Chapter 24

"Dude? Haha...you use very unique vocabulary, Ella!"

"Can you stop being gentle with me? So cringe."

"I just feel like you've been a little strange since you fell into the lake that time. Did that incident really affect you?"

That incident? How do I explain to him that I don't remember the incident at all. What happened before and why it happened, I have absolutely no idea.

"I-I don't know, I honestly can't remember-" I said carelessly. It seems like pretending not to remember is the safest way.

Suddenly he grabbed my hand and held it, then what he did next became even more unexpected. He kissed my hand and made me have to see his face from a very close distance.

"Damn Xavier, even in this life you're still handsome. You're insolent!" I thought.

At that time I slapped his hand away and rebuked him when he tried to kiss my hand. This time I just kept quiet and let him kiss my hand even though I really wanted to hit him. 

"Ella, you really don't want to dance with me?" He asked again and this made me even more confused about refusing him. In this world he is king, right? How can a commoner like me reject a king?

"H-how is this? I don't know how to dance at all. How would I ever do something like that. My body must be very stiff besides I could step on his feet if I force myself!" I thought. This is a very difficult situation. 

"T-that s-I really can't dance, Your Majesty. That's why-"

"Okay, I understand. Maybe you're feeling very nervous or maybe I'm not the guy you're waiting for to ask you to dance. Then, excuse me! See you, Ella?" He said as he walked away. He made me feel guilty for daring to refuse a king's request. 

My head is thinking hard, I really don't know what to do. I can't dance and I've never danced in my life. Besides, I really hate the clothes I'm wearing. 

"Ella...! Ella...!" 

Only two minutes after the King left me on the balcony, the witch's voice was heard calling my name. 

"Agh...damn it, the witch must be looking for me. If she finds out I'm hiding here, she'll definitely scold me!"

Panicking, I hurriedly hid the empty wine bottle that I had previously gulped down until there was nothing left. I didn't want her to see me drinking a bottle of wine alone.

I straightened my dress again and put my shoes back on, then left the balcony to approach the witch.

"Mother...!"

"Oh my God, where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere!" She said while trying to hold back her irritation.

"Sorry, Mother. I went out for a moment to get some fresh air." 

"Come here, I want to introduce you to Count Albergen and his son, Henry Albergen!"

"But for what?"

"Count Albergen wanted to meet you in person after his eldest son told him about you several times."

"Tell me about me?

"I don't know when you knew Henry Albergen that he claimed to know you so well." She said as if he was suspicious of me.

Henry Albergen? I don't even know who that person is? Actually, what did this woman named Ella do that made men act so strangely like this?

"I-I don't know either, I don't think I know him!"

"You don't know him? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I'm serious."

This witch frowned as if she couldn't believe my confession. What else should I say to him? I really don't know that guy named Henry Albergen.

I walked right behind her, for some reason I felt uneasy as if I had a feeling that something unpleasant was going to happen to me. 

Sure enough, this witch approached the middle-aged man who I call my father, Emily, Jannet, Marie and two men and a middle-aged woman. They chatted together intimately.

"Ella?" One of the two men I mentioned earlier called me with a face full of love that made me shudder. He was a young man, seemingly not much different in age from King Zavier and Duke Aiden. He's handsome, but the problem is I hate handsome men.

"So this very beautiful woman is the woman you often tell me about, Henry?" Said the middle-aged man. He smiled proudly and this was an awkward situation I really wanted to avoid as much as possible.

"That's right, Dad! Mom, she's Ella, we met several times at parties." Said the young man. He continued to look at me the same way I looked at a beautiful woman I once dated. That look in his eyes, right, I seem to know what he's thinking.

"So you two know each other?" Mom asked. Even though a few minutes ago she was looking for me as if she suspected something. But now she was asking as if she didn't know anything.

"N-no, I don't at all-" I said nervously. I obviously don't know this guy. I never met him. But he quickly approached me while holding my hand.

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