***

"Do you like tea, Lady Evelyn?" The girl across from the table said to her, it was Elise.

​​

"Sure... Thank you, Lady Elise," she smiled as she masked her awkward feelings.

"I'm glad that Lady Evelyn went to the tea party of Lady Eklaire." said the lady who kept on fanning herself with her purple fan.

"Is that so? I have been occupied lately, that I haven't checked the letters that were addressed to me." Evelyn said, still smiling innocently.

The ladies of the high society gathered today to attend the tea party of Eklaire, a Marquees daughter, they have a mass amount of money, and she's one of the people who became close to Elise.

"Hmm… But Lady Evelyn, how come you've become powerful? I mean, we have watched the Lady fight with his brother, and oh my...! We never knew that you would do that to Sir Allan." said Eklaire, the host of the party.

"I was lucky, my brother Allan, went easy on me. I take that advantage to win." Evelyn said but she inwardly clicked her tongue.

"That's true… Lady Evelyn was known to be frail since young…" Elise said, her voice was full of worry while the other ladies started to hide their mocking smile behind their colorful fan.

'Frail? So, they say I was weak since I was young…? Well, they're not entirely wrong but… is Elise really concerned about me?' She looked at the wavy pink hair of Elise, she had a blue headband as deep as her ocean eyes that sparkles.

She was thinking how pretty the heroine of "A happy Ending" was. 'The author really makes her MC the flower of the society, looking at that slim waist, her chest and her pointy nose! It was crafted to look innocently delicate yet sexy!' she thought as she looked and observed Elise.

"Is there something wrong, Lady Evelyn?" Elise asked as her face was crimson red because of the gaze of Evelyn.

She wakes up from her deep thoughts and wakes up with everyone's gaze focused on her. Evelyn immediately made an excuse. "I was just thinking that Lady Elise earrings are beautiful."

Elise holds her ears trying to hide her earrings. "This was given to me by my grandmother before she died. It's a memento." She said as she hides her earring that dangles in both her red ears. The said earring has rectangular shape, it's made of stone that has no color but shines brightly through the sun.

"I'm sorry if I touch a difficult memory…" Evelyn said. The atmosphere becomes heavy and the ladies start to comfort Elise.

'This… What a great act!'

"It's okay, Lady Elise. The last countess must be happy wherever she is…!' Eklaire said.

"That's true… don't mind what Lady Elise said." Said the other lady.

"Did I say something wrong?" Evelyn said her mouth twitch, perplexed about why Elise started crying and the ladies pointing the blame to her.

"It's because you said something to Lady Elise that made her remember a bitter past!" chimed in the lady on the Elise side.

'This is ridiculous!' She thought.

She calmed herself before she looked at the ladies who's pointing their fingers at her. She made herself look pitiful and tried her best to moisten her sunset eyes. She tried to make herself like she was the one being bullied.

*sniff

The ladies were shocked as they saw Evelyn wiping her eyes with her white handkerchief. Thoughts inside their head swim around in unison. 'Why is Lady Evelyn, crying?'

"I'm sorry, *sniff* I didn't know that admiring your beautiful earring will lead to remembering your grandmother who died. Actually this…!" she raised her white handkerchief which is dried. She faked her tears.

"This handkerchief… was also a memento from my mother." When she said that the room went quiet.

'You think you're the only one who can bully people with your schemes?!' she thought as she saw the faces of those who hid their laugh earlier.

"I-is that… Oh my! Lady Evelyn! This must be hard for you…!" said the ladies who started comforting Evelyn.

Heh… They start to switch sides after just one act. They really know how to analyze what's better for them. If they don't sympathize and Evelyn was seen crying by the other students, they will become known as ladies who gang up with the Duke's daughter.

Evelyn smiled after she saw the panicked ladies who never thought about what her response will be, she's been through a lot and petty word plays such as this can't lose her temper, but still it annoyed her to the bone.

