The most noble of all noble families. It can be both a compliment and an insult. The Lovell family stood in the middle of it. Admired by the commoners, scorned by the aristocrats. Every noble family in the Sunnivan Empire has one or two filth they held secret. Who would do everything for honor? At most, one would do anything to maintain one's power. Having someone around whose presence alone is enough to make them soar higher is an eyesore.
It is easy to understand the mind of a greedy person.
Before when the past rulers showered the Lovell family with favor, the envious aristocratic faction could only stand to the side. But when the late Emperor Ignacius start to hold the Lovell family in contempt, the aristocratic faction showed its fangs. They influenced the Emperor's decision leading to the supposed-to-be downfall of the Lovell Marquessate.
I looked at Alaric.
Apart from gaining support from the nobles, one must gain the trust of the common people. Commoners are a vital part of the empire. They make up 70% of the population. If they were to work as one, their power would amount to that of the nobles. For example, through an uprising. The Lovell family, admired by the commoners, supporting one of the two princes would really stir a commotion. The prince's reputation in the lower society would rise favorably.
If Alaric chose to accept my offer, all of his attention would be focused on the rest of the aristocratic faction who seemed to take the First Prince's side and let his military merits and the Marquis' influence deal with the commoners.
But of course, Alaric could still choose to take the bloody path. I mean, he's the male lead. Everything goes to his favor.
"So, the heir of the Lovell family finally chose to speak up," Alaric, after a moment of silence, spoke. "Are you saying that you would oppose your brother once he's taken the title?"
I chuckled before shaking my head. Who would settle for a half-assed plan?
"He won't take the title, your highness," I replied. "That is something I will not allow."
Alaric's gaze deepened, "Then, a lady like you would steal the inheritance from your brother?"
I squinted my eyes in an unnoticeable way when he said that question. I see... So, Adelia still hasn't changed this mindset of the male lead.
"I know this proposal seems far-fetched especially coming from a woman... Coming from /me. I already know you wouldn't agree with it—"
"That is why you chose to blackmail me," he cut me off.
I nodded. "And you admitted it. I guess the information must've been shocking, you weren't able to deny it."
His eyes narrowed, annoyance emerging in those beautiful pair of golden irises.
I cleared my throat and continued, "I want to prove to your highness what I am capable of. I want to prove to you and to everyone that a woman like me is worthy of a title given only to men."
His fixed his gaze on me. His eyes still held annoyance but there was another emotion mixed in it. Amusement? Doubt? Confusion? It was so faint and it was hard to distinguish.
He pressed his lips and after a while he stood up.
"I still do not trust your words. However, I trust that you will break off the engagement." He glanced at the opposite side of the lake where lights were slowly being lit. "It's getting dark. Let us discuss about this matter again next time."
After saying those words, he made his way out of the gazebo. But before he could step outside, I called him. He stopped on his tracks and he threw me a glance.
With clenched fists, I said, "Your highness, would you like me to send you the tongue and hands of the spy?"
He arched his brow and he slightly turned his body towards me. "What do you mean, Lady Lovell?"
Suddenly, the whole gazebo became bright. A beautiful white crystal orb hanged in the middle of the gazebo's ceiling overthrew the darkness of the night that was enveloping the building. Because of it, I was able to see Alaric's expression.
I gave him a grin. But this time it was genuine, not forced, and was brimming with confidence. "I did a little gamble. I still have lingering affection for you, so before coming here, I decided to cut off the spy's tongue and his hands so he wouldn't be able to tell anyone of your highness' secret."
Amusement on Alaric's face became even more evident.
I continued, "So, even if you did kill me today, without his tongue and his hands, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone."
I noticed how he balled his fist. His mouth gaped as if he wanted to say something but closed it in the end. He gave me a confused look before sighing and and turning his back.
I watched as his figure faded into the distance. And when I was sure he completely left, I sank into the chair in a very unladylike position. I exhaled like there's no tomorrow. As if all the anxiety and nervousness I held in my stomach since earlier was finally freed.
All throughout the conversation, my heart was racing. Maintaining composure was really hard. And when he pointed his sword at me...
I gently rubbed my throat, trying to ease the tingling sensation that lingered.
When he pointed his sword at me, I was scared. I've been in life threatening situation in my past life and none of it scared me as much as today. Is it because I already experienced death? But, even as I was dying, I wasn't scared. I already expected that I would die while carrying out my mission.
That feeling... was so strange.
Maybe because I didn't want to die? That's why I felt that way and desperately tried to hold on to something that'd help me avoid death.
