"Please... choose me, Poinsettia."
It wasn't that I couldn't guessed at all about Noah's heart for me. His heart was always beating fast and his face was always became red when we practiced dance together and he always had his gaze on me. All of this started as a driving force to perfect his dance moves. However, Noah had developed his heart for me more than I expected and he proposed to marry me.
"Sir Noah, are you out of your mind? The knight dares to propose to his master?" I asked him in a sarcasm with hope he changed his mind. "I'll be the strength of Her Majesty even when she becomes Empress. I'll devote all of my life to your side. Even if you can't be happy, I'll warm up your heart rather than that cold blooded peacock." Noah did not even bother to halt for catching his breath and spit out all the world he wanted to say, but not for long when he returned to the reality and blushed. "I apologize for my stupid confession. But I will formally propose tomorrow, so please think about it a little more tonight and give me the answer." "...I don't know if I can sleep properly because of this." "My apology."
I returned to my room, even so I have made my decision. If I was an aristocratic lady, no at least an ordinary lady, of course Noah's confession would sound much more romantic. I would marry him right away, but I had no intention of adjusting to such a modest play of love, it'd be a problem in my path and if Noah got in his way of my path, I'd ruthlessly cut him down. This was my second golden spoonful life, something that shouldn't be broken by a single man. Tomorrow would be the most important day and so I couldn't be bothered by this. Finally, tomorrow, the day of my coronation to be the Crown Princess and successor for the future Empress. It had to be done perfectly without any mistakes and I would break anyone who looked down and criticized me.
I got up at dawn and preparing to re-read the book for the coronation ceremony which would be held at 12 PM. The ministers who became the witnesses of the ceremony had picked up flowers and put them on the water at 5:45 AM at the sunrise in the morning to make a wreath of red poinsettia flowers to be placed on the red carpet for me to walk on. Because it'd be a sacred ceremony, it's impossible to ask other people to do it, so those who were in charge of the country, the Empress Dowager, the invited Kings from other Kingdoms, the blonde Royal siblings had prepare their own poinsettia flowers for me.
(Lobelia's POV) ...
Since no one were allowed to watch the sacred ceremony except from the invited guests, what Lobelia was planning went smoothly than ever. "Beautiful flowers are eventually have their own poison, sister. I hope you enjoy the last gift I prepared for you today." Lobelia uttered as she cut the head of the poinsettia flower off. A white butterfly flew near the vase filled by blooming poinsettias. The butterfly sat on one of the petal, smelled the wonderful scent of the red flower. But the white butterfly immediately fell to the floor, making its last fast flapping several times before it ran out breath. It was not the only dead butterfly on the floor, there were some other butterflies and bees that were already dead. Lobelia looked down to the dead bugs and smiled. "She will too be joining all of you later. Like a dying insect and no one will care."
(End of Lobelia's POV)
The time had showed 11:30. Poinsettia had 30 minutes left until she became a Crown Princess. "Princess, you have to remember. When you enter the hall, turn to the left and greet, walk 5 more steps and turn to the right to greet. Last but not least, go straight to the Empress Dowager and kneel then blah blah and you receive the golden crown." "I've heard it a hundred times already, so stop it." I complained as I sipped my champagne. "No. It's because Your Majesty is nervous. Look at that. Champagne on this important day." "This is how I manage my tension." "Your Majesty!" Bell and Catherine yelled my name as they kept on nagging but they didn't stop preparing me. "Akh!" I winced in pain as a young maid who pierced a golden brooch on my dress pricked my skin, I glared at her. "No matter how nervous you are, how could you pricked on a royal's body? How could I trust you in the future and entrust my body? Take this girl away and prick a needle on her body until you hear 20.000 of sorry. I will have my own way with her when I return after the ceremony." "Yes Your Majesty!" Some servants dragged the young maid with them while she was screaming for forgiveness. "Your Majesty, it is time." Catherine opened the door for the head butler who came with a pair of golden shoes wrapped in millions of diamonds. The dress that I wore today, made of a 10 meter long fabric embroidered with a shape of a bloom poinsettia flower, so gracefully and glamorous looking. Bell and Catherine ended my appearance with precious jewels and a shawl made with the fur of a white marten that wrapped around my shoulders. The half tied hair gave out an elegant shape, thanked to Catherine who combing it all day and adding some volume.
