This is the first time I have taken part in a staring game. None of us tried to look away as if we had a non-verbal agreement in which the first to give up was the loser.
The poor Crown Prince became the mediator.
“Good job, Lady Bethany! I think the Duke had the same opinion,” the Crown Prince declared.
Duke Frederick just let out a smile before saying, “Your Highness, I agree with your statement,”
If you had agreed earlier, I would have gotten inside.
They started walking towards the manor. I waited until they took several steps.
This was not stupidity. The shitty game world had complex rules. There was an etiquette saying that people of higher ranks should go first. Women should remember this. There should also be distance when an unmarried woman and man interacted. Like every rule, there were exceptions.
I strolled as I rubbed my palms and breathed on them. I was thankful to Reyner for giving me these mittens. Somehow it helped. I estimated that it took about 50 more steps before I could enter the manor.
This was a wonderful opportunity to exercise.
I touched my forehead when I fell because of hitting something soft. The owner of this body has a weak physique.
I greeted the person who bumped into me.
He did an Asian squat and commented, “Were you a turtle?”
I stood up. I am thankful that I fell on the grass.
“Your Grace, I apologize for my slowness. Expect me to speed up the pace.”
As if there is a way to speed up the pace of my little feet.
Did I tell them to wait for me? I followed the rules of your world, even if it made little sense! Why was it still my fault I fell? Why were people so unfair?!
I was in a daze when he put his cloak on my shoulders. Before I could speak, he already carried me in his arms. If we were newlyweds, I would be in this embarrassing position, but we only met today!
“Your Grace, you could put me down. The woman and the man ... ”
“Tell me that fucking rule, and I would not show any mercy to you.”
I knew it. I remained silent. Soon, my annoyance disappeared with amazement. Even though I only saw half of his face, I fell on his spell.
Why did he put on a mask? The novel depicted this man who had heavenly beauty, enough to launch and halt wars.
“Have you become my fan?”
My teeth gritted. He was right. I am a fan of his looks, but not his cockiness.
“Your Grace, how did you know?” I gasped, my hands were on my mouth.
“You gawked at me as if you have seen a knight in shining armor.”
“But it was true, Your Grace! You are a gallant man. You belong to the Top 10 handsome faces of the Daria Empire!”
It was not a smart move to start a fight with this man. Who knows if he would dispose of my dead body somewhere? Avoid death at all costs! I have not done a single task.
He chuckled upon hearing my compliment.
“Who is more handsome, me, or Reyner?”
Did the cold air pass through his brain? Was he not satisfied that I praised him? What a narcissistic guy!
“Of course you are, Your Grace!”
That was a simple decision. I did not want intrigue. If I chose Reyner, you would consider putting me on the list of crazy obsessed women. Being a concerned cousin, you would warn him to stay away from me. How could I do my job as a cupid if one of my targets did not trust me? I must also get your heart, devilish Duke Frederick.
“Were you sure? Was that an objective or subjective statement? ”
I tried my best to look like a depressed and teary-eyed puppy. I also sniffed because his sight was directed towards the manor, so I had to get his attention.
“Both, Your Grace! Should I explain and dissect every detail again? You don’t believe me?”
“That was enough. Thank You, Grimaldi.”
When the three of us entered, the attendants and other guests turned pale. I never knew that the mannequin challenge was also a trend here.
My father ran and gave respect to the two. He even apologized because he said I was bothering them. Duh! They were the ones who bothered me!
Eventually, the Duke took me down. I thanked him as if I owed him everything.
Fortunately, Reyner explained that I was their friend, and it was only a small thing to help me. The annoying Duke asked where his room was because he wanted to rest.
What was he trying to imply?
“My dear, how did you meet the Prince and Duke Frederick?”
Instead of resting, my parents (in this world) asked me a question.
I explained that we had just met, and the speed of events even surprised me.
“Mother, Father, I am exhausted from the shaky trip.”
They understood and left immediately. My mother even kissed me on the cheek. Adrian, the future heir of the Grimaldi household, tapped me on my shoulder. Charlie, the middle child, reminded me about dangerous men.
“Until now, I still could not believe that Duke Frederick put this on you. Did you know?” she caressed the hem of the cloak.
Charlie did not finish her story because Adrian dragged her away.
“Do not disturb our sister. Those useless stories would only make her anxious. She wanted to rest. Let us get out of here.”
First, I removed the cloak, carefully folded it, and hid it in the wardrobe.
What was that story about this cloak that would make me worry?
Whatever.
“Freedom at last!” I murmured as I felt my back touch the bouncy and soft mattress.
Alone time--- a thing that introverts love.
I have only spent a few hours in this world, but many things happened.
***
Five o’clock in the afternoon. Frost seeped into my window. While the servants prepared the lukewarm water for my bath, I was busy sewing the heating pads while sitting near the fireplace. I am not used to freezing weather. I could not afford to get sick.
“My Lady, your bath is ready,” Nora said.
“I can take a bath by myself. Just finish sewing these heating pads.”
Hot baths were the best! After I took a bath, I dressed up. I have to return their belongings.
But as I was going to their rooms, something unexpected caught my eye.
A perfect tool, an instrument that would create disturbance!
That chaos would be a decoy for Count Viscar and my true target.
