She deliberately didn’t answer and just moved her lips.
“Don’t tell me it’s Nobert Ashbon?”
When she didn’t answer again, flames rose in Aaron’s golden eyes. She could almost hear him grinding his teeth.
It felt a bit wrong to use Nobert’s name like this, but nothing worked as effectively as this.
“Go with me to that restaurant on Tuesday.”
“Excuse me? Not another day, but… Tuesday? I was planning to decline his invitation, but isn’t that a bit harsh?”
“What’s harsh about it? So, do you dislike it?”
His long fingers played with her golden hair. Leaning slightly forward, Aaron smiled at her with a face that didn’t even worry about her refusal.
“……Tuesday at seven in the evening. It’s a secret from Lizzy and my father.”
Since rumors would spread anyway, what was the point of keeping it a secret? She found it puzzling, but since there was no need to point it out and ruin the mood, she nodded.
“Of course, beautiful Lady Arrie.”
Aaron playfully whispered and touched their foreheads together.
As their skin touched, Ariella felt her stomach churn again, but she didn’t show it.
‘It won’t be long now.’
The day of revenge was truly near.
Next Tuesday, Aaron would pay the proper price for what he had done.
Thinking this way made her disgust seem to fade a bit. Instead, she felt her heart racing with anticipation.
Ariella smiled happily at Aaron, and seeing her face, he smiled brightly in return.
However, there was one woman nearby who could not join in their laughter.
Lizzy, who had suspiciously followed after her fiancé, who had disappeared under the pretense of going to the restroom, was the main character.
‘Ariella…!’
Hiding behind the wall, all the insulting words she had overheard came from Aaron’s mouth, but Lizzy’s anger was directed at Ariella.
If it had been another woman, she would have rushed out to confront Aaron and Ariella immediately, but she did not.
“If it weren’t for that, why would I like Lizzy over you? Compared to your tall and elegant figure, she looks like a child who hasn’t grown up, and having grown up as a maid, she has no grace whatsoever.”
She hated the idea of admitting in front of Ariella that she had heard this with her own ears more than anything else.
Moreover, the content of that conversation would not be enough to sufficiently anger the Duke of Astoria. So, Lizzy planned to catch them in the act.
Ariella and Aaron meeting secretly at a hotel. This would surely elicit a satisfactory reaction from the Duke of Astoria.
‘After beating Arrie to the brink of death, I’ll sell her off to an old, fat nobleman like a slave.’
Lizzy knew that the Duke she was familiar with would certainly do just that.
If it was impossible to divert Aaron’s interest away from Ariella, it would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity, even if it meant letting a little rumor slip by.
She had to make sure to eliminate the information Ariella held, which worried her.
‘It won’t be long until I see that face again.’
Next Tuesday. That day would be the day of reckoning.
Just as Ariella had done, Lizzy chanted a spell to herself and clenched her trembling hands tightly.
***
The first Tuesday of July had very nice weather.
Reflecting the expectations of the people, the sky was clear without a single cloud, and a gentle breeze occasionally blew to cool off the sweat.
Even in the evening, the sun did not set, and the temperature was warm, so Ariella headed to Hotel Mercedes without even putting on a shawl.
Getting off the carriage, her steps toward the high-rise restaurant were light as a feather. The gentle breeze seemed to push her along, making her feel good as she walked.
“Arrie, over here.”
Aaron, who was sitting inside the restaurant waiting, spotted Ariella and broke into a broad smile. She looked even more beautiful than he had imagined.
With her long hair styled in deep waves and wearing a dress that sparkled like the night sky, she was beautifully made up.
This outfit was the result of a collaboration between Mrs. Melana and Amira. They had worked tirelessly to create this masterpiece at Ariella’s rare insistence that she wanted to dress beautifully for today.
It seemed that the situation of meeting her cheating ex-fiancé had inspired their efforts.
As a result, Aaron couldn’t take his eyes off Ariella for even a moment.
“I’m sorry for suddenly moving the appointment time up by an hour. It must have been surprising, right?”
“Oh, no. Surprising? Not at all. I was actually hungry early too. I ordered wine in advance. Is that okay?”
