DEVOTED TO HEAVEN

CHAPTER I

Alusia ran. She ran as fast as she could. Her black, curly hair reached her back, a few strands pinned with a silver hair pin. As she struggled up the stairs, she had to lift her puffed dress with her delicate hands. The dress had that red brightness which, truth to be told, could cut the eye with its vibrance. Her low-heeled shoes clacked on the stairs of the mansion. The coal-black eyes were almost everywhere, but at the same time nowhere.

As soon as she reached the end of the stairs, there was a pull:

"Miss Alusia, where are you in such a hurry?" a familiar voice reached the girl's ears. A warm hand rested on her waist. But the owner of the voice, whose voice, by the way, she had heard countless times before, kept a perfect and completely ethical distance.

"Vante." Alusia sighed, resting her hand on the guy's chest and lowering her head. "You scared me."

"I'm so sorry" the brown-haired man smiled, pulling his hand away from the black-haired woman's waist. "I didn't mean to."

"What are you doing here?" she frowned, lightly fixing her subordinate's bow tie.

"As your father's right-hand man, I was sent to see where you disappeared to. One way or another, the feast is for you." Vante raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly.

Their eyes met. Alusia watched the boy's eyes. They were brown. Chocolatey. Alusia shook her head, pulling her hands away from Vante's black bow tie and gently grabbed the edges of the suit jacket, tugging on them to make the jacket sit more neatly on the brown-haired man's body.

"Well, you could tell my father I felt sick." Alusia shrugged.

"Turn around, Miss Alusia." Vante's smile never left his face as his hands reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small box covered in black leather. He opened it. There was a silver necklace decorated with red diamonds. The man took the necklace out of the box and put the box back in his inside jacket pocket. The black-haired girl turned around, lifting her hair slightly. "Unfortunately, you've already used this excuse." Vante whispered in Alusia's ear before fastening the necklace around her neck.

Alusia turned around and looked at Vante, a little dissatisfied. The same smile was still playing on the face of the guy in front of her. He turned slightly, bending his arm in a gesture of letting her know that she can hold onto his arm. Alusia did so, before lightly touching the necklace around her neck.

"Does he really think he's going to bribe me with jewellery?" the black-haired woman muttered under her breath, actually talking to Vante, who was walking by.

"I am sure your father knows that you are not very interested in marriage at the moment. But for him, it is a duty from which there is simply no escape." the young man answered her question.

"A duty..." Alicia grunted. "You know, Vante, you should dance with me all night. Then I wouldn't have to meet anyone."

"Miss Alusia, I would do anything for you. But I don't think I can make this wish come true. Your father would not be pleased." the last words left Vante's lips and he opened a large gilded door.

There were lots of people standing there. Gorgeous dresses, neat suits, luxury. And there, somewhere in the distance, was Alusia's father. His eyes sparkled when he saw the black-haired woman standing in the doorway. He waved his hand, inviting Alusia and Vante towards him:

"Alusia, there you are" he smiled, holding a glass of sparkling wine in his hand. "Meet Lord Frinton."

"Lord Frinton?" Alusia looked at her father, and then at the blond man next to her, who was not very distinguished: short hair, blue eyes, pale skin, black suit, a white bow tie around his neck. "Pleased to meet you" she smiled, holding out her hand. However, the smile was not very sincere.

"Pleased to meet you, too, Miss Alusia." the blond guy gently took Alusia's hand and kissed it.

"Bingley. Miss Bingley" Vante interjected, frowning slightly. Lord Frinton looked at Vante and then at Alusia in confusion. His confused eyes suddenly shone with regret.

"Yes, Miss Bingley. I'm sorry." the blond man smiled slightly, releasing the girl's hand.

A few violin notes rang out in the hall. Lord Frinton turned his head towards the middle of the hall, and then back to the young lady standing in front of him. Who, by the way, did not seem to be about to let go of Vante's arm:

"Miss Bringley, would you like to dance with me?" he asked gently and held out his hand, hoping for an affirmative answer from the black-haired girl. Alusia's eyes widened slightly. They began to bounce between the young man standing in front of her and her father. However, she nodded, disengaging herself from her father's right - hand man's arm and gently placing her palm on Lord Frinton's hand.

They walked out into the middle of the hall. Alicia put her hand on the boy's shoulder. Meanwhile, one of Lord Frinton's hands was resting on the girl's waist, and the other was interlocked with the girl's hand. A melody was playing in the background. So, they danced. In fact, they danced in 3/4 rhythm.

"It's a very nice necklace" the blond man tried to break the awkward silence.

"Yes. It's a gift from my father." Alicia nodded, but her head kept turning this way and that way...As if looking for something. She seemed to be just waiting for the colourful music to stop. Lord Frinton chuckled.

"Miss Alusia..." he said, but there was a slight pause. As if doubting what he had said. "I can call you that, can't I?" he asked. The black-haired woman nodded, "So, Miss Alusia, you don't seem like you want to be here."

"I don't" she replied shortly. Just then, the guy raised both their arms so that she could turn around.

"I like you" he quipped, returning his right hand to the girl's waist. "You are not afraid to tell the truth."

"Why should I lie, Lord Frinton? I really don't want to be here."

The music is over. Lord Frinton bowed slightly, pressing his lips to Alusia's hand in gratitude for the dance. Alusia squatted down, bowing her head slightly. Of course, the same fake grin was playing on her face again.

The blond man walked the girl to where her father stood. A broad smile shone on the old man's face. Lord Frinton bade a fond farewell to Alicia's father, and of course to Alicia. Then he disappeared into the vastness of the people:

"Well, how is he?" the man turned to his daughter. Alusia looked up at her father and shrugged her shoulders.

"It wasn't that bad." she murmured. And really, it wasn't that bad...

"Then you wouldn't mind if we invited him to breakfast tomorrow?" there was a small hope in man's voice.

"Of course. Why not." the black-haired woman nodded her head, but doubted her words.

The feast continued, with crystal goblets clinking throughout the room and loud laughter nearby. Alusia's father was now talking to the guests, and the glass in his hand was certainly not the previous one. It kept changing and changing. In contrast to Alusia, he was really having fun. However, what was putting the girl in a good mood was Vante. Although it was his duty to stand by the black-haired girl's father and approve of the boring conversations, Alusia and Vante's gazes sometimes met somewhere in the distance. Then they exchanged a faint smile. They seemed to communicate their thoughts. It wasn't anything special, definitely not. After all, they grew up together. But Alusia was always cheered up by the boy's smile. Maybe because it was really familiar, it was his.