𝓐𝓶𝓫𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓓𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝔂

👑 Chapter Thirty-one 👑

Orquidia felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she struggled to find the right words to respond. She could feel the anger welling up inside her, which made her entire body tremble with frustration.

Orquidia, unwilling to appear defeated, impulsively stomped her foot on the ground, resembling a child throwing a tantrum. With a tone filled with determination, she exclaimed, "You will come to regret this!" as she directed her words towards Annie's face before hastily departing from the scene.

Annie rolled her eyes, heading to her room to bathe. Suddenly, a cough broke the silence. Annie whirled around to find Felix leaning against the wall by her door, his arms crossed and a faint smile playing on his lips. He wore a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She was surprised by his sudden appearance, and her mind was flooded with so many thoughts, like, did he hear the altercation? And what does he want?

"What are you doing here?" Annie asked him, her voice filled with uncertainty and her eyebrows slightly raised in curiosity.

"Well, I was passing by, and..." he drawled, "that was... lively."

Annie narrowed her eyes. "Lively? Felix, she practically declared war on me! She did not waste a second!"

His smile widened. "I wouldn't go that far, but let's just say she wasn't thrilled to see you."

"Thrilled?" Annie scoffed. "She acted like I was stealing her favourite toy!"

Felix chuckled. "Well, in a way, you kind of are." He paused, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "But listen, you handled that well. You didn't stoop to her level."

After teasing her more than enough to satisfy his playful nature, he fluffed her half-wet hair and then left her to prepare herself for dinner.

As she closed the door behind her, Annie began to undress, the soft fabric of her dress slipping off her shoulders and pooling at her feet. She stepped into the warm embrace of the bath, the steam rising around her like small clouds.

The gentle sound of water cascading from the silver faucet filled the room, lathered soap over her skin, and Annie's mind raced with thoughts of what lay ahead.

"I knew I had to tread carefully, for the path I have chosen is fraught with danger and uncertainty. But one thing remained clear in my heart: I could not risk the safety of Henrik and Felix. They were my everything, my reason for being, and I would do anything to protect them." Annie wondered while popping the bubbles, revealing her facial reflection in the water.

After rinsing away the suds, Annie emerged from the bath, her mind made up and her resolve firm: she resolved to keep Henrik and Felix out of her schemes.

The grand doors of the dining hall swung open with a gentle whooshing, announcing Annie's arrival. A hush fell over the room as all eyes turned towards her. She stood for a moment, a vision in a dress the colour of a soft, peachy royal blue that hugged her curves gracefully.

The delicate fabric shimmered with a slight brilliance, catching the soft candlelight. Her hair, still a little damp from her bath, cascaded down her shoulders in loose waves.

Annie was fashionably late, with all eyes following her entrance in amazement. Only Orquidia gave an icy glare from across the room, her lips pressed into a thin line of disapproval.

Sophia, seated at the head of the table, greeted her with a warm smile. "Annie, my dear, you look perfectly radiant tonight," she remarked, her eyes twinkling with admiration as they took in Annie's peachy royal blue dress.

"Thank you, Marchioness," she replied, feeling a surge of confidence at the kind words.

Rose  from his seat, and Henrik offered his hand to escort her to hers. Annie accepted graciously, feeling a flutter of appreciation at the unexpected attention she received.

As they approached the table, Felix rose from his seat too, and with a grin, he pulled out Annie's chair for her with a playful smile. "Allow me, my lady," he said with a wink, his eyes sparkling cheerfully.

A dark scowl etched lines across Orquidia's forehead, and her hands, hidden beneath the table, clenched into tight fists.

Marchioness Sophia tapped her spoon against her empty glass to get their attention. "Before we start our dinner, I would like to take a moment to introduce a dear relative of mine, Annie." As she spoke, Marchioness Sophia gestured towards Annie, who sat beside Henrik. "Annie, it's a pleasure to have you here with us tonight."

Orquidia forced herself to smile, though it was evident that it was difficult for her. "How charming!"

"I am Orquidia of Launceston, granddaughter of Earl Nicolas," she declared with pride. "My grandfather is one of the most influential men in the country, and our earldom is one of the most prosperous. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she completed with a confident smirk.

Sophia nodded approvingly before turning her attention to the rest of the table. "Now, let us begin our dinner," she announced, signalling for the servants to serve the meal.

