My Name is Elaine Aleytia. I am 16 years old and the daughter of a famous aristocrat here at Eastern Europe. The current year is 1958.
I was at a loss, why do you ask? It was because my mother told me that my good for nothing older brother is getting married.
"Huh!? brother is getting married?"
"Why do you sound so surprised? He is at that age already, it would be bad for the family if he still didn't have a wife."
I was kneading my head because of the unprecedented news that passed over my ear. My mother is currently standing over across myself, and was bringing me this absurd news.
I was genuinely surprised, because my good for nothing brother is naturally an airhead when it comes to love, and here he is with a fiancée. I was at a loss for words.
"I never thought that your brother would be getting married so will he introduce her to us?"
"I am not sure mother, you already know that we all already lost contact with brother ever since he moved out of the house, he already has a life of his own."
My older brother is getting married, this news is like the whole world discovering Atlantis, in short it was almost at this level of impossibility.
"Anyway I will try contacting your brother so that we could hold a family gathering tonight, be sure to come home early so that you can congratulate your brother well"
"I will mother."
Oh, by the way I was currently at my room studying for an upcoming quiz in my science subject, then mother suddenly barged in with a smile on her face. She was pretty strict to me, so her face that was giving a radiant smile was something rarely seen in this world.
I was born in a rich household, I was trained everyday by my mother to be the perfect role model of the family. Piano lessons, proper etiquette; speech lessons, and study sessions. This kind of training was engraved to me ever since I was 6 years old, I was a proper disciplined girl.
At school, I have top notch grades in all of my subjects. I was 2nd in the overall outstanding students in the school, but there was only one person I couldn't beat no matter what, but I didn't particularly pay it any mind after all, he was someone I acknowledge.
I was revered in school as the cold "Ice Princess", because I have already turned down over more than a hundred suitors, but that was not all, apparently, this rumor have already started ever since I transferred into this school 5 years ago. The rumors stated that there was a very beautiful and elegant girl with silver hair and crimson red eyes, they say that her gaze is as cold as ice so that was the start of the rumors of myself being revered as the "Ice Princess"
I always receive stares and attention from the school as they envy my wealthy lifestyle, little did they know at the cost of my wealthy lifestyle, was unnecessary attention that was brought to me. Since we are a wealthy household, our family's pride resided in our name, every action that we take always gathers unnecessary attention. Even I who was particularly indifferent about our family business has people looking all over me. School is not an exception and I always felt that I wanted to be free from this attention.
Once school was over I immediately made my way back home. This occurrence of me going home at the immediate sound of the school bell was an everyday occurrence, since I do not have a lot of friends. I was pretty unsocial in school.
That was not all, I heard that people made some baseless rumor that I talk in a condescending tone to whoever I talked to. However, that rumor quickly subsided after a transfer student talked to me. She asked for permission if she could use my eraser. I nodded and lent her while making a smile on my face.
I went home after and proceeded to practice the piano. This is a daily routine that has been engraved with me ever since I was still a child.
After my daily piano training at home, I do not have a tutor anymore since I am already proficient at playing it, I have a hobby of reading books, I have a favorite entitled
"The misadventures of Erica"
It was about a girl in a rich household that was fated to marry another man in a household that has no regards for human life. She accepts her fate that she would be marrying this man to save her family. Her simple lifestyle in a wealthy household is very remarkable to a certain degree, because she was willing to sacrifice herself just to protect the honor of her family.
However, little did she know that the man she was about to marry is a valorous man. He sacrificed his social status, appearing as a murderer to his people in order to protect the lives that he saved, after knowing that fact, the hatred that she harbors to that man subsided and was able to become love.
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After that, it was almost time for the celebration party for the engagement of my brother, I was assisted by my personal maid with the outfit I will be wearing for the party.
Currently we were in my room and my personal maid is taking care of my hair while I wore the gown that my mother made for me.
"Wow miss Elaine, you look very beautiful this dress suits you well. It goes along with your very pretty silver hair"
"Really? I guess it is very pretty, my mother really goes overboard with my clothes whenever there would be tea party celebrations."
