"Are they still discussing the marriage?" Cassia asked, her voice low and still laced with tension, as if she needed to double-check the nightmare wasn't real.
"I'm afraid yes," Aurelian replied after exhaling slowly. "The marriage is on hold for now."
I sat down beside Cassia and rested a steady hand on her shoulder. His actions had caught me off guard, but I pushed the feeling aside. Right now, helping Cassia mattered more. She nodded faintly, signaling that she was a little better than before.
"But there is no need to worry," Aurelian continued. "I know about your thoughts on love, and I respect that."
He paused, offering a small, genuine smile. We sat there in silence, eyes fixed on him, waiting. Aurelian went on, his tone calm and reassuring.
"I will convince my parents to cancel the marriage."
His bright, decisive words washed over us like cool water. Cassia took a heavy breath, her fingers clenching tightly around mine. Then she turned toward him, voice soft but sincere.
"Thank you... Mr. D'Arthemont."
Aurelian offered a gentle smile, then shifted his gaze directly to me.
"Oh, how rude of me. I didn't introduce myself to you."
He let out a soft giggle, one hand moving smoothly behind his back while the other rested over his chest. He leaned forward slightly, eyes closing for a brief, elegant second. Everything about the moment felt slowed down, almost theatrical.
"I'm Aurelian D'Arthemont," he said, voice rich and polished. "I'm more than pleased to meet you."
He lifted his head, and I caught the way his pupils dilated slightly. Cassia had been surprised by his actions from the very beginning, but now that her immediate worries were on hold, the astonishment showed clearly on her face.
"And what is your name, miss~?"
The respectful greeting made me rise to my feet before I even realized what I was doing. It was pure instinct. Now I stood there like a doll, frozen, unsure what to do next.
"No need to be as formal as me," Aurelian said, lowering his tone to something more casual as he made a small, graceful hand gesture. "Just your name will do."
"I–I'm Lucia... Lucia Thornvale."
I stuttered at the beginning but quickly steadied myself, determined not to sound awkward. Cassia seemed calmer now, quietly observing the exchange between us.
"Lucia," Aurelian repeated my name, drawing it out with a brief, deliberate slowness that made it feel heavier than it should.
"Well, Miss Lucia, I apologise in advance…"
Advance? Aurelian laughed at himself, the sudden motion causing his hair to wave across his face. He pushed it back with one smooth, practiced sweep.
"Would you mind if we talk somewhere private?"
He added an extra whisper to the word "private," letting it linger like a secret. He wasn't kidding. What did he want to talk about? I was still searching for an answer when Cassia reached from behind and held my hand, gently jogging me back to reality.
"I don't think it's a good idea," I started, careful to keep my tone polite and not rude. I sat down beside Cassia again, resting a supportive hand on her shoulder.
"Cassia is going through a lot right now. The marriage announcement, then it getting cancelled, and now… your actions."
I spoke at a faster pace, trying to hide my lack of confidence. Cassia smiled softly and placed her hand over mine on her lap. She was glad I was here—and I was too.
"Oh yes, I know. Just saying I would love to chat."
Aurelian gave a final smile and turned to leave, making sure to glance back at me one last time. As he disappeared through the doorway, another wave of comforting relief washed through me. I no longer had to measure myself against his expectations.
But wait—why did I feel this way? Why was my body heating up? What were these strange sensations? Was I attracted to him? No! No, no, no. Gross. Men are gross. Maybe it was simply because this was the first time a boy had crossed my personal line of comfort. Yes, that had to be it. Hormones were the answer. Nothing more.
"What are you thinking about?" Cassia asked, noticing how zoned out I had become.
"Nothing," I replied casually.
Cassia crossed her legs and rested her chin on her arm, giving me a teasing "hmm" accompanied by a knowing smile.
"Ohhh~ someone was day-dreaming~"
I looked away in embarrassment, covering my mouth with my hand. I tried to play it cool, but my voice betrayed me.
"N-no, I was just..." I added quickly, "He just caught me off guard. That's it."
I glanced around the room as if the right words might be written on the walls. Cassia shifted closer, her teasing demeanor escalating.
"Then why are you blushing? You're pink all over."
I covered my cheeks with a gasp. Was I really blushing? Please no—it was just hormones. I stood up abruptly and turned toward her, bursting out in controlled frustration.
"Please, it's not what you think. Get your thoughts in line," I added quickly. "Besides, how are you back to normal again?"
Cassia let out a sad little giggle and lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She paused for a long moment, the corners of her eyes filling with fresh tears, her lips trembling—then she laughed it off, the sound fragile and forced.
"I was... really scared," she admitted, voice thick with emotion. "I thought my family was better than this."
Her words hit me hard, making me pause too, but I acted quickly and lay down beside her, close enough that our shoulders touched.
"Don't worry," I said softly. "I brought some extra pairs of clothes."
Cassia tilted her head toward me, our eyes meeting. I continued, "I can at least stay here and—"
Before I could finish, Cassia shifted and wrapped her arms around me. Her grip was too weak to truly call it a hug, more like a desperate clinging. She whispered against my shoulder,"Thank you."
The embrace lasted only a minute before she pulled back, drawing in a shaky breath, wiping her tears, and trying to hold herself together again.
"Besides," Cassia started, voice steadier now, "Aurelian is the kind of guy who will keep a promise."
She sat up from the bed. "So I don't have to worry about marriage anymore."
We exchanged soft smiles. Then Cassia's eyes drifted toward my gown. Yesss! Finally, she had noticed.
"Oh, and where did you find this pretty little baby?" she asked, her voice bubbling with giggles and genuine curiosity.
I didn't reply right away, simply staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression. Then I spoke.
"This baby is adorable, I know," I said, "and yes, I will tell you how I got this look."
I paused, my behavior clearly confusing Cassia. I shifted on the bed, struggling to roll onto my stomach.
"But first," I started, my voice turning into a crying, overly dramatic whine. No—it wasn't overly dramatic at all.
"Please! Do me a favor and loosen this corset. It's killing me."