The hunting competition began already with my brother being away and the rest of the participants.
Sir Colin reassured me my brother didn't kill an innocent crow, and my brother explained to me that it's a bad magic trying to approach me.
Now I'm all calm and sitting on the corner near my father who's conversing with the dukes and delegates.
I sense overwhelming auras approach me as I look at the feet of who's standing in front of me and look to who it is that owns the murky green aura, it's Baron and Baroness Birsha with Malina, all wearing a maroon themes attires.
They're really trying to blend along the high society, even in my past life before, both husband and wife acted as if the head of the grand duchy when my father was away for war and my brother on the academy.
"Greetings, Lady Althea, I'm Baron Manford Birsha, a distant relative of your father, his Grace. This is my dear wife, Larina and my daughter Malina." the thin old man with brown eyes, salt and pepper hair and handlebar mustache spoke, they're so obvious it makes my stomach feel sick.
Malina looks exactly like her mother, hazel brown eyes and copper hair, but obvious old age is expose no matter how thick her makeup is.
They're wearing such a splendid clothing even though they're only from a baron rank.
"I heard my lady rarely have any friend of your age, my daughter here is only 2 yeas older but you both should get along well, you're distant cousins after all, she can teach you everything you want to know my lady, I watched your piano play last night, I'm sure you'll learn more with Malina here who's been learning piano for 4 years already."
I heard that line before, back when Malina was introduced to me in Grand Duchy after my dad called for them to be a representative of the Grand Duchy for the crown prince's birthday.
It was announced in different time and place.
And piano?
"What more should I learn from your daughter? I already have Madame Louisa from the academy, who is an expert and offered me an exclusive class at home." I asked, I feel offended with his tone as if he's taking me for a fool.
The old man tense and visibly surprise while the baroness look shock that I'm talking back, even Malina, who looks flustered and her fists clenching her dress.
"And I only like playing music, not creating noise." I muttered, not even caring if the people listening looks shock and obviously eavesdropping, I can only see my father observing while talking to the delegates, throwing glances at me while Daisy, Wendy, Sir Ulysses and Sir Orion are watching vigilantly.
"Then you two should get along better, my Malina could learn a thing or two from the lady with playing piano, you could be each other's companion, doesn't the lady feel lonely in the mansion without a kid around your age to play with?" Baroness Birsha spoke as I glared up to her with a poker face.
"If she wanted to, she can try and go to the academy, experts are all there, I don't like sharing my piano to anyone, and I don't feel lonely with my father and my brother, Madame." I said clearly, drawing the line as I watch their aura getting darker hue of green.
"O-Oh, that's not what I meant my lady, of course Malina can go enter the academy, and I'm sure the Grand Duke and the heir apparent would never make the little lady feel lonely, what I meant to say is whenever they're busy and you have no one with you."
"I have Wendy and the people of the Grand Duchy, they're more than enough, I hope you understand, even with a distant relative connections, you're all still strangers to me, maybe ask father to formally introduce us to each other then I'll reconsider" I said straight forward.
They're too afraid to approach my father, I can just tell dad to send them away from me as possible if they try once again.
"Is there anything else?" I ask the baron who have a stiff expression, he could only bow with his wife following his lead.
"Nothing else, Lady Althea, we only wish for you and our daughter to be acquaintances, as your distant uncle and aunt, she's still your cousin." the man stated as if letting their presence known to the public.
"Try wishing it on my father then." I spoke with a sigh smiling brightly, I can see some looks amuse on my response, while some looks scared.
I like it this way, people knowing their place now that I know mine, I'll do everything to not be killed and ridiculed helplessly, especially from Malina and Talia.
The entitled, starving of power and money, aristocrats who have dark agenda against my family right from the start.
That book showed me the real point of views of people I've never met before but took part on plotting my death, they tried putting in a spy in the castle every time but failed, Malina was so eager, she was so willing to kill me she acted ahead than following their plans.
"I will, my lady." the baron said stubbornly as I hummed.
"It's up to you how much you value your lives then." I stated nodding and smile brightly, looks like he wouldn't listen to me thinking I'm just a child, my father's words and my position in this world must be use well then.
"W-What- Lady Althea! A lady shouldn't be saying those words recklessly-"
"Then tell me how I should act towards strangers, Baron." I said firmly offended and loud enough to make him pale and reminding him his position.
"My father's knights' sworn oath are more trustworthy and reliable than a distant relative I just met, I hope you understand." I said looking at Sir Orion and Sir Ulysses who both have a stern expression but their auras contradicts it with the bright yellow and purple like pink hues.
They're both happy hearing it from me.
"If there's nothing more, enjoy the banquet and don't mind me, I prefer it when people don't approach me." I said as the baron and his wife could only bow quickly, while Malina is frozen on her spot, fiery dark green aura, she's mad, really mad.
I dismiss them, staying still in my seat while leisurely leaning on the table, throwing a smile at Malina who forcibly smile back, going to her friends while I drop my smile and look at the porcelain gold vase of flower arrangement in the middle of the side table on my right.
It has jasmines and red roses, I grab one jasmine and smell it, the fragrance somehow calmed me down and replace the disgusting smell of bad auras I just encountered.
