Where the Heart Lives [haikaveh]

10

"Welcom-" Lumine's face dropped when she made eye contact with Alhaitham. "What do you think you're doing here?" she whisper yelled. "Go home right now." 

"Ah, so it was the earl that sent the invite after all," Alhaitham brushed past her. He didn't bother politely smiling at the guests that met his gaze. 

"You look horrible in green, how many times have I told you that?" Lumine frowned, hiding her displeasure behind an open fan. 

"It's a good thing your opinion no longer matters to me now that you're married, wouldn't you say so?" Alhaitham didn't wait for her reply and went for the food. He no longer knew the nobility in the area, nor did he care. 

"Psst!" 

Alhaitham heard a voice and glanced around. He felt a small hand grab his pant leg. "Little lady?" he whispered. She poked her head out from under the tablecloth. 

"I tripped and lost my shoe beside the garden! Help or father will get mad I'm not presentable..." 

"Alright, don't go anywhere." Alhaitham made his way toward the side door and left as quickly as he arrived. He circled around the home for the garden. He stared at the ground, looking for the shoe, and found it. After kneeling down to pick it up, he heard voices. 

"How long are you going to keep that woman around if you know she still has feelings for her former lover?" 

"She is my wife!" That was Scaramouche, for sure, but who was the other person? Alhaitham positioned himself better behind the bush. How convenient for the shoe to be right out of sight. 

"She married you for money. She doesn't love you. That child isn't yours. What more do you need to divorce her? It's only a matter of time before she cuckolds you." 

"If I kill him it won't matter." 

The stranger let out an exasperated sigh. "If she doesn't leave you for him she will eventually just leave you for someone else. It's not him that's the problem it's the fact she never cared for you in the first place." 

"You shut your mouth!" 

"If you want my assistance, earl, you should learn to entice me a bit more." 

Alhaitham adjusted his position to look at them between the leaves of the bush. He could make out a minty blue hair color and the fact the stranger was touching Scaramouche's cheek. A loud slap echoed through the small garden. 

"I'm a married man." 

"Who is trying to murder your competition. I don't see the point you're trying to make." 

"You don't have an ounce of morals, do you?" 

Alhaitham decided he had overstayed his welcome and quietly snuck away. He returned to the table and lightly tossed the shoe underneath the cloth. 

"Thanks a lot, mister!" Nahida grinned, emerging from the hiding spot. 

"Everyone please make way for the Duke!" a servant announced. Lumine gasped, dropping her glass. 

"You invited him?" one of the ladies whispered to her. "Why are you so shocked?" 

"Everyone knows the Duke never shows up to these things!" Lumine whispered back. 

Alhaitham turned to see a man with long dark hair accented with golden tips wearing a modest outfit, also dark accented with gold. He entered the room but didn't seem bothered in the least by all eyes on him. He smiled politely, waving his hand, and everyone awkwardly went about their business. 

"He is just a duke, right, not a king, so why is everyone so..." Alhaitham muttered to himself. 

Nahida struggled to maintain her balance after being pushed around by many adults that barely noticed her. They were all too focused on the duke to pay her any mind. She fell over, falling face-first into the duke's leg. She rubbed her nose, before looking up and realizing whose leg it was. 

"I-I'm s-sorry...Sir Duke Sir," she attempted a curtsey but was nudged again and only repeated her actions. Alhiatham watched the scene unfold and looked at Lumine, too focused on entertaining her guests to notice the situation.

"Please don't mind the little lady, Duke," Alhaitham stepped around the food table to pick up Nahida. "She is on the introverted side, not quite used to being around so many people." 

"It's no trouble," his smile remained and he lifted his hand to Nahida. She closed her eyes tightly, expecting a scolding, but instead, he rubbed her ear. She opened her eyes, confused, and he pulled back his hand in front of her face, revealing a gold coin. 

"She has a bright future ahead. You must be a proud father." He placed the coin in her hand, folding her fingers over it. She was too amazed by the fact her ear gave birth to a coin to catch that he'd assumed Alhaitham was her father. 

"This is the host's daughter," Alhaitham gestured with his head toward Lumine. 

"I see," the duke nodded. 

"Nahida! What are you doing?" Lumine took her out of Alhaitham's arms. "I'm so sorry about this, Duke!" she apologized for her daughter. 

"I thought I told you to stay away from her!" she snapped under her breath at Alhaitham.

"Duke, why don't I show you around the estate?" she smiled, guiding him away. Nahida was still too excited about the coin to notice what is going on. 

"I should just leave..." Alhaitham sighed.