A few seconds ran by during which Ada stayed put, did not leap to her feet and scurry out of the room, thus the Lady took that as a sign and turned to Arabella.
"Now, you may take your leave,"
"Thank you, my Lady," the young woman smiled as she stood up, threw one last glance at the still apprehensive face of Ada then walked away.
Once outside, she made sure to put so distance between herself and the music room’s door before stopping to start a regular cycle of back and forth pacing in the hallway.
From ti to ti, she’d even bite down on her nails for comfort, but that routine only lasted until a sowhat familiar voice wrenched her out of the invisible bubble she carried around herself.
"You shouldn’t stand so close to the door. It reflects badly on you," Sebastian stood right behind her with a grin that never reached his eyes.
Arabella had spun around so fast, she nearly fell backwards. Thankfully or... Unfortunately, the vampire had wrapped his hand around her arm and prevented the little accident.
However, he kept a hold on her for a little too long after that.
"I am human, my hearing does not extend that far," she maintained eye contact with him, but her smile was almost as frigid as his, "And frankly, I doubt I’d be able to hear a thing even if I glued my ears to the door," she attempted to defuse the awkward tension with a forced chuckle.
"It isn’t a matter of power but etiquette," he tilted his head, that sa faulty grin on him, "At least it is in a vampire household. You should’ve been made aware of that already,"
"I believe nobody saw the use in informing about this in particular," she averted her gaze, no longer able to withstand the weight of such a provoking glare.
"You know, I hoped we’d be able to finish that dance we started a few weeks ago, but alas...," his eyes fell on the brooch pinned to her chest, "It seems that won’t happen any ti soon," he paused to readjust the smirk that had wavered as he spoke, "Congratulations by the way. It does look good on you... For now,"
Despite its backhanded delivery, Arabella kindly thanked him for it, nonetheless.
"Which reminds ," he sparked the conversation back to life, "I’ve never truly complinted you, have I? You are the very first human noblewoman I stand this close to in over a century and I must say, I missed this scent so much,"
Arabella’s blood slowed in their streams, along with her heart, bringing about a drop in temperature across her limbs. One that crept closer to her core by the second, threatening to engulf it whole.
"It’s so distinct, I was never able to forget it," Sebastian had that distant look in his eyes which traveled all around him as he described it, "It has a faint and light sweet hint that only cos with nobility or even royalty. I’ve only ever tasted it once in my whole life and... A part of regrets it because my insides have been aching for it ever since. The longing never died down, not even with a single notch if that tells you anything about it," another short pause was marked before he spoke again, "Anything that grazed my tongue ever since feels watered down or counterfeit,"
"I am sorry to hear that," she murmured under her breath.
"I’d say I am willing to do anything to taste it again, but clearly, that wouldn’t be true since here you are... Standing right before and I haven’t laid a hand on you just yet,"
The look on him at those words seed crazed as if he was waiting to reach out and snatch her from her spot.
But the vampire never did. Instead, his traits softened, and he reverted back to the polite smile that had been plastered across his features at the beginning of their talk.
It wasn’t long before Arabella understood why the sudden shift in attitude as footsteps approached them from the other side of the hallway.
The young woman breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing it was none other than Silas coming their way.
"What is the aning of this?" he asked, stopping by her side.
Sebastian bowed respectfully, "I rely ant to officially utter my congratulations for your union, Master,"
"Uttering them to would have been sufficient," there was not a sliver of warmth in Silas’ gaze.
"Understood," the vampire bowed again.
"Leave now," Silas wasted no ti and dismissed him.
As the clacking of Sebastian’s shoes against the marble flooring grew distant, Silas finally turned to Arabella, "What did he want with you?" his glare hadn’t yet softened.
"He truly only ant to congratulate ," she wouldn’t et his eyes.
"Are we back to lying?" he stepped closer to her, taking her chin between his fingers in order to bring her face in his direction, "Your heart threatens to leap out of its cage,"
"I suppose...," she grasped her mother’s pendant, "I never got over my initial impression of Sebastian," she bit down on her lip.
"And what sort of impression is that?" his eyebrow rose.
"Fright," she said simply before gently pushing his hand away to free herself.
The dejected look on her prompted him to question his actions, "Have I said the wrong thing again?"
"No!" she shook her head, "Only... When you look at with such a firm and closed deanor, it always makes feel like I did sothing wrong,"
The knots holding his features still loosened in an instant, "It is not my intention to make you feel that way, but I do wish you’d tell when soone isn’t being fair or kind to you. That is all,"
"I understand," she nodded, eyes still on the floor.
"But I must ask; what are you doing here in this hallway?" he looked around them.
At that question, her face lit up a little, "Oh! I am waiting for Ada to co out from her eting with the Lady,"
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