Chapter 19:

A spider's kiss could only be a trap.

There was an air of excitement in the air around the estate. The servants were abuzz all over the house, and it was more full than usual; it was because the workers from The Flower Maiden, the most influential dress house in the capital were here.

It was finally the day of the ball.

I stared at myself in the mirror. My clothes felt perfect against my skin. It was a rich plum coloured dress that resembled a Moroccan Caftan, only with a bigger and fuller skirt, embroidered with gold threads in designs of leaves and decorated with sequin gems that made it glitter like the stars in the night sky. It took my breath away when I first laid my eyes on it during the fitting a week ago. Today I shall wear it for everyone to see.

I gave the aura of a rich and elegant girl. They decorated my hair with a gold leaves headpiece that had little alexandrite jewels on it. It sparkled in the light every time I moved my head. I felt like royalty.

The dress house chosen by Cassian had truly outdone themselves. I'd remembered myself getting ready for prom in my last life; it was a similar day, only this time, actual professionals were dressing me up.

On my neck hung a purple sapphire teardrop pendant; it was a set with my earrings. I tilted my head to examine them and noticed the little helix piercing that had been pushed onto me by that boy and the corners of my lips trembled.

That boy could only be Rezel.

I thought back to how I had come to get this surprise piercing.

"What do you think of pain?"

He's really always asking such weird questions.

I scrunched up my nose and answered honestly.

"I hate it."

"Oh, dear." Contrary to his words, his voice seemed excited and I raised an eyebrow. "You'll have to bear it for a second."

"Huh? Why on earth?"

At my question, the boy laying on a low tree branch held out and opened his fist in front of me. It revealed a little gem piercing laying on his palm. It was a radiant red gemstone that glistened in the light. It reminded me of the colour of blood. It was similar to the rings and earrings Rezel always wore.

"Is this yours?" I asked him, staring at the gem.

"It is yours." At his reply, I looked back into the brown eyes of the boy with the messy blonde curls. Sunlight hit his cheeks in fragments through the leaves, leaving an ethereal glow on the face of the boy looking down on me.

I gave him a smile and he continued to speak.

"It is imbued with my mana; next time you come to the town, and I am near, I will know and come find you. Let's go drink again."

At his words, a troubled line appeared between my eyebrows.

"I don't think I'll be going to town any time soon; at least not without an escort."

A confident voice reached my ears. "Who said you won't have an escort?" Rezel tilted his head and gave me un unfazed smile. "That's why I said I'll find you. Let's go together."

I stared at him for a moment before my eyes gazed at the gem again. Him offering me his company couldn't have come at a better time; because his presence also meant his protection. I wouldn't have to fear taking a step outside this estate and into the market if he was with me. I parted my lips to speak. "So this thing will tell you where I am? What a stalker."

Rezel rolled his eyes. "Here I am rewarding you with my presence and services, and you dare label me a 'stalker'. You ungrateful little-"

My laugh interrupted him. "Alright, but I didn't know you liked drinking with me that much?"

He frowned. "It wasn't that bad; well, other than the part when you kept whining and looking at your bottle like it was your soul companion."

My mouth fell open. "Well, at least I wasn't the one who was moving around with his eyes closed!"

This made both of us remember the fact that we were actually sleeping in an alley and we chuckled at the memory.

"How do I find you, then?" I asked him and he shook his head.

"I will find you."

I frowned at this. "Well, what if I want to find you? How do I contact you?"

"You are entertaining, storyteller, but don't misunderstand; I don't like you enough to simply hand you my whereabouts." His words irked something inside me, but he was unapologetic and I remembered the type of person Rezel was.

He's a bastard who does what he wants, when he wants. It'd be silly of me to think I could ever tame him for a proper friendship with a few stories and a night out drinking.

"What's this, then," I grumbled. "How's this a reward at all?"

At my sulky words, Rezel clicked his tongue and spoke. "Impatient child. Who said that's all?"

I looked at him curiously and showed me a strange and tiny elixir type vial necklace. It was almost empty, with only a drop of a glowing, transparent liquid.

"It's an elemental's blessing." He answered my inquisitiveness, but it only provoked further questions. Knowing this, he continued to explain. "It temporarily increases the strength of your elemental power when used."

My eyes widened and I eyed the product greedily. "Where did you get it from?" This could be considered treasure to me. No, it definitely is treasure.

Rezel shrugged. "This noble turned out to be dickhead and I ended up having to get rid of him."

...What a vicious little boy. Let's try to ignore that.

Rezel continued, "He had this, but it isn't even worth selling because of how little it is and I thought, 'ah, I know a person who'd like this scrap.'"

