Don't Waste Your Time!

~•|•~

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

Inez cursed herself while banging her head against the bed dashboard. After that, she whined and buried her face in the pillow again.

Anne, who had been sitting on the sofa while embroidering, looked at the girl silently. Then she let out a long sigh. As Inez's closest and most trusted person, she had heard everything that happened in the Schubert palace garden on the way to the mansion. How shocked she was to know that the lady she served had become the poisonous mushroom's lover, almost kissed, and then run away with a flushed face when discovered by Captain Dante.

"Ha... stupid Inez!" The girl whined and banged her head on the dashboard again. Don't know how many times she has done that since finishing lunch in the bedroom.

"Lady," Anne places the needle, thread, and cloth on the table. She looks at the girl intently and says, "If you act like that when you meet the captain, won't the situation be awkward?"

"Wouldn't it? I thought so." Inez looks at Anne with puppy eyes. "But we won't see each other again, Anne. Won't the captain be busy at war? Even if we do meet, I think I'll stay away."

Anne furrowed her brows at Inez's structured reply. "If you've decided to act like that, why do you keep feeling embarrassed?"

"I'm embarrassed, Anne." Inez buried her face in the pillow again. "You will never understand me."

Anne sighs heavily. She picks up the needle, thread, and cloth again from the table, then adjusts the position of her glasses. "All right, I won't be able to understand. And don't bang your head on the dashboard, My Lady! Doesn't it hurt?" she grumbled.

"Okay...." Inez replied with resignation. Instead of that, there was one more thing bothering her. "When is Anthony coming home?" she asked. Because when she came home, Anthony was not at the mansion. The butler said he had an impromptu appointment with a colleague. Even though they had promised to talk about things that had previously been delayed.

"I don't know either, My Lady," Anne replied, which made the room quiet.

Inez turns around and stretches her body over the bed. She closes her eyes. 'In that case, when will His Majesty send me a letter?' she wondered.

~•|•~

Anthony spent almost half a day at the Beetheaven social club. However, it was worth it because he had an important meeting with the Count of Fritz, an iron mine entrepreneur, and his son, Hanzetsu Elliot Fritz, the successor who sent Inez a marriage proposal. The Count of Fritz was willing to invest in Buford. It is a very exciting day.

Anthony couldn't wait to get home and tell Inez the news. Hanzetsu is the perfect man who fits her criteria. Anthony was sure that Inez would love Hanzetsu. So he grasped the marriage proposal letter from Hanzetsu tightly as if he were grasping Buford's future while exiting the social club.

However, as the guard opened the main door, he faced two men wearing tall hats and black robes who wanted to enter the social club. One of them was holding a cane with a golden dragon accent on the handle.

Anthony gasps when his eyes meet the blue eyes of both of them. He immediately bows. "Anthony Cal Buford greets Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince."

Lennox, who was holding the dragon cane, smiled slightly. "Get up, Count!"

Anthony swallows saliva nervously. Lennox's voice sounded friendlier than it was used to. The man stands up straight, then turns to look at the man beside the crown prince, who is staring at him silently. "Lord of Verthall," he said, greeted with a brief nod from Dante.

"Are you going home already, Count?" asked Lennox, looking at the man with a slightly intimidating gaze.

"Yes, Your Highness." Anthony clutches the marriage proposal letter from Hanzetsu tightly. "I've spent a lot of time here."

Lennox gave a small chuckle. He patted Anthony's shoulder, which surprised the man. "Though I was just about to ask you to join us."

"!" Anthony glances at Lennox, very surprised by the behavior of the man who had been ignoring him. He immediately bows his head. "I am honored, Your Highness. But I'm worried because I've been drinking too much today."

"Is that so?" Lennox squinted at Anthony. A second later, he turned to the guard. "Hey, you!"

"Yes, Your Highness." The guard was alert.

"Escort the Count of Buford to his carriage! You must take care of him because he is my lover's brother, understand?"

"Yes?" said Anthony, frozen in place. At that instant, his alcohol-fueled consciousness returned even faster.

"Yes, Your Highness." The guard immediately approaches Anthony. "Let me escort you, Count."

"W-wait!" exclaimed Anthony, who wanted to make sure he heard from Lennox or Dante, but both of them had already gone past him. He watched their departure. "What the hell was that?!" he fumed.

"Count," said the doorman assigned by Lennox.

"Tsk! Let me go!" The man clucked in annoyance. Then he went out of the social club and was escorted by the guard to his carriage.

For God's sake, Anthony wants to get to the mansion right now!

~•|•~

"Welcome, Count," greeted Khief, the butler at the Buford Mansion.

