Page 31 of The Fifth Life of Alicia
As expected, I didn’t hear a word from Ezra.
I had a feeling he would seek me out at the ball, mostly because he was the kind of man who did things on his terms. Except this time, I was forcing him to do things the way I wanted, so he would control it the only way he could.
By making me wait until the last minute.
I knew he’d be at the ball. Imperial invitations were hard to ignore as a noble, and one had to have a very good reason to miss something as major as all the spring festivities.
I had no desire to spend any more time than necessary at the palace tonight. I really did only intend to stay for an hour or so before going home. Aside from how exhausting the whole thing would be for me, there was another reason.
This was the ball where, in the original story, Alicia and Kalon first met.
It was imperative to my plan that this event did not come to pass tonight.
Perhaps I would hide behind Vivi all night. She was fierce enough to scare off anyone I didn’t want near me, although I wasn’t quite sure how she’d feel about me thinking of her as my own personal guard dog.
Hmm.
Maybe spending the night flirting with one of her brothers would be another good plan. After all, I was looking for a husband, and any of the young Trelawney lords would be more than acceptable as far as my father was concerned.
Only the eldest was older than me, though.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about a younger man.
Hmm.
Ugh. I was too tired to play politics.
“If you cannot get along tonight, stay away from one another,” Father warned, looking at us all as he offered my stepmother his arm. “Vincent, Michael, you are to keep an eye on your sisters.”
“Yes, Father,” Vincent said, holding his hand out for me.
I rested my hand on top of his. “Don’t worry. I won’t cause any trouble.”
“I wasn’t necessarily talking about you.” Father’s gaze flickered over my shoulder to Sophia.
She’d been in a foul mood ever since she’d heard that my dress had been a gift from Vivi. Father had kept to his word and had taken care of it ever since it had arrived, and that had thrown me for a loop.
In the book, he never would have done such a thing.
Then again, in the book, I don’t think it was ever stated that Alicia stood up to her stepmother and sister the way I had. She’d merely taken their cruelty sitting down, and since Father himself had admitted he was unaware, it was quite sad to think that things could have been different for the original owner of this body if she’d just grown a backbone.
It was more proof that I was changing the story as intended. If I could get my father on my side even just a little…
“Introducing the Marquess and Marchioness Vermillion and their children; Lady Alicia, Lord Vincent, Lord Michael, and Lady Sophia!”
The announcement of our arrival boomed through the ballroom, and for a moment, all eyes were on us.
Specifically, me and Vincent.
Vincent shuddered. “I feel like a piece of meat.”
“Ignore them,” I muttered to him. “They can sense your weakness. If you carry on like this, the young ladies will eat you alive.”
He side-eyed me. “What about you? Half the men in this ballroom are undressing you with their eyes,” he whispered, leaning in. “Want me to challenge them to a duel?”
I fought back a laugh. “It’s quite all right. You just go on a search for a nice wife.”
He groaned. “Shouldn’t you get married first? You’re the eldest.”
