《Young Rose》 Chapter 1: Gilbert (Part 1) The three boys rushed to get in line for the grand party hosted by Count Delia. Although it was a party welcoming every noble within the empire, everyone knew that one house was not welcomed. The Hindersons. They were the rivalling house of the Delia, their ultimate enemy. And that included Samuel, who was soon going to be appointed as the heir of the Hinderson. ¡°This isn¡¯t a good idea Gilbert, what if we get caught?¡± whispered Samuel with a worrying voice. ¡°Be brave Samuel, be a man, everything will be fine.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even like parties Gilbert, why the Delia¡¯s party?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all for you my friend, about time you learn about noble life.¡± Samuel angrily stomped on the ground. ¡°I will not go.¡± ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared or something.¡± Asked Victor. ¡°Of course not! I dreamt a dream tonight.¡± said Samuel. ¡°Dreams are a representation of one¡¯s desire and fear. It¡¯s nothing but vain fantasy. Perhaps your dreams shall finally remind you of your duty as a man.¡± Shrugged Gilbert. ¡°Gilbert, how is your head full of all¡­. these?¡± ¡°Not to worry my good friend as this is only the start of adulthood. Come on now, let us enjoy the night and fulfil our desires.¡± The party started with a bright light flashing towards the crowd. The crowd roar as a shadow appeared at the highest peak of the Delia mansion. Through the mayhem, Gilbert grasped Samuel¡¯s wrist and pulled him through the crowd, making their way to the entrance. ¡°One more step, brother and you¡¯ll regret your decisions on staying away from parties until now!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± They laughed as they ran towards the door now in front of them. Gilbert enthusiastically pushed through the door, but suddenly a cluster of fawning nobles flooded the opening. ¡°Samuel!¡± ¡°Gilbert!¡± Unfortunately, the waves had paved their way in between them the separated the two. As Gilbert barely managed to walk into the entrance hall, he was ambushed by the henchmen. Their thick scent of foundation and heavy perfumes made it harder and harder for him to breathe. A look of distaste flashed across his face as his rushed to exit this crowded hell hole and enter the ballroom. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡®Where is Samuel?¡¯ thought Gilbert as he wondered around the dance floor. Looking from side to side, judging the appearances of everyone else, but still there was no sight of Samuel or Victor. Minutes passed fast as the party started to get serious. Although it seemed like a clean and rich party, everyone knew that the moral of this party was to fill the holes in their pocket with money. This disgusting nature disturbed Gilbert, to the point where he could no longer stop the urge to be sick. As he made his way towards the rest room, a lady in a tight corset slowly sidled towards him. Every step she took made a sharp noise that rang in his ears. It felt as though his eardrums were about to bid him farewell. Finally, Gilbert turned around looking the woman up and down. ¡°May I help you, my lady?¡± asked Gilbert trying to swallow the overflowing disgust. ¡°Good evening, Sir Gilbert¡± bowed the woman as she blushed. Gilbert also bowed in return maintaining a straight face. ¡°I have got to tell you a little something regarding¡­ My feelings¡­¡± ¡°¡­should we move to a quiet place?¡± The lady nodded, and they made their way out of the main ball. It became clear to Gilbert of what this lady was going to do. ¡®I shall get this over with before Samuel arrives¡¯, thought Gilbert. As they reached the last room by the hallway, the woman launched herself into Gilbert¡¯s arms. Clinging on him tightly she said, ¡°Oh Sir Gilbert, you¡¯ll never know how long I¡¯ve waited to finally meet you again after the Hinderson Party.¡± She slowly slid her hand down Gilbert¡¯s chest. Gilbert¡¯s eyebrow flinched as disgust overwhelmed him. ¡°I deeply apologize¡± Gilbert pushed her away, ¡°but I¡¯m afraid that I cannot accept your feelings, fair lady.¡± ¡°But¡­ but sir, I¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry but I have someone already. Have a wonderful day and enjoy the party.