Chapter 11

"What do you mean? Did I know you before?"

"You okay? You look strange today."

"I'm fine and I don't like you hugging me like this!" I said while trying to free myself from his very tight embrace.

He looked at me with raised eyebrows, just like the family, this man seemed confused by my words.

"There's something strange about you, did you hit your head so you forgot your girlfriend?"

"Lover? Who do you mean? Hey listen to me, I'm tired of everyone here treating me like this and you, Keith. I think we're too old to repeat the horrible bullying you used to do to me, so it's best to stop to think that you could bully me like before again!"

"What? Bullying you? You mean me? Hahaha...what are you actually saying, Ella! You're just talking like a man!"

"It's clear that I'm Jennifer the ugly duckling!"

"What?"

This bastard looked quite shocked by my statement, he immediately looked at me from head to toe.

"What are you looking at, man?"

"How can a woman as beautiful as you claim to be an ugly duckling? Ella, are you in the mood to joke with me? Is this the kind of role play you once told me about?"

"Role play? What are you-" just before I finished my words, this man immediately hugged me with a more aggressive touch than before. He even rubbed my back gently and it felt very ticklish.

"You are so sexy in this outfit! I really like it!" He whispered right in my ear. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, I didn't know what he really wanted from me, but this situation really felt ridiculous and made me uncomfortable, much more ridiculous when I let my hand be kissed by a man whose face was very similar to Xavier.

I felt his hands start to fondle my body. Suddenly my body couldn't move. Damn it, how could I be touched by a man? This can't happen, I am a man, my pride is hurt by this treatment.

"Stop...!"

With a reflex movement, I immediately threw a punch at his face once again and this time stronger than before. He fell to his knees while holding his nose which seemed to be bleeding. I punched him right in the nose. He seemed to be grimacing in pain and I took the opportunity to quickly leave this place before he killed me.

"You idiot, what do I do? I'll definitely die if he catches up to me!"

I ran as fast as I could under the darkening sky, it seemed I had no other choice but to return to the house and face problems that weren't much bigger than this.

***

I swallowed hard, the house was not much different from the last time I left this afternoon. There were no crowds of people who seemed to want to swallow me alive after the chaos I caused today. I hope they don't recognize me and don't come to demand accountability.

I walked quietly and my body was still shivering from the cold. The air is quite cold and it looks like it will soon be autumn.

"Can I come in? I'm not ready to meet that fussy old grandmother again! Ah...damn it!"

"Miss Ella, is that you?"

I heard Kenneth's voice from the direction of the yard and that made me a little relieved because the first person I met was him.

"Yes, it's me!"

"Oh thank goodness!"

I heard the sound of Kenneth's footsteps walking closer. Then he opened the gate very slowly.

"Oh my gosh, what happened to you? Why do you look so messy? And what's with that dress? Where did you find it?"

"It's a long story, can I come in and change my clothes? I'm cold!"

"You can't come in now because all the family members are gathered in the living room!"

"What? Why?"

Kenneth looked back and observed his surroundings. Then took my hand and took me outside.

"Follow me!"

"Hey, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Listen, madam is currently in a very bad condition and if you go back now, she won't spare you!"

"What did I do wrong? Did he already know I went out without his knowledge?"

"Yeah, but that's just one of them!"

"What do you mean?"

"This afternoon many people came to the house and complained about what you did, Miss Ella!"

"W-what?"

"They took the dress you were wearing today and also a broken bicycle belonging to a man which they said you stole."

"I-is that so?"

This time it seemed like I couldn't avoid it, apart from the fact that I had stolen clothes from someone's clothesline and just left my dress nearby, I also took away a man's bicycle whose brakes weren't working so I almost hit a passing goat and sheep. just in the middle of the road. But what was much worse, I also fell into the lake.

"I'm relieved that you're safe. They saw you fall into a fairly deep lake and couldn't be seen again. They thought you might have drowned!"

"I'm fine!"

"How did you survive? Did a noble man save you this time?"

"Of course not! If it's just a lake like that, I've been used to swimming since I was little. It's so easy."

"Since when did you swim in the lake when you were little? You can't swim, Miss Ella!"

"What? Can't swim? I was a swimmer when I was in high school, don't joke!"

"I really don't understand what you are saying, be clear, tell me what really happened to you and how could your dress be left at someone else's house?"

Kenneth started to put his hands on his hips, I don't know how to explain it to him because in reality, I did steal.

"Okay, I confess. I stole clothes from other people's clotheslines and just left my clothes in the yard of the family's house. I completely forgot to remove traces. After that, I intended to borrow a bicycle parked on the side of the road, I didn't know that "The bike had an owner, so I just took it and it turned out the brakes failed so I couldn't control the speed and ended up falling into the lake."

The atmosphere immediately became silent after I explained what really happened. But a few seconds later, Kenneth burst out laughing.

"Hahaha...my goodness, Miss Ella! You're really very funny!" He said while giggling. Seeing him laugh so happily like that made me laugh bitterly.

"Haha..." I laughed like a loser.

"So, have you managed to meet the man you love?"

"Who do you mean, the man I love? Since when have I been interested in men?"

"You are really very cute! I mean Duke Ellios, who else? You like him so much that His Majesty King Jacob's good looks don't thrill you at all."

"Wait a minute! I've never liked anyone at all, I think you've misunderstood, Kenny!"

"What?"

"Ah never mind! I met a man in the forest, I don't know him but he seems to know me!"

***