The Butterfly Trap

The Part 53

" It could be a boy" the first girl replied with a chuckle.

I who heard their conversation smiled brightly but curiosity filled my head, I turned towards them then smiled kindly.

" Is Grand Duke's engagement the hottest topic right now?" ask the first girl.

" Of course, even though everyone already knows their story but having an engagement party coincides with the royal birthday celebration, isn't the Grand Duke very romantic? I also want to be a fiancee like the Grand Duke" he replied.

" You mean today?" I just don't believe it.

" Yes, actually this procession aims to introduce his prospective fiancee to the public" said the girl in a whisper.

" Look at the emperor's car already seen at the end of the road" he shouted to me, which made me reflect on the direction he pointed.

The people in the back urged me to look at the procession closer, so I was pushed back, I was still thinking about the words from the girl that made my mind filled with questions about Zurich's engagement, I'm no longer interested in seeing the procession.

' What does it mean to introduce his potential fiancee to the public? wait, did Zurich tell Peter about our engagement party first but since Peter didn't find me in Aquamarine Kingdom, so the information didn't get to me?'

' But... said the girl her engagement was done today, so.....who is she engaged to?'

" Here you look!" sabrina held my hand.

I gasped in shock, my mind became ripped as Sabrina held my hand, I smiled at her.

" People pushed me so I got to the back here".

" It's okay, we can still see them even from here "he replied with a smile.

" Oh yes, it's confectionery, I bought it for you earlier, ah Emperor's carriage is near" he cried after giving me the food he called the confectionery.

" Thank you" I said then try to taste the food in the form of cotton and pink.

" Look behind him was the commander of the Aquarius faction, Duke Abelard and his wife!" he shouted excitedly while clapping his hands.

I looked at the slow-moving horse-drawn carriage, where Duke Abelard sat waving his hands to the people marching by the side of the road, I still enjoy my confectionery while enjoying the procession.

But my eyes caught the figure that was in the carriage behind Duke Abelard, I saw Castella clutching Zurich's hand and with a happy smile greeting and waving her hand towards the crowd.

I froze as if my spirit had been forcefully removed from my body, my heart had stopped beating, my body was weak, the food in my hand had fallen to the ground, and tears had dripped from my eyelids, there was a sharp pain running through my chest as the carriage that Castella and Zurich were riding on passed in front of me.

Zurich looked at me, I covered my head with my robe and tried to avoid his eyes, he looked for a long time before turning to look at the other side.

' Did he look at me just now? does he no longer recognize me because he is with another woman?'

I could not help the turbulent pain within my chest, I quickly left the crowd and ran towards the deserted passageway, I rested my body against the wall of the building and tried to hold the turmoil in my chest but my tears could not be contained.

" No! this must have been a misunderstanding, Zurich clearly said that he and Castella were just co-workers"

I tried to convince myself that all I was with and all I saw were mere rumors, Zurich could not possibly betray me after knowing who my true identity was.

" Right, he said he loved me so there was no way he could marry another woman, I had to find out the truth, I came all the way to Capital not to get hurt like this"

I wiped away the tears that had soaked my cheeks and steadily I set my feet towards the Zurich residence, I left Sabrina just like that, I knew he'd have trouble finding me and he'd go back to the inn to hang out with his family.

" I won't believe all those rumors before they all come out of his own mouth, I should get an explanation from him no matter how!"

Along the way I kept trying to stay positive, I kept convincing myself that Zurich was not the one who would betray her loved ones, there must be a reason why she and Castella showed up together.

I reached the gate of his residence where there were two knights standing guard there, I tightened the hood and approached them.

" Excuse me sir" I said in a trembling voice.

I tried to hide my face from them, lest they recognize me, they looked at me with a flat look.

" Can I go inside? I'm going to see the Grand Duke".

" It's not random that people can meet him, why don't you mention your identity?" ask him firmly.

" Haha you're right, but I have to meet him because it's an urgent matter, can you allow me sir?", I try my best so that they don't suspect me.

" You didn't even mention your identity, what if you were a hit man?"

" Come sir, which hit man will ask the guards permission to infiltrate the residence".

" Can't!" answer with a flat face and a firm tone.

" Come on, sir, just for a second!" I said while thrusting some gold coins into his hand but he quickly brushed my hand away.

" How dare you do that to a knight, do you want to die?" he shouted with an angry tone that made the friend next to him look at me with a cynical look.

" Who are you really? what are you planning?" he nodded while drawing his sword at me.

" It's Sir Ivan, he's just a commoner!" said his friend tried to calm the already furious knight.

" Whatever your needs are, the current Grand Duke cannot be disturbed!" he added.

" Ah, I heard rumors that today was her engagement day, how foolish I was not to know that the Grand Duke was busy with her engagement" I said, clenching my hands.

I tried to speak as calmly as possible and forced my smile on them, even though they clearly saw my face but they did not seem to know my identity.

" If you know, why are you still here? stay away before the guests arrive!"

" Good sir, but I heard he was engaged to the most dreamed girl in the Dakota Empire, if it's not wrongly named Miss Castella Helwise, isn't the Grand Duke very lucky?"

The man named Ivan laughed while clucking, from the look on his face I can tell that the rumors are true.

" Why do you want to know his personal life? are you a stalker?" he drew his sword back to me.

" No, no sir, I just rejoice to hear his happy news" I replied quickly with a small laugh.

" Okay sir, I will come again if he is not busy" I said with a smile.

Of course it was the smile I forced, I gulped and left the gate of the residence, my heart was broken, I clenched my hands to hold back my tears from falling.

Now it's clear that what I saw and heard wasn't a rumor, Zurich actually dumped me, which is why he didn't tell me during my time at Under the sea castle, why did he lock me up there when he met another woman here, I was really disappointed.