“IS he a soldier under General Lancaster’s army?” Emmy thought of asking, referring to the second son of the patriarch of the Lancaster family. She was still looking at the direction of Gage Thompson.

 The patriarch of the Lancaster family had five children with his now deceased wife. Quite a number in comparison to other families. At most, three would be the limit. Just like their family. 

The patriarch’s eldest son was now the duke, the second son was a military general. Both married people from influential families. The first daughter was married to a famous hero of the Empire while the second daughter was married to another powerful noble family. And now, the youngest would be engaged to the daughter of another ducal household. 

Seriously, it’s like they’re spreading power all over the Empire using the guise of marriage. If the current Emperor didn’t love the deceased Empress so much, a Lancaster would have probably sat on that Empress seat. 

“Yes. He’s his protégé,” Tommy answered. “Even though he’s a commoner, the General found him talented enough that he planned on marrying one of the Lancasters from the side branch to him. Or at least that’s the rumor floating around.”

Emmy was startled to hear that. Then she scoffed. Talented, huh? And yet, the general still deemed him unworthy of the main branch of the family. She suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for this Gage. After all, they were almost at the same situation. 

When she turned to her brother, she saw that the other was observing her. No, it was almost like he was scrutinizing her every expression. “Why look at me like this?”

“Why are you suddenly interested in Major Thompson?”

Emmy suddenly felt nervous in her heart when she heard her brother’s question. But she tried to make her expression as normal as she possibly could. “I accidentally bumped into him earlier. I almost fell and he helped me.”

For some reason, she felt a bit guilty after she said. Because it seemed like she was hiding something. Even though all she did was to tell the truth.

Tommy seemed to accept that answer. But he still said, “It won’t be good if you’re found in a compromising position with another person. Especially now that your engagement with Cecil Lancaster is almost set in stone.”

Emmy froze after her brother said that. She looked at him with an unbelieving expression. “When did you know about the engagement?” she asked, she tried hard to hide the emotions that suddenly surged in him.

Sure enough, Tommy didn’t notice anything wrong with her. “The day he proposed.”

Emmy’s eyes dimmed. She lowered her gaze so that Tommy wouldn’t see her expression. She suddenly wanted to laugh. How many days had it been since that proposal? And yet Tommy didn’t bother to warn her about it. Heck, based on what he said, it’s obvious that he didn’t have any problems with this union. 

She wasn’t asking much. She wasn’t even expecting her to be on his side. Just a simple heads-on would be enough. So, she wouldn’t be blindsided like this. But that thought didn’t even cross her brother’s mind.

In that way, he truly was their father’s son.

“Emmy?” Tommy called when she didn’t reply.

Emmy raised her head and looked straight at her brother’s eyes. “Brother, when you heard about the proposal, have you ever wondered if I would be happy in this marriage?” 

Tommy looked like he hadn’t expected that she would ask such a question. A ripple appeared in those sapphire blue eyes. But it only lasted for a second before it returned to its usual calm. “The choice to be happy is in your hands.”

She didn’t know what she wanted to hear from Tommy. But it wasn’t this. She at least hoped that he would give her a bit of consolation. Even if he didn’t mean it. But he probably never even thought of that. 

“How could that be when I have no choice to begin with?” she said, a bitter smile forming her lips.

Being born into a high-ranking family, Emmy knew that it came with a lot of responsibilities. She couldn’t just blindly enjoy the privilege that came with it. So, she studied hard and did everything to be the perfect young lady. Just to show to everyone that she was worthy of the Grimaldi name.

She could only show willfulness to the extent her father allowed. Just like that small vacation she just had. The fact that her father allowed her to discuss it with him meant that it was something within the range. 

That’s why no matter how much dissatisfaction she had, no matter how much she just wanted to scream that she didn’t want to, she never did anything. She just smiled and complied. She’s not allowed to disobey her father. That’s what it meant to be a Grimaldi.

But it’s suffocating. And she was slowly drowning. She wondered if someone would ever come to pull up her body that was sinking inch by inch in this quagmire. 

Just as she had that thought, a big hand suddenly appeared in her line of vision. 

When she raised her head, she saw Major Thompson with his hand outstretched towards her. “May I have this dance, my lady?”

She didn’t wait for her brain to think of why this man suddenly asked her to dance nor did she wait for her brother to interfere. Her body moved on its own and she found herself putting her hand on his big, warm palm.

Then he led her to the dance floor.

When he put his hand on her waist, she could feel his warmth despite the layers of cloth she was wearing. A warmth that even thawed the slight coldness of her heart. It was completely different from the way she felt when Cecil Lancaster held her. 

When they started to sway with the swaying, Emmy noticed how awkward his movements were. As if he was not familiar at all with dancing. Then why asked her?

“Why did you ask me to dance?” she finally couldn’t help but asked.

Gage Thompson gazed down at her and said in that deep baritone voice of his, “Because you looked like you were about to cry. And for some reason, I didn’t want to see that.”

She could only manage to stare at him after she heard that. Then, for the first time in Emmaline Grimaldi’s life, she felt her heart skipped a beat for someone. 

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