The view was breathtaking, overlooking the garden and the fountain. The music and the chatter from the hall were faint and distant, as if they were in another world.
He walked to the railing and leaned on it, looking at the stars. He gestured for her to join him. She followed him and stood by his side.
He said, "Do you like it?" She nodded and said, "It's beautiful."
He looked at her and said, "So are you."
She blushed and said, "Thank you."
She said, "Wow, this is really amazing. How did you find out about it?" She looked at him with curiosity. He gazed at the view and said, "Like you, I got bored and I decided to look around. Is this your first time coming here?"
She nodded and said, "Yes, it is."
He said, "really." He was quiet after that, not wanting to pry too much.
She said, "I wish I could own a house like this in the future. This right here is truly spectacular."
He turned to see her reaction, and saw her eyes glittering with awe. She was still looking ahead, her expression hidden behind her mask. She looked like a child going to the amusement park for the first time. He could only see her lower face, where her plum lips were slightly parted. She bit her lip nervously, feeling his eyes on her. He looked away, admiring the scenery.
They were silent for a while, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
Lucia suddenly asked, "I don't think I got your name."
Lucia slowly turned to look at him, waiting for a response. He said, "Callum." He turned to face her and asked, "And yours?"
Lucia responded, "Lucia."
"Well, it's a pleasure to have your company this evening, Miss Lucia."
Lucia smiled and said, "Likewise." His lips arched up into a charming smile. Even though Lucia couldn't see his face, just one look at his smile was blinding. She wondered how she would react if he took off his mask. She quickly turned and set her gaze straight ahead, before she got dazzled by him.
"So, Miss Lucia, what brings you here this evening? It's obvious you want no part of this party, so why bother coming here if you so badly want to run away?"
She responded, "Well, my friend practically begged me to come here. And you know, being the good friend that I am, I couldn't just say no. She didn't want to come here alone, so yeah, here I am." She made an exaggerated hand gesture, as if presenting herself to the world.
"That's quite unfortunate for you, I suppose." he said
"Yeah, tell me about it. Apparently she's here to find her prince charming." She lowered her voice slightly and said, "Apparently she's here to find a prince." She put her finger over her lips and said, "Shh, don't tell anyone or I'm dead meat."
"Ah," as he opened his mouth slightly. "Well, my lips are sealed, Miss Lucia."
Lucia got curious and asked, "Why do you always add 'Miss'? You can just call me Lucia. It feels weird to me."
"But aren't you a Miss? I'm sorry, did I offend you?"
"No, no, not at all. I'm not offended. It just sounds so formal, you know."
"Okay, noted. Now tell me, Lucia, what exactly do you want to get out of this evening, without putting your friend's needs first?"
Lucia turned around to look at him. She said, "Well, I haven't thought about it. I don't really have anything in mind."
"Lucia," he called out to her, his voice low and sweet, making her ears tingle.
He said, "How about we play a little game, since we are the only two up here? You can make four requests you have this evening, and I will try to make them come true."
Lucia laughed, her laugh sounding like chime bells, soothing and cheerful. She stopped laughing and said, "Nice one. I almost fell for that." She looked at him, seeing that his face was expressionless. She felt a bit awkward.
"What makes you think I was joking?" He questioned
Lucia said, "Well, nobody has ever really taken anything I say seriously, so I just thought... Well, never mind." She looked down, feeling shy.
"Why don't I be the first... to take your words seriously?" He said
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