The next day came after the stressful events of that day. It still felt like a fever dream for Elucina, after getting her crown stripped from her since the sudden appearance of her older sister.
"Haah…"
Elucina sighed, blinking her eyes open to find herself in the carriage, accompanied by Daleah, who sat in front of her. When their eyes met briefly, Daleah nervously gave her a smile before looking down at their shoes.
The clatter of hooves from the horses played in the background as her transportation brought her to her desired destination.
"…"
Elucina actually felt somewhat a little calmer than she did the previous day after the revelations. Her thoughts were now refreshed with anew.
But that did not necessarily mean that she condoned her father's actions – the betrayal he did towards her.
Feeling her nerves settle, she took the chance to observe Daleah while the carriage was jolting over the road.
Daleah had curly black hair that framed her face, which was dotted with freckles, giving her a unique beauty.
However, what caught Elucina's attention the most was Daleah's almost permanent frown on her face, as if she was battling with self-doubt constantly.
And that particular trait bothered Elucina the most, especially since it was different from someone like herself, who considered confidence as essential as breathing.
"I, Is there something on my face, my lady?" Daleah asked, her question effectively interrupting Elucina's thoughts.
Only from then that Elucina realize she had been staring at Daleah for about a minute. She was so engrossed surveying her that she hadn't noticed their carriage had stopped already.
Daleah had been patiently waiting the whole time, with a hand out to offer Elucina help out of the carriage.
"…No, not really," Elucina replied before she took her hand, finally stepping down from the carriage.
As she stood on the ground, Elucina sensed Daleah's looming figure over her. This lady stood at least eight inches taller than her, if only she would stop slouching her shoulders.
"You are incredibly tall, huh," Elucina unknowingly commented out loud.
"I, I am sorry, Your Highness," Daleah immediately apologized for no reason, leaving Elucina feeling confused and somewhat conflicted.
"…Uh, what?" Elucina mumbled in puzzlement, watching Daleah slouched even more. With a furrow, she decided to flick her head away and ignore her.
Why would she react like that? 'Now, I feel bad. She made it seem like I insulted her or something.'
Elucina paid no mind to Daleah, who was carefully keeping her distance and quietly trailing behind her.
Instead, she directed her attention towards the mansion in front of her.
"Is this supposed to be the place?" Elucina asked out loud as she set foot onto the paving stone pathway, finally passing through the wild grass.
"Yes, Your Highness," Daleah affirmed, her voice coming from behind. "We have arrived at the residence of Princess Vanetta."
"Hmph," Elucina exhaled, placing her hands on her waist.
It was surprising how much the mansion resembled Elucina's current residence. She observed the copied mansion, seeing that this one looked cleaner on the outside, which made her a little salty.
"It does seem identical," she muttered under her breath while she compared the sizes, "but mine is slightly wider than hers."
Absorbed in her thoughts as she occasionally nodded to herself, she did not notice that the door of the mansion was opening.
"Pr, Princess Elucina," Daleah called out, gesturing to the people who were waiting by the entrance of the mansion they had arrived at.
Only then, did Elucina notice the figures standing there. She moved to approach the door and finally met the person who had shocked her entire family with her existence.
"Let's go. Follow me, Daleah," Elucina said, flipping her hair from her shoulder to her back.
Not even bothering to hurry, she stepped onto the front patio, where her supposedly older sister was standing to greet her.
When she reached a meter distance, she stopped and studied the woman beside her older sister. As always, her hunch was right: Countess Lenné was indeed here.
And maybe due to her established manners, since she was the heiress, Elucina waited for her older sister to initiate the curtsy.
However, given that their dynamics had changed from the previous day, she found herself having to bow before this lady instead.
'Then, in that case, I will show you the most elegant curtsy you've ever seen in your entire life, commoner!' Elucina exclaimed inwardly, feeling excited to show her the place she belonged.
"Princess Vanetta," greeted Elucina, performing her curtsy she mastered from years of practice.
In a fluid move, she lowered herself with one foot sliding behind the other. She made sure that her head bowed just enough to show respect, while her hand on her dress smoothly flowed the fabric.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you." Elucina rose from her bow, keeping her chin held high.
Stealthy, she glanced at Countess Lenné, noting the satisfied nod and smile from her former mentor.
Elucina's face lit up with a small smile too, a simple joy that warmed her heart as she met her old friend again. It may have been a trivial victory, but it lifted her mood.
"Your Highness, Princess Elucina," Vanetta greeted back, her entire body filled with nervousness.
She bowed with a stiff back, and her movements were awfully cautious not to make a mistake that it backed fired on her.
When she soon lifted her face, Vanetta was hesitant to meet Elucina's gaze, her eyes flickering somewhere in Elucina's dress.
She seemed anxious, afraid of her getting judged by others.
However, it was given, since her awkward curtsy would likely be critiqued wherever she went, and she couldn't change the opinions of other nobles until she mastered it correctly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you at last, older sister," Elucina said with a tone devoid of emotion.
She proceeded to examine her features, which many had pointed out she resembled the late Queen Vittoria of Solmere.
She was… well, Queen Vittoria was exceptionally beautiful but also quite a stubborn woman. According to Elucina's previous history mentor, she held different views that were opposed to those of the people of Ethara.
Despite that, she was admired and respected by the common people because she backed for the rights of those of lower social status.
'Oh, and she also hated the marriage she had with my father,' Elucina remembered the detail.
"Er, it's a pleasure to me as well," Vanetta greeted back. "I hope you are doing fine… after the…"
'Hah!' Elucina scoffed inwardly, astonished by the audacity of this woman to remind her of yesterday's events. 'She's making fun of me, isn't she?'