Upon arriving at the Fordenn Marquessate, Laria ordered the servants to take Tiara, Fierre, and Sierra to the office. Arianne run into them and was worriedly sick.
"What happened?" she asked worriedly, while looking at the three who has the power to stand still.
"Our sisters endanger themselves, call for the best physician right now," Laria instructed, "Fierro and Shizuka, you have your rest both here. Let's talk later after I settle some things," then she turned to the servants, "Do your best to tend to them," she sighed.
Arianne and her walk to the office.
"You know, I'm having a hard time getting permission for the Central Market," Arianne explained, Laria opened the door.
"Of course, it's the queens order. What about the gems?" she turned to her and she sighed.
"Those are hard to make gems, they melt with the slightest touch of heat. How are we supposed to shape them?" Arianne handed her the documents "And look, they exploded when given too much force."
Laria reviewed the documents while thinking.
"Maybe we are doing it all wrong," she hold her chin, "Her Majesty is not a fool to produce this out of nowhere. We should be able to have someuse for this."
While talking, a knock was heard in the door.
"Come in," Laria said, and Baron Michael entered the door. "Why?"
"The Palace has sent a letter, Lady Laria. And Marquis Fordenn is calling for you to come to his office with Lady Arianne," Laria closed her eyes because problems keeps flocking to her as soon as she reached the estate. There is not even time to relax. She wonder if she need to change her outfit first, with tight men suit use for hunting, or a graceful dress that will make you look like a real noble lady.
In the end, she rushed to her father's office holding the documents she is ready to slap the queen with. Of course she wouldn't but she really is getting on her nerves. She knock three times until she heard him allowing her to enter.
The office is nice and lavish. Consort Pamela is inside and raised her eyebrow upon seeing Laria wearing a dirty outfit.
"Why are you wearing that outfit? So ungraceful!" she exclaimed and Laria just rolled her eyes. She is tired dealing with this people.
"It's none of your business, Your Grace," she answered and walk towards her father.
"That is not how you talk to your mother, Laria," that made Laria slamped the documents on the table.
"She is not my mother. She will never be," she then looked fiercely.
"Laria!" her father exclaimed when suddenly the door opened and Arianne entered.
"I'm sorry I am late," she bows gracefully, unlike Laria who just walked arrogantly. Her father just sighed and cannot help but comparing the two. Marquis Fordenn thinks that it is better really to let Laria married to the Emperor of the West.
"Why can't you be like your sister?" Consort Pamela asked her, "Elegant and Graceful, unlike you." That made her ears twitch, and she walk towards the sofa the Consort is sitting and sat down, arrogantly.
"Manners, Laria!" her father cannot help but get mad at her. She smiled. Arianne almost puked geting praised by the Consort, and Laria can feel her irritation.
"It was me who faced the nobles during social activities, the one who arrange and do works you two are supposed to be doing, and I had faced the Royals numerous times, and they all praised my manners and ettiquette," She then pour tea in her cup and sip on it while looking at the Consort, "Well, I only do that the people I deem worthy of my respect," that made Consort Pamela twitched and her father stand up, flaring in anger, while Arianne in the corner silently laughed. Her sister really is a bad ass.
"So why did you ask for me?" she asked her father. She's guessing why. Maybe to push through her marriage with the Emperor of the West, about the mines, or making the Consort the next Marchioness. Or maybe the three.
"A palace letter has arrived and is inviting us to attend a Grand Banquet, Maybe it's the announcement of the new crown prince," he paused, "Or the announcement of your engagement with the Emperor of the West."
"You seriously are going to sell me, are you not?" she asked seriously.
"This is for our Kingdom, Laria! Don't be selfish!" her father stated. That made her blood boil more.
"Selfish? Now you're calling me selfish?" she asked with so much hate. "I did everything and dedicated my whole life for the Fordenn Marquessate now you're just going to send me to some foreign country?" she stand up.
"And what will you do if I leave? How can you manage all the Marquessate all by yourself?" she asked that made the Marquis slap her.
"Are you underestimating my ability, Laria?!" her father shouted. Then Laria laughed. She remembers that when he became the Marquis, the ones who does the work is her mother. She also bear five beautiful girls because they are hoping for a son. Her mom died due to overwork complication, and illness.
"Yes! Yes, I am!" then she stand up and gave them the documents. "Look at what you did to our finances! You even take my savings! And look at the gems you bought from the Queen!"
"You see, right? Those gems you bought for an overprice price is not even genuine! You do not even have the capability to spearhead the Central Market? And the servants? You cannot even manage a household!" she exclaimed. "You are a Marquis, Father, if you don't want us to get executed, think wisely," Marquis Ariel's nerves can be seen in his head, and he is gritting his teeth so bad. He is so mad, but he cannot react because what Laria said is true.
Consort Pamela chose to retort, but Laria glared at her.
"Don't worry, I'll marry Hadean, he is my childhood sweetheart after all," that made the Consort and Marquis mouth wide open.
"What?" they asked.
"And Arianne is here to take my position. Do not sell her like you did to me, Father," she stand up and walk out in the room leaving the two in shock, while Arianne run after all.
"What is the meaning of this, sister?" Arianne asked while walking in the hallway, "You'll get married in that emperor?" And she grabbed her arm to stop.
Birds tweeting in one of the tree branches where Hadean was sitting, and the glass window that is see through. Laria smiled at Arianne, and handed her a crest.
"Of course not, my greatest ambition is to be the next Marchioness Fordenn," the crest is from the Imperial Palace, "Trust me, Arianne." And with that, Laria walked away but stopped midway upon feeling a familiar aura in the tree branch, but when she looked at it, there was no one.