Amy quickly ran out of her room to go find Viola only to be surprised to see her sister meet her halfway.
"I felt it!" she panic. "Rosalina and her mother are coming this way." Viola said with a shaky voice. "Mother and father aren't here!"
"Don't worry. She came here uninvited. We can deal with her."
"No! I don't want to see them." she shivered.
Their father is at work and her mother is a bookkeeping lady-in-waiting to the queen.
Viola is pretty shaken up. she thought.
In this story, there are people who are born illegitimate. It is more prominent with nobles. Only noble families have last names and commoners don't. To have a surname means you have a prestigious lineage or have made contributions to the crown. Commoners do not have last names but illegitimate children with a noble parent don't technically have one either unless they are acknowledged so they have their own.
Virin, derived from the word Viriditas meaning weed, is a name given to acknowledged noble bastard children and sometimes to children born from morganatic marriages that are between a noble and a commoner. That name would never change unless they marry, given a new surname by the law, no living heirs to continue the family name, or fully acknowledged by their noble parent. There are ways to test their parentage or ancestry. With the help of Magic, it can help determine blood relations.
Nobles, usually the men, have many illegitimate kids who possess the name Virin. The Anthos family rarely have any illegitimate children who possess the name Virin, at least to her knowledge. They have much pride in their house after all. Anyone not born with the birthmark are not deserving of the name to the House. Amy suspected foul play when she first heard the information. So who are the Virins?
Her father and mother are devoted to each other and their work in addition to maintaining pride and not damaging their reputations thus never had affairs. The same goes for her grandfather, great-grandfather, uncles, cousins and distant relatives. However, her grand-aunt is certainly not innocent.
She learned that her grand-aunt fell in love with the family gardener but she was engaged then married off to a far away noble family. She had a child eight months later yet remained married to her husband, who already had children from his previous marriage, due to the marriage agreement. But her illegitimate child was sent to the Anthos family where he had a decent education and later married with a child of his own. He was considered to be a decent gentleman and despite no land or rank, he is a respected scholar who was in the service of the royal duke. His widowed wife and daughter are still alive but independently wealthy due to their deceased father's fortune as well as her grand-aunt's financial support.
"Lady Amaryllis! Lady Violet!" The girls turn to see their head butler. "Antonia and Rosalina Virin are here."
"Why are they here?"
"They said that they are on their way to the royal academy but need a place to stay."
Rosalina Virin is the granddaughter of her grand-aunt Rosalind, whose name she inherited. She has all but the Anthos name and is relentless on harassing and berating Viola only when Amy isn't around. That girl is only two years older than her and yet she's making all this noise as if she were the younger one. She once tried to assert dominance to Amy but Rosalina regretted it fairly quick. It's people like them that feed the bully trope and remind Amy that she is in a fictional story.
Amy has no personal prejudice against illegitimate children as there are many hardworking ones who made names for themselves and erase any stereotypes but Rosalina gives them all a bad name especially to Viola. Amy had to tell Viola gently that it is Rosalina's personality that is like this.
"Madam would've been here if she were expecting them. We can't just turn them away either." The head maid told the girls.
Amy looked at the two head servants. "Will you two listen to me as the eldest member of the household for now?"
The two nodded at her in response. Viola looked at her sister in confusion.
"I will receive them. If they are being rude then I will take care of it. Bring them in."
Amy and Viola sat next to each other in the greeting room. Viola is scared but decides to stay by Amy's side unwilling to leave her sister alone with them. The Virins are haughty because their wealth surpasses her family. Antonia and her daughter made a name for themselves in high society due to their extravagance, connections as well as a title which they bought, which explains why they are arrogant.
Then the mother and daughter pair appeared in the room. Both of them are pretty much identical. They have matching ruby red hair and eyes which match their haughty behavior and...
Amy tries not to show it but they are definitely not dressed for travel. Are they going to a party?
"Is it just you two? Where is your mother?" Antonia curiously asked.
"Mother is at the palace right now."
"The Palace?"
"She has been appointed as a lady-in-waiting to the queen just recently." Amy said with a deadpan expression.
Antonia tries to cover her expression with a fan but she's definitely jealous.
"I see. Well, if aunt Clarissa needs our support then we will happily provide it." Rosalina says proudly with a smile.