¡± The woman broke down in tears, her sorrowful cries annoyed Gilbert. He pushed the door open and made his way to the rest room. He tried to think not of what had happened earlier but soon got worried about the lady. He hurried back to the room, just to make sure that she hadn¡¯t fainted from all the crying. When he had reached the room once again, he had once again realised what this party was about. There was another man in the room, hearing the same old speech of the girl. The smell of tulip engraved on the woman¡¯s dress spread all around the room. Gilbert¡¯s head started to ache as he found that he had been tricked again by the fake masks. He looked into the room one last time and saw the innocent expression on the man¡¯s face. Chapter 2: Gilbert (Part 2) The man¡¯s innocent face reminded Gilbert of the night, 6 years ago, that had failed to impress his young mind. It was the night he had fallen in love with a woman. The stars had shone brightly as the moon illuminated the love within Gilbert¡¯s young mind. She was as beautiful as the sunset of the eastern Umea beach. It was at a party held by Countess Saunder after her daughter had been appointed as the new heir of the house. Gilbert had been invited in place of his father, Marquis Arscott. It had been the first time he had been invited officially to a party held by another noble after his debutant. He had been desperate to leave the dance floor that was stained with nothing but greed and filth, it was too much for a 14-year-old boy to handle. Through the curtains he ran, through the harsh wind he flew, till he could no longer feel the overwhelming tensions between the shades of grey. He crawled his way out to the balcony. The night was young and so was his heart. As the wind swiftly blew away the scent of horror, there, along the balcony was a woman; she was as beautiful as the lake swans; eyes glowing in the dark with long black hair flowing in the dark, midnight sky. She was a Helleborus, her black flowery hair surrounding the fair skin that shone brightly within the darkness, so beautiful but forbidden to touch. He wandered his way towards her. As he became closer and closer, her expression became clearer, her cherry lips and coin like golden eyes, looking up at the starry night sky. It was then when he had realised, it was Lilian, the main character of the party. He had heard rumours of her beauty within the youth. They said that she was as sharp as a shark, but her beauty was as wonderful as Aphrodite. He¡¯d thought that they were all lies but now having seen her beauty in real life the descriptions underrated her. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. As his legs crept closer to her, Lilian felt Gilbert¡¯s heavy breath that blew towards her. Her black hair shone by the moonlight as she turned round. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked with a beautiful angelic voice. Gilbert¡¯s heart skipped a beat, he could not take his eyes off of the ring of gold within her eyes. She looked as if she had descended from heaven. ¡°Gilbert¡­¡± he mumbled. Lilian looked up and down at this man who seemed to have become a chicken. She smirked. ¡°Sir Gilbert, is that you?¡± she reached out her hand towards him, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, I am Lilian Saunder¡¯s from the Saunder house.¡± Gilbert¡¯s ears tingled as a very innocent face beamed across his face. He embarrassingly grabbed her hand. ¡°Could you take me on a walk nice sir¡±. Gilbert¡¯s eyes sparkled as his wish had come true. They slowly made their way out to the front of the Saunder mansion. The daisies shone the pathway brightly through the garden as they roamed passed the rose garden. They were as cold as ice from the harsh winter wind but looked as warm as the sun. Lilian bent down to smell the scents of the bundle of roses with barely any scent left. The way her hair blew in the wind, how her lips matched the crimson red petals of the rose made Gilbert wonder more and more about her; what she wanted, who she liked and why she wanted to talk to him. Silence ate the night as nothing, but the sound of their heartbeats could be heard. ¡°¡­Young Lord Arscott?¡± ¡°Please, just Gilbert.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Gilbert¡­How has Marquis Arscott been since the last party?¡± Gilbert felt a little awkward about the subject matter but answer her politely, ¡°He had never been better thanks to Count Saunders, and congratulations on becoming the heir, Lady Saunders.¡± ¡°Call me Lilian. Since it¡¯s come to this, why don¡¯t we become friends.¡± She once again held out her hand. Gilbert stood still, wondering if it¡¯d be the right decision to accept her request. He looked up at her. Her pale white skin glowed as her teeth dazzled in the starlight. Lilian could see the hesitation in his shaking eyes but found it funny and decided to go along with it. ¡°Are you scared to be friends with a woman, Gilbert?¡± Gilbert flushed as he aggressively grabbed her hand, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Lilian.