Price Tag
"Why do I have to be the one to approve your wedding dress?" I massaged my temple, watching the pink haired girl twirl in an incredibly long white dress.
She smiled in that way she did that made it impossible to mad at her. "Cornelia is just left the UN meeting yesterday. The both of you will be like my...advising council." Her voice came out muffled as she tugged the dress over her head, dumping the heavy white silk dress on the paper screen that seperated us.
I snorted. "Sure."
She peeked her head over to the side of the screen, her violet eyes watchful. "You're in a slightly elevated mood. Something happen."
My heart beat like a hammer against my chest, and cold beats of sweat started to form on my forehead. She knows/i/ I thought panickedly. She gasped and stopped herself from jumping out behind the screen. A grin was detectable in her voice as she hid behind the screen. "You got offered a record deal? You're getting along with Suzaku?" I cringed at the 'getting along' and answered her in my most level tone.
"Maybe..."
"That's great! How did he win you over?" Was she trying to taunt me?
"He...played dirty." I wiped my palms on my pants, the sweat just gliding off the silk dress pants.
"Dirty? Don't tell me he bribed you!"
I turned around to answer, and lost my train of thought.
She wore a simple white strapless number with white roses sewn into the hem and train, and white silk gloves that ended just above her elbows.
I averted my gaze as she twirled, smiling as if she already had the answer she was looking for. "So how do I look?"
"Beautiful." I choked, keeping my eyes on any space that wasn't occupied with pure Euphy Unfortunately, that meant I could only see myself.
The man in the mirror was perched on a stool, wore a suit that looked like a school's uniform, and had near shoulder length black hair. Even to a stranger, the look in the man's eye was apparent.
Jealousy.
And its what I felt. Euphemia was going to get her happy ending. Marry her night in shining armor while looking every bit of princess she was. I clutched the leather seat near painfully, the tough fabric biting the insides of my nails.
"I'm here!" I rose a brow questionably.
"What took you so long? Were you snogging with Guilford in the break room.
She laughed in a manner to nervously to my own.
"What about you? Did you have fun bonding with the brother in law?"
I made a face. "That's not relevant at all but apparently by Euphy's standards I've 'won him over.' "
Cornelia scoffed, not bothering to hide her amusement. "Easy to please, that one is."
"I can hear you, you know. I'm standing right here!"
"I'm just jerking your chain! And I don't care if you want to wear anything else to the wedding. This is the dress."
Euphy smiled in that winning way of hers. I tried not to grimace, with the emphasis on try.
The wedding was in three weeks.
I had three weeks to decide whether to isolate Suzaku Kururugi from my life, or keep him there forever.
Neither were up to me.