CHAPTER 018
"If it's about Bella's past again, let's not talk about it today. She said she'd kill me if I did."
Despite the death threat, Lewis smirked.
"So not today. If you want to ask, do it next time."
Next time? His ridiculous statement made me laugh wryly.
"It's not about the past. It happened today. Well, it does involve people from the past, though..."
Still, it should be fine to talk about what happened today.
I told him about the incident earlier when I saw Lady Pattinson's group.
"I should have just stayed quiet when Bella asked what was going on. I feel like I made her upset for nothing."
"Don't worry about it. It'll pass."
Lewis gave me a look as if wondering why I was so concerned.
"But Bella is visibly shaken. Aren't you worried at all?"
"If they try to mess with her, Bella won't just sit back and take it."
"Still, Bella seems unable to forget what happened back then."
Trauma! The birthday party everyone declined to attend has become a trauma for Bella.
And now, seeing those ladies again...
"Sigh."
A sigh escaped me unconsciously.
Lewis, who had been observing me, spoke up.
"You really seem to care about Bella, huh?"
"Of course."
"How long did you say you've been friends with Bella?"
"Not even half a year yet."
It was about three months in when we became friends who would stick together through thick and thin.
Lewis seemed intrigued by what he considered a short time.
"You two act like lifelong friends."
"Time isn't what's important."
I shared my honest thoughts.
"It's the same with love. You can fall in love intensely at first sight. Friendship is similar. If your hearts align, you can become best friends instantly!"
"Best friends?"
"Yes, something like that."
The length of time we knew each other didn't matter when I thought about how quickly Bella and I had become friends before I remembered my past life.
"And love is like that too?"
"Absolutely!"
I answered Lewis's question without hesitation.
"Well, I suppose that could be true."
Lewis nodded nonchalantly.
It was hard to tell if he agreed with me or not. His reaction was ambiguous at best.
* * *
After Lewis left, I returned to my room.
Lewis had kept saying not to worry, but his last words were somewhat different.
"Bella is strong. She might be momentarily shaken because she saw them just as she was recalling those events. But she'll soon brush it off and live as she pleases."
Since they were almost like family, his words about Bella were quite reassuring.
But the next day, when I met Michael at the mansion, he told a completely different story.
"Bella may seem strong, but she's actually very delicate."
"Delicate?"
"Yeah. Like glass."
Glass-hearted?
I recalled Bella venting her stress on the knights yesterday.
"Her rough demeanor is partly a way to avoid appearing weak. She projects strength to protect herself."
Really? My expression made Michael reiterate.
"So we need to ensure Bella doesn't get hurt."
"······."
Why were they saying completely different things?
I felt dizzy from the conflicting opinions.
Nevertheless, the party preparations continued. As time passed, Bella recovered, too.
Charlotte was also on the guest list.
Bella seemed to have taken a liking to her from their last encounter and included her on the list.
"Will Lady Yanils come?"
"Of course! She came last time."
As soon as the list was finalized, we sent out the invitations.
Most responded positively, though some couldn't make it.
If they can't come, so be it. We'll just enjoy ourselves!
Time flew, and soon it was three days before the party.
Today, I was meeting Lewis outside. Bella no longer minded us meeting separately.
"You don't need to rent a place!"
Just in case, I told him we didn't need to rent a place.
It would be a waste of money to spend a lot each time just for a short meeting due to noise.
Though it was a bit of a hassle finding a less crowded spot, it was worth the effort.
The café we entered with Lewis had small rooms attached to the walls, each with curtains for privacy.
"Look! Each room has curtains, so we don't need to worry about being seen."
"But the ceiling is open."
As if we were going to have a conversation anyway...
"The cake here is delicious too!"
I told Lewis to go ahead into the room while I carefully picked a dessert from the showcase.
"Everything looks so good. What should I choose?"
After making my selection with great care, I was about to head to our room when I heard the door chime.
I turned around unconsciously and saw unwelcome faces.
It was Lady Pattinson and her entourage!
Ugh, we ran into them again.
Since it's the bustling capital, it's not surprising to see them now and then. I've seen them a few times before.
But it still bothers me!
Thinking of them as the ones who traumatized Bella made me dislike them even more.