⟪Henrik switched his meat plate, which he had sliced into small slices of meat, with mine. I realised he had done it to be helpful, and I appreciated his gesture. As a way to thank him, I smiled back and started eating the meat from his plate.⟫

Orquidia glared at Annie, hoping for Felix's attention. Just then, the main course arrived, and everyone fell silent for a moment as the steaming plates were placed before them. Orquidia's eyes lit up when she saw a beautifully baked white fish nestled amongst the vegetables.

"Ah, poisson blanc!" she exclaimed, a triumphant note in her voice. "I see Felix remembered my favourite ish." Her eyes were fixed on Felix, waiting with bated breath for him to respond. She hoped he would admit how much her comfort meant to him, especially in front of Annie.

Nevertheless, Felix seemed unaware of her comment. He was busy spearing a few peas with his fork, his gaze fixed on his plate.

Orquidia's smile faltered. "Felix!" she began, her voice dripping with feigned sweetness. "You do know how much I adore this dish, don't you?"

Felix looked up at her with an indifferent and slightly annoyed look on his face. "My mother reviewed the menu with the chef, and I believe everyone enjoys a well-prepared meal. Although I felt it would be unflattering for Annie, I recommended lamb meat just in case."

He added firmly, looking at Annie, "You have to eat well. You've lost weight!"

Orquidia felt a surge of frustration rising within her, the desire to reclaim Felix's attention growing stronger with each passing moment. She interrupted Annie and began to dart her eyes to the head of the table, where Marchioness Sophia sat.

"Marchioness, I am highly concerned to hear about your relative, Annie. As our families are close, it would be beneficial to invite her to one of my tea parties. This will help to strengthen her social connections."

Marchioness Sophia paused with a fork halfway to her mouth. "A tea party, you say, Orquidia? That is a lovely idea! but," she emphasised," but I simply cannot spare the time. I have a multitude of activities and events to attend, and it would be in her best interest, and mine too, to spend that time with me to help me for the time being."

"This is sad. I wanted to seize the opportunity to get to know her, since I have never seen her in this mansion or at any social event. I also never heard about her from you! It's as if you have already discovered your long-lost relative who has been missing for years." Orquidia swirled her glass and took quick sips.

The Marchioness smiled politely and spoke with a firm tone that contrasted with her kind face. To put limits on Orquidia's unnecessary intervention, it seems like you have a strong liking for novels and fantasies! I do not like to tell stories about individuals; I believe people should discover them on their own without any outside intervention. You both will get to know each other in due course, so there is no need to rush."

Orquidia tightened her grip around the stem of her glass, and with a forced neutral face, in an attempt to pry into Annie's background, she gulped down her drink with resentment.

Across the table, As Annie watched the exchange between the Marchioness and Orquidia, she couldn't help but feel confused. At first, the Marchioness had been suspicious of her, but now she was defending her from Orquidia's intrusive suggestion.

Meanwhile, Felix seemed unfazed by the drama. He nonchalantly continued his meal as if it were a scene he had been witnessing his whole life and became normal; occasionally, he stole a glance at Annie and gave her a small chuckle.

As Annie glimpsed Felix's chuckle, she couldn't help but smile back at him, but the scene did not go unnoticed by Orquidia, who bit her thumb nail.

After a brief moment, a maid approached the Marchioness, whispered something to her, and left. The words immediately affected the Marchioness, as her facial expression changed, reflecting her resentment as her gaze met Orquidia's.

The Marchioness rested her chin on her interlocked fingers while placing her elbows on the table. With a slight sign, she began," Miss Orquidia! While I appreciate your concern for Felix's well-being, it is deeply concerning that you neglected to inform your grandfather, Earl Nicolas, of your visit.

Orquidia's face was drained of colour. As she managed to give an excuse, the Marchioness interrupted, raising her palm at her face. "Your rushy, unsober behaviour this evening has been unbecoming of a young lady, let alone the heir to a prestigious earldom."

Shamefaced, Orquidia fidgeted in her sea as Sophia completed, "I will not take it lightly, since this is not your first attempt to do it! You are putting me in a stiff situation in front of your grandfather, and our reputation as a whole is on everyone's lips."

A moment of silence crossed the room, and after she had wiped her mouth, the Marchioness spoke again: "A knight from your grandfather has just arrived to accompany you. It would be better if you prepared yourself to return with him."