To His Hell and Back-Chapter 181: Oversteps Boundary

The next day Arabella found herself seated in the garden filled with princesses and other envoys. It started with this early morning when Arabella had woken up and Cassius who told her to wait in his room. She did what was asked and waited inside the room as he promised when she heard a knock and walked out only to find Princess Marissa. She said nothing before asking if she was free and if she had time and when Arabella looked at the clock, thinking about it before choosing, the princess took her silence as a ’yes’ and had brought her to the tea party dressed in a new gown. A gown for nobles.

Arabella was wholly confused by this treatment was almost be dressed by the maids but she shook her head, refusing the idea of being dressed by others. To add, the maids were also unhappy that they have to dress her despite all of them being humans and Arabella could see their condescending look except for the one cute maid with the two buns over her head named Marie.

Marie was kinder and seeing Arabella’s refusal she had went to inform Princess Marissa in a way that the princess understood why she had felt discomfort. Then the princess agreed to letting only Marie to assists her tying the lace behind her dress and by the time Arabella had grasped her surrounding she had been standing in front of the garden, eyes on her as people seemingly looking at her appearance from her head to her toes.

She wondered if it was because how out of place she was.

A village girl couldn’t wear such an expensive dress even after working for a decade and besides food weee far more important than just a dress. So Arabella could only think the gazes burrowing into her was one filled with judgements, not knowing the gasps that slipped and murmurs questioning who the lady with the light blue dress was.

Arabella smoothened her dress from her waist down, the embroideries in golden and red tickle under her fingertips. She stood near the wall to attract less attention only for some brave man to reiterate his words in his head and smiled when he saw her, "Excuse me..."

"She’s my companion," a sharp cutting sentence appeared from Princess Marissa who was dressed like a black swan with silver colored necklace all over her exposed collarbone. Her expression was stern and her red eyes paired with her straight black hair was like a raven’s gaze that could petrify anyone who had caught a glimpse of her.

The man hurriedly walked behind, knowing that she is the only princess of Versailles and one that was clearly doted as she could do whatever she wishes, including moving a maze from their old kingdom to Versailles’s land with almost no issue.

Seeing the man who ran away in fear, Arabella wondered if he had came earlier to talk to her? Maybe to admonish her as this party was filled with all those nobles and envoys she could never dream to see, not that she wants to see them. It was just the gap between them was so far apart that it surprised her.

"It wasn’t sudden wasn’t it?" Princess Marissa reflected, "I had thought about it days ago so I thought it would also only be right if I bring you here."

"It was sudden," Bella confirmed,"But what do you mean that it’s only right for me to be here? It’s no place for someone like me to come."

Princess Marissa furrowed her eyebrows, "You don’t have to pretend. From a woman to another woman, I understand."

That she seems to understand it very well. But what was it that she understood? Because Arabella can’t tell what kind of understanding she had received which would cause her to be invited to the garden. As she questioned in her head, the princess as willful as ever continued with her statement.

"You’re the only woman in Cassius’s life and if I am in your position I would like to keep an eye on the woman who would then become his priority," Princess Marissa’s words choked Arabella as she felt another itch.

"You brought me here to see the candidates for his engagement?" And when she saw the princess nodding, she stifled a sigh under her breaths, "Princess, I am just his servant, sometimes less than that. He could seem more open to me because I pose no danger to him not because of any important reasoning as you think. Therefore," Arabella’s green eyes shifted at the garden at the ladies dressed in puff gowns made from the best materials. Some dressed in velvet, some had glass for shoes. But her? fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

The only thing she has is her weird power, one that could bring danger than good.

She knows her worth. She knows how less it is.

"Therefore I would have no say towards who he chooses," Arabella then felt her throat dry and pressed her tongue to keep her expression flawless.

Princess Marissa however wasn’t bought. She rolled her red eyes as they walked away from the wall and into the garden. The smell of perfumes were sweet to the nose and it lingers even after one had walked away far enough from seeing them again.

This was a luxury Arabella can’t afford. It’s a luxury she can’t ever bring herself to understand either.

