CHAPTER14: ONE NIGHT, TWO INCIDENTS (3)

As Henrietta found herself lost and stranded in the middle of nowhere, she heard a prolonged sound that broke the silence and caught her attention, causing her to stop and listen carefully.

Upon hearing the sound and recognizing it was coming from the riverside, Henrietta quickly made her way toward it in hopes of finding a way out of her predicament.

She noticed a bright light shining in the distance.

She could hear the sound of music and people laughing, and assuming that the revelers were also headed to the duke's estate, she quickly tied her loose hair back into a neat bun and adjusted her satin dress, making sure it was perfect for the occasion. She held her traveler's bag tightly, ready for anything that might happen.

As she walked through the dark alley, she felt a sudden weakness in her legs. She stumbled slightly, but before she could fall, a stranger appeared before her. Henrietta was taken aback at first, but as she looked at his face, she found herself smiling. He had a strikingly handsome face, with deep brown eyes that sparkled in the light.

"Hello," the man said, his voice smooth and confident.

Henrietta was tempted by his voice and his charming smile. She realized that she might not need to see the noble gentlemen at the duke's party after all. She could spend some time with this man instead.

"Hi," she responded, her face flushed with excitement.

"You're pretty," the man said, his eyes fixed on hers. Before Henrietta could respond, another man appeared in the alley, interrupting their conversation.

"Arthur, there you are," the man said, his voice booming. "And with a beautiful woman, no less!"

Henrietta felt a pang of annoyance at the interruption, but it quickly turned to shock when four breathtakingly beautiful angels followed one after the other, causing her mind to go numb. They were all dressed in exquisite suits, with hair that shone in the light. Henrietta couldn't believe her eyes. She had stumbled upon a group of the most beautiful people she had ever seen.

----

PRESENT

Henrietta's heart raced with fear as she heard the footsteps of the intruders pursuing her. Panicked and out of breath, she ran as fast as she could, her feet pounding on the ground as she darted into the darkness.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her ragged breaths echoing in her ears as she pushed herself faster and further toward safety. Her shoes were slipping on the rough terrain, causing her to stumble and lose her balance, but she quickly regained her footing and kept running.

The adrenaline coursing through her veins provided a momentary boost of energy, but she knew she could not keep this pace up for long. Desperately searching for a place to hide, she scanned her surroundings, finally spotting a nearby structure she could climb into. With a surge of determination, she sprinted towards it, hoping to evade her pursuers and find sanctuary.

"I hate to admit it, but Mother may have been right about me being childish," Henrietta thought to herself as she reflected on her recent actions. However, Henrietta couldn't help but think that if Sienna was allowed to travel wherever she pleased, why shouldn't she be able to do the same? The idea of exploring different places and experiencing new adventures filled her with a sense of empowerment, making her push aside her negative thoughts and embrace her independence.

"Whatever," Henrietta cussed under her breath, checking from the top of an abandoned cart by the side of the road to ensure that her pursuers were no longer there. As she looked out into the darkness, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief; they were finally gone.

It seemed as though bad luck had been hanging over her head tonight.

Henrietta was standing on the large cart parked near the outskirts of town. The night was dark, but the sky was illuminated by a group of fireflies flying around. Henrietta had never seen fireflies in the town before for their rarity, and the sight left her amazed.

The fireflies were glowing bright green, and their light cast a magical aura around her. As she looked up at the sky, she felt like she was in a fairytale. Filled with excitement, Henrietta decided to catch one of the fireflies.

She slowly raised her hand and tried to get closer to the little creature, hoping to get a better look at it. As the firefly settled on her finger, she held her breath and brought her fingers closer to her palm, trying not to scare it away. She was fascinated by the little creature and hoped to hold it for a little while longer.

However, the firefly suddenly flew away, leaving Henrietta feeling a little disappointed. As she tiptoed absentmindedly, she accidentally stepped off the cart's edge and lost her balance. She fell to the ground with a thud, and before she knew it, she collided with a passing carriage.