In my mind I was thinking about when could I be able to find myself in peace, away from attention. I never particularly liked big parties such as this one.
My gown was a gorgeous green with flower petals like design, the gown's color complimented my silver hair and it was contrasting with the color of my eyes.
After getting ready for the party, the maids quickly left due to the summons of my mother, as for my father he was running a little late, he was running our family business after all.
I twirled a bit in the mirror to see how the gown fares and it was really beautiful like what the maids told me.
"Wow this is really pretty"
I never particularly hated fashion, so this dress really made me happy.
After some time, my mother fetched me in my room
"Elaine, oh there you are let us go into the party. The family is waiting"
"One moment mother."
I went and fetched my lucky bracelet. It was a gift that I received from my grandma when I was 10 years old. It holds a deep meaning in my heart, so I wore it as much as possible.
And thus we went to the party.
We went to the party at the function room of our house, there were multiple tables arranged, there were already several people seated and were having a chat with each other, you could tell that the people party is of high social class standings.
Business partners, fashion designers, influential politicians. These were the rundown of the guests that visited for the party.
When my mother and I made our appearances, several people gazed at us. It was because we are the family members of the one who was being accounted for, in the party, we met with several people and exchanged formal greetings.
"Greetings Ms. Elaine, you are quite the beauty aren't you?"
"Ah thank you, you are too kind."
"Oh please no worries I am merely stating a fact."
In my mind I was a bit irritated because this middle aged man was hitting on me, while my mother was busy exchanging words with the other visitors of the party.
"Ah Ms. Elaine would you like to have a dance after the party?"
"Ah I'm really sorry, it seems I need to hold a piano recital at the party."
"That is a shame."
That was a straight up lie. I cannot decline him in any way because of several reasons, so in order to persuade him to not bother me any further, I just told a lie.
Shortly after, my mother went back to my side, we said our goodbyes to other gentlemen. I breathed a sigh of relief because I was finally free from other people.
The layout of the party is that there was a center stage, where my brother and her fiancée will be seated, it was like a reception for a wedding type of stage. Then, from the vicinity is several round tables with white clothing you could tell from a glance that every equipment on the table was of high class from the plates, to the utensils up to the designs at the center of the table.
We went for our table on the side of the front stage, it was naturally a VIP table, it has a distinct difference with all of the tables that are scattered throughout the function room. It was designed with a floral type color of clothing and had a small fountain in the middle of the table. It was really gorgeous.
Mother is looking left and right with a worried look on her face. I gave mom a concerned look and she told me.
"Now Elaine stay here for a while I will just call for your father, be sure to entertain our other guests."
"Yes, mother."
Mother went upstairs while leaving me alone at the VIP table. There was still an hour before the party started so me being alone on the VIP table is not a problem.
"Hmm a wine? this is, Father's favorite!"
I was surprised, because this wine is my father's personal favorite. The family has been cultivating this wine for 30 years now.
There was already a waiter that was distributing wines to every table in the vicinity.
It was a red wine with profound taste according to my father. My father is not very alcoholic bit he has a hobby of collecting wine.
I poured the red wine onto my glass and took a sip, it was naturally bitter I thought.
*cough cough*
Suddenly a sharp pain surged throughout my body. It was my first time experiencing this kind of pain, naturally I choked.
"ugh--!!"
"hack--!!"
*cough* *cough*
I hacked and coughed up blood to my surprise.
The other visitors went to look at my direction. They gave confused stares as to why am I coughing, little did they know that I was already at the verge of collapse.
"It's...so pain--ful cough-! What is in this wine ugh--! Kugh-!?"
“Haaaaa….”
I was out of breath and fell off my chair.
"Elaine!!!"
I heard my mother screamed from across the stage. She finished her call with father and was naturally going back to the party, but she probably saw me collapsing so she gave a worried scream.
Suddenly I hear several running footsteps approaching me. But it was too late, I thought to myself as I slowly lost consciousness.