He breathed deeply and put his hands on his chest, his heart is beating too fast and all he can do now is to relax.
"Your grace, lady Zeianna is here" the butler announced. He immediately closed the book he's reading and told him to let her in.
'What an unusual response to his grace' the butler said to his mind. He invited the lady in and got out of the office.
"What is it, your grace?" Zeianna asked, fixing the puffs on her dress.
He only stared at her, as hours passed, she feel weirder and weirder to him, to break the eye contact, she said. "thank you for the wonderful invite, but this is getting nonsense somehow, so I must apologize for this weird ambiance between us. See you later at the garden" and got out.
Only if she realize that the reason his gaze is far different is because he likes her.
The dreams of destitute past is no longer present, he woke up from the guest bedroom of the Emery dukedom and he looked at the window. It was a rainstorm.
His head hurts and cried from the dream he had. He rang the bell and a maid arrived. "bring me wine" he commanded. The maid obeyed and got out of the bedroom afterwards.
He walked towards the balcony and held his hand in the air. Droplets of rain showered his hand as he felt the cold wind breezing amidst the air.
He looked at his pocket watch and it's already ten in the morning, yet the wine wasn't here yet.
Someone opened the door and it was the maid. She gave the wine with fruits and a glass.
"Thank you" he only said and the maid left after putting the tray in place.
"After all... No one truly loved you, no matter if you were a lady, or a duchess" a mocking tone of a woman was heard from the corridor.
She dreamed of the past she doesn't want to remember, a past where it leads to her demise.
In the said dream, she saw the crown prince and the servant making out, instead of being angry and having to fight him and the servant, an insolent laugh filled the corridor.
The crown prince shocked why is she laughing, the lady in a maniacal laughter feared the servant.
"Do not fret, Julia. She's nothing compared to you"
The servant got her guts to smirk. The crown prince gave her a dagger to stab her while laughing.
"You damn lady, why can't you die?" she asked. "why can't you let us be happy for now—" she thrust the dagger into her stomach but things backfired when Zeianna dodged and the dagger ended up to her stomach.
The satisfying smell of blood, she can't drink it due to her combat.
"What have you done?!" he screamed. "what have I done? I done my duty as your... Let me think"
A smirk was plastered and another laugh was heard.
"Ah. Lover" she concluded. "I have done my duty as your lover, crown prince" she walked forward, him looking for a way to smash anything to her head so that he could get away.
He saw a vase beside the office of the emperor, he picked it up and it almost hit her head...
It ended up being smashed to his head, Zeianna calmed herself down and before she got out from the scene, guilt filled her mind, but a disdainful persona filled her up and left with a smile on her face.
"It seems that your mind is flowing somewhere, perhaps you're thinking about my brother" the crown princess smiled after Zeianna wake up from her daydream.
She shake her head, disagreeing to the crown primcess' opinion.
"I'm just thinking about going to stroll down to the port with you, but with the full schedules as a crown princess, I guess it will never be fulfilled—"
"I'll tell my secretary to clear all of my schedules!" a radiant light and a beaming tone of Caliana filled the garden.
Zeianna looked down, her red umbrella matching her white dress, designed with ruby jewels. Matching with Caliana's white umbrella, and a red dress designed with diamonds.
Zeianna sighed. Although it will be five years from the future, she already know what would happen between her and the crown princess.
Caliana will be poisoned, and she will be accused.
She will be killed, together with the six noble families who are charged with heinous crimes.
Poor her, an innocent dove, was killed by a hunter.
She clench her left fist, that is holding her umbrella. Due to her immense strength, she heard a crack from her umbrella, she immediately stopped clenching.
"Is something the matter, Zeianna?" she asked. Zeianna chuckled and said, "it's nothing. You should go back now, I'm going home"
"Draw me a bath, right now" she commanded immediately when she stepped foot on the house.
There's another guest, Countess Merrylin Gherardini, a countess from the district of Hemingway, a few miles from the district of Salisbury, where the Emery Manor resides.
Unlike the district of Hemingway, the district of Salisbury is near to the capital.
A maid drew a bath, the latter is preparing those dry rose petals, and the other maid is organizing the things and equipments they will use.
When she entered the bathroom, the maids removed her clothes and proceed to bathing.
Her mind is drifting somewhere, the countess of Gherardini is her ally, and even she die, she never betrayed the Emery family on her behalf.
Their first meeting will be held here, in the receiving room. Delicious tea and desserts will be served along with talks about the port and the conditions beyond the harbor.
She sighed. This will be simply her best day, and for the second time around, she will have her good impression with the young countess.
She wore a yellow and black regency clothes, her hair in a bun, a white gloves, and most of all, her white heels.
She walk down from the stairs, and when she reached the receiving room, she saw a young girl, almost at the same age as her, sipping tea.
"Shall we start?" she said, looking at the lady named Merrylin Gherardini.
The countess smirked, chuckled a little, and nodded.