「 The day of the meeting 」
"Aldrich, I'm going out, don't bother me until I come back," Blake states before heading towards his chambers.
As he walked through the long castle corridors all the servants avoided his gaze. They all knew about the rumors surrounding the prince's character and no one wanted to know if they were real by experience.
"So tired..." Blake mumbles after entering his room. He had been working non-stop ever since he came back from the war in the east two months ago. Besides having to fix the kingdom's treasury, the crown prince had to deal with the complaints of the nobles, aristocrats, and commoners every day.
'This is all their fault...' Blake blamed his father for being a negligent king and his mother for being a woman filled with greed.
He had been in the frontlines for more than five years, ever since the Kingdom of Lacen began to invade the territory. Two years ago Julius II became someone else, wasting money from the kingdom for his own lust and greed while ignoring all the problems, and then, one year later, he fell seriously ill.
With this scenario in hand, the Queen, Blake's mother, was in charge of handling the matters of the crown. It wasn't long after that the discrepancies in power became overwhelming to society: the new nobles, commoners that had risen status due to the amount of money they wielded, had to face several new difficulties since the crown didn't help them, on the other hand, the nobles were heavily favorited and, without little effort, were able to regain their prestige. Of course, with this division the commoners, without any money or status, suffered the greatest losses.
He knew this was due to his mother's family: the Evans house. The Queen's brother was the current Duke and he, along with several other members of the nobility, intended to climb one step further in status. They wished to gain the title of Grand-Duke.
Blake had received a letter from an anonymous sender, possibly from a member of the aristocracy, complaining about the matters inside the kingdom. Without many options, he came back just to see his mother rule unjustly. Much to the noble's dismay, Blake took the power for himself, becoming a temporary ruler until the King's health improved since he was already of age.
There was a big investigation in the first month, doctors from all over the kingdom were called but no one knew what was the king's decease. There were rumors floating around that he had been poisoned but there was no proof to support such claims.
He opens a small hidden drawer in his desk and removes a small golden earring. Afterward, he places it on his ear and his ruby hair gradually turns blonde. Blake quickly changes into some cheap clothes, similar to what a commoner would wear, and heads towards the front gate. h
"Only Lady Ophelia may enter the palace," a guard states loudly. Blake sees a woman with deep black hair and bright blue eyes, almost as if they were jewels.
"You are aware that it is unfit, for an unmarried lady, to walk around without an escort, correct?" the young maiden had skin as pale as snow as she confidently stood her ground. Her voice was as sweet and addicting as a small sugar cube.
'What is she doing here?' Blake realized this woman was none other than Ophelia Criswell, the person Lady Catherine had previously told him about. Swiftly he hides behind a tree, observing her from a distance, 'Could it be...?', he realized she was here to visit her fiancé.
The crown prince was finally able to see the being he was so curious about but something was not right. Her overwhelming beauty as she spoke, gracefully, made his heart flutter. That unique crow hair was something he had never seen before, however, that didn't compare to her crystal eyes who harbored hidden feelings.
"Right this way milady," the guard leads the way to the castle and Ophelia followed him quietly.
'Where is he taking her?' Blake thought as he unconsciously walked behind them quietly. The route the guard was taking was unusually long, almost as if he was wanting to remove any attention that befell on them.
They make a to an old building and the prince decides to stop. Deep down he knew something was not right since this is an area that hasn't been used for years but, even then, he decided not to meddle within her affairs. He realized that all this time he had been following her unconsciously, like a small bug towards the light.
'Is this what happened to them...?' Blake's mind was beginning to understand how such a small and delicate girl had been able to catch the attention of all those nobles. He painfully chuckles and punches one of the trees out of frustration, 'I'm better than them...'
Even then, he couldn't help but see her in his mind, walking gracefully with that superior expression, almost as if everyone around her were nothing but flies that needed to be squashed. Her thin figure was as tempting as a demon and her beautiful raven hair was like a siren, luring a sailor onto the sea to his death.
'The Black Rose... It suits her...' understanding the danger of the situation his resolve stiffens and he decides to remove her from his head.
As he was beginning to walk away, a sound is heard and he quickly looks upwards. A window had been opened and Ophelia was standing on the ledge of it. Without a second thought, he hides behind a large tree and forgets his original objective.
'What's going on...?' her frail arm was red, almost as if she had hit on something accidentally but, even then, she was trying her hardest to grab a branch from one of the trees. Suddenly, her confident eyes become desperate, 'I want to...!' Blake's primal instincts were screaming, saying that he needed to help her, to save her from whatever was happening.
He grits his teeth in frustration. This was the first time he had felt such tremendous lust for something other than blood and that terrified him.
"Come on..." Blake sees Ophelia struggling. She kept on trying but her arms were too small to grab the branch. He couldn't understand what was happening.