I eagerly nodded my head in agreement. I wasn't even offended. As a weakling in a world where I was the only one without the benefit of the male leads' protection, I need to take all the ammunition that I can get to defend myself and survive. To think Rezel was handing over something so precious to me. Although he said it wasn't worth selling, I just remembered 'The Elemental's Blessing' from the book. Even a drop was craved keenly by the nobles, as even a drop had enough strength to fortify them for or against one attack, and sometimes, just one attack made all the difference.

Especially for me.

I held out my hand enthusiastically and Rezel smirked at me; it was a mischievous smile that brought swirls of apprehension within me, and I was right. In the next moment, he crushed the bottle between his fingers and it vanished. I let out a sound of shock.

"Why did you do that?!" I glared at him. "Are you playing with me? That's worth a lot to me!"

Rezel just ignored my words and using the back of his knees as hooks, hung upside down in front of me, his face right ahead of mine. He reached his hand out and I felt his fingers graze the tip of my ear. It all happened so quickly and I felt a little sting that disappeared in a moment. My fingers reached out to my ear and brushed across his in the process. His hands were warm, as if full of energy; mana just waiting to burst forth.

"Is this the piercing you talked about?" I murmured; my eyebrows furrowed.

He nodded with a close-lipped smile and narrowed eyes. He'd asked me before if I wanted another piercing as I kept staring at his earrings. I'd agreed with excitement. I've always wanted a helix piercing. Today he finally made what we talked about happen.

"The elemental's blessing is also fused in with it, though really... what a weak elemental it is. I doubt it could help you much at all."

Ah... that's why he broke the elixir... cause he'd already put the power into the earring. An annoyed crease appeared between my eyebrows because I'd gotten angry with him but also because he was playing with me!

"What are you, spiderman?" I muttered grouchily, referring to his upside-down position and he scrunched up his nose. I'd told him of the movie a few days ago.

"Storyteller, you have not earned my kiss yet-"

"Who said anything about a kiss!" I spoke loudly with disbelief and he shrugged.

"I know that it's an age full of curiosities-"

"Ahhh, just go already!" I screeched and pushed at his shoulders, unable to believe that I was hearing this from Rezel. It made him smirk, because he had accomplished his mission of teasing me and I held back a huff.

He snickered and sat back up on the tree.

"Rezel." I called out his name and looked down at me again. The stones of his earrings glistened red in the sunlight and I knew that the one on my ear was the same.

"Thank you."

The corners of his lips turned up to reveal his teeth. It looked like the smile of a predator looking down on its prey and I remembered once again that this boy wasn't just anybody; although wasn't mentioned in the book, he was clearly one of the overpowered characters of this world. After all, every book had them and this was no different. I had come to realize this by now. I couldn't tell what would be better for my survival; avoiding him, or sticking to him.

"Lady Eleonora!"

Lily's voice brought me back from memory to the present. The workers were done dressing me for the ball and I once again stared at myself in the mirror. Rezel's reward was hidden in my hair. The Flower Maiden workers nodded in satisfaction and Lily looked at me with a happy smile.

"You look absolutely ravishing, my lady." Lily complimented me and I smiled at her. "Lord Cassian and Lord Caeles have arrived to take you to the ball." My smile vanished.

I walked down the stairs with my maids and The Flower Maiden employees trailing behind me. I could feel the vibrations in the staircase of all these people. My heart was thudding loudly in my chest with anticipation of the night.

It's obviously going to be full of people... I will have to act my best. It felt like a responsibility weighing me down. I furrowed my brows. Do you think I'll be able to get a drink or would that be off etiquette? I'll probably need it though... and not to mention,

I have to dance with Cassian...

As soon as I thought of his name, he came within my view. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at me with a gentle smile. His white suit embroidered with gold threads and the brocade design complimented his silver hair and he looked as bright as the sun. He looked like a gentle and pure saint full of kindness and love. His view was refreshing; it was hard to look away from him. I heard the people behind me letting out gasps and sharp breaths when they saw him.

A few steps behind him stood Caeles. He had the kind of expression that said that he couldn't wait to get out of here and it made my face muscles relax. He was wearing a navy-blue damask coat, also embroidered with gold. The black silk shirt he wore underneath was unbuttoned by the neck and the colour was a sharp contrast to his skin and hair; it made one want to stare. He was also a sight you couldn't look away from.

As expected of the lead characters...

They were absolutely breath-taking.

"You look beautiful," Cassian spoke as he held out his hand to receive me at the bottom of the staircase. I held back my grimace and gave him a smile. I can't tell how I should feel, hearing that from you.

However, the people who worked hard on me today were incredibly happy hearing these words. Cassian knew this we both turned to look at them. "Thank you very much for taking care of my precious dance partner. The Flower Maiden truly is well-deserving of their fame. I will make sure to spread the word."

