Seeing me motionless and red as a beet, Nadir seemed to realize the effect of his own words, and he returned the necklace he’d been holding to the table.
Awkward. Why did he stop?
He fiddled with the jewelry laid out on the table, furrowing his brow.
“You probably haven’t seen many luxurious items like these,” he said. “Enjoy them while you can.”
“Ah! I knew it!” I exclaimed. “I knew you were that kind of man!”
How stupid of me to get butterflies!
Seemingly amused by my indignation, Nadir chose an accessory, and called a handmaiden over.
I hadn’t noticed, but apparently she’d been waiting in the corner of the room the whole time. Thank goodness! That meant she’d be the one to help me dress, of course! Not Nadir!
Sighing in relief, I watched as Nadir spoke to the handmaiden. “Bring me several suitable pairs of shoes to match this dress and jewelry,” he told her.
“Yes, my lord,” she replied, hurriedly walking out of the room.
I wasn’t wearing the dress. No makeup. My hair wasn’t styled. Shoes still needed to be picked out, and most likely Nadir, who was still in my chambers, would be the one to do it.
It was going to be a long, long day before the party.
✦ ✦ ✦
Just getting ready for the soiree had me exhausted.
“Why does it have to take so long?” I lamented.
“That’s my problem, not yours, no?” Nadir retorted.
Well, yes. He was paying for everything, so it was indeed his problem.
“We’re not even at the event yet,” he admonished me. “Pull yourself together.”
“I know, I know!” It wouldn’t do for me to not pull myself together if I was attending a party as his pretend fiancée. I psyched myself up, telling him, “I’ve got this! You’re getting your money’s worth!”
“How reassuring,” he replied with a soft chuckle.
I stared at him in shock.
“Why are you stunned all of a sudden?” he asked.
“I mean, you just... That was a genuine laugh just now.” Before now, I’d only ever seen him smirk, either maliciously or sarcastically. Seeing an actual smile on his face had taken me by surprise. He looked like an ordinary, amiable gentleman.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” he snapped, his usual scowl immediately returning to his features.
“I’m just relieved to see you’re human after all.”
“And what did you think I was?”
“The king of all demons.”
“Hey!”
Nadir and I continued to banter on our way down the corridor toward the venue, until finally we reached the doors. We exchanged a glance as a servant approached to let us in, nodding in mutual understanding.
Now the real challenge began.
The high-quality doors opened without so much as a creak, and we walked in, arm in arm. Several guests glanced our way, whispering among themselves. Nothing I wasn’t already expecting, so I paid them no mind.
“Hello, Nadir,” a droopy-eyed man said as he approached us. “It’s been a while.”
“It certainly has, Abel,” Nadir replied with a polite smile. “Brianna, this is an old acquaintance of mine—Abel, the son of Marquis Arande. Abel, this is Brianna, my fiancée.”
At Nadir’s prompting, I curtsied.
“It’s an honor to make your acquaintance, Lord Abel. I am Brianna, daughter of Baron Lariquel.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Lady Brianna,” the marquis’s son said, his eyes drooping even further. “I am Abel, a friend of Nadir’s.”
He seemed like a genuinely nice person. Hard to believe he was friends with Nadir of all people.
“You know,” Abel said. “When I heard you were engaged, I thought it was a joke.”
“I wouldn’t announce something like that as a joke,” Nadir assured him.
“Oh? Then would you tell me how your love story goes?”
Love story? There was no story, let alone one involving love. I wished he’d asked how we’d met, or something.
Nadir signaled to me with his eyes, so I began talking. “Lord Nadir and I met in our youth, and eventually lost touch. We’ve recently reconnected, you see. He was my first love.”
It was all a bald-faced lie, of course.
Nadir had instructed me on what to say, anticipating that people would ask such questions. The full made-up story was more detailed than that, but there was no need to go into specifics at present.
Honestly, though, why was his being my first love part of this ruse? Please stop.
“Ah, I see,” Abel said, playfully elbowing Nadir’s side. “Puppy love.”
“Shush,” Nadir snapped, grimacing.
At first I’d thought they were only superficial acquaintances, but clearly their relationship ran deeper than that.