The young girl closes her eyes and begins swinging back and forth repeatedly, almost as if she was becoming one with the wind, then, without any notice, she glares confidently at the branch and jumps.
'She'll fall! There's no way...!' Blake gasps and begins moving his body unconsciously to grab her. Much to his surprise, a smile appears on Ophelia's lips as she manages to grab the branch swiftly. He hides behind the tree since he remained unspotted, 'Don't tell me...!'
The person before him couldn't stop surprising him. Instead of climbing the branch she swiftly placed her feet as if she was dancing and then her arms let go. Her body ends up precisely in the middle of the branch, preventing it from breaking. It looked as if she was doing a performance for an audience.
The loud sound of a door being opened is heard and she quickly leans against the tree, hiding her figure behind the leaves.
"Where is she!?" a male's voice is heard from the room and the crown prince notices a change in Ophelia's expression. The confident eyes were now cowering in fear as her arms began trembling but, even then, there was a crescent feeling of hatred in them. She clenches her fists tightly, allowing the tree to create some small cuts on her beautiful pale skin, tainting it with red.
'Who...?' Blake couldn't help but be curious about this man that created such an expression on Ophelia's face. He moves slightly while trying to get a glimpse at the window but it was useless.
Soon the voices that were arguing loudly become quiet and her face portraited her relief. She began to look around and, once the guards searching for her left, she jumped down, landing on a bush with thorns. After getting up she looks around, checking her surroundings.
Unconsciously, Blake moves and a sound of a bush rattling is heard. He wanted to help her since her body was already covered in cuts and small wounds.
"Any signs of her?" the prince hides as he notices two guards approaching.
'Shit, did they heard me?' Ophelia looked worried as she swiftly hid behind the tree. Her small, wounded hands were grabbing the hem of her dress and she was holding her breath. The men continued to walk towards, becoming extremely close to her, 'I guess there's no choice...'
As Blake was about to show himself a small black rabbit leaves from the middle of some bushes. He begins jumping around before stopping in front of the two guards.
"It was just a rabbit dude," at this remark their footsteps growing further soon became silent.
Ophelia gasps for air and coughs slightly right before falling onto the floor. Her body was trembling uncontrollably as she kept on mumbling something continuously.
"He hasn't hurt you yet... It hasn't happened... Calm down..." she keeps repeating. Blake's heart began hurting as he saw her despair. He hated weakness above anything else and, seeing Ophelia like this made his feelings become more twisted than what they already were.
'Who is she talking about...?' the words she said made no sense but, even then, he couldn't help but feel intrigued by them.
Suddenly her crying stops and her body becomes, once again, graceful. She gets up and analyses her appearance right before removing leaves, sticks, and thorns from her hair, dress, and skin. Steadily she removes her ornaments and allows her hair to flow freely.
"What hasn't happened yet?" finally, Blake walks out from his hiding spot and glares at her. Instead of being surprised, she just observed the man standing before her carefully as her eyes became covered with suspicion.
'Again... Those eyes,' he thought as he felt pierced by her clear blue eyes, 'I've never seen anything like this...' Blake had seen all types of people during the war but he had never seen someone as confident as Ophelia, it was almost as if she was out of this world. Her eyes carried no ambition as if they belong to a dead soul, yet they were completely sure of their objectives. They were ruthless, cold, calculative, and unattached.
"Eavesdropping is a very nasty habit, mister," at these words Blake became annoyed. He hated being disrespected by nobles who didn't know their place.
"You dare to reply to me like that? Do you know who I am?" the prince glares down at her, as if she was nothing more than an insect but, unexpectedly, she chuckles like she was mocking him.
"Do I look like a fortune teller to you?" her words made Blake understand his mistake.
'There's no way she would know I'm the crown prince,' he knew that the earing he was wearing was a Blessing and because of that, regular people couldn't recognize him.
"Well then, I'm-a-very-important-lord, it was a pleasure to meet you, I'll now take my leave, have a good day," after several minutes of awkward silence Ophelia turns around and leaves.
'This girl...!' realizing she didn't allow him to continue the conversation, he became frustrated, 'Did she just play me...?'
An uneasiness kept on growing inside of him, almost as if letting him know a storm was coming. The words Lady Catherine said were finally making sense in Blake's mind.
"The tides of power are changing," the prince mumbled as he walked towards his chambers.
His thoughts were focused on trying to understand the young girl and how she could impact the current society but it was too soon to make any assumptions. After arriving at his room, he quickly changes into his regular attire and removes his earing, storing it safely in a small locked box.
'Why do I feel more exhausted than what I was...?' Blake sighs as he walks towards his study room. He knew his break had been longer than what he had originally planned and so, due to that, he needed to work the double.
