Next morning, Neirin who just got out fresh from her bath was welcomed with a servant handing her a piece of envelop with the emperor's seal on it. She stared at the letter for a little while before telling the servants who came with the letter to put it in her office and she will get on it.
The servant followed without any question. Neirin then sat on a chair facing a big mirror. She grabbed the towel in order to dry her hair while the servants who were present to assist her go over dresses they thought she would like. They looked quite determined for some reason.
"There is no need to use extravagant dresses. Just a simple one will do," Neirin instructed the servants seeing that they were trying so hard. They would often glanced different dresses and compared it to Neirin's face and physique.
As soon as she said that, the servants paused. They looked at each other as though they were hesitating.
Seeing their gazes, Neirin chuckled inwardly as they looked so guard up while at the same time, they were also worried if their mistress would be ridicule because of her clothes.
"If you have suggestions, you can tell me," Neirin appeared to be gentle and approachable.
One maid took a stand as she fuddle over her fingers. "Your grace, I know I'm not in the position to say this but, if you appeared so modest, the nobles would mock you."
Neirin smiled. Her eyes kindled with different emotions whatever those emotions were, the servants who had seen it can't even find the right words to describe it.
Sometimes, she looked approachable, sometimes she doesn't. However, in their conclusions, she was wise enough to know her separate her wants from her choices.
The servants whose gaze were on her felt a little bit strange for the lady looked like a kind owner. She tilted her head a little bit to the right. She looked like she was thinking.
"Of course I know that." Neirin honestly stated. "But there won't be nobles who dared to insult me directly. Moreover, I am called by the emperor himself. They won't act discourteous to a person that the emperor deeply cared, right?"
Although the servants looked like they wanted to argue, the look of the duchess that seem so kind and gentle was etched in their mind. All they could do was follow. However, once the servants turned their eyes off her, Neirin's gentle gaze turned cold and dangerous. As though she was looking at the void and inside the abyss. In her mind she was replaying unpleasant memories.
Back before dying, she cared about dresses and even jewelries, but now, after dying once, materialistic things are really just for adornment nothing more and nothing less. They will continue to fade over time. Although they were important to signify one's power, Neirin would rather use her mouth, her actions, and even her words to put people to their rightful places.
After a little while, the maid was able to chose a dress modest yet elegant enough for their mistress. Neirin stood up to put a white turtle neck dress with black laces on the hem. Seeing her reflection on the mirror, few servants gasped as her emerald eyes sparkled even more. Her hair was then tide in a bun leaving a few strands. Then for the last touches, the put on a green emerald necklace on her neck.
"You look gorgeous your grace," Few servants mumbled. They looked happy of their masterpiece.
"Thank you. This is all because of your hard work." Neirin did not forget to express her gratitude. Some of the servants were thrilled hearing this from her. It was quite rare for those people in nobility to express their words of gratitude.
Just as then, Neirin glanced at the clock. It was already ten in the morning. Without anymore delay, she instructed the servants to bring her tea on her office while she go over some documents before her visit in the capital.
Neirin then walked out of her bedroom, climbing down few stairs before turning left to where her office was. She twisted the door knob and then entered the room. Her eyes then wondered to the whole room seeing the shelves and papers to where they all belong. After ensuring that everything was in the same place she left them last night. She stride towards the desk and sat on the chair. Her gaze then landed to the letter of the emperor.
Last night, Neirin had send a letter to the emperor informing that she arrived at the capital and will soon visit him tomorrow in the afternoon. Grabbing the envelop, she begun reading its contents. Her eyes read through every word that the emperor had written. From the looks of it, he was was thrilled to received her reply and he would gladly welcome her to the palace this afternoon. Moreover, he had specifically stated in his letter that she will be escorted by the Emperor's loyal knights.
Neirin read the letters she received over and over again laughing on how meticulous the Emperor was. No, he wasn't sending his loyal knights for her to feel so special. He was sending his royal knights expecting a detailed report on how she was and what are their first impression of her.
Leaning back, Neirin go over her thoughts on how she will received the emperor's favor.
"Your grace?" He thoughts were then cut off by a knock.
"Come in," Neirn answered. The door opened. She smiled widely after seeing snacks and coffee being rolled over to her.
--
As soon as the afternoon arrived, one of her servants went to her office and told her that the escort from the imperial palace has come. Neirin did not let them wait for too long for as soon as she was ready, she left her office and went to meet them.
The loyal knights of the emperor, the Templar of Grace is what they were called. If a normal person heard of what they were called, they would have thought that it was odd for knights to be called by grace. However, this grace wasn't in any form or grace at all. Instead, they were known for their ruthless way of killing a sinner.
To those sinners grace would often come in their mind when death comes after they were tortured mercilessly for days. In some sense, people were afraid of death but when they encountered the emperor's knights, death was something they wished to happen.
Without delaying anymore time, Neirin moved and greeted them in the parlor. Just as her figured appeared inside the room, the knights were already there ready to give her the most respectful greetings that a noble could ever receive.
"We greet they lady of the house of the Halstead. We are honor gracing us your presence."
Neirin was a little taken back. However, she acted courteous enough to give back the same respect they have given her. Neirin lifted her dress a little bit and moved in accordance to the etiquette she knew.
"It's my honor to be escort by the trusted knights of the emperor."
--
Neirin was quiet inside the carriage as it rolled down a familiar street on its way to the imperial palace. She would often see gazes of people looking at her direction with their eyes visible of curiosity. She did not blame them. She would also be curious if the emperor's loyal knight would escort someone like this.
Her gaze moved. Her eyes meet the gazes of the knights. They all smiled politely at her and she just gave a nod. They all appeared respectful and it's quite burdensome for her. The emperor must be thinking that she would get off her heads and be flattered. He must be thinking that if he acted like this, she would go off and follow him like a dog. But that was not the case.
Her priority would always be her little brother, Vincent.
Drifting through her thoughts, the carriage entered the imperial palace. Neirin looked at the beautiful garden full of flowers, statues, designs, and the pave path that were placed as decoration in the palace. Even though it was winter, everything seemed to be sparkling.
As soon as the carriage stopped, the knight who were the leader of the team climbed down of his horse and offered his hands to Neirin. She gladly accepted it. However, as soon as she got down, she flinched hearing a familiar voice. It was deep and respectful. Moreover, she often hear this voice back in her previous life.
"It's an honor to be grace by your presence, my lady." He still sounded so lovely right now. The person who died in her arms and the person she specifically killed. She can still remember how warm his blood were and how pathetic he looked while dying in her arms.
Neirin lifted her gaze and gave a smile as though nothing serious happened. She moved in order to give her greetings once again, "I greet the sun of the empire, the heir to the throne, Crown prince Cassius Leandre Hendrous."