42 Did the memory betray..?
Most of the drink from the glass had splashed on the woman, who was sitting next to Mr. Morris, while some drops fell on the man. The woman gasped in shock, not expecting someone’s drink to fall on her, and she looked down. The drink dripped down her neck, seeping into the front of her dress.
On the other hand, Eve had come to notice her umbrella stuck around the pestering man’s leg. She quickly unhooked it and brought the umbrella to her side.
“My specially designed silk dress!” The woman exclaimed in a hysteric tone.
With the annoying man still holding the glass, both the woman and Mr. Morris’s eyes fell on him, believing it was his fault and ignoring the rest.
The man’s mouth fell open on seeing the accident caused by him, and he quickly but nervously apologised, “My apologies, milady. I tripped by mistake.”
“You ruined my expensive dress that cost me twenty-five gold coins!” The woman scolded, while dabbing the wet side of the dress with her kerchief. “How dare you!” The woman picked the half-filled glass of her drink and threw it right at the man’s face in anger.
Mr. Morris, who was going to accuse and demand the man apologise to the woman properly. His mouth slightly fell open before he closed it at the woman’s action.
“You ill mannered woman,” the pestering man’s white shirt had turned pinkish-red because of the wine.
“Maybe next time you will know to walk properly,” the woman criticized him, and harrumphed in the end.
Eve was about to leave, but when she turned to look in the direction of the passage, she noticed Noah had got up and was standing near the passage, talking to someone there. She bit the inside of her cheek.
The steward was attending one of the customers not too far from the bickering taking place, and quickly arrived at the place. So far, the voices from the table had been drowned thanks to the music, not catching many customers’ attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen, is everything alright?” the steward inquired them with a polite smile.
“No,” the woman glared at the pestering man with an unforgiving expression, while the pestering man’s pride was hurt after the drink was thrown at him. “This man here decided to interrupt our time. He even dared to call me ill-mannered.”
The steward, who was experienced in handling situations like this, tried to calm the lady,
“How about I lead you to the powder room, milady?”
“Hmph,” the woman turned her head before following the steward.
Mr. Morris turned to look at the pestering man with a more composed expression than the woman and lightly warned him, “I think it would be best for you to leave this place, instead of creating an unpleasant atmosphere after what you did.”
On hearing Mr. Morris, a small frown appeared on Eve’s face.
“And why should I leave? I have paid more than you have Morris,” spat the man, who seemed to be acquainted with Mr. Morris.
“Do not prolong the scene, when you were wrong,” stated Mr. Morris with a glare. Like his companion, he had turned annoyed by the interruption. Mr. Morris’s eyes finally fell on Eve who was standing two steps away, and he said, “I have seen you before.”
The pestering man, who hadn’t had his fill of humiliation for the night, noticed Mr. Morris’s attention fall on Eve. He came close to Eve and put his hand around her waist without notice,
“She’s with me. I have a more beautiful woman next to me than you.”
Eve’s eyes turned wide on feeling the man grab her and his words. She pushed his hand and exclaimed, “No, I am not!”
And when he tried to put his hand around her again, she was left with no other choice but to jab her umbrella’s handle right into his stomach.
“Ugh!” The pestering man clutched his stomach and supported himself by placing his other hand on the chair.
Eve sent a glare at him. She quickly turned to look in the direction of the passage, and noticed Noah had left to go sit back with his company. This was her time to leave.
Feeling Mr. Morris’s eyes on her, Eve turned and met his gaze. The expression on his face said that he was trying to remember where he saw her and there was a frown. She quickly left the place, making her way towards the passage, which was when the person who was sitting next to Noah commented,
“Looks like Gage is at it again in trying to woo an unwilling woman.”
“Mm, it is only time when he will be thrown out of the inn to never be let inside ever again. But then he has money,” Noah smiled before correcting himself. “Sorry, his father has the money.”
“True, but it looks like the night is different today. Seems like he got hit by the woman.”
Noah turned to look at the direction of the table where the two men stood, and Gage looked like he was in pain. His eyes then searched for the woman. But before he could have a look at her, he only saw a part of her hair from the side and the woman disappeared into the passage towards the exit of the inn.
Because of the adrenaline rush, Eve had hit the man with her umbrella. And as she got out of the place, she realised she would have to leave this place quickly just in case the man decided to come after her.
She offered a short bow to the buff man, who only stared at her with a speck of suspicion, and she quickly left the front of the inn.
As Eve headed in the direction of where she had placed her lunchbox earlier, a deep frown etched on her forehead. It was because something didn’t sit well with her.
‘Turn into a mermaid!’
‘It is unfortunate that we have to part ways like this.’
When Eve’s mother was killed, she was too shocked by the loss of her mother. She didn’t recollect the murderer’s name or where her mother worked. All she remembered was the man’s voice.
And Mr. Morris’s voice didn’t match the man’s voice that was in her memory.
Eve wondered if the number of years that had passed by, had modified the voice in her memory, little by little, that didn’t match it now because her mother had hurt the man’s face.
What if the person she was following… was not the one she was looking for?
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Author Note: Thank you very much to the ones who sends gifts to the novel and support with Golden Tickets, comments and power stones <3