of it.
I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that our reunion would be pleasant.
“Not really,” I admitted, patting her shoulder. “But don’t fret, Annie. As long as I stay by the Grand Duke’s side, neither my stepmother nor Sophia can hurt me.”
It was the truth. No matter how much they despised my existence, they would never do anything to get on Kalon’s bad side. I was pretty sure that only I knew how much of a softie was hidden beneath his cold exterior and the harsh rumours, so nobody would go out of their way to piss him off.
Besides, Sophia was in some kind of strange rehabilitation plan where her image was concerned, so I fully expected them to both be on their best behaviour.
Even more so given how many eyes would be on us tonight.
Three knocks sounded at the door, and Rina turned from her position beside it to open it. “Yes?”
“His Highness is waiting to escort Lady Alicia,” Sir Hayes said from outside. “Is she ready to go?”
Rina looked over her shoulder. “My lady?”
“Hold on.” Bella took a step back and scanned me from head-to-toe. “Yes, you’re ready to go.”
“Are you sure?” I asked teasingly.
“Yes. Are you certain you don’t need me to accompany you, my lady?”
I shook my head. “There will be plenty of maids there and tomorrow will be a long day for us all. Both of you please relax for this evening, and I’ll call for you when we return. Especially you, Annie, as you look quite tired.”
Bella bowed. “As you wish.”
“Have fun, my lady!” Annie beamed despite how exhausted she seemed and clapped her hands together. “How exciting! I wish I could see you both deb—”
“Miss Annie,” Rina said from the doorway. “The Grand Duke is waiting for Her Ladyship. We shouldn’t delay their departure any further.”
“Ah. Yes. You’re right.” She blushed. “My apologies.”
I winked at Annie before turning and joining Sir Hayes in the hall. “Where is he?”
“His Highness is waiting for you at the front door, my lady,” he replied. “We should make haste.”
“Why didn’t you say so? Ugh.” I followed him to the open landing and gathered my skirt so I wouldn’t trip over it as I walked down the staircase.
At the spring ball, I’d enjoyed feeling like a princess in a fancy ballgown. Now, I didn’t even want to be in this sparkly blue dress.
I really needed to shake this terrible mood of mine.
Was it too late to fake a headache? Or a heart attack?
It was the left side for a heart attack, right? I could just grab my arm now, shout out in pain, and—
“Allie.”
I froze, stopping halfway down the staircase. After barely speaking to me all day, he led with my nickname?
I wanted to choke this infuriating man on his own tongue.
Alas, even if I were close enough to do so, it would be no good. As established, I was a weak woman in the face of a handsome man, and this one in particular seemed to be rapidly becoming my biggest weakness.
Kalon in formalwear was a deadly shot to the heart. His outfit wasn’t too dissimilar to the extravagant princely getup he’d been wearing the first time we’d met, but instead of it being black and silver with a green accent, it was black, silver, and blue.
And there was something about the way the blue detailing on the lapels and underside of his cape matched the shade of my dress perfectly that made my heart beat a little faster.
We… were a couple.
I knew that already, of course, but perhaps it hadn’t really sunk in yet. Until now. Where our matching outfits practically screamed that we belonged to one another.
A weird fizzle of possessiveness coiled in the pit of my stomach.
“Are you coming? Or are you going to stand there on the stairs all night?” He raised his arm, holding out one gloved hand towards me. “Well?”
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Crikey, that was the most words he’d said to me all day. “I see you’ve decided to talk to me now.”
“Even I have bad days,” he replied cryptically, taking my hand to guide me down the last few stairs. “The necklace was an excellent choice. It suits you well.”
“That sounds more like a compliment for yourself than it does me.”
“Then how about this?” He raised my hand to his mouth and kissed my fingers. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world tonight, Allie.”
Suck up.
I dipped my head to hide my blush. “Can we just leave?”
“What, no return compliment? How cruel my fiancée is.”
“You’re such a child,” I scolded him, meeting his amused gaze. “Are you going to behave this way all night? You’ll ruin your reputation.”
“As I’ve told you before, I hardly care for such things.” He led me out to the carriage where Sir Hayes was already holding the door open. “But if behaving like this tonight means there’ll be rumours that’ll replace ones where I desire to cut off your toes, then I will gladly play along.”
“That doesn’t sound like someone who doesn’t care about rumours.”
“I don’t care what people think about me. I do care what they say about you.”
“Really? What will you do if the people who fear you suddenly begin thinking of you as a man wrapped around my finger?”
“Then I will enjoy publicly bending to your every whim to prove them right.”
I stared across the carriage at him. “Please don’t do that. That’s ridiculous.”