"Be careful or you might fall," Aurelian said, his hold on me steady and secure.
I was going to be doomed if he somehow managed to convince his parents. I didn't want to get married — this wasn't the right age. I was still a kid, even though I had lived twice.
Come on, calm down. Maybe he's just flirting. But what if he wasn't? What would I do? That's right — he couldn't possibly ruin his reputation by suddenly saying "I want to marry her best friend instead." He was just flirting.
"What's wrong? What are you thinking of? Just letting you know, you are tempting enough."
Aurelian said it softly, then slowly moved his lips toward my ear and whispered,
"I'm fighting the urge to do what I just said."
The whisper sent a shiver through my ear. He was definitely just flirting with me. I took a moment to collect myself.
"Yes, you should behave like a gentleman," I replied, smiling with a teasing tone. "Wouldn't marriage at this age be a violation? The law says it~"
I didn't know exactly how flirting worked, but I could at least tease him back a little.
Aurelian closed his eyes and smiled, then said, "Yes, the law… how did I forget who I'm going to be?"
What did he mean by that? Then he opened his eyes and continued in a soft but serious tone.
"When the party is at its gaming stage," he started. After a pause, he went on, "When everyone will be busy drinking and playing…"
He lowered his voice to a whisper and added with a secret, flirty tone, "Meet me in the garden... alone or not. You have to come."
With that, he released me from his grip with a smooth spinning motion, using my hand to guide the turn. And then he left. Only then did my senses return. The dance had reached the exchange-partner stage, and he was probably going to find Cassia.
A bunch of other lads did ask me to dance, but my mind was foggy. So I quietly slipped away from the crowd and sat on the stairs where there was no one besides me. I just sat there for a moment, resting and trying to clear the fog.
Then the overthinking began. What should I do? Games and drinks would start after dinner, and I had no time to decide. Did I want him? No, it wasn't that simple. Then again, I had always wanted this — like Cassia. Falling in love.
I wrapped my arms around myself. I thought I liked both genders, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. The way he talked, the way he looked, his desperate ways. I pulled my legs together and opened my mouth to breathe properly.
Then again, what if he was bad inside and ended up hurting me? I was scared of commitment. But I wouldn't get anywhere if I chose to do nothing.
The thoughts kept shifting, one bleeding into the next, and I didn't even realize how much time had passed. They only stopped when I noticed the music had fallen silent. That meant it was time for dinner, and I was nowhere near clear on the decision I was about to make. I breathed out heavily, pushed myself up from the stairs, and headed back toward the main hall.
The dancing had stopped, and everyone had given the servants space to arrange the tables and cutlery. Food would be served soon. I spotted Cassia at the main table with Lysandra. She was waving at me to come over. I moved toward them.
"Where were you?" Cassia asked.
I was still too zoned out to react right away. Then realization hit, and I shifted my eyes back to her.
"Y-You know… the corset. I was feeling tired."
Cassia nodded. "Alright. But I think you should remove it after dinner or you will regret it."
I sat down beside Lysandra, one seat away from Cassia. I leaned back in the chair.
"I know. I will."
But after dinner he would be waiting for me in the garden. I needed a hot bath — maybe that would clear my mind. After that I could sleep like I was hibernating. But no… I had to make a decision.
"So, Cassia, did you get a lad to dance with you?" I asked casually, not entirely sure why the question had slipped out.
For some reason Lysandra turned toward me with a bright smile and answered first.
"No. She didn't, and same goes for me."
That was a weird thing to say, especially coming from her. Cassia leaned forward on the table and replied with a light giggle.
"I rejected all of them. Don't get me wrong. I was sick of the forced marriage announcement."
"Marriage? Who are we talking about?"
Lysandra interrupted, her voice carrying a cold stare directed at Cassia. What happened to her? This wasn't the same shy girl I had met just hours ago. Maybe she was opening up too much.
"Oh, hm, sorry. I didn't tell you earlier," Cassia started, awkwardly giggling. "My parents were planning to announce my marriage at this party. But I got lucky and the guy convinced them not to."
Cassia's words came out faster as she tried to explain. Lysandra, after hearing that, grew tense, not even blinking as she spoke.
"Alright, but why did the thought even cross their minds?"
Lysandra said it with a cold, daring voice. No, she wasn't herself — or maybe I was just bad at guessing people. Why was I suddenly doubting my own skills?
"No need to worry, Lysandra. Everything is back to normal now. They just cancelled it completely."
Cassia said it with brightness returning to her face. They really cancelled it? That was great news. Then Lysandra's behavior completely shifted and she turned back to normal.
Then a few tears gathered at the corners of Lysandra's eyes, and her lips curled. She continued in a soft, sobbing voice.
"I-I was... You really gave me a heart attack. What will I do without you? You are so kind and I don't want to imagine you with some gross man."
Cassia acted quickly, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. This was more like the Lysandra I had first met, but why the sudden shift?
"Hold yourself together. You are fine by yourself. And stop crying — we're at the dinner table."
Cassia's tone was firm but not unkind. She was right, though. Crying at a party could cause trouble. Thankfully the seats around us were still empty since this was the main table, and the servants were busy arranging tables and chairs elsewhere. No one would notice.
I placed my hand gently on Lysandra's back and said, "There is no need to cry. We are together and that's good news."
Lysandra looked at me, then at Cassia, wiping her tears and steadying her breathing. It was nice that she hadn't completely broken down — just teared up for a moment.
After some time everything seemed to settle back to normal. Lysandra was feeling better. Not me, though. I was still confused, scratching my head at this point. Should I ask Cassia? No — she would tease the hell out of me.
"Lucia, you look worried. Something is bugging you."
Cassia asked, leaning forward on the table. Guess my confusion had been more visible than I thought. I turned to her, but I wasn't sure what to say.