The Plan and Oliver

[Portia's POV]

Three days have passed after the assault incident, and as promised, Oliver will arrive this morning.

It will be our first official meeting in this life.

In fact, I ever met him once personally in my previous life. But, it was not a pleasant meeting.

Instead, I can say that Oliver hates me.

"… you are the rumoured lady, aren't you?" He looked down at me with a cold and pitiful gaze.

We met at the entrance gate while I had just returned from the afternoon tea at the nobles club.

"You know me?" I frowned at him.

I did not know that it was Oliver since I was too preoccupied with gaining other people's attention by attending so many balls and afternoon tea.

However, they never paid attention and always left me out of the conversation. They saw me as a naïve puppet that could be made fun of. I could do nothing against them and harboured the anger inside me alone.

Oliver let out a frustrated sigh. "Your sister is seriously injured. She will not be able to walk again if it's not me."

"So, what does this have to do with me?" My hands clenched hard as I tried to hold it all inside. I was not in the mood to quarrel with someone else at that time.

Then he looked at me with disgust and said, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself? It was you who pushed her from the stairs. At first, I don't know why people always talk bad about you, but now I get the reason."

"SO WHY?" I screamed at him. My face flushed with anger.

"It was she that approached me first and slipped from the stairs! Yet those people blame me for pushing her without ever questioning my innocence!"

I gasped for air from exhaustion after screaming out loud without pause.

Shit. I got dragged into my anger too far.

If people knew about this, they would spread a rumour that I threw a tantrum at a strange man like a mad woman.

I bit down my lips and strolled aside from him. "Just leave me alone. I don't want to get into another rumour. My life is already ruined thanks to them."

Before he could say anything, I had already walked into the house, ignoring those servants' disgusting gaze toward me as if I were the bad one. I had not forethought that Oliver would see me with another look when I left him behind.

It was our first and last meeting in my previous life.

He never comes to my house again, and after that, I get to know that he is Oliver Wood after hearing it from the servants' gossip.

"Hahaha, it was a crumpled mess."

When I hear an echo of familiar laughter and carriage wheels' noise entering our mansion, my eyes peer out to the window that had been left open to let the sunlight in.

I can see two people standing beside the carriage, chatting with each other with big smiles on their faces. One belonged to someone I know—the current Duke of Palmerston, Anthony Palmerston. The other person is a tall man in a green robe and bringing a wood trunk. He stands before my father, giving him a faint smile that does not suit his stern face.

"Oliver," I murmur.

His figure disappeared along with my father when they went into the house.

Suddenly, my heart aches with a sharp, heavy pain when I know I will meet him again. I can not deny that I am afraid right now. What if he still hates me like in the previous life?

I am still sitting on the couch beside the balcony with all my 'memories' paper when there is a knock on the door. I have been working on them for the past three days, and they will be done soon.

"Lady Portia, The Duke wants you to come down."

"Yes. I'll come." Then I let out a quiet sigh. Ready or not, the time has finally come.

*

"Greetings, Your Highness and Mister Oliver."

All family members and Oliver gathered at the parlor, sitting on the long couch chatting with each other when I came down and greeted them.

"You've come, my daughter. Sit here and wait for your turn to be checked." Anthony waves his hand to me, and I take a step forward when a sudden anxious feeling attacks me.

What if I bother them by coming down? I took a slight glance toward the maids who lined up behind me, feeling nervous to see how they looked at me now. They used to have disgusted faces towards me in my previous life, as if I was an unwanted existence in this house.

"What is wrong, Lady?" Diane asks me. She looks full of concern.

"N-nothing." I shake my head, then I bring myself to sit on the empty seat next to Yuri, who is busy playing with her bunny.

Oliver is now checking Adeline. He puts down the thing that looks like a stethoscope and scribbles it on the paper. He obediently does his job without having too much talk. When I was immersed in observing him, he caught me and we exchanged glances.

"That will be enough for today." Oliver looks back at Adeline and gives her a prescription. "It looks like there is no health problem. Still, you need to consume some vitamins to improve your vitality. I will give the first dose for now, but this can be found in the local drugstore since it's a legal medicine."

"Thank you, Doctor." Adeline gives him a beaming smile and gets up from the couch so Yuri can be checked after her turn.

He nods a little and does the same job for Yuri. Time passes quickly, and Oliver says the same thing as before.

It is such a huge relief for Anthony. He does not regret a single thing, even though he must pay a large sum of money for Oliver's services as long as his family is doing well.

And, after Yuri gets up, this will be my turn.