Rivienne was fascinated again by the work of the imperial chef. He has made a bouquet of purple macaroons, as she asked. Everyone else was complimenting her for arranging the fine tea party, and the atmosphere was as pleasant as ever.
As Rivi was counting on Daemon's arrival, being proud of the best dress she was wearing and the light makeup she wore, Lady Millicent dropped the latest news. "I heard that the crown prince is escorting the saintess to the hunting festival. Is this true princess?"
News flies so fast.
"Yes, lady Millicent, His Highness has decided to pay gratitude for all her efforts. After all, she deserves such an honour," Rivienne replied calmly.
Millicent showed a smile that did not reach her eyes. "…Indeed, Your Highness,"
Oh! Dear, she sipped her bitter tea, continuing her smile. "It never bores me," She heard Lady Mary's mocking low voice. "How can she be so dense?" That marked the seventh time.
"It was obvious that the engagement was breaking apart. If I were her, I would gracefully step aside. I mean, who is us or her to compare with the saintess?"
Rivienne always pretended that she was deaf to those baseless rumours. She knew that even if they were true, her father, the grand duke would never allow replacing Rivienne with someone like the Saintess, who had a commoner's background. And she would never let her love get defeated.
With the sour taste, she put a spoonful of honey-coloured dessert and bit something as hard as a stone inside her mouth. While she bit, she felt the weird taste as she carefully checked the dessert with the spoon.
Sand!
"Entering the imperial princesses, Her Highness Elaina and Her Highness Daniella"
Rivienne quickly swallowed, ignoring the cutting on her tongue and decorated her face with a smile. She almost hiccupped, and tears sank even without coming out.
Princess Elaina, who was craving Rivienne's tears, turned to her and sat beside her after greeting other ladies, while Princess Daniella sat next to her with no expression. They both had the emperor's platinum hair yet had their mothers' eye colours and shapes. Yet the beauty was equally radiant.
"Oh! What a splendid party Azalea," Princess Elaina praised with her flashy smile. She did not wait for Rivi's response and turned to show off her cerulean dress.
Rivi's heart began pounding loudly. What if princesses eat sand? Is it only mine? Are the other dishes-
"What is the matter, Azalea?" Princess Daniella asked while she was taking the teacup. "You look rather pale. I hope you will be able to speak," Then she mumbled to herself. "… At least by now,"
Rivi blinked, looking at her. Why… Her heart clenched, and the grip on the teacup tightened. Why is everyone…
Her family.
Her big three brothers looked at her as the same as before, and they never changed. They hated her for some unknown reason. Even though she tried to ask so many times, they would shout at her or scare her away. They acted as if she never existed.
She loved her name, Rivienne because it was the only connection between them. But when their stepmother arrived and she had a new sister, they changed her name to Azalea, which rhymed with the name of her older sister Camellia. Even then, she was happy to have a family, but it was true that she felt jealous a little bit.
When Killion carried Camellia, making her walk alone by herself in the town feasts when Cassian praised Camellia and turned a blind eye to her, when they did not attend her engagement saying various reasons, when they went to the battlefield without saying a word to her, when they slapped…
I should stop this.
Not the right time.
She glanced at the princesses' dishes, and there seemed to be no harm when they ate.
Thank god.
She felt her lungs filling with the air.
Lady Millicent, who was staring at her in the corner of her eyes, turned to Madam Barbara and the other young maids crackling in low and their proud looks.
'Funny'
"Isn't it pathetic?" Princess Daniella talked, looking far away over the orange horizon.
"Pardon?"
"Love, I mean," said the princess.
As Millicent was thinking about a whole other world, it took a couple of seconds to understand what she meant.
"Sometimes Princess… Not all the time,"
"Well," Daniella sounded uninterested. "Love around me is always pathetic. My mother, my brother, me… and her. So love is pathetic for me,"
"Pathetic, pitiful love," Millicent singsong. "Fake love…" Her eyes rolled where Sir Lance stood like a statue next to the crown princes "Cowardly love!… why not?... Oh my! What is happening?"
By her call, everyone turned to the garden entrance and gasped secretly. And Rivienne could not hide her reaction when the predatory eyes shot at her for another juicy rumour.
Her fingers trembled, and she barely inhaled.
Why…
Why is she with him?
"What a match made in heaven. I know. And there she is, the brown crow. So the rumours are true about her being an illegitimate…hush now! Still, she can cut our tongues. well, I doubt that,"
No, I am not illegitimate. My parents are the same as the triplets.
How humiliating.
Rivi felt her face burning. Her heart was burning. Her surroundings burned.
On the other hand, Daemon saw her flame disappearing along with the wind, and the scene was exhilarating. He held the saintess's hand and escorted her to the tea party, mentioning a joke about chickens. The saintess could not stop her giggles even after seeing the circle and wiped her joy tears.
"Oh! What a wonderful evening. Come here, Riana. Have a seat," His sister Elaina knew what to do as he politely dragged her chair to sit.
"Thank you, my prince,"
Princess Azalea of the Carmillion dukedom. The innocent yet insolent, brave yet pathetic, lovable yet disgusting creature who dared to suck his life out of him for the rest of his life. She was such an easy doll to move around, unlike her father.
Even when she was a little girl, she was not that clingy, yet in the present, she was such an eye sore for Daemon, sending flowers, greeting, showing her teeth, and repeating about her love for him.
Daemon, who did not love anyone, began to compare her with the saintess for the time being.
All were thanks to Azalea's efforts.
He enjoyed seeing her shattering.
"Very well, since everyone is here. I would like to make an announcement," Daemon began.