After it beca known that we were all going to the Christmas ball together, I couldn't sleep all night from excitent. A variety of thoughts were spinning in my head and did not give rest.
The opportunity to attend such a grand event in the role of Lady Ashford, could not but excite. Before that, the only social party I attended was at the Royal Academy, and it was very crumpled. Now, I had a full-fledged release.
Any lady in my place would feel exactly the sa.
Well, except for one.
I sighed, and after hours of looking at the patterns on the ceiling, I turned to look at Rachel. The girl was lying with her back to , and did not betray any signs of anxiety in her sleep or spirit. Actually, nothing else should be expected from her.
I was the only one here who couldn't close my eyes, which made suffer for half the night.
Moreover, considering that we had to leave at eight in the morning, this circumstance was even more depressing. I even envied that Rachel could keep her cool in absolutely any situation. As soon as it was ti to get ready for bed, she instantly passed out.
I sighed, lying with her under the sa blanket, and hearing her even breathing.
I wonder how my father is doing there? The servants prepared a room for him in the guest quarters, which turned out to be in the wing completely opposite from us. At first, the Archduke was very outraged by this, because he did not give permission for Rachel and to sleep in the sa bedroom and be so far away from him at the sa ti.
However, Duke Cassius convinced him that the couple needed their own personal space. And in the end, despite the initial protests, the father had to accept.
Although I didn't really understand what all the fuss was about. Despite the fact that in the beginning I was also against such an idea, but now I'm used to it. Rachel and I slept on opposite sides of the bed, and we hardly «crossed paths». Therefore, the father clearly had nothing to worry about.
Nothing like what everyone thought would ever happen between us.
After I ca to terms with the fact that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep anyway, I decided to say sothing to Rachel. Without the hope that she will naturally hear .
«Thank you for today, — I said quietly, because tomorrow I'm unlikely to be able to tell her in person.»
— For what? The girl suddenly asked.
I was surprised.
— So you didn't sleep?!
Rachel turned to with displeasure.
«Do you think I can sleep next to you?» — She said grumpily, — You're always spinning around like in a bank.
I was compared to a snake, well, okay. What surprised more than that was that Rachel had been pretending to be asleep all this ti. And she didn't even bother to tell . The sa thing didn't happen every night?
— Well… — I coughed guiltily, — If it's so uncomfortable for you, I can sleep on the floor.…
— Yes, lie down already.
Even though Rachel pulled away, I still felt awkward.
— So what are you thanking for?
We turned to face each other, and even in the dark I could see her puzzled expression.
— For helping today,» I said casually, «what you said looked very convincing. My father must have believed it.
Rachel looked at strangely.
«Convincing…?»
— Yes, I was even surprised, — I admitted, — I didn't expect that you could play so well. If only everything was the sa at the academy… No one would doubt that our relationship is real.
— …
— R-Rachel…?
— So you think I was playing? The girl asked coldly after a short silence.
— Well, yes, — I let out a laugh, — And what, how could it be otherwise?
It seed to that Rachel was offended at for sothing, but I absolutely could not understand what the reason was. Didn't I say everything to the point…? Sotis, she really behaved strangely.
After Rachel hadn't made a sound for so long, I decided she was going to turn away and not talk to . Sotis it happened when she started ignoring for no apparent reason.
However, the next mont Rachel's pupils flashed red, and she suddenly threw on the bed, hanging over , and holding both hands. The expression on her face that she had at that mont, I had never seen before.
Anger mixed with despair.
I was taken aback, completely unaware of what was happening now.
— R-Rachel, you…
— Tell ! — the girl demanded, — Am I also «playing» now?!
I was confused. What answer does she want from …? Is this so kind of joke?
Apparently so, because Rachel had never done anything like this before. The more ti passed since our acquaintance, the worse my ability to understand her was lost.
In the end, I decided to play by her rules, not imagining what it would lead to.
— Not now.
I smiled softly and looked at her. Rachel didn't take her eyes off either. This silent scene went on for a while, and the girl's fingers on my wrists tightened.
I felt a strange excitent.
Rachel's gaze shifted to the mark on my neck. It was still red, and it still hadn't healed completely. She shuddered.
After a mont, the girl released .
— …Sorry.
She dropped that unintelligible word before turning her back on again. For the rest of the night, Rachel didn't say another word to .
My heart was still pounding heavily from what had happened.
And what was that just…?
***
The next morning, it was ti to hit the road.
The journey from the northern border to the capital of the Kronos Empire was supposed to take several days of continuous travel. And all this ti, we had to spend the four of us in the sa carriage.
