The Duke wore a very serious face at the time after uttering the question.
He still remembers her crying face that night before all this unfortunate happened. Even if he hates her to death, he never wants this kind of thing to happen. What he said that night, maybe stabbed her heart too deep for her to make such a drastic decision.
Someone she loves with all her heart vows not to love her until death. He even wants to make sure she will feel devastated and suffer because she still wants to get married and tie him to her despite knowing very well how he feels about her.
Who in their right mind can accept it? He also suffers in this hate-love relationship. So she can't blame everything on him, right?
All this time, his treatment of her was never good, but she still persevered and flashed her timid smile each time they met to have tea time. He thought that night also the same.
A few more insults, a few more hurtful words to make himself feel good should just become a habit in her days. But he is wrong.
He is a very cold person. His experience in life makes him like that. As good things never come when he is not on guard. And she, becoming the person she is, coming from a family like that, added to his hatred.
Still, with what happened, he couldn't deny that he felt a little guilty. But, apart from the feeling of relief because she finally opened her eyes, he also couldn't deny the feeling of suspicion towards the girl even though she is already surviving. At least now, he is spared from making more excuses to the royal family as when she is unconscious, he kept the matter a secret.
Even if she is a timid person, she knows very well what she wanted, and it irritated him as he is one of what she's wanted.
"Let's see if she really lost her mind or not."
~~~~~~~~~~
SILVER PALACE, EAST SIDE.
The next day.
Ariana had a very good sleep that night which made her lazy to wake up even though Lily was already calling her name several times. Even if the sunlight that was now shining on her face when Lily opened the curtains, it had no effect at all to her. She didn't even bother to open her eyes.
"Oh my God, my Lady! You need to get up now. The sun is already rising." Lily started babbling. She is definitely not a kind and crying person like yesterday. Maybe after knowing Ariana's health is just fine apart from her loss of some memories.
"You always a morning person my lady. It seems what happens really changes you into someone else."
"Umm... Just a few more minutes." Ariana is begging.
Lily scratched her head, confused. What head butler Smith told her that morning also disturbed her mind.
He said Madam Petunia, who was previously hired by the Duke to teach Ariana ethics and behavior will be called in again, as based on his observations, this princess here needs relearning before there is any big event in the empire.
Lily really wanted to say no to the head butler as Madam Petunia was too strict in educating Ariana a while ago. Also, she knows very well why the duke wants Madam Petunia. He never likes her as a woman anyway!
But seeing Ariana sleeping on her back while opening her legs too wide, so unladylike when she usually sleeps like an angel, makes Lily think about it again. Let her feeling sorry aside! Maybe, it's not a bad idea for this lady to relearn again.
Since it was useless trying to wake up this sleeping beauty, Lily continued her mission.
"Ladies!"
As soon as she screamed, several maids who had been waiting outside now entered the room's compound.
"Let's get started."
So, in a sleepy state, Ariana was picked up, undressed, bathed, and put on makeup. Everything happened so smoothly and quickly that Ariana didn't really realize what was happening to her but, she didn't feel disturbed.
Now, she feels refreshed, Ariana just lets herself be pampered.
"Ugh, how many layers is this dress Lily? Are you trying to kill me or what? Can't I just wear the inner part only?"
"That's the undergarment, my lady. You can't just go around wearing that."
"Tch, it's not like I'm showing some skin. It's so hard to walk around with this heavy dress."
Lily smiled.
"Why are you complaining? You wear this all your life. All women wear this and be pretty. I even loosen your corset as you are not that well yet. Usually, you will ask me to tighten it more."
Ariana made a face. Thinking that how can she breathe if it gets tighter than this.
"Your clothes are more comfortable in my opinion." She said absentmindedly.
"My lady! Please don't say something like that to anyone else or some bad rumors will circulate around about you."
What? Praising the maid's clothes can even make me enter the breaking news here? Ariana just can't understand it. She has only been in this world for two days but she already feels tired.
'I can do it. Mom and dad always said that I can survive anywhere I go even if I get lost in the desert. Here, it can't be that bad.' Ariana tries to be positive.
Knock! Knock!
