Chapter 44 - Not an Innocent man

Eloise happily hopped back to her room, humming a cheery tune. "Mom!" she ran to her, hugged her and twirled her around.

"My darling looks happy," lady Ayles gently squeezed her cheeks.

"yes~ because I just created a huge milestone in my life!!!," Eloise cheerfully twirled around her..

"I heard you met up with Duke Raymond," her mother pulled her over to the chair and sat opposite her. "Tell me all about it."

"oh mum I am so happy," she just gigged with a dreamy look on her face.

'My daughter... she is completely and utterly in love with him. Oh, thank lords. I thought she might end up as a spinster,' lady Millen Ayles thought to herself with a wide smirk on her face. "Oh, my daughter, you have done well. You have done very well," she patted her shoulders.

"Thanks mom~ I'll go get changed out of this horrendous outfit~" Eloise hoped back to her room singing some off-tune song.

"Odette, did you see that?"

"Yes, my madam... our lady had grown up so much in these few days," Odette sniffed, wiping her tears on her sleeves.

"Yes indeed. My baby has grown up. Soon she will wed a man and leave our household.. that saddens me a lot," madam Ayles cried softly into her kerchief.

Odette sat beside her gently massaging her trembling shoulders. "That is the process of life, madam. That day is bound to happen."

"You are right, my dear.. you are right," madam wiped off her tears and stood up. "We have to prepare more things for my darling's social début. I believe we might get really busy with invites right after we land in Salona dukedom,"

"I will fetch the fabrics I had stored below deck, madam. The seamstress is also ready at hand. We shall prepare the most extravagant dresses for our young lady," Odette cheerfully stood, up ready to leave.

Madam Ayles held her hand dearly. "yes... you are of great help Odette,"

Eloise, who was in the clouds about her plan approval, did not know that her life was going get kind of busy.

Without her knowledge, rumors started to spread around in the ship. The people got to know that she frequents the duke's quarters and have started to murmur about her.

Both madam Ayles and Odette were not aware of this as well.

But word spread to Raymond through mister freed.

"Preposterous. Why are they spreading such nonsensical rumors?" he stood up, prancing around his room.

Fred sat silently, watching his anxious figure. "Maybe it must be because you only danced with her in that ball."

"No, that's not it. It must be that Dominic's fault. He must be the master mind behind it. He is trying to spoil the reputation of those close to me," Raymond whispered, biting his finger nails.

"Come on Raymond, he is a kid,"

"He is not a kid. A kid can't orchestrate a pirate attack like that," he sat down, sighing at his naïve little friend. "I know that you want to believe that there is good in everyone. But it is not practical at all. Dominic is neither a child nor a good person,"

"Ray, don't say that. Pirate attack must have not been his plan rather a coincidence."

"This ship's path was never once plundered or plagued by pirates. The only time we travel it gets attacked!! It's not a coincidence, Fred. It's not!."

Raymond peered at Fred's disappointed look. "You have not lived as long I do. I have seen very well how humans change. Dominic is not the same child you played with as a youngster. He is a cold-hearted prince. The sooner you realize that the better,"

Fed could not listen to any more of his speech. He stormed out the door with a long sigh.

"Someone got kicked out," Dominic leaned casually against the wall smirked his way.

"The rumors, is it your doing?"

"What if I said it was? What can you do?" he challengingly walked closer.

Fred was taller than him by at least a few inches, but the little man in front of him intimated him somehow. His heart beat started to race.

He swiftly pushed him away. "I won't believe that you are that cruel,"

"Well, I am a cruel man. Listen to your friend. He explained it more clearly than I do," Dominic breathed closer to his face. "You smell good..."

Fred pushed turned his face away with a slightly flushed face. "It's your fragrance mist..."

"Oh, you are saying that I smell good?" Dominic leaned closer. "Fred... you have not changed one bit."

"Enough, both of you. Leave my door step. Now!!" Raymond opened the door rapidly and closed after saying what had to be said.

Fred, flustered, pushed away the prince and ran back to his leaving behind the young blond man sighing.

Raymond once again popped his head out. "And you, don't mess with him."

"Uncle, how can you say that? I was only making an observational point,"

"Don't give him false hopes."

Dominic's eyes narrowed. "You are the one who gave me false hopes. You said you will give me eternity now. I am left with a shitty life,"

"Your life is great as is. Don't try to spoil it." Raymond closed the door and latched it tightly.