CHAPTER 97 - AARON JADE"So, how exactly did you two meet?" Liam asked Arai, who was sipping her third glass of wine.
"Huh? You mean me and Serpent?" asked Arai.
Penelope chuckled, knowing that this was going to be a long and exciting story, and immediately poured wine into her glass. She didn't even care anymore if Arai broke the rules about not being able to reveal anyone's identity in this building.
"I and Serpent met… aah, almost ten years ago?" Arai was not sure.
So they had been friends since they were teenagers? Liam glanced at Harriet who was quietly sipping her Bloody Mary.
"Serpent beat me in the Jousting Tournament and came first," continued Arai.
"Joust–" Liam was so surprised he turned his head to Harriet. "Madam..."
Harriet smiled. She explained, "That was when I was young and rebellious. I ran away from home and entered the Jousting Tournament secretly with my identity hidden."
Liam blinked his eyes. Harriet didn't look like someone who won a jousting tournament.
"Even my brother didn't know about this until two years ago. He thought I was a perfect Lady, who never rebelled and did nothing bad at all," said Harriet.
Liam furrowed his brows with an interested smile on his lips.
"Does that mean Madam is a good horse rider?" Liam asked.
"Haven't you seen me ride a horse before?" asked Harriet.
"I never see you riding a horse, but I've seen you sitting on a horse," Liam said.
"You don't know it, Sir Wolf? Serpent is the best equestrian in the empire," said Penelope.
Arai nodded enthusiastically. "Serpent even rides better than the Emperor!"
Liam looked around him, and everyone, not just Arai and Penelope, agreed with that fact. They started telling stories about their experiences of seeing Madam Serpent compete in the Equestrian and Jousting Tournaments.
Meanwhile, the one who was the topic of the discussion was just silently watching Liam who was engrossed in listening to their stories about her.
On the other side of the party floor, a man in a blue dragon mask looked toward Harriet and Liam's group. He watched Liam attentively hearing all the stories about Harriet from her friends, especially Arai who proudly recounted the crazy experiences of her youth with Harriet.
That was when Ezekiel saw Liam suddenly turn to Harriet, and Harriet raised her hand like she wanted to whisper something to the man next to her.
Liam lowered his head, his ears levelled with Harriet's, and slowly, the handsome man's smile broadened. The man's golden eyes shone so brightly and warm, as if so alive and full of love. When Harriet had finished whispering in his ear, the two of them locked eyes, and Liam whispered something warmly back to her.
Ezekiel clicked his tongue.
He walked away from the party floor, annoyed without knowing why. Even though he had accepted that Harriet had an affair. He even wanted to be one of Harriet's side lovers as long as he could have her, even if only for one night. Oh, one night was enough–other nights could follow after the first night they had spent.
Because one night was enough for him to turn to Cecilia from Harriet.
Suddenly, Ezekiel's head felt so dizzy.
Cecilia.
Cecilia?
Why did he suddenly want to meet her?
Strange.
Ezekiel's body moved on its own. He rode his horse away from the club towards Cecilia. Where's Cecilia? He wanted to meet Cecilia now. He had to meet Cecilia. He didn't care.
His eyes were cloudy and in his head was only Cecilia. His fast-paced horse was walking down the night streets of the Capital to the residence of his beautiful lover. But when he got there, he couldn't find Cecilia.
"Ceci… where is Ceci?!" he asked Cecilia's butler.
The handsome young man who became the butler of Cecilia's residence then told him that Cecilia was having an evening prayer session in the Cathedral.
"Ugh!" The headache that Ezekiel felt was getting worse.
Cecilia, Cecilia, Cecilia!
Where is his lover? He had to find her quickly, otherwise, he knew he would go crazy.
***
Aaron Jade was walking down the cathedral steps when he saw young apprentices hiding behind large doors, peering into the main hall where the worshipers used to gather for morning prayers. He furrowed his brows.
It was quite late, and they should have closed all the doors and gone to bed so they could wake up early tomorrow.
"What is it?" he asked.
The three young apprentices immediately straightened their bodies and lined up in front of Aaron.
"Reverend Aaron, she's here again," said one of the young apprentices.
Aaron glanced into the hall and narrowed his eyes. He saw a familiar figure kneeling before a large young woman statue with a third eye on its forehead surrounded by three large spears thrust into the floor, Goddess Ayja.
The figure in front of it was wearing a translucent white hood with beautiful lace, covering her brown hair. Her hands joined with intertwined fingers in front of her lips whispering prayers, while her eyes were closed.
"Do you know that no matter how much you pray, Ayja will not forgive your sin?" asked Aaron. He was tired of all her obedient girl charades. He couldn't believe what she showed him.
"How do you know that Ayja is angry with me and doesn't want to forgive me? What if Ayja never got mad at me once?" she asked, opening her pink eyes and lowering her hands.
"Don't jest," Aaron said dryly. "I wish there was a law that would bar a woman like you from entering this holy place," he muttered.
Cecilia Morganite laughed softly.
"Reverend, it turns out that you still misunderstand me," she muttered.
"No misunderstanding." Reverend Aaron opened the hall door wide. "Get out of here now. We needed this hall for tomorrow's use and now you've soiled it."
The man was almost furious.
Cecilia narrowed her eyes. Why was it so difficult to attract the attention of this world's Second Male Lead? Yet she had done the exact same thing as the female lead, coming almost every night to pray in the cathedral halls. Why couldn't Aaron fall in love with her? Did what she did to Harriet Goldlane last year hurt Aaron that much?
But Harriet deserved it all!
"Why do you insist on siding with a murderer?" asked Cecilia.
"Murderer?" Aaron chuckled softly. "Harriet Goldlane is a devout worshiper, unlike you."
Cecilia furrowed her brows in annoyance. No one knew that Cecilia had been murdered someone before, and everyone had accepted that Harriet was a murderer last year after the rumors she spread. Why was Aaron so stubborn? Could it be that Aaron loves Harriet?
"You are the culprit. You're the one who named Madam Goldlane a murderer, even though she's far from that word." Aaron was displeased to see her, even more displeased when she dared to accuse an innocent person in front of him.
Cecilia stood up, and turned to Aaron with a sad face, showing with all her might that she felt sad for Aaron's stubbornness in denying the 'truth'. She was so sad that she had tears streaming down her beautiful, very tender face.