'Do they think that I won't retaliate? I may need to pretend that I'm weak, but I won't let them bully me with these petty schemes! I don't want the attention of the Crown Prince and the Royal Family. Let's see what you'll do if I wipe my non-existent tears while walking outside this room. The people who will see me will spread the news for me... ' she thought as she proceeds to weep again.

This situation was not in the plan, she was forced to attend this tea party as she was one of the representatives of freshmen. As one of her duties, she needs to attend tea parties such as this, because this is where most of the rumor came from, the ladies loose mouth will pour them gossip about the social circle as well as politics that she needs to be aware and consider reporting if it harms the school.

After her act, they continue the tea party but Evelyn didn't see the benefit of wasting her time chatting with the noble ladies, she excused herself with the reason that she was not in the condition to carry on with the tea party and make the atmosphere gloomy.

As she steps outside, she walks in the corridor and when she encounters students along the hallways, she wiped her fake tears, the observant eyes of the aristocrat noticed the depressing atmosphere surrounding the Lady. They watched her until her shadow wasn't seen.

Soon, rumors about Lady Evelyn, who was seen crying after she walks out of a tea party was spread to the whole Academy.

Unbeknownst to her, she's inside her room, sipping her tea and thinking about the responsibilities of representatives.

"I never knew that one of my duties as representatives was to become a gossiper! Should I just ask Cabel to take care of this? He knew most of the information going in the St. Prisch Academy, anyway." She said as she sat in the chair near the window.

'I can't... I've been bothering him for a while. I should do this myself. It was my job anyway...' She continued as she inwardly sighs, and she sipped her tea.

It's been a few months since she became one of the students at the St. Prisch Academy and the rumors about Evelyn having a lover and becoming wicked day by day were still floating around.

'I really don't care about what they say... I'll continue to follow the storyline until the Crown Prince announced that Lady Elise was the Crown Princess. I'm sure that the Royal Family are aware of the rumors. And I saw the Crown Prince being head over heels to Elise.'

***

The day Evelyn was sleeping in the clinic.

*clicked

A young man entered the clinic, looking dazed. His hair was deep crimson red, and his eyes were pure abyss.

*Swish!

He opened the curtain that Evelyn closed, he saw a beautiful lady lying down, her breath was stable, her pale complexion let him assume that she wasn't feeling good.

He observed her face, her small face, pointy nose, her ombre hair spread in the white sheet, the black hair made contrast to her silver-blue hair at the tip, and her porcelain skin that looks so smooth. He smiled as his mysterious eyes tried to remember her face.

Evelyn felt that someone was watching her, and she slowly opened her heavy lids.

"Hmm?" her vision was blurred and only saw the familiar uniform of male students.

'Who is it?' She thought as she rubbed her eyes.

"You awake?" He said. An unfamiliar voice she heard for the first time echoed inside the room. When her vision was cleared, she saw his hair in a deep shade of red, and his eyes so black that can compare the depths of the abyss.

"You are…?" She paused, she tried to search the nook and cranny of her memories.

"Ah! You're Prince Adley attendant, right? Sir Ishid?" She said as she sat up in the clinic's bed.

"What are you doing? Isn't it rude that you opened the curtain and watched me sleep? Are you out of your mind?" She asked. It felt weird for her that someone just opened the curtain while she was sleeping.

"I'm sorry. I'm part of the medical staff, I mean I helped in the clinic. Didn't you see the sign outside that said "Temporary Close, No Entry,"." He points out the door.

Evelyn knit her brows. 'There's a note? I didn't see it though?! Still, why is this man watching me Sleep?' she thought as she looked at him.

'Whatever I'm going I had enough sleep.'

She stood up from the bed and walked to the door, but before she opened the clinic's door, she warned him.

"I suggest that you don't do this kind of thing again… watching a sleeping lady is inappropriate and your conduct will reflect his highness. If you ever do this again, I won't let you get away with just scolding." She said.

"Yes, My Lady…" He answered and he smiled at her.

***

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