Chapter 10 You’re You

[Aimee] I had only met Andrea briefly, but she left a strong impression on me. She spoke rudely and even got handsy. However, I admired her. To be a knight, she must be an outstanding werewolf. My admiration for her sparked jealousy. “Aimee?” I regained my composure when I heard Ares calling my name. I looked at him. He seemed to have called me a few times, but I was drifting away in my own thoughts. “I’m sorry, Ares. What were you saying?” Ares shook his head helplessly and then repeated patiently. “I said, did you meet Andrea?” “Uh… Yes, but she wasn’t here to meet me. I just happened to run into her.” “Don’t let her words affect you.” “Mr. Kerry has told me that. Don’t worry.” I gave him a smile. I didn’t want him to be concerned about this because Andrea’s words were right to a certain extent. In fact, Ares didn’t have to explain much to me about Andrea. I understood the situation, but he told me anyway. “Andrea saved me three years ago, so I’ve always held her in high regard. She’s a proud person, and as a knight, she’s very qualified.” Ares regarded Andrea highly, to which I agreed. “Indeed. I think, if I were a normal werewolf, I might not be as good as her either.” After struggling for a while, Ares finally spotted the thoughts in my mind that I wished to make verbal. “Aimee, do you have something to tell me?” A quick thought later, I mustered all my courage. “Ares, did you bring me back because I was weak and you wanted to keep me as a pet?” Speaking my mind didn’t feel so bad. I breathed a sigh of relief and felt my shoulders lighten. As for Ares’ answer, it didn’t seem that important anymore. Ares was slightly surprised. “Did Andrea tell you this?” I nodded. “It seems like I punish her too lightly…” Ares clenched his fingers and puckered his lips. His lowered head shielded his gaze from me. “What about you, Ares? What do you think of me? Please know that Andrea’s words didn’t affect me. I just want to know what you think.” After taking the first step, everything happened naturally. I looked at Ares with anticipation. I already had a rough answer in my mind, but I wanted to hear it from him. “I’ve never thought that before. You’re adorable, but you’re you. You’re not some pet under someone’s control. Andrea may be good, but you’re not bad either. You might have some fallbacks, but you’re kind and innocent, which are traits many people don't possess nowadays.” I was happy to get an exact answer from him. “Thank you, Ares. I’ve never been praised like this. You’re such a nice person.” “It’s a fact. I simply stated a fact.” Ares’ words made me happy. That night, when Mrs. Cynthia delivered the riding apparel to my room, she caught me happily rolling on the bed with the pillow. “It looks like you had a great day today, Lady Aimee.” I got up with the pillow and saw Mrs. Cynthia and the maids come into my room with a rack of clothes. I tossed the pillow away and bolted up from the bed. “Oh my goodness, Lady Aimee, you frightened me.” I stuck my tongue out naughtily and hopped to the rack of clothes. There were a few sets of riding apparel hanging on the rack. “His Majesty told me to prepare a few for you to choose, and I suppose a girl your age must like colorful outfits. What do you think of the choices? Have a look and see which one caught your eye.” I simply picked up the green one to have a look. It had intricate floral patterns at the cuffs and neckline, a fitting waist, and a pair of pants with slim cutting to match, making the outfit feel put together. What I liked most about it was the floral patterns on it. It was subtle and looked like tree vines circling the collar. “Mrs. Cynthia, I like this one. Can I try it on?” Mrs. Cynthia covered her mouth as she chuckled. “His Majesty knows you well. He specifically picked this one for you, and you picked it as your first choice.” Surprised, I took another look at the outfit, and it started to win my heart. After changing into it, I stood in front of the mirror and did a turn. I asked Mrs. Cynthia for her opinion. “How do I look?” Mrs. Cynthia smiled sweetly. “You look great. Lady Aimee is adorable, don’t you think?” She looked at the maids behind her who nodded in agreement. They showered me with praise, making me blush. I couldn’t wait for tomorrow and to show Ares in my new riding apparel. Before I realized it, Ares had become someone important to me. However, I got nervous knowing that I had never ridden a horse before. “Mrs. Cynthia, do you think I’ll learn to ride a horse?” “I have never ridden a horse as well, but I believe it’s nothing difficult. Lady Aimee, you’re smart, and you have His Majesty by your side. You’ll do just fine.” She was right. Ares would be there as well. As the bravest werewolf of the kingdom, it must be an easy task to teach me how to ride. I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to arrive. Even though it was late at night, I couldn’t sleep at all. I continued to stand in front of the mirror, reluctant to take off my riding apparel. “Lady Aimee, if you don’t go to bed now, we might have to start late in the afternoon tomorrow.” No! I quickly took off the riding apparel, folded them neatly, and put them on the edge of my bed. On second thought, it would be better to hang them, so I hung them right away before I said good night to Mrs. Cynthia. Mrs. Cynthia helped me with the hanging. Then, she looked out the window. “It’s going to be chilly tonight. Shall I close the window for you?” I glanced outside. A bright moon was hanging in the sky, but it was shrouded by clouds. “Alright. Thank you, Mrs. Cynthia.” The delight for tomorrow’s riding slowly faded. If I hadn’t seen the moon outside, I would’ve forgotten that the full moon would be in two days.