"You don’t have to be stupid Arabella, lying to yourself will only be tougher on you," Princess Marissa picked a drink and passed it to her hands, "I know how it feels. To lie- saying that you don’t love that person because you think they deserves someone better. But that’s not... that’s not good for you. In the future you will regret it so much that you wish you could just close your eyes and return to the past but then you wake up and realize that all those regrets bears no fruit."

Princess Marissa seemed genuine but Arabella frown in return to her words. What does Princess Marissa know? She knows nothing. Lies? That she shouldn’t lie? Was that something she could afford? She isn’t a princess. She doesn’t have a loyal bloodline. Marrying her wouldn’t support Cassius, it would doom him. And regret? There was so many things she had regretted throughout her life but she managed to overcome the what ifs thoughts that haunted her once.

This was nothing different. She could handle it but the princess’s words saying as though everything was in her hand- as if things could magically be fixed if she tries hard enough... it frustrated her so much in a way she couldn’t describe.

Slightly annoyed, Arabella turned to the princess who never knew much about her yet was here telling her not to regret her life decision.

Your Highness, I mean this with all due respect, but our lives are not the same," Arabella said softly, her voice dipping into a murmur. Politeness clung to her words, even as frustration simmered beneath. Comfort, she’d learned, wasn’t always about pushing someone forward, especially when the one doing the pushing had never been taught how to truly soothe.

"Let’s say I do care for His Highness more than just a servant should. Then tell me, what sense does it make for me to choose the right woman for him? You don’t need to pretend. I know how things are. I understand what you are trying to show me by bringing me here into this garden."

Princess Marissa wasn’t a fool and though Arabella hadn’t shown her anger openly, she could see the human girl’s green eyes filled with disappointment.

"Understand what?" She asked Bella.

Sighing she answered, "That you brought me here not to keep an eye on the woman Cassius would choose, or that you brought me here so I would know who I should be careful about. You brought me here to show me that I am different from them and no matter how much a black raven paint itself white, they are not going to turn into a swan. You wish to make me give up by seeing that everyone here is someone I could never dream to be."

"That’s not-"

"Donning me in a dress doesn’t make me these ladies," Bella softened her words as she didn’t want to seethe princess looking sad. Maybe... maybe the princess was just looking out for her as a friend. The princess is awkward and so she doesn’t know what she should do.

Princess Marissa must have been worried that she does love Cassius and was upset by the difference in their rank. Perhaps the princess brought her here to show her that if she dresses as one of them, she will easily fit in.

But that thoughts were naive.

Bella understood herself and her rank. She knew that she could not catch up to these ladies, all hail from kingdoms as their most beloved princess.

The push that Princess Marissa had given her only felt worse, making her see the line and the stairs that separate her from Cassius. Their difference and their gaps felt even more despairingly bigger than ever, leaving her with nothing but an odd embarrassment feeling that makes her feel filthy.

"I don’t love him," Arabella said stiffly. The words choked on her throat but how could she continue the princess into believing she’s in love with Cassius to the point she would stop him from his ambition of becoming the crown prince? If Queen Morgana caught ears about this god knows what she would do with the information.

Arabella pushed her hand to her forehead, "I’m sorry I lost my temper but I hope you understand that I won’t be the one to choose which woman he should marry or whether he should marry at all. His marriage is in his hand and I won’t try to get in between of his business. If you will then excuse me, your highness."

"Wait!" Princess Marissa tried to reach out to Arabella, realizing her mistake far too late but she had seen the girl walked away, her back that was small seemed to shiver from the cold.

Meanwhile Malvo who had been standing behind a wall of leaves hummed as he shifted his head to his left where his half brother, Cassius was standing with a cigar on his hand that had been offered by him earlier.

His brother was quiet. Deadly. Grimly.

He had already shown his discomfort as he also thought how Princess Marissa had overstepped her boundaries, far too quickly and far too recklessly. But his entire demeanor had changed when Arabella firmly stated that she doesn’t love him and that his marriage doesn’t and would never be a concern to her.

Malvo smiled slowly and spoke near him in a whisper while clicking the lighter, "She bites doesn’t she? Miss Arabella I mean."