Chapter 12

Yoon Song who heard the shrieking hurried to check on the situation, just to get a shock.

“No! Mom! Don’t!” she rushed to help her sister, finally restraining their mother from committing a murder.

“Let me go! Both of you! Let me go!” she was struggling.

“W-Why are you doing this?! What happened?!” Yoon Song was more composed than her younger sister.

“She can’t be left alive! She must be killed either that or…” Mrs. Cha’s voice lowered as she stopped struggling. “Or we’ll be doomed…” she gritted her teeth.

The sisters let go of her, and she stood before them and aimed a finger at Jang Mi:

“This vicious serpent… all these years I thought she was a harmless sheep… but I guess I was mistaking!” she snapped.

The two girls watched their mother, concern and worry washing over their features.

***

“That’s it! Both of you have to win his heart! That’s the only thing that can be done aside from killing her!” she held their hands in hers and eyed them. “I am positive that he won’t be able to resist your charm… I want you tonight to win Lee Yu Jin’s favor thus win him over.”

The three of them were in a SPA, getting massaged.

“No worries mom, relax, I promise you that this time, he won’t be able to avert his eyes away from me.” Said Yoon Song all confident, as for Yoon Yi, she couldn’t get over the shock of witnessing her mother turning into a murder right before her eyes.

**********

Era was still a bit dizzy because of her sickness and she didn’t completely recover but was able to go back on doing the chores of the house. Having no memory of what her stepmother tried to do to her.

She was in a fairly good mood today because she found her lost locket. As she swept in front of the entrance’s door, enjoying the warm weather, she reached her hand to touch her pendant, pulling it out from beneath her clothes’ layers. She looked at the picture of her parents then kissed the golden heart.

“Thank God I was able to find you again.”

She looked from afar and saw a black car entering from the gate.

“Hm?” she tilted her head. “Why did Mr. Song allow them in?”

The car stopped before her, then men in black suites dismounted from the four doors. She got terrified and stepped back, dropping her sweeper to the ground and preparing herself to run but she got pulled from behind, something covered and made her pass out on the spot and they carried her to the car, then drove off like nothing happened.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Cha and her daughters came back but none of them noticed the disappearance of Era because they were too occupied by the ball’s preparations.

*****************

“Mmm..” Era started to flinch, feeling dizzier than before, she slowly opened her eyes, saw a fancy chandelier above her head. She got alarmed as she remembered the men in suites and sat herself up:

“W-Where am I?!”

She looked around her; A bedroom with fancy furniture and expensive-looking paintings came into her field of vision and she was on a king-sized bed with sheets covering her.

“Am I in the other world already?” she rubbed her eyes. Pushing the sheets aside, she went toward the window, saw a breathtaking garden with shining lights that glittered elegantly in harmony with the stars of the night sky.

“Beautiful…” her lips parted as she reached her palm to touch the glass of the window, just to see her own reflection on it. She gasped, jerking.

“W-Who..?” she hugged herself, to sense a very soft and smooth fabric instead of her jagged worn-out shirt. “What in the world..?”

She spun around to see her image, reflected now in a full sized mirror.

“W-What is… this?” she walked toward the mirror, she blinked at the sight. “T-This can’t be me… it’s impossible!”

She looked flawless in her strapless red gown and her hair was done in a stylish updo. She had make up done so perfectly to fit her skin tone as well. Her eyes landed on her exposed neck and soon they sprung wide open:

“No… where’s my pendant?” she found instead a diamond necklace that had a ruby. Panicking, she couldn’t think straight and started to look for her pendant.

I cannot lose it now after finally finding it again!

She looked everywhere, found nothing.

“What should I do?” she realized that the room she was in had a door. She twisted the handle praying that the door wouldn’t be locked. She heaved a sigh of relief as she was able to open it.

Ok whoever brought me here… I need to get a clue!

She ran in the spacious hall that looked like that of a museum, a faint music was playing and was getting clearer and clearer to the hearing as she found herself in the end of the hall, before a tremendous sight. The orchestral melody filled the fairytale-like scene with grandeur.

“No… way…” she looked around her, at the big chandeliers made of crystals and gold, then at the many people that were waltzing in the center of the room beneath, to finally see an orchestra with all kinds of instruments playing that classical music not so far from where she stood.

“This… can’t be true!” she backed-off slowly to bump into something and feel a hand over her exposed shoulder. She looked back to see a man dressed in a suite and who was lifting a tray with many glasses with a gloved hand. He smiled at her and she blushed slightly feeling embarrassed.

“I-I’m… s-sorry” she couldn’t manage to apologize properly.

“Haha it’s ok my lady, just enjoy the ball” he bowed his head slightly then started to walk past her with his perfect smile.

B-Ball? What does he…?

