Chapter 35: A Fake Smile

Seeing the confused look on his face, Alicia corrected herself realizing she had said something she shouldn’t have said, at least not yet “I mean, that we will sure get along during my time here when I come to see the Baroness”

Young smiled and nodded “Sure we will, please follow me, the Baroness is waiting to have lunch with you”

Alicia nodded and followed behind.

They passed through many hallways before they arrived at an outdoor dining table with a beautiful surrounding. It has a mini fountain and flowers of different colors with butterflies flying around that have different colors of wings.

The moment she saw the person seated in the head chair, with the right posture that was very graceful while reading a book that is boldly titled “History of powerful families”

Alicia stopped walking and her mood changed for the worst. The maid who she asked to monitor Althea had described her looks, with the description, she could tell Althea was beautiful but she didn’t think she was this beautiful even more than her. She thought she was one of the most beautiful, but in front of Alicia she feels very inferior and that angers her.

“My lady” Young called when he saw her standing and looking towards the Baroness in a weird way.

Althea moved her eyes from the book she was reading and looked towards where the voice came from. She could see Butler Young standing with a lady who is dressed gracefully and behind her seems to be her maid and guards.

She must be the visitor she is having lunch with and that Damian told her about. The way she was being stared at by her was so weird and rude but then, In order to be a good host. Althea dropped the book she was reading and stood up. She took graceful steps towards Alicia who seemed to be in shock for a reason she did not know.

“Hello Lady Alicia, nice to meet you” Althea smiled. Based on the title, Alicia should be the one greeting as she is the Baroness.

Young could not understand what happened to the young lady.

Nora realizes her mistress has made a mistake. She touched her to gain her attention.

Alicia suddenly smiled and bowed her head “I’m so sorry for my rudeness, it won’t happen again, it’s just that you are so beautiful and I could not stop staring at how divine you look” Alicia complimented with a fake laughter that seemed genuine.

“You are just as beautiful, please come this way” Althea said and led the way. Alicia nodded and followed.

Althea took her seat and Alicia sat close to her with a fake smile plastered on her face.

Young immediately informed the kitchen chef to serve lunch.

“It’s such a privilege to finally meet you Baroness”

Althea smiled “Me too, the Baron told me you are his childhood friend”

Alicia did not think Damian would be so quick to tell her but she smiled “Yes, we were so close” she emphasized the “Close”.

Althea nodded and smiled “He thinks we can be friends too”

"Of course we can, I personally had told him that I would love to be your friend. I want us to be as close just as I and the Baron are close. Since you are a foreigner, there is a lot you need to learn about us since we are different from your kind. There is a lot you can learn from me that even that book can’t teach you” Alicia looked towards the book she was reading that was on the table.

Althea nodded and smiled “I see”

She wished she could tell Alicia that she never signed up for the marriage, that she woke up on her birthday excitedly only to be told she was to marry the Barone, the ruthless Damian Carter who shows no mercy.

But she can’t because Alicia is a friend of Damian, she must be here to spy on her so she has to play along.

“Yes, you can see that our first names starts with same alphabets “A” this shows that we are met to be good friends”

Althea nodded “That's true but then I would love to interact with you more to see if we can be close friends or not”

Althea didn’t understand why being her friend seems to be so important to her unless Damian was the one who forced her into it.

They had lunch and later took a walk round the beautiful flower house that she just found out existed.

Nina told her about it before Alicia arrived and Alicia seems to know this place so well. Her and Damian must have been so close, she wonders why he did not just marry her, she speaks about him with smiles all over her face.

“We used to come here a lot to play that our parents will always look for us” Alicia said and monitored Althea’s face to see if she was displeased or not.

Althea only nodded and they kept walking.

“The arena games are in a month's time, are you going to participate?” Alicia asked her.

“Arena games? What’s that? Althea didn’t know what that was.

“Oh, I see you haven’t been informed” Alicia smiled “Well it happens three times in a year, it’s a game where warriors of Westland come and fight each other and win a prize that elevates their status. I always participate and have never lost before. As the Baroness, you can participate”

“Oh, I don’t think I want to,” Althea said. She was not capable of competing with the Wolves.

Alicia smiled, she was pleased with her reply “ofcourse, you are human and do not have the ability to fight. But you can watch me on that day and cheer for my victory after” Alicia said egoistically.

Althea knew she was bragging but took it that she had the right since she had never lost a fight before.

After spending a few more hours, Alicia left and returned back home displeased for some reason. She had thought Damian would still be present but he was not. She had to spend her afternoon faking in front of that human.

“God!! I hate her even more!!” She shouted in anger when she got to her chamber.

She hated the fact that Althea was more beautiful than her, spoke more gracefully and acted like the whole word was on her beck and call. That is the first time she was feeling inferior in front of someone, the worst of it all is that she felt inferior in front of a mere human. She did not like the feeling she had, Althea is not an open book, there is something about her she could not pinpoint, and she is sure Damian knows this.

The people she sent to the north to investigate came back with nothing. She needed to find out more, when next she visits she will try and have a conversation with Arthur, she is sure he knows more. Why did Damian make her his wife, it can’t just be because she is beautiful.