Disclaimer: I do not own KWMS and P&P... sadly...

A/N: there's some parts where I used a character's point-of-view because it has to be done... otherwise...

I would like to dedicate this chapter to Kurokami Zero :D

And my friends... I present...

Chapter 29


Misaki's POV

I do not really remember where I am... or where I am going...

I was annoyed that my sister, Suzuna, woke me up so early in the morning; I usually wake up early, but today's not a good time. The next thing I knew, I was in a fancy white dress, and now seated in the carriage with my sister, who kept on talking about me leaving her...

I am not really going anywhere, right?

I tried to remember what might the affair happening today; probably today's another tea party with her colleagues from London in which I was also invited, though I might consider that it's too early for one.

We arrived in a house made of stone, old yet dignified. If that's a word that can be used to describe a house, it'll suit it the most. I assumed that we were miles away from Elmswood, for I did not recognize the place itself. "This must be secluded," I thought.

We were greeted by Inspector Norris, who came from the house. He gave me a bouquet and then, with an outreached hand, he said, "You're very late. Come now, my dear."

I wanted to ask him what was going on, but I didn't. I wanted to see where this is all going. The inspector dragged me to the entrance then pushed me inside. Then I heard the door locked.

I really wanted to go out, but all of a sudden, I heard a beautiful sound from a violin and a piano, playing a march. Then it dawned on me.

The fancy white dress was not just any dress, the house wasn't really a house, and I cannot deny that I was hearing a wedding march. I cannot believe that my power of comprehension is starting to decline.

Not really thinking anything, I walked down the aisle; the sides were decorated with roses and lilies, each bouquet was tied with a white ribbon. The floor was covered with red carpet and with flower petals. The place was beautiful.

When I almost reached the altar, I stopped, for I saw a man. No, I saw him standing next to the altar. I knew him anywhere; his golden locks, his emerald eyes, the gentle air around him, and that gentle smile on his face...

He came down to the aisle, walked towards me, took my hand and gently kissed it.

When his eyes met mine, it was as if time stopped; I could stare at him forever if I could. But perhaps I stared too long that unexpectedly, I felt very heavy, and was about to collapse. I also felt Usui's grip got stronger, and then he held me in his arms while calling my name over again. Then, all I can see is darkness...

I opened my eyes and sat on my bed. I was panting heavily. I looked around the room, then outside the window; the full moon was still in the sky along with a few stars. I tried to gain back my full consciousness, and then I remembered that tonight was two nights after I left the Chevalier Manor, and tomorrow will be the engagement party of Usui and Ms. Chevalier.

"My, my... it was all a dream, wasn't it, Misaki?" I told myself.

I have regretted everything that happened tonight; for some reason, I cannot return to sleep.

-0-

"Ms. White, look after the flower arrangements on every table; Mrs. Fields, put out the best silverware and clean them. Mr. Jackson, the stables..."

Angelique observed the butler of the Everglott palace and the rest of the household preparing the grand hall for her engagement party which will be held at dinnertime that day. The day before, she, her mother and the butler Louis set out to Nottingham in time for the occasion. She was about to go to her room to prepare herself, but when she passed by the grand hall, she stopped and thought for a while. But perhaps she had thought too deeply that she failed to notice that Louis was already beside her.

"Miss Chevalier, may I ask what is bothering you today?" said he, "Is there something you didn't like in the preparation? I might ask Mr. Charles to change it the way you like. "

"No, Louis, it's perfect," she replied, "I am very amazed on the efforts everyone is showing, although it is only some insignificant event..."

"I beg your pardon ma'am, but we all thought that this day is very special, to you and for all of us," said Louis.

Angelique gave Louis a confused expression, in which he tried to clear what he said before, "It is indeed a very special day; not only that the sole heir to the Chevalier family is to be engaged to a worthy gentleman, but also that the former glory of the family is to be restored today."

Angelique was silent for a while, and then she said in a soft voice, "Louis, what if I make a mistake which will cause the fall of the Chevalier family? I had known long ago what I should do and should be and that I should make the right choices for this family, but now, I don't know what to do anymore. I know what I am doing is for the best of everyone..."

"Sometimes, the right thing to do isn't really for the best."

"What?" she asked.

"And there are times that the best isn't really the right thing to do, but we can find a way so that the right thing to do will be also for the best of everybody, as well as for you," the butler said, "We can never avoid committing mistakes yet we do our best either not to commit them or to correct them, but the latter's most likely to happen."