I decided to just ignore them.
Having placed my order, I quietly went to the room where Lewis was and closed the curtain.
But then I heard the sound of several pairs of shoes approaching, and they entered the next room.
"This place has delicious green grape tarts."
Green grape tarts? I should have ordered that! - I mean...
The people who entered the next room were none other than Lady Pattinson's group. How could they end up right next to us...
"I heard there's only one left, so I grabbed it right away."
"As expected of Lady Pattinson!"
What do I do, they're so loud...
Even though I couldn't see their faces, the fact that the space wasn't completely enclosed meant we could hear all their laughing and chatting.
Just as I was feeling regretful about persuading Lewis not to rent a place and ending up in a noisy spot, Lewis expressed his frustration coldly.
"Wow, it's so quiet. I can't tell if I'm in a café or in the middle of a market."
His words made my blood run cold. Why did we have to sit next to them!
While I lamented our unfortunate seating choice, a familiar word caught my ear.
"Did you receive the invitation?"
Invitation?
They didn't specify whose invitation it was, but the ladies seemed to understand.
I quickly tuned in as another lady spoke up.
"Oh, that party invitation? No, I didn't get one."
Though they didn't mention whose party it was, I already had a good guess.
They were talking about Bella's party, which they hadn't been invited to.
We really picked the wrong spot...
I glanced at Lewis.
His expression hadn't changed much. He was already irritated!
"Other ladies received theirs, though."
"How could she not send us invitations?"
Their voices were full of indignation.
Did they just assume Bella would naturally invite them? How shameless.
I wouldn't have invited them either if I were Bella.
Why invite people who caused her so much pain in her childhood?
Even though the ceiling was open, giving a sense of privacy, the ladies continued their conversation without hesitation.
"It's probably because of what happened back then."
"She's so narrow-minded."
"Exactly. Holding on to something from so long ago."
Excuse me? Save that kind of talk for home. We can hear everything!
But my wishful thinking didn't stop their conversation.
"That's why she has no one around her."
"She probably still doesn't know why no one attended her birthday party back then."
"If she knew, she wouldn't have let it go, with her personality."
Hearing them snicker softly, I opened my eyes in surprise.
I had wondered why the ladies Bella invited all declined the next invitation. And it wasn't just one or two; it was everyone.
But it seemed there had been something between them and Bella.
Lewis's expression had turned dangerously cold.
It was a different atmosphere from when he was merely annoyed by the noise.
Even though Lewis often bickered with Bella, this was not something he could let slide.
I couldn't just sit and listen either.
What did they do?
"Your order is here."
"Please place it on the table."
I quickly told the server who brought our order and stepped out of the room.
I couldn't just sit and listen to them badmouth Bella.
Unfortunately, the cake would have to wait!
I swiftly pulled back the curtain of the adjacent room.
"Oh my!"
The ladies looked shocked at my sudden appearance, but I didn't give them time to compose themselves and asked directly.
"You're talking about Bella, right?"
"Wha-what?"
"You were so loud that I heard everything. You know why all the invited guests declined, right?"
Wow, my heart is pounding. I usually don't speak up like this...
But I couldn't stand them mocking Bella!
The ladies exchanged flustered glances.
However, realizing that Bella wasn't with me, their expressions changed.
"Are you going to tattle again? It won't make any difference whether you do or not. You'll just make yourself upset."
They were referring to the last time Bella didn't say anything to them.
Indeed, Bella had stood frozen last time.
So the ladies brazenly spoke up.
"Whatever you expect, we don't know anything. Now get out. I didn't know Lady Elsner was so rude."
"Just because you befriended the princess doesn't mean you can treat us this way!"
"Try to understand."
The final words came from Lady Pattinson, who wore a condescending smile as she spoke to her companions.
"She's never had any attention before, so she must be thrilled to have a high-status friend. That's why she stayed behind in the capital when her family moved to their estate, to cling to the duke's family!"
Really, you see what you want to see.
I suppressed my rising anger.
"Well, I'm not a shallow person like you."
"What, what did you say?"
"If you have a problem, say it to her face. Stop gossiping behind her back. I know you're doing this because you think you can't confront her directly!"
Comments
Post a Comment