As if that person knows that she almost ready, there was a knock at the door. Lily proceeded to open it from the inside.
"Princess, how are you feeling today?"
Ariana sigh a little,
'At least, he got the same face. It comforts me enough.' Again she convinced herself.
"I'm feeling fine as long as I have something to eat Mr. Head Butler."
"You can just call me John or Smith princess." He corrected her as 'Mr. Head Butler' sounds too... polite?
"Isn't that mean I can just call you anything?" Ariana asked with an innocent tone.
Sweat started to appear on the heads of Smith and Lily. But just like princess, they also need to accept this change.
"That's a correct princess. Anyway, today, as we didn't want to strain you by doing work, let's just walk around the castle to see if you remember something or anything. It's also good for you to breathe fresh air outside. "
Ariana smiles honestly as even though she is kind of nervous being in here, she is also excited to explore this new world. If she can't get out, she needs to be familiar, isn't she?
"Sounds good. Let's go now."
She leads the way as if she knows but her high heels make her unstable a little bit. But then she finds her balance and continues to walk out of the room with big steps, and big hand movements which her layering dress cannot even cover the movement.
Lily and Smith lost their minds now to see this rare sight. How come this perfect princess who always care about her image suddenly changed into this?
"Head Butler. Please call Madam Petunia." Lily had to say that.
"Of course. Urgently." Smith also agrees.
After eating her full-course breakfast, Ariana escorted by Lily and Smith walked around the entire Silver Palace where she now knew how big the area was. It probably take her a full month for her to conquer every corner. Now she just moves around the east side of the castle which is the place where she lives.
"Hello..."
"Good Morning."
"Have a nice day."
Every time she met a worker there she kept saying her greeting and each time she became friendly, she can feel like everyone is tense and uncomfortable. But even that, she still does it to know this Ariana more.
But, in her current state, she can feel that her body is too weak and frail compared to herself before. Even when doing normal walk like this already feel hard to her.
She still remembers how to fight inside her mind and already confirms herself when she is being left alone that her reflex is still good even if she is inside this body. The problem is that, she is too easy to feel tired. For someone who trains hard to become a mafia heiress, this is certainly a big problem.
From a distance, the duke who just got off the carriage, back from his work outside, observed her from afar. Even from such a distance, he can see how awkward the way she walks, and how weird her gesture is.
"So she really lost her mind huh?" Seeing Ariana like this in person makes him feel somewhat convinced by what Smith told him before.
While showing the area there, Lily also introduced Ariana to people she might come across often like her personal knights, the gardener, the craftsman, the coachman, and also the cook to make it easier for her.
Luckily, Ariana has a good memory and is able to remember their faces and all those places. Well, she is good except for learning things at school.
"Now, here is your personal place. You often spend time here drinking tea and reading books."
"A garden?" Ariana's eyes started to shine.
"My personal garden?" She looked at Lily to be sure.
"Yes. You even planted all the flowers and plants here yourself with the advice of the gardener. No one can enter here without your permission."
Inwardly, Ariana screamed. She can't believe one of her dreams can come true here.
"Can I be alone for a while? I won't go anywhere." Ariana asked.
"Then, I'll go and bring some snacks for you to eat here," Lily said while moving away.
"I also have something else to attend to. If anything please call Knight Robert outside the gate. He will watch you from afar." Smith also excused himself.
Ariana nodded.
After being left alone, her smiling face disappeared.
"Let's start."
Taking a deep breath as possible, she then...
"Where am I? What am I wearing? Why has my hair become long? This is... a house? Castle? Why do people look so traditional just like Cinderella's story here?!"
"This clearly out of nowhere?!!!"
Puff... Puff...
Her breath fluctuated after releasing what was hidden.
"Phew... Much better." She then sat on the bench after feeling good.
"Now, I need to think about how to live here. I can't just hope one day I can get back to the real world. There is no certainty about that. Let's think of some strategy."
After a few minutes, before she can even think, she can feel the sound of footsteps approaching her.
"I just came to see if you're still breathing."
Rude. That's the first word that came to Ariana's mind at that time.
She get ready to talk her mind with that person but as soon as she looked at that face, she froze.
"Flower boy?"