The Last Novel

CHAPTER 16

They stared at one another, after a few seconds the Viscount sighs and looks away as he took the towel from the maid and handed it over to Arabella. 

Once the two of them were finally alone in the hallway, the Viscount took the chance to observe Arabella who's currently wiping her hair dripping with champagne that his wife poured earlier. The Viscount massaged his temple and glance at the woman in front of him.

It's been years since he last saw her, she was sixteen years old back then full of intelligence and cheerfulness and with those dark blue eyes, that's full of dreams and hope. But right now, all he can see was a bottomless pit, and the way she cautiously walks together with him earlier, he can feel how distrustful she had become...what happened?

"You've changed" he unconsciously blurted out his thoughts, and it's too late to take it back now.

Arabella froze while wiping her dress because of what the Viscount just said.

'Did he realized I wasn't the real Arabella?'

While thinking about the possibility that the Viscount knew what happened to her, she heard him sigh as he stared at her with his serious face.

"It's been a while, thinking you adopted a son and then a few years adopted a daughter. You...you aren't planning on marrying anyone are you?" the random question he asked caught her off guard. 

"What I do with my life is none of your business" earlier she wanted to look pitiful in front of this man, to gain his sympathy and get the Viscountess drowned in jealousy and lose her composure to open an opportunity for Ruel and his men to get the antidote from her. 

But right now, she doesn't want to continue that plan anymore, since the audience was already out of their sight, fuming in anger somewhere.

'Ruel, please hurry!'

"Yes, whatever about you, it's always been none of my business." Arabella was confused with his empty expression right now. But she felt even more confused because she felt bothered by that. 

The Viscount looks down as if sewing the words he wanted to tell for a long time now.

"..."

Arabella can't find her voice to reply back, but before she can even think of opening her mouth, the Viscount's eyes met hers, as he slowly looks up and stared at her. Arabella felt her heart throbbed.

'what's this? Was the former Arabella in love with this man?'

The Viscount's voice brought her back from being lost in thought. 

"When you got your engagement annulled by the man you've chosen over me, I was happy, thinking you'll suffer after leaving me with such agony. But, I was wrong."

This time, Arabella noticed his appearance, with her mind filled with fear of losing Blaine and Scarlet earlier, she wasn't able to notice him, she just saw him like another annoying noble who's invited to this birthday banquet.

His honey-colored brown hair glistens under the moonlit night, his brown eyes filled with bottomless sorrow, and the familiar air around him makes her heart throbbed. 

The soft expression on his face, his beautiful appearance knocked a memory on her head...she recalled the Viscount smiling while holding her hand....and she was smiling as well.

Arabella took a step back when she felt like the man was like a magnet pulling her towards him.

'The novel I wrote, I am its creator, but I feel like I am just one of those readers, who doesn't know what  lies ahead'