When Aqua stepped into the party, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that people looked at her with stunned awe. Many — men and women — couldn't even take their eyes off that stunning beauty. Some didn't even blink, following Aqua's figure.
Although it was clear there were a few who weren't happy about it, Gigi didn't care. All she cared was one person's reaction. She discreetly slid her eyes to where Sevan sat, but the guy was busy talking to someone else.
Tch. All my efforts.
Gigi huffed and shook her head. Leaning against Aqua's side, she whispered, "Your boyfriend is over there."
She pointed in a direction, prompting Aqua to turn her head toward where Troy was seated.
There, Troy had already risen from his seat. His mouth fell open, mesmerized by the beauty standing at a distance.
"I'll just join him for a while." Aqua smiled at Gigi, who nodded in return.
"Go ahead. Enjoy."
With that, Aqua giggled and carefully made her way to Troy. Watching this, Gigi tilted her head slightly, observing the two as they reunited.
Would he really cheat on her? she wondered to herself. In the original story, he cheated on her with… me.
Her face soured at the thought. But then again, it wasn't like she was putting herself down. Gigi was beautiful—but compared to Aqua, the latter was of a different caliber. But, well, beauty was in the eye of the beholder.
"Young Miss."
Gigi's thoughts halted when Bubbles suddenly appeared beside her, a deep frown on her face.
"Young Miss, isn't that dress one of your favorites?" Bubbles asked. "Why is Aqua wearing it?"
My favorite? It hasn't even been worn.
Gigi turned to Bubbles with a smile and gently placed her hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry about that. I'm hungry now. Let's go."
With that, Gigi guided Bubbles back to their table. But as soon as they sat down, Mrs. Valentine spoke up.
"Gigi, my dear, did you lend Aqua that dress?" Her tone was gentle, but it was obvious she didn't approve.
Acting oblivious, Gigi nodded. "I thought it suited her."
"But you liked that dress and were saving it for a special occasion."
"But it looks good on her." Gigi flashed her mother a sweet smile. "Mom, don't worry. I have plenty of dresses for every occasion."
Mrs. Valentine sighed softly as she looked at her little princess. She wasn't thrilled that Aqua seemed to be exploiting Gigi's memory loss. However, seeing Gigi being so sweet, she didn't have the heart to ruin her daughter's night.
"Oh, my daughter. If you need anything else, just tell me, alright? I can always call your favorite designer to come over."
"Thanks, Mom."
Gigi didn't think much of it as she focused on the food—the only good thing about this dinner. But as she ate, she sensed someone staring at her. Turning her head in that direction, her eyes landed on Sevan's table.
"Hm?" she hummed, her brows furrowing.
Sevan was engaged in a conversation with someone at his table.
Was I mistaken? she wondered, looking away. Oh well.
Not thinking much of it, Gigi shrugged and continued with her meal. Meanwhile, Sevan glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The sides of his lips curved slightly before he refocused on his conversation partner.
---
If a simple dinner was like this, Gigi had no idea how the truly rich partied. The only rich people she knew were those from the underground world in the world she came from.
After dinner, people simply engaged in casual talk over wine. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, lingering longer than expected.
As for Gigi, she had eaten quite a bit. Her dress now felt tight, as if she'd gained a few pounds in just one meal. So, she dragged Bubbles out to take a walk with her.
"I'm so full…" Gigi rubbed her tummy. "I feel like I'm going to throw up."
Bubbles, still a little upset, replied, "Miss, that's because you really feasted. Auntie was worried they hadn't prepared enough food, the way you were going."
"Heh," Gigi smirked, casting her a sideways glance. "That's the way of life."
"But seriously, I feel really full. Kinda sick," she added.
"Miss, should I get you some medicine?"
"Hmm… is there any?"
"I can ask. I'm sure there is."
"Alright." Gigi nodded. "I'll wait here then."
With that, Bubbles quickly left the garden while Gigi smiled at her cute figure.
"Well…" Inhaling the fresh air, Gigi strolled leisurely around the garden. She wasn't far from the venue, so it was fine. What she needed now was a good walk to recover from overeating.
But as she took light, almost playful steps along the stone path, she suddenly stopped. Slowly, she looked up—and there, standing on the opposite side of the path, was Sevan.
What is he doing here?
"I don't think you should be hopping from stone to stone in those heels," he remarked casually, offering a short smile.
"..." Gigi smiled back, glancing sideways to check if anyone else was around.
No one.
Great.
With no excuse to escape, she looked back at him. "Doctor Sevan! Are you also out walking after your meal?"
"I ate quite a lot," he said. "So I thought I'd walk it off."
"Ah."
Silence.
Only a few seconds passed, but it felt unusually long. Gigi opened her mouth to say something, but ended up offering a wide smile instead.
I think I'm done walking, she was about to say when he suddenly beat her to it.
"Shall we walk together?" he offered. "If you don't mind."
I do.
But considering her fate was hanging by a thread—at the whim of one or four people—she wasn't about to risk it.
"I walk… very long," she replied. "Like a marathon."
Sevan chuckled. "That's fine. We'll stop when you're feeling better."
Her smile remained, but in her heart, she made an oath: this walk wasn't just to help her digestion. She'd make sure he'd never ask to walk with her again.
—
Minutes later…
"Huh?" Bubbles looked around, frowning. "Where did she go?"