Absolutely stunned, Elucina's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open in disbelief as she stared at Countess Lenné.
They had shared a long history together, having known each other since Elucina's coronation. At that time, Countess Lenné had not yet married the Count, and she started serving as Elucina's young handmaiden in the royal court.
Their bond grew stronger over time, and they began to see each other with respect and trust.
Countess Lenné had seen beyond Elucina's outward appearance, from her struggles to her vulnerable times. And realizing she had been too harsh towards her previous student, Countess Lenné felt regret gnawing at her.
She calmed herself down, taking a deep breath as she spoke softly, "...I apologize."
She looked Elucina in the eye, gently pulling her hand away from her shoulders. "Listen, Your Highness," she began, "you are intelligent and clever. The only issue is you allow your emotions to win over, which sometimes… makes you act irrationally."
Elucina's eyes welled up with tears when she tried to speak, "Uuu, I, I know that, but still–"
"Elucina," Countess Lenné interrupted her gently, "remember that the crown is meant for the heir who knows how to rule the kingdom, for someone who is both smart and brave."
The Princess' lips trembled as she whispered a whine, "B, But Father to, took the crown from me–"
"Shh," Countess Lenné shook her head, holding a hand to cup Elucina's cheek, brushing away her tears with her thumb. "Just remember what I said to you today. Hold onto it and they will guide you."
"But, Cathe," Elucina hesitated, her voice trembling.
Countess Lenné's expression softened. "I am trying to help you while I can," she urged, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Conceal your emotions, lift your head high. Show him that he made a mistake – prove that you are the rightful heiress."
As she comforted her, Countess Lenné guided Elucina's hair behind her shoulders. "Repeat after me," she encouraged.
Elucina sniffled, trying to fight back her tears as she echoed her words, "Co, Conceal my emotions. P, Prove His Majesty wrong."
Countess Lenné nodded in satisfaction, seeing the Princess heed her advice. Painting a small smile on her face, she instructed, "Now, wait here for a moment. I will ask Lady Daleah for a handkerchief."
"O, Okay…"
Elucina stood alone in the room as Countess Lenné shut the door. Tears continued to flow down her cheeks, but she knew she had to calm herself. She took deep breaths, trying to steady her emotions between her sobs that bounced off the walls of the master room.
It did not take long before Daleah came in with the handkerchief in her hand, calling out in the room, "Your Highness?"
Elucina turned on her heels to face Daleah, who was standing like an idiot, perplexed. She could not hold back but raised her voice in frustration, demanding, "J, Just give me that stupid handkerchief will you, Daleah!"
Daleah, knocked out of her daze, rushed over to hand the handkerchief, stammering, "Ah, y, yes!"
Elucina snatched it from her hold and started dabbing it against her cheeks. "...Thank you. Here, have it back," she muttered, returning the damped handkerchief to her new handmaiden.
Daleah stood beside her, looking lost, not really sure whether her job was done. "Um, is there anything else I can do for you, Your Highness?"
Elucina gave her a slight shake of her head. "No, but you can leave me alone for a while."
"B, But," Daleah hesitated, struggling to find the words to say, "Princess Vanetta is waiting outside for us."
"..."
Elucine fell quiet, resting her hands on her waist as she gathered her thoughts. After the last sniffle, she finally calmed herself. She said, "Then, let's go. I am finished with my business here."
…
The morning sunlight streamed into Elucina's bedroom, piercing through the curtains that framed the windows, filling the entire space with its warm radiance.
Elucina slowly blinked her lashes open as she rustled under her silk covers; the soft sheet against her skin as she shifted and stretched her arms wide.
She had only just opened her eyes, but she could feel that her body was exhausted already. It was hard for her to move; it felt like her arms and legs didn't want to listen to her as she summoned all her remaining energy to sit up on the bed.
Meanwhile, somewhere from the corner, she heard Daleah speak softly, "...Your Highness, the basin is ready for you to wash up," with a voice that had an evident concern.
Elucina turned her head to face Daleah, seeing the concern on her handmaiden's face. Pushing herself up, she swung her legs to the side of the bed and placed her feet on the cold wooden floor.
"Ughh…"
She got up, feeling she was moving through the mud as she pushed her way to the table where the porcelain basin was waiting for her.
The sparkling clear water greeted her. But then, she soon understood the meaning of why Daleah was gazing at her with worry.
'Woah, I look like a mess.'
She only remembered that she had cried the entire night, seeing her reflection staring with eyes swollen and red, partnered together with the dark circles under its sockets.
And her hair? Yeah, it was amazingly tangled.
'...God, get yourself together,' she said to herself inwardly while she dipped her fingers into the cool water, jolting her awake.
"Uuu." Just thinking about Countess Lenné and the fact that she had lost her crown brought back tears to her eyes.
'No! I hate to stop crying!'
Elucina quickly tried to blink it away. She knew she could not break down again, especially today.
Scooping up a handful of water, she splashed it onto her face to wash the remnants of her sleep. She did this over and over until she started to feel more alert and present in the moment.
After a while, Elucina finally stopped and stared at her wet face reflecting in the water. There was an important matter she had to do. No matter how sad Elucina was, she had to pull herself together.
But before she could make that happen, she had to put her thoughts straight and get ready for what she needed to do, meaning she had to find herself a pen and something to write on.
While her face was dripping wet, she turned to her handmaiden. "Daleah!" she called, "Prepare me some paper and a pen. I am going to request an audience with His Majesty."