Kissing The Wind

After the commotion in the terrace, although no one talked about it during the rest of the meeting ball, Sydnee knew that she was the center of gossip in the nobles’ private chats. She could feel gazes from everyone thus she left the hall earlier.

“You haven’t enjoyed the party yet,” Aleksander said while playing with the wine glass in his hand.

Sydnee huffed and looked at the man. “Don’t follow me. Go back and enjoy the party.”

“Ah, a pity. I couldn’t enjoy it without you.” Then he winked at her.

Anthony, who was walking beside Sydnee frowned and looked at Aleksander who was  on the other side of Sydnee. “Go back, Tamarin.”

Aleksander gaped, feigning shock while staring at Anthony. “You know me?”

“Stop pestering Sydnee.”

Aleksander put his free hand on his chest and looked at Sydnee sadly. “My beloved Sydnee, I’ll go back. The man beside you is dangerous and I couldn’t win against him —”

Before Aleksander finished his words, Anthony took hold of his shoulder and threw him back on the hallway. Anthony then held Sydnee’s wrist and dragged her towards the exit of the building.

Sydnee sighed. She could not help but to look over her shoulder to check on Aleksander. Even though that man was annoying, he was still a noble. It’s not good to have another enemy.

To her surprise, Aleksander was still lying on the hard floor in a laid back posture. When he saw her looking back at him, he grinned and winked at her again.

A black line appeared in Sydnee’s forehead. She turned her head to look in front. That man! He was making use of her to anger Marquis Tamarin again!

“You shouldn’t get close to that bastard. Only trouble would await for you,” Anthony warned.

She knew it. Whenever that man was lingering around her in the past, troubles would stick to her like a second skin. She pursed her lips in annoyance.

They reached Anthony’s car. The man opened the passenger door for her. Sydnee was startled. “Uh…” She look over her shoulder and she saw Katliya. She knew that this confidante of her was following her secretly to ensure her safety. “You don’t have to —”

Anthony stopped her protest. “I know where Duke Mondragon’s mansion in capital is located. I’ll drive you home. You can call your maid.”

Sydnee stared at him for a few seconds, before she gestured Katliya to hopped in. She sat on the passenger seat while Katliya was left alone on the backseat. Anthony sat on the driver’s seat and the car drove out of the parking lot and into the bustling streets of capital.

She had notified the duke that she would go home earlier than them due to headache. When she received a reply from Katliya, she immediately left the hall. She did not bother to notify Lady Geneva because she knew that the lady would only hold her up in the party.

“What do you want to eat?” Anthony suddenly asked her.

Sydnee looked beyond the window and unto the bright streets. “I… I want to eat a light dinner.”

The party had just started that’s why the dinner was not served yet. It was also too early to go home, so Anthony asked her first.

“I knew of a place.” Then he turned the steering wheel around.

Not long after, they arrived at a bustling restaurant. It looked like a foreign restaurant because of the unfamiliar designs.

Anthony led her inside and unto a VIP room. There was a woman waiting for them. When she saw them approaching, the woman smiled brightly. “Welcome, Sir Anthony. What would you like to eat?”

“The usual. And serve something light. I want the best dishes.”

“Right away!” the woman chirped and then walked away.

Anthony pulled a chair for her to sit. “Thanks,” she whispered before she sat on it.

“This is a foreign owned restaurant and whenever I visit the capital, this is my favorite place to eat to. The auntie earlier already knew me ’cause I’m a patron here,” Anthony said to open up a topic.

Sydnee’s brow raised. “I guess.”

“The capital has a lot of foreign influenced businesses because the king opened up the trade market with other kingdoms.”

“I see. The development in the capital can’t be compared with Obando. It is more lively here during nighttime, not like the peaceful nights in my place.”

Anthony smiled at her.

She was curious about the fiancee thing that Anthony had announced earlier and she wanted to confirm it with him, but she was afraid and felt it awkward to ask about it. So she brushed the thought aside and just treated it as a joke.

A few minutes passed and the woman came back with two servants walking behind, both holding a tray containing the food that Anthony had ordered.

“Hello, Sir!” the woman greeted. “Here is your order.”

Anthony nodded and smiled at the auntie before gesturing Sydnee to eat. Sydnee curled her lips before scoping foods onto her plate.

There was only silence as they eat their own fill, while Katliya was left standing not far away from them. Sydnee noticed the girl at the corner of her eye, so she gestured her to book a table and eat her dinner. Katliya smiled at her and shook her head. She was not tempted by the aroma of foods around the place because she was trained to discipline herself. Being a high-ranking officer, she could go all night without having a dinner.

Sydnee shrugged her shoulders. She knew that Katliya was only doing her job. She  would just ask the auntie to take out some dishes so Katliya could eat them later.

After the dinner, Anthony led Sydnee towards the park not far away from the restaurant. There was a firework show in that night so they stayed in that park, chatting about the things that happened to him and to her recently.

Sydnee was long accustomed to Anthony’s presence that she did not find it awkward to chat with him. A rare gentle smile was on her lips as she watched the fireworks painting colors on the night sky.

