In the garden of Hyacinth, the Countess Minerva clinked her glass with a spoon to get the attention of all the people in attendance.
The theme is to wear a blue dress, so everyone was wearing blue dress today.
"Now in celebration of my daughter, Teressa's first tea party. I thank everyone who responded to the invitations and make time to attend-----"
As the opening ceremony ended and the time to drink tea started, the merry voices of the children and few mothers resounded across the beautiful garden.
It is customary for all the children of aristocrats to attend parties at the age of 9 and host their own parties at a young age to get experience.
It is one of the ways for aristocratic children to get along with the future pillars of other families and make connection.
"Thank you for attending my party, Saintess"
Teressa bowed her head at Amelia while Amelia laughed it off.
"Of course, I have to attend. You are my friend too Lady Teressa"
"It's too bad that your sister can't come today's party as well"
"Yes, she's not feeling good haha"
At Amelia's awkward laugh, Teressa glared at her and gestured Amelia to come closer to her.
"Lady Amelia, you should stop protecting your sister now. It's too obvious that you're lying you know?"
Teressa whispered while looking around for people who might be eavesdropping to them.
"Is it that obvious?"
Amelia asked in shock so Teressa pulled her hand so they can talk somewhere.
"Everyone already knows that Lady Remil is not sick at all and that she's not attending the parties because she refused to"
Teressa said and made eye contact with one of the ladies from afar who is looking at them.
Teressa awkwardly waved her hand at the lady before looking back at Amelia.
"I know you care about your sister. But if you keep protecting her with lies, everyone's fingers will start pointing at you this time. I suggest you remain silent from now on and let your sister take the blow"
"Haaah, but Rem----"
"Lady Teressa! Saintess!"
At the voice of another person calling them, Teressa and Amelia stopped their conversation and looked at the boy.
"Is Remil Azrael not here today as well?"
At his question, Teressa smiled back with thorns in her eyes and the boy ran away.
From afar Amelia can hear the kids exchanging money from the bet of would Remil come or not.
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Amelia sat on the carriage pondering what she should do now.
She decided to talk to Remil about this, but when she did.
"Are you stupid? Just don't protect me from now on"
Was what she said.
"But I'm older----"
"By 18 minutes, right?"
Amelia pouted at Remil's continuous nonsense.
"Still, I feel responsible for protecting you from others, Rem. You know I'm always on your side"
Amelia said while holding Remil's hand.
"You're really a Saintess…"
Remil mumbled and shook her hand off from Amelia's grasps.
"I know you care about me, Lia. And as much as you care for me, I also care for you so stop now"
Remil tried to be sweet so Amelia would stop now but as soon as she looked up, Amelia was in tears because of how moved she was.
"Remil, you're reall----"
Without looking back Remil ran away from her sister and sprinted back to her room.
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Since that day, Remil's reputation continued to plummet as the truth continued to spread.
Aristocratic kids being kids, who learned from their parents, could only find entertainment through a common gossip and their target was none other than Remil.
But seeing how much Amelia still cares for Remil. The others could only speak ill of Remil when Amelia is not there.
Still the name Lazy lady of Azrael became the title given to Remil and became a play on words against people who fails to attend a party due to circumstances.
"Arg, what should I do!? And what's with everyone calling each other Remil just because they failed to attend a party?"
Amelia grumbled while pouring all the tea down her throat.
"Here eat more of this"
Amelia looked back at the young prince in front of her and furrows her brow.
Their engagement was just announced last week, and they have the duty to meet each other once a week to get closer.
Amelia could not feel a thing like affection for the prince, but she is willing to fulfill her duties if that's what she has to do.
"Are you worrying about your sister again?"
The prince said with a smile, but Amelia can tell that it is a fake one.
"Well, no matter what parties we held in the mansion she's never coming at all. People keeps saying that she might marry a commoner at this point"
The prince looked at Amelia's worried expression with interest and pondered.
"Right, if you become the Queen, your sister will surely become the successor of the Azraels. I can understand your worries"
"It's not about the inheritance or the family. I'm just angry that they keep talking bad about my sister. Even a simple marriage to a commoner if it's my sister can be a bad thing to them, and I hate it"
"Pfft, stop pouting. Here. Have some cake and cheer up"
"Could you please stop feeding me? I don't have infinite belly"
"Here. Have some tea too"
"You're really not taking me seriously. Should we just annul----"
"Stop jesting, Lady Amelia. At least have some responsibility for putting my name beside the Lady Amelia of Azrael"
"What!? Your family is the one who put my name beside yours!"
"Is it Lese-Majeste I'm hearing about now?"
Amelia raised her hands in defeat and grumbled while the prince laughed at her.
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When a year passed, and the twins turned 11. A new rumor has spread in the kingdom.
"I heard there is a second Saintess and just like the lady she has golden hair and golden eyes"
One of the maids in the Azrael whispered to the others.
"She must be fake. Why would she appear now? Our lady was born with them but what about her?"
The other maid spat out with a harsh tone.
"They could be spreading lies to ridicule the REAL Saintess. I heard she's a commoner even"
The rumor continued to spread that even the common people from other kingdoms know of it.
"Hey, have you heard. They said Amelia might be a fake Saintess created by the Azraels"
One of the ladies in the table whispered. Teressa glared at the girl after hearing it but the girl continued.
"I'm just saying that the second Saintess has the power to heal, but what about Lady Amelia? Did she ever heal anyone?"
"Whoa, you're right"
"Then is lady Amelia fake?"
At the other girl's confirmation everyone in the table gasped.
"But what if there's two Saintesses this time? Have you never thought of that?"
At one of the ladies' statement everyone turned silent but one of them had an idea that passed in her head which caused another stir in their conversation.
"I heard she was born on the same day as Lady Amelia"
*Gasps*
"Are you implying that…."
Murmurs continued to fill up the room that Teressa felt irritated.
"Where did you get that information?"
Teressa asked curiously but no one answered as everyone was in their own world exchanging thoughts to each other.
"Right, Remil must be a commoner, right? Someone must have stolen the real Lady of the Azraels and put Remil in exchange, right?"
"That is possible"
Teressa watched as all the ladies of the same age as her creating their own novel story about Remil's identity.
Teressa bit her lip in frustration and thought about sharing the events today to Amelia.
She had the thought that it might be better to see lady Remil in person as well.
With that thought in mind, their tea party ended and Teressa went back home to write a letter to Amelia.
"I'm just a normal kid in the past but now this happened"
Flourel looked at the mirror where her golden hair and golden eyes were reflecting.
Using her hands, she pushed both of her cheek upwards and saw how her eyes squinted covering half of her golden iris.
She looked down at her leg that was almost healed because of her healing powers.
"I thought the Saintess already existed? Then what am I? Am I really a Saintess? I used to have brown hair and blue eyes so why did it become golden now? Am I fake?"
"This child was born with golden hair and golden eyes"
Flourel remembered the lies of the woman who oversees the kids in the orphanage.
"At first, I was surprised on how it was possible to have a second Saintess at all, so I never thought of sending her to the temple but to think that she has the power of healing…"
"Is this alright? I wonder why she lied?"
Flourel looked down her hands and pursed her lips.
"I'm scared… What's going to happen to me now?"
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"Thank you for accepting my request to visit even if it's too sudden"
Teressa bowed down and greeted Amelia.
"Haha, what are friends are for? No matter how busy I am I will always have time for you Lady Teressa!"
At Amelia's cheerful response Teressa doubted if Amelia even knows about the rumors that are going around.
"Oh, and just like you requested… Come here Rem. Meet my best friend, Lady Teressa Minerva"
At Amelia's words Teressa turned her gaze behind Amelia where Remil is at.
*Gasp*
Teressa's eyes widened in surprise while looking at Remil.
Black hair and grey eyes are just fascinating to look at as it is a color that never existed to anyone before.
And beside that…
"An Angel…."
Teressa mumbled while not taking her gaze off Remil.
Teressa looked at Amelia and back to Remil.
Unlike Amelia who has a few similarities to the Countess Avelyn's face feels more human than Remil's face that seemed to be out of this world.
For a moment she felt like Remil is an angel that the god himself crafted by hand and sent down to the world.
"G-Greet…."
While trying to say something Teressa accidentally bit her tongue in nervousness.
[Ugh, where is my dignity!?] Teressa grumbled inside her head and felt embarrassed.
She looked back at Remil to see her reaction but Remil simply looked back at her with no emotion.
[If people see her face now, they will admit that Remil is obviously not the child of the Azraels but the child of god!]
At the clear admiration coming from Teressa's eyes, Amelia dropped her mouth open while looking at Teressa then back at Remil.
By instinct Amelia felt the urge to protect Remil from this fanatic and immediately covered Teressa's view of Remil.