Chapter 176

                                    

                                          
I gave Adelaide a complete rundown of the events of the last three years, redacting the part of my rebirth and the story of the original novel, so that she doesn't think I'm crazy.
As much as I wanted to tell her the truth, there are certain things that need to be kept secret for the sake of her future.
I have a strong feeling that I will find myself recounting the story of my life numerous times in the days to come.
Adelaide's face showed shades of a thousand expressions as I detailed the events from the attack on Mount Zion and my life in Veleven all the way to being scammed into coming to Pathellam by a disguised Edward.
Sometimes Adelaide would gasp in surprise, other times she would sigh in relief, and at times she would furrow her brows, looking at me with speculation, particularly when I told her about Eugene.
By the time, I had finished Adelaide's face had long gone pale as she covered her mouth with her hands in horror.
"So that's why you disappeared for three years..." She muttered to herself, looking into the distance.
"It was either that or sitting in the bedroom twiddling thumbs till Edward recovered, so... I figured why not just get it over with" I shrugged.
After taking some time to process everything Adelaide summarized,
"Then... you are saying that His Grace knows that you are you. He also knows that you are pretending to be not you. And he made it so that everybody thinks that you are you while not remembering that you are you?"
"Yup. That pretty much sums up everything." 
I nodded, impressed by her summing up the entire ordeal within a few words. In fact, Adelaide's presence here was a testament to the success of Edward's fabricated story. Why else would Adelaide come to see the Duchess immediately after encountering her at the palace, knowing she is her amnesiac friend?
"We're in a semi-quasi-standstill... It's a mess."
I picked up a cookie that Eve had brought for us and began munching on it. 
The cookie was perfectly balanced in taste with just the right amount of sweetness, and the added crunch from the nuts, along with a satisfying nutty flavor, made it just the way I prefer it.
While I was lost in bliss, savoring the taste of the cookie, Adelaide grabbed the hand that held it.
"How is your hand, Angelica? Did it leave a scar?" She asked with concern. She appeared to have remembered Richard attacking me at the palace.
"Nah. I'm fine" 
I reassured her with a wave of my hand, then picked up another cookie and offered it to her.
"I'm not made of porcelain to crack at a little tug. If anything, you should be concerned for the future descendants of the Steins 'cause I'm pretty sure I cracked both eggs."
The shocking news of Adelaide's engagement with Alexander had monopolized my thoughts so much that the entire situation with Richard was pushed to the back of my mind until she brought him up.
At that time, I was too agitated to think clearly for a reason. But, even now, I still have no clue as to why he attacked me.
'You are not supposed to exist' 
I furrowed my brows, recalling Richard's words, when all of a sudden, Priest Hansom's voice rang in my ears.
'You shouldn't exist. You're nothing but a sin that needs to be purged in the fire of hell!'