Bab 18: Chapter 18: Tristan's Regret(2)
At the same ball, some people came to find love, some find power but only one came to complete her mission.
Aurora (Eun-Kyung)'s POV
"I told you already I don't want to dance with you!"
My only goal coming to this ball was to dance but only with my target. I didn't know clearly how to dance so I focused all my attention on the people dancing in the center of the ball.
I was hoping to have some cake to eat while watching, but there was no cake served for the night.
I came with Armando, and he should be looking after me but instead, he went off to flirt with some young woman.
*sigh*
I really wanted to finish the mission quickly and move on to the next one.
"Oh my!!" out of a sudden while I was taking a deep breath, everyone started to gather surrounding the dancing spot.
Was there anyone special dancing there?
I walked to the front after pushing people and inhaling the cheap perfume, my head was spinning because of the perfume.
Anyway, it was unexpected but I already prepared for the twist like that.
Even Tristan becoming the duke wasn't much surprising for me since the story won't follow a single thing at all.
Diana and the other three time-travelers must be somewhat behind every change since they came back in time.
The villainess, I mean Marinette who was supposed to be dancing with her fiance went off to dance with his brother.
And when they finish dancing, another couple went in.
That time, it was the female lead came to the center of the ball while holding the second male lead's hand and danced along with the song.
And the male lead, the crown prince was watching them with an indifferent face sipping his wine.
!!!
What was that?
Out of a sudden, I felt the chill of pain travel all through my spine. Everyone around me flinched a little bit too.
The former duke Jellal talked a little bit to Tristan and went outside. The magic in the ball was quite off for a second.
I didn't think much of it since everyone was acting normal like nothing happened and the chilling atmosphere in the ball. Marinette was chatting with prince Philip eating the strawberry tard.
I was hungry too but I needed to complete my mission first.
Being an extra really gave me an advantage for listening to all the things around me without someone noticing me.
"My lady, will you be my dance partner?" a hand reached out to me, I looked at that man's face.
"I'm sorry...I--"
"Do you not want to dance with me...?"
+++
Aurora's hands were shaking a bit as she tried to avoid dancing with that man.
That man already had a wife and kids so Aurora didn't want to create any more rumors to bring her public image down.
But that man was persistent as he pushed her to the corner, everyone started to look their way and started to murmur.
"I don't--"
"What did I just hear?"
"..." she turned her head down and put her hand on that man's palm slowly but a man suddenly rushed to her and grabbed her hand.
"If you don't want to dance with him, just say it to his face like how you said it with me back then." it was duke Tristan, he said it jokingly with heartwarming eyes looking at her, but when he turned to that disrespectful man, his eyes turned cold like Marinette's like telling him to f*ck off.
That man noticed everyone talking about him and asked for his leave walking past Aurora giving her a chill.
"What's wrong with you...? Hey, are you listening?" Tristan asked her.
"Ah...sorry."
Tristan smirked seeing Aurora being all shy after talking boldly to him days ago.
"So how about me?? Can I dance with you?"
Aurora's head was still down looking at the floor, her hair covered all her face, that was why Tristan couldn't see her expression at that time.
"...thank you for saving me. I really don't know how to refuse him." she gained her composure and smiled politely at him and accepted his hand.
[Mission 3 complete! Congratulation, you gain a little of Tristan's attention.]
The song was a slow song, Tristan closed his eyes dancing to the song with Aurora's hand on his shoulder and his hand on Aurora's waist.
They stole all the light from other couples. Aurora was smiling the whole time as her eyes were looking at that man who gave her a thump up from afar.
Her heart was pounding because of the excitement when she finally achieved something.
The man who asked for her hand earlier was cheering for her from the big door as he left counting the money Aurora gave to him. She really planned many steps ahead for the mission. She couldn't afford to lose the opportunity that night.
Aurora (Eun-Kyung)'s POV
Sorry, Tristan. I had to complete my mission.
I knew your personality, you were always cold but inside, you always cared for those around you. You were the type with the mouth running wild and didn't think while you were talking.
And you won't turn a blind eye to an innocent woman who was persuaded to dance by a married man.
I was so guilty but after that mission, I won't have anything to do with him any longer.
[Critical Mission: Save Tristan. Duration: Ten days.]
Huh??!
Ack...
My head felt like it was breaking with all the mechanic sound in my head, what critical mission?
Save Tristan?
Was the god going crazy?? He will die in the upcoming day under the mission received by the emperor. Even I couldn't do anything against that tyrant emperor.
The mission was to kill or seal the legendary demon, the demon one rank under the demon king.
I didn't want to participate in any of that. I was going to leave it to Diana since she will know how to help him.
Duration...ten days, did that mean I have to protect him for the whole ten days?
'If he dies...what will happen to me??'
[Mission failed: Death.]
'Don't--don't joke with me.'
+++
Tristan started to notice Aurora's hand was trembling on his shoulder, he looked at her face with her eyes closed.
