Chapitre 158: [35.1] The Curtains Open for the Second Act
I walked down the street looking up and down.
Flower shop… Flower shop…
Where was it again?
Aha!
I noticed a fragrant, overbearing smell and stepped inside the flower shop. There were two women there that looked familiar to me, but I couldn't figure out who they were.
I walked up to the counter and tapped on it, "Hey. I'm looking for Moni. Is he here?"
They turned to me with sly smiles. "You're lucky, Miss Reika."
One pulled back a curtain leading to the back, "He's in the back arranging some flowers."
I gave them a curious look before heading back. I quickly found Moni at a bench arranging bouquets with a tranquil expression on his face.
I paused to admire the serene and handsome man in front of me.
"And what do I owe this great honor?" His burnt orange eyes slowly turned to me with a dangerous charm, "Are you here just to admire me?"
I coughed awkwardly and looked away, "Not quite."
His lips curled into a smile, "Surely you're not here for a bouquet?"
My nose scrunched from the overbearing smell of flowers, "Flowers aren't my thing."
"Then?"
I coughed and straightened up to look as professional as possible, "I am here to ask a favor."
"A favor?"
I nodded, "I'm wondering if you would be able to go with me to a charity banquet tomorrow night."
He smirked, "You're asking me on a date?"
"Not a date!" I answered quickly, "It's a favor."
He let out a sigh and pretended to act pitiful, "Unfortunately I work that day… If it was a date, I could find a replacement… But for a favor… I don't know."
Ugh! He's trying to tease me.
I turned around in embarrassment and forced myself to walk away, "Come or not. I will leave the invitation here."
As I walked out of the room, his laughter tickled my ears.
__…__
I held the chair in front of me with a pitiful expression, "Please Mummy… Please don't do this."
My mother let out a sigh, "Reika. You have to wear a corset. It's a banquet for nobles and aristocrats. If you don't wear one, they won't let you in."
I wanted to cry, "But why does it matter?"
"Because it's the dress code?"
I pouted, "They won't know…"
"Oh, they will know. Now take a deep breath in."
I took in a deep breath and tried not to let out a squeal as she tightened the strings.
She let out a satisfied huff, "There. All finished. It wasn't so bad, was it?"
I turned to face her stiffly while holding my stomach, "I feel like my organs are pushing into my spine."
She rolled her eyes, "There's no reason to be dramatic. I'm wearing one and I'm not complaining."
I poked her side, "But why do you look so much better in one than me?"
"Don't say that." She pursed her lips, "Anyway, did you ever hear back from that man about attending the banquet?"
I shook my head indifferently, "No. His letters are extremely cryptic. He said he has to work… But then he also asked me what I planned on wearing in case he needed to match."
She looked at me with a hopeful expression, "Then maybe he does intend to go."
I let out an annoyed sigh, "Whatever. I don't care. I just want to stay home."
She shook her head, "You can't. You promised Felix you would attend."
I clicked my tongue, "I should have just asked Felix to be my date. At least then I would have one."
She pinched my cheeks, "Don't give up yet. Maybe that man might surprise you."
My eyes widened, "...Surprise?"
Didn't that fortune teller say there was a surprise in store for me?
Ugh. Why am I thinking about that con artist now?!
She pulled out a makeup kit, "Now let's finish your makeup and hair."
After finishing, I walked downstairs to where Zephyr and the Headmaster were already waiting.
My mother and I both wore silver dresses with black lace as the design while the Headmaster wore a tuxedo to match our dresses.
We all decided to match with the exception of Zephyr who wore a red tuxedo to match Hazel. He pulled at it in annoyance, "Too much fabric! I can't stand it! Let me take it off! PLEASE!"
The Headmaster walked over to my mother and took her hand, "You look beautiful."
She forced on a smile and pulled her hand back, "Thanks, dear. Could you get the carriage? We are running late."
He looked at her a bit confused by her response and nodded. When he walked out of the room, I looked at my mother in surprise, "You don't seem too happy to get a compliment on him. Don't you know how rare it is for him to put his thoughts into words?"
She let out a sigh, "I know I'm being ridiculous, but whenever people compliment my appearance… I just don't like it."
Zephyr pinched his eyebrows together in confusion, "Why don't you like it? I LOVE compliments!"
She giggled then looked to the ground with a somber look, "It's not my body. Whenever someone compliments it, I feel like it's not for me but for her…"
I looked away feeling guilty.
She noticed this and held my hand quickly, "Oh! But I don't mean for you to feel bad. I'm very grateful I get to spend each day with you."
I nuzzled into her chest, "Still… I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for." She planted a kiss on the top of my head and motioned to me, "Come on. Let's go."
We all got into the carriage and rode the long distance to Felix's banquet. I had to keep Zephyr from removing his clothes until I finally used magic to get him to stop.
Once we arrived, we all walked into the banquet where we were greeted by far too many people.
A servant motioned to the Headmaster, "Good evening sir. Here is the form if you'd like to make a donation to the charity."
The Headmaster took it and looked it over, "Rebuilding the West?"
He nodded, "The only way to advance as a society is to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. The West not only has a famine right now but it has been recently destroyed by a demonic attack. They need our assistance."
The Headmaster hummed, "I'm surprised a Noble would have a charity like that."
We walked into the banquet as I spoke to the Headmaster, "Do Nobles usually not have charities like this?"
The Headmaster nodded, "They usually have fundraisers that would only benefit themselves. The Newman family is rare because their charities directly impact those who need it."
I smiled, "So Felix comes from a good family."
The Headmaster thought for a moment, "They didn't use to be this way though. They used to be one of the greediest noble families. Then they just changed overnight."
My mother smiled, "I wonder what pushed them to change."
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
Nekoru
Nekoru Greetings, my lovely reader.
This week we will solve a mystery.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
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