Who knew Nadir had friends? He must’ve noticed the somewhat-impressed look I was giving him, because his brows crinkled.
“Hey, Nadir,” Abel began, “go get us something to drink. I want to talk to Lady Brianna.”
Nadir glanced at me, and I gave him a reassuring nod.
“I’ll be right back, then,” he said before leaving.
Abel turned to look at me with those droopy eyes of his, and gave me a sly little grin.
“So, why don’t you tell me how you seduced your way into this betrothal, hmm?”
Oh. Turned out he was actually terrible.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I beg your pardon? Seduced?”
I did my best to seem as meek and distraught as I could. Which, considering the fact I looked anything but meek, was probably ineffective. But still, it beat doing nothing. Maybe seeing that look on my face would make him hesitate to press his attack. Perhaps there was still a chance he was a gentleman.
“He wouldn’t have spared you a glance otherwise,” Abel explained.
Rude bastard.
This not-at-all-gentlemanly jerk wanted to figure me out in Nadir’s absence, it seemed. Maybe I’ll tell Nadir when he comes back about how great it is that he has a friend who’s so concerned for his well-being, I mused. Granted, maybe the man was simply curious.
“I don’t see any positives about you at the moment,” he continued. “I wonder what he sees in you?”
What was he expecting me to do, answer that question? Protest and try to make him see my best qualities? Sadly for him, I wasn’t a narcissist. Perhaps I should’ve simply told him straight out that I didn’t care whether or not he liked me? Like, “Oh no, I’m so sorry I’m not up to your standards,” or something? Hmph!
“That would be a question better suited for Lord Nadir,” I replied.
“So, how did you do it?” he insisted. “Blackmail? Or maybe, you know, those?”
At the word “those,” he pointed at me. Specifically, at my chest. He was openly harassing me at a party, in plain view of everyone!
I told myself over and over to not let it get to me.
“I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you mean,” I said.
“Don’t play dumb with me,” Abel retorted. “You’ve been trying to cozy up to rich men this whole time, no?”
Oh no. Apparently he knew more about me than I’d thought. Indeed, I had been trying to cozy up to rich men. My family had been on the verge of financial ruin, after all.
“I’m sure that’s what it seemed like,” I offered tentatively.
“No, that’s definitely what it was.”
Damn. What a nuisance this man was turning out to be.
I looked around for Nadir. A number of nobles were surrounding him a little ways away, likely also grilling him about his relationship with me. I couldn’t count on him for help.
Now what?
“First of all, there’s the discrepancy in your social statuses,” Abel pointed out.
“Lord Nadir’s parents believe in marriage for love,” I told him.
“True love,” he emphasized.
Pest!
My smile never left my face, even as I broke into a cold sweat. I had no choice but to buy time until Nadir returned.
“What an education your parents must’ve given you,” Abel said sarcastically. “I would never have taught my daughter to cozy up to men for money.”
Oh, that is it!
Seeing all emotion vanish from my face, Abel’s smile faltered, and he mumbled a quiet, “Huh?”
I grabbed him by the collar, and he was too stunned to react.
“Say whatever you want about me,” I hissed. “Call me a prostitute, say my growth spurt all went to my chest, whatever! I’m used to it!”
“Well, I wouldn’t quite go that far—”
“But you listen here!” I cut him off. “I won’t let you speak ill of my parents, who raised me with love!”
Abel took a sharp breath.
“They might not be my birth parents, but they took me in and raised me with everything they had!” I continued. “They told me I was free to marry whomever I wanted! And so, when they went into debt, why, of course I wanted to help them! What daughter wouldn’t?! Yes, I batted my eyelashes at rich men! How else was I to settle the debt?!”
I’d thought I’d been doing just fine, but apparently, I had a lot of pent-up frustration. As I recalled how other nobles had treated me, I’d inadvertently raised my voice.
“And one more thing!” I exclaimed, shaking Abel vigorously as I looked into his shocked eyes. “This is important!”
I released his collar, and he dropped to the floor.
“I’m still a virgin!” I yelled, my voice echoing throughout the now eerily quiet venue.
Oh no.