Chapter 18 - Journey to Sorav

Malia did her best to avoid raising her brother's suspicion by restricting her questions to those that had to do with his brother or the school. She is not only picking up new information, but she is also safely avoiding suspicion. She would try to respond when her brother started asking questions that she knew or she had read in Malia's diary-- or would start acting sleepy if she did not know the answer.

They took a stop at a decent inn late Thursday night to dine and spend the rest of the evening. After supper was over, Lily helped Malia to her room, which was on the third story and one of the most expensive rooms in the inn. Despite her suggestion that she could sleep while wearing the mask, Lily refused to sleep in the same room.

Lily prepared her bath and made it extra warm. Malia requested that it should be a little bit warmer to reduce fatigue from the travel and sitting the entire day.

She quickly helped herself and dressed in something very light to sleep comfortably and turned off the lights and went to sleep.

It would have been wonderful if she had gotten to sleep, but the walls were too thin for her to hear erotic sounds coming from the other room. It sounded like three to four girls giggling and enjoying whatever they were doing.

When Malia could stand the noise no longer, she began pounding on the walls to drown it out or silence them. For a brief moment, the commotion subsided, but after a little while, the girls' giggling continued.

'Ughhhhhh, it's only 9 PM! My pure ears are hurting!'

Malia lacks experience but is fully aware of what the individuals on the other side of the room were doing. After all, she enjoyed a wide range of literary genres.

Somehow, they seem to be annoying her, even more, when the girls' giggles became words saying "yes! I want more", "me next", and "do it now, stop teasing me". Malia just wanted to cry or take her ears out completely.

Malia wanted to exchange rooms with her brother because she could no longer stand the noise, but her brother's room was actually just next to the noisy one as well. She also went to the front desk and asked to be moved, but there were no other rooms available. She gave up and requested a knight to fetch her electric piano in the carriage that her father gifted before she left.

'Might as well play something tonight. Let's see how you feel about Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca!'

Malia placed the electronic piano very very close to the wall and started pressing hard on the piano keyboard.

Anyone hearing the Rondo Alla Turca piece would enjoy it because it was strong, quick, and loud at times-- not unless it's played more than necessary.

Malia continued to play it 15 more times instead of ending it in merely three minutes. The listeners in "the room" first responded favorably, but on her sixth attempt, they began hitting the wall as well. She didn't stop and continued the performance 9 more times.

"Stop! You lunatic!"

"Crazy bastard!"

"STOP IT!"

'I tried asking you to stop earlier, which you did not, so why are you asking me to stop now? in your dreams! You could have kept fvcking without being so loud, but instead, you increased the noise. You all deserve this! HAHAHA'

Malia wanted to play more but the room on the other side also started banging the wall, so she called it a day.

After a little while, she overheard a yell coming from a guy in the "room".

"Leave!"

'Sorry for interrupting your fun. Well… I guess this is better.'

She quickly nodded off as the environment became quiet.

The next day, she heard Lily knocking and bringing her warm water to wash her face and a change of clothes. Malia actually doesn't like spending a day without taking a bath so she plans to request a warm bath after breakfast instead.

She hurriedly cleansed her face, combed her hair, and put it in a ponytail. She wore a modest, light bluish late-Regency dress because it was easy to put on. She wore her mask, applied a simple pink lip gloss, and left the room.

She was startled to see a man standing and leaning against the wall outside her room. He was really attractive, and he was dressed in a plush blue suit that made him appear playfully handsome. The most striking feature of his appearance was a monocle over his right eye that gave him a sexy and intelligent appearance. He assumed that the girl was smitten with his appearance, so he grinned at her while brushing his golden blonde hair to the side.

'Okaaaay, that was weird…'

Malia locked her room and walked away from the handsome guy. The guy was taken aback and assumed the female was attempting to play hard-to-get, so he spoke first.

"So… you're the one who played that piano last night?"

"Excuse me, do I know you?" Maia enquired with curiosity, but her eyes were blank.

"Maybe? but you interrupted my sweet little fun last night. I bet you can remember?" He said with a very seductive smile.

"Eehhkk, it was you?" Malia gave him a disgusted look. "... Well, I apologize if I offended you, but I believe it is common decency to keep other people in the dark about your bedroom shenanigans."

The man chuckled, "Haha, I don't need to do that in an inn… but I suppose you wanted to replace those women last night?" He approached her and touched her hair.

He recognized the young woman because of her distinctive black hair; others called her "the wealthy Marquis' daughter". Someone who is incredibly uninteresting and is only noticeable for her hair. Who would have guessed that she could play the piano so well?

Malia smacked his hands; she was about to break his arms when she noticed a golden dragon crest over the left of his chest. She does not want to offend someone with higher status and cause problems for her family.

"You are being impolite, Sir… Also, since I'm young, you could say that listening to your -ehem- last night was rather inappropriate. Right?"

"Young?" exclaimed the young man. "You've got to be kidding, right? Even commoners marry at the age of 15. Noble girls are also taught about this topic at the age of 15. Stop acting so innocent... If you're doing this to get my attention, you did well...hahaha."

Malia was getting annoyed. She is clenching her fist but trying to exhale and stopped herself from smacking the guy.

"Say you were educated about this thing; do you peep at your parents performing the act?... Do you enjoy hearing their moans as well? Wow, that's a very unique type of fetish you got there." Malia sounded almost laughing, and her tone was mocking as well.

" … and may I add, what's so special about you for me to want your attention, isn't that a little bit narcissistic sir?"

The man laughed softly, "You can stop pretending, okay?"

'The heck is wrong with this man? Why should I know him? He didn't say anything about my name, and it appears that this is our first meeting. Who the eff is he? Blonde hair is so common, although his hair was almost golden, it doesn't help at all. His eyes are purple... PURPLE?? What the eff?!! Is this Daniel, the male lead? No, no, no, Daniel was devoted to the female protagonist. He wasn't lustful or anything, and he wasn't wearing a monocle either.'

Malia continued to look confused and softly voiced out her thoughts, "…he can't be Daniel…"

When he heard her, the young man's seductive gaze turned to a mad look.

"My brother is Daniel… I'm not Daniel," he said sternly, "my name is Dominic."

Malia turned around and ran. She nearly tripped due to her long dress, but that didn't stop her from sprinting down the corridor until she reached the stairs, where she carefully descended but still sprinted.

'I offended him last night, slapped his hands, insulted him, and called him NARCISSISTIC! Waaaaaaah I don't want to be beheaded!'

She ran over to her brother who was sitting and eating his breakfast at one of the tables.

"Brother, I'm not going to eat breakfast; I'll just sit in the carriage and wait for you. Byeeee! " She continued to run away and hide in their carriage.

She called Lily, who left the inn minutes after she had hidden inside the carriage. Matthew informed Lily that Malia was already in the carriage when she was looking for her.

"Lily, psst! Lily!" Malia whispered. She was hiding her body by laying down inside the carriage.

"Why are you here, my lady? You also skipped breakfast, why are you whispering?" Lily inquired.

'Forget breakfast; I didn't even get to take a bath, and I had to stay in the carriage for the entire daaaaay!'

"Yeah, I just want to preserve my voice hehe. By the way, here's the key to my room, please get my things. Thank you, Lily!"

Lily could not understand her lady sometimes, but she found it funny.

"Alright my lady"

.....

Thank goodness Dominic didn't chase her down. She just hoped she wouldn't run into him at the academy.

Her brother entered the carriage, and when everything was ready, they resumed their long journey to Sorav.

.

.

.

--- end of chapter 18 ---

.

.

.