"You can't gamble on your family's property. This is already the third time..."
Slap!
Firentia's head turned sharply with a bursting sound that she didn't want to hear.
"Who do you think you are? How dare you lecture me?"
A strong smell of alcohol wafted from the man's body as he shoved my shoulder with his strong hand.
"Come on, calm down, Astalio. Go over there. And you...."
Belesak, who gently admonished his drunken and staggering cousin, turned toward Firentia.
And.
Slap-!
With a louder sound than before, a large handprint appeared on the other side of her face.
"Just because you manage our family's money dosen't make it yours."
Belesac grazed at Firentia, who was shaking with her beaten face.
"Don't flatter yourself. We may share the same surname, but a lowborn like you can never be part of this family. You just continue living as our servant, alright?'
The words were cruel, like a dagger piercing my heart, no matter how many times I heard them.
If you tell my grandfather what happened today, I'll make you pay.'
Belesak, who warned in a low voice, spat on the ground and turned around. Soon heard the sound of the carriage that had taken me here riding away. Left alone in a red light district alleyway, Firentia clenched her fist.
A drop of blood dripped from her split lip.
* * *
Clip clop..
"Whoa-Whoa."
With the sound of her coachman soothing the horse, the small rocking of her carriage awakened Firentia from her thoughts of the old past. When she slightly lifted the curtains over her window and looked outside, she saw soldiers in the imperial palace.
"Here I am."
Firentia lowered the curtain, looking straight ahead and straightening her back even more. After she fixed her messy hair and clothes, she looked like a dignified painting.
In the meantime, the carriage carrying her passed through the main gate of the palace and reached Lambru Palace. Riding on the curved surface of a large piece of world tree decorated with a carriage in the brilliant afternoon sunlight, the original gold of the sculpture showed off its dazzling gloss.
"We've arrived."
As the carriage stopped, her horseman politely said.
"Firentia."
Then the door of her carriage opened and a beautiful man greeted her.
"Perez."
He kissed the back of Firentia's hand as he led her out of the carriage. It was a deep kiss that revealed all of his desire.
"Perez!"
Firentia was surprised and called him as if she was annoyed, but Perez just smiledwith his beautiful eyes with long lashes.
"Let's hurry, everyone must be waiting."
She said, pulling her hand away from him and moving her feet to the banquet hall. Noticing the tip of Firentia's slightly reddened ears, Perez deeply smiled again and soon followed her with his hands behind his back. "No one in the Lambru Empire would blame you for keeping them waiting for a while. dear Tia. Just take your time."
The two have come a long way for today.
"As much as you've gone through to get here, you should enjoy this moment."
After much patience and hard work, it was my turn to take the sweet fruit today.
"Hell yeah, I sure have been through a lot."
Firentia acknowledged plainly.
I've come a long way that you could possibly ever imagine.
She added in an inaudible whisper.
"But that doesn't mean I can be rude."
It was a firm answer. This lady, who made him fall in love at once from the moment he first saw her, was really a wonderful woman. Perez laughed with delight again.
Soon after, they arrived at the banquet hall, standing at the closed door.
"Are you ready?"
Firentia nodded slightly to Perez's question.
"Then shall we enter, Matriarch of the Lombardi?"
He held out his hand in front of her.
"We shall, your imperial highness."
Her soft, white hand held his.
"Open the door."
Perez gave a brief order to the attendant in front of him.
"All rise for his Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Perez Brivacheu Durelli, and the Matriarch of the Lombardi, Firentia Lombardi!"
A voice was heard from beyond the door announcing the arrival of the two. Firentia laughed, as if the sound was ringing in her ears like sweet music.
The door slowly opened and the bright light of the grand banquet hall poured out through the gap.