¡± Lilian laughed as she found it hilarious. Gilbert also started cracking up and the long silence within the garden broke. That was the first time Gilbert had found someone so delicate and brave but also lovely and wanted to be loved by them. Chapter 3: Gilbert (Part 3) Years passed quickly as their friendship grew stronger and stronger throughout the years. 2 years passed since their friendship bloomed. It was a sunny summer day when Lilian appeared in front of the Arscott mansion. Wearing the vibrant light blue dress that Gilbert brought her for her 15th birthday, to ask for his hand in escorting her to her friend¡¯s family party that celebrated the birth of the family heir. Gilbert laid on top of a pile of documents, all overdue by several weeks. ¡®Where am I, who am I, why am I here?¡¯ He asked himself meaningless questions using his time meaninglessly. Then, his butler crashed his door flung open and yelled, ¡°Young lord, Lady Saunder is at the door looking for you!¡± ¡°Is that so¡­. Huh?... Wait, What? Why?!¡± Gilberts eyes widen as his hurried to put together something nice. After seconds of struggle, he finally felt good enough to stand in front of Lilian. He raced to the garden and picked up a bundle of white tulips. Lilian waited at the entrance gate of the mansion. Her faced changed from smiling to frustration, back to a smirk and now to anger. Gilbert kicked open the front door of the mansion, flying to Lilian. But he had to stop and hide upon seeing her expression. She looked as if she¡¯d kill someone, anyone that walked out of the door now. ¡°Fredrick,¡± Gilbert glurped, ¡°How long has it been since she has been standing there?¡± he asked his Butler. ¡°A-about 20 minutes my lord.¡± Gilbert gasped as he could imagine what¡¯d happen to him if he had walked out with a smile. While Gilbert struggled to find a way to make her feel better, her assistant, Anna, met eye with Fredrick. ¡®Come out the back door¡¯, she signalled to Fredrick. Fred nodded and grabbed Gilbert. ¡°Sir, the back door.¡± Gilbert¡¯s eyes lightened and they ran for the door. Lilian angrily stomped on the floor, ¡°Where could this rascal be?¡± ¡°My lady, his probably outdoors dealing with other matters.¡± ¡°Nonsense, Gilbert, work? That¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard.¡± Upon hearing this Gilbert crept up behind her and grabbed her shoulder, ¡°Is that so, Lady Lilian?¡± ¡°G-Gilbert? Weren¡¯t you in the house?¡± ¡°Well, you see, unlike the heir of Saunder, the heir of Arscott is busy with work.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Lilian¡¯s eyebrows twitched as her eyes started to flame. ¡°Is that so, Sir Arscott? Then may I ask what important matter you had to ignore the heir of the Saunder for so long?¡± Gilbert got stoned as his head went blank and his face paled. Lilian could see that this was all a lie. Fredrick, behind Gilbert, could feel his blood pressure rising from the embarrassment of his young master. Anna could not hold back her giggles, watching her lady toying with the heir of Arscott. Soon they all cracked up laughing on the floor. Gilbert held out his arm, ¡°Should we head into the mansion now?¡± Lilian grinned and wrapped her arm around his, ¡°Of course. Surely you weren¡¯t trying to send back a lady that waited in front of the mansion for 30 minutes.¡± ¡°Of course not! Please, if I may escort you into the mansion.¡± ¡°You certainly may.¡± They swung open the gate and stepped into the walkway, ¡°Also, it was 20 minutes.¡± They slowly giggled their way into the mansion. Lilian sipped the honey tea and smelt the shades of flowers mixed together. Gilbert stared at her, gazing at her cheeks slight pink. She reminded him of a chipmunk, mouth full of sunflower seeds. Finally, Lilian started speaking. ¡°So¡­ Gilbert, have you found a partner to escort to the Delia Party?¡± Gilbert grabbed a handful of biscuits, ¡°The Delia Party? Oh¡­ about the newborn baby, right? No, not yet.¡± ¡°Then could you be my partner?¡± Gilbert choked on the biscuit, surprised he ask, ¡°Me? M-me as your partner?¡± ¡°Yeah, since we¡¯re friends.¡± Gilbert turned towards Fredrick. Fred enthusiastically gripped both of his fists and whispered, ¡°Fighting!¡± Gilbert happily accepted the proposal. The day of the party became closer and closer. A week before the party Gilbert went to meet Lilian in order to order a set of matching clothes. Lilian danced her way out of the house in her warm yellow dress, scented like Daffodil. Gilbert blushed as her earrings daggled with bright shines of the sapphires. She looked like a beautiful seashell, alone on the beach, listening to the words of the clouds. As Lilian ran out to meet Gilbert, she was amazed of how the red suit suited him perfectly. The maroon and deep blue mixed well, he seemed as if he was a ruby in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by sea creatures trying to take advantage of its shine. ¡°Should we go now?