"Your Majesty the 1st Princess has arrived!" From my room to the highest point of the Imperial Palace, which was the Temple, the place where the most sacred place. I walked slowly, stepping on the red carpet and fortunately I didn't have to walk too far since my room to the temple was close enough. "Please wait for a while. When the sun is in the highest sky, we will open the door for you." "I understand." Not that long and the door opened wide for me to enter. "Now it is now. May the glory of the day be with milady who become the little sun of the empire!" The priest opened the door and bowed his head to greet me. I took my step inside the temple, leaving everything behind that door. Passing through the dark interior, the bright sun stood firmly on my head and came out to the outside where my face was dazzled for a moment and frowned because it's too bright. "Long live the Crown Princess!" "Imperial little sun!" "Glory of the Dahlia to the little sun of the Empire!" The ministers and priests I saw at the last meeting stood in a row next to the red carpet I walked on. They waited for me to pass, and as soon as I approached, they handed over the poinsettia flowers in their hands. I took them in my hand and moved forwards, gave my greetings once to the left and to the right and walked straight to the Empress Dowager's place. It's exactly like what I've been learning, no flaws. "May there be infinite glory for the little of the empire." The man with a grim expression gave me a flower in a way that I almost thought he was not the same man who proposed to me, Lawrence Oncidium. "..." 1st Prince and 2nd Prince handed over poinsettia with bitter expressions. I wasn't the type who would give up the emperor seat like that, but I had a suspicion on the 1st Prince which I couldn't even bother right now. Lastly, it was the time to receive the flowers given by Lobelia, the 2nd Princess of pure royal descent. "Sister! Congratulation~!" Lobelia flashed out a really pure smile of joy, a smile that I had never like because it's so annoying to look. I stared at the flowers she was about to hand. They had the same colors with the other flowers, but remembered what kind of trick this child pulled and I noticed she wore a pair of thick gloves. "Princess, hurry up and accept the flowers," Empress said as she got impatient. "Come on, sister. Take it," Lobelia smiled. I felt thrilled for a moment, but today was the important day so she wouldn't harm me that bad... right?
While the Empress was performing the ritual, I felt strangely and slowly moving away from my consciousness, but I had to hold on. If I fell, I would became the laugh stock, or I'd be stigmatized as the sick princess again and eventually they would questioned my quality as a successor. No, I would never repeat the same horrible life. I had to hold myself from falling. But the Empress Dowager's words got longer and longer and I felt a strong sense of vomiting and my body felt hot. I was fine a while ago, it's obviously that damn Lobelia's doing. I would never fell into the trick of such petty girl like her. I held on with my mental powers until the veins burst out of my eyes and nose bleeding. Fortunately I was kneeling and bowing my head while the Empress Dowager was talking, so no one noticed my condition. "I will restore Dahlia Great Empire the 1st Princess Poinsettia as my only successor of the Empire." Thus, a heavy golden crown was placed on my head. "Congratulation to Her Majesty." The Empress Dowager reached out to me and held me up to stand up. I was barely could sense myself, my pupils were already loose the vision, and I couldn't even think of wiping the blood that dripping down from my nose. Stood up while holding the Empress Dowager's hand as it was, I greeted everyone with a wave, turned around and said hello to my servants who were standing behind. Over my smiling face, there was a lot of dark red blood. Everyone were shocked at my appearance and liked a cat had bit off their tongues, they covered their mouths in horror. I was quickly bowed my head down and giving out my gratitude to them while the ones who didn't notice my bloody appearance were clapping with joy.
"Long live the Crown Princess!" "Long live the little sun of the Empire!" I just had to hold on much longer or I would had that satisfied smile as my nightmare.