The fact that I am receiving an official summoning must mean that the White Winter ball is near.
Fuck! Why do I have to go through this?
I didn't even know that I was fucking a Knight and it was more like he fucked me, I didn't even get him anywhere!
-That's hardly a proper defence but still. - I sighed. -And I'm not Vivanna! I'm just a sex-starved, I mean was, I was a sex-starved lawyer who just went to sleep!-
Maybe if I had gotten laid when Milo had suggested I wouldn't have easily been convinced that it was a sex dream!
"Are you not going to open it? My lady?" The maid asked jolting me from my thoughts.
"Oh!..uh" I gazed at the letter again.
In Envia, it was customary for someone to open a letter, especially an official one, before a witness for it to be considered read.
"What is your name?" I asked the brown-haired maid, and she frowned.
-Did she frown because I am supposed to know her name, or because Vivanna had never asked the names of her maids?-
"I asked your name," I said once more.
-When in doubt, confidence!-
"Ophelia, my lady. My name is Ophelia." She introduced herself and curtsied.
The letter fell from my hands.
-Of course, the first person to be kind to me is a spy. -
Ophelia Criss was a noble, a fallen noble. To be more specific, she is a fallen noble that Vivanna's father had ruined. Ophelia pleaded with the crown prince to assign her to me, in short. Ophelia is the largest contributor to Vivanna's execution, second only to the male leads of course.
And on bad days…she actually attempted to poison Vivanna's meals.
I think that the author had saved Vivanna on those days, because whenever her meal had been poisoned, Vivanna herself simply had no appetite or someone had dropped by to see her, causing her to skip the poisoned meal.
What about me?
What the hell was I supposed to do, author who? Who the hell would save me?
…I'm alone.
I realized.
I am completely and utterly alone.
Growing up in the orphanage meant no privacy and plenty of families, and then after I met Milo, we stuck together. I had never been alone before.
A knot of anxiety formed at the pit of my stomach, had Vivanna always felt this way? I cannot fully claim that the author protected her when the author had just been saving her for the grand finale.
Was this how she had continuously felt?
"No, I'm much too distraught to read it, perhaps later." I smiled at Ophelia with a professional 'Meet-a-client' smile.
"Yes, my lady," Ophelia said then bowed her head.
"You may leave, I wish to be alone," I said, and she hesitated.
I guess she really did want me to open the letter. I bet she thought that I would hear the word 'royal' and foolishly open the summoning. Then, stupid and blindly infatuated Vivanna would rush to the prince's side.
And then afterwards, you would announce to the maids that their master had been humiliated. Right, Ophelia?
"Now, Ophelia." I rushed her, and she bowed again this time looking startled.
Did Vivanna ever address her by her name? Did she even know the names of her staff?
The look on her face gave me my answer, but she masked it, almost immediately.
"S-sorry." She said, then left.
The door clicked shut, and I rested my head on my headboard.
"What the hell, Annabelle!" I sighed heavily then stared at the envelope.
"They all thought you were a foolish girl, Vivanna. From the prince to your staff to even your Knight." I chuckled, but I couldn't prevent the sting in my eyes from forming tears. " They said that they loved you, but they hated you so deeply that it is amazing you never realized. Or maybe you did…you just didn't believe it."
I sighed then wiped my tears and ended my depressing monologue.
I am not going to die that way. I am not going to let them look into my eyes and whisper sweet nothings.
"First thing is first, I need to get rid of the first prince." I muttered "or rather stay away from him."
"Can I break the engagement?" I wondered as I stood from the bed. "No, he'll use the debts I have to tie me down, and worse, If I just request a cancellation, he might suspect me of something and either tighten his security on me or just plain assassinate me."
"I also need to stay away from the male leads." I froze. "Shit! I've already had sex with Isaak! Wait, wait, he didn't come! So did that still count as sex?"
I paced the room.
"It doesn't matter, it won't happen again. Getting rid of Isaak can only become acceptable if the engagement is broken, but what about Ophelia, the butler as well. I can create enough distance by sending them to another estate. Does Vivanna own another estate?" I sighed. I need to get to Vivanna's study, that's where she did most of her planning so there will probably be blueprints of sorts there. Plus that blasted journal that she was always writing on."
It's fall now, but its nearing winter. Winter is when the heroine first meets the prince. That should keep his attention off me for a while as I try to clear Vivanna's debts. I can use my knowledge and skills to try and better this duchy as well as, ensure that when I find my way out of here, and I will, that it has enough wealth that seven Vivanna's could not bankrupt the dutchy.
Now, what about the other male leads?
