Ambition and Destiny

👑Chapter Thirty-six 👑

⟪After walking a few steps away from him, I kept holding my trembling fist, trying to calm the uncomfortable feelings I had. Then, inside my head, I constructed the apology I intended to give.⟫

As Annie spun around, William vanished from her sight. Looking left and right, she wondered, "Where are you?" She raised her voice louder when she received no response, calling out, "Sir Silver Hair!"

She repeated the call, using the nickname she had just created since she did not know his full name. Walking among the bookcases, her voice echoed through the library, "Sir Silver Hair! "

William stepped out of his place and stood before her. Her eyes grew wide in surprise as their gazes locked. Without hesitation, his hand moved instinctively, swiftly covering her mouth to prevent any sound from emerging, sensing that she was about to scream due to his sudden appearance.

"Shhh," William hushed her, whispering. "You're too noisy."

He slowly pulled his hand away, and his lips parted to speak once more. "Sir Silver Hair," William repeated her phrase, lifting his chin slightly, studying her face, "Is that what you call me?"

His eyes narrowed, waiting for the explanation. As Annie looked up at him, she swallowed hard and began,
"I was just calling out for you," she said, her voice betraying her nervousness. "I don't know your name... So I called you Mr. Silver Hair," adding, "I wanted to say thank you for catching me earlier, but you disappeared."

"If you are done, I must take my leave," he said with a blank expression on his face, his voice dry and devoid of any emotion.

She stood firm, blocking his path with her arms, and shook her head stubbornly. "No, wait!" she exclaimed after noticing the book he was holding, which had the same title she had been searching for.

"What exactly do you want?" he inquired, his voice lacking any hints of warmth, his face stoic as usual, though he seemed annoyed.

"I want that book," she said, pointing at the book in his hand.

"This book, huh?" He crossed his arms, his expression remaining aloof. "Can you even pronounce the name of the writer correctly?"

"He did not change at all; he is still mean," she mumbled to herself, puffing out her cheeks.

His mouth's corners curved upward slightly in a faint smile at her childish reaction.

As she noticed his subtle smile, she wondered, staring for a moment at the rare expression he had shown. "Can a rude man make a mesmerising smile too?".

She quickly composed herself and retorted after clearing her throat, "Well, I'm not stupid. I have received an assignment to read this book, but unfortunately, I did not find it."

William tapped the cover with his finger. "I'm sorry," he apologised, but he did not seem sorry at all. "This is an exclusive book; there is only one copy."

Annie's shoulders slumped slightly; disappointment gnawed at her.

"But," William continued, "You can borrow it after three days."

"Fine!" She replied with a hint of frustration. Unsatisfied with the suggestion, she turned her face away, her eyebrows creasing.

A smile of amusement played on his lips as he watched her annoyance, enjoying the expression she was revelling in, something he had never seen before in any noble lady he had met.

His smile faded as she turned to him and said, "Let's meet here in the afternoon, three days from now. Sir~" She was about to call him again 'Sir Silver Hair' but stopped.

"William Lancaster," he said, watching her closely for any reaction to his name.

He was testing to see if she would be like the noble ladies he had been dealing with. Their memory flashed through his mind-their arrogance, their relentless attempts to win his attention, their endless chatter, and their simpering. They attached themselves to him like leeches.

"I'm Annie, Annie Egmond," she introduced herself. Forgetting to perform the customary curtsy, her introduction was spontaneous. The lessons from Flora and the etiquette tutor were forgotten at that moment.

As he heard 'Egmond', his mind went back to the conversation he had with Duke Philip, his father, and Edgar in his mother's abandoned garden.

"A high-ranking female aristocrat regularly visits the king for private tea meetings. She resides in the Pearl Palace and travels by royal carriage. The king keeps her identity concealed from the other nobles. She holds a prominent and influential position.," William's eyes widened slightly as a connection to his previous conversation suddenly occurred to him.

Studying genealogy was a common practice among young nobles, as it allowed them to build their social networks and connections. Annie thought William might suspect her answer since there was a high chance that he was familiar with the Egmond household.