"Ah, I should believe in your words, Louis, but in my case I cannot do that, for I am expected to do what is right," Angelique said.

"Yes indeed, Ms. Chevalier; everybody expects that. But always remember that we will follow you whatever fate will befall in this family," said Louis.

Angelique smiled and said, "Thank you for your assurance, Louis, and that I..." she paused for a moment, and then, said, "I think I should go..."

She started to walk briskly towards the main entrance, in which the butler tried to stop her by saying, "Madam, you should be getting ready for your engagement..."

"That can wait, Louis; this is an important business that I have to attend..." she said, then she ran until she got out of the palace.

-0-

The hour of the engagement party came.

The grand hall was filled with noble people socializing happily while waiting for the hosts and for the incoming guests; a band of musicians was serenading for entertainment. The servants busied themselves serving food and wine as well as attend to other needs of the people.

Amidst the happy crowd, Usui stood alone, silently observing other people. He was approached by a number of people, congratulating him on his engagement with Angelique but he gave them a cold response, thus he was left alone by the guests. But the truth is that he was waiting for his "cousin", or for a very few people who knew, his half brother, Gerard Walker. While he was waiting, someone called him his attention.

"So, you must be Earl Takumi Usui?"

He turned. He was quite surprised to see that person who called his attention; someone whom he saw at the phony wedding of Misaki and who looked like her.

Usui changed his countenance, smiled, and replied, "It's quite an honor to meet you, properly this time. You must be Ms. Ayuzawa's sister."

"Indeed I am, sir. I wanted to have a chat with you that time, yet time didn't favour that to happen, until now. I am Suzuna, by the way," she said.

"So, how's your sister?" Usui asked.

"She's fine, thank you," Suzuna replied, "Everything has, as she put it, 'come back to normal.'"

"By normal, did you mean her solitary life or her working with Mr. Norris?"

"I am not quite shocked that my sister has put her confidence with you, Mr. Usui," she replied, "She would not let other people find out of her situation. Oh, and speaking of the Inspector, did you know that he was invited by Lady Everglott herself? He was her guest of honor."

"Did you come here with him?"

"No, I came with Baron Patel," said Suzuna, "I am working in the hospital that he founded in London."

"I see," Usui said.

"Perhaps, what I really wanted to say, sir, is how much I am thankful to you for being with my sister," she said, "I do not really hear her complimenting any man, yet she has high praises to you."

Usui was quite shocked of what he heard, "What did she say about me?"

"That'll be a secret between my sister and me," she said, "But to make up to you, I guess I can trust you with this little secret of my sister."

"If that's the case, why don't we go out in the pavilion? I think no one would disturb us there," Usui suggested.

They quietly went outside and head straight to the pavilion; Usui ensured no one will notice their absence, in which he had done perfectly. When they we outside, his mind was filled with thoughts of what that secret of Misaki that she did not tell him; perhaps Usui was a bit too confident that he knew Misaki more than the people in the grand hall, or perhaps he wanted to know more about Misaki, her more of her likes and dislikes, her dreams and fears, anything personal.

When they reached the pavilion, he turned towards Suzuna to ask her to reveal it, but he noticed that Suzuna's expression changed, though in the eyes of other people, they might not find any difference at all.

"My sister intended to keep it from me, but she didn't know that I heard her conversation with the Inspector, about the deal," Suzuna began, "Though I could say that she told you no one knew about that, isn't it?"

"I as well thought that no one other than your sister, the Inspector, and I, knew of it."

Suzuna sighed and said, "I trust that you already knew that my sister had already told you why she was working for the Inspector that way, am I right?"

Usui nodded. Then, Suzuna continued, "I remember well, as if it happened yesterday. You see, all these happened because of me. If only I was not taken as a hostage by the fake Emile, my sister would not have been embarrassed by that stupid news, and if only I was big enough that time, my sister wouldn't have suffered that horrible deal..."

"What do you mean?"

"My sister offered to work for Inspector for my sake; she was demanded to submit her freedom. The Inspector ordered her to work for him until his last breath, and forbade her to marry..."

Usui was silent; for him, everything else was at rest.

At last, he said, "Ms. Suzuna, please proceed to the grand hall. I will follow afterwards."

"But how about you, sir? We should both go, for it is going to rain..."

"Just... leave me in peace."

-0-

When Usui came back at the grand hall, the guests were already assembled; Louis had introduced to the crowd his masters, the Lady Chevalier and her daughter, Angelique, while Charles introduced Lady Everglott, then the guests were applauding. He slipped towards them and stood between Angelique and Lady Everglott. Then, Lady Everglott began with her greetings.

