Chapter 3 3

Our wedding celebration was coming up fast. Several maids were busy dressing me up in my room. One focused on my hair, another on my makeup, another set the jewelry on my dress, and two other maids took care of my clear, slightly long fingernails.

A jeweled necklace was soon placed around my neck. My skin then felt the cold tiara attached.

"Wow! You look very beautiful!"

"Like a Goddess who descended from heaven!"

I opened my eyes and smiled with satisfaction at my appearance in the mirror. "You guys really did a great job dressing me up! I really like it!" I praised.

Melly and the other maids were all smiles. "Thank you, ma'am!" They said in unison. I was surprised they were so united. Seeing their beaming faces after receiving my compliments made me think of complimenting them more often.

Okay .....

It's time to compete with those guys!

I got up. Moving to the other side just to see my entire appearance through the standing mirror.

"Where's Alaric now?" I asked. Before entering the event room, the two of us had to walk together as the main characters in this party to greet them. It was also useful to show the harmony of our relationship in public. Although now it was just a mask.

"Master has finished dressing up, and he went outside. Probably doing his rounds now," Melly replied.

I lifted both corners of my lips, making a line of cheeky smiles and haughty glances. My appearance looked absolutely perfect. A fiery red dress with a flared skirt, a narrow waist that made my waist look slim and small, a slightly low cleavage with open shoulders. A pearl necklace fills my white neck, giving a sense of elegance with my brown hair rolled up to reveal the full length of my neck. A pair of diamond earrings dangled from my ears.

In the mirror, I really looked very charming and confident.

"I'll go look for him myself," I said. Stepping outside the room, the maids behind me bowed their bodies obediently.

I wandered down a long hallway with several room doors. The first step was to meet her in her room. I couldn't just walk in, but if I knocked on her door, that was fine.

After three knocks, I waited without any response from inside. It made me think Alaric wasn't in his room. So I turned around. Suddenly, someone's voice from inside stopped me in my tracks. My heels turned back to the door.

I thought it was my husband. Although his voice didn't clearly say what, it encouraged me to touch the door knob and turn it slowly. I was just curious and peeked through the gap just to see what was inside.

I saw her looking at an open wooden box. My eyes were mesmerized by the contents of the box. It was a necklace with blue gemstones as bright as the spring sky!

Not wanting to make her feel discovered, I closed the door very quietly. Then smiled an inarticulate smile. Thinking that the necklace would be a present for me.

But, wait a minute.

I felt something strange.

This moment didn't exist in my past memories. I should have been the one looking for him, finding Alaric on the balcony. Not seeing him staring at the blue gem in the box!

***

The double doors opened wide. I clung to Alaric's arm. Then we stepped forward together, and immediately the dazzling light hit my eyes. Our slightly spacious hall seemed to be full of the presence of high-class guests.

"Woah, look at her, she looks so beautiful! Her husband looks so handsome too!"

"They're like a prince and princess couple."

"Madame Vivian's appearance is stunning. If she wasn't already married, I'm sure with her looks, she'd be getting a lot of proposal letters!"

"Mr. Alaric is lucky to have such a beautiful wife!"

"Ah, I'm really jealous!"

"Her figure is unrivaled out of all the women in this room!"

All eyes were on the two of us. We greeted a few guests, until a couple approached us.

"Alaric, Vivian. Congratulations on your second marriage. I hope you stay together until you grow old like us," said my father-in-law kindly. His name is Mr. Matteo.

I smiled formally. Then glanced at the woman beside her. She was my mother-in-law, Mrs. Nia. "You look very beautiful, Vivian! Alaric, you're lucky to have a wife as beautiful as Vivian!"

My little plan to make them marvel at me had worked.

"Ah, brother and sister-in-law look like a very good match!" Nunally's voice suddenly joined us.

"Congratulations on your second year of marriage, brother and sister-in-law!" Nunally said, and then she handed me a banded gift. Ah, I already know what it is.

"Here's a little gift from me. I hope you'll accept it," the girl said. I took over the small-sized gift. I opened the ribbon and looked at the contents.

"It's the best tea from the other side. It's very difficult to get in the kingdom. I bought it from my friend who is a merchant. It's famous everywhere because it's good for health and keeps the user young!" Nunally said enthusiastically.

But my forehead wrinkled in offense. Was she mocking me for aging faster?

I exhaled calmly. "Thank you for the tea leaves, Nunally. You're very considerate of your sister," I said.

This tea .... It was this tea that marked the beginning of the end of my life.

At tea time with Nunally, I served this tea to drink together for the first time. Then I unexpectedly made Nunally vomit blood ..... while I didn't! Haha! How ridiculous! Even though I was also drinking the same tea at the time!

My first step was successfully passed. No drama from my mother-in-law's mouth who was as spicy as a chili in a dead garden.

"Honey, I'm going to go say hi to my friends on the second floor," Alaric said, putting his lips to my ear. I nodded.

Then he walked forward, and my gaze instantly caught the way the back of Alaric's hand brushed the back of Nunally's as he walked past her.

I grinned. It was a sign for Nunally to follow him away. Then just as I expected, the girl turned to leave us. She followed in Alaric's footsteps.

Damn these two right!

"Oh yeah, Vivian, I heard from Alaric that the Avex president's grandson was also invited, is he coming or just a representative?" The voice of my mother-in-law asking me, made my focus on their backs, immediately dispersed.

"Ah, I haven't heard that, mom. Maybe his representative will come. I'll look for him. Please enjoy the party, father, mother." I excused myself politely.

I walked slowly down the long, deserted corridor. I faintly heard the sound of someone speaking. Alaric's voice was there.

I was curious. My curiosity was high. That led me to the source of the voice, which was between one of the corridor doors. The closer I got to the white door, the clearer the voice became to my ears, whether because of the quiet atmosphere or what.

My eyes on my door soon realized that it wasn't really closed!

I tried to open it slightly, and Alaric's voice could actually be heard from this room. I frowned for a moment when Nunally's voice also spoke.

***