CHAPTER FIVE
“She coped up easily calling me by Zeke only. It felt nice having a friend.”, he smiled to his own notion. “Well, I would like to talk to the other young nobles here by my own self, and I think you should also attend to your other audience today. I don’t want to burden you much of my presence, Lady Beatrice”
“You are not a burden at all, Zeke. Please don’t feel
that way. And yes, you are right about the other audience…”, she shook her head and hesitantly
replied.
Zeke
noticed the uneasiness on the face of the lady. He furrowed his brows seeing
the hesitant and strange behavior of the lady in front of him. He tried to deny
the idea that the lady wanted to take solely his attention, just like the other
ladies towards him. I hope not so.
Then,
she continued with a smile, “…but I can’t let you be as you are the young
heir of the duke. It is my obligation to check that you’ve enjoyed this tea
party.”
Not
letting his disbelief to surface, Zeke is definitely stupefied. “Is she
trying to say that she’ll stay with me until the party ended? But how
about the idea of making more friends? Did I get it wrong about her?”, “I
understand your concern, Lady Beatrice, but it is also your obligation as the
one who is hosting this event to take care of the other attendees.”, he calmly
and composedly replied.
“But—”
“I am really alright, Lady Beatrice. You can enjoy
yourself with the other young girls here”, and after saying that he smiled languidly and turned
his back to her, and walked towards to the table where the young male nobles
are.
****-------****
Splash. Slap.
A
juice was thrown to Lady Florence Woodse from Baron Woodse family and followed
by a heavy slap that turned the cheeks of the lady to red tomato.
“How dare you to say that, whom here I am, the host of
this tea party?”
“I am sorry, Lady Beatrice. It just a slipped of a
tongue.”, crying
replied by Lady Woodse while holding her slapped cheeks.
“A slipped of---”, shouting, Lady Beatrice was trailed off.
“What is happening here, Lady Beatrice?”, Zeke asked immediately when he reached
the commotion.
“Zeke, this girl here is saying non-sense.”, she angrily yelled.
“Non-sense? Then, will you let me know what non-sense
is that that you are talking about for you to throw your drinks towards the
lady…”, he
stopped. “And I can see from her face that you even slapped her?”, Zeke
seriously and calmly questioned Lady Beatrice.
“Your way of questioning Zeke seems that I am the one
at fault here. That lady started it all.”, she grumbled while pointing to Lady Woodse.
“Lady Beatrice, I am just asking the details of the
situation. Thus, will you let me help to understand it.”, with serious face, he calmly
pleaded.
“….This woman here saying that she likes you, and she
even concluded that you, Zeke, also might feel the same way towards her when
you just first met her here, and that is absurd. Is it not? How a lowly lady like
her approached you, a very esteemed high ranking you, with those kinds of
delusions?”, she
angrily explained.
Zeke
was shocked by the reasoning came out from Lady Beatrice. Undisputable, it is true
that it is an absurd idea that he might like a person who he just only met
once, but the actions inflicted by the lady is preposterous as she was not by
any position to unsavorily act like that towards Lady Woodse. With disbelief,
Zeke found himself befuddled in a short moment, because of the sudden evinced
of Lady Beatrice’s real personality.
Even
with perplexity, Zeke called the maid servant standing close from them. “You.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”, the flustered maid servant answered
and bowed.
“Tend to the lady immediately.”, he ordered.
“Wait, Zeke. Aren’t you going to confront her first?”, she grumbled again.
“There is no need, Lady Beatrice. The lady has already
had enough humiliation.”,
caused by you, he actually wanted to add, but he tried his best not to.
Lady
Beatrice slightly flustered. When Lady Woodse was not in the line of sight. She
spoke immediately to Zeke.
“I am sorry, Zeke, for this sudden disturbance that I
made.”, she
pleaded.
Zeke
only seriously looked at her without uttering a word. He is likely giving her a
pretense that he was waiting for her reasonable explanation on why she acted
like that to the lady.
As
she continued, “When I heard her absurd delusions over you, I can’t help to
get mad. I am sorry if I did cross the line.”
Sigh. “Did I mistakenly understand this lady?”, he thought. “Lady Beatrice, I am
thankful to you for thinking of me...”
Hearing
the gratitude of Zeke, Lady Beatrice instantly curved a smile on her face that
Zeke did not miss.
“…but I am quite disappointed on your deeds today, it
is improper to violently act like you did to her for just a mere love delusion
over me.”, he
sternly said. “Love? What the….”
“…..I understand. I promise that this would not happen
again. I am sorry.”,
she pleaded with gloomy eyes.
Sigh.
“Alright, I will take it, but you should apologize first to the lady.”,
he said.
Lady
Beatrice furrowed her brows, but then, lowered her head and answered, “Yes,
I will send my apology to her.”
“Okay, then. I think it is time for me to leave now.”, as he turning his back, Lady
Beatrice clasped his right hand.
“Am I forgiven, Zeke? I am forgiven, right?”
“Unbelievable.”, unintentionally, he thought. “Until
you made your apology—”, he was trailed off by the immediate answer from
the lady. “Yes, I will! Promise. Promise”
“…”
“Then, I am still your friend, right? Right?”, as she likely rephrased her
question.
Of
course, he is not that feebleminded. It is true that he was disappointed, but
Lady Beatrice is still young. She might have done it out of childish behavior.
At least, he can somehow comprehend that idea. “Yes, Lady Beatrice. We are
still friend.”
“Thank you, Zeke.”, she happily screamed and hugged him tightly. Zeke
was once again stunned by the lady. He, then, slowly loosened the hands of the
lady that circled his waist.
“Then, I’ll be leaving. Lady Beatrice. Thank you for
inviting me.”
“I will escort you, Zeke.”
“It is alright. I can manage—”
“No. It is improper for me to not do it.”
Sigh. How many times did I sigh today? “Then, if you insist Lady
Beatrice.”
With
Zeke’s affirmation, she grabbed the right hand of Zeke, which Zeke made stiff,
and she really did guide him all throughout the exit of the Marquess’ palace up
to his carriage, while the servants followed behind them.
“See you again, Zeke.”, she said brightly releasing him.
“Yes, thank you, Lady Beatrice,” he replied languidly. For some
reason, he can’t muster to say back, see you again, to her.
And
Zeke’s instinct seems to be right on the spot to not reply those words, because
in two (2) years, Lady Beatrice never missed to follow him everywhere, or to
cling and to get close to him which he, then, finds it later exasperating.
Being
able to get a break from Lady Beatrice using the university as an excuse is a
true miracle given from above for him. Lady
Beatrice has no idea that within the time of not being able to see each other,
every night Zeke always prays, other than world’s peace, she may find another
man that more suitable to her.
From
the window the yellow orange sunlight scattered in the room passing through
from the window of the Student Council Room, Zeke stopped musing about the Lady.
He just hoped that the lady would really stop disturbing him by sending letter. Then sudden idea popped out, what if the lady
is starting to plan a wicked scheme again like in the past. He shook his head
from the idea. “I hope this time. She is not up to something wicked again.”
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