Anthony took off his coat and gave it to Khief. "Where's Inez?" he asked in an impatient tone.

"Lady Inez is asleep, Count," replied Anne, emerging from the hallway that connected the living room with the kitchen and laundry room. She was carrying a large tub of empty laundry. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Wake her up right now!" commanded Anthony, who came up the stairs in a huff.

"Pardon?" Anne looked at the man in confusion.

"Tell her to meet me in the office in ten minutes! Otherwise, I'll fire you!" Anthony added, making Anne jump in surprise and run off to wake Inez.

~•|•~

Inez adjusted the robe that covered her rather thin nightgown. The girl strode quickly down the empty corridor, accompanied by Anne, who hurriedly followed her. Inez's expression did not look good after she was forcibly woken up by Anne on Anthony's orders. Especially after she heard Anne's excuse.

BRAK!

The girl rudely opened the door to Anthony's office, making Anne immediately stop outside the room while her lady entered.

"I was just sleeping!" grumbled Inez as she stepped inside and gave Anthony a fierce look. "Your threats are absurd!" She stopped walking and let out a small snort as she looked at the bottle and glass of wine on her brother's desk. "Did you call me here to see you get drunk, huh?"

Anthony did not answer. He sipped the wine in silence and ignored Inez's presence.

"Anthony!" Inez exclaimed in annoyance.

Only then did Anthony look at his sister. "Is it true that you are the crown prince's lover?" Anthony asked in an unfriendly tone. "Is it true, Inez Cal Buford?" she asked with force.

Inez swallows heavily. Anthony's expression is much worse than hers now. She nods slowly. "Yes," she replied.

"What a stupid girl!" swore Anthony, pounding on the table, which made Inez's body wince. "Did he order you to be his girlfriend?"

"N-no," replied Inez with a glance at Anthony, looking down while fiddling with her fingers.

"So why did you accept his offer?" Anthony gets up from the chair. He looks sharply at his sister. "I could understand when you said you couldn't refuse His Highness' invitation. But I cannot tolerate your not refusing the offer. You could and had the title to refuse when he asked you to be his lover! You know, Inez! His Highness is not going to marry you! He's just playing with you!"

"I like him!" exclaimed Inez, looking boldly at Anthony while holding back her tears. "I think... I'll love him now." She confessed before Anthony could say anything further.

"Hah!" Anthony let out an exasperated breath. He laughs ridiculously afterward. "You said love?" He reproached. "You saw me and Arabella! Did we marry for love?" He paused for a moment, watching Inez. "No, Inez!" he replied certainly. "We didn't marry for love. But marriage made us love each other. Love without commitment is foolishness! And you have been fooled by that foolishness!" Anthony exclaimed, causing Inez to start sobbing. "If His Highness was serious about you, he wouldn't have asked you to be just his lover. He would ask you to be his wife. Watch my words, Inez!"

"But I--"

"You're just wasting your time!" exclaimed Anthony once again, showering Inez with facts. He took the marriage proposal letter from Hanzetsu and placed it on the table. "The son of the Count of Fritz, Hanzetsu Elliot Fritz, sent a proposal to you this afternoon. I saw the love in his eyes when we talked about you."

Inez's crying intensified when she heard that. Anne, who could see and hear everything going on inside because the door was open, immediately looked down.

"That's what you want, isn't it?" Anthony added sarcasm. "A man who loves you. He's Hanzetsu. And he's a good man with a wealthy family and an education too. Most importantly, he proposed to you, asking for you as a wife, not as a lover."

Anthony looks straight at Inez, who looks down with tears in her eyes. He let out a long sigh. "The wedding season will last until spring is over. Before that is over, I want you to end your relationship with His Highness immediately and marry Hanzetsu!"

"Anthony...!" protested Inez, immediately looking at her brother with disappointment.

"I don't give a care!" broke up. Anthony stepped closer to Inez. "I thought you had grown up. So I left you alone. But it seems I was wrong. You were expecting something that couldn't happen." He paused for a moment, then swallowed heavily. "Perhaps Arabella was right. I spoiled you too much until now. So, don't waste your time, Inez Cal Buford!"

After saying all those bitter words to Inez, Anthony left, leaving the girl, who immediately lost her strength and sat on the floor with trembling shoulders.

"Lady Inez!" Anne ran over to the crying girl.

However, Anthony did not look back at all. He suppressed his chaotic feelings. 'I'm so sorry, Inez. Before Dad died, he made me promise to take care of you. And keeping you away from the crown prince is my way of fulfilling that promise,' he thought as he clenched his fists.

———