"How was your sleep, Fana?" We're having breakfast together in our garden. Mom was sick and couldn't come with us, even if she wanted to. The servants were all on our side, watching out for us.
"It was great. "What about you?" I responded with a question. My attention went to my brother.
"It was all right."
"Fine? Really? Herano, you don't have to work too much." He's been working nonstop, and I don't see him outside the mansion very often.
He simply shook his head. I'm guessing he's been overworked.
"You may ask for my assistance, you know," I told him.
"Don't worry. Anyway, back to the man." He initiated the conversation regarding the spy.
I put down my fork, wiped my lips, and signaled to the servants to leave us alone. They instantly understood what I meant and entered the mansion.
"I get rid of him. "He wouldn't respond to my questions, so I had our butler cut his tongue off," I replied calmly. "He's useless," I added.
"I see."
"The news most likely made its way to the capital. The Kravis family is undoubtedly already aware of it. They will believe that we, the Portgas, committed it, but they will have no proof.' I included
"They'll send more spies after us." Herano was cut off by me.
"No, they won't. My hunch is that they will keep quiet at first until they are certain of what is going on. If they send additional spies to our residence, they will readily acknowledge that they are the ones spying on us. It will be a high-risk move on their part."
If they are involved in dubious business, that explains why they want Herlaya to be the next empress. They believe she will safeguard them as they conduct their operations. Things are starting to make sense to me now that I can visualize them.
Could it be that father was previously aware of their questionable activities? If that's the case, it explains why the Kravis family despised ours so much. If he found evidences then maybe that's the reason why they killed father immediately, before father can tell the emperor about it. It'll be enough reason for them to murder my father and my sister. They found a good opportunity to do that.
I need to find out what's going on before it's too late. I need to find proofs. Solid evidences.
"I'm curious how Correll is doing at the palace," Herano questioned out of the blue. True, Correll.
We haven't communicated with him since we came. I nearly forgot about him.
I'm sorry, Correll. I thought to myself.
"Yes. I'm sure he's doing fine." I replied to Herano's question.
"Do you think he discovered anything that would aid our investigation?"
"I'm not sure, but when we meet him, I'll question him about it in private," I answered. "We'll just need to be careful though" I added
We completed our breakfast after the talk. Herano returned to his office. I went to my room and read books. When it's time to eat, our maids will just bring me food.
"My lady, are you looking forward to the royal ball tomorrow?" Yuli asked suddenly.
Oh! The annual Royal Ball is already tomorrow night.
"I'm sure everyone will be surprised to learn that Lady Fana, the youngest child of late Grand Duke Tarano, has already arrived in Rivania." Rona responded to Yuli.
"After all, it will be our Lady's debut in high society; I'm sure you'll have suitors, and many presents and flowers will be given to you, Lady Fana. It seems to be a fairytale!" Yuli
Suitors, you say? Actually, now that I think about it,
"What exactly do you mean by suitors?" Is that what occurs when you make your debut in high society?" I inquired, intrigued.
"Indeed, My Lady. That's what occurs, especially if you catch the eye of a nobleman or a prince. It's more like you've introduced yourself as a lady looking for a husband. Even your sister Vanaya, when she made her debut in high society, got presents and flowers the day after the ball from all noble men in Rivania as well as Royals from other continents who were there at the time." Nanny Lina elaborated.
I get it. I recall Vanaya receiving a lot of presents and flowers following her debut.
"Did the crown prince give Vanaya presents at the time?"
Nanny, Yuli, and Rona exchanged glances.
"Uhm, I'm not sure, but from what I recall, my lady, the crown prince did not give your sister any gifts that time. I've heard stories that the crown prince doesn't give ladies gifts." Nanny Lina responded.
Oh? Is that so?
"I'm sure the prince believed at the time that he didn't need to offer your sister any gifts because they were going to marry anyhow." Rona added
And then something sprang to mind.
***
(Flashback)
I was making my way down the stairs. I noticed a lot of boxes being placed in our living room. Flowers were even present. What is going on? In the living room, I noticed my mother and Vanaya. Mom was going through all of the letters in the boxes.
"Woah. What is going on? What exactly is this?" I'm intrigued.
"Oh, no. Those are gifts for your sister." Mum responded without looking at me.
"Every single one of these?" I elaborated.
"Yes, darling," Mom said once again.
"Wow, Mom, that's a lot of gifts." As I was going over all of the gifts,
"Mom? Is there something from the Crown Prince?" Vanaya's lovely voice inquired of our mother.
What about the crown prince?
Mom double-checked all of the letters in the gifts.
"I heard you danced with the crown prince last night, Vanaya," I asked. Her cheeks flushed. I've heard from her many times that she adores the crown prince. She was overjoyed when the emperor and empress named her the future empress of the Rivania empire.
That implies she will eventually marry the crown prince. They'll even get engaged, but I'm not sure when.
"ye-yes, Fana" Her tone suggests that she is uncomfortable.
"Eh? Was he then an excellent dancer?" I made fun of her.
"Of course!" Her face has turned blazing red. I burst out laughing at her.
She is madly in love with the royal prince.
"So you didn't stomp on his foot while you were dancing?"
