Chapter 59 Lily
I look in the mirror. A few of the lines on my face have disappeared. My cheeks seem to be lifted. My hair is not that gray anymore. It’s starting to show a sheen of gold, a hair color that belongs to the past. I inherited this trait from the Evergreen pack. Everyone was shining and beautiful. But now, all of them are long since buried in the deep ashes of the earth. I observe myself carefully. I’m sparkling in this deep green gown, exquisitely decorated with silver sequins and beads. The long train truly highlights my curves. Strangely, I’ve found that my hips and thighs are getting firmer these days.
I’m excited to see my daughter tonight. As I’m wondering what I can say to her and how should I introduce myself to her, Robert comes in the room.
He takes my hand and kisses it. “You look ravishing, my queen.”
Since the mysterious letter appeared, I can’t help but raise my guard when I’m around Robert once again. Maybe he’s not that trustworthy. I feel contradicted between the warning I received and all the good deeds he’s done for us, like the protection he provided Noah and I all these years in Moonlit. The man before me is awfully handsome, just like when we first met, charming and polite. I can’t imagine a man like this could hurt me and deliberately put me in danger.
“Thank you for all the dresses and shoes.”
“You deserve it, and they fit you well. Look how beautiful you are.” He looks in the mirror, and we look at ourselves together, “Aren’t we a perfect match?”
We certainly look like a great pair. But my mind isn’t thinking about this. He should know that. Why he didn’t tell me our daughter will be at the ball tonight? Did he really not want her to recognize me, even when we have this chance? But I’m afraid to ask him directly. “What is this ball for anyway? Do I need to worry about my safety?”
“Your safety is always my top priority. You can always trust me on that.” He goes and looks out over the balcony, pridefully, “Everything I did, was for you. Look what I have accomplished.” The glare in his eyes reminds me that he’s always an ambitious man. I noticed this trait when we first got together. “It’s a costume ball, and we’ll be celebrating a recent accomplishment that we’ve achieved.”
We are on our way to the ball. The night has just fallen. A bright star anchors the sky. My whole being shivers when I look at it, as though it’s trying to influence me. I’m wearing a citrus perfume to cover up the werewolf scent on me and contact lenses to disguise my purple eyes. Robert asks me to relax. It’s been ages since I attended any kind of ball. What I was familiar with was damp walls and blackberry roots crawling around me.
We get out of the limo and come to a giant building with crystal clear glass windows and lush greenery covering it all over. As we step inside the foyer, there are already dozens of people gathering inside. A strong cloud of human aroma hits me hard. So strong an aroma that I haven’t even smelled in Moonlit. The smell is stinky and rotten. But the appearance of each one of them is elegant and graceful. Maybe this is the aroma of their souls. I can’t help but cover my nose. The smell gives me a dizzy feeling.
As we walk farther and deeper into the hall, we come into the spacious ballroom, with fantastic frescos all over the walls. Fancy people are chattering and laughing along to the mellow music in the air. This reminds me of the night I met the past King. We also had laughter and music, good food and freedom. Things humans are not even the least bit concerned about. How ironic.
Robert says he has to greet some important people. So I stand here all alone, glancing over the crowd of people from a corner. A waiter holding a tray of champagne is passing by, and I surprisingly decline his offer of the liquid. All I’m thinking is my daughter. Looking at every young girl possible, I’m pretty sure when I see her face, I will recognize her right away.
Then, a chubby woman in pink, wearing an extravagant hat with a lace veil, catches my attention. She is at the center of a crowd. People gathered around her are praising her over something. I hear a mention of her designs and dresses. I guess she must be a famous fashion designer. And suddenly, she sets her gaze on me. She looks me up and down, then excuses herself from the crowd and walks towards me.
I know she’s definitely walking towards me, as no one else is standing nearby. It’s making me nervous - I don’t want Robert to see me talking with a stranger.
“I designed the dress you are wearing. It suits you perfectly!” The woman says, affably.
“You designed the dress? Oh… Sorry, I didn’t realize. Are you Lady Valentine?” I’m glad that Jade mentioned her name before.
“Yes I am, madam.” She looks at me with curious interest.
“I am…” I stutter, thinking over how I should introduce myself. But she seems to not be interested in that.
“But here,” she clutches her fingers around the waistline of the dress, “It seems a bit tight here, I may need to adjust it.” Then she looks at me, “Do you mind if I adjust it for you madam? It’s a compulsive working habit of mine.”
“I… I don’t mind.” But I’m only thinking of my daughter, “But can we do this at another time?”
She suddenly looks over towards the entrance and is terrified by something, I follow her gaze but see nothing. Then, she suddenly says, in a rather hasty tone, “Sure, madam. Um… I have a store at the very center of the city. Please do come to visit me. Tomorrow would be the best. Please make sure you come, I’ll wait for you all day long.” She gives me a card, firmly shakes my hand, then leaves, heading back into the crowd.
‘Lady Valentine’s Boutique’ Store is printed on the card. I put it in my clutch. The host announces the beginning of the ball. A young man’s photos appear on the screen and a line of words keeps rolling by: “Praise be to the ability of independence. We killed Henry Burton.”
This is a very queer thing to celebrate, and who is Henry Burton? Then, a peculiar smell wafts in immediately draws my attention to the entrance. The smell of death. I am surprised that no one else is smelling this pungent odor. Then, a ghostly pale man wearing a dark velvet suit and a black leather mask appears gracefully and patronizingly at the entrance.