18 Chapter 18
*** ( Changes in POV ) ***
At the balcony on the second floor of the pastry shop, Roselia felt suffocated on her seat as she glanced outside. The pleasant and beautiful view of the shopping district of the capital became distorted as she can't even dare to enjoy it with a total stranger sitting in front of her. She nervously took a sip of the tea she ordered and ate a piece of cake uncomfortably. Can't handle the suffocating atmosphere, she placed down the teapcup she's holding and sighed heavily. Instead of sitting in a chair made of cotton, more on she's like sitting on a chair filled with thorns. She's like a criminal being interrogated to fess up the crimes that she did.
[ How awkward ... ]
"Is the tea not to your liking?" El whom was sitting in front of her blankly looked at her.
[ How can I like all of this if you keep on staring at me like that?! What in the world am I doing here with this prostitute? ]
"What do you want to talk about?" Roselia wiped her mouth with a piece of napkin.
"What do you mean? Isn't there only one thing to talk about?"
"If it's about that night then let's just brush it off as a tragic encounter. We're already adults and I already paid you enough for your unwanted service. Perhaps, if you're doing this to extort more money from me then better cut it out." Roselia sat comfortably in his chair as she confidently looked at him.
On the other hand, "Hmm ... Aren't you a bit cold one, miss? How can you say something cold to someone whom you share a night with?" he sulked like a kid.
Roselia with no immunity to cute things, ended up being pierced in the heart with what she'd saw.
[ Fuck. How can he make such face?! ]
She caressed her tummy secretly and maintained a smile as he looked at him.
[ Baby ... This is your father! ]
Snapped out of it, Roselia indifferently answered his question. "That's not the point here. What happened that night was nothing but a slip of my desire. I admit my mistake that's why I paid you a lot." she bluntly made it clear in front of him.
El leaned forward and stealthily took a piece of cake in the table. Roselia took a quick glance and noticed this action. Despite her showing a calm expression, deep inside her, she began compiling all of her complaints.
[ Look at this cheeky brat. How dare you steal a piece of cake I personally ordered?! I hope my baby won't inherit this kind of trait from you. ]
As the air turned silent, Roselia can't help but assessed the father of his baby. She seriously stare at every visible part of his body.
[ Well ... he has a lean and medium build. With his face, my baby will 100% became a hottie in the kingdom when he/she grew up. To think that his father was a commoner. On top of that, a prostitute. Haist. What should I do if my baby began questioning me about his father's identity? ]
While deep in her thoughts, El brushed of a soft chuckle as he straightly look at her in the eyes. Roselia snapped out and became confused by the sudden turn of events.
[ What the fuck? Is he planning something bad? What's with that smile? ]
"Then ..." he dragged his words.
Roselia maintained her expression. She can't help but to swallow in uneasiness as she can't predict what he was thinking.
"Is this a confession of you being attracted to me? Should I start rejoicing then? I mean, I'll glady held you responsible for me." he confidently said.
[ Fuck? Where are all of his confidence coming out? But, what?! Responsible for him? I really want to punch you right now but ... your face ... that cute face ... fuck. ]
Roselia was flustered. She stood up abruptly and responded in a high pitch tone. "Wow. This cheeky brat."
"Brat? Me?" he pointed out himself in confusion.
"I admit that you're handsome but aren't you a little bit confident about yourself? No matter what you say or do, I already paid you for your 'unwanted service'. If you got a problem with what had happened, then deal it yourself. Well then ..." As Roselia tried to leave, El forcibly grabbed her arm preventing her to leave.
"What is it now?!" she yelled furiously.
"Where are you going? I think we're not yet finished with our conversation?" he teased her by smiling confidently while sitting comfortably.
"I have a very 'very' 'very important' thing to do so I'll take my leave now. If you have anything more to say then let's meet each other in the afterlife after 60 years. Well then ..." Trying to hold her patience, Roselia's facial veins began to popped out. Calming her anger, she looked back and forced a smile.
As she looked forward and forced her hand to be freed from his gripping, she took a step forward and with all of her strength focused on his arm, she pulled her arm with full strength. But still the results remained the same.
"What should I do? I'm not convinced with your reasoning at all. Aren't you just escaping? I'm not buying it. Sorry."
[ I'd have enough. Bitch, let's be clear. ]
Roselia coldly looked back and while feeling annoyed, she took a deep breath before she enraged.
"Let's make each other clear, brat. The only thing we had is that first and last one nighter. I don't know if I enjoyed it but still let's say I enjoyed it. You did your job and I paid you more than enough. I had my desire fullfilled and you got paid for what you've done."
El let out a soft 'Hmm' as he nodded in agreement.
"If you understand now then please can you let me go? Let's not see each other please."
The moment he let go for a moment, Roselia instantly took a step but to think that he will abruptly grabbed her again, Roselia fumed in silence.
