The people crowded the capital's plaza was mostly buzzing the same words from their mouth. The emperor declared to host a ball to welcome an envoy from the southern kingdom which will be headed by none other than the most powerful duke---Adelard Cross. There were rumors that the envoy's head won't just be coming to have a political discussion with the emperor but it was widespread news that he will find his future duchess in the east kingdom as well.
Adelard Cross was a man with much power on his palm that his name and deeds were viral in four kingdoms. Known to have inherited the vast wealth of the Cross and its ancient magic which enabled him to be victorious on the many battlefields, he gained both respect and fear from all emperors.
To be his duchess would mean welding a power more frightening than four kingdoms combine. Even the emperors would have their hands curled together to please the duke and not anger him by all means. To have the duke himself visit the kingdom of Lezia is a great honor and a huge opportunity for all nobles to have their respective daughters attend the emperor's ball in the hope to be picked by the most sought-after attendee.
"I heard the duke won't want to see anyone wearing anything red and even the emperor wouldn't wear his robes just to cater to the request of the duke." one lady in a purple dress said to her friend in the lowest possible voice.
"Only the duke could make our emperor submit like that." the other lady said in a hushed tone.
Cataleya only stayed at the corner of the gown shop, staring in boredom at the lady she was serving. While doing so, she heard various versions of the said Adelard Cross. She couldn't help but secretly rolled her eyes when the noble ladies were thrilled about the upcoming ball and see the infamous duke.
'If only they know.' Cataleya thought in secret. She had reoccurring dreams every night after she woke up from her coma. Mostly, those show how she would die and who will be the one to execute her after she did some nasty stuff to Frencia.
She saw in her dreams how Adelard will be head over heels to Frencia that he will be willing to behead everyone who hurt his woman. She can't count how many times she woke up gasping for air after the duke swung his sword to her neck in her dreams.
If she was Cataleya, that might be her fate. But now, she was Ruby who transmigrated into Cataleya's body after an accident inside the library. She can't die as a villainess. Not under the duke's sword or by anyone's sword. So she decided to do everything to go back to the modern world where she belonged.
Honestly, she didn't really fit in the world she was currently in. There were so many etiquettes to follow and the dresses and corsets were pure torture. The noble ladies had nothing much to do but to embroider, get entertained with gossip, and be entranced with the handsome faces of men.
With all the things she can't get used to even when she had been living as Cataleya for seven months, Ruby didn't want to stay long. So in the search for any way to call for old Cataleya's soul to come back to her own body and to her own, she read all of the books in the library from their own estate but no books ever had the same cases like hers.
Hopeless over the result of her search, Ruby continued to pretend to be Cataleya for the time being and agreed to be a lady-in-waiting to Frencia as a punishment for the incident she caused. As a famous villainess and someone who prided herself so much on being so high and superior over everyone, it was out of Cataleya's character to agree to be of service to someone lower than her.
Being a daughter of a Marques, Cataleya should not be a servant over a mere daughter of a Baron. But Ruby wasn't Cataleya. And being the one who bullied Frencia previously, Cataleya was sentenced by the court to be of service to Frencia's family all her life. She was scorned by society for leading the fragile daughter of the Baron into almost taking her own life inside her room. So, for now, while still searching for a way to get back to the modern world, Ruby must live humbly as a Cataleya and stopped acting like an unleashed mad dog.
"Cataleya, please carry everything I bought," Frencia said in her most angelic voice that even the heavens would weep if she ever cry.
Cataleya didn't say a single thing and just went on, bending over the boxes on the floor and carrying them over her arms. The ridicules among the noble ladies present were put on deaf ears as she passed by them without much as glancing at them. She didn't really care if she looked a pushover in contrast to her previous wild reputation.
"And oh, I still have to find a perfect ribbon for my dress. Follow me." Frencia said to her.
"It might be a good idea to put these boxes to the carriage first before I follow you," Cataleya suggested.
"No. Carry them with you. I had to match the ribbons on each dress." Frencia said with a smile before turning away from her.
Cataleya rolled her eyes and knew that Frencia was indeed having her sweet time in exacting revenge. She knew that the Briston can't go against the emperor's declaration of having Cataleya serve the Baron's family despite being the daughter of a marquess. She just hoped she can go back to her own world before she lost her patience and actually punch this Frencia in her gut.
Later in the afternoon, Cataleya collapsed on her bed, face down. The whole day of walking around in the plaza with boxes to carry made her body stiff.
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to be continued...