I'm Not Kissing The Devil Twice

Chapter 5

One agonizing week has passed, each day crawling by as I anxiously await a response from Duke Clorance. The anticipation gnaws at me, a constant ache that reverberates within my chest.

My gaze is drawn to the envelope resting on the dressing table, the official seal of Marquis Reidwood emblazoned upon it. The sight of it makes my heart race, palms growing clammy as I recall the letter from Warrin-his elation at my supposed acceptance of his marriage proposal. A proposal my father has evidently already acted upon, sending word without my consent.

Warrin's words echo in my mind, his promises to hasten his return and shower me with a ring of unparalleled splendor. It is all so painfully familiar, a repetition of events from my previous life. But this time, he intends to expedite the wedding, leaving me a mere three days before he arrives.

Should I dare to run, to escape this fate? With my abilities, I could vanish, hide myself away where I might never be found. Perhaps an abandoned dungeon, where only a true madman would venture-three years of solitude, enough time for me to be forgotten, to seize a chance at a new life elsewhere.

"Haa, I should have planned this sooner," I muse, tracing the intricate floral patterns adorning my bedchamber's ceiling. But now, with renewed determination, I nod resolutely. This is a risk I am willing to take, anything to avoid becoming Warrin's bride. Three days-it is all the time I need to disappear, to make my escape tonight.

"Alas, why hasn't the duke contacted me?" I sigh aloud, my words tinged with frustration and longing. The news of the predicted monster wave had spread, just as I had foretold, and three days later, a messenger from Kalsas was spotted rushing to the palace, astride a deep red steed adorned with the kingdom's crest on his uniform and flag. Surely, this was more than enough proof of my abilities, so why had the duke not summoned me?

Even if he refused to acknowledge me as a duke, he should at least seek me out as a friend. "Aren't you just being selfish, Taleesa?" I mentally berate myself, a heavy sigh escaping my lips as I slump into the chair at my dressing table, lowering my head and cradling it in my hands. I'm filled with regret for the harsh words I had spoken to him-if I had only acted as a friend, perhaps he would have desired to save his long-time friend.

"Haa," I sigh once more, the sound laced with resignation. The prospect of living in a dungeon fills me with dread. If it were a dungeon with no food, I would surely starve. If it housed small monsters, I would need to be ever-vigilant. Could I truly survive in such conditions? I long for the comfort of a warm bed and nourishing meals, not the cold, hard floor and scraps left by Warrin's pet dogs that I had endured before. Why must such misfortune befall me, of all people?

Suddenly, the door to my chamber bursts open, and my personal maid, who secretly serves my younger sister Emiliana, stands there with a look of horror etched upon her face. "Lady Taleesa! It's a misfortune!" Katherine cries, her voice deeply distressed. But the only true misfortune I face is the impending arrival of Warrin, a fate these wretched people would never label as such.

"Katherine, you can't just barge into my-" I begin to admonish, but her next words instantly halt my scolding.

"Duke Clorance has come with your dowry and..." The rest of her statement fades away as my eyes well with tears, hope blossoming within my chest.

'He came for me! He really came for me!' I exclaim inwardly, a surge of astonishment and relief flooding my being. Without a second thought, I spring from my seat, heedless of my inappropriate attire, and rush out of the room, my feet carrying me swiftly towards him.

With each step, the joy in my heart swells, my heartbeat quickening like a horse striving to win a race. Tears stream down my face, a wide smile stretching across my features as I nearly collide with the banister of the stairs, using my hands to cushion the impact of my chest against the railing.