"Mrs. Luana Lueic."

Luana raised her head. Finding Rey putting a tie around his neck, the man spoke at a volume that Luana could clearly hear.


"What?"

Rey turned around.

"Mrs. Luana Lueic," he repeated. "If anyone asks your name, you are now Mrs. Luana Lueic. Never mention your last name again, or people will think you're rude."


Luana swallowed. Rey came out of the bathroom a few minutes ago, already wearing a navy blue shirt suit that somehow clung beautifully to his body. It was as if the man's well-proportioned and well-built body was well-covered while hiding his firm chest.

Luana herself was still sitting on the edge of the bed, not moving an inch. While Rey disappeared to clean up, the woman was lost in the centre of her mind.


Thinking about what she should do next. Thinking about how she should behave later. Thinking about who she would meet at the dinner. Even wondering if Rey would be willing to be around her during the dinner.

Rey seemed to have finished with his tie, which was now neatly fastened. A suit of the same colour was also draped over the sofa, with the hanger hanging from the top.

"Uhm, that..." Luana tried to make a sound. Squeezing her fingers, which seemed to have become her daily hobby. "What if I stay? What if I don't come?"

It took a lot of courage to say those words when her heart was beating so fast. Worried that Rey would get angry, or explode with emotion. And sure enough, Rey immediately turned to face Luana despite their distance.

"You want to tarnish my good name?" he snarled. His bead glared at Luana, with his hands already clasped around his waist. "How can any respectable nobleman leave his wife at a banquet unless she's lame, huh?"

Luana took a breath. Her shoulders sagged, looking down at the ankle-length hem of her dress. Rey was absolutely right. It would be rude and unkind now that Rey had announced that he had just gotten married.

Although he should have married Beatrice Collins, not Luana Casavia.

Luana pursed her lips as tightly as she could. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her heart to have enough strength to attend and mingle among the elite later. Now, she was grateful that she had accompanied Beatrice when she took her nobility class a few years ago, making a servant's daughter like Luana listen to the class with sparkling eyes.

At least she knew how to eat and drink elegantly, knew how to sit, knew how to laugh in theory. She had never practised it on occasion, and it seemed that this banquet would require Luana to remember those theories.

Rey moved. Strolling towards the sofa to reach and put on his suit, the man already looked even more handsome now. He had neatly combed hair and a thin beard left around his chin that only added to the masculine impression.

The room's smell was a mix of Rey's perfume and the air freshener, which made Luana instantly memorise Rey's scent even though the marriage had only been a few hours.

"Are you still sitting?" Rey's voice broke the silence, making Luana flinch and reflexively turn her head. "Come on. We'll be late because you daydream."

Luana cursed inwardly. She had been ready there all along, but who had been in the bathroom for so long? And now he was blaming her for daydreaming? Hey, she wasn't daydreaming. She was thinking!

Luana got up. Shaking out her dress, she hissed.

"I wasn't daydreaming," she denied. "I was thinking about how not to embarrass you in there, and you keep accusing me of nonsense," she sprayed again.

Rey grinned.

"So move a little faster," he sneered again. "Just like a slug."

Snail? What did he say? Snails?

Luana exhaled. She really didn't understand why this man's moods seemed to change, even though they had gotten along quite well while exploring Konmarkt. But now, she couldn't stop blaming him and making it seem like everything was because of Luana.

"Oh my," Luana sighed. "You really are," she hissed in annoyance.

Lifting her dress to her knees, Luana moved to slide her feet into the three-centimetre heels Mare had prepared. They were jet-black heels with golden accents, studded with gems on the front.

Swallowing her frustration whole, Luana walked quickly until she stopped beside Rey, still wearing a smug expression.

"Come on!" Luana repeated. "We'll be late because of you!"

Her consciousness had already evaporated, though she knew a servant should likely not speak in a high tone to the nobles. But for Rey, it seemed like an exception.

Rey looked at the back of Luana, who walked ahead of him. The floral fragrance wafting from the woman's mane tickled Rey's sense of smell as the man now linked two hands behind his waist.

Observing how Luana stomped her feet as she reached for the doorknob of their room, Rey unconsciously pinned on a faint smile. Luana's dress moved with the swaying of the wearer's body, and Rey was momentarily taken aback by it all.

Why did that dress and shoes seem... so perfect for her?

***

The dinner was held by one of Rey's business partners, Walmart Corp. Rey had thought about absenting himself, as it was the same schedule as his wedding with Beatrice. But when Rey asked if his fiancée would mind a honeymoon in Heidelberg, Beatrice shook her head and gave him the sweetest smile.

She said they could go to the dinner and make their first appearance in front of business and royalty. With the legal status of husband and wife, of course. Rey's heart warmed when Beatrice seemed so supportive of his company, and he thought that marrying Beatrice Collins was the best decision he could have made in his entire life.

But all that was lost was an illusion. Because Beatrice wasn't there, and she had dumped Rey with no mercy.

Luana walked beside Rey as he entered the hotel's grand ballroom. The glow of the lights set up in all directions made her squint; not used to this kind of atmosphere. She was by Rey's side, and before she knew it, he was joined by several business colleagues who looked older.

Luana's beady eyes circled, and Jovi was found standing guard in one corner of the room with his body erect. Mare wasn't there, so it seemed she would have to be able to carry herself and mingle with these important people.

Luana walked over to the rows of drinks and food neatly arranged on various long tables, selecting a refreshing-looking glass of orange juice. Holding the clear glass in her right hand, Luana took a few steps back. Not realising that a strand of cable was sticking out, she almost tripped over her heels.

It felt so fast now that someone was pulling her hand and helping her to stay upright. Luana's eyes widened as she found herself in the arms of a stranger.

Their gazes met, and Luana could only see the dusky eyeballs glaring at her intensely. The man smiled, not yet releasing Luana from his embrace.

"Are you all right, Miss?"