Victor Rookwood is back - and he's more dangerous than ever.
Despite what MC thought, she never truly defeated him. Rookwood wasn't killed; he was merely weakened, slipping into the shadows to rebuild his forces. Now, he's returned with a single goa...
"Ah! Must it be so tight?" I winced in pain as Imelda used her athletic strength to pull on the ribbons of my dress corset.
"If you don't hold still, yes!" She tied the ribbons into a neat bow at the small of my back. The feel of the delicate fabric was foreign, almost surreal; I was so accustomed to battle gear and my school uniform that wearing something this elegant felt like stepping into a different world. But the evening of the Autumn Nights Ball had finally arrived, the buzzing excitement around the castle growing more suffocating day by day this week.
I touched up my face with a bit of makeup and gave myself a good look in the mirror. I cleaned up nicely! I was wearing an off-shoulder emerald green dress with billowing sleeves. The bodice was a corset that accentuated my curves and allowed for an enticing amount of cleavage at the sweetheart neckline. The floor-length gown had a slit up the side and the emerald color was an ombre into black towards the bottom. The entire dress shimmered in the light. I slipped on my black heels and kept my hair down in stylish waves touching my lower back.
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"Garreth is gonna freak," Imelda gave me a playful spank on my behind.
I turned and refamiliarized myself with her black dress. It paired nicely with her updo. "Are you kidding? Look at you! I've seen Amit flustered many times before, but he's not going to last the night with you at his side! I still can't believe he had the guts to ask you to the ball!"
"I know right? I can't help but respect it! It's actually rather attractive having a man overcome his fear of me," she chuckled.
We made our way out of the common room arm-in-arm, gossiping and wishing our desires of the night's end into the air.
***
Sebastian POV
"Omins, can you help me with this damned tie? My hands won't stop shaking."
Ominis sighed and approached me, fiddling with my tie. "Ironic. You ask the blind man for assistance."
I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't help a small smirk. "Not like I wanted to attend this ridiculous ball, anyway."
Ominis tilted his head, lips twitching with a hint of amusement. "That's exactly why you should go," he reminded me. After I'd confided in him about my argument with MC, he'd insisted the ball would be a refreshing change, a distraction I clearly needed. And though I wasn't convinced, his insistence had somehow brought me here, letting him fuss over my tie like a stubborn parent.
"All I'm saying is that it'll do you good," he added, straightening my collar. "You might even manage to enjoy yourself."
In a small way, Ominis was right. Spending time with Cynthia had given me something to focus on beyond my frustrations with MC. She was cheerful, always ready to fill any silence, and there was something easy about being around her. Though I didn't feel any spark, it was hard to deny that her company helped me feel... lighter.
