RHIA POV
I had just stepped out of the carriage and onto the front yard, admiring the scenery, when I heard a cheerful voice I dreaded.
"Rhia!"
Before I could even turn, a pair of delicate arms wrapped around me as a giggle filled my ears.
"Rhia, I've missed you so much! Why didn't you come visit after the wedding? I felt so lonely!"
My face twisted in displeasure at the sudden contact with my enemy—and oldest sister—Dahlia. What made this even more upsetting was her choice of words.
Since when were we close enough to speak like old friends? And visit? As if. Why would I visit the sister who got married to the man that I loved?
I wasn't dumb, and I definitely wasn't looking for ways to humiliate myself again. The years Id spent at the Harcourt house had already done that for me.
Amidst my thoughts, I suddenly felt a cold glare burn through me. The hairs on my arms stood on end. And I didn't need to look to know who it was.
"My Lord…"
Fortunately, Dahlia released me when she spotted Lucian a few meters away. She smiled—showcasing her pearly teeth and radiant dimples that could warm even the coldest of hearts.
She curtsied gracefully, lowering her head as she took a few steps closer to him. I noticed the frown on Lucian's face instantly disappear as his eyes settled on the girl before him.
He wore a neutral expression as he stared at her, but if observed closely, one would notice the hidden layer of warmth behind his eyes. Something he had never looked at me with.
I looked at Dahlia. Though, she was bowing, portraying herself as a gentle, delicate and polite girl, I could see the mischief hidden in that polite smile of hers.
Surely, she had achieved her mission and that was reminding the Lord of the stark contrast between both of us.
Dahlia raised her head slightly and fluttered her eyelashes, making her look even more delicate. Her cheeks were tainted with a light pink blush that absolutely complemented her snow white skin tone and her cherry pink lips.
The gentle gaze of her almond shaped eyes instantly made men want to do anything for her. And her smile was undeniably charming.
Too bad all that lay underneath was a snake. The girl was the very definition of a wolf in sheep clothing.
"My Lord, I didn't expect you would be here. It's quite a surprise since you aren't a fan of such gatherings.
"You must be quite close with the Beaumonts", Dahlia commented. Right now, she looked extremely delicate, definitely wife material.
The nobles around either looked at them with jealousy (women), desire or ambition (men). The men were hoping to get connections, or rather make their connections stronger by getting close to the Lord's acquaintances.
And Dahlia seemed like the perfect target, considering the fact that the Lord hadn't had her thrown in the dungeon by now. This only meant he had a bond with her and it seemed close.
But the women on the other hand were envious. Envious of how close Dahlia was with the Lord, even though they all knew he was married.
Here in Valemere, their marriage was nothing but a mere.... term. Something that wasn't meant to be. I could bet that over eighty percent of the population were hoping for our divorce.
And honestly, I wanted to be part of that group. But I couldn't. One was because of my son. The other was the consequences I would have to accept.
Just then, my eyes noticed one lady who stood out among the crowd. It was none other than Lady Catherine Vale, the daughter of the Duke of Ashbourne.
Ashbourne was the former capital of Valemere, which was then called Oakmere. It was under the rulership of Lord Roland, Lord of the North. Roland was a dictator, and during his reign, the people of Oakmere suffered.
Catherine's grandfather, Vincent Vale, was one of the key forces that contributed to Oakmere getting it's freedom from Roland. As a matter of fact, when Oakmere got it's freedom, the people all agreed to have Vincent as their leader.
But Vincent, for reasons unknown, rejected the position. So, therefore, in order to honor him for his works without making him their leader, the people agreed to name the town after him, hence the name, Valemere.
As far as I knew, Catherine had always been seen as the one and only candidate for the title of Lady of Valemere. And She and Lucian were childhood friends.
So, it was only logical for her to be his bride.
But to everyone's surprise, Lucian fell in love with Dahlia, making Catherine's position unstable. But that didn't mean Catherine held no chance.
Just when everyone had begun making choices between who to interact and side with between Catherine and Dahlia, another shocker came when Lucian suddenly got married to me.
Everyone was confused, and so was I. But Catherine wasn't confused or jealous. I remember her exact words to Lucian were, "I simply want you to be happy, because I care about you. I hope you don't regret your decision".
Maybe it was just my mood that night, but it felt like a warning to Lucian and a threat to me. I recall that night, I became extremely worried and alert that my life was entering another stage of misery.
But time passed and still, Catherine did nothing. At first, I had thought it was some kind of tactic. But after the birth of my son, I and still nothing, I came to terms that she wasn't an uncivilized dog like the rest of them.
I shook my head to get rid of my thoughts and flashbacks. Watching Lucian and Dahlia interact was making me sick. And with the appearance of Catherine, there was sure to be drama.
So, I did the smartest thing and went into the house, because of there's one thing I know about gatherings like this— peace never lasts long.
And I guess I was right because a few minutes later, I heard screaming coming from outside.