Then night came.
After I washed up, I got a call from Jasmine.
She often calls me nowadays.
At first, when she got my code, she would rarely do it except for times when she had updates on the 'antidote' that they were researching. Then later on, she got comfortable enough to call me for the most random of things.
Things she's fascinated by, asking about how my day went, despite already knowing what that is, she would then reply with her day.
I love that we have gotten a lot closer throughout this year. Sometimes, we'd even call Felya but she often rejects it since she prefers letters.
Also, Duke Vanderwale, even though it was rare, would interrupt us in between calls just to ask how we were doing.
This past year knowing more about the Duke, I can definitely see why Jasmine broke down when he died. The only father figure she ever had. I wouldn't want him to die either, he's a great friend of my father and a great uncle to me and my brothers. If he could, he would send us various gifts sent from his estate. At some point, my father told us he was worried about how we were getting spoiled by the Duke.
Good thing I told her to learn more about other ways to heal and fortunately, they have been able to progress!
Over the course of a few months, they have been able to see results in various herbs that can be used as another way of healing the body, especially strengthening and making it healthier. As expected of two geniuses such as the Vanderwales, they started this from scratch without any previous knowledge.
I have no say during the entire process since I know nothing about it either, regardless of having my past memories. Jessica's world already had ready-made pills that I only had to buy in a store.
I had no interest in learning that and even if I did know, I would guess that this world's humans would have different body types compared to the ones back in my previous world.
Proof of that would be how much time I could spend working out even without the use of aura. I still had muscle pains but compared to the time I used to spend my workouts on before, my body would've broken down after a few days if I did the same routine I had these past few months in Jessica's body.
"How was your training today, Nera?" Jasmine asked from the other side of the line.
I chuckled, "You really have to ask that every day?" I lay down on my bed and put my crystal bead bracelet beside my head.
"Of course I do!"
"Training, as per usual, was fun. Oh, I won against Noah for the first time in our spar!" I said enthusiastically.
"Congratulations! You'll ace this test for sure!" She replied with even higher energy.
"How was your day then? You told me Uncle Ian was going to bring you two to the palace today?"
There was a long pause before she answered quietly as if all her enthusiasm was sucked out. "Yeah, we went to the palace."
"Did something happen?" I raised one of my eyebrows.
"Hmm," I heard her lightly exhale. "Yeah, the Crown Prince was staring at me the whole time."
I gasped and immediately propped my body up to sit down on my bed.
It's finally starting!
When she told me about the day she was going to be with Duke Vanderwale in the palace, I shrieked inside.
The start of the novel is finally here! Although, it is a year earlier since Jasmine is only 18 this year, whatever, it's here!
The Crown Prince has met the beautiful and charming Jasmine! But what she doesn't know is that he was her childhood best friend when she was still a commoner, but of course, the Prince knows who she is exactly! That's why he's only staring at her in awe...
He used his illusion magic often when he went out so the childhood friend Jasmine knows looks way different from the Crown Prince. Even I don't know what he looks like as a commoner since he was only described in the novel, a lot of commoners would probably look similar to him.
Except for the handsome looks, of course.
How romantic yet cheesy. I cringed at the thought of someone living and breathing the same air as me was this unrealistic, but what could I do, this is a romance novel after all.
"Did he say anything?" I cleared my throat, hiding my anticipation.
"Oh, he asked for my name, quite awkwardly actually," She lightly chuckled. "I didn't expect His Highness to be like that."
I wanted to scream and roll over my bed, but she would hear what I was doing so I didn't bother and held everything inside.
At this time, Jasmine doesn't feel anything special for the Prince, at least that was how she was described in the novel. It'd be grand if I could see their love bloom once again as Jasmine and Marin.
"The Crown Prince, awkward?" I commented as if I didn't know why he was acting like that.
"Yes. If you saw him, you would've laughed at how cute he was."
I screamed inside yet again.
"The Crown Prince... cute?" I tried to speak normally in order to hide my real reactions.
"Oh my! That must've been rude to the Crown Prince!"
"No way, it's a compliment."
Anything from you would surely make that puppy Prince cry happily.
I haven't met the Crown Prince but I'm pretty sure he's an outstanding man that has done great deeds around the Quintesse Empire. Not just from what I've read from the novel, but have heard from everyone.
Regardless, I know that he's already head over heels for Jasmine... as she is for him. But she doesn't know yet!
"I see..." She mumbled.
I smiled and asked, "But what else did you do in the palace?"
"We were given a position in the royal palace!" She replied instantly, eager to share this news. "My brother as the personal aide for the Crown Prince and I, as an apprentice royal researcher!"
It's going like it has been in the novel. Although it is a bit early, it's probably thanks to the research they've been doing for almost a year now, which is how she became recognized as a researcher. Plant healing, even with my limited knowledge, is a revolutionary discovery in this world, after all.
...Wait a minute, Jamie? As the personal aide of the Prince?
Oh, goddess! So, that's who he is!
I suddenly laughed out loud which most likely startled the girl on the other side of the call.
"Nera?"
"Sorry, I just had a really funny thought."
"I see..." She sounds so down...
Wait, does she think I'm laughing at her?
"Congratulations on being a royal researcher! I wasn't laughing at you, I swear!"
She giggled, "I know, you're laughing at Jamie, aren't you?"
I glared at the crystal bead, hoping she could feel it. She was teasing me!
After that night on my birthday when Jamie and I talked, we never had another conversation with each other again. If Jamie had anything to ask of me, which was already rare, Jasmine would be the one to say it.
I didn't find the need to tell him anything, so we had no more reasons to hold another interrogation like that again.
"He's more of an advisor, actually, since he'll be the Chancellor after Father." Jasmine clarified.
"...I don't really care what he does," I grumbled.
"Of course, you don't." She laughed. "It's getting late. I'll go now, good night, Nera!"
"Bye! Have a good night's sleep too, Jasmine."
And with that, we ended our nightly conversation for the day.
"Jamie de Vanderwale..." I said then hugged my pillow to my face to muffle the sound of my loud laughter.
I knew that name was familiar as soon as I read it. He was the side character in the novel and was the 'straight man' for the comical side of Crown Prince Marin.
Crown Prince Marin is known as a responsible and hardworking man to the rest of the Empire but, as written in the novel, when he was busy wooing Jasmine, he often left his work to Jamie de Vanderwale, his right hand. And they weren't just a few papers but a ton.
Jamie would then always complain to Prince Marin about his work-life balance but Marin doesn't care about it. That was another funny part of the novel, other than Marin's outrageous ways to get Jasmine's love.
Other than that, whenever the villainess would do something or they need help and the two can't solve it on their own, Jamie would be the one to give them answers. Makes sense since he is called the 'Genius of the Century', which I didn't remember from the novel at all.
But who cares!
I chuckled even louder.
"They're a double act!"
He acts so arrogant in front of me like this but he's only reduced to a comedy act in the novel!
I hit my bed multiple times and only continued to laugh.
Oh goddess, that was a good laugh.
While reading the novel, it was certainly funny seeing such a refined Prince not do any of his responsibilities and leave it to his advisor.
Now that I personally know, and hate, the character involved, I can't help but laugh even more.