169 2.1.20: Sneaking Out I

A few months had passed since the tea invitation and they had definitely gotten closer. Close enough to where they were possibly best friends, or at least she considered him one. Seeing as she had no visual bar to see his feelings for her, she didn't know if he held any romantic affection towards her. However, he did treat her very well and regarded her well as well, so at least she made some progress.

During these couple of months, not only had she befriended Dominic, but she had also gotten somewhat closer to Augustine. She found it funny that they had rarely seen each other in the past seven years but it only took them a few months to get along—or at least get along as much as she could get along with him who hated her for 'replacing' his sister. She never really understood why he thought she was trying to be his sister—whom she's never met—but Xiao Yunhua took it as his way of grievance.

From the numerous novels she read, she dubbed him as the typical tsundere. He was cold and annoying but also was growing to care for her. She couldn't help but think that this was the result of meeting Dominic and how Augustine saw that she wasn't just an annoying brat nor a leech, hence changing his impression of her.

Just like her son, the Duchess was also cold yet had warmed up to her because after Violetta's first party and good impression, she had been invited to many others. During these couple of months, she had been doing her best to attend each and almost every one of them to make connections and friendships. It has succeeded as high society began to see her in a different light other than her illegitimate status. She was now known for being a pretty and intelligent daughter that didn't disgrace her family.

Although many were her 'friends,' she wasn't naïve enough to forget that they only saw the value that she was holding as the only daughter in the Warrington Household.

Her friendships didn't bother the Duchess, except for one: the friendship she had with Dominic. In the beginning, it didn't really bother her nor did she mind it at all, pleased with Violetta's progress. However, gradually during these couple of months, it began to shift and the Duchess began to scold her, telling her that she wasn't allowed to invite him as frequently as she always did. This confused her because she hadn't had her debutant party, so it wasn't super improper as she technically wasn't a 'woman,' meaning that high society didn't care as much. They just found it amusing but they maintained diligent distance. At first, Xiao Yunhua didn't understand why she was so adamant on them not meeting each other, but then she figured out—and by the gossiping of the servants—that it was beginning to affect him.

She had originally assumed her case, but hadn't thought about his case. Yes it was a bit negative on her side, but he was a soon-to-be knight. He couldn't have a pesky fly around him all the time or the gossips would only grow more. So even though she and her brother had a somewhat awkward relationship, she began to discreetly hint for him to invite his friend over. It worked, at least for the first few times, before he figured out her mischief and said it was misconduct for a noble lady. Then, it was a matter of explaining it to the Duchess who had already told her to keep it together.

Which for Xiao Yunhua, who's debutant party was happening in about five months—along with her fifteenth birthday—she needed to 'keep it together' as soon as possible or else she would already be considered an adult with a stain on her reputation. So, in consider to the wishes of the Duchess and to maintain the freedom she had just gained, Xiao Yunhua promised to stop meeting him as frequently as she did. In return, she would be allowed to go to his knighting ceremony that was happening in two months.

Speaking of his knighting ceremony, he was excited because the record was sixteen, but eighteen was really impressive as well. He technically achieved it on his seventeenth birthday but the preparations along with other things would be coincidentally around the time of his birthday. This didn't happen for most knights, so it was a pretty rare thing to be a knight on the day of aging. When he had found out the news, he had prattled on and on about it and she couldn't help but remember the memory in fondness. He was so happy because it had been something he wanted to do since he was a child. She also found it sweet that she was the first friend he had chosen to tell, even when they hadn't known each other for a long time.

As for her, she was nervous because in exactly five months, she would be fifteen and most likely engaged to someone. She hoped that she could get finished with this target by then because the engagement would be a vexatious situation. Plus she was sure that her next target would be even more difficult, so she hoped it wouldn't clash with the engagement. Of course, this was all her speculation, meaning it may not even happen, at least not that soon.

The only good news in regards to herself for these past couple of months is that she no longer felt the itching in her throat. The miraculous medicine had stopped it and she didn't need to drink cold water at every moment, surprising the Duchess and Libby. The Duchess had even sought out a physician over it, but with the limited technology, they couldn't do any proper testing and said that it was only a phase of her becoming a woman. In reality, only she knew the truth.

Yes, she was sad about losing so many points at the same time, but she was also relieved that it worked and she didn't have to feel the pain at every moment.

A sacrifice for the greater good.

At the moment, she was ready to do something she knew she was going to regret so much in the future: sneak out.