"Are you serious?" Asked Duke Armano Lancia when Cecilia came into his study room.
He sat with his legs crossed and hold a glass of champagne. The man looked as same as in her memory.
He still handsome, tall and athletic stature at the age of 40 years.He looked just like Cecilia except for his gray eyes. Or the lenght of their hair. Their genetic sure isn't a joke.
"Welcome back, Father," she said, while bowing for greeting.
"Sit down,"
Cecilia nodded and took the seat opposite of Armano.
The Duke's study is surprisingly simple. There are only a work table, several shelves filled with thick books, and four chairs with a round wooden table to greet the guests.
No plants, paintings or photographs.
The only decoration is the tapestry of the family's emblem which is hanging in the wall behind the desk.
"I repeat the question. Are you really serious about the contents of your letter? I immediat
"You didn't sell the chilli pepper? Why?" Cecilia asked with full of curiosity at the market seller. "Because it didn't sold well. There no one who like spicy food here, Miss," Impossible, she thought to herself. No one hate the spicy food. "Aah, darn it!" she left the market with empty handed. Now, she has to think another plan since her korean food restaurant plan is failed. "Ouch!", said a woman who bumped with her. "Ah, I'm sorry, Maam. I.. eh? Miss Jenkin?" Miss Jenkin is a woman who used to be her teacher. In her past, Cecilia threw an ink bottle, which made with thick glass, to her To make it worse, Cecilia ruined her reputation by saying that the poor teacher is incompetent and lack of manners to the noble society. It didn't take a long time when Jenkin's name is removed from the job market since many nobles refused her service. Jenkin's face gotten pale. She look like she was met with a ghost, