"I'm tired. Let's go home" Herion assisted me in stepping inside the carriage and Lily followed.
I stared outside the whole ride, thinking about the current situation. The crown prince's invitation was meant to persuade me to agree with the position of royal concubine. It's an indirect way of telling me to pave the way for Flory as a good empress of the empire. They wanted the Atelier as their dog by marrying me.
In the book, this invitation also happened. Rina rejected it angrily, and the crown prince got mad and ordered the knights not to let her enter the palace again. In this life, I did the same but unlike Rina in the story who was swayed by her emotions, I showed him nothing but being decisive to break the engagement, and besides, I saw two wonderful expressions today. One, dumbfounded crown prince, and two, angry Flory.
I giggled remembering the faces of those two.
"my lady, did something happen at the crown prince's palace?" I smiled at Lily sitting in front of me. I promised that we will visit the shops after meeting his highness but I'm too tired right now. Ah, never mind.
"Nothing happened. By the way, let's visit the sweet shop you were talking about earlier" she looks flustered but I found it cute.
I kept silent on the long ride until we reached the sweet shop. It is well decorated on the outside with a lot of white and pink Peonies lining up. The fragrance of the flowers mostly attracted ladies. No wonder, the shop is popular among noble ladies in the empire.
I entered the shop. If the outside was well decorated, the interior design of the shop is more outstanding.
"Isn't that lady Atelier?"
"she's the useless daughter of the duke who cannot use magic"
"I heard that she tried to harm lady Flory because she's jealous that the crown prince doesn't love her"
"we will have a crown princess soon"
"pity her, she still has the confidence to go outside after harming a kind lady"
Here we go again. The never-ending rumors about the useless evil lady trying to harm the crown prince's lover and soon-to-be crown princess. I sighed. If eating here will make me hear the rumors nonstop, I just want to go home and rest. I don't have any energy to deal with the ladies spreading rumors here today but I'll remember their faces. Let's strike back next time, that will be fun if it's a tea party or a banquet.
"Lily can go buy and eat at home. I'll wait on the carriage" she nodded and followed my order. I walked back to the carriage.
"my lady, have you finished already?" I forced a smile at Herion. Honestly, I don't have any idea what is going on with me today. I just felt tired suddenly and wanted to sleep for a long time.
"I'm fine, let's go home when Lily arrives"
I remained silent until we reached the mansion, went straight to my room, and lie down in my bed.
I wanted to sleep for a long time.
*****
A young girl was sitting inside a gazebo, her blue hair swayed like the waves of an ocean. I looked around me. The place where I am right now is so quiet and peaceful. A garden with Thyme, Chrysanthemum, Peonies, Hydrangeas, Aster, and even Amaryllis but among these many beautiful flowers, there is only one kind surrounding the gazebo in the center and that is black roses.
As I walked towards her, I can hear her crying. I sat down and looked at her.
"why are you crying?" she looked at me with swollen eyes.
"do you love me?" eh? what a sudden question coming from a young girl.
I patted her head and smiled widely.
"you already know the answer, right? Because you and I are the same" she wiped her tears and laughs gently.
"Please take care of Atelier for me. There are a lot of people trying to harm the family" she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I will, because right now, they are also my family" I will never let anything happen to them.
She stood up and offered her hands to me. I reached for it and smiled. She looked at me with those blood-red eyes but I'm not afraid because she and I have one goal.
"let's defeat and kick our enemies in their faces!" we both shouted.
"I will take good care of your body and promise to protect the Atelier. Your family loves you, Rina"
"thank you" she uttered as her soul slowly vanishes into the thin air.
When the original Rina disappeared, I noticed the flowers emitting auras, especially the black roses.
I touched it but the dark aura of the black roses grew stronger and it feels like my body is absorbing it.
I walked away and approached another flower that emitted a bright aura. I held it with the left hand that I used when I touched the black rose but nothing happened. However, when I held it with my right hand, as before, my body absorbed it.
A light and dark aura.
Is this Rina's magic?