My gaze lowered on the wooden floor. "Maybe I am. Ever since father was put to prison, I came to loathe places like this."
"Why?"
"My mother." I inhaled sharply. "She loved places like this. And I could not stand this kind of... kind of wealth." I brought my gaze up and I met his. My eyes squinted, glazed. "Anthony, who really are you?"
Silence passed between us and he turned his head sideways, avoiding my gaze. He then spoke words that brought me to my knees. "I am the Duke Regent, the high ruler of Consolacion."
Even if I did not plan to, I wept in front of Anthony. He was taken aback by my outburst and he hastily helped me to stand up. "Sydnee," he cooed and pulled me to his embrace. His arms wrapped around me and I felt the warmth he brought to my body. "Don't cry."
"You are a duke," I whispered, barely audible. My fingers curled on his chest. "How did you end up in my town disguising as my math teacher?"
He broke away from the hug and stared at my face before he said, "I'm just a replacement. My father was the one who rules Consolacion. I am his successor and I did tell you that I want to make a name by my own hardwork."
"And this place..." I gestured around. "Was the inheritance you got from the late duchess?"
He nodded and I gasped. That's why it was grand and it ranked the best restaurant of the whole Consolacion. I now understand why lords and dukes from other places flocked this place because it was built for the privilege ones.
I inhaled sharply and looked away. I wanted to say something but my mouth gaped when my stomach rumbled audibly. I noticed how Anthony stilled when he heard the sound, and seconds later, he burst out a laugh that echoed through the four corners of the room. My cheeks burned red.
"Stop laughing!" I shrieked. "I said stop!"
He raised his two hands as an act of surrender and nodded at me. But the smug smile on his lips and the tears brimmed in his eyes was enough for me to burn my temper.
"Jerk!" was all I muttered and turned away from him. I crossed my arms and huffed in annoyance.
Not long after, I felt strong arms wrapped around my waist that pulled me back. My back hit his hard chest. I gasped.
"Sorry," he mumbled and let go of me. "I was kidding. No offense meant."
I rolled my eyes heavenwards but I made my temper an excuse so he would lead me towards the dining area. I also told him that I'll dine in the corner to avoid gazes from other guests. He was hesitant but my knotted brows made him agree on my requests. I hid my smile.
At least, he was still the Anthony that I had known. But clearly, there was a fine line starting to build between us. I tried to ignore how grandeur his life was but I could not do it, not the entire time. For whenever I looked around, I saw how filthy rich his parents were. And I did realize that it was just a speck of their assets.
A low laugh was heard from the side portion of the hall. It looked like a group of sophisticated men and women were there chatting about something I could not hear quite clearly. There was a thin and vague cloth acting as a partisan between the group of people and the other portion of the hall to hide the faces of those inside. But the lights inside the partisan was enough for me to see how those men and women raised their wine glasses for a toast. I looked away.
I did notice that only two tables were occupied in the hall. The table of the group and ours.
When I looked at Anthony, he was silent. But I noticed his occasional glance at the partisan.
I cleared my throat. "You know them?"
He looked at me and shook his head. "They're the special guests my people talked about. The dukes and lords of other cities with their wives."
My eyes blinked for a few times before my face turned ashen. So I was meters away from the group of officials? I did weep in front of Anthony. How would I react to a group of them?
A hand rested on mine on the table. I looked up to see Anthony's soft gaze on me. "Just eat. Don't mind them."
I nodded and I looked down on my plate. I tried hard to ignore the murmur from the group but a familiar voice made my ears perked.
"I will live alone. Just put her anywhere she want. Don't bother to put her belongings in my manor."
It was Rogie's voice. I shot a glance at the partisan but I could not see past the thin sheet of cloth. But I knew his voice. I shook my head to ignore the idea of walking towards the partisan to peek on them.
"I don't want. Not that I have a choice with this arrangement. But don't touch Sydnee. She knows nothing of this joke."
Before I could think clearly, I found myself walking hastily towards the group. Anthony tried to stop me but it was too late for I found myself standing inside the partisan.
The group of rich and powerful people were indeed inside. The clothing and jewelries wore by the women and some girls around my age could provide me food for years. The tuxedoes and expensive watches of men and boys around my age were enough to intimidate me. But I did not care about those things. My eyes wandered around the group to seek the owner of the voice I heard earlier.
And I saw him there in the corner of the rectangular table. He was gaping at me and a girl was sitting beside him. Lisa.
It was only in that moment that I noticed the gazes of the people on me. My hand began to shook and I had to hide it in my back.
"Who is this girl?" asked a woman sitting beside a familiar man. And I blinked when I recognized the man. It was the duke that I had met years earlier. He and Dad knew each other but I did not know if he knew me too.
Before anyone could answer the woman's question, Rogie stood and strode towards me. His brows were knotted and I was not sure if it was because I annoyed him or because I stood there uninvited.
He stopped before me and held my wrist. He then tried to drag me out of that place but a man cleared his throat. "Son, don't be impulsive. Introduce this brave girl to us."
Rogie halted and looked over his shoulder. Our eyes had met. There was uncertainty in his eyes but an unfamiliar emotion danced across them. He faced the group and cleared his throat. "This is Sydnee Lurica."
I curled my hand into a fist as I felt scrutinizing gazes fell on me. There was a wave of silence hovered above us before the man who had spoken earlier clicked his tongue. If I was right, he was Rogie's father.
The man looked at me straight in the eye so I had to lower my gaze and bit my bottom lip. I regretted that I went inside this little enclosed place.
"Speak," the man said.
My insides went cold but I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry. I-I thought that I heard a familiar voice that's why I tried to peek i-inside."
"Well, you certainly went inside our place." The woman sitting beside the familiar man snickered. "What's your relationship with my godson?" she asked.
I looked at Rogie who was staring at me. It took all of me to answer without stammering. "He's my former classmate."
"Classmate," the woman whispered and nodded. But the smug smile on her lips did not go away. "You're Sydnee Lurica?"
I nodded.
The woman looked to a man in his late 40s. The man had some resemblance with Lisa so I assumed that he was Lisa's father, a duke, just like Anthony's father.
"You put Henry Lurica into prison years ago," the woman said. I blinked at her words and my body went still. She said my father's name without blinking. They knew him.