𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐲𝐥𝐞

》Chapter 9《

⚠️TW: This chapter contains elements of abuse and attempted rape, if you cannot handle that, please do not read this chapter⚠️

Current date: 11/24/1899
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I stared at myself in the mirror, triple checking that I looked good and ready for the masquerade. "Maddie, seriously, you look fine!" Zarin tells me, pulling me away from the mirror. Leo had gotten Zarin a beautiful red dress and she looked gorgeous in it. Red is 100% her color.

"Come on, this is the only ball we get to go to before we have to go back to the 21st century!" She tells me, practically dragging me out of the room. "It's about time you two got down here, we were about to leave without you guys!" Theo snarks. "Now, Theo, you know that's no way to talk to our guests." Comte scolds. "Come along now, girls, we should get going!" Comte continues.

"Well don't you look ravishing tonight?" Arthur tells me, his arm placed around my waist. "You don't look too bad yourself, playboy." I tell him, walking out the door with him. "Do you have the camera?" He asked me. I placed my hand over the blue purse I had. Comte had given me and Zarin both purses to match our dresses, which worked out in my favor since I have to carry a camera. "Alright, Arthur, I need you to be my eyes for this." I say, sitting in the carriage. "Why's that?" He asked me confused. "Do you think I wear my glasses for fun?" I ask him.

Besides, I'm pretty sure that masks that worked well with glasses didn't exist back in these days.

+++++

As we stepped into the ball, I immediately felt so intimidated by my surroundings. Was the entire town invited to this...?! I think to myself as I eye everyone around me.

"Madison, you made it!" I hear Odette's voice say. The next thing I know, I'm feeling arms wrap around me. "Odette, hey!" I exclaim. Just the girl I was looking for. She pulls back and smiles at me. I felt my heart shatter as I saw a newly formed bruise on one of her arms. "Marcél, this is my friend, Madison!" She introduced. I immediately got abuser vibes from him. "Pleasure to meet you mademoiselle." He told me, bending down to kiss my hand. I felt gross all over as his lips touched my hand. Jackass. I thought as I pulled my hand away, wiping it on my dress.

"And who is this..?" He asked Odette, eyeing Arthur up and down. "That's sir Arthur! He's a regular at the pub!" Odette says with a smile. "Such a pleasure to meet you." Arthur said through an extremely forced smile. "The pleasure is all mine, monsieur." The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. "Say, Madison, why don't we go get a drink!" Arthur tells me, walking me away from those two. Once Marcél thought we were far enough away from him and Odette, he muttered something so fucking cruel to her.

"Nice going with your foundation there, don't want people thinking I married a troll."

Odette looked so hurt by his words. I almost jumped from my hiding spot to beat the shit out of the guy had it not been for Arthur holding me back. Stay strong, Odette.. I thought as I saw her so close to sobbing. Marcél pulled her out of the spot and pulled her back to the middle of the room. "Easy now, Maddie. She'll be rid of that scum soon." I knew he was holding back his anger.

Odette is such a sweet girl and it hurts me to see her get treated like this. We came back out from our hiding spot, acting like nothing had happened. "There you are, monsieur!" A lady said, coming up to Arthur. "I was so lonely without you, where have you been these past few days?" She asked him, pouting her lips at him. "Ah, you know, busy with detective work." He explains. Man, he looks uncomfortable. "Detective work? What were you finding? What a woman looks like underneath all her clothes? Oh monsieur, don't let it be true!" "I can assure you, that's not the case. Just finding missing things really!" He explained.