"Declaration of war??" Immediately, I threw the flower and was taken aback after learning the meaning of the flower: "This is not the declaration of faction war, right?"
Lady Octavi shook her head, her expression serious. "No, it's not about the declaration of war between the royal and your family, my lady. It's just a personal problem between you and the third prince. Giving someone a Tansy flower is a way of expressing deep animosity and a refusal to reconcile."
"So it will be a problem between me and him…" Well, back then, he had given me a warning about Fabian, the Crown Prince…I didn't know he would react this fast… I asked Lady Octavi, "Do my parents know about this envelope?"
"Which envelope, my lady? If it is the first envelope, I believe they will know it, yet for the second envelope from the third prince, it depends on their informant around this house…"
"Wait! What? So they have an informant inside this house…" I was surprised. I never thought my parents would have informants in this home.
Lady Octavi looked at me with a knowing smile and said, "My lady, it is not uncommon for noble families to have informants in their households for various reasons. It ensures their safety and helps them stay informed about any potential threats or alliances. Especially, it's your parents, my lady, so it's natural to have another ear around you…"
Yet, I couldn't help but feel unease around me because my parents kept hearing and seeing me.
"Do you think they will be upset with me for receiving such a gift like this flower?" I inquired, feeling a sense of unease. Lady Octavi paused for a moment before responding, "It's hard to say, my lady. Your parents may understand the complexities of the situation, but they could also be concerned about the potential consequences it may bring."
"On this matter, what do you think I must do?" After what happened yesterday, would Lady Octavi give me some advice or not? Or just said it depended on me…
There was a pause in the room, and I could see Lady Octavi's glance behind me. Immediately, I knew she was looking at Adel. Lady Octavi's gaze lingered on Adel for a moment before she finally spoke towards me, her voice filled with caution.
"My lady, I believe it would be wise to keep my lady inside this house until your parents arrive for the hunting event."
"Why?"
"With Sofia arriving tomorrow, I believe everything you need is in the house. And with this situation, I believe the palace isn't a safe place for you. Our concern is with the envelope from the third prince, which can be a threat to your safety. It would be best to stay here until
"Ah, yes, I almost forgot that Sofia would come here…" I looked back to Adel, and asked her, "What do you think?"
Adel answered, "I agree with Lady Octavi; this matter is serious; maybe it can be a threat to you, my lady…So
Finally, both of them could come to an agreement with each other. I asked them, "Does this plan make me a weak and helpless Aurelius?"
Lady Octavi said, "You have a great view towards this matter, my lady. Yet, it can also be an intriguing plan. I believe the other nobles, especially the royals, won't assume we are weak or helpless." Adel added, "On the other hand, they will assume we are planning something, which they won't or don't have the guts to do first. All of them will wait until the hunting event."
"I see…" While waiting for my parents to come into the capital for the hunt event, I needed to do something, I remembered my desire to learn transmutation: "While I am waiting for my parents to come here, there is something I want to do…"
"What is it, my lady?" Asked Lady Octavi.
"I want to learn this transmutation…"
Lady Octavi seemed to take aback after what I had said, her eyes widening in surprise. "I know my lady is eager to learn it, yet are you sure?"
"Yes, I am certain," I replied confidently.
"The best instructor for you is madam, your mother, yet madam isn't here. And I heard Cassius offer himself to become your instructor on this matter; in my view, it's a bad idea…" As Lady Octavi said that, I looked at Cassius; he seemed not happy hearing that.
"For me, I think it's not a bad idea to let Cassius teach me about this transmutation…"
"Why my lady say that?"
"Mother taught and raised Lady Octavi and Adel until both of you achieved black transmutation, yet both of you were familiar with sword technique or how to fight; like Lady Octavi, you were a graduate of the Knight Academy, and Adel was a former assassin…" Spontaneously, everyone was surprised after I said Adel was a former assassin with all eyes on her. I was confused and asked Adel, "Is your background a secret among family?"
"Well, my lady, it isn't a secret anymore; my lady has told everyone in this room…" Said Adel with a flat tone.
I continued to talk to everyone. "That's interesting, right? I have a former assassin maid…Forget about that part, so what my mother taught Lady Octavi and Adel maybe isn't a basic thing but more a specialised skillset for fighting and sword technique. However, for me, I don't have anything; I don't have any basic skills, footwork, or technique. In conclusion, Cassius teaches me that transmutation isn't a bad idea because he will teach me the basics, not like my mother, who teaches both of you more advanced."
Lady Octavi said, "I understand your view, my lady. You are right; what madam taught and raised for us is more advanced; even the academy has not taught it to me. I agree with Cassius about becoming your instructor…However, inside of you is way stronger than Cassius, so on this matter…" She turned her view to Cassius, who was standing, "I want to ask Cassius himself, I believe you have faced my lady in a state of uncontrol, yet at that time there was Adel and that woman," Lady Octavi pointed at Valerie, "Who were beside you back there. If that's happening again, in the middle of teaching her, you need to understand the risk. Even if Adel is beside her, it may not be enough to prevent any potential harm to you, who is the closest person. Are you aware of that? And still want to offer yourself as her instructor?"
I saw Cassius seem hesitant to answer. I was waiting for him to answer her question, to ensure his determination.
Immediately, I saw his mouth open and spoke, "I offered myself as an instructor, fully aware of the potential risks involved. After seeing my lady in a state of uncontrollability, I realised that someone needed to step in and help her. I understand the dangers, and I am willing to take on the responsibility…"
"Well, if you are aware of the situation, I approve of you as her instructor…Yet, I want you to teach her the theory of transmutation fundamentals and the basics of sword technique. And Adel needs to be beside her all the time of learning." Lady Octavi turned her face to me and said, "All of that is alright in your mind, my lady?"
I asked as puzzled after all of that "Why do you approve him just to teach me a theory? Why does not everything about that matter after you asked him that?"
"The problem is that the thing inside of you is unique, my lady. Even I don't know how I will teach you to regain what is inside of you to out from you, and you can control it. Do you remember who teaches and trains your brother?"
"My father…"
"Correct, I believe now that the young master is still undergoing learning transmutation under his grace. And I will not allow Cassius to teach you how to control transmutation because only his grace and madam possess the knowledge and ability to bring out what is inside Aurelius' children. They have been trained in this matter throughout their dynasty, making them the only ones capable of imparting this skill. A single misstep in learning to control transmutation can be extremely dangerous and can result in Cassius losing his life; if he is lucky, he will lose some of his limbs. So I hope my lady understands about this matter."
"I understand the consequence, so I will follow your advice on this matter…"
I saw Lady Octavi, and Cassius nod at me. "Great with this, we have taken precautions in this matter, and the plan of my learning for transmutation." I looked and waved to Cassius and Valerie, "May you two take a seat at the table? So we can have breakfast together."
They came to the table and sat at the table. As soon as they took a seat, Adel made a clap, and some servants came in to serve the food to the table. And we had our breakfast after all of this matter.
As I watched Valerie and Cassius eat at the table, suddenly I remembered about the twelve key figures beside them. As I was eating my breakfast, I was asking myself, "Do I need to gather all of them at once before she meets them all?". Yet all of them were scattered around the kingdom, and luck was on my side when I met Cassius and Valerie. I looked at Lady Octavi and asked myself, "Do I need to order someone to find them?" There was a good chance that this would have a negative impact on Aurelius' reputation—to bring these people in front of me without their consent. And again, a great question appeared in my head, "Are Nona Paragons aware of my fate? Do they know about these twelve figures? Does Nona share the book with them to make sure everything follows as the book says?" If they were aware, this was a race between me and them. Wait a minute, if Nona shared the book to make sure everything followed as the book said, so her paragons couldn't change or alter everything from the book, like get ahead to recruit these twelve figures. That meant they would wait for everything, as the book said.
Yet, a time when the figures appeared and the real-world time was so different, so right now, I didn't know exactly where all these figures were right now. BUT…Cassius and Valerie's case was different; they came from that town, so when Adel and I passed their town, we sought the tavern to know their whereabouts, and luck was on my side. And the book didn't give me more detail about the figures' background or which location they came from.
~~~~~
"What? My lady, are you serious?"
"Yeah, I am…"
"Why do you need me to find this stupid byname?"
"Just help me find this byname, okay? You may seek it at all the taverns in this capital…"