The beaming girl, unaware of the shock she had given to Arella walked calmly in their direction. Her gait was gracious, her back straight and her long wavy tresses were tied up tightly in a lazy bun. Her demeanor was casual yet her eyes were alert.
She was blessed with a pair of sharp golden eyes and as if that wasn't enough to define her beauty, the Beats God had given her shiny golden hair. With a slender waist, long legs, and a sleek figure, she looked like a fairy descending upon their planet.
Arella's features paled in comparison. Her red hair glided with the air, but it lacked luster. And her face was noticeably pale. Though her figure was as good as the oncoming girl, she looked a little sloppy. Her only advantage was her eyes, which were burning bright red enchantingly at the moment.
Trying to hide her panic and anxiousness, Arella grabbed Adrian's hand tightly. She could not lose in front of her love rival! Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to regain her lost composure.
With Adrian by her side, she could handle catastrophes, this was just a love rival. Arella blazed with confidence. She couldn't lose to her. She tried her utmost and put on a happy face.
The girl was already near them. And now, Ella could hear her complaining voice.
"You are finally here! You took too long! I have been waiting for ages!" She gave a sad look to Adrian before facing the dazed girl near him.
"Hello, you must be Arella. I am Anna. Pleased to meet you." She suddenly came closer and wrapped her in a tight hug.
Started by her gesture, Arella found herself at a loss. But she soon recovered.
"I am honored to meet the royalty. I have heard a lot about Princess Anna." She bowed her head a little and mimicked the fashion in which royalty should be addressed.
"No need. No need. I cannot allow my savior to bow down to me!" Princess Anna frantically stopped Arella from bowing further.
"Savior?" Puzzled, Arella stopped bowing and stood straight. Confusion flickered in her eyes as she instinctively looked to Adrian for an answer. But Adrian stood unaware with ram rod back and pursed lips.
Before Arella could ask further, Princess Anna took her arms and walked toward an enormous building. It was evident that they were not going to the castle but to another magnanimous building near it.
"Of course! Had it not been for your timely arrival, I would have been cursed to become partners with this ice of a Beast!" Princess Anna excitedly shared. Her eyes twinkled with real pleasure.
"Ice of a Beast?" Arella muttered under her breath and stole a glance at the person referred to in the topic. By chance, Adrian too, looked at her.
Their eyes met and parted within seconds. Princess Anna did not notice anything, but Arella was sure that she had seen a speck of grievance in her beloved's eyes!
Arella did not know how to react. Her mood was extremely complicated. The love rival who she had feared and who everyone had thought was a perfect partner for her husband wasn't a love rival at all!
And why does she feel that the environment between these two wasn't right? It looked like Adrian was being bullied and was full of grievances. Arella felt amused at her own thoughts.
By now, they had reached the premises of the building. All of a sudden, Princess Anna broke away from Arella's grip and took a few steps forward. The momentum changed and her aura surged. A few staff members came forward from all directions and bowed politely.
"Empty the second floor. Nobody is allowed to get in. If anyone comes, I won't be responsible for the consequences." Princess Anna spoke curtly. Her face revealed a sharpness that was akin to a soldier's.
With her bloodthirsty aura, unyielding temperament, alert eyes, and sharpness, Princess Anna looked nothing like the friendly girl she was a few moments ago.
Arella felt awestruck. To be honest, the princess right now, was indeed very similar to Adrian himself! Both looked cold with a face that could drip ink.
While Arella was scrutinizing Princess Anna, the staff ran for their lives. Within minutes, the entire building emptied. More than 50 people came out of the place. Princess Anna had only asked for the second floor to be cleared, but it looked like the entire building was abandoned by every living soul.
Princess Anna walked straight and Arella and Adrian followed closely behind. Once they reached the second floor, a giant closed door welcomed them.
It was a metal door with intricate patterns and looked very heavy. Princess Anna gave a slight push and the giant door flung open. And inside the room was…nothing.
The inside of the room was empty, except for a lavender colored soft looking plush carpet. Few floor to ceiling windows in every direction made the room very bright and airy.
"Oh! I Hope you remember that it's the weekend?" Princess Anna was back to her excited self.
Areall found it hard to register the sudden change. Was the Princess suffering from a split personality? One gloomy and another cheery?
"You should know, I haven't had a new recruit in ages! My hands were itching but your beloved husband forbade me from using my ways. So, I can only resort to this, starting from the first step." Princess Anna continued without waiting for any response.
"You can have your fun while I go and beat your husband. I need to relieve my itch. Good luck!" Princess Anna said and stepped on the plush carpet.
Arella couldn't make heads or tails of whatever Princess Anna had said. She wanted to ask her. She followed after Princess Anna and stepped on the carpet as well.
She was the last to step in and when she really did, the scene around her changed.
All of a sudden, she found herself standing inside a forest. Bewildered, she looked around but could not find any shadow belonging to either Adrian or Princess Anna.
Even if she moved forward and called a few times, no one answered. It was eerily quiet around her. Just as she was about to give up, a mechanical sound echoed in the forest.
"Welcome to the Novice Landscape. The task's objective is to find the pearl. Killing animals will give bonus points. All powers suspended. Use your physical capabilities. Level I."