She took a deep breath and bent her head.
"I did it, and I felt so embarrassed!"
"You should put in more practice time. "You're going to dance with him more often in the future," I added, smirking at her.
She let out a sigh. Oh, darling sister. Vanaya
"I know, right?" she admitted. I looked at her. She's very pretty. Sometimes I get envious because of it.
"You should also make your debut in high society, Fana." Vanaya informed me, "You're already at the proper age." she added.
"No. I'm uninterested. Besides, I'm going to travel, so it's pointless," I said lazily.
"Are you still serious about it?" she inquired
"Of course . It's my dream. I don't want to stay here and get readied to be someone else's wife. I don't mean to offend, but I'd like to discover and explore things more. When I'm ready, I'll marry and have children."
Her drooping almond, gray eyes met me. She cracked a smile.
"Of course, I'll return here on your wedding day," I replied.
"Fufu." She only laugh. Even her laugh's very cute.
"There is no present from the crown prince, Vanaya. But don't be concerned! I'm sure he's out there looking for a gift for you," Mom tried to soothe her.
Vanaya just smiled at our mother, but I could sense disappointment in her eyes. She was expecting it.
It is true that expectation is the source of all heartache.
That's when I began to dislike the crown prince. It was clear that he was uninterested in my sister.
"Lady Fana," Are you alright, Lady Fana?" I could hear Nanny's voice.
I snapped out of it
"Ah- Ye-yes," I said.
"You were simply looking out the window. Are you okay, my lady?" Yuli inquired
"Yes, I'm alright. "I just thought of something." I gave them my assurance.
"Then we'll leave you alone for a moment." They excused themselves. I gave them a nod.
Haaah. Now I'm anxious for tomorrow.
It's already dark outside. I've already bathed. I put on my nightgown and tried to sleep. The annual Royal Ball is tomorrow. Will everything go as intended tomorrow? I'm sure I'll see Correll tomorrow, but I doubt we'll be able to talk privately. He will be Athacia's fiancée. I don't want us to be seen and be the center of the rumors all over the Empire.
Uh, Athacias. What became to her and my brother? When I reflect back on the past, everything seemed to be well between them. What went wrong?
Rather of thinking about them, I got out of bed and walked to the balcony. The chilly wind caressed my bare skin. I fixed my gaze on the lovely moon. The sky is littered with stars.
After staring at the moon for a few minutes, a thought struck me. I hastily grabbed the cloak I had purchased in Calos City.
I put it on and head downstairs silently. I used the secret tunnel to get there. It's a tunnel that leads immediately outside our mansion and also to a neighboring forest. A secluded location just minutes from the royal palace and our house.
I went for a walk through the forest. As I tread on the leaves, I can hear them rustling. I came at a point where there was a stone wall. There is an invisible entrance on the barrier, large enough for a human to fit through and enter.
"Is it still the same as it was before?" I wondered about what was on my mind. I looked around to make sure no one was following me. I attempted to push the stones when the coast was clear.
Ahh. That's it! It was exactly the same as before. I found the entrance!
I entered, and as I got inside, there were fireflies all over the place. The shrubs were higher than they had been the last time I visited. I kept walking and found myself admiring the lovely spring scenery. The moonlight sparkled through the spring's pure water.
This is heaven on earth. This is the hidden location where I used to go as a child. This is where I spend the most of my alone time. Except for me, no one comes here.
The nostalgic feeling. I instantly remembered walking inside this place before.
When I looked around, I noticed the oak tree. The tree appears to be larger than before. The tree looked magnificent as the fireflies remained on its limbs, impersonating light.
I've been missing this place. The moon is in bloom. I fixed my gaze on it. I sat down on the grass beside the spring. I noticed my reflection in the water. I wanted to jump right into the spring since everything looked so lovely.
I remained there for a few minutes, gazing at the sky, the moon, and feeling the cool breeze.
The environment's atmosphere remained unchanged. Before I went to travel, every night, I come here just to gaze at the moon, read books or spend hours petting Bruno. I also like to take a dip in the spring. When I'm weary or irritated with any of my family members, I usually sleep in here. I was unable to invite my sister or brother because they were both busy with other commitments.
My safe haven. It appears that no one found this location while I was abroad. I never thought that I could still visit here.
Oh, I'd want to sleep here. But then I realized the Royal Ball is tomorrow. They might go searching for me. I'll just leave in a few minutes.
While I was enjoying the cool breeze, I saw the bushes moving. Perhaps it's just the wind.
I kept myself occupied, but I can't stop hearing strange sounds. I took a step back and glanced at the bushes.
"Who's there?" I attempted to check. Nobody responded to my question. Perhaps it was simply my imagination. I stood up and drew my dagger. I still didn't take off my cloak, so if someone came here, they wouldn't be able to see my face. I carried my dagger in case there was a spy present.
I need to return. Before I departed, I had a look around. I'm sure I'll return here. Definitely.
I departed with a happy heart. I followed the same path till I arrived safely at our mansion. I walked in through our secret entrance, which only the family knows about. I went straight to my chamber, removed my cloak, and fell asleep.
Tomorrow's going to be a big day.