"Shall we start?" she said, looking at the lady named Merrylin Gherardini.
The countess smirked, chuckled a little, and nodded.
"How are you? Zeianna? I never heard anything about you ever since we finished etiquette class" she smiled, the light of the receiving room reflects her bright personality.
"I'm totally fine, these days, I have to fix the problem with the business towards the port" Zeianna said, eating the cheesecake on her fork. "what about you Merrylin? I heard that you became a countess on your own right"
"Ah" she started. "I became a countess because my father was ill and is dying. Since I was the sole heiress, he gave me the position of the countess"
"Although there are relatives who want to take the family head position, even if they start murdering their own siblings for the position, they held no power when it comes to mine, as they were executed three months ago" her eyes widen.
"But I spare one, Ellin Gherardini, my cousin, marchioness of Sancto" she sighed and drank.
Now she knows the topic of the maid's gossip about the execution.
In her first life, she witnessed the execution of, where she saw Merrylin, but never interacted with her until the banquet from the imperial palace.
They became friends and allies until the Gherardini family, alongside her, was charged with heinous crimes.
Zeianna gulped and stared at her. "as of now, the Gherardini family is feasting the ninth birthday of my niece, Lisa" she nodded.
'Lisa Sancto, the daughter of marchioness Ellin Sancto and marquees Miguel Sancto' she thought in her mind.
"Am I invited?" Zeianna laughed and Merrylin smiled. "your laugh and smile are same as before, but however, it gave me shivers. Maybe it's because you live the way of an Emery?" she chuckled to remove the awkward moment.
"I guess"
"I forgot the invitation for the birthday of my niece, the themes will be red, gold, and white" she nodded while reading the contents.
The invitation is written in gold ink, the seal behind the words is visible and designed properly.
The seal that they most definitely pressed with care, the handwriting is bright, neat, and alluring, and the paper quality that they chose properly.
She closed her eyes and smiled. The feel of sincerity from a mere paper.
The feeling of being loved by family.
They talked about family and their interests, until time comes and Merrylin bid goodbyes.
"Hope we will meet again at the Sancto marchdom" she said, and Zeianna watched her as she walked outside the manor. As she got outside the Emery mansion gates, she got up and go to her father's bedroom, where her secretary announced her to.
She saw her father, bedridden. According to his maid, he is already suffering from tuberculosis, a lung disorder and a deadly disease.
"My child" he mumbled. He could feel instinctively that she was there. She was standing, nether crying nor lonely, just her emotionless expression.
"What is it?" her voice echoed the room. Her nonchalant expression never stunned the father, but it amuse him.
"I'm sorry for being not there for you—"
"I wasn't informed that you were having an illness all the time. All I knew is that you were fine!" she rushed from the door to the bed.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she cried while hugging her father. "my child... Don't"
"Why?!" if it wasn't for her father patting her back, she would go berserk.
"Cause I don't want you to worry about me. Zeianna, you will be the Duchess of the Emery family once I'm gone. My body won't be good for you to cannibalise. I hope that someday, you will go the way of being a great head, more than I am" his words felt like he is going to die a minute, or an hour later.
"Father..."
"Do not fret my child, all the fortunes in this house will belong to you—"
"I'm not worried about our family fortune, father! Just, why didn't you tell me?" she asked with a sad smile on her face. "is this the reason why are you avoiding me in the first place?"
The duke didn't talk. "actually, I have a disease, no, more like a curse. We, Emeries, have this curse that will occur to our life once our significant other dies, or rejected us. This hereditary curse ends with me, but the impact it gave to me when Adelia died. It is painful, and hard to cope with. Because of this curse, I didn't have a chance to take and look after you. I'm sorry for all the faults I've made. I promise that I will look after you the next time" the last words of the duke before closing his eyes and his breathing stopped. Zeianna is still hugging him, unaware that he is dead already.
Tears are streaming down to her cheeks, her smile became sincere as she mumbled 'thank you, father'
Zeianna Yves Emery, at the age 20, her father died of age 49. 'what a young age' she thought. As his body is now buried, she can't prevent but to look down at his grave, emotionless.
"Poor her, although she looks like she is great at managing the house, I bet she will do everything to let it fall" a gossip from her relative was heard, and when Zeianna perked up, she laughed.
"Why, does it offend you? I mean, look at you, I think you will fail this family after you took the position—"
"Says from the one who murdered her own daughter because she had all the things and experience in life that she never had. I mean, look you, Verde, you did everything for this position yet you can't even get it"
"At least I am the next heir of—"
"I am the sole heir of the Emery clan. Not you, not everyone. You had your own noble title right? Baroness Verde of Mauchessa" her eyes turned crimson and looked at her with disdain. "by the looks of your eyes, it seems like you want more"
"That position is enough for you to know your place, Baroness Verde" she said, calming herself using a fan.
Before she prepare herself to get out of the cemetery, she whispered. "I will let this slide Verde. But if I knew that the Mauchessa family conspired against the Emery family, you know what would happen right?" she said, and smiled as she got out of the cemetery, leaving Verde behind with a shocked expression.