As Rebecca got off the wagon, the guy who helped her down immediately let go of her hand, and a certain man came in her direction.
She smiled at him and gave him her hand as he offered his to her.
Rebecca's POV
"Nop, I was thinking you were not able to attend," I said to him. I am delighted to see such a familiar face in this place right now.
I am shaking from nervousness, and I could tell that Nop could feel it as he held my hand.
Nop looked me in the eyes to calm me down. We haven't moved from where we are, and when I see the people at the entrance looking in our direction, I am already sweating profusely.
I put my arm on his arm, and we started walking inside. There were people lined up on each side of the grand entrance; those in front were guards, and I think the others lined up were the servants of the mansion.
"Don't worry, cousin, because you are so beautiful today, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Your self-confidence should be high because look at how everyone here in the mansion admires you," Nop whispered to me as we walked into the mansion.
We smiled at people as they greeted us.
"Is this really necessary? Can't I just go home here quietly and without this?" I whispered back to Nop, still smiling while greeting the people who approached us.
"That won't happen because you're not just an ordinary person, Rebecca. You are part of the noble clans," Nop reminded me.
"I am really not comfortable about this, and I don't understand a thing they are saying," I whispered back, looking at the servants lined up on both sides, bowing in respect.
"It was because you never showed interest in learning your mother's dialect. Even I had to learn English to communicate with you, my lady," Nop said matter-of-factly.
That's true. I can't speak their language; I grew up with my father's side in England, and my mother and I barely saw each other.
"And I am really thankful for your effort because you are the only one I can talk to and who understands my personality," I said. I was grateful to him, especially now that he is here; he just saved me again from another tiring gathering with this all-encompassing crowd that I just met.
"Pleasure is all mine, my lady. As I always told you, you are very special to me, and I am willing to do anything to make you happy and comfortable," he said, which made me smile genuinely.
"My princess, I have missed you," my father welcomed me with a bone-crushing embrace, with my mother behind him. It is awkward, but I still want to embrace her despite our not being close. I don't know, maybe because I'm uncomfortable with her since we've never been together like a mother and daughter should have been.
"All of you, get up!! Get up!!"
Saint's loud voice jolted Becky awake from her deep sleep, interrupting her beautiful dream about the girl who always appears in her dreams.
She had previously dreamed about that Lady in a scenario resembling a fairy tale. Yet, the woman was now with this man; it was not with the other woman. She is now considering it. She eagerly anticipated the next episodes just like she would a Netflix series.
Saint was now slamming them with cushions, causing the others to groan.
And the gang started waking up one by one.
They were all just lying on the floor because they were too drunk to go to their rooms the night before.
The bottles and chips were all over the floor.
Becky was yawning and stretching her body cutely when she noticed Freen staring at her absentmindedly.
"What?" she asked, covering her mouth. Her breath might be stinking, which is why Freen was staring at her.
Freen averted her gaze and cleared her throat. "I'll just use the restroom."
And Freen quickly got up and left her with the gang.
"Hey, come back here, I'm not done with you yet. I was dying out there cleaning your mess while you're just drinking here, dragging them all in this mess?" Saint followed Freen.
Becky, on the other hand, is smelling her breath while breathing into her hands.
She exhaled into Tee's face, which caused Tee to have a sour expression. "Do I smell that bad?" she asked.
"What the hell, Becky!! Your breath stinks," Tee grumbled as she covered her nose.
"No, it isn't. Jim, come here, I need a second opinion," Becky pouted and teased Jim.
"Waahh... get away from us," Kade and Jim groaned as they stood up.
Becky was teasing them with her breath while laughing like a child on the floor.
"Becky, please stop it. My head hurts so bad!" Tee pleaded, covering her face with the cushion Saint used to hit them with. She turned away from Becky but did not remove the cushion.
Freen, on the other hand, went into the bathroom, washed her face, and looked in the mirror.
She had a nightmare last night about being punished for seducing the woman she always dreams about.
Freen can still feel the wounds that those evil soldiers inflicted on her in that nightmare.
"Wake up, love. Wake up." Freen woke Rebecca because she was crying while sleeping; the woman must be having a nightmare.
When Rebecca woke up, she immediately clung to Freen's neck, and there she felt her nakedness again.
"My love, they killed... in my dream they killed on the beach near the cliff," Rebecca said while sobbing in Freen's neck.