Flora had always instructed Annie to tell the intruders that she used to live away from the capital due to poor health conditions but that she had since recovered and returned. All the tutors, servants, guards, and maids were strictly forbidden from divulging any information about her; otherwise, they had to face the king's anger.

Annie, sensing his questioning gaze, hesitated for a moment before answering.

"I know it is a little bit surprising, since no one heard about me... I used to live a bit away from the capital due to some... health issues," she said with a touch of feigned nonchalance. "But I've recovered now and returned."

Annie's attention was briefly diverted as she heard a familiar voice calling out for her, it was Felix.

Felix walked into the library, his gaze quickly scanning the room to find her. He spotted her a few yards away, standing. As he approached, he couldn't help but smile playfully. "What are you doing here on your own?"

She denied that and turned behind, but William had already slipped away silently, vanishing like a ghost.

"What?" Felix looked behind her with a raised eyebrow.

"No, it's nothing," she murmured. "Ok, tell me, what are you doing here?"

Felix chuckled at her question, his smirk widening. "Oh, me? I was just looking for you, of course," he replied, resting his arm on a nearby bookshelf. "Can't I check on my dear cousin on occasion?"

"Ah, is that so? So you were just searching for me, were you?" She crossed her arms, arching an eyebrow sceptically. "And here I thought you were simply escaping your duties in the work office by putting them on Sir Peter's shoulders, seeking some entertainment."

His index finger nervously scratched his cheek as he said, "That was also included."

Annie giggled. Felix hesitated to bring up the topic of her father's funeral. He addressed her in a steady, serious tone, "Annie." As she observed his lowered eyebrows and his gaze that avoided hers, Annie understood there was something wrong.

Annie's smile faded. "What is it, Felix?" she asked, her voice filled with concern as he called her name.

He continued, "It's about your father."

⟪I squeezed my eyes closed for a moment, trying to pull myself together. I had already shed a waterfall of tears; I shouted and spent four days in bed, but none of that brought my dad back to life...I did nothing other than express my grief pathetically. I tightened my fists, still angry at myself for doing nothing useful. I was just getting people around me in trouble.⟫

"Yes, what about him?" she asked, her voice unwavering.

"I remember promising to solve my problems alone while serving as the king's puppet, and I swore to fulfil the mission diligently."

"It's about his funeral," he replied, explaining the other details of faking Edward's death.

The sky was hazy, and the cold breeze rippled the skirt of Annie's black dress. As the bells tolled, signalling the start of Edward's funeral, a procession of mourners made their way to the local temple.

Concealing her golden strands beneath the black wig, she sat in the back of the hall on a worn pew that made her back stiff; its peeled wood snagged the fabric of her dress.

She was clinching the lacy handkerchief in her lap, peeking through the veil, covering her entire face, and recognising the villagers that once she had sold them strawberry pies that she used to prepare.

Two elderly women sitting behind her were busy gossiping while listening to the eulogy.

"What a poor man! He met his end at a young age."

"Oh dear, such a pity! I heard he had a daughter, but she did not show up at the funeral. They said he had taken his own life by gulping poison. I am certain she was the reason."

"Terrible daughter! She does not know; he carried mountains on his shoulders to raise her."

"What can we do? Life is not fair."

"Look at Mr. Jones; he is about to lose his mind."

After all, it was effortless to shoot down the guillotine blade without a trial; people were skilled in judging, but not for a convincing reason; they reported what they saw and felt they had something to say regardless of others' feelings.

Annie's chest grew tighter with every single lie; she wanted to shout the truth till the air inside her lungs was consumed, but she bit down on her tongue, preventing the whimper from escaping her lips.

As Mr. Jones's grief-stricken sobs echoed through the hall, Annie was resisting the tears that were about to be shed. She stood silently instead of a bride dressed in a white gown, walking towards her beloved, holding a bouquet of colourful flowers. Instead, she was walking towards her father's coffin in a black mourning dress. Annie's fingers trembled around the white rose stem she had picked from a nearby bouquet and placed it delicately on Edward's chest.

The flood of memories that brought them together overwhelmed her, prompting tears to flow silently down her cheeks. Although Edward was no longer alive, he looked calm and peaceful, as if he was simply sleeping. It was the small solace of knowing he was no longer suffering that eased her heartache.