Seeing Leona's emotionless jade like face, the Duke was starting to get anxious secretly. Everyone knows that the Duke from Avella Duchy has a cold temperament and always indifferent to everyone including to his own children, but infact, he love his three children from the bottom of his heart, especially Leona. He immediately recalled the day before his wife, the late Duchess died. The Duchess wants their daughter to go back to her step-grandfather, the Baron's place before Leona step foot in the age of 15. The Duke was obviously confused and cannot read his wife's mind. Although they were in love and got married to each other, his wife's identity is still a mystery for him.
He knew how his wife cared about Leona so much that she didn't even allowed Leona to go play outside the Duchy, attend a banquet or a tea parties. His wife was so obsessed on spoiling their daughter that even him and the other sons are already affected by it. Because of that, some nobles are calling Leona as a "Treasured beauty" from Avella Duchy behind his back.
He can't help but to get irritated when he recalled the image of those young earls and successors from a certain families who keep asking about Leona. Especially that old hag Emperor who keep on pushing his punk princes to his beloved daughter. He breath heavily and calmed himself down before looking towards her daughter again.
"Tomorrow, you will depart for your grandfather's Barony and stay there until I say so."
He coldly said.
"But father, what about her upcoming age ceremony? Leona will turn 15 this coming weekend, nobility might criticize and reject her for being a noblewoman—"
Drazel abruptly exclaimed. His face darkened and one can even see a black lines on his forehead.
Upcoming age ceremony is the most important start of every children from a noble families. For noblewomen, it will start in 15 years of age to be called as a part of nobility and start accepting marriage proposals and so on. Meanwhile, noblemen's life start as a certified adult in 16 years of age. Nobilities rules and regulations are rather complicated and full of odd difficulties but nobles already adapted these beliefs and traditions from their ancestors so no matter what, no one will object these rules throughout the Empire.
"I understand, father."
Leona replied nonchalantly without caring Drazel's protest.
"But Leona—"
Leona immediately cut Drazel's words and stand proudly while gazing her bluish eyes straight to the Duke.
"I will let Grandfather celebrate my upcoming age ceremony in his Barony. I will maybe counts as a lower class because of this. But in the future, I will make those nobles stared at me in awe and envy. I will make them know my name not as a daughter of a Duke from north, but because of my potential and capabilities."
She declared without a hint of hesitation. It may sound arrogant but she knows to herself that she can do these especially with her five babies.
(*Five babies means Red, Blue, Violet, Green and Yellow. In short, her subordinate assassins who transmigrated just like her.*)
She knew the basic information about her Grandfather and his Barony, couple with those informations she got those days from the library of this Duchy and explanations from Namina. With those info, she immediately planned everything about her survival and other stuff. She no longer wanted to say anything anymore.
Nevertheless, the three men in front of her are all dumbfounded and speechless. One can even see a slight ridicule from their eyes but instantly vanished. Of course, they did not believe on what just Leona said. However, for the sake of not hurting Leona's feelings, they can only speechlessly nodded and pat her shoulders gently.
"Ah well, uhmm what Leona said is quite reasonable, but father, Leona is your daughter and only woman in our family. What would those noble will say behind her back? They might bully Leona when the time comes."
Callel protested too while Drazel on the other hand vigorously nodded.
Leona just rolled her eyes and didn't spout any words. Of course, she also knows how these two brothers cared about the original Leona. In the book. when the original Leona died, it literally made the Northern territory upside down. Even the whole Empire was shaken by the original Leona's death. Drazel became a tyrant and love to kill whoever annoyed him while Callel's gentleness and kind pretense to other ladies whenever he meet was no longer be seen and suddenly change into coldness and a snobbish attitude.
But Callel's indifferent on everyone would be gone until he met Malia. That being said, Leona immediately look towards Callel's direction. She suddenly recalled the encounter between her and Callel at the garden yesterday. She already told him the truth but the other party unknowingly took it as a nonsense.
"I will go. So please stop pursuing this matter. If Your Grace has no longer need anything, I'll excuse myself."
She coldly said and bow slightly before leaving the room without the Duke's consent.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
They are not stupid. They can clearly see Leona's strange behavior. She change. It's like, the Leona they know before was selfish and naive but now, she was cold and indifferent. She no longer smiling sweetly but change into stoic expressionless face. She matured drastically and the way she moves and act was like calculated and full of vigilance. Even the Duke who was known to have a cold temperament, but seeing Leona's attitude towards them now is like piercing his heart without anyone knowing.
