I kicked my tongue and shook my head. “Where would you find a man who’s not engaged at our age anyway?”
“Oh, I’ll never touch an engaged or married man! That’s not in my vocabulary”
Yes. You didn’t do that.
She picked up a fruit and put it in her mouth. Meanwhile, I accepted all the people who asked me to dance.
Flora clicked her tongue as she watched the dance cards filled with names of the men who had danced with me.
“Are you going to go on a diet while dancing?”
“My figure is not that bad. I’ll choose one out of the three of them and will go on a date with the best man.”
Flora clicked her tongue as she stared me in the eye. “Why are you doing this to Gerald?”
“I knew it was too much for me to pretend like I don’t care, but I don’t really care. Flora, I’ll be back.”
Flora waved at me goodbye.
* * *
I danced with the men that had names on my dance card. I happily danced with them one after the other.
People whom I have never seen before began to appear and appeal to me one by one.
Whoo-hoo. Why choose one when I can go on three? Who wants to go on a date with me first?
* * *
Merce sighed.
Leaving Louella and Gerald alone was something she shouldn’t have done. She thought that one day Louella’s heart would change.
But it didn’t seem like it would happen.
Looking at her daughter dressing up for a date, she thought. “Should I really give up on Gerald now?”
He was simple. Smart and capable. But Louella didn’t even budge. Few men gave Louella attention and now, she wasn’t even looking back at Gerald.
“Who are you meeting today?”
“Verdium.”
“Ah, what are you guys going to do?”
“Hmm . . . I think we’ll just have some food and drink tea, the usual?”
“Okay, don’t be late.”
“Mom, I’m not a kid anymore!”
“I know that you aren’t and that’s exactly the reason why I’m worried.”
Merce sighed once more as she looked at Louella in a dress with her collarbone exposed.
Louella seemed to look like a fresh spring flower nowadays, blooming like a beautiful and elegant lady. Olive hair and scarlet eyes especially added vitality to her elegance.
People around her age teased her for looking like a carrot, but even if they did, her daughter’s beauty was still prominent. Or else, she wouldn’t have had so many dates.
Merce peeped at the list on Louella’s dressing table.
At the worst, there were three people.
“Are you going on a date with all of them?”
“Yes, I plan to meet them one by one and pick a good person. Isn’t it time for me to get married?”
“What about Gerald?” Merce asked.
Louella’s smile cracked.
Looking at her, Merce thought, I don’t think I can mention Gerald now. I should leave open the possibility that I might see another son-in-law.
* * *
You can’t just say something and ruin my day when I’m about to go on a date.
It was an exciting day. Actually, I’ve never met any other man other than Gerald.
It was my first time to have a date with a man who was not Gerald.
Verdium was waiting for me. He’s pretty tall. He looked . . . Well, good enough.
Actually, I didn’t know how to deal with appearances. Didn’t you just need to have your eyes, nose, and lips in place?
“Lady Louella.”
“It’s our first time meeting outside like this, right? Verdium. Just call me Louella.”
“Louella. You have such a pretty name.” Verdium smiled.
“It is a pretty name. My grandfather gave me this name. I like my name too.”
His first impression was a pass.
“Then shall we go eat? I’m hungry.”
“That’s a good idea. It’s about time as well. Where would be a good restaurant?”
“Actually, there’s a restaurant that I know. My sister recommended it to me. Shall we go there?”
“Your sister?”
“Yes.”
Let’s see . . . Verdium was the son of the Chesian family. In Chesien . . .
“I have five sisters!”
I had. I remember Chersianga having five daughters and one son.
I laughed vaguely.
Yeah, what’s wrong with having five sisters?
I thought I was quite unsatisfied hearing that.
* * *
“How was your date today?” Alexid asked, while munching an apple. My mom told him not to go around eating like that, but that never gets fixed.
Of course, what do you expect from a peanut-like fellow?
“What date?” I asked, quite shocked.
“Why? Did something happen?” Alexid showed interest.
It was obvious that he was bored and came to tease me. I can see it in his eyes because he seemed to be having fun.
I glared and Alexid giggled. “What is it? Tell me.”
Alexid came in and sat on the sofa, and the maid stepped back into the corner.
“. . . I’ve been listening to the biography of Chesian’s Five Infants for three hours now,” I said with a sigh.
“What? Haha. Amazing.”
“I heard how the five young children were born, how they grew up, and how they took care of Verdium. And now, he wants to take the five young girls on our next date?”
“So did you say yes?”
“Are you crazy?” I snarled at him. The maid combing my hair also laughed.
It was a story that was bound to be funny to anyone. It even sounded ridiculous even when I said it!
Verdium’s dream was to live close to his five sisters and have dinner with them three times a week.
That was how well the five sisters cared for Verdium.
If you’re going to do that, just live with your sisters forever, you punk.