Chapter 22
***
After sending the letter, Aubrey began to eat. She didn't know if Khaled Karnus would agree to meet her, but she needed to regain her strength just in case. She didn't want to break down in tears and sobs and not be able to talk anymore. Two days later. She returned to her room after lunch with Boris and received some unexpected news.
"The Count of Lavonne's secretary has just come to deliver a letter, my lady."
Trin swallowed hard the sigh that kept escaping her. It was one thing for Aubrey to seek out the Count of Lavonne, but to add insult to injury, he had sent his personal secretary to deliver a letter.
This could only mean that the two of them had a reason to communicate in secret, away from the prying eyes of others. Trin crossed her fingers that it wasn't what she thought it was. Because if it was, she'd be kicked out of the manor the day Emily found out.
Aubrey stared at the letter envelope, which bore a different coat of arms than the Karnus', a sharp spear slicing through the picture of his initials as if it were cutting through something.
Three snakes with mottled patterns climbed the spear. The coat of arms, which would probably have been created by the Count of Lavonne, was somehow eerie. Aubrey took a deep breath, then pulled out the letter and read it.
[Dear Miss Aubrey Sandalwood of the Manor of Ravant. Your letter was well received, and I'm a bit puzzled by the unexpectedness of your call. I'm not sure what you're asking to see me about, but it sounds like it's quite urgent, so I'm asking if we could arrange to meet this Thursday at two in the afternoon. If you don't have any objections, I'll meet you at the location listed below without further ado.]
Below that was the address of a café in the square and his signature.
"What did he say?"
Trin asked, and Aubrey hastily folded the letter and shoved it into her desk drawer.
"He wants to meet this Thursday at two o'clock."
"You're finally meeting."
"What?"
Trin mumbled, and finally gave up the fight and sank to her knees.
"Trin, what are you doing, get up!"
"Lady. Please, tell me the truth. What do you have to do with Count Lavonne, and it's not what I think it is, is it?"
Trin stared up at her, her eyes blurry with tears.
"What the......."
"I've told you before, Count Lavonne is a no-no. Why don't you turn your heart to Master Nicholas instead? I'm begging you, you really can't see you going wrong, please, young lady......."
Aubrey, finally realizing Trin's misunderstanding, sighed deeply and helped her to her feet.
"It's not like that, Trin."
The sobbing Trin looked up at her in surprise. Her dazed, innocent face was adorable, and Aubrey smiled.
"I'm not like that with Count Lavonne, no way, I just have a question to ask and no ulterior motives."
"Are you sure?"
"Sure."
"Then why are you trying to see him in private, out of everyone’s sight? You told me to send the letter without the Countess’s knowledge. I had a hell of a time convincing that damned mailman to do that......."
"I'm so sorry about that, but I didn't tell her because I was afraid that if my aunt knew, she'd have the same concerns as you,Trin."
Aubrey patted her on the shoulder and spoke firmly.
"It'll all be over when I see him on Thursday anyway, and I'll never ask you to do this again, so rest assured."
"Lady......."
Trin cried at how close she'd come, and how it would never happen again. Aubrey gently wrapped her arms around Trin and patted her back as she sobbed, telling her that every night she dreamed of Miss Emily pulling and pinching her hair.
"You were really kicked out. Oh, I know it's just in my dreams, but how sad I was......."
"That's not going to happen."
It really wasn't going to happen. If she’s ever going to leave the Ravant Manor, Aubrey thought, it's going to be on her own two feet, not by being kicked out.
* * *
Luckily, every Thursday there was a ladies' tea at the Ravant mansion. Aubrey's outings were easy, since all Emily ever did was imitate Boris and the ladies in the garden, drinking juice, or holed up in the library reading.
"You must have a good memory of your last outing, then, if that's what it takes to cheer you up."
Barbara readily agreed to let her go out. She even gave her some money to buy some clothes and jewelry.
"I don't know why I'm nervous."
Trin, who had agreed to accompany her, fumbled with the buttons of her new black suit.
"You're not going to tell me something bad, are you?"
Aubrey only laughed at the question, but she fiddled with the sleeves of her purple dress as Trin buttoned them. Ever since Khaled had sent her his reply, she'd been fantasizing about meeting him.
She'd even imitated Emily to practice speaking without the slightest tremor. She would sit with her back straight, stare straight ahead, and tease her full lips as she did. While she fidgeted, the carriage pulled into the Place de la Mabelle.
After passing a large fountain, the carriage stopped on a street lined with shops. The Borno Café. That was where Khaled Karnus would be. Aubrey eyed the emerald sign a short distance away and stepped out of the carriage.
"Miss, take care of yourself, yes?"
"Okay. I'm at that sweet shop we went to last time, I'll be there in a minute."