And it all turned out in a very ridiculous way.
Initially, I was going to ride in the sa carriage with my father, while Rachel and Duke Cassius were in a separate one. But in the end, Rachel refused to go separately from , while the Archduke was against being left without his supervision. And after so argunts, we were able to co to a unanimous decision.
The family carriage of the Duchy of Cassius was large enough to accommodate all of us, although it was a little cramped. The Duke and Rachel sat on one side, while my father and I sat on the other.
It turned out to be a hundred tis worse than when I was left alone with these two. After all, with the presence of the Archduke, the situation beca even more awkward.
When we set off, the detachnt was accompanied by a minimum number of servants and guards. My father was absolutely against Duke Cassius taking his rcenaries as our guards. Because in his opinion, the very sight of them made him feel out of place.
«…These are the elite warriors of the House of Cassius! — the duke tried to convince him, — One person will be enough to defeat an army of a hundred. They will follow us from the shadows, you won't even notice them!»
— Are you kidding ? Archduke Ashford protested, «I am against being accompanied by these assassins!»
«But it's for your daughter's safety...»
«My servants will be enough to protect her. I demand to recall them!»
And in the end, Duke Cassius, gritting his teeth, had to agree. It is quite possible that he simply did not want to spoil relations with a future relative in advance. Moreover, Henry Ashford himself was still extrely wary of him.
We were followed only by a small detachnt of guards, which should have been enough until we get to the capital. After all, no one in their right mind would dare to encroach on the property of such influential aristocrats?
The carriage moved in deathly silence for several hours, and it seed to that I was about to die. Besides having my father and Duke Cassius opposite each other, I also couldn't look into Rachel's eyes. After what happened last night, we never talked.
The girl looked out of the window with a detached look, while I could not behave as indifferently. She didn't even explain anything to !
And what am I supposed to think now…? Pretend that nothing happened? Is it possible?
I sighed, and also decided to observe the winter landscape, which will not soon disappear from sight. I turned away, but at that mont my father brought up an unexpected topic.
— And how did you et?
Rachel and I tensed up at the sa ti.
— H-how…?
Apparently, over the past night, the Archduke sohow digested the news about our relationship, and no longer looked like the whole world had turned away from him. At least, out of politeness, I pretended that this was not the case.
— yes. Sohow it happened.
— Well… at the academy, — I hesitated, — Where else.
— So you understood everything at first glance? He asked with a dood expression on his face.
— You could say that…
Rachel looked at out of the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything. I was also confused as to why my father suddenly decided to talk about it right now. Especially when all eyes were now riveted on .
— I guess I'm too old to understand such things, — the man sighed, — Current hobbies still seem strange to …
— H-hobbies?
The Archduke said nothing, but looked eloquently at the mark on my neck. I imdiately understood everything, and that's why I blushed.
If you think about it, this thing really resembled sothing definite, but… It wasn't like that at all!
— Dad! — I flared up, — It's not what it seems at all. I was just bitten by a wild chipmunk…!
— A chipmunk? — my father was taken aback.
Duke Cassius and Rachel pointedly looked away, as if they weren't there.
I started telling my father that while walking in the forest, a wild animal attacked , and it took so ti. The man listened attentively, and with each word his eyes opened wider and wider. Archduke Ashford had no idea what kind of things were going on here with his daughter while he was away.
However, I preferred to keep silent about the fact that I almost froze in that very forest. After all, the father clearly does not need any unnecessary worries.
My story about life in the Duchy of Cassius ended at the mont when our carriage suddenly shook violently. I almost fell, but managed to grab the back of the seat.
Duke Cassius was outraged when we stopped abruptly halfway.
— What's going on?!
In the following seconds, the sound of weapons ringing, people shouting, and other fuss was heard on the street. It was becoming obvious that sothing serious had happened.
«Your Grace! — one of the guards leaned out of the window and excitedly reported, — We were attacked!»
— What?! Who is it?
— We don't know yet! There are too many of them!
Duke Cassius let out a long breath, while a mont later soone hit this very guard on the head with a sword. I scread.
— Stay here,» Rachel said coldly, getting up from the seat. The murderous expression on her face turned out to be familiar to .
My father and I were already white with fear, while Duke Cassius and his daughter did not even move. It seed that they were going to do so routine work.
— We'll figure it out.
With a completely unperturbed look, the two got out of the carriage at the sa ti, slamming the door on the latch behind them. The screams outside only intensified.
My father and I looked at each other excitedly. The latter said with obvious displeasure:
— Well, the «beautiful» relatives will get …
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