After her friend left, Rosalena sat beside the glowing egg, her fingers lightly tracing its smooth surface. A deep curiosity filled her mind.
"Why would Mother place this egg in the pond?"
Her thoughts swirled as she stared at it, but there were no answers—only more questions.
Sighing, she changed into her soft nightgown and stepped out onto the balcony, gazing at the moonlit sky. The cool breeze whispered against her skin when suddenly—
A small bird fluttered towards her, gracefully landing on the balcony railing. In its beak, it held a letter sealed with wax.
Curious, Rosalena untied the letter and unfolded it. The familiar elegant handwriting made her eyes widen.
"Alex? Why would he send me a letter?"
As she read, she realized his message was simple yet unexpected:
"Meet me."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Why does he suddenly want to see me?"
Just as she was lost in thought, a tiny voice interrupted her.
"I want food! Feed me!"
Rosalena's eyes widened in shock as she turned toward the small bird.
"Did… did that bird just talk?"
Then she remembered—her newly awakened divine power. She could now hear and communicate with animals.
With an amused smile, she crouched down and offered some leftover biscuits from her tray. The bird happily pecked at them.
"Did you like it?" she asked.
"Mmm, yes! I like it!" the bird chirped excitedly.
Rosalena giggled. "That's good."
The bird fluffed its tiny feathers and gave her a sharp look. "Hey, do you understand me?"
"Yes, little one, I can hear you."
"Little one?! Hmph! My name is Chuchu! It's my grace, given to me by my master!"
Rosalena laughed softly. "Oh, so your name is Chuchu? That's a cute name. It suits you."
Chuchu puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course, it does! I serve the Grand Duke's son, Alex."
Rosalena tilted her head in curiosity. "Then, Chuchu, do you know why Alex sent me this letter?"
The small bird hesitated before flapping its wings. "Hmm… My grace was smiling when he wrote it!"
Rosalena blinked. "Smiling? Is that unusual?"
"Very!" Chuchu chirped. "My grace never smiles at anyone. Not once!"
She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity deepening.
"Alex never smiles… but he smiled while writing this letter?"
She bit her lip, holding back a small smile of her own.
"Alright, alright," Rosalena said, waving her hand. "You can go now after finishing your food."
Chuchu gave a final chirp before flying off into the night.
Rosalena sighed, clutching the letter to her chest as she walked back inside. Lying on her bed, she stared at the ceiling, her heart racing with excitement.
"Why does he want to meet me so suddenly? What could he possibly want to say?"
With newfound anticipation, she closed her eyes, already looking forward to her meeting with Alex.