Chapter 50

“I CANNOT believe that you will be married after two months of me getting married,” Lady Rebecca Dragomir, the 8th Duchess of Belikov, was smiling.
She was looking at the new Marchioness of Kain, Lady Emily Hassildor. Emily was smiling weakly at her best friend as Becca was smiling happily at Emily’s union with Ian.
If only she knew what I was bargaining with the marquis, Emily mused before she was looking at her husband who was talking with Becca’s husband, Niklaus Dragomir, the 8th Duke of Belikov.
“So, do you want to tell me how he proposed?” Becca asked Emily before she sighed.
He didn’t, she mused before Emily was smiling at her best friend. Becca was waiting for her answer.
“Well, we sort of met at a ball,” she started, as Becca was nodding at her.
“Yes, and then?” Becca asked before Emily felt that her face was hot. Emily remembered the details that happened in the garden before the young queen caught them in an inappropriate act. Emily was looking at Becca before she shook her head.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said as Becca was pouting at her.
“Oh, come on, Emmy! I want to know the details,” she said before Ian came to her rescue. For once, she was thankful to her new husband as she was smiling at her.
“May I have this dance with my wife, duchess?” Ian asked Emily before he offered his hand to her. Emily looked at it before she took his hand and they were off to the dance floor.

THE young queen of Niapachad Island, Queen Arabella Dragomir, was looking at the lavish reception for the union of the current Marquis and Marchioness of Kain. They were dancing on the floor before the Earl of Raine was running away from the dance floor.
Arabella was arching her eyebrows before she turned on her super from sensitive hearing as she was blocking out the noise that she was trying to catch on the earl’s harsh breaths.
“No, wait! Please, come back!” He said as Arabella was hearing it while she was sipping on her blood-laced wine. Then, Aiden was clearing his throat.
“What are you doing, my love?” Aiden asked Arabella before the young queen turned to look at her husband over her shoulder.
“Why? Do you want to get involved with my next matchmaking plan, my love?” Arabella said as she was smirking at Aiden. The prince consort sighed before he put his hand on his wife’s waist.
“Who are you targeting next?” Aiden asked as Arabella was sipping on the wine. Then, the prince consort took her wine and sipped it as well.
“Hmm, maybe someone from the coastal city?” She said as Aiden was smirking.
“Really? The Earl of Raine? He was one of the most stubborn lords in the Higher Court,” Aiden said as Arabella was turning to put her hand on his hard chest. She smirked.
“I would not be so sure, my love,” she said as she was trying to listen to the conversation that, Earl was having with someone, but she was lost in the conversation now.
“Damnation,” she said as she was sighing. Aiden arched his eyebrows at her.
“We’ll see at the nearest time of this new matchmaking that you’re planning. Do not fret, my love,” Aiden said as Arabella was sipping on the wine before she looked at the marquis who was dancing with his new marchioness on the dance floor.
“I sure hope so, my love,” Arabella said as she was looking at the lavish party below.

IAN was leading his wife to the dance floor as he was gripping Emily’s hand in his. He was smiling before he pulled Emily to stand in front of him as he was putting his other hand on her waist.
“You look worried, my dear. What’s on your mind?” Ian asked his wife as Emily was glaring at him.
“Nothing is on my mind, my lord. I am merely happy for our union,” Emily lied through her teeth as Ian chuckled at her.
“Are you sure that you’re happy? Your venomous sweet voice told me otherwise,” Ian said as they were waltzing around as he was twirling his new wife to music.
“What do you think, my lord?” Emily asked him before Ian sighed.
“You know you can call me Ian, right?” He asked Emily as the young woman was turning her head to the side.
“I don’t want to. Not after you lied to me,” she said as she snapped her brown orbs at Ian. He smirked before he was spinning her.
Suddenly, her back was to his hard chest. Emily gasped before Ian whispered into her ear. His hot breaths were tinkling with her nape.
“But you lied to me as well. I think it’s fair,” he said before Emily moved out of their embrace. She turned to glare at Ian as the marquis just smiled at her.
“But of course, you lied to me has much more impact in our polite society. Trying to disguise you’re a maid when you’re a lady. That’s like going against the destiny of your family’s roots, my dear,” Ian said.
Emily was looking at him. He did not expect that Emily was staring at him. And her eyes were brimming with tears. Ian panicked when he saw it, but he kept his cool expression, not wanting Emmy to think otherwise.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, my lord. Sure, I am born of the gentry but I have lived a horrible life without anyone to call them my family,” Emily whispered before Ian was leaning against her.
“I am your family now,” he said as Emily smiled weakly.
“But will it be enough?” She said before the music ended and they were bowing at each other.
Ian wanted to talk to her again before Emily ran away from him as she exited the dance floor as soon as possible. She turned to look at him before she was amongst the crowd.
“Well, that was a nice view on my side,” Niklaus said as he was sipping on the wine. Ian rolled his eyes before he was looking at the duke. Then, he noticed that Thomas Rambova, the Earl of Raine, was not with them.
“Where’s Tom? I thought I saw him earlier,” Ian asked Niklaus before he took a glass from the passing servant as Niklaus was chuckling.
“He was…rather engaged with something,” he said before Ian was arching his eyebrow.
“More like someone,” Niklaus smirked before he was looking at the balcony above. Ian turned as well and saw the young queen with her consort looking around.
“I think something sinister is in the making after all,” he said, as Ian turned to look at the duke.
“I think so too, my friend,” Ian replied before he was sipping on the wine.
“I think so too,”

AFTER that dance that she shared with Ian, Emily thought that she would faint of anxiety that would come creeping from her. She fled the spotlight before she was drowning in the wine that was being served.
“Emily? What are you doing? You need to go back inside,” Becca said as she spotted her best friend coming to her. Emily smiled before she was hiccupping, an after-effect of having too much wine.
“Hey,” she slurred.
“It’s the Duchess of Belikov, my best friend,” she said before a hiccup slipped out of her mouth. Becca was shaking her head before she was helping Emily to stand on her two feet.
“Come on, let’s find your husband,” Becca said before Emily tilted her head.
“Husband? I don’t have a husband,” she said before Becca sighed. Then, she spotted the familiar blonde locks as well as the black silken hair.
“There you are,” Becca said as Emily was swaying on her feet when Niklaus and Ian were greeting them. They were looking at the duchess as well as Emily before Ian took Emily into his arms.
“What is she drowning in?” Ian asked before Emily looked at him. She smiled before she leaned closer to him.
“Hey! I know you. You’re that lord who was supposed to be my master,” Emily said before she giggled as a snort was coming out of her mouth.
Yup, her tutors would be rolling in their sleep.
Ian chuckled when she was looking at him again. She glared as she furrowed her eyebrows together.
“What’s so funny?” She asked Ian before her husband shook his head.
“Nothing, my dear, nothing at all,” Ian replied before the duke was clearing his throat.
“I think we had better get going. The sun is almost up,” Niklaus stated as Ian was nodding at him. Emily was arching her eyebrows before she saw that her best friend was holding Niklaus’ hand.
“Hey! Aren’t you having a scandal with an opera singer?” Emily said out loud, which made some of the crowd gasp.
Becca looked at her friend before she turned to look at Niklaus. The couple smiled.
“The past is in the past now,” Niklaus said before Emily furrowed her eyebrows again. Despite everything, before she could do anything, she was moving forward before blackness claimed her.

BEFORE his wife could hit the floor, Ian was there to keep Emily in his hands. She was hiccupping before he scooped her into his arms. He turned to look at his best friend as well as his wife, who were staring at his public display of affection.
In polite society, it was forbidden to do so, but what the hell? It was his wedding reception after all.
“I apologize for my wife’s words. She was drunk and I think I left her long enough that she sought the drinks,” Ian said before Lady Rebecca smiled.
“Do not worry about it, Ian. I think Emmy was trying to express the feelings that she’s been holding for so long. I do sure tell her that I don’t think I would be good enough for Nick but it turns out I am just well-fitted for him,” the duchess said before Niklaus smiled at his wife.
“As for you, Ian,” Niklaus said as he turned his blue orbs on Ian’s wife, his Demon rose to fight for his claim on Emily until Niklaus was chuckling at his reaction. Perhaps his best friend can see the obsidian in his eyes right now, but the duke did not say anything about it.
“Anyway, I wish all the best for you, Ian,” he said before putting his hand on his duchess’ waist as they walked out of his townhouse to go back to their Belikov Estate in the capital. Ian looked at his unconscious wife as he sighed.
What am I to do with you, Emmy? He mused before a smile was plastered on his mouth. It had been a long time since he pulled a smile just for no reason.