Her Savior

Florence dabbed cold water on her face, but it did not help with her dizziness, nor her anxiety. She stared at her reflection and bit her lip, her eyes were glossy with unshed tears. She sniffled a few times and shook her head.

"This won't do, I need fresh air to clear my head."

She left the powder room and headed toward the garden doors, making sure Galley was nowhere to be seen. The fireworks had everyone's attention, so it was easy for her to sneak away.

"Florence."

She stiffened before she saw her friend waving at her. She looked around, to make sure the marquis had not heard her name, before she walked to Magnolia.

"Where are you going in the middle of your party?" she asked.

"I need to clear my head."

Magnolia studied her and squeezed her arm. "Would you like me to accompany you?"

"I am only going for a walk to get some fresh air." Florence shook her head. "Enjoy the show in your husband's arms," she whispered to her before winking. Then, she disappeared into the crowd.

As she distanced herself from the guests, the sound gradually faded away. Even the bursts that came from the fireworks appeared to be receding. The darkness surrounded her, but she was familiar with the path. She made her way through the trees and shrubs until she reached the serene lake.

Florence always came here when she felt upset or angry. She could not break away from her mother in the past few days though. It was suffocating.

She strolled along the wooden pier until she reached its end. She removed her uncomfortable shoes and settled down, submerging her feet in the chilly water. She gazed upwards at the sparkling sky, with the full moon shining high and bright.

Memories from her childhood came rushing back, reminding her of the times she spent with Richard by the lake, swimming and having fun. Although they often got into trouble for it, they couldn't resist the thrill of it all. She grinned, but her smile quickly disappeared as the present reality quickly returned to her thoughts.

"Richard has changed so much."

She could not believe her brother's lack of support in the situation, and it was difficult for her to reconcile this behavior with the brother she once knew. It seemed that his priorities had shifted solely to accumulating wealth, despite already possessing a considerable amount.

Florence sighed.

She sat there for a long time, pondering on what other alternatives she had to persuade her mother. Running away was a possibility, but she was aware that her brother would spare no effort to locate her in a matter of days, and he had plenty of resources to do so.

'I will run away anyway, if mother forces me to marry the marquis.'

She prayed that if it came down to that, her brother would see reason and stand by her. She couldn't comprehend why Richard obeyed every word that came out of their mother's mouth. It seemed as if he had lost the ability to think independently.

She sighed again.

Suddenly, she heard rustling not too far from her. She spun around in alarm but could not see anything.

"Who goes there?"

"My apologies, my lady," a male voice came.

Florence sprang to her feet with such haste that she twisted her ankle and lost her balance. She plummeted into the water below with a resounding splash.

After plunging into the chilly water, Florence was momentarily taken aback, mostly from the cold. No one usually came to this lake. Despite the surprise of the man's presence, she was relieved that he didn't seem threatening, and she was especially glad that it wasn't Marquis Galley.

Florence knew how to swim, the pier had no ladder or steps, but it should not have been an issue to reach the shore in a short time. However, the dress her mother had made for her birthday ball got even heavier when soaked in lake water. The fabric clung to her body, impeding her movements and causing her to struggle to stay afloat.

Florence's heart raced as panic set in. She thrashed about desperately, attempting to dislodge the dress, but to no avail. She fought to keep her head above water, but the weight of the drenched fabric dragged her down.

"Help," she finally called. She knew that the man was close enough to hear her. "Please, help," she called again, more urgently this time, right before she went under water.

Florence wrestled with her dress as she sank deeper into the lake. As she struggled, a fleeting thought crossed her mind–she wondered how her mother would react if she drowned right then and there. She imagined Lina would be more irritated than saddened by the whole affair.

'At least I wouldn't have to marry Galley.'

Movement in the water drew her attention. Florence saw that the man had jumped in to save her and was swimming down to her. She immediately extended her arms toward him. She was running out of air, fast. As the man tried to pull her up, her dress weighed her down like an anchor, making it difficult for him to lift her.

Florence's body convulsed as her lungs screamed for air. She closed her eyes, her fingers clenching around the man's shirt. Suddenly, she felt her body breaking free. She burst through the surface, gasping for breath and coughing up water.

Her savior was up next to her in seconds. His arm reached for her waist to help her stay above water, and Florence instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are you alright?" he asked after her breathing had calmed down.

Her body was trembling. "I am. Thanks to you, sir," she answered.

"Please, allow me to take you to shore," the man asked for permission which Florence gave him with a nod. She knew she was too shaken to swim by herself.

The man turned her gently so her back was against his chest, he placed his left arm around her waist and started to swim while pulling her toward the shore. When they reached shallow water, he helped her to walk as she stumbled a bit. He guided her to a nearby tree to lean on.

"How do you feel, Lady Kalwen?"

Florence looked at him closely, she recognized him now. Henry Flock, the Duke of Salicera's assistant and friend. She had met him a few times when she was a guest at the Van Konigl castle. He was also one of her brother's friends, they all went to war together. She was grateful that he was not a complete stranger.

"Thank you, Lord Flock," she said with a weak smile.

"I am just glad I was close enough to help."

Henry pushed his wet hair back. The gesture captured all of Florence's attention. The man was dashing, and a true gentleman. She could barely feel his touch when he was pulling her to shore, or maybe it was too gentle to make her uncomfortable, unlike the marquis' wandering hands.

'Why couldn't I meet someone like him? And why was he one of Rick's friends?'

She looked at the man for a bit longer.

'Wait, does that even matter at this point?'