19 The debutantes’ bal

The ballroom was magnificent, the walls were mirrored and were reflecting the light coming from the lustres. No effort had been spared to make this year's bal an unforgettable one. At the forefront, Lily could see a stage that was left empty for the moment.

Her arm linked with SongJae's arm, they had been circulating among the guests, exchanging platitudes and pleasantries whenever they encountered familiar faces. The moment they arrived LingLing had deserted them, favouring his group of friends.

Among the sea of faces, Lily didn't recognized anyone she was familiar with. Pretending to be Ran Sheng, Lily was feeling a bit uncomfortable. None of what she currently owned or was "due" to her, actually belonged to her. She was willing to do it temporarily because of her situation but she wasn't willing to play that role for a lifetime. As time was passing, the flame of her hope grew dimmer.

Thinking that she may have to be stacked with that identity for the rest of her life, Lily was feeling helpless and disappointed. A mist was starting to cover her eyes. Not wanting to alert SongJae, Lily excused herself and headed towards the garden. She needed some time and a quiet place to recover her countenance. SongJae was busy discussing terms with one of his business partner and really couldn't afford to leave with her, so he let her go with a tinge of regret. Meanwhile, he signalled to LingLing to closely follow her. The youth wasn't standing to far away from his brother at the time.

Lily was accelerating her pace, feeling the flow of emotions surging. Right before she was going to cross the doors leading to the garden, she noticed, in the mirrored wall, a beautiful handsome figure. For unknowns reasons to her, it was stirring her heart. Since her awakening, she had never felt something that mix of longing and nostalgia. Was he a person of her past? She could see him talking to a lady. When her eyes laid on the woman, her heart grew furious. As if millions of ants were crawling under her skin. Lily became really pale and the familiar headache came back threatening to tear apart her being and soul. Why all those negative emotions were invading her? Was she also someone she knew? She could barely hold on the pain. She wasn't expecting that kind of reaction and had nothing with her that could subdue the pain.

"Damn, what is that woman doing? Stopping people from entering and leaving?! Is she afraid nobody will notice her? Can she not act like a burden once in her life?!"