I was pacing in circles inside my room, torn between meeting the princess or to hide away from her, just as I was instructed. I stopped and stood still, thinking, ‘What if I just take a peek from afar?’
I slowly made my way to the door and opened it slightly to check if there were any knights guarding my room. To no surprise, there was indeed a knight in there, but instead of two, there was only one. I took advantage of the situation and asked him for a cup of water, hoping he would leave his post.
“Do you want me to call for a maid, my lady?” he asked.
“No, could you get it yourself, please? I’m so thirsty; I need someone who can be quick.” I replied in a faint voice.
“Alright my lady. Please wait here.” he said, obliging as he began to run off.
“Wait! When you return, just leave it inside. Thank you!”
“Understood.”
I sneaked out and began running in the corridor, heading towards the drawing room on the second floor of the mansion. From there, I would have a clear view of them without being seen.
In no time, I arrived at the drawing room and immediately went to the large window facing the mansion's gate. I could see the duke, Mikhael, Sebastian and some other knights, along with Dan and a few maids. The scene looked grand with so many people gathered to greet the person arriving.
“Oh, here she comes.”
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the window, in front of the mansion.
“Have you instructed Astrid about today’s event?” the duke asked.
“Yes, Your Grace.” Sebastian answered.
The duke then looked at Dan and asked if the princess’s quarters had been prepared. Dan responded, “Yes, Your Grace.” The duke then turned to Mikhael and said, “Refrain from seeing Astrid from the time being. We can’t gamble her life with the wickedness of this child.” Mikhael didn’t respond and remained silent.
The princess’s carriage was pulling up before them.
She stepped out of the carriage and ran towards Mikhael, greeting him brightly. He responded with a bow. She then greeted the duke, “Hello, Uncle. I hope I’m not too much of a trouble, considering I informed you just earlier that I would arrive today.”
“Not at all, princess.” he responded, forcing a smile.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of having the imperial princess in our humble home? I’m not sure we can accommodate your needs compared to the treatment you receive in the palace.” The duke added.
“That's perfectly fine. I’m just here to visit- a vacation of some sort, considering your duchy has the best view of the ocean.” she replied cheerfully.
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At the same time, Astrid was watching the events unfold downstairs without hearing a single word they were saying. As soon as the princess stepped out of her carriage, Astrid was starstruck by the beauty the princess holds- she had lustrous long blonde hair, brown eyes, a small face, and was adorned with expensive-looking jewelry and clothing. “She’s not that bad. A typical ‘spoiled child’, as people in my world might say.” Astrid muttered from her hidden spot on the second floor of the mansion.
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I decided to head back to my room before they all got inside and caught me.
The knight guarding my door was perplexed when he saw me walking towards him. I quickly thought of an excuse, “You took a while getting my water, so I followed you but got lost.” Before he even got the chance to respond, I hurried past him and entered my room.
…
Five days had passed since the princess arrived at the duke’s mansion. It was like any other day, except Sebastian was extra strict about the places where I could go. They were very serious about me not meeting or approaching the princess.
My lectures with Lady Carolle had been cut short since she was called to Metzli Region to assist the north duchy with the ongoing demon surge at the northern barrier. The demons were lurking and trying to break through the barrier due to the harsh winter, which made it harder for them to hunt a prey.
The limited places I could visit inside the mansion made the days feel long and boring. The absence of Lady Carolle and Mikhael, who had occupied much of my time since living here, left me feeling a little lonely. I had nothing else to do but read in the library and wait to awaken my powers.
On this day, Sebastian entered my room while I was sitting near the balcony, reading a book about mana and magic.
He approached me, and said, “I will be on Sunniva for a couple of days, I have been called in the capital by the imperial palace.”
“Why? What’s the problem? Have you done something wrong?” I asked, worried.
“You don’t have to worry; it’s an annual meeting for the Captains of the Knights in all regions. I’ll be back in five days. I’ll leave Roelle and Junio to guard you at all times.” he replied.
Roelle and Junio were among the knights who found me in the forest when I first arrived in this world. Junio was the brown-haired, talkative knight, while Roelle was the complete opposite in personality.
“That works for me. Thank you, Sebastian. Have a safe journey.” I said, smiling brightly, even though inside, I was anxious about eventually being completely alone in this foreign land.
…
Another day passed by; I was in no mood to get up. I was curled up in a ball on my bed. Mara and Leah were genuinely concerned about this unusual behavior.
“I think we should let the Lady stroll in the garden today.” Mara suggested to Roelle and Junio.
“We cannot allow that; Sir Sebastian was very specific about his orders.” Roelle replied.
“Look at the Lady, Sir Roelle! She looks unwell.”
Junio intervened, “I think it will be fine if we check the perimeter of the garden before letting the Lady stroll, just to ensure the princess isn’t there.”
Mara and Leah were happy to hear this from Sir Junio, they immediately asked me to stand up so they could change my dress.
…
Mara, Leah, and I were in the garden, while Roelle and Junio guarded the area.
As I walked through the garden, I remembered the night when Mikhael and I conversed on the bench we just passed by. I suddenly felt a throb in my chest and whispered, “I guess I miss talking with Mikhael; I haven’t seen him in a while.” I sighed and continued walking while Mara and Leah followed.
I went ahead and followed the stone path as it wound through the garden. Along the way, we passed by various kinds of flowers, including a vibrant yellow lily that caught my eye. After a few minutes of walking, I didn’t realize we had already reached the end of the path. It was already a dead end, but just a few steps away from where I stood, there was a wall fountain with a sculpture of Wisteria Tree embossed on it.
Curious, I stepped off the last stone and approached the fountain. Peering into the basin, I whispered to myself, “Hmm- there's no water in it.” I shrugged nonchalantly and sighed. Just as I was about to head back to my room, I turned around and was puzzled by what I saw.
Instead of Mara and Leah, there was a huge tree standing before me.
To be continued.