For the next few days, it was quite peaceful, as Violetta binged learning about magic.
According to Delta, "You have to focus, and make sure to concentrate on breathing and the mana affinities inside you. After you can do that, you will see the ones around you and then you can control the air around you. So just practice that until you get it down."
So, after Delta's constant nagging, Violetta spends the next peaceful days sitting in her little courtyard, practicing magic with Chris or just boringly staring out the window.
"Maya, please get me some tea," Violetta calls to the maid nearest to her.
"Yes," She responds with a bow.
'Hm, she's definitely putting me at a lower status than Lotus. After all, pretty sure she still addresses Lotus as her highness,' Violetta muses as she plays with the flowers on the table.
But it wasn't as if that was a big problem, and she still had expectations of Maya's devious plans.
Of course, there's still Kate in the corner biting her handkerchief angrily, shooting daggers with her eyes to the thick skinned Maya.
The breeze sweeps through the wind, rustling Violetta's shiny black hair. It took her a couple weeks to get used to it again. It feels like it's been a pretty long time because she's had blonde hair all this time.
While sitting on the chair leisurely, she closes her eyes. Little specks of heat and light float towards her body on command. Concentrating, she gathers them to her hand under the table. The white little spheres dance across the air and follow through. Slowly, and slowly, then faster as it gets nearer, twirling around and around. Violetta can literally feel the little whirlwind in her hand, but as always, once she opens her eyes to glance at it, her concentration breaks and the magic disappears.
She gives a light grunt in frustration. 'I was soooo close! So close! Do I really need to redo an act like that dramatic one before where I roasted those hunk fans to do this?'
She leans her forehead on the window, and she stares out.
As if deliberately put in her sight to annoy her, she hears a bunch of maids, about a meter away on the other side of the wall.
"Pfft, isn't that b*tch so stupid? She made a contract? That's like the biggest joke in the world!"
"Hah, really didn't think it would backfire, huh? I can't wait for her to find out that there is no way she can go back on it! I mean, now everyone in the Jun Empire knows, and probably people in her own stupid kingdom."
Violetta smirks, 'These delusional kids really don't know real beauty…'
"Hah, if she ever had a brain cell, she'd know that playing hard to get with Damien~... will never happen! Especially when he's so smart and handsome!"
"I know right! He's so amazing I mean like look at those-"
Violetta turns her head away from the maids, disgusted by their drooling conversations about a mediocre guy.
'By the way, what did having muscles have to do with brain cells?'
As she was turning her head, she noticed Delta, lifting her ear from the wall too.
She frowns and speaks in disapproval, "Your highness, what should we do with them?"
The other maids in the room look at the two in confusion, but also trying to make sense of things in case there's some juicy gossip.
"It's fine, leave them. It's about time for us to make our move," Violetta responds vaguely.
At the moment, the doorstep opens with the arrogantly loud footsteps of Maya. Click, clack, click, clack. The brown haired maid steps in the room smugly. Everyone looks down realizing Maya is wearing a pair of sparkly high heel shoes. They are decorated with a blinding amount of sparkles, and a gem on the front. The heels are white in contrast and so thin, they can probably be broken with just a stomp.
'It's definitely a concubine's,' everyone thinks.
Maya smirks as she drops off the tea on the table. She deliberately twirls, showing her sparkly shoes under her plain clothes.
What a unique fashion sense.
The shining shoes reflecting so much light really did not fit her plain servant clothes. Even a child would know to have a better fashion sense than this.
"Do you all like it? Her highness, Lotus is so benevolent and generous to have given her servants these prizes!"
"Oh my god, I'm so jealous! I wanna serve her highness Lotus too!"
"Awww, that looks so good, she's so benevolent!"
"Omg can I trade positions with you?"
Maya holds her nose up high, as she shows off her pretty shoes.
But how could Violetta not know what she's trying to do.
"Jeez, we have to serve this 'princess' instead. Hah, it's so fake to see her as some kind princess. Can't everyone tell our highness Lotus is so much better and more nice?"
"I know right, she doesn't even give us, her servants good stuff."
"I'm so jealous, I want to trade positions so badly!"
Violetta sips the B-grade tea, wrinkling her brows a little at the low quality tea.
A brave maid speaks up, "Her highness Lotus is so kind, how come you're not as benevolent? Huh? And you still dare call yourself Empress?"
With the opinion voiced out, all the other maids start to cheer as Maya makes her way to the back to watch the show.
Violetta inwardly sighs, 'What a pain, get a better plan next time.'
Lightly dropping her cup down on the table, she rests her head on her hand. She tilts her head slightly and gives a chilling glare.
"Shut up."
The air in the room drops a couple of degrees as everyone looks at the authoritative Empress.
Her magenta colored eyes seem to turn red with her glowering.
The brave maid standing up at the front shivers.
"Who are you to talk about what I do? I am the Empress and that's a fact, no? If you have any complaints about that please go disturb the Emperor's time with Concubine Lotus and request an audience explaining your wishes, instead."
Violetta's cold stare gradually had turned less intense and into a smile as she spoke on.
"If you walk out like that, anyone would think you're a thief. It'd be better if you didn't receive it then," Kate chimes in.
Maya finally realizes, 'Dang! So she really was actually cursing me!' Maya starts to bite her nails, racking her brain for a plan against the smart concubine.
Violetta chuckles, as she hears Maya's thoughts.
Violetta picks up her cup of tea, sipping it again calmly. It is so quiet that they could literally hear a pin drop. Cold sweat runs down the maids' backs, as they stand, frozen.
After a while, they slowly shuffle out, clearing the room, leaving only Delta, Kate, Chris and her highness back.
Delta turns to Violetta curiously, "So what's the plan?"
She pauses her hand and puts the teacup down.
"I have a rough draft in mind for now. Though once we receive more information it will change. If you have any ideas too, feel free to share. We'll ensure victory."
Chris walks over with one hand on his chin thoughtfully, "Are you planning to turn Maya's plan against her?"
"Of course that's one part of it, Chris. Her plan has too many flaws, so that'll be easy. All we need to do now is guide her to include Concubine Lotus and the Emperor, and we'll wipe them in one fell swoop!"
"Woah, that big? Why are we including Concubine Lotus and the Emperor?" Kate asks curiously.
"Have you realized that all of this was planned by Lotus? I'm also bringing in the Emperor, since he's an incompetent tyrant. People should thank me."
In her mind, she also adds, 'And it's easier that way…'