The impact was great, and Henrietta was slightly injured. The accident left her in a lot of pain, and she couldn't move her butt. She lay there, looking up at the sky as the fireflies continued to fly around, their green glow still casting a magical aura around her once again.

Moments later, the excruciating pain in her buttocks and legs hit Henrietta harshly like a wave. She gritted her teeth, biting her lips to suppress the scream of pain, feeling tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She tried to shift her position but found that she couldn't move her legs without experiencing more pain. Henrietta realized that the accident had caused her a serious injury and tears began to trickle slowly down her pale cheeks. She lay there, feeling helpless and alone.

"Gracious Father! Are you hurt, young lady?" The coachman of the carriage that she had collided with quickly hurried towards her side as Henrietta lay injured on the ground. He tried to support her to get up, but she refused, feeling embarrassed as she looked around her. There were more than three carriages on the road, indicating that this was a regular path that was frequent by many. Slapping the coachman's hand in frustration, Henrietta felt vexed that if he had watched the road properly, she wouldn't have been lying there crying in pain - it had been a long time since she had done that.

"Are you alright?" asked the man.

The young man driving the carriage was presumably the coachman's understudy or a new employee. He had a well-formed posture that showed he takes his job seriously- his head was held high. He wore a similar attire as the coachman: a long coat, gloves, a hat, and a waistcoat as well. Despite his focused and professional demeanor, his youthful exuberance shone through as he offered his assistance to Henrietta. He had a youthful charm, apparent in his sparkling eyes and a friendly smile that could easily put others at ease. Yet, he knew when to be serious and professional, as shown by the careful way he handled the carriage after the accident took place. 

"It is infuriating!" Henrietta thought to herself, feeling consumed by a mix of anger and helplessness that pushed her to reject the young man's offer to help her up. She managed to stand on her own and cursed her wretched fate.

One night, two incidents. 

Not wasting time, she fled out of embarrassment.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the road.

Out of the carriages, one of them belonged to the royal family.

Inside the carriage, a man was seen leaning against the seat, with his eyes closed and his hair neatly styled back. He fixed his fingers on his forehead and gently massaged his temples as if an intense headache was tormenting him. Suddenly, he opened his piercing blue eyes and glared at Mr. Gregory, his coachman.

"Why did you stop the carriage?" he demanded, his voice clear and commanding.

Mr. Gregory stammered, "There was an accident, my Lord."

The man's annoyance clearly showed on his face as he scolded Mr. Gregory, "Why do you concern yourself with trifles? Don't you appreciate the significance of my time? Are you intentionally ticking my patience, Mr. Gregory?"

"I'm so sorry, your Grace. I did not intend to cause an interruption," replied Mr. Gregory.

"How useless." The wealthy Lord dismissed. 

The man, Duke Ansel, was well known for his unpredictable temper, especially regarding the celebrations organized without his permission. He had returned from the northern part of the kingdom after a year's absence rummaging to resolve administration issues in his estate and noble rankings.

It was only right for him to attend his heir's birthday party. His assistant advisor, Tyrion Rowand, and Esquire, Mr. Becket had returned a week earlier to reshape the norms changed by the duchess and her greedy sentiments, but they could not do anything resorting to the duke's return.

"How many tutors have resigned during my absence?" Duke Ansel asked as he rubbed his temples.

"Twenty-five, your Grace," replied Mr. Gregory with resignation.

Duke Ansel adjusted his balance on the seat, displeased as always with his son's extravagance and bad temperament. He was not even surprised by the number of expensive teachers wasted on his son. He rubbed his temples as another hardcore headache attacked him. 

"Notify Mr. Rowand. I want him to find a more suitable instructor or a governess who can assist in the matter. I don't understand where he picked up all these obnoxious behaviors leveled against my staff members." The duke ordered.

"Your grace, there is only one sociopath in the family..."

"Don't mention his name. That ungrateful brat." Duke Ansel frowned. His voice had turned low, and the air around him had turned dangerous.

"Of course, your Grace," Mr. Gregory nodded, understanding the duke's concerns despite feeling helpless about doing anything useful.

Amid the chaotic night air, the incident that could have caused more disruption was quickly resolved.