Masquerade Ball II

Laura revealed her face to Andrea, and still, she did not have a clue about who she was. Even if news or rumors had spread fast, it still hasn't reached her yet.

Andrea Marshall did not have a clue about who she was until she saw Laura's black hair. She was silent and didn't know what to say. It was eerily quiet until Laura had decided to break the silence.

"My name is Laura Alvarado, and it's such a pleasure to meet you, Viscountess Andrea."

"You're the new daughter adopted by Harrison, am I right?"

"Indeed, you are right."

"And so what do you need from me?"

Laura clenched her fist thinking she needed to succeed otherwise she'll be stuck with the tutor. She had always hated. Laura needed a change, a change that could bring her knowledge in the future.

"I wish for you to become my teacher."

The atmosphere was suddenly filled with silence as Andrea looked at Laura. Laura's lips trembled as she nervously looked at Andrea, who didn't break eye contact.

Andrea looked up to the moon and thought deeply about what Laura said. She had agreed with herself that she wouldn't tutor anyone else as she wanted to spend more time with her family.

Because something had happened in the past which made her so, many things like giving her son the attention he needed. Andrea's son had died when he was just a teenager. It was not an accident nor was it a murder, but through suicide.

When Andrea was still tutoring other noble children, she didn't have the opportunity to spend much time with her son. The viscount was always busy because he was a merchant who traveled around the world all the time.

When Andrea had learned about her son's suicide she had become traumatized as she was pregnant with her second child.

Andrea blamed herself for what had happened as she didn't know what had been happening in her own son's life and she regretted not giving him the love he needed. Apparently her son was being bullied by a group of other nobles and she did not know anything about it.

What traumatized Andrea more was when he had taken his own life on the day his sister was born into the world. Andrea turned around looking straight at Laura who looked calm on the outside but was nervous on the inside.

She wanted to refuse the girl's request, but with the determined eyes Laura was showing; she wanted to reconsider it.

"Why me?"

Laura couldn't back down now. She was given the opportunity to speak for herself, and she shouldn't waste it.

"It's because I'm weak? And that is why I need to break the first wall with your help. I always wondered why people had seen my hair color as unusual. I didn't know why people were so against me. Was it because of my appearance that they had called me a monster? Was it because I really am a monster? These are the questions I had always asked myself. I was just scared to be alone again."

Laura lowered her head and held her tears in. She didn't want to show her weak side to other people because it was useless. In the past, many of the nobles who saw Laura had called her a monster.

She had always wondered why they couldn't just appreciate her uniqueness. How come they never judged the royal family for having silver hair?

Laura had thought to herself, 'why can't each one of us be happy?' She was just a lonely person who wanted to be and feel loved. She was an orphan who became a noble and was bullied for her strange appearances.

'If only the world was equal.' She thought, but in reality that will never happen. Humans will always have their pride in who they will pick on.

They will always find a way to escape from reality. Andrea's heels tapped onto the floor as she had stopped beside Laura. She laughed softly and told Laura that she'll think about it. Upon hearing those words, Laura's face lightened up and thanked her.

Andrea's expression had changed, she looked hurt and sad but relieved. She couldn't explain the mixed emotions she had been feeling, but Andrea herself knew she needed a change. In the night of silence, Laura leaned on the railings and couldn't be any happier to at least have her proposal to be reconsidered.

Laura looked up to the sky, admiring the stars, and hoped for a wishing star to show. Laura couldn't hide her smile, she was really happy and was humming a happy tune, not until she had heard a footstep from her back.

She stopped humming and turned around to see a man smiling and waving his hands at her. She was startled to see the man and was suspicious of him.

"I'm not anyone suspicious. If that's what were you thinking."

She had remembered the familiar voice, and it was the young man whom she had met at the orphanage. He removed his mask and walked towards her. Laura took a step back to get away from the strange man. However, she was at the end of the railing.

Erwin bowed to reach Laura's height and grabbed her hands gently, landing a kiss on her hand. Laura retreated her hand immediately and had a slight blush on her face. Erwin laughed at her reaction and thought things were getting interesting.

"What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed to be here?"

"I did not say anything."

"But it sounded like you were."

Laura never thought that she would bump into the young man again.

Judging by his appearance, she knew that he is a member of the royal family but couldn't remember who he was. She had never heard of him before and had only known about the crowned prince and the second prince.

It was then she had realized she had been talking to the duke and in a rude manner.

"It may be late, but my name is Erwin Charles Ferguson, the duke of the empire."

"I greet the duke of the empire, may you be for-"

"Enough with that. I don't want you to call me that. Just talk to me normally like what you just did a while ago."

Laura hesitated as she did not expect him to be the duke and had only realized it now. She called herself stupid for not knowing this earlier. She had known that the royal family had silver hair, yet she thought that this man was a fake.

Laura couldn't just speak informally to a royal family, but still, he had asked her to keep the way she talked to him the same.

Erwin looked at the troubled girl and thought to himself that this girl was adorable. He couldn't understand what he had felt. Was it love? Or was it just an interest?

"If your grace, I mean E-Erwin wouldn't mind then. I will do so."

"Then please call me Erwin when we're both alone."

Laura agreed since she thought that they would never have the chance to meet alone again. However, she never knew that there still is a possibility that it would still happen in the future.

There was a calm silence but was suddenly broken by the loud sound which can be heard near the entrance of the ballroom. Laura's expression had changed, and she felt panicked. She had no time to spare as the event that she was so worried about was starting.

Erwin had noticed Laura's sudden change of mood, and he thought that she looked worried. He asked Laura what was going on and if she had an idea or a clue about what they heard, but she refused to say anything.

Laura removed her heels and ran back into the ballroom where the nobles were panicking. While Laura dashed through the other nobles as Erwin tried catching up to her not until a soldier had called for him.

The soldiers greeted Erwin and had asked him to retreat. He reached his hand out as he tried reaching for Laura, who is now nowhere to be seen.

On the other hand, Laura ran as fast as she can while holding her heels and kept reminding herself that it was her job to stay close to the emperor and to not leave his sight until he had retreated back to his room.

Laura silently observed and looked at the crowd of nobles panicking and found one of them to look suspicious. He walked towards the emperor and had bloodlust written on his face. Laura quickly followed the man who suddenly is going towards the direction of the world emperor.

In no time Laura had caught up with the man and threw one of her heels, hitting his head. Laura caught up to the strange man and quickly retrieved her heels and had asked the emperor to retreat faster. She had also asked the soldiers to arrest the man, and she felt still didn't feel relieved.

Suddenly another man had jumped out of the crowd aiming towards Laura who had shut her eyes tightly. She thought that it was the end for her again.