Chapter 14

The next ten days where uneventful for Alida.

All she did was meditate,eat, take walks in the garden, eat with the family and sleep.

At the dinner table Alida was surprised to see Jane give her place beside their mother. Now everyone's place was in order.

Unbeknownst to Alida, the day after her visit in town, Jane stopped her father in the hallways. With a look as if the whole world has wronged her, shoulders slumped and shaking Jane started her act in front of the patriarch.

" Father..sniff .. don't..don't you love anymore?" And like a dam, the tears burst .

" What? Jane! What are you talking about?" The patriarch was confused at this scene .

" How could you say something like that?" It was clear as day that Nicola Burgess was not happy about all this.

" But , but .. yesterday...you...why did you let Aryan and Alida mock me?"

" Mock..? "

The patriarch took a step forward and put his big hand on Jane's head, caressing it gently than said with a gentle tone: " Jane sweetheart, nobody mocked you. Your brother Aryan was right. You need to get over this phase of yours. You're not a victim dear so stop making yourself one ok? " At this statement Jane's smirk that was hidden under her bowed head, froze on her face, in fact all her body stiffened. It seems she didn't expect this from her father.

But as if Nicola Burgess didn't see anything or maybe just ignored her reactions, kept going further with his lecture.

"You'll be eighteen soon and in over a year you're going to get married. It'll be hard for you if you keep this up. You have to toughen yourself up. Nobody will pamper you after marriage, quite the opposite, you're gonna have a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders. This behavior of yours not only will it affect you but also bring shame on our Household. Please understand, I only want what's best for you."

" But..but father.." raising her head, Jane looked quite pitiful. Her face was red, eyes and nose also red and her lips trembled.

" Stop crying Jane, there's nothing to feel wronged about. This is just how life is and even more so for us nobles."

Nicola Burgess said all this to his daughter Jane, his eyes full of love.

" Also , from now on the seat beside Patricia belongs to Alida, you will be beside her. We can't be a laughing stock , what if people find out about it? Our reputation is as stake!"

Patting her head once more, the Patriarch turned around and left.

Jane was frozen in place, her mouth wide open, eyes round like a ping-pong ball, almost bursting out of her sockets. After a few good minutes, her soul descended back to earth, turned around and went to her room, her fists clenched and gritting her teeth.

…....

After ten days of her routine, Alida decided to do something fun and fun for a girl/ woman is one word: SHOPPING. That's right, Alida decided to spend money, since she was filthy rich, why hold back. It's good to splurge once in a while, it helps a woman's mental health, wich in turn helps in stabilizing her emotions, which in turn helps with her health. All is connected.

The next day, after asking her father for more pocked money than she had from her monthly allowance , Alida prepared in earnest for a day full of spending.

Making plans with Aryan to meet at lunch, Alida and Mary boarded the carriage and went in town.This time she only had two guards with her, both the personal knights of the patriarch , with their black and purple uniforms.

Arriving in one corner of the business streets that laid ahead, Alida went from shop to shop, not missing a single one wether it was a clothing store, shoe store, jewelry store, book store or any other necessities a person might need. At lunch Alida was waiting for Aryan in the City's Plaza, near an enormous fountain dedicated to the founding emperor.

Swinging her head left and right, studying the people and how they interact with one another, and of course looking after Aryan, her purple eyes met with someone's red eyes. It felt like the world stopped for a few seconds, all sound dead, just the two, gazing and basking in each other's presence.

A hand on her shoulder was what brought her out of her trance. Looking to her right, she saw Aryan smiling at her.

" Hey Alida, did you wait long for me?"

"Aryan." beaming with a smile I took his arm and went our way." I didn't wait long, don't worry, I just got here myself. Where are we going to eat?"

While Aryan and Alida were happily chatting, on the other side of the plaza, a man with white hair and red eyes was watching the duo with a frown on his face and clenching his fists under the coat.

Cain Moonlight, the son of Archduke Sonata Moonlight, was having another horrible day. He was always grumpy, had black circles under his eyes and a stoic face that could scare even a baby.

Ever since that horrid day at the Church of Sun and Moon, Cain Moonlight barely caught a wink of sleep. His mind and dreams were plagued by a black hair and purple eyes beauty, that for some reason kept him awake and troubled.He kept thinking about her involuntarily, those beautiful eyes, and gorgeous black hair that wanted to pass his hand trough her hair , and those full plump lips that he wanted and even imagine himself kissing, not to mention that thin waist he so wanted to hold...sigh..all these and more kept appearing in his mind trough the day and even at night.

( Welp...he's a goner.)

His heart yearned to see her one more time and just when it seemed there was no hope, the heavens finally took pity on him. In front of him, just a few dozen meters away, the beauty in question was sitting on the edge of the fountain. So much joy overwhelmed him, especially since their eyes finally met. Cain felt himself floating, he couldn't take his eyes off her and just when he decided to step forward and talk to her a man touched her shoulder.

Rage , uncontrollable rage filled him in that instant, and like a bucket of cold water was throwned over his head, the moment the lady actually smiled at this man.

All color drained from his face, thinking of the possibilities of what that could mean. He's crush went holding the man's arm, without turning back, not even once, no matter how much he wished for it.

Taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself, Cain started to think more rational.