The employees bowed and the superior thanked and complimented Cassian. "We only hope that the Arcturus House will approach us again. It is the greatest honour."

At that moment, his aide came forward and told us three that the carriages were ready. It made me frown. A carriage again? My motion sickness... not to mention, Caeles!

"Do we have to use a carriage?" I voiced out to Cassian. "But this dress is so precious... It will be ruined due to all that shaking." Of course, it wouldn't. I'm just exaggerating to persuade him. I didn't have much hope, but I thought I might as well try. Cassian always looked ready to spoil me, anyway.

"I agree with her for once." Caeles chimed in, surprising me. "The dances classes with her were punishment enough; what sin have I done to deserve spending all this time with her?" Ah, this brat...!

I glared at him and spoke up as well. "As if I want to spend anymore time with you? In fact, why are you even here, couldn't you just go by yourself?"

He snorted with ridicule at my words. "The two sons from the Arcturus House would obviously go together. It's you who should be going alone! Brother, why do we have to-"

I continued to speak at the same time as him, our bickering noises reaching a new height. "If you have that much of a problem with-"

"Enough."

Cassian's stern voice shut both of us up. I looked at him and gulped. His face was scary but it was just for a moment before he went back to his kind smile. I even thought that I had imagined that piercing gaze I'd seen just now but one glance at Caeles who had the same expression as me, told me that it was very real. "If you both are so against going in the carriages, we will teleport."

It was what both Caeles and I had wanted but we didn't even cheer as we continued to look up at the person who was showing the authority of the older brother. This obviously wasn't the first time Caeles and Eleonora had fought, but to think he could shut us both up with just one word.

"However," Cassian continued. "The carriages are part of the evening. We, as people from the Arcturus family as well as the Sollea family, cannot be seen arriving at the ball without a proper ride. To maintain this etiquette, we will be teleporting with the carriages to shorten the ride." Cassian then looked slowly into the eyes of the two fifteen-year olds. "We will now enter the carriages together. Does anyone object?"

It's an order! An order! A challenge, not a question!

I gulped and shook my head. Caeles also did the same and mumbled a "No, sir." Cassian, the older brother who had authority of us two, as well as the one who would go on to rule Aldebaran as Duke, looked satisfied at this and held his hand out to me again. This time I took it with a nervous smile and he gave me a bright one in return.

The ball was in the territory of an esteemed count who had a small palace built by The Forest of Allure. It was called that because sometimes glowing wisps would be seen playing by the trees, resulting in many being enchanted by them. These people followed the wisps in hypnotic dazes and end up losing themselves in the forest. Nobody ever came back.

That's all the information I remembered from the book. There was a nagging within my mind that there was more to this name, 'The Forest of Allure' and I had just forgotten it. Cassian told me more as we teleported near the territory of the palace.

Someone had managed to come back alive, a long time ago. A few hundred years ago. They had gotten strange powers as a result, and then rose to power as the ruler and protector of this territory; that was the legend of the bloodline of the Count of the Aurore Territory.

To honour the legend of his ancestor, Count Phelan Aurore had built a glorious little palace by the edge of the forest and was holding a ball to celebrate its completion. After all, what's the use of creating and spending all that money when you don't get to show it off? Who cares if it was by the graves of a hundred poor souls?

I grimaced hearing this and Cassian gave me a helpless smile with a shrug.

"What a douche," Caeles muttered and I agreed.

"Such an asshole." I voiced out.

Cassian sighed at us. "Language." We shut our lips once again and Cassian furrowed his brows.

"How come you're still the same with him?" He asked me, his jewel eyes looking deep into mine. Why have you changed when it comes to me? "When you keep pushing me away?"

My eyes trembled as I looked everywhere but towards him.

It's because you are one of the main leads, I wanted to say. And I'm the villain. But that's not all.

It's better to never have you, than to have you and then have to lose you.

I've never had Caeles, so I don't worry of losing him. But you...

Honestly, why do you tempt me so much?

Coming to visit me, giving me those papers, running towards me as soon as you hear that I could be injured; even willingly taking my hand to make my heart stumble just so I would tell you the truth about me being hurt...

I knew that he was only talking about seducing me in the garden so that I would tell him the truth. With Eleonora, he never had to ask as she always told him everything but once I retreated from him after my amnesia, he's doing everything to be able to take care of me.

You keep making me want to depend on you. And yet, it won't matter how lovingly you treat me now, because you are fated to fall in love with the heroine and hate me in the end.

I shook my head and sighed. What a pain. Right on time, the Arcturus carriages with the three of us, and the Arcturus servants and knights in the one behind us entered the Aurore Palace grounds.