A Remaining Podeshire 1

Chapter 4 (Part 2)

     Oliver and Amelia's gazes locked on each other. They stared at each other as Amelia smiled while Oliver frowned in worry. Speculations flooded Oliver's mind, wondering about Amelia's purpose for her return.

     Amelia wears a maroon-red dress adorned with floral embroideries on the hemline. Her curls dangle under her woven bonnet. Jewellery, including a gold necklace and silver rings, run across her body, finishing her look with a sparkle.

     As Oliver looked to Amelia's left, he saw a man sitting on a chair, presumably Amelia's husband. His eyes are as blue as the sunny sky, and his short hair that stretches into a thick beard is as radiant and rich in colour as amber. And his skin beams like the noon's sunlight.

     Amelia's husband wears an ordinary outfit, pairing a black overcoat with light grey trousers. And the silver buttons on his coat shine under the sunlight passing through the windows. A towering top hat emphasizes his height, and his boots run up to his knees.

"Greetings! My name's Evan," Amelia's husband, Evan, introduced himself as he stood up and shook Oliver's hand.

"Oh, hello..." Oliver replied with a kind smile, utterly timid.

Evan gently dragged Oliver to a seat, and they sat on a chair with the others around the dining table.

While pulling a chair and sitting on it, Amelia greeted Oliver with a beaming smile. "Good morning, Oliver!"

"...Good morning, Mrs Casalee," Oliver greeted back with a light smile.

     Oliver's eyes wandered around while he held his palms tightly together. He then caught sight of a beautiful lady sitting on the other side of the table. She was quiet, glancing down as she took light, delicate sips on her simmering teacup.

Sitting next to Oliver, Alexander poked his adoptive son on his shoulder and shook his hands. "Congratulations," he said.

"...Uh- thank you, sir..." Oliver's curiosity exalted. "But, what for...?"

"Remember yesterday? I told you today would be the best day in your life," Alexander asked.

Oliver then nodded. "Uhm... mhm." His head tilted in confusion. "...Why?"

"It's because... you're getting married," Alex replied with a smirk.

"W-wait... what!? To whom!?" Oliver felt his heart sinking into his stomach as his eyes widened.

Alexander pointed at the beautiful, timid lady on the opposite side of the table, and Oliver's glance trailed over his finger. "...To her," Alexander whispered into Oliver's ear.

     The lady's porcelain-like skin is as smooth as velvet. Her hair glows like gold, and her eyes glisten like an expensive emerald. And her soft lips are like an apple.

     The lady wears a fuchsia dress with a three-layered frilled skirt that starts under her bust. She has black sleeves with white ruffles on the wrist, complementing her dark hemlines. Then, she dons a lustrous pearl necklace and earrings to give her outfit a glowing glint. She finishes her look by gathering her hair into a high bun while allowing some strands to frame her face as luscious curls.

     Any ordinary man can fall in love with this lady. However, Oliver fails to acquire any interest. Despite staring at the girl for a long second, he feels no attraction towards her.

"Oliver, meet Sophia..." Amelia calmly introduced her daughter with a thrilled grin.

     Oliver and the girl, Sophia, make their first eye contact. They quickly look away from each other, lowering their glances as their faces turn red. They feel the lava in their stomachs heating their hearts as their skins glow like crimson.

"Everybody? May I get your attention?" Amelia grabbed a wine glass and tapped it with a fork. "Layla and I have decided... next week will be the wedding day!" she announced, slightly smirking.

Oliver's brows lowered, and his jaw hung open. "Wha—"

"That means they're no longer betrothed... but engaged," said Evan.

"Which officially makes Sophia Oliver's fiancée, then," Alexander added.

"I—"

"So! Sophia and Oliver! Since you two just met recently, why don't you kids get to know each other in the living room?" Amelia pointed at the lounge. "In the meantime, we parents will plan the wedding, alright?"

     Oliver's knees feel heavy, making it difficult for him to stand up. The air around him becomes thick, causing him to gasp for air louder. Meanwhile, his fiancée, Sophia, stands up and waits for him at the doorway. Oliver pushes himself to stand up as well and catches up with Sophia.

     As Oliver and Sophia enter the living room, they take separate seats on the sofa, facing each other. Alexander follows into the room and places two teacups on the table. He then arranges the utensils before leaving the couple behind.

     Once alone, Sophia grabs her cup and drinks her tea with a light sip. Oliver, clueless about what to do, mimics his fiancée. As Oliver sips on his teacup, he bends his back and spreads his legs.

     Sophia immediately noticed Oliver's failed attempts to be formal. It made her giggle as she covered her smile with her palm. Oliver's face flushed after hearing her faint laughter, but he grinned it off.

     Placing her teacup on the table, Sophia suddenly stood up. She then sat next to Oliver and straightened his back. With a kind smile, Sophia assisted Oliver in finding the correct posture.

"Here, let me help you," Sophia said.

"Oh- uhmm... if it's fine for you...?"

"Don't worry. It's fine!" Sophia replied with a kind smile while fixing Oliver's pose. "Honest."

"...Uh, hey, thanks for helping me out. Uhm... my adoptive parents never taught me about manners... uh... they only taught me to work and do chores," Oliver said with a timid smile.

Sophia smiled and shook her head lightly. "It's alright."

"Hm..." Oliver smiled back as his glance fixed on her lips.

"So, you're Oliver... right? Oliver Podeshire?" Sophia asked as her curiosity dragged her closer to Oliver.

"Y-yes, I'm Oliver," he nodded nervously. 

"I never got to introduce myself properly, so allow me to," Sophia spoke with a modest smile. "I am Sophia. Sophia Casalee."

"...Nice to meet you, then," Oliver replied with a bashful smile.

"And it's nice to meet you, too," Sophia responded. As she fixed Oliver's posture, Sophia sighed, and her gaze softened. "...Look, it'll be fine if you won't love me. I know we're only an arranged couple..."

"...It's fine if you won't love me either. I know how it feels to be forced," Oliver said as he held Sophia's hand.

"So... is this what they call..." Sophia held onto Oliver's hand.

"...Forced love?" Oliver and Sophia ventured, completing the sentence as they stared at each other in the eyes.