Suddenly, Ophelia appears in front of him, walking gracefully, followed by her entourage.
'Is that...? How did she...?' Blake was astonished.
There was a saying within Ashen society that stated the following: if you see a platinum-haired man then you will die. It didn't take long for the saying to take different shapes, turning the "man" into a "person", no matter the gender.
Only a small amount of people know but there is a secluded villa on the north border, however, no one was able to find it. There are suspicions that the villa is located within the mountains but none of the expeditions came back. They say that the people that live there all have white hair since they preserve their bloodline, not accepting outsiders. Supposedly, they are extremely skilled individuals, strong and quiet, perfect for shadow guards.
When Blake was still nothing but a young infant the royal guards were in a panic since, without any notice, several bodies began appearing in the capital grounds overnight. After a long investigation, the culprit was found: a man with platinum hair. The questioning went on for days but, after a week he escaped. From time to time, men with white hair appear but everyone is scared so they try their best to maintain their distance.
Of course, for Blake, these were nothing but rumors since this was the first time seeing a professional assassin but, even then, he knew how rarely they were seen. He couldn't understand how a young girl that had always been confined to the Criswell's mansion was able to attain him.
Blake heads forward and stops right at the corner, leaning on the wall with his back. He glances and notices that Ophelia and her entourage had stopped a few steps further from him.
'Should I just go...?' he could easily turn and go through another route but this one was the fastest to his study.
He glances over the wall one more time and is greeted by the platinum-haired man's glare. His instincts made him immediately hide again.
'He doesn't appear very strong then why... Does he look so menacing...?' he was frustrated.
"Ophelia! My dear! I'm so glad to finally meet you!" Blake's eyes widen in surprise as he recognizes the voice he had heard before. Without a second thought, he takes a glance and sees Terrel Wharton, walking around glamorously, as usual.
'So that's him...' he couldn't see Ophelia's expression but he noticed the deadly glare her servant was giving him.
"You should see the royal physician, your wounds look serious," Terrel began walking closer to Ophelia. Blake noticed the trembling in Ophelia's hands, hidden behind her back.
With every step he took the trembling increased and, as he was extremely close to her skin, it suddenly stopped. Without thinking about it Blake walks towards her in a rush.
"Don't..." Ophelia mumbles and as the platinum-haired man prevents Terrel's approach, Blake grabs her waist, preventing her from falling, as she had before.
"Are you alright?" the crown prince asks and his heart fluttered slightly after seeing her relieved expression. His hand finds its way onto her forehead.
"Your fiancée looks unwell," Blake didn't understand why her soul was horrified by this man but, even then, he wished to know, "She should return another day, wouldn't you agree, Terrel?"
"Of course! It wouldn't be wise for my fiancée to be outside with a cold... I will take my leave then," as Terrel left, Blake noticed his lustful glare, and, just with that, he finally understood.
Terrel Wharton was not a man who saw Ophelia as a person, in fact, he saw her as his personal doll. An item for his lust and greed, without any feelings or emotions. Without realizing it, she had placed some distance between them and was now bowing on the floor, in front of him.
"Ophelia Criswell greets the crown prince," at her extremely polite speech Blake realized the difference between them.
"You may rise," Blake orders but he grows uneasy as he sees her avert her eyes.
'Is she scared?' he knew what the servants thought and he remembered their glares filled with fear as if they were nothing but burdens but, somewhere deep in his heart, he didn't want to see it from her, 'She's like this as well...?'
Blake became disappointed, not in her but in himself. He knew what he was a perfect monster in the shape of a man that loved bloodshed more than anything and Ophelia, was nothing more than a small girl with no knowledge of the world. A girl that was cursed by her ignorance and innocence. In a pitiful attempt to cover his pain he kept on repeating her horrified expression in his mind until he felt nothing more but repugnance from that weak being.
"Have a fast recovery," Blake declares coldly right before heading towards his destination.
After a short walk, he arrives at his study room. Unconsciously he goes to the window.
Ophelia was walking with her entourage towards the front gates. The platinum-haired servant helped her enter the carriage gracefully while holding her hand.
Frustrated, Blake looks away right before covering the glass object with the curtains.
'It must be removed,' he repeated these words over and over in his head.
Blake's life was filled with problems and he had too many things to solve. He couldn't bring himself to have lustful desires for women or he knew he would end up like his father.
Even then, Ophelia's image kept on appearing in his mind, all her expressions and her words, as if they were trying to bewitch him. Still, after an hour, he was able to put these thoughts to rest as he recalled her weakness over and over again in his mind, turning the pitiful girl into something disgusting.
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「 Two days later 」
I gasp the moment my eyes open.
"Milady!" Olivia was standing by my side, holding my hand while Jade was at the end of the room. His eyes held a mixture of frustration and anger.