¡± questioned Lilian as she made her way away from Gilbert towards the carriage. ¡°Su-sure thing.¡± They hoped onto the carriage and went to the store, which was run by Lilian¡¯s older sister, Kristine. Kristine could tell that they had feeling for each other but decided to keep quiet and watch these hilarious scene of events that kept happening between the two of them. They decided to go with the colours warm yellow and maroon. They had to make the trip as short as possible to lessen the awkwardness. Shortly, the time came to when the party began. Chapter 4: Gilbert (Part 4) The Arscott carriage arrived in front of the Saunder mansion. Lilian and Gilbert entered the hall, everyone¡¯s attention turned to them as the young couple walked through the main entrance. The heirs of both the Saunder and the Arscott¡¯s house entering as partners became a big issue amidst the noble society. Although they knew this was bound to happen, it was pressuring for the two young nobles to withstand all of the attention from the other guests. They ignored everyone¡¯s stares and went to their assigned table which was next to the main table where the Delia¡¯s were seated. ¡°Rosetta!¡± Lilian ran towards her friend. ¡°Lilian! Thank God, you made it! Look, this is my new baby brother!¡± Rosetta grabbed Lilian and pulled her into the centre of the main table, to where the newborn¡¯s cot had been placed. ¡°This is the new heir of the Delia, isn¡¯t he adorable?¡± asked Rosetta, pinching the soft cheeks of the baby. ¡°He is cute, but aren¡¯t you upset that you couldn¡¯t become the heir?¡± ¡°Well, a little, but I never really wanted that position. I want to marry someone I love, ya know,¡± Rosetta looked around, then slowly placed her hand next to Lilian¡¯s ear, leaning into her, ¡°not for the family business.¡± Lilian suddenly felt something break within her, then she blankly smiled at Rosetta, ¡°Is that so?¡± They both returned to where Gilbert was, frozen on the side of the dance floor. There were a lot of women surrounding him, asking him to a dance. Lilian crumpled her face at this scene, not knowing what this uncomfortable feeling was. Rosetta glanced at Lilian¡¯s face; it was unmistakenly the face of a jealous woman. Rosetta giggled at the scene of two clueless dummy¡¯s young love. Rosetta tapped Lilian on the shoulder and whispered, ¡°Go quick, someone might steal your man.¡± Lilian hurriedly grabbed her ear and blushed. Her pupils shivered from embarrassment as her lips strongly clenched together. ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± said Lilian as she looked down at her feet. Rosetta could not believe how oblivious this friend of hers was. Rosetta faintly slapped Lilian at the back of her head and pushed her into the crowd. From the sudden push, Lilian lost her balance and fell straight into Gilbert¡¯s arms. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Not knowing where she had fallen into, Lilian piercingly gazed at Rosetta who smile and pointed behind her. Not understanding the meaning behind her signal, Lilian turned her head around to find Gilbert, cheeks gradually turning bright red from the tight embrace. Lilian face also reddened as realisation hit her hard. She waved her arms high in the air, struggling to find the words to explain the situation. Upon seeing Lilian¡¯s flushed face, Gilbert lightly placed her hands in his. Lilian looked up and saw his usual calm smile. It made her feel as if she was back home, cuddling her soft cushions in bed. She knew, immediately, that he was the one she longed for. They were meant to be, but she couldn''t give up her dream for love. Gilbert watched as Lilian¡¯s smile gradually dimmed away. She looked confused and mournful. He wished to know what she had in her mind, but kept quiet, allowing her to reorganise herself. They quietly headed into in powder room. Lilian finally got a hold of herself, trying to calm herself down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience, Gilbert. Please, go enjoy yourself without me.¡± ¡°No need, it¡¯d be no fun without you anyways.¡± Lilian¡¯s eyes sparkled as her heart warmed. It was definitely love that she felt that day, but she tried hard to suppress the overflowing sensation. Unwilling to express the hopeless love that cannot be fulfilled. ¡°¡­Thank you, Gilbert, for always being there for me¡­¡± Lilian grabbed onto Gilberts arms tightly, head rested against his left shoulder. Gilbert softly brushed and rubbed her hair as they waited for the halls to settle down. Hours passed and as the clock hit midnight, they could hear the crowd move from one side of the room to the other. The assembly grew louder and louder. Gilbert, although not wanting to leave Lilian¡¯s side, wondered what all the commotion was about. ¡°One second Lily.