chapter four

...❝ 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 ❞...

...• • ━━━━━━ ☽︎ ━━━━━━ • •...

the girl shakes her head, taking a sigh before propping her elbow and lean her caked up face onto it.

the journey lasted for a while, since the manor was far from the place where the young general was living in.

she open her eyes, awaking from her quick slumber as her vision landed into more trees.

soon, the trees started to lessen and in her view, she saw the massive house of the infamous eric. it was too big for one person to live in with it's exterior extending back to a garden where she only saw more trees.

the cream and gray bricks of the house came in contrast to the vibrant greenery around it, making it pop out more.

why did i expect him to live at an abandoned looking manor.

as the carriage slowly approaches the house, her heartbeat suddenly increased it's speed. it wasn't dawning on her until now how the man could kill her in an instant once she make one simple mistake.

she couldn't afford making him suspicious. that was the only thing she was thinking. but, if he does end up killing me.. it's fine, it's not like i have anyone to come back to anyway. at least my misery in this world would come to the end.

with that last thought, her heart had calmed down as she patiently waits for what fate had planned for her.

...• • ━━━━━━ ☽︎ ━━━━━━ • •...

eric waits for the carriage to arrive. the least excited for the arrival of this woman he was bound to married.

he stands outside the patio after one of his companions, lucas, had announced that the carriage was already on sight.

he thinks of what he can do to the stranger if ever the rumors his other companion, isaac, had told him was true.

they dare fool me with an imposter? didn't want to let down the king huh? now instead of sending their daughter, they send another person in her place.

he scoffs, crossing his arms as his feet tapped on the stone path impatiently.

the carriage stop just in front of him, the coach bowing towards him but never meeting his eyes.

eric waits for a moment, getting much more impatient as the woman inside doesn't step out.

she stay in her chair, looking out the window and sees the black haired general outside, foot tapping on the floor with his face unreadable.

she contemplates whether she should go out now, hand reaching for the door when she stops short, remembering vivianne's instructions.

"once you arrive there, you need to wait patiently for general eric to open the carriage for you. you need to act like a daughter of a nobleman, you should act proper with a man to open the door for you"

she hesitantly retracts her gloved hand back and placed them neatly by her lap.

eric rolls his eyes as he unwillingly walk his way towards the carriage and open the door.

he look at her coldly, offering her his hand as she places her first heeled feet on the ground, followed by the other.

eric's look on her doesn't waver as he feels her hand trembling against his.

as both her feet landed on the pavement, she look up and stares at the general through her headpiece, placing both her hands to her sides as eric scoffs once again.

the taller takes his free hand as he pulls the headpiece off, revealing the brunette haired girl; her long locks breaking free from the bun and flows down onto her back.

the man gives an icy look, watching the girl brings her head down from the sudden action.

her heart was pounding in her chest as she stares at the stone pathway below, she uses her right hand to brush her disheveled hair out of her face as she stares at the young general with teary eyes.

"so it was true" he said, voice void of any emotion "they send an imposter like you and thought i was stupid enough to believe"

he brings a pocket knife out from his belt, twisting and clinking it before pointing the tip below her chin. she stares at it, body shaking.

she was never afraid of death, but the man in front of her gave off a different aura that made her knees wanting to buckle in fear.

she tries her best to look at him in the eyes, showing the man that she wasn't afraid even if she was the complete opposite.

"where's the real vivianne?"

she swallows down as she finds her voice, reciting the phrase she had practiced countless time "miss has become sick and bedridden. they didn't want to disappoint you and the king, that's why they sent me in her place"

he stares at her, pressing the dagger into her skin which she hissed in pain.

"well, i don't have any purpose for you. this shall be a message to the covington family to not mess with me. sending a lowly servant, they must think i'm a bigger fool"

she looks down, the part where the tip of the dagger was hitting her skin felt suddenly numb "i may just be a servant, but i'm still a human, sir"

eric looks at her "I didn't ask you to speak, never expect to get out of here"

she looks up at him once again "the king ask you to get married. kill me? that'll only disappoint him"

he rolls his eyes as he presses the dagger once again, crimson started to decorate it's silver blade.

"I know you don't want this marriage to happen in a flash. just do it now and it would be called off.. or maybe the real vivianne would marry you, if that's what you want"

he pulls the dagger out and placing it sideway, ready to slash it directly at her throat.

she doesn't close her eyes even as the blade slowly made it's ways down.

"you've arrived" the man with blonde hair comes out, hurriedly as he makes his way towards them. eric stops short, the blade just inches away from her skin.

she let out a breath she was unknowingly holding, looking at the newcomer with grateful eyes.

"you must be vivianne covington" he says, his voice tinted with worry as he sees the general holding onto the dagger tightly behind him "i'm isaac winston, the caretaker of this manor"

eric eyes the man before looking at the girl once again "she's not, the rumors you've told me were true. the covington family has sent a replacement for vivianne in her place"

isaac presses his lips together "well, i heard that vivianne was a spoiled brat, i think this young lady wouldn't be much nuisance, she's also pretty"

she felt her cheeks burning, but keeps her mouth close the entire time, looking back and forth the two men.

the general eyes her "state your name"

"clara, clara lockridge" she says, connecting her hands together in front and bows at the two.

...☽︎...

...everyone say hello to clara~...

...- tbc -...

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