You Must Be Careful
Derila couldn't help but feel threatened. She had heard that men all liked ladies with full, sexy figures. Could Daemon be the same?
She turned to look at him, and he happened to be staring at her as well. "Are you hungry? Do you want to get a bite to eat in the lounge?"
"That sounds great."
Derila was starting to want to leave. She was beginning to feel the stares of countless people just focused on her, and she didn't like it.
Daemon gestured subtly and two female bodyguards showed up to bring Derila away.
Derila turned around after a few steps only to see Penny sitting in what had been Derila's seat, elegantly having a conversation with Daemon.
She frowned, feeling her heart clench a little bit. Did Daemon just want to get me away so he could talk to other women?
"Riri!"
Suddenly, a cheerful voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
She looked at and saw Yela.
Yela was dressed rather subtly today. She was in a pale lavender gown and had been sipping wine with a few other socialites in the corner. All this time, she hadn't dared to go near Daemon.
After all, the three great families were here. She wasn't important enough to steal the spotlight.
"Hi!" Derila said before asking teasingly, "Why aren't you going to talk to Daemon?"
"Ahem!" Yela cleared her throat awkwardly. "Anyway, I'm sorry for getting drunk yesterday and not taking better care of you."
"That's alright, " Derila said with a chuckle. "I'm going to rest in the lounge. Do you want to follow me?"
"Okay!" Yela said excitedly.
The two of them arrived at the lounge, where the caterers had already laid out a table of exquisite dishes.
Derila started eating the moment she sat down, not caring about her supposed elegant image in the least.
Yela couldn't help but stare in surprise. "Riri, who exactly are you?"
"What?" Derila raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Well, I-" Yela stuttered, not knowing if she should be honest.
"You must be wondering, if I'm from some important organization who put me through rigorous training for this role, then why don't I have the elegance or manners to show for it? But it I'm not, how come I still seem like such a handful to pick with?"
Derila was right on the money.
"Yes!" Yela nodded.
"Well, " Derila giggled and placed a pastry onto Yela's plate. "What's the name of that pianist lady again?"
"Her name is Penny, " Yela replied. "She's Mr. Pakison's only daughter, and he spent a lot of time shaping and perfecting her into the ideal woman. She did well despite those expectations and is extremely skilled and talented. In fact, she's the top pick for all three great families."
"Pick? Picked for what?" Derila frowned.
"About that…" Yela trailed off hesitatingly.
"Are men allowed to have more than one wife here in Erihal?"
"No. We're strictly monogamous, " Yela rushed to clarify. "The men in Erihal may be intimidating, but women aren't taken lightly either."
"That's weird." Derila said in confusion. "Daemon already told them he had a fiancée, so why are they trying to push a girlfriend onto him?"
"I'm sorry for being straightforward, " Yela said as she looked down on the ground. "But you and Daemon haven't gotten married yet. You also don't have any important background- actually, they can't even figure out where you came from. They couldn't care less about you."
"Oh. That makes sense." Derila nodded.
Yela sighed. "That's why you have to be careful."
With a curious frown, Derila asked, "Careful about what?"
Yela looked at her, a little bit lost for words. "You don't understand, do you? Think about it. If they want to reach Daemon, they have to get rid of you first."
"Oh!" Derila's eyes widened. "That also makes sense!"
Yela suddenly thought of something and hurriedly tossed the pastry away. "Crap, these pastries wouldn't have been poisoned, would they?"
"Probably not, " Derila said as she continued munching away. "The pastries are fine. The fruit tea, however, is not."
"What?" Yela widened her eyes in shock. "Are you serious? Don't mess with me!"
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