Viola grip Amy's hand in response. It was deemed disrespectful for her to call their mother their aunt like that mostly due to her status but what irked Amy is that she said it in such a condescending tone.
Amy ignored the disrespect. "What brings you here in the mansion? You came here without notifying anyone beforehand."
Antonia's expression brightened. "Ah, yes. Rosalina is heading to the entrance banquet of the royal academy tomorrow. Starting tomorrow, she will be attending the academy."
"I'm sorry but are you going somewhere today?"
"We're just here to drop off our things here. We are heading to a pre-celebration for the young ladies attending the banquet."
"There are many girls who are going to the academy! Then the Crown prince will attend in two years!"
"But the ladies are also gonna be competitive, is it not?" Viola whispered.
The ladies turn towards her in response. "What do I have that they don't? Looks, money, even a title."
"Of course, if the prince is anything like his father, he will never take his eyes off of you. You might even become a princess."
Amy hates bullies especially ones who wouldn't admit their insecurities because this girl is full of them. A lot of problems could be solved just by simply talking it out, but Rosalina is the typical villainess that everyone finds annoying and self-centered. There is nothing redeeming about her personality that Amy could find. For the past few years, she has tried to help Rosalina change but gave up after seeing she is a lost cause. She is the only person that Amy doesn't see as a real person even in this fictional world.
Her mother is also a shallow person who spoils her daughter and gives in to her demands. She seems to also be under the impression that she would become a noble now that she bought themselves a title.
Amy doesn't know the details but apparently, Leon's dad; King Claude is quite a skirt chaser.
"You're not planning to stay here for the night, right?" Amy inquired.
"It will not hurt to stay for one night, right?" Rosalina says. It seems she is staring at Viola who then grip Amy's hand.
"Right now, our parents aren't home. They will not be happy that you make an unexpected appearance like this. Moreover, this isn't the first time you've done this. I still haven't forgotten how you treated our mother who is your host." She said.
Antonia glared at Amy. "I always thought you look like your mother but it seems you talk like your father as well. They must have been spewing nonsense in your heads. We are your guests. You may be young but aren't you being rude here?"
Amy smirked in response. She has been courteous so far but since they lit the flame, she might as well retaliate. "You are so proud of becoming a part of nobility but you lack the appropriate manners. I heard you have only been invited to charity events than formal or social ones. I wonder why?"
Both ladies cringe in response. "You don't know how precious the Virin name is. We are hardworking and bring much service to the kingdom. What did you and your mother ever do? Nothing noteworthy except bearing the honorable name of the Anthos house."
Amy kept her deadpan expression. "You think I was being rude earlier?" Amy put her hand on the table and grip it tightly until it cracked. The looks on their faces paled in disbelief. Viola seems to understand what Amy is doing now. "Don't take me for a fool just because I'm young. I know what the Virin name implies on both sides. All nobles do not tolerate laziness especially for the younger generation. We were educated at a young age by our parents and we plan on using our talents to serve our country. You probably have plans to rise up the social ladder even more but at this point you'll tarnish it. As for me and Violet not bringing nothing, we worked hard for it. I think-" she motioned her eyes on the crack before staring back at the pair. "-this serves as an example."
"Of course." Antonia replied while Rosalina attempted to do the same thing with the table out of curious.
"I heard that Lady Rosalina has been trained in etiquette, but it seems you do not understand the morals and creed of being a noble in this day and age." Amy says sarcastically. "Now you can go to the party but take your things with you. If you really are going to the Royal Academy, then you're barely even close at this distance. Your sudden appearance hasn't given us time to prepare the guest rooms."
"Of course, we'll be on our way. We have a long journey ahead of us." Antonia said seemingly getting the message.
"But mother!"
"Please Rosalina. We are gonna be late."
Rosalina was silent and upon staring at Amy, she decides to shut up.
"Alright."
After the ladies left, Viola finally sighed with relief. Amy quickly repaired the table with construction before she notices.
"That was scary. You didn't need to do that."
"It's fine. The table is fine. It's just an illusion." Amy said before grinning ear to ear. Oh hell, that felt good.
Viola stare in their direction before staring back at her. "Are they gonna come back?"
"Parties usually take hours especially a celebration party. Mother and father would be home by then."
Viola nodded before hugging Amy. "You're so brave, Amy."
She hugged her sister back.