[ Fuck! I want to cry! Just let me go! ]
"But ... isn't it cruel to say that this our last? I mean are you certain that we won't see each other again?"
Roselia flung her arms with full strength and the moment she freed herself from misery, she looked back and scowled.
"Do you want me to end your life here and now so that we can satisfy what you're asking?"
El smiled and maintained his silence. Roselia can't contain her anger anymore and just began walking towards the stairs.
"Can I at least know your name, cold missy?"
Without turning back, Roselia gave her a middle finger "I'm Jane. Damn you," and totally left the shop.
As she walked her way back to the mansion, she can't help but speak out what she was thinking at the moment.
"Fuck, my cakes... ughh!"
*** ( Changes in POV ) ***
Right after Roselia left, El whom was left behind the shop, ended up laughing alone. If someone saw him acting like that, being perceived as some crazy bastard would be natural.
"Shit. She's too cute." he mumbled softly as he covered his face with his hands and tried to held back his laughter.
[ With her visiting such well known pastry shop, she can't possibly be a commoner. She also said that she left behind some golds as sort of like payment for my service. To think that she mistook me for a prostitute. Hahaha! How entertaining. ]
"Jane, huh." El stood up in his seat after eating the leftover cakes. "I hope we'll see each other again. No. We'll definitely see each other again in the upcoming banquet of His Highness's birthday celebration. I'll look forward to it, Ms. Jane." he uttered softly and also left the pastry shop.
*** ( Changes in POV ) ***
Two days after, the Faques carriage stopped by in front of a boutique called 'Wardrobe'. Strangely the shop was located far from the crowded places in shopping district. The surrounding was totally silent as if there's no one even coming in there in the first place. The door opened and the twins together with Roselia went out of the carriage. Waiting in front of the unknown store was non other than, Ismenia.
"Greetings, duchess. Thank you for the sudden visit." she greeted Roselia delicately and elegantly befitting for a noble.
"No need for such greetings, baroness. Did the goods arrived safely?"
Ismenia eased up. "Of course, duchess. The goods are pefectly stored inside the store. Would you like to take a look?"
"Of course. That's what we came here for anyways." Roselia grinned on one side as she entered the store with the twins on both of her hands.
*** ( A Year Ago ) ( Changes in POV ) ***
"Pardon me for the sudden appearance, Her Excellency ..."
"Is there anything you wanted to say baroness?" Roselia never turned her back and just stood still in her place where half of his body was engulfed with darkness from the poor - lit hallway.
Roselia tried to take a look of Ismenia's current state. With her seeing Ismenia from the corner of her eyes, she instantly understood what the baroness came here for. She ended up smiling sincerely as she praised Ismenia's courage.
"Is there anything that the duchess want? It may be dirty or not, the Helewisa estate will provide you our utmost assistance." Ismenia was flustered as she kept on jittering in her place.
Roselia giggled loudly. She made it loud and clear for Ismenia to hear. Ismenia instantly became restless the moment she heard Roselia giggled. As if she was looked down because of her status. A baroness sucking up to a duchess. What a disgrace in the social circle if this matter came out.
[ Did I do anything wrong?! What should I do?! ]
"Should I comprehend that as the Helewisa estate is planning to join my liege?"
"If that's what Her Excellency thinks then we will do our best to support you till the end." Ismenia instantly replied as if she's an automatic response message.
"But what should I do? I don't bet on something uncertain. I also don't need someone who is useless." Roselia looked back and coldly glared at her indifferently.
[ This terrifying tension. The way she tells me that our estate is not even needed. She's indeed the real deal. A wolf in sheep's clothing ... I can't afford to back out now! I need to take this gamble. ]
"It may not be a big business but ... our family deals with clothing and dresses. If the duchess have any use for us, then please use us as you please." Ismenia didn't hesitate to mention her family business. For her, this is her only lifeline. If the duchess ended up rejecting her then it'll be the end for her family. The duchess knew the maltreatment she gave to her son and with a single word from a ducal estate, crushing a baron's family was easy as lifting a finger.
"Clothing? Hmm ... " Roselia pondered and after seconds of thinking, she gave her the answer she wanted. "Okay, then ..."
Feeling enlightened, Ismenia can't contain the relief she felt. "Thank you very much, duchess! We will do our best!" Her rejoicing immediately halted upon hearing Roselia's sneer.
[ Huh? ]
"I hope you don't misunderstand me baroness but ... I don't trust you at all. I just need your business connection that's all. Wheither to trust you or not, it depends on your performance."
What Roselia said, made Ismenia speechless. A cold, straightforward words with no lies attached. It made her froze in her spot and the heavy tension prevented her from speaking.
"Still, we will do our best Her Excellency!" Ismenia snapped out and immediate bowed down full of respect.
"Then ... shall we test your ability first, baroness?" Roselia looked back and with a smile in her face, a cold, menancing eyes made Ismenia shook in anxiousness.