“Ms. Era?” In the midst of the confusion, she heard a kind voice calling at her from behind. She looked to see another man dressed elegantly.

“Oh! Wait, I know you!” She remembered him. “The driver from the Lee house!” she smiled, because she finally came across something confirming the fact that she wasn’t in another world.

“Haha, correct” he laughed as he bowed slightly before her, making her jolt.

O God please do not make me wake up from this dream!

“Please don’t bow at me” she shook her palms in the air, smiling in a carefree way. “I’m in no position to be bowed at”

He looked at her, still beaming but then reached his hand at her.

“I am here to welcome you to the ball, as demanded by Mr. Lee Yu Jin.”

She raised an eyebrow in question.

Even in my dream, this man still utters nonsense.

He didn’t wait for her to take his hand, guessing that she wouldn’t so he took it himself and started to guide her around.

“Where are we going?” she asked with an intimidated voice secretly stealing glances around her. “And why aren’t we heading downstairs where everyone is?”

“It’s not time yet” he said.

“Time?” she was only getting more puzzled.

“Yes, so please be patient.”

She looked at a wall-clock that they passed by.

“But it’s almost midnight” she recalled Cinderella’s tale. “The magic will soon fade”

They were now in the third floor and the illumination there was dimmed. She looked from the fences, barely was able to see the ballroom.

“What are we doing here where nobody can see us?”

“We’re waiting.” He got out a pocket-watch and kept looking at it.

“But that’s not…” she felt a bit sad.

Why can’t I enjoy the party like everyone else? Why should I wait? It’s not fair and what am I waiting for to begin with?

Her mind was occupied with questions.

(Meanwhile downstairs)

“Ahaha you’re so funny Mr. Jung”

“Anything to keep this beautiful lady entertained.”

Mrs. Cha was having a good time, dancing with some millionaire and flirting with him.

“Huh” Yoon Yi exhaled as she took another gulp of her glass.

“Drinking huh?” Jun Ho popped up from behind her, made her jump.

“You scared me!” she clutched her chest and he laughed in amusement. “And I’m not drinking!”

“Right, you’re a saint, how can I forget?” he leaned back against the table in front of her and he had a glass full of whiskey. He sipped from it.

“I just can’t risk getting my boozing out of control” she shrugged.

“How cute” he teased, taking another sip from his glass.

She closed her eyes, trying to keep her composure because for some reason her heart was beating so fast.

“It’s really admirable” he suddenly uttered with a nod.

“What is?”

“The fact that all the girls are throwing themselves on my brother… when you’re just standing here… sipping juice” he pointed with his almost-empty glass at her sister that was now waltzing around with Yu Jin.

She snatched away the glass from him and placed it on the table.

“You’re drunk” she pointed, with furrowed brows.

“Haha” he dropped his head and started to clap his hands. “Bingo”

“It’s not the right time to be joking around, if I were you I would look for a place to hide” she grabbed him, pretended to be linking arms with him.

“I see that you did some digging on me, Cha Yoon… something” he was laughing.

“It’s Yoon Yi!” she was irritated since he didn’t know her name.

“Whatever…” he s his arm around her shoulders.

“You’re so in trouble.. if anyone notices this…” she looked around them with worry.

“You know, your act…” his voice became low and somehow seducing.

She opened the door to a random room and then locked it from inside, sighing with relief.

“We’re safe in here” she uttered.

“We?” he repeated. She jerked as she saw his hands on the door with him standing behind her.

“I meant you!” she corrected, couldn’t hide her fluster.

“Admit it Yoonie…” his head was now on her shoulder and his arms around her. “You either attended acting courses for you to be this good at it… or… that you casted some spell at me.. since you’re a witch and all..”

Her face became as red as a tomato as she started to push him away, but he did not budge.

“W-What are you blabbering about?” she wanted to distract herself from becoming more self-conscious than she already is. “Pull yourself together!”

“I literally can’t, you help me do it” his grip tightened around her.

He’s so damn strong for a 17 year old!

(Back to the dance floor)

“Sorry” Yoon Song whispered, seeing Yu Jin flinch.

“You should’ve spent your spare time practicing instead of shopping for clothes.” He pointed with a perfect smile. “Don’t you think?”

Yoon Song jolted, not believing what he just said.

“Thankfully I’m wearing some white shoes or I wouldn’t have been able to avoid the embarrassment” he went on “Can you imagine this ball’s host having stained shoes? That’d be a shame”

The smile vanished from her lips with every mean comment he uttered, making her feel more and more ashamed. The music stopped playing and the room was torn in applause. Yu Jin bowed slightly and kissed her hand elegantly then started to walk away.

Even though he stepped on my pride. Oh my God he’s still so hot!

She was overjoyed.

Yu Jin stood in a corner and started to dial a number with his phone.

******