Upon entering the house, all eyes turned to Rose and Claramond, who maintained a smile and greeted those who approached as they continued forward. In contrast, Rose was relaxed, quiet, and simply clung to Claramond's arm while ignoring the others.
They finally reached the grand main hall where all the guests were gathered, some dancing and others just chatting.
"There's quite a crowd... How are you feeling?" Claramond asked Rose, who responded by gripping his arm even tighter without a word.
Seeing their arrival, Mr. and Mrs. Farrell approached, offering a friendly smile.
"We're glad you could come. My child, how are you?" Mr. Farrell said, clearly feigning concern to keep up appearances.
"It's been so long since we had you home, I miss my beloved daughter," Mrs. Farrell said, moving closer to hug Rose, who almost immediately stepped back, ending up almost behind Claramond. With her rejection, the woman looked furious and simply averted her gaze to smile again.
"Well... We'll be making an announcement soon... I'll expect you there, Mr. Paxley," Mr. Farrell said as he and his wife moved away from them.
As soon as they left, Claramond turned to Rose, who seemed somewhat downcast; he hugged her to his chest, then kissed her forehead. Some guests watched with interest, while others began to whisper.
Rose felt soothed in his arms, and thus decided to embrace him a bit tighter, as if clinging to him...
Moments later, on the stage, Mr. Farrell stepped up and called for the audience's attention.
"Thank you all for coming. As you know, my dear daughter Rosemary Farrell is now engaged to the esteemed Mr. Claramond Paxley. We invited you to celebrate this beautiful commitment and to finally put an end, once and for all, to the rumors circulating about them. We never expected such things," he said into the microphone. There was silence, and then he gestured for Claramond and Rose to come up. "I leave you with them," Mr. Paxley said, stepping away from the microphone.
Without hesitation, Claramond took the microphone, not letting go of Rose's hand, aware that the medication she had taken might not prevent a crisis if she felt too pressured.
"Good evening, everyone, and thank you for being here. As you may know, I recently announced my engagement to this beautiful lady, Rosemary Farrell," Claramond said, lifting their joined hands to show everyone. "Firstly, I want you to know that the rumors that have since been spreading are false. I have never accepted any bribes from her family or my fiancee, and those who know me are aware I would never engage in such behavior. The rumors were started by a coworker. Surely you remember my brief relationship with her, but it never developed into anything serious, and I distanced myself personally from her long before I met Rose. The rumors she created were solely to hurt Rose and the Farrells, and so I apologize for not stopping it sooner," Claramond said calmly.
The audience applauded his words and then proceeded with photography and the odd question. Among these, one was directed at Rose.
"Miss Farrell, how did you meet Mr. Paxley?" a reporter asked. Hearing this, Rose swallowed hard, not quite sure what to say, so she looked at him. Claramond gave her an encouraging smile, and she mustered her courage to speak as best as she could.
"It was... just by chance, our eyes met in a store," Rose said, blushing slightly. Claramond was surprised she didn't stutter, smiled warmly, and gently squeezed her hand, offering more assurance.
With Rose's response, everyone applauded, and to add icing on the cake, Claramond leaned in and kissed her lips in front of everyone. Rose returned the kiss, feeling elated, and many photographs were taken.
After a few minutes, the banquet began, and everyone started to eat. At the forefront sat Rose and Claramond at their table, ready to join in the meal.
As the dishes arrived, she scrutinized them, puckered her lips thoughtfully, and without a second thought, took up the fork to taste and was delighted with the flavor. Claramond watched, enjoying her expressions, and then he began to eat.
"Is it good?" he asked, to which she nodded and smiled. "I'm glad. You look beautiful when you smile," he said, caressing her cheek tenderly. She savored this and then took a portion of her meal to Claramond's mouth with anticipatory glee. He opened wide and savored the bite. "Delicious," he affirmed.
Both started to eat while some guests watched them discreetly. The Farrells were no exception, their eyes fixed on the pair.
"I always said that behavior wasn't normal... He treats her too well; it doesn't seem like an act," Amon remarked.
"Pff... She's even lucky someone can love her the way she is... I'd be repulsed to be like that," Margaret added.
"At least we didn't have to pay a thing for that failure; now that he'll keep her, we don't have to worry about her anymore," Mr. Farrell said.
"He even threw me out of his house for saying something... I feel she might cause us trouble," Amon commented. Leonhart, who was with them, remained silent, watching Rose.
"I think the same. If that man dares to speak out about her condition and how we treated her, I'm sure it will go badly for us," Mrs. Farrell said.
"Don't worry; I have everything perfectly planned," Mr. Farrell said with a smile. Without further ado, he stood up, and everyone at the table watched him approach Rose and Claramond's table.
Upon arriving, Mr. Farrell wore a pleasant smile, studied his daughter for a moment, and then addressed Claramond.
"Mr. Paxley, would you mind joining me for a moment?" he said. Claramond sighed and stood up.
"I'll be right back, Rose," he told her before walking away with Mr. Farrell and disappearing down a corridor.
Rose watched him go and then prepared herself to wait. While looking at her plate of food, Margaret sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"Hello, little sister," she said to Rose, who swallowed hard and grew noticeably agitated. "Won't you greet me?" she asked. Rose trembled slightly and then took a deep breath.
Margaret, noticing Leonhart's gaze on Rose, stood abruptly and tightened her grip on Rose's shoulder.
"Come on... accompany me now," she said. Fearing something unpleasant, Rose got up and followed...
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Shambase Macrina Halyoonda
Bhi
2025-01-30
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