"Why don't I just go with you? I'm pretty good at keeping my mouth shut......."
Trin’s face was stained with worry, and she looked like she might jump out of the carriage at any moment. Aubrey smiled sweetly, telling her not to worry. As the carriage with Trin turned toward the sweet shop, Aubrey took a deep breath. She took a deep, chest-puffing breath, exhaled, and started walking.
Her clunky stilettos clicked as she made her way to the Café. The cafe was made of glass windows that let her see right through. Aubrey stood in front of it, but there was no one to be seen except for an employee untangling the curtains. She cautiously pushed the door open.
"Hello......."
"Are you Miss Aubrey Sandalwood?"
He asked as if he'd been waiting. He didn't look like an employee now. He wore navy blue pants, a black university coat, and a blue tie. His neatly combed blond hair gave him an urban look.
"Yes, I'm Aubrey Sandalwood."
"He’s waiting for you inside."
He ushered her inside without another question, as if he'd known she'd come. The café was eerily quiet, devoid of customers. The white tile-like floor was so clean it squeaked when rubbed.
There was a purple false wall in the corner of the cafe, with a passageway through it. The man stood in front of it and bowed low. Aubrey, also bowed, cautiously stepped into it. Khaled Karnus was there.
"You're late, Miss Sandalwood."
He was dressed in a white shirt and gray vest. Somehow, it made him look even bigger than when he was in full regalia. And his shirt collar was slightly undone. His hair, which he wore neatly at every meeting, was a little disheveled. The ashtray in front of him contained a cigar that he hadn't smoked in quite some time.
"Sorry, I'm a little late, I had to ask my aunt for permission."
He nodded knowingly. Sitting across from him, Aubrey took a slow breath. The scene she'd imagined so many times had finally come true, and it didn't feel good.
"So, how have you been?"
Those were the first words out of her mouth. It was her own strategy to ease the tension by starting with a casual greeting, but it didn't work.
"Don't go around in circles, get to the point."
It didn't work for him.
"It's just the two of us anyway."
It sounded like he was purposely emptying the place. Aubrey looked up in surprise and saw him leaning back against the backrest.
"If you're going to write to me to ask to meet in private, I don't think it's something anyone else should hear. Don't you think so?"
Aubrey lowered her eyes, gathered her thoughts, pressed her lips together, and looked up. She imagined Emily treating others with a sense of entitlement.
"What do you want?"
"What?"
Khaled narrowed his brow.
"You asked if I had repaid my benefactor, so I requested a meeting to do so. What do you want?"
"Ha."
He let out an exhilarated sigh. Then he ran a hand through his hair. That's how his hair got disheveled, Aubrey thought.
"If I tell you what I want, will you listen?"
"......I'll do my best, so I want you to tell me what I can give you."
His gaze swept over her face, frowning, then dropped to her chest. Aubrey bowed down, flustered.
"Again, tell me what I can do for you."
"You can't give me your body."
"What are you talking about......!"
Aubrey's temper flared, but she managed to control herself. She didn't want to look ugly in front of this man anymore. Whether that meant tears or a red-faced scream.
"I'm sorry, I'm not interested."
The answer was monotonous, and the slowness of it drove Aubrey crazy. It was like he was holding her neck in his big hands, squeezing and unclenching slowly.
"Tell me. You have to tell me today."
"Why?"
"Then what the hell am I supposed to do, you said you weren't going to tell anything, why the hell did you bring up that damn island, you said you weren't going to tell, and you didn't keep your word, and you can't look so nonchalant about it that like you can see through a person......!"
Her words got faster and faster, and by the end she was choking up. Aubrey mumbled something about not doing this and closed her eyes. Her thin eyelids fluttered shut. Khaled was watching the whole thing with interest.
"Is it my fault you're restless?"
The heavy voice snaked through her closed eyelids. Aubrey opened her eyes slowly. By now he had a lit cigar in his mouth. Blowing out a breath stained with white smoke, he spoke.
"You're to blame."
"......."
"So why are you lying?”
She told herself not to falter. Her hands under the table clenched harshly at the hem of her dress. Khaled smiled, as if he could see it. Then he raised himself from his languid recline. His large body moved closer. The table creaked and slid away.
"You told me you’d give me what I wanted."
Aubrey didn't avert her eyes from his face. She stared at him, wide-eyed. Her heart pounded like it was going to explode. The cool corners of his mouth formed a slight arc. She didn't know what words would come from those lips. Aubrey was about to pull back when she couldn't take it anymore.
"I want you to go away."
"......."
"You’re annoying."
His voice was like a sharp arrow. It pierced her heart, cutting through it mercilessly. But instead of being overwhelmed with shock, Aubrey steadied her breathing.
"That won't do."
She didn't want to be swayed by him anymore.
***
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