"First of all, I would like to thank you for coming here to celebrate not only the engagement party of two lovely people, but also of the return of Ms. Angelique Chevalier," she said, then after applauding for Angelique, she continued, "And, I would like to recognize the man who made the engagement possible, for he was the one who found our dear Angelique here; let us give a round of applause for the chief Inspector of Elmswood, Mr. Francis Norris!"

The crowd applauded louder, but Usui did not do such thing. His face was emotionless, yet his heart full of contempt of what his aunt had praised of the Inspector. Only a few people knew of the truth, yet for the sake of the families involved as well as of Misaki's, he was willing to submit. After all, it was Misaki who asked him to keep everything a secret.

As the crowd stopped clapping, Lady Everglott continued, "Well, my good ladies and gentlemen, before we start the heart of the occasion; my darling Angelique, would you like to say something?"

Angelique stepped forth and then said, "If I may repeat, I would like to thank you for coming here. But before we start, I would like to inform all of you that there are some changes for the night's event. To start, the engagement of Mr. Usui and I would not happen..."

True enough all were surprised; there were some people gasping while others were whispering. But nothing was comparable to the shocked which was expressed by Lady Everglott; her face was completely altered, though she has done her best to control; Lady Chevalier seemed calm, but she asked her daughter what she meant by those words she has said, and Angelique assured her that she knew what she was doing; Usui, too, was surprised, but he was more of hopeful.

Confusion was apparent in most of the faces of the people. For Lady Everglott, what Angelique has said was deeply scandalous, so she tried to fix it by saying, though in a controlled voice in attempts of covering up her anger, "My dear, I'm afraid you're not quite yourself; you should clear things..."

"I am, your ladyship. It is pretty clear that I had said before; the partnership between the Everglotts and the Chevaliers will not cease but it doesn't mean that this party is for naught, for an engagement will happen today," Angelique said, "My fiancée was the one who saved my life when I was attacked by Raven. He was the one who took care of me even after I gained consciousness and most of all, he was the one who protected me, sheltered me... in other words, I owed my second life to him, but not only that, he has won my heart."

She looked at the crowd. She looked at Usui, who gave her a small smile, and then she continued, "In life, we are expected do the right thing, but I think we should also follow our hearts. Sometimes, they are two different things, but we can always find a way to meet both ends..." Then, she turned towards the crowd and said, "Without further ado, may I present my fiancée, Baron Mikhail Patel."

Baron Patel walked towards her, took her right hand and kissed it gently. The crowds was surprised of the identity of the fiancée, but were full of awe and approval of the match. Lady Chevalier was full of joy for her daughter while Lady Everglott was silently angry, but at the same time relieved of the crowd's reaction. She then turned towards her side to talk to her nephew, but found out he wasn't there anymore.

"Takumi?! Where... has anyone seen my nephew?!" she asked in a loud voice. But before anyone can answer, they heard a horse neighing outside and a sound of hooves pounding outside.

Lady Everglott turned towards the guards and said angrily, "Don't just stand there; follow him!"

"That won't do milady."

All of the people turned towards the direction of the voice. A man stood near the entrance door of the grand hall. He was a familiar figure to all of them; it was none other than Gerard Walker.

"Gerard! You saw Takumi on your way here? Why didn't you stop him?" Lady Everglott said.

"I'm afraid that I had sent him to some business somewhere... something which he cannot afford to ignore," Gerard said with a sly smile.

-0-

While Angelique was talking, Usui slipped out of the grand hall and of the palace and ran towards the stables. It was already raining, but he never care of it, for he had only one thing on his mind. He quickly mounted on his horse, the rode away fast.

'Wait for me, Ayuzawa...'

-0-

"Achoo!"

"What's wrong, Misa-chan? Have you caught a cold?" asked Ms. Satsuki with utmost concern.

"I'm fine, Ms. Satsuki," Misaki said.

"Then, perhaps someone is talking about you or something like that," Ms. Satsuki teased.

"Frankly, Ms. Satsuki, I do not believe in such silly idea"

_END_


Ah... it's been a while since I updated... well... Thank you for all those who read, reviewed, liked, and added me as their favorite author and my story as their favorite story. I am very sorry that this is such a long chapter and typos and mistakes...

Here's my gift for all of you! Merry Christmas everyone!

MIZUKI! XDDDD

See you on the next update!

Lovelots

~otaku911