A Love Already Blossomed

Chapter 6

A/N: This picture has nothing to do with the story. I just like it and I thought I'd share it with you, even though you might have already seen it. MUST READ!!!: You HAVE to go back and read the first chapter again if you haven't already. It is based off of the original, but I deleted it (the original), thinking it was bad, but I realised that it wasn't. If you don't want to read the entire chapter, READ THE SECTION IN ITALICS. IF YOU DON'T REREAD THE FIRST CHAPTER, YOU WILL BE CONFUSED LATER ON. I'm sorry for yelling.

Anyway, enjoy the story!
~

"Y/N?"

Y/N froze. It couldn't be. Could it?

She turned around, and what she saw shocked her. The man who said her name had soft, messy, dirty blonde hair and striking blue eyes. He had a narrow yet built figure and a defined face. His skin was a colour somewhere between pale and tan and he was wearing the finest men's clothes in all of France, maybe Europe, and he had a witty look in his eye. He was wearing a ring on his pinky which had the family crest on it, and the gold chain of a pocket watch linked itself across his midsection, at the bottom of his navy blue vest. He was wearing a very well tailored suit; it included a soft, white shirt, a shiny black tie, a curved golden tie pin with one green stone in the tie, a navy blue pinstriped suit jacket with tails, a matching pair of well laundered navy blue trousers, and a pair of well shined black shoes.

The mere look and sound of him was enough to make Y/N recall the one name she always associated with just the structure and colour of his face, hair, and eyes, and that name was Philippe. Y/N stood still, shocked that he would be here and not in his estate in England. How could he be here?

'Oh, no, no, no,' Y/N thought.

"Ph-Philippe?" she asked.

"Oh, Y/N, it really is you! I've been yearning to see you for years!" Philippe ran to her and wrapped her arms around her.

Philippe embraced her for a long, awkward thirty seconds or so and then released her.

"So, Y/N, how are you doing? What have you been up to? I hope you have been making an agreeable future for yourself," he said.

Y/N cracked a fake smile, now feeling the weight of the bucket which held the water. "I am doing well. Everything is great. My future looks magnificent, but for the moment, I really have to go," Y/N spoke slowly, trying to make herself sound as if she was annoyed that she had to leave him.

Philippe responded immediately. "Of course, of course! Would you like me to carry that bucket for you and escort you back to where you live?"

"No! No. It's fine, really," Y/N rushed. She didn't want him to see that she lived in the old opera house, where the Opera Ghost was rumored to live. Philippe would kill Erik for sure. Philippe would see the Phantom as a threat to Y/N and immediately kill him, thinking that he would be protecting Y/N.

Philippe contorted his face into one of confusion and jerked his head back a bit. "Alright then. But if you are to leave so abruptly, may I at least see you again? I would like to get a chance to talk to you. After all, we haven't seen each other in quite a few years," he said. His face smoothed out and painted on it was a questioning look, which replaced the confusion on his features.

Y/N's heart stopped. If she were to see Philippe again, the Phantom would surely get very angry, but if she didn't see him, Philippe would become his worst self. Y/N wouldn't be able to rid herself of Philippe for years if she didn't see him. That would result in potentially getting Erik killed and most likely having a forced marriage with Philippe. Either way was a hard choice, but saying yes was the best for both her and Erik. There was a lesser chance of Philippe knowing about Erik, which would mean a lesser chance of Philippe knowing about Y/N's feelings towards Erik. This would all mean a lesser chance of Erik getting into trouble. So, Y/N decided to choose the best decision.