Cataleya bolted up from the settee, angry over herself for falling asleep without meaning to. A little while ago, when the duke's chief knight left her be in the room, she ended up looking around the room and learned that the emperor indeed gave the duke the best space as a guest from a neighboring kingdom. Then on the table, she saw a bottle of organic wine that she couldn't help but have some sipped over it. It was definitely the sweetest wine she ever had which made her have a little bit more. She ended up feeling tipsy and drowsy at the same time. She barely made it back to the settee. She only closed her eyes and swore not to sleep.
"I must be insane," she said to herself and hurriedly fixed herself, including her slightly loosening hair. "Frencia must be fuming by now," she said and stepped outside the room.
Cataleya then began to trace the right drawing room for the ladies as she passed by three doors already. Upon seeing Frencia and her friends going inside one room in a distance, she hastily followed them.
"Where is that woman?" Trina looked around the room with her eyes.
"I'm pretty sure I didn't see her in the ball. Did you send her somewhere before the duke arrived at the ball?" Jean turned to Frencia.
"I did. I don't want her dancing with the duke." Frencia said. "I mean, she's a terrible character. I don't want her to ruin the empire's reputation by her poor upbringing."
"She's riding on the Briston's name when in fact she's only an adopted kid from the slum. You did the right thing, lady Frencia." Trina said.
"I feel pity for her. My father heard of a rumor that the emperor is still considering executing her after what she did to you and the princess." Jean giggled. "She thought that being a lady-in-waiting is hard enough."
"I feel bad for her though. But well, the emperor must get rid of those people who'll harm the family." Frencia said in pretend sadness.
"Let's stop talking about her. I notice that the duke is particularly eyeing you." Trina teased.
"You think so too, huh? I guess I have to think about it. The prince is also pursuing me." Frencia smiled.
"You should choose the one who can give you more advantage. Marry the prince and you shall be revered as the future queen. But marry the duke, the four kingdoms will bow their heads upon you." Jean uttered in an excited tone that made Trina and Frencia giggle.
The other things that those girls talked about came on deaf ears to Cataleya after she heard about the emperor still desire to execute her. If she's the previous villainess Cataleya, the judgment is justified after the failed poisoning of the princess and the bullying she did to Frencia and to her friends. What she did was treason and the people still loathe her for her deeds. But she can't help herself to feel the unfairness of everything. If she truly ended up poisoning the princess that one night, why on earth did she end up in a coma then? No one would tell her the details of how she ended up at a riverside, almost lifeless.
Cataleya didn't push her father to investigate, sure enough, she will be dismissed. She's only adopted in the family. Or at least Cataleya is. So she can't possibly act all spoiled after sinning the royal family.
Instead of going over to Frencia, Cataleya chose to leave where her feet would lead her. In the hallway, she engrossed herself in various ways on how to escape from the execution.
"Should I escape tonight? I can go back to the estate and pack some pieces of jewelry from my treasure box. I can take a horse and rent an inn to a distant province." Cataleya mumbled to herself, having her finger and thumb placed on her chin. She didn't even notice the guards opening the door towards the ball and letting her inside. She looked up when the gentle music played the atmosphere and realized where she was.
The throne, where the king and his precious son sat, was directly in her line of sight that made her angry and upset.
"Those scumbags," she said under her breath, seeing how can they calmly drink expensive wine while contemplating executing her soon? She won't even give them the chance to indulge in their desire to rid of her. She'll escape and maybe sail across seas to get away from their influence. "I won't even look at this country's direction when I get to Asia." she continued to grumble on dark thoughts, sipping on her wine. Too occupied with her own thoughts, she didn't see the entrance of the one she's been avoiding as well as the one she was supposed to serve with humility.
"Ah. Here I thought the duke already left us in the celebration on his honor." The emperor loudly said upon seeing Adelard's presence at the ball.
Startled, Cataleya almost choke on her wine and looked where the emperor was looking. "Oh shoot," she said to herself, confirming that it was the tyrant duke of her nightmares.
"Where were you? I told you to stay in the drawing-room." Frencia snapped at her when she got closer to her.
"I got thirsty. What do you want me to drink? My piss?" Cataleya snapped back in a low voice which made Frencia appear to be taken aback. 'That's right, bitch. The villainess is back.' she thought. She had done her bidding to follow Frencia but the execution still awaits her. So instead of dying a pushover, she will be the one pushing all the people aggravating her like a bulldozer.
"You must be forgetting who are you talking to?" Frencia stood in crossed arms facing her.
"No. You must be forgetting whom are you talking to?" Cataleya returned back her words.
"What did you say?"
"I'm lady Briston. If you follow the hierarchy, a baron's daughter shouldn't be eye level with marques."