The lights coming from the fireworks reflected on Sydnee’s face, so when Anthony lowered his gaze on her, he was amazed by her beauty. Her clear eyes held the colors of the fireworks and the gentle smile on her lips brought peace within his soul.

Anthony leaned his face closer to Sydnee’s cheek and gave it a peek, before he sat up straight and looked up in the colorful night sky.

Sydnee just felt a warm and soft thing poked her cheek and it vanished as quickly as a wind. She looked at Anthony who was looking onto the night sky. Then she lowered her gaze and curled her lips.

AFTER a night of gentle warmth, Sydnee was back again in the cold mansion that she viewed as a battleground. She happened to arrived at the mansion late so Lady Geneva was already waiting for her at the living room, while the duke was reading a magazine in the corner.

Sydnee roamed her eyes around. Catarina was not here?Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Who are you with?” Lady Geneva asked and crossed her arms against her chest. “Is this what a noble lady would do? Hooking up with someone and not even introducing him to the family?”

She pursed her lips and greeted the duke and Lady Geneva. She then stood straight and lowered her gaze. “I was with Duke Anthony. He invited me to a dinner and enjoyed the capital before he dropped me home.”

There was silence, then Lady Geneva stood. Sydnee thought that the lady would walked out, but she was startled when Lady Geneva stopped in front of her. She opened her mouth to speak, but before a word came out of her mouth, a resounding slapped echoed in the four corners of the living room.

Sydnee’s face turned to the side and her mind went black.

“You unfilial daughter! You are hooking up with Duke Anthony? Do you think that you can marry into his household? What a bitc*! You are what they say!”

She blinked her eyes. The stinging pain in her cheek let her knew that Lady Geneva had indeed slapped her. It was the first time that Lady Geneva raised her hand on her.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Duke Theodore gesturing the butler. The butler than spoke, “Young Lady, you can go to your room. There’s no need for you to be here.”

Sydnee nodded and without saying a word, she turned her back on Lady Geneva and climbed into the stairs. She walked towards her room but before she could enter, Catarina blocked her way.

“Good for you, bitc*!”

Sydnee’s last thread of patience had gone. She faced Catarina and smacked the girl’s face with her fist. Catarina yelled in shock and she slammed on the floor. The girl looked up on her with eyes wide open.

“Good dogs don’t block the way,” she said then entered her room. She shut the door so hard that it vibrated for a few seconds. She knew that the sound was heard by the people in the living room, but she did not care.

Frowning, she changed her dress. Katliya was nowhere in sight. She did not mind.

After she got dressed in her pajama, Sydnee closed her eyes and let her consciousness drift away.

THE gossip about her circulated in the noble circle the day after the meeting party. She was a scoundrel, hooking up with noble men to climb into their beds. There was also a rumor that she was not a virg*n, and that she was hooking up with the worthless bastard of Tamarin.

Because of these rumors, the family of four drove back to Obando in the very same day. The Duke also decided to let her home schooled.

Catarina was gloating because of her destroyed reputation. Sydnee just sneered. “Do you want to get slapped again?” she asked when Catarina blocked her way as usual.

“Don’t be proud, my dear sister. It is only the beginning!”

Sydnee’s lips twitched. “Are you filming some kind of drama?” She brushed her aside and walked away.

Catarina was left huffing in annoyance. Katliya, who had seen the interaction between the two, could not help but to chuckle. Ever since the Young Lady Sydnee practiced the art of concealing once’s emotion and presence, she had became more brave. She was not like the coward girl who first stepped inside the mansion. Katliya sighed. She remembered how embarrass the Young Lady was when she first practice self-defense. There were many bruises on the girl’s skin but she never gave up.

“Katliya, did the tutor dropped by?” Sydnee asked.

Katliya stood attentively and answered, “No, Young Lady. No one dropped by.”

Sydnee raised her brow. It seemed like someone was obstructing her path to education. She sneered inwardly. It must be the right time to replace the rumors about her with other ‘more interesting’ rumors.

“Katliya, have you retrieved the lost flashdrive?” she asked.

Katliya nodded. “Yes, Young Lady. The incident was clearly recorded in it.”

A sly smile appeared on Sydnee’s lips.

One of the misses who smeared her reputation was the first daughter of Baronness Jenica. Just a year ago, a rumor had spread in the noble circle saying that the eldest miss was hooking up with a guard. Unfortunately, the third prince who Baronness Jenica supported had stopped the spread of the rumor.

It happened that Katliya’s informat had retrieved a flashdrive containing the incident of ‘hooking up’ with a guard. Since the eldest miss wanted to smear her reputation, it was rude not to give back.

“Spread that video among the commoners. Let it spread in the capital only. Don’t let any commoner in Obando get a hold of the video. I don’t want them to suffer the wrath of the third prince. Also, let it spread first in the house of the fifth prince,” Sydnee said then she chuckled.

Since it was inevitable for the princes’ fight over the throne, why not let them get ‘busy’ first cleaning up the mess that their great supporters made?

“Understood, Young Lady.”

This incident and the incidents that would follow would become the catalyst to begin the princes’ fighting for the throne.