There was an angelic princess that the entire empire favored, so the emperor did everything to protect her from the negative things surrounding this world. He forbade the princess from playing outside, and for her playmates, they had to go through the emperor’s deliberate selection.The princess understood why her parents did that, but she still wanted to be free. She did not have the courage to express the request, it would shatter into pieces just by imagining the consequences.One day, the emperor had to travel to the other kingdom.“Father, be careful on your journey, I’ll wait for your return.”The emperor kissed the child on the forehead before riding on his carriage.The princess's skin tingled when she witnessed the intrusion of an unknown man.“Mister, if you wanted to propose, I can’t accept it. Before the knights found you, leave my sight now,” she said.The handsome stranger knelt
Madeline’s Ruby, a stolen magical artifact. The current emperor made efforts to locate this magnificent thing, but still failed.Everyone in the dining hall dropped their silverware, drunken men suddenly became sober.Reyner gulped his red wine in one go.“Bethany, were you sure that was the real Madeline’s Ruby?” he asked.“Your Highness, Duke Klein will answer all of our suspicions.”They all turned to him. Duke Klein, my father’s best friend, Miuerella’s biological father, most of all, one of the most influential Dukes in the entire empire. I shifted everyone’s attention to him because this guy is an expert with magical artifacts. One of his businesses was selling such things.He glanced from left to right before we had eye contact. He heaved a sigh before turning to the Crown Prince.“Your Highness, please allow me to examine the ring on the statue.”&nbs
I was on cloud nine after seeing the notification that I received 500 XP and Dynastic points.My throat was getting ready so I could hit the soprano note when someone slapped the wall with all his might, enough for me to flinch.Did this dude kabedoned me?I dreamt of this scene because of my anime addiction. However, I never imagined that a despicable man crushed my dream in an instant.“Thanks for your help, but it’s getting late, and need at least eight hours of sleep.”She nodded and meandered while avoiding the Duke’s ominous stare.When my attendant’s silhouette became smaller as she moved further away from us, it was at this moment that I had to activate my facade.Reyner told that he was sick to the point of skipping the banquet earlier. It turned out that the Crown Prince’s words were a bluff.“Your Grace, what brings you here?” I asked.He shook his head, pr
Hah! So this was what Ms. Heart meant when she bragged about how immersive this game was.Inside this cramped and somber place where the chains on my feet made restrictions to my movements, a chilly air brushed my skin, which made my hair stand up.Even if I could only see my roommate’s back, those silky yet curly silver hair was one of her assets. If I could not recognize my target from afar and even in the dark, what kind of player am I?“I didn’t know that your father has a habit of caging pretty ladies. Did he mistake us for dolls?”The girl with a heart of gold crawled as if she was a six-month-old baby — slowly but surely. With trembling rough hands, she held mine.A beam of moonlight coming from the window with grills shone on her, enabling me to confirm my hunch. Those apologetic eyes were a gateway to her complex inner world.“Do not blame yourself, my dear, especially with the fact that the deran
“Dang! The baby I trained became a ferocious bear!”This opponent of mine gave a triumphant smile as I wiped the blood on my right cheek, so I immediately chanted a spell because it might leave an ugly scar on my fair, blemish-free, seductive face. We should take care of our best assets.“Thanks to you, I got better every day however, this new skill of mine would be only helpful in dire situations.”Every day is a dire situation, my dear cousin! The adrenaline ran through my system now I found a decent sparring candidate.I stood up and thrust the pointed tip of my sword was in his stomach. One wrong move to kiss him goodbye forever.“Wouldn’t you think it is already time for us to head inside the manor unless you thought that the actual battle is just getting started?”In a confident tone, I said, “I’m happy that someone knew myself better than me,”I pulled back my sword, a
The poor turtle stumbled when she bumped into me, so I guess I had another inspiration to be buff.“Your Grace, I apologize for my slowness. Expect me to speed up the pace.”I shook my head when she said that she would speed up her space. What a great joke because if she can, then why would I return?I put my cloak on her because she was as pale as a sheet of paper. Giving fan service and carrying a lady in a bridal style way was never this fun!“Your Grace, you could put me down, the woman and the man ...”How dare you nag me as if you’re my Mom? Wrong response, it should be: “Your Grace, what an incredible strength you have!”“Tell me that fucking rule, and I would not show any mercy to you.”This woman had to know that I’m not the type of person who would resist being put in a box.Did I become too hard on her? Carrying a rock made time slower, but when I glanced, I
Why do people hate darkness? All of my life, darkness fostered me, gave solitude to my wounded soul. Light for me was often short-lived.I am a deformed cub, so my parents only saw me as a competitor for resources. Why not erase my existence in this cruel world? Why would you always hit me with your leather belt when you could have strangled me with it?If the sight of me made you puke, then why not behead me? Please end my suffering now.Yes, I’m an unlovable child, but why am I still longing for warmth that would thaw my frozen heart and let me grow as an individual?Was it because of my dream that an angel would knock on my door on an unexpected day?“I’m Lady Bethany Grimaldi and, I want to be friends with you.”The Almighty God, was she the angel you’ve sent me?I made sure that the sleeves of my dress w
When someone’s life turned a complete 360 degrees, that’s when everything became shaky just like this carriage. I completely understood why Miuerella’s been acting like she lost her mouth.For sure, there were lots of questions inside her head and answers would arrive soon. I’ve been in her shoes before, that’s why I was in this kind of predicament.I held her hand, and that’s when she glanced at me.“I don’t know what would be the right words to say to erase your pain, but I will make sure that everything will be alright, Ella.”A sweet smile lit the spirits of people riding in this carriage that forced me to give one as well.“Thank you, Beth, I didn’t know how would I repay you for all the help you’ve given me.”Words left me. The muscles in my mouth hardened like a block of cement. At first, she meant gratitude for the “real