Dahlia opened the door to the dining hall, and there we saw the King and Queen standing a few feet away from us.
As we entered, their faces lit up, and they walked towards us with smiles on their faces, their hands open, as if expecting a hug.
"Dahlia, Theo, and Zinnia. My three children are finally here!" The King exclaimed with great enthusiasm, embracing all three of us.
"It has been a while seeing all three of you present," he added.
"Now, now, dear, don't get too emotional. This is supposed to be a fun evening," the Queen chimed in, patting his back.
He released us from the awkward hug.
"You're right, My Love. Now, shall we eat?" He said and proceeded to take his seat.
We all followed suit and sat at the table. I couldn't believe that Euphemia chose to sit beside me. I looked at her, and she raised an eyebrow before smiling warmly, leaving me puzzled by her sudden change of attitude.
"Do you have something to say?" She asked, giggling.
It honestly sent shivers down my spine. She's good at acting. One would think the two of us were close friends.
Deciding to play along, I smiled back, "Nothing, it's just... I'm a bit concerned because you look awful. Did you have a bad day?" I questioned, feigning worry.
"Haha, you and your jokes, Princess Zinnia! You never fail to amuse us," she awkwardly chuckled.
"You can leave if you're feeling sick, Euphemia. I'm sure you had a rough day, considering your complexion," I said, touching her cheeks and grinning.
She slapped my hand away, rubbing both her cheeks where I had touched her.
"You better back off," she whispered aggressively, glaring at me.
"Hmm, don't want to," I mouthed the words, smirking at her.
"Good to know both of you are getting along just fine," the King said, amused, looking at the both of us.
"Why yes, father, she's quite adorable!" I responded.
"We get along just fine," Euphemia chuckled again.
"That's great! Now, before I say anything further, let us first feast!" The King clapped his hands, signaling the maids and butlers to enter the room. They carried delicious foods on trays and set them on the marble table one by one. As I hadn't been able to eat properly earlier, I could feel my stomach grumbling, and it let out a tiny growl.
Euphemia heard my stomach growl, and she looked at me disappointedly. "At least act like a decent princess for once," she mumbled.
I didn't reply to her and proceeded to eat the food in front of me. I tried my best to hold back from eating 'ungraciously' because the people around me were very respectable when eating.
As usual, the food served to us was in small portions that didn't even make me feel full.
I'll just have to bear with this for a little while. I could always sneak into the kitchen later and ask for more food.
A few moments later, we were all done eating and practically waiting for the King to make his announcement.
"Since we're all done eating, I have an announcement to make," the king finally said, wiping his mouth with a napkin and standing up to face all of us.
"As you all may know, my 55th birthday is only a few weeks away," he declared, holding his head high as we all clapped in response. "And to throw a grand party, I would like for Zinnia and Grand Duke Zemislav to host my birthday banquet," he added.
Our eyes widened, but the one who seemed most unable to believe the King's announcement was Theo. He stood up abruptly and slammed his fist on the table.
"But Father, you can't be serious!?" Theo shouted, glaring at the King. "You know how much Zemislav has suffered because of her," he added, pointing at me.
I could only glare back at him.
"He is right, Father. I don't think it would be wise to pair both of them together, considering what has happened," Dahlia added calmly while taking a sip of her wine.
One wouldn't assume she was worried, shocked, or bothered by anything due to her stoic expression. It feels as though nothing bothers her at all.
"I-I also agree with them, Your Majesty," Euphemia chimed in, looking down at the table and raising her hand.
Even though I hadn't said anything, I could also agree with them. I mean, I'm pretty sure Zemis still considers me an enemy, and it's not like I've properly apologized to him since I transmigrated into this body.
"I know that Zinnia did do such horrible things towards Grand Duke Zemislav, but after carefully checking around and speaking with her directly, I can truly say she has changed for the better," the King explained, smiling sweetly at me.
"Your father is right. I couldn't believe it myself either. But she spoke to us sometime before and she admitted her mistake. She deeply regretted what she did to the Grand Duke," the Queen added.
"Regretted? Bullsh*t! Father, do you truly believe that someone like her can change in the blink of an eye? The both of you can't be serious with this decision!" Theo shouted.
"Watch your mouth, Theodoric. I understand your frustration, since Grand Duke Zemislav is your partner. But do acknowledge the fact that people can change for the better. That's what your mother and I believe," the King emphasized.
"But—"
I cut off what Theo was about to say when I abruptly stood up, drawing everyone's attention.
"I understand that what I did before was extremely inappropriate, and I won't deny that it was a heinous crime. For that, I truly apologize, Grand Duke Zemislav," I said, bowing to Zemis.
"I don't blame you for not forgiving me right away, nor will I ever expect you to forgive me for what I did to you. I won't dare to assume, but one thing is for sure: I would love to work with you on this, and I will do my best to make Father's birthday banquet the best it could ever be. I promise you that I will not lay a hand on you ever again, even while working together on this exciting event," I added, looking at him sincerely.
His eyes widened, rendering him speechless. However, Theo growled at me, and I sensed he was on the verge of attacking me. Zemis intervened by holding Theo's arm, signaling him to stop.