I understand most of the people around me, yet I'm somehow having difficulties understanding my own emotions.
I sat upright. I avoided death today, but that doesn't mean I'm completely free from Alaric's sword. I still haven't gained his trust.
The last words I said before he left, half of it was true. I did gamble on my life. I confronted him about his secret knowing that in return, it would kill me. Yet things turned out good. I survived.
I just don't know how he would interpret the last words I said to him. Alaric does not trust Henrietta, but he wouldn't doubt this girl's obsessive affection for him.
I do hope that I'd gain even a little bit of his trust.
"It's dark," I murmured. "Guess my appointment with temple priests is cancelled. Unexpectedly showing up like that..."
I sighed and took the bonnet hat on the table. After wearing it, I stood up.
Yet the moment I stepped forward, the crystal orb shattered and the gazebo was once again engulfed in darkness. I immediately ducked and closed my eyes tightly. I used both of my hands to cover my head to prevent the pieces of glasses from hitting my face. The shards hit my arms and fortunately, I couldn't feel any pain.
My heart raced once again.
"What the hell?" I sucked in a breath. My mind was in shambles. What is going on?
When the surrounding quited down, I slowly opened my eyes. Only to be met by glowing markings on the floor. My eyes followed all the glowing lines that was slowly encircling me. I stood up to get a clearer view.
It was a magic circle. Inside the large circle were three small circles that seemed to connect all three sides of a triangle. Surrounding them were runes with strange characters along with smaller geometric symbols.
My eyes widened when a small, white begonia flower emerged inside the triangle. It floated for a while, flaunting it's beautiful white petals. When it touched the floor it suddenly became a part of the magic circle.
I was dumbfounded. I knew magic existed in world but ever since I got here, I never encountered one. Yet, here it is, showing itself.
I removed my gaze from the magic circle on the ground when suddenly, a white light flashed in front of me. Another magic circle appeared but this time it was smaller and it was floating mid-air, facing me. It formed the same way as the magic circle on the floor.
I hitched my breath when instead of a begonia flower, a ghastly pale hand emerged from the magic circle.
All of the hair in my body stood and with wide eyes I tried to move my body and run away but my feet wouldn't budge. The hand continued to reached out as I desperately tried to get my feet to move.
/What in the world is wrong with you!/ I scolded, internally. I was shocked, yes, but not up to the point wear I would be rooted to ground! I still have common sense and human instinct, not like those in horror movies!
My mind panicked when a whole person emerged from the magic circle. The hand that was trying to reach out finally made its way to my chest. It gently landed in the middle of my chest and despite my desperate urge to back away, I couldn't.
I tried to raise my hands to push the hand away but just like my feet, it won't budge! No, my whole body can't move!
What... What is going on?
I looked at the person who suddenly appeared out of thin air. Their was lowered so I wasn't able to see their face. Their skin was so pale that it was almost the same color with their white robe. A gold fabric was wrapped tightly around their waist creating a lovely figure. Tied around the fabric were gold and round sleigh bells that made extremely clear, tinkling sounds as they flutter in the wind.
Strands of their long and silky hair that were of the same color as snow were swaying with the gentle breeze. Every time the wind swayed the persom's hair, a faint and sweet scent of begonia permeated the surrounding.
My heart raced even faster when the person slowly raised their head.
A pair of bright, blue eyes made me hitch my breath even more. Alaric's golden eyes were already unique and majestic yet this pair of blue eyes were breathtakingly beautiful. Hiding under the curtains of their white eyelashes were eyes that resembled a pale sapphire.
My gaze landed on their tall and a little fleshy nose. Despite having a pale complexion, their cheeks and full lips were rosy.
It was a girl... No, a goddess. On the center of their forehead was a golden begonia symbol. It made her look mythical, as if she wasn't supposed to exist in the mundane world.
Her beauty was ethereal and it somehow calmed my heart. Despite appearing in a creepy way, she somehow looked harmless and my nerves were able to calm down when I saw her—
"What are you?"
My eyes were about to jump out of its socket when a deep and smooth male voice came out from the girl's mouth.
It's... it's a guy...
All the blood in my body rushed towards my head. And as if my body wasn't experiencing paralysis a while ago, my hand moved and slapped the man's hand that was pressed against my chest. I exerted too much force and made him take a step backwards.
I stepped back and pressed myself in the corner of the gazebo making sure there is a huge distance between us. A man just... His hand... On my chest...
"W-what are you doing touching a w-woman's chest?!" I stammered. My face felt like it was on fire because of embarrasment. I used my hands to cover myself.