It is good that Kirk helped Rebecca speak in Thai. She took an interest in it when she accepted Freen's offer on the beach.
And she also teaches Freen some English. But she never knew that Freen also asked Kirk how to speak Becky's language.
Kirk was confused at first but when she told him she was going to be Rebecca's personal maid, Kirk respected Freen more for her dedication to the Armstrong family and taught her whenever he had time.
"My lady, it was just a nightmare. I am here with you. We are safe," Freen said, assuring Becky. Freen imprisoned Rebecca's body in her embrace while feeling Rebecca's heavy breath on her neck, making her feel warm again.
Freen realized something and looked up in the mirror again, remembering she said the same thing yesterday when Rebecca had a nightmare after falling asleep in her car.
While those soldiers who raped her were spitting on her and laughing at her like she was the most disgusting thing in the world.
Her body was starting to get numb, and her knees were so weak that they made her kneel on the ground.
She was already covered in dirt and exiled; what more could she lose?
She was just waiting for her death when the crazy man pointed a sword at her while she was looking up at his face weakly.
"I will never let you get my woman away from me. I have warned you many times to get away from her, but you still came back. You are a stubborn one, huh?" the crazy man said before raising his sword to behead her.
"Freen, get out of there already. We need to talk to find a solution to this chaos you have created." Saint's voice outside the restroom pulled Freen back into reality.
She opened the door; there he was, standing with arms crossed, leaning back on the wall.
She gestured for him to follow her, and he did.
She brought him into the house office and locked the door.
She gestured for him to sit on the floor.
"So?" Freen started.
"Blew's grandfather is taking advantage of your situation, Freen. Everything that you have worked for is going to nothing," Saint stated.
"He came to my office yesterday to talk about the issue and tried to convince me to make a statement behind your back supporting the video they took of you and Becky making out in that car." What Saint just said made Freen frown.
"What video?" she blurted out.
"Don't tell me you're not aware of it?" Saint looked at Freen with disbelief.
"I wouldn't ask if I knew, Saint," Freen answered sarcastically.
Saint showed Freen the video to make her realize what she did back there, but Freen showed a different reaction.
Freen was biting and wetting her lips while watching the whole video.
"So, I suppose it was true all along," Saint interrupted Freen's deep thoughts, which he guessed were not so pleasant thoughts of Becky.
Freen answered him with wide, circled eyes and shook her head like a child denying it, but Saint just gave her a poker face.
"You have to look at your face right now, Freen. You could pass for a tomato," Saint teased her more, which made Freen look away out of embarrassment.
"Have you shown this to Becky already?" Freen asked.
"No. But I have to talk to her too. To all of you, actually," Saint said.
"And Becky's family is so worried. Why didn't you call them about what happened? I had to lie to them for you; thankfully, they believed me." Saint confronted Freen.
"Thanks, Saint. I really wouldn't know what to do without you," Freen said sincerely.
"It's okay. We can still fix this; we just have to make something up to distract them. The movie is still on, so no one will lose their job. I was afraid it would be taken away from you, but surprisingly, our sponsors of this movie have increased instead. This issue is helping us promote your movie without us even starting, and instead of going down, your fans and sponsors are even supporting you and Becky—you are being protected. So our only problem is your and Blew's problem, including Becky, because you two were caught making out inside your car, and it will make you a cheater in everyone's eyes," Saint tells Freen.
Saint's voice had a hint of joy while saying it all to Freen.
"If that's the case, why are you bothering us here so early in the morning?" Freen questioned Saint with crossed arms and one eyebrow raised.
"Heh. It's because all of you are having a good time while I'm dying there saving your asses, and I'm thinking you all forgot I'm your friend as well," Saint said with the same expression as Freen.
Saint's face suddenly softened, and he gave Freen a tight hug, making Freen's body stiff from his embrace and confused as to what had gotten into him.
"I'm proud of you, Freen; you've finally learned how to fight for yourself," Saint said, tapping her back, which made Freen smile and hug him back.
Freen felt overwhelmed knowing that there were people who were there for her in good times and bad, and she will be eternally grateful.
"Enough with the drama, let's celebrate Becky's return in your life, and I haven't been with the gang in a long time," Saint said as he pulled away from their embrace.
They exited the room and joined the gang in the dining room, where they were eating breakfast.