"Master! How do you feel!?" he dashes towards me after hearing Olivia's voice.
"What's wrong?" I couldn't understand why they were so worried.
"You were asleep for a day and a half," Jade explains as I push my body up and sit on the bed.
"What?" his words sounded made up. It was impossible for me to be asleep for so long.
"We've got to bring the good news to the Duke, come milady!" Olivia grabs my arm harshly, trying to bring me out of the bed.
"Leave," I mumbled with my head low.
"Milady?"
"Leave!" I yelled as Olivia shuddered, feeling frightened. Understanding how upset I was, Jade and the maid leave the room. I was finally alone.
My attention immediately goes to my body who felt energized. The cuts were gone from my arms and hands while the wound on my harm was nothing more than a memory. Quickly, I remove the bed sheets and check my feet but they were clean, without any scars or crusts.
'How is this possible...?' I wonder as I observe my body over and over again, 'Don't tell me...!'
My attention shifts to the room that was perfectly cleaned. The mirror I had broken was now intact as if it was a new one, the carpet was equal to what it was before and the desk had all my items placed correctly. Everything was tidy and perfect. Even my nightgown had no traces of blood.
"What is going on...!?" I get up and approach the mirror. It wasn't a replacement.
'There's no way...' startled I walk back but, accidentally trip on my long nightgown and fall on the floor. My mind was filled with questions and doubts. There was no logical explanation for what had happened.
"Did I imagine everything?" I quickly head towards the windows, opening them up and allowing the cold breeze of the dawn to cool my body and nerves.
'No, I didn't. I couldn't have imagined it, right?' I was starting to doubt my sanity, 'Am I crazy?'
"Meow," Nero appears from under the bed and rubs his head onto my leg, waking me up from this nightmare.
"You are always right on time," I feel a soft, painful, smile appear on my lips as I regain my sense of self.
I don't know what happened. If it was some sort of magic or if I was becoming crazy, it didn't matter. No one knew about what happened if it happened, so there was no need for explanations. I am also fully healed.
"Olivia, go call the rest of the maids. Jade, come inside for a moment," I knock on the door after approaching it and, after hearing my orders, they both obey quietly.
"Someone was in my room, a man, I think. I want you to find him," Jade bites his lower lips out of frustration. I could understand what he was thinking.
'The only night I am not here, something happens,' should be similar to what he was thinking.
"What about Gilbert master?" he knew that trying to find a ghost would be time-consuming and it would leave me exposed to more dangers. Even then I knew there was no problem since I still had memories from that man, I knew how he operated.
"He is still stuck in bed and, even if he has the mission to kill me, he is not stupid enough to do that without knowing the terrain," Jade nods his head, understanding the situation, "He still needs to memorize the mansion and think of a way to escape so I will be fine. Now leave and let the maids in."
"Good morning milady," the maids enter the room and I instantly notice that Ivy was missing.
"Where is Ivy?" the environment grows quiet.
"Don't make me repeat myself."
"She was called to the palace by Lord Terrel, she left thirty minutes ago," I sigh as I hear Olivia's words.
"Alphy, fetch me the fastest horse we have, the rest of you help me get dressed," they glance at each other, trying to see if someone within the group had understood my reasoning.
"A horse milady?" this outcome was expected since in this kingdom only men know how to ride.
According to the etiquette book, it is unladylike to do physical activities and that includes horse riding. That is the main reason why the majority of the ladies, commoners or nobles, didn't learn it when they were young like men did.
I was only able to learn how to ride a horse in my 5th life due to a kind man that worked in the fields. He gave me shelter for some months and it was during that time that I expressed interest in learning. Of course, in this world, nothing comes for free and so I helped him on his farm in order to pay back for his kindness. He never specified that I needed to help but, back then, I wanted to help him since he was such a hardworking man.
I glare at Ivy just to see her complexion turn pale right before obeying my orders.
"Do you think I can ride with that?" as Olivia was removing a dress I frown and she quickly puts it back inside. Then, at the furthest end of the wooden closet was a pair of black trousers and a dark grey shirt, usually used by a man.
They look at each other, feeling confused about how I had obtained such attire but, even then, they remained quiet, without asking any questions.
"The horse is ready milady," Alphy comes back after some minutes and I grin.
"Olivia, go tell the Duke I am getting my maid back from his son and the rest of you, write an invitation equal to the one on the desk," I finish closing the buttons on my wrists.
"To whom shall we address it?" Alphy questions as Olivia leaves the room quietly.
"Every nobleman and woman in the kingdom," I open the door.
"All of them?" Alphy feels the need to reassure the meaning of my words. They knew how poor my relationship with the Criswell's was and, ever since Olivia got slapped, they realized how much of a sensitive topic it was.
"All of them," I smile coldly right before leaving the room.