He gave me a surprised look while rubbing his wrist. I must've put too much force on that slap because it left an alarming red mark.
An amused smile appeared on his face, "You broke free from my spell."
"H-huh?"
"This magic circle," he pointed the magic circle on the floor that was slowly fading. "...is my strongest paralyzing spell. Anyone who gets caught in it wouldn't be able to break free unless they kill me. Yet, you freed yourself without even breaking a sweat."
He looked away and he started stroking his chin. His brows furrowed, "Is it because of the sudden burst of emotion you had earlier? I mean, you slapped my hand really hard."
My face flushed even more.
"You touched my chest," I said, feeling comoletely wronged.
Yet the guy tilted his head and gave me an innocent look. "Is there something wrong with it?"
The novel setting, if one would compare it to Earth's timeline, would be set at the 18th century (1700s). Just like in Earth, people at this time is very conservative and observes proper decorum. Touching a woman's chest out of nowhere is certainly not a good thing. Even in my past life's timeline, this would be considered sexual harassment and he would be punished gravely.
Yet this guy was still able to act nonchalant about it.
I squinted, "You just touched a woman's chest."
"A woman," he blinked. "Ah, I practiced abstinence for quite a while now. I lost the ability to distinguish women from men, and men from women."
My mouth gaped.
U-unbelievable. Is this a new way to get away with sexual harassment?
I flinched when the wind suddenly stopped. The air suddenly turned heavy, as if it was pressing down on me. The surrounding went quite, even the bells in the man's clothing that was melodically ringing whenever he moves remained still. The smile on his face disappear and was replaced by a spine-chilling expression. His pale sapphire eyes that was glaring at me was slowly changed into a deeper hue.
"Now, what are you?" he asked in a deep voice that was the complete opposite of his feminine appearance, every word was given emphasis.
My heart raced. The man's personality changed drastically. It's like he's not the same harmless person he was a while ago.
"The temple is surrounded by an invisible barrier. It detects anomalous mana presence and prevents them from entering the temple's premises. Today, the barrier detected the golden core of Helios which belongs to the second prince. However, another anomalous core was detected... inside the barrier." He gave me a meaningful gaze, "The mana particles inside the temple were restless. They seem to be attracted to this peculiar core that has managed to pass the barrier without being detected. I followes them and it lead me..."
He pointed his index finger at me and once again, another magic circle appeared beneath my feet. It was the same with the previous one and it made my body unable to move again.
"It lead me to you," he continued.
Confusion arised inside my head. The novel did not talk much about magic. The temple and the tower did not even play a major role in the novel's plot. When I arrived at this world, I did not bother reading magic books and only focused on political things. I was having a hard time comprehending his words.
My heart jumped when he took a step towards me. Hanged on the straps of his white boots were small, golden sleigh bells that rang whenever he took a step.
"When I saw your core, you were no different from an ordinary human. Your core was white and very common." He stopped a few steps away from me. The moment he stopped, the bells stopped tinkling.
Then he raised his right, his wide sleeves fluttered and on the edge of it was a pair of gold sleigh bells that was slightly bigger than the rest. It made a much louder and clearer sound the moment he waved his sleeves.
His blue eyes glinted then suddenly, my field of vision became clearer. Small glowing dots of white and blue appeared one by one. Each of them floating in the air emitting a faint glow.
From tens to hundreds to thousands until it became a galaxy of stars. The glowing dots swarmed the whole gazebo, particularly surrounding me. I held my breath and watched as the breathtaking scene unfold before me.
It was so beautiful. So beautiful that it was able to hide the indimidating presence the man was exuding.
"W-what are these?" I asked. I wanted to move but the I was still under the man's spell.
"Mana particles," he answered in a monotonous voice while maintaining his gaze on me.
"Mana particles?" I repeated.
"They are present in the environment. Usually, they swarm in places and persoms blessed by Gods. Like the second prince, for example."
I looked at him when he mentioned Alaric. Well, the second prince has a golden core and it's the one that resembles Helios. The temple is a place for worshipping Helios. The temple's barrier must be built to allow Alaric from entering and leaving as he pleases.
He continued walking towards me and my body stood on guard again. "I wonder why these things would swarm a completely common person like you. So I waited for the second prince to leave before approaching you."
Yeah, you approached me in the most creepy way.
"By touching your chest," he continued. I blushed when he said those words yet he stood there completely oblivious to the embarrassment I'm feeling. "I got a much clearer view of your core."
I blinked. He was now standing a few inches away from me. "It's silver."