—
Leona didn't know about everyone's thought about her. Even if she knew, she wouldn't care either.
Tomorrow, she will depart and leave this Duchy. Her life will finally start to change tomorrow, no, her life already change after transmigrating to this world in the first place.
This world is just a novel and she clearly knows some event that might happen in the future but she will only change the part of Leona's life and ignore the other's lives. In fact, she was just an extra. A stepping stone to make Callel's character bloom and made the Northern territory feared by everyone just like how it happened to the story. She didn't care if Callel's character doesn't change on how it should be. She already own the life of the original Leona. She is the current Leona!
In her previous life to earth, whatever her decision and wants won't be questioned by the others. Even her five babies will just nod and blindly follow her. On the other hand, she's not idiot enough to make an indecisive and unreasonable decisions. She can fight, she can kill, and she can schemes but the first most important for her, is informations.
Informations about your enemies is undoubtedly the most best equipment to bring him or her down to mud. Secondly is money. Being rich is not just great but terrifyingly the best among the best. Having so much money is equivalent of a power to move a person to deal the other person. In her perspective, as long as you have a wealth, you can order someone to do the things that you wouldn't want to do personally.
So she carefully planned everything.
After several minutes of walking into the hallway, she finally found herself in front of the door of her room. She pushed the door gently and sweet laughters immediately filled the whole room, coming from her subordinates. Seeing this, she felt warm and relax. Although these women is her subordinates, at the same time, she sees them as her own younger sisters in her heart. This is also the reason why she wants to live and be a wealthy person in the future. Leona wants to make these girls life be easier and safe, just like how she protected them when they we're a little and a beggar from street and still full of innocence. Seeing them having a happy faces and chatting to each other casually is making her even more inspired.
"Leader!"
Red took the initiative to call Leona after seeing her closing the door. Everyone look at her direction and their bright watery eyes lit up. Leona sat on her bed and lean her back to the headboard and sigh deeply.
"Leader, is something wrong?"
Violet asked.
Leona shook her head lightly and said.
"I will leave tomorrow and go to my grandfather's Barony. It is said to be in a remote region and I will stay there for a while. I won't push you all to come with me but if you want, I won't say anything either."
"Of course, Leader. We will come with you!"
They exclaimed at the same time.
Leona smiled and wave her hand.
"Come on everyone, let's sleep. We still have so many works for tomorrow's departure so we have to rest first."
Everyone was overjoyed after hearing Leona's suggestion. One must know that, being Leona's side is their greatest desire. They look at her as their own mother hen even though sometimes they felt scared of her. She was their savior and most importantly, they trust Leona from the bottom of their heart ever since they were young. Being able to sleep beside her is such a blessing in their heart. You can smell her perfume and felt her warm just like a lullaby.
That night, everyone in the Duchy was silence. Only several knights who was guarding the Mansion was wide awake.
——
The palace was known as the most important state in the Imperial Capital where the Emperor and his children and wives resided.
They say, that the palace was a dream by everyone. Having a royal blood and becoming a princess or prince was a desire that anyone would want. But amidst to everyone expectations, the Palace is the most dangerous place in the Empire. Royal families is also well-known for having so many death cases each year due to sickness, schemes, poisons, and etc. Because of these, royalties are particularly not close to each other even if they are siblings, cousins or relatives. Everyone must be vigilant especially the children of Emperor.
In a dim room full of luxurious things in the surroundings. One can see a young boy silently whimpering on his chamber. Cold sweat was all over his body and a trace of pain can be seen in his pale face. He bit his lower lip, afraid of being heard by someone outside the room while holding his stomach.
After several times of massaging his own stomach. He breath deeply and rub out his own tears away from his blushing cheeks. He learned that, everytime these sickness of his suddenly appears, the pain was also constantly increasing. Making him losing his own control of himself.
As the pain subsides, he breath a sigh of relief and close his eyes deeply.
He is Theolusis Roan Curion. The third prince of Curion Empire and a legitimate son of the Emperor and Empress. Because of his 'sickness', everyone else is no longer has any hope of him being one of the candidate for the throne. He knew that someone is deliberately poisoning his foods and tea, so that, the pain on his stomach will last long without a cure. He is suffering an unknown illness every once in a week.
"This is so troublesome."
He muttered.