She looked like she was afraid of something as her grip on his shoulder tighten. Cold sweat started pouring down on her forehead.
The music started to be noise to her ear.
And at that time...the whole party started turning into chaos, the light went out and a man fell down from above alongside the chandler that was falling toward both of them.
With her supernatural strength, everyone was still shocked by the sudden scenario.
It was only her who was the closest to Tristan, she pushed Tristan away and the chandler failed on her knocked her unconscious and her blood splattered all over Tristan's white jacket.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The noble started to run everywhere seeing blood thinking it was an assassination attempt.
It wasn't just her blood which was spilled on him, a man who laid down unconscious in the near-death state also lost blood painting the floor, there was only a big rose petal under his body protecting him from the fall but it didn't help much because his blood spilled all over the floor coming from his head.
It was the former duke Jellal.
Light on and off, it was horror. Tristan seeing the situation instead of panicking, raised his voice and closed all the doors with the death roses magic.
Diana rushed to her father, her dress was stained with his blood as she tried to help her father.
"Brother, what just happened....?" her lip was quivering, she started sobbing because the former duke's heartbeat started to be slower and slower.
"Knights, a group go on and search the roof. And no one, move!!" Tristan shouted ordering while he moved the chandler with his magic alone taking Aurora in his arm and carrying her.
Aurora's hand turned cold too. The light went back on, it wasn't just those two who were lying on the floor.
Marinette's body was also lying on the floor but her head was on Prince Philip's lap.
Her face turned pale, her lip losing the color red and the blood vein started popping across her face and arms.
He used the light magic to help Marinette but her body started turning darker, roses appearing all over Marinette's hair and blood coming out of her mouth which was dripping from her mouth. Her death roses magic energy was running wild causing side effects to all the guests, one to one, everyone started to fall on the floor couldn't endure such agonizing pain.
Every single drop of her blood turned to rose petal.
"Not again!!!" Tristan gritted his teeth rushing to Marinette in a hurry and handed Aurora to Prince Philip.
"Please save her...please...I beg you." he begged the illiterate prince in front of everyone.
And he carried Marinette's body in his arm outside following by Diana using her magic to lift the former duke's body up in the air.
The news was all over the empire, Aurora stayed in the hospital, the light magic could only save her to a certain point, the chandler crushed her leg.
There was a slim chance that she would be able to walk again.
Marinette was poisoned and the culprit was found, but the culprit killed themselves upon being caught.
Duke Jellal was healed by Richard, he hadn't gained consciousness yet. But his head was damaged heavily, we won't know when he will wake up.
Tristan broke down holding his father's hand telling him to wake up. Everything turned chaotic because of that accident.
The relative started to make a move, there were already assassins located everywhere surrounding the duchy waiting to strike.
"Lady Marinette is awake, your grace." the maid informed from outside of the door, he rushed to Marinette's room as soon as he heard the news.
He barged inside her room and grabbed her hand tightly.
"What is the meaning of this?!! Explain!!" he raised his voice loudly, even Diana who was stopping the guest from coming in downstairs could hear his voice.
Marinette opened her eyes having no clue about the situation, she looked into Tristan's eyes. Her eyes were like a witch's. Tristan was suddenly terrified by her eyes, he was immobilized.
Marinette hadn't even opened her lip yet, she walked to the mirror as soon as she got out of the bed.
She touched her scar gently in front of the mirror, her scar was slightly different. It turned to the Mortel, Rose Symbol.
"You already stole Diana's lover? And now you want to steal the duke's title too, huh??? Your greed really had no bound to the point you wanted to murder your father!!"
Marinette's eyes turn cold and annoyed by Tristan's voice, she turned her head glaring into Tristan's purple eyes.
"Explain!! What happened??" Tristan flinched after hearing her tone.
Many minutes later,
"I see...so the duke fell down from the roof to the ballroom, and I who was poisoned has something to do with that. What an assumption, brother." she grinned at Tristan and laid down on the couch inside her room wiping the rose emblem makeup off her face.
Tristan finally heard her calling him brother again, she hadn't called him that once ever since that day she woke up after three days of unconscious.
She opened the drawer near the couch and took out the diary.
She flipped the page to the last page, she smirked seeing the letter on the page after the date she fell in the lake many days ago.
"Get out of my room...in one day, everything will be alright. I'll promise you that, brother, since...I am back now."
Tristan forgot about the whole point he came to her room, it was to scold her but he just left the room.
When he came back to the former duke's room, he was suddenly aware of everything happened.
"Was that Marinette...?"
Back in Marinette's room...
"I finally won against that memories, it took so long...Tristan isn't dead yet, so I'm not too late..." she sipped the red wine and looked at all the assassins hiding in the tree surrounding her house.
A familiar sight she used to experience before when even her sleep, the assassins were looking at her like an owl.
Death Roses Magic: Execute!
She signed and closed back the door of her room's balcony.
With one spell from her, the green leaves turned red.
"I wonder how she managed my body while I'm gone...*sigh* I really want to know her name..."
To be continued...!
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