"Adeline, Her Majesty requested your presence at the castle tomorrow."
Adeline's eyes widened. Already?! She just told herself to avoid the Crown Prince!
"But Father-" Alaric tried to reason with him. He wasn't a fool, it was obvious why she would set her eyes on Adeline.
The Empress came from the family of the Southern Duke, they were far away from the capital city which didn't bode well for her, the Empress assumed the Marquess was dissatisfied with his position, he had the responsibilities of a Duke but not the title.
She, however, was completely wrong. Titles didn't matter to him, and they certainly didn't matter more than his dear daughter. If she thought he would sell his daughter for a pathetic title she couldn't be more wrong.
The Marquess interrupted Alaric, "It's an Imperial order, they have summoned her. However, the Royal family can't force her to do anything."
The message her father sent to her was clear. Whatever schemes the Empress and Cassian plot against Adeline to get them engaged, she had the right to say no and he would protect her no matter what.
Rarely did they have meals together, but they chose to spend it in silence. Adeline thought this would've been a great time to have some quality family time but it ended as awkwardly as it began. 'What is wrong with these people?!' She could clearly see how her brothers would look at him for approval but the man gave them nothing!
Seeing how everyone was leaving she prepared to hop off the chair but this time, her father beat her brother to it. He helped her get off and placed her gently on the ground. She smiled to herself, seeing how Alaric helped her and how close their bond was, her father wanted to be part of it.
Adeline politely said thank you and followed Aaron to the library. As a child she didn't have much to do, her classes usually lasted only a few hours, much less than what her brothers went through. She was supposed to go to her own class but she decided to skip it. However, her teacher didn't decide to do that. As if used to her antics he followed them to the library and gave her study exercises.
"To uphold the honour of the House of Kendrick you must be prepared."
Adeline sighed, why did she think this life would be any different, etiquette lessons, and education, were just as strict. She wanted to live a life of leisure but it wasn't going to happen.
Her tutor looked exhausted. The original Adeline acted her age and was fussy when it came to lessons. She wasn't going to have this problem, of course. She answered the questions he had planned so quickly that it left him baffled. The classes, which were supposed to last three hours, had been finished in an hour.
"This is... amazing."
The tutor couldn't believe his eyes. He dramatically wiped his glasses to check if he was seeing things right. Even her brother who should've been studying for his examination threw the book aside and looked as his little sister solved everything at a fast pace.
The tutor wanted to test her potential and slowly increased the difficulty level.
'Maybe, I shouldn't overdo it. I don't want to be put in advanced classes and be forced to study.'
The tutor determined that she was on the same level as her second-oldest brother. The Marquess made a special exception for his daughter, no one needed to make an appointment to discuss her matters with him.
Thinking he discovered a prodigy he had to share this excitement with someone, and who better than the Marquess, he might even get rewarded for sharing such good news.
"Linny! Were you hiding your intelligence till now?" Aaron shook her shoulders vigorously, bombarding her with many questions.
She was thinking of excuses to justify her sudden show of intelligence. Thankfully, there was a maid who rushed in, "Miss! Your father is requesting your presence."
Adeline wondered why she was called, was it because of the tutor, she remembered him leaving the library practically skipping along the hallway.
"Father?" Slowly opening the door to her father's study she entered the room. The door's creaky sound filled the awkward silence in the room. She looked around to see who else was there, the tutor wasn't in the room but there was a man who was dressed in official clothing standing to the side.
Her memories told her that those who wore that uniform were working for the royal family, specifically their messengers.
Adeline put the pieces together, this must be related to the playdate. It had been a day since she entered this body but the plot already started to take effect.
"Adeline. His Highness the Crown Prince has sent a letter for you."
The messenger insisted that the Crown Prince wanted only the recipient to read the letter. He refused to hand the letter over to the Marquess and just leave the premises.
Adeline carefully took the letter under the watchful eyes of her father.
"Miss Adeline, I look forward to our meeting tomorrow. Please, accept this gift."
"Gift?" She looked at her father in pure confusion. 'Just what was his purpose?' As if it was her inherent nature she felt fear strike her heart at the mention of the Crown Prince. The messenger carefully placed the package on the table nearby. Adeline slowly approached it with the intention of opening it.