"My lady, don't stress too much on them, as you said, it's not worth it." Wendy mumbled approaching, placing a silver cup of tea and a plate of strawberry tartlets and slice of chocolate cake on my side, it's an earl grey tea with milk already mix in it as I thanked her which only made her smile fondly and I grab the cup to take a sip.
I relax a bit and eat with the silver spoon, waiting for the hunt to end quickly.
.
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An arrow was suddenly launch pass my head on my left which made me froze and taken aback, looking to who shot it, it's the black haired boy with sharp golden eyes, holding a jet black bow, grabbing another set of arrows, riding his black horse.
"Wait! Dritan, calm down!"
"Akk!"
I look behind me and a couple meters away there is a monster twice my height, with an arrow struck on it's forehead, and 3 more was launch on it's chest and head from behind me which made chills run down my spine and a sound of horse charging on my side.
"You made my sister think I killed the crow, your imperial highness." he stated coldly and getting off his horse to go and take out his sword, slashing the monster's chest open, to grab the jet black stone in the middle of it that has one arrow struck on it.
The monster's heart.
He coldly slash it's horn off it's head, as if it's nothing, the monster's blood barely affected his hand.
That should burn, but he's completely well and unbothered.
"I didn't mean to make it seem that way, I was only curious as to why do you keep on stalling me away yesterday whenever your sister is near us." I said defensively as he get on his horse while carrying the needed remains of the monster to show it as proof that he caught one.
"Cause another misunderstanding with my sister." he warned as I shook my head immediately.
"I won't! I swear!" I said bewildered at how overprotective he is to his sister.
And I can't blame him, she looks frail enough the mildly strong wind could drag her off her feet.
She even stumble aback earlier when she just sneezed.
I was just so curious about why my father wouldn't stop bringing the lady of Wisteria grand ducal in every conversation we had, now the heir apparent is preventing me from approaching the little girl.
"Her eyes are gold but it looks lighter than your and your father, her hair especially looks completely opposite of yours, I've never seen a hair like that before." I blurted out and he only turn his horse around.
"She looks exactly like our mother, I heard every daughter of my mother's lineage inherits the silver hair and light golden eyes, if that satisfy your curiosity." he said taking out another arrow shoot in front as I turn to see another monsters approaching our way.
"I see." I can only mumble, taking out my bow and arrow, starting shooting at the monsters, one by one we took them down and grab the jet black stones and horns.
The stone have a value depends on the size, the bigger the stone, the more mana it contains, some turns it to a jewelry for easier access on it, it's helpful to store and control mana better, most knight have one engraved on the handle of their swords.
Dritan already is an elemental at this age and controls water affinity as his main, he can counter my spells and ability of fire, he can even wield it too, he's already an arcane at this age, reason why everyone fear their family, even the imperial family keeps a good relationship with them.
If he is at that level, what more is their father?
The fractions are already divided into three, the imperialist, the loyalist of the grand ducal, and the pesky aristocratic fraction.
If it wasn't for the grand duke remaining loyal to the imperial family and the grand duchess not wanting to come back to her mother land, they could have rebuild the empire of Ilia, if the late grand duchess' domain wasn't ruined, the grand duchess who was a crown princess could of taken the grand duke and become the emperor and empress of the Ilia.
I heard the grand duke took revenge for the grand duchess when he found out who are the culprits behind the war that ruined Ilia, he wiped out a country of the neighboring kingdom on the west without any scratch on him when he returned.
Apparently the one stupid king caused the war after the late grand duchess declined his marriage proposal, he's just one of the many men whom she turned down and couldn't accept the reality, it ended up bloody.
The emperor, my father, shared that story to me with an amuse expression every time, the grand duke, warlord and grandmaster of Hestia, fell madly for the frail late grand duchess, the imperial princess of Ilia, who was disguised as a commoner and curing the wounded from the battle field.
She sadly pass away after giving birth to the lady.
I heard from my father that the late grand duchess used to watch over me and Dritan playing whenever they visit the imperial palace every time the grand duke was called by my father.
But I couldn't remember her face now, but I can tell she's as kind and beautiful as described by Dritan.
I don't have an experience having a mother too, the empress passed away giving birth to me, father never took anyone else to receive the title of the empress, even the empress dowager, my grand mother who hates the high society, doesn't really like to just put someone on spot, she's still strong enough to govern and take control of the situations my father couldn't.
"I've had enough, I'm going back, your imperial highness, never approach my sister." Dritan said so casually and just left riding his black horse, as if he's blending to the shadows of the trees,.
I was startled looking around the grass with pool of blood splattered everywhere, the morbid smell of the monsters' blood reeks.
It looks like an high tier monster much savage than the monsters that we need to hunt cause a mass murder with his own kind.
Normal kids will run in terror screaming their heads off and knight could take down 4 altogether but he killed 6 at once, I could only groan getting off the horse, he left the 3 monsters that I hit, he even kindly slash the chests open without remorse, I grab the jet black stones and take the horns.
"You were so mad your precious little sister thought you killed a tiny crow in front of her, but here you caused catastrophe on the monsters, you rascal."