¡± Murmured Gilbert whilst he lightly pecked her sleeping forehead. Gilbert stepped out of the room, trying his best not to make a sound. Upon turning around, he understood the reason behind the commotion. It was the arrival of the Hinderson family. Chapter 5: Gilbert (Part 5) As the Delia Butler announced the Hindersons arrival, the whole floor quietened down. Everyone went silent not knowing what to do about this situation. The main entrance flung open as the head of the Hinderson, Nathanial Hinderson himself walked onto the vibrant blue carpet. Following his elegance their eldest daughter, Marquis Anisha Hinderson Belida escorted the Duchess, Victoria Hinderson. Many of the other family members followed in, as well as Samuel. He looked like a child, being dragged into the mess. He did not look like the next heir of the Hindersons. He lacked the typical elegance that ran through the generations of the Hinderson family. Beside Samuel stood Victor, giving his best not to laugh. They looked powerful whatsoever. Their presence itself overwhelmed the nobles. But what worried them more was what would happen after the entrance. Nathanial made his way to where the Delia¡¯s had been seated. The head of the Delia stood up. Their eyes met but silence ate the room. Not a single person dared to make a sound, they knew even the slightest noisy could get their heads go flying. One step, two step. The Heads of the two most powerful houses in the country got closer each second. Everyone watched in horror, believing that this party was now done for. However, unlike what everyone had thought the Heads opened up their arms and greeted each other. ¡°My, my, Jonathan. What a nice beard you have.¡± ¡°I could say otherwise, Nathanial. It¡¯s been years since we¡¯ve seen as the Heads of our houses.¡± Their laughter lightened the mood of the room. It was a bizarre scene, but no one was brave enough to confront these unsettling thoughts. Gilbert made his way through the crowd. Everyone gladly made way for this brave young man, heading towards where the matter was in hand. ¡°Good evening, Sir Nathanial.¡± Bowed gilbert as he stood next to Samuel. ¡°Gilbert, my boy. How have you been.¡± Starting Gilbert¡¯s conversation, the party regained its light and the loud chatters. The loud commotion woke Lilian. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. She shook her head, searching for Gilbert. ¡°¡­Gilbert?¡± Lilian picked up her belongings and tidied her hair. The door creaked open as she peaked her head out, trying to find Gilbert. After minutes of searching, she was finally able to find Gilbert among a big crowd of people. Maybe it was because of the wine she drank earlier or that she hadn¡¯t fully regained consciousness from her deep slumber, but Lilian was not in her right mind. She was not able to notice the Hindersons that surrounded Gilbert nor cared about the stares she¡¯d get from the other nobles. She ran out of the powder room bare footed, leaping into Gilberts arms. Gilbert in shock stared at Lilian. She smiled and cuddled him tighter. ¡°Ehem¡± The deep voice startled Lilian, she slowly turned towards where the sound came from. It was Nathanial Hinderson. The Lion stared at the bunny who did not know it had just walked into the lion¡¯s den. Silence ate the floor once again as Lilian stared into Nathanial¡¯s eyes. Her face shined red as she backed off. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry sir.¡± She ran for the door not knowing what to do. ¡°Lilian!¡± Gilbert followed her. Gilbert ran into the flower garden searching side to side. Minutes had passed but Gilbert wasn¡¯t able to find Lilian anywhere. He had no idea where she could have been. But then, a thought stroke him. He ran up the stair with every last power he had in his legs. Breathing heavily through his mouth, hoping she¡¯d be there. He finally arrived at the balcony where the moonlight shined the brightest. She was there, crumple up and burying her head deep into her dress. Gilbert walked slowly and steadily, reaching out his hand once again. Lilian lifted her head. Her eyes twinkled like the stars in the midnight sky as she watched Gilbert¡¯s hair flowing in the breeze. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Surprised Gilbert kneeled down and tried to calm her down. Lilian could not stop the tears but smiled at Gilbert as if she was trying to say that she was fine. Gilbert softly grinned, relieved at the fact that she was alright. Lilian could not stop the heavy drops coming down from her eyes as she knew that they could never have a happily ever after. But she imagined how it would have been if they could.