Betrayed By The Hero, Loved By The Lord-Chapter 181: New friend? (1)

"It is your fault for acting too soon. You should apologise and hope she moves on from it. She doesn’t have any friends to be picky so we are her finest option," Natalie said, watching the couple until they entered a shop. "I think she will make a good friend."

"Do not lie to me. It wasn’t that long ago you told me about Vivienne wanting you to attack her in her stead. Now you want to be friends? Does this have anything to do with why you sent for me to join you here?" Valentina asked.

Valentina considered Natalie a friend, a real friend compared to all the other women but Natalie tended to be secretive.

"I am going to tell you but not here. You only need to trust me. Perhaps I can use you to get close to her and then I can put in a good word for you. I will never leave you behind," Natalie promised.

Valentina was reluctant to do this since it meant getting on Xavier’s bad side. "I do not know. I thought they said this marriage would end by now. Yet, here he is walking around the market with her, unlike most husbands. No wonder she didn’t seem phased by my taunting."

Valentina believed the rumour that Selene had been close to Xavier during the time Gabriel was away. "She had such a man at her side while I failed to get his attention over the years. He wouldn’t take any of my advances."

"That’s where you always messed up. You can’t approach men like Lord Blackthorn. They like what they can’t have or they love the women who seem to not want their attention. What makes your advances special when he could have any woman in town? Still, why her?" Natalie wondered, clueless about how Selene did it.

Natalie hadn’t heard much about Selene since she married the mixed-blood and now her name was said quite often. When was Selene going around the town to be in the same place as Xavier?

"Stay here," Natalie told Valentina. "I will be back as soon as I have a word with her. I will tell you what was said."

Valentina didn’t like this plan but she rather it be Natalie than her who had to go before Xavier. "Be careful."

Natalie intended to be very careful since she had something precious she didn’t want to lose. She was here to make a friend, not another enemy.

Natalie left Valentina’s side to follow where Selene walked with Xavier.

Inside, Selene was busy looking at old books about vampire history. While Selene waited for her parents or grandfather to reach out to her, old books which contained notes about the old war might be helpful. They spoke of many of the talents vampires inherited.

"I have a lot of these books on the estates and Blackthorn elders kept journals of what the Blackthorns did or encountered in our past. I can get them for you," Xavier offered.

Xavier knew Selene wouldn’t find anything important in the books she had now since the more valuable books were hidden away.

Selene put the books down. "I see. We should leave then."

Selene held Xavier’s hand, walking with him to the next shop. She noticed a familiar face coming toward them but Selene paid no more attention to them.

"Oh," Selene said, upon realising they entered a dress shop. "We don’t need anything from here."

"We do," Xavier disagreed with Selene. "You should start preparing for when winter will be here."

Selene didn’t see the need. "That is weeks away and I never had trouble with the cold. I have a coat to use."

"One coat will not be enough. Do you have any here?" Xavier went ahead to ask the owner.

Selene stayed behind with Lucas. "Isn’t it a bit strange here? Shouldn’t I be the one who is excited to buy new clothing?"

"I think you should enjoy it, Milady. I have never gotten him to buy me anything willingly," said Lucas. He was a bit jealous seeing Xavier so willingly spend money.

"I pay you," Xavier replied, tempted to send Lucas outside. He paid Lucas handsomely before and now much more than he was guarding Selene. "I should lower what I pay you since all you do is stand by her side."

"It is not all that I do," Lucas replied, his attention soon going to the woman entering the door. He remembered the visitor as one of the women previously giving Selene a cold shoulder. "Lord Blackthorn," he said to get Xavier’s attention.

Xavier looked to the door, finding Natalie smiling at Selene like she struck gold. Having one of Vivienne’s followers around would spoil the moment but rather than send her away, Xavier focused on what he felt something was off about her. He didn’t know what it was at first glance.

"Lady Blackthorn," Natalie greeted Selene. "It feels like ages since I last saw you."

"It wasn’t that long ago and I didn’t think we had a pleasant talk for you to look forward to seeing me again," Selene said, uninterested in what Natalie was sent to do now.

Selene thought about what terrible luck she would have if Vivienne was also around and sent the woman before her to continue with the questioning.

"I apologise for the wrong start we had. I’ve been friends with Vivienne for a long time and she has always used me to go after the women she dislikes. I tried to question you a few times to please her. It is hard to go up against the queen as you know," said Natalie, wanting to bond over Vivienne’s cruel ways.

Natalie counted on Selene to take pity on her since they were both ousted by the queen. Once word got out that she was not welcomed to the palace, Natalie knew she would not be in a better position than Selene was in now.

"I didn’t need your apology. I understood from the very beginning that you were acting on her behalf. If that is all," Selene said, wanting to get back to her time with Xavier.

Natalie forced a smile, trying her best to not snap at how Selene dismissed her. "There is more I want to say. If it can be done in private."

"I would have to be a fool to stand alone with you. I believe you are smart to not try something while he is here but since you might be acting upon the queen’s orders then I must act with caution. If there is something you must say to me, say it here," Selene said, refusing to move.

Natalie cleared her throat. "The queen has warned ladies all around the town that they will face her wrath and become an outcast if they speak to you. Francesca is close to becoming her fate. I’m just telling you what to expect."

"I wonder what it is you are up to. It can’t be that you are trying to tell me to stay away from Francesca to protect her since it would have made more sense for you to talk her out of being my friend. I will never believe that you are doing this to help me, so what is it?" Selene said, trying to see through Natalie’s kindness.

Selene continued, "I know I have been away from my peers for a long time but I was raised by a count and surrounded by women like you all my life. I know you are up to something and I don’t want any part in it."