When does Daisy first meet Isaak or my concubines? Oh my god, I have concubines! Courtesy of the first prince to Vivanna.
Vivanna had been so obsessed with the first prince that there was a time she sneaked into his bedroom and waited for him naked. When the prince arrived, he gifted her two exotic concubines, with a curt. "Whenever you think of me, use them."
Vivanna naturally thought that the prince was thoughtful, but the prince couldn't stand her presence. He had never even laid a finger on her. He had just wanted her gone and surely that was the easiest way he could think of.
Naturally, Vivanna abused the concubines so harshly that they hated her.
"My God Vivanna!" I sighed then raked my hair. "It's like you wanted to be hated."
I couldn't get over how smooth and silky my hair was. As Annabelle, my hair had always been frizzy and dry on moderate days and on bad days, It was straight up a crime scene.
God, I miss Milo. I sighed again.
"No!" I shook my head. "Right now I need to focus, I can't die, not until I find a way to get back home!"
The prince already has access to half of my staff, so the first order of business is for me to find someone, anyone that I can trust. Next, I need to find the stupid engagement contract so that I can identify possible loopholes, and third, I need to clear my debt, that has to be the surest way to get the prince away from me. All of the male leads are tied to him, so I just need to simply, cut off the roots.
I looked around my room then walked to the closet. It was made of white marble floors, just like the main room. Most of the gowns Vivanna had, that had been mentioned in the story, were vitrine on the walls. The rest of the dresses were displayed in a device that spun them around, as though to purposefully display them.
The entire room was filled to the brim with beautiful clothes and luxury jewels that sparkled to life. Some of the gems even changed colour when I got near them.
"Oh shit!" I ran my hand over a sizeable heart-shaped stone that changed colour wherever I grazed it.
It was the heart of Ecclesia. A jewel that Isaak gifts to the main character when he proclaims his love for her.
Ecclesia, the goddess of love, rather, she had been a mortal first. Still, all she ever did was love. She loved freely and easily, her friends, her enemies, plants, animals, whatever, she had been a lover, and according to the book, that was why she transcended humandom and rose to godhood.
There are many versions of Eclessia's story. One version claimed that Eclessia had never been human but instead a god to be worshipped. This version, in turn, has led to the emergence of strict followers, who erected temples in her name. For now, though, I will just stick with the version that was written in the book.
"Now, If I sell half of these," I waved my hand over the dresses. "I should have enough money to start a business and trademark it, tying it exclusively to this dutchy."
"But where will I get a merchant willing to trade with the actual value of the gowns?"I frowned.
A knock startled me, and I turned to the door.
"What?" I called out in an irritated tone, and a shakey voice responded.
"M-my M-m-my Lady." Some voices were heard whispering from the door telling her not to stutter, and then another voice completed the sentence for her.
"It is Bath time."
"You, pick my outfit for the day." I pointed to the maid with the timidest looking posture."y-yes!" she said, and I recognized her voice as the one that had stammered outside my door.The girl had long brown hair held in such a tight bun that I was almost sure it would peel right off her scalp. Her outfit was so stiff, it was like she had starched it for longer than the recommended duration. She looked like a walking box.-I don't even think the wind would affect the dress.-Was it her first day here?Or is she acting like this on purpose?"Stay here till I come back from my bath, you alone shall dress me," I said, and the rest of the maids had stiffened."Yes, my lady." They replied nonetheless, but they each sent her an apologetic look.The 'new' maid's green eyes filled with tears, as though she had truly expected the worst. But I didn't comfort her after all, I didn't know her side."Let's go." I said to the t
I had worn the spiceberry coloured gown that Mary had picked out, and then afterwards, I had forced her to change out of her ridiculous box!We were now about to leave the estate but not before she had shown me Vivanna's office.It had been a gorgeous space; the walls were literal bookshelves while her desk sat in the middle. There were two golden furnished couches at the centre of the room. The couches sat opposite to each other and between the couches, was a globe alcohol holder with in-built cooling stones that produced a cold mist indicating the degree of coolness. On the opposite side of the room from where Vivanna's desk sat, there was a wide and lavish golden fireplace with a large beautiful painting of the dutchy sitting above it.I know that the duchy is going bankrupt, but I don't think that I would be willing to part with anything in that room. The clothes and jewels were fine, but that room. I would leave it like that.Speaking of jewels, I co
The town looked vibrant, and the people themselves looked cheerful. But that was probably because I was looking from a distance. The route to the club was not at the heart of the dutchy; it was on the hill that overlooked the town.I could see why the club failed, who in their right mind would like to travel up a steep hill when they were pissed drunk? No noble would bother with such a club, but perhaps it had been tailored to suit the townspeople.The road winded up the hill, a route which had way too many potholes. Each time the carriage shook, my body was forced against Erden's rock hard frame.I had to grip the seats at some point for stability but this, in turn, caused my hand to continuously graze his muscular thighs.For my last stunt, I stood in the jerking carriage wanting to sit next to Mary, so that I could successfully re-recite my celibate vows, without too much stimulation. But the driver had hit a pothole so deep that I smacked my hea
He had pushed her too far.Erden sighed.He hadn't had a choice, she was acting differently, and he hadn't known why. Ever since morning, had she lost her mind? Or was it a new drug this time?Still, he had expected her to tell him to see him in her 'office' or rather, her playroom.The pain she usually inflicted did very little to Erden, he didn't mind it. Hell, maybe she even allowed him to hate her. It was oddly relaxing.It was an odd feeling. Erden had never met anyone that he could hate more than himself, but…Vivanna always surpassed his expectations.Erden swore his loyalty to the prince because he admired him. The prince shone in Erden's eyes, his ideas were bright and revolutionary, but in the shadows there lurked too many corrupt nobles who thrived in the old system. He needed hands and legs, and Erden had vowed to be them. Especially to their most significant threat at political stability, Portburgh.The prince was n
"You look uncomfortable, Viva," Bea said my name as though it was a weapon."Do I?" I asked straightening my posture. "I wonder why?""Me too, your family saved a life, you know." She smiled. "As I'm sure you know, twins are akin to taboo among the nobility, and so one of the twins lived her life in a wine cellar, among rats and smelly water. Fed stale bread twice a week, on good days.""Should we name the girls?" Bea asked then plopped her legs on her desk in the most unladylike manner.-Seriously, she behaves just like Milo…- I gawked. -I should probably leave though…-I turned my gaze to the door, uncomfortable by the conversational direction."My lady, it's storytime. Don't leave." She smiled. "I desperately need to hear your answer because that will depend on the level of partnership.""Partnership?" I frowned, and she stilled."I want to help you, and in the same way I need your help.""Yet I am the o
"The more the girl read, the more Beatrice brought books, until finally, she brought her homework books, on politics, economy, you name it. The girl read it and summarized its contents to Beatrice, who in the evening would recite to 'mama' and 'papa'. Fun things really." 'Beatrice…Milton?' Said."The girl loved the books, and Beatrice loved the attention she received from her parents. So when the girl in the cellar said that she wanted to go outside. Beatrice's first response was… 'Don't! There are monsters out there'…"I had leant forward in my seat, following every word 'Beatrice?' Uttered."So Beatrice expected the girl to go, 'Monsters! Oh no!' but instead the girl asked, 'what's that?'.""Beatrice began explaining what monsters were, but they were not enough words to convince the girl to stay in the cellar. Well, except one phrase. Beatrice looked at the girl in the cage and whispered. 'You', 'you are the monster. That is w
"That sounds completely nuts!" I stood and paced the room. Bea joined me in the pacing act."Think about it, Portburgh is already far from the mainland of Envia, it's practically an island, only instead of the ocean we are surrounded by fresh lake water.""Geography? Your reason for treason is geography?""No, not only geography." Bea continued."Oh, there is more?" I asked, shocked that she could even continue."Oh! For goodness sake, Viva, look out there. In the villages, how many street children did you see just wandering aimlessly, we don't have schools here. The only schools available are in the capital, and they are what, a boat ride away? It's three hundred and fifty fauna for a boat ride, and that's not even adding tuition costs." Milton insisted.I hadn't seen any street children, but perhaps the coachman had intentionally avoided the town."What about employment? The Prince sends in people from the capital. So much so that o
The ride was quieter than I had anticipated. Mary had asked for permission to stay behind and visit her siblings. She had insisted that she was fine bringing herself to work tomorrow.I did not mind; In fact, the quiet ride had helped me process my emotions about my conversation with Bea better.I had asked the driver to pass through the town, but he had panicked at my suggestion."My lady, let us not! Please! They will throw rocks, and I have nothing to cover me! Please, my lady, consider."So, I did, but was the situation really that bad to warrant rock throwing?Can extra's really hurt a character that is being saved for a 'grand finale?'Erden, on the other hand, had been quiet the entire ride back. He was still and calm during the whole ride until our uphill ascent to the estate where he finally spoke."My lady, I will take any punishment you offer," Erden said in such a quiet voice that I had almost missed it.The evening