CHAPTER 95 - THE DUELHarriet sat alone without anyone daring to approach her. She remained calm. There really weren't many people willing to approach her after last year's events.
Liam returned to her side, carrying two glasses of Bloody Mary mocktail. Harriet furrowed her brows. She'd never liked a Bloody Mary before, but Liam didn't really know her alcohol preference. So, she accepted it.
However, everyone who knew her well, including the bartender who made the drinks looked at the two curiously. Everyone knew Harriet didn't like the taste of strong, savoury drinks, especially Bloody Marys.
Harriet sipped her Bloody Mary in the midst of everyone's gazes.
"Mm," Harriet was surprised.
Liam smiled at his wife showing an astonished look behind her mask.
"Have you never tried a Bloody Mary before?" he asked.
Harriet shook her head.
"I've tried it, but never liked it before," she explained.
The man by her side laughed in a sweet deep voice. Liam always jotted down Harriet's changes in appetite in his little notebook because he was afraid to forget it all again. He chose the Bloody Mary for that reason.
"Ah. So when you are pregnant, your taste changes?"
Harriet batted her eyes. How could she have found a magical husband who could guess her drink tastes so accurately?
"Milord, could it be that you are a psychic?" asked Harriet.
Harriet's look of awe from behind her mask made Liam blush slightly. If Harriet found out he wrote down everything about her, what would she think?
"Right, I'm a psychic," Liam replied with a seductive smile. The man's golden eyes shone with triumphant pride from Harriet's praise.
And that was why Harriet laughed.
Harriet's burst of laughter nearly silenced the party floor. Even though Liam and Harriet were sitting on one side of the room, which was quieter than the other, for some reason, everyone kept glancing at them. Harriet's change in attitude, from a perfect woman to an ordinary young woman in love, fascinated even the female guests.
Liam's presence by Harriet's side made her look more approachable, because of how much fun they were having together–with a cheerful conversation that somehow was so easy to follow.
After the events of a year ago, perhaps everyone had forgotten that Harriet was actually one of the leading noblewomen in the capital, not a heartless woman who was difficult to talk to. Just because of one rumour that spread in the capital last year…
"Hmm, so after you have a man, you forget your best friend?" A woman suddenly appeared from behind Harriet.
"Lady Tiger?" Harriet looked at her best friend, raising her eyebrows high.
Liam looked up to find a tall, plump woman with caramel-dark skin sitting on the other side of Harriet. Almost at the same time, the smile on Liam's face faded. The woman, Arai Padparadscha, clung to Harriet's side as soon as she appeared.
"You're Madam Serpent's 'ACQUAINTANCE', Sir Wolf, right? Introducing myself, I'm Lady Tiger, Madam Serpent's BEST FRIEND," said Arai confidently.
"Nice to meet you," Liam smiled emotionlessly.
Why did that woman appear when he was showing off his closeness to Harriet? The plan was to show the mysterious man Harriet was close to at tonight's party, right? Liam's eyes narrowed. Was it because Arai was a Padparadscha? Come to think of it, he had always been displeased with Padparadscha's descendants…
"It's rare to see people that can create their own world at a party like this. Don't you realize it's hard for people to come and greet you when you two are chatting alone?"
Arai's question made everyone gasp. Everyone must have realized that it was Arai with her tiger mask. They also knew Arai's temperament. However, Arai's confrontation made it sound like she was jealous of her best friend being taken over by someone else.
"Then I can have Madam Serpent for myself. Isn't that perfect?" Liam asked calmly. He took a sip of his own Bloody Mary.
"Madam Serpent is not an object!" Arai was furious.
"Madam came here with me, and she herself chose to speak only to me. At least I can have some of Madam's time for myself until you arrive and ruin it," Liam commented in an flat voice, quick and light.
"Hey!" Arai was so angry and got up from her seat, stomping her feet. "A weak man like you doesn't deserve Madam Serpent's time!"
Liam's brows twitched behind his mask.
"Fu…"
Arai and Liam immediately turned to Harriet.
The woman was holding back her almost bursting laugh, trying so hard that her shoulders seemed to be shaking.
"I'm glad… my best friend and the man I love really get along like this…" she whispered while still holding back a laugh.
Getting along?
Arai and Liam?
"What, get along?! Madam Serpent, this man does not deserve you!" Arai took off her black gloves and threw them at Liam's chest. "I challenge you to a duel! I'll prove to you that you don't even deserve to exchange greetings with Madam Serpent!"
Arai walked to the centre of the room, where all the music had stopped playing and the dancing groups had opened a place for them as soon as everyone heard Arai's challenge.
Harriet took a deep breath and stroked her temples. She turned to Liam who was grinning slyly.
"You did it on purpose, didn't you?" asked Harriet.
Liam chuckled in a low voice. He did provoke Arai after knowing her temper was so fiery. Liam stood up and took Harriet's hand. The man looked into Harriet's eyes with his golden eyes shining through his mask, then gracefully bent down, kissing the back of Harriet's fingers.
"I'll dedicate my victory to you, Madam," he said.
"Hey! You haven't won yet! Are you underestimating me?!" Arai, in the middle of the room, was getting angrier.
Harriet looked worriedly at Liam. His body hadn't fully recovered yet, though Harriet knew Liam would win. Liam had straightened himself up and turned towards the center of the party floor, where Arai was waiting.
Someone threw a sword for Arai, then for Liam. They caught the swords easily.
Arai drew her sword, letting out a sharp metallic sound. Everyone was excited and very interested in watching this show. It seems, the party became so much fun when there was drama and controlled violence. Moreover, it wasn't the first time Arai had challenged someone to a duel in the middle of a party.
As Liam drew his sword from its scabbard, the aura radiating from his body changed.
Liam's sturdy body standing in front of everyone seemed to change shape, from what he looked like before, an ordinary handsome man who could seduce the Marchioness in a forbidden love game, to a fierce warrior who could destroy any knights.
Many people didn't know about martial arts, let alone the women in the room, including Penelope Zircon. But even she and many others with no martial arts talent at all could see how intense Liam's aura was. No. It wasn't the
It made everyone feel intimidated.
Among them, Ezekiel, who was wearing his blue dragon mask, froze on the spot. He recalled the memory of that day when he received a humiliating defeat in a deserted alley in the North. The hairs on his neck stood up. He got goosebumps reimagining the situation, even though he wasn't the one standing before Liam against him right now.
Arai on the other hand was still unaware of all that. She was a fearless knight. Any kind of aura couldn't intimidate her. And that was what made Liam, for the first time since he met her, feel Arai was a girl to be commended.
Liam was happy that Harriet had a friend like her.
"Go ahead," Liam said.
Without a word, Arai jumped forward. Like a savage beast, she slashed her sword at anything that got in her way.
CLANG!
When the tip of Liam's sword clashed with the sharp side of Arai's sword, Arai immediately knew that she would lose this battle. She almost gasped and froze on the spot if she didn't realize she was in the middle of a duel. Liam didn't stop the swing of her sword with the side of his sword, but with his sword's sharp tip!
What Liam did required skill and precision. He had to be able to predict the flow of Arai's attacks before doing that and withstood her attacks perfectly.
But of course, Arai wasn't a knight if she gave up after her first attack. She swung her sword back in a low movement, and Liam did the same again.
CLANG!