Chapter 27 – Cinderella (1)

‘What is this? Is he going to invite these people or not?’

Pon returned to the office just as she was pondering these questions. “Madam, what brings you all the way down here?”

She startled. “Oh. I wanted to reconsider the guest list I gave you earlier.”

“Here it is.” He removed her blank list from beneath the duke’s and passed it to her.

“Pon.”

“Yes, Madam?”

“Is this other list Alexcent’s?” The butler confirmed that it was. “Then, why is most of it crossed out?”

“His Highness decided not to invite them to the wedding.”

Amethyst blinked, surprised. “Why?”

“Sorry?”

“Why isn’t he inviting them?”

“I am not sure, Madam. But if you have anyone else you would like to invite, please feel free to add to them to your guest list.”

If Alexcent wasn’t inviting others, then Amethyst didn’t need to either. She felt the tension unravel from her shoulders and smiled.

“On second thought, I think this will be just fine.”

She passed the blank list back to Pon and strode out of his office.

That night, Amethyst lay wide awake in her bed, unable to sleep as thoughts tumbled over each other in her head. ‘Was he being considerate towards me? No, that’s ridiculous.’ But in her mind she saw again those thick lines striking the names off his guest list.

She tried to forget it and go to sleep, but rest eluded her. Thinking back, even in her old world she’d had trouble sleeping as her wedding approached. There had been many a restless night. Eventually she gave up completely and got up, picking up her gown and leaving the bedroom.

The corridor was quiet; everyone else was asleep. Lights lit the corridor at regular intervals. She peered out of each window as she passed. The stars glittered in the night sky, and clouds drifted in front of the moon like a fluttering veil.

She stopped. There was a light leaking out of a cracked door. That was the duke’s office.

‘What is he doing up at this hour?’

Perhaps it was just curiosity, or the strange melancholy that hung over her, but she found herself knocking on the door. The reply came a moment later:

“Come in.”

Amethyst grasped the handle and pushed the door to Alexcent’s office. The duke was at his desk, reading something by the light of a lamp. He didn’t look up as she entered.

“What are you doing up so late?” she asked.

His head jerked up at the sound of a female voice. He raised his eyebrows at Amethyst, having been expecting Pon or some other servant to be bothering him at this hour. Not his future wife.

“I could ask the same of you,” he countered.

“Taking a walk,” she said.

“At this hour?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Amethyst sighed. “I can’t seem to fall asleep. I was just walking around and saw that the lights in here were still on.”

“Well, I’m…” The duke gestured to the documents on his desk. “As you can see.”

As Alexcent replied curtly, Amethyst turned to look around at his surroundings. Every inch of the surface of his desk was covered in documents.

“People might think you are the only working member of the empire.”

“Precisely.”

‘Pfft. Seriously this guy. Wouldn’t know sarcasm if it bit him in the face.’

Looking around, she realized that before she intruded, Alexcent must have been really busy; he picked up a pen and resumed working on his document, writing something intently.

Scribble. Scribble.

She found the sound of pen against paper strangely soothing.

“I won’t disturb you, I promise. Can I stay here for a little while?”

Alexcent looked up at her blankly not saying anything at all.

“I just can’t fall asleep. It’s quiet in there…and weirdly enough, I find the sound of you writing so comforting. Please.”

“What do you-? Oh, Alright. Do as you please.” He sighed and gave in eventually. Amethyst, eagerly took her place on the sofa opposite him.

In the silence, only the sound of his pen could be heard as he scribbled and occasionally crossed something out. After quietly listening to it for some time, Amethyst was reminded of something that she wanted desperately to share with him, even at the risk of breaking her promise to not disturb him.

“It’s like Cinderella.”

“Cin…what?” Alexcent’s hand did not stop, nor did he look up at her, but he still replied.

‘Yes, Cinderella. Who was fatigued both in body and mind for 11 years.

Perhaps it was with the help of a fairy or god she fell into this world, was coincidentally invited to the royal wedding, met a duke and got married to him—a contract marriage.’

“Mmm…It’s a book that I read when I was young. About a young girl, who lived in suffering for a long time but eventually with the help of a fairy godmother, she manages to go to a Royal ball, where she meets a handsome duke who falls in love with her at first sight. Even as the ball comes to an end, the duke, unable to forget the beautiful Cinderella, turns the entire village upside down in search of her, and eventually finds her and marries her. A typical fairy tale, isn’t it?”

“So… let me get this straight. You are referring to yourself as that Cinderella?” he asked rather quizzically, raising an eyebrow but not looking up from the documents.

“Well, don’t you think this is a similar situation?”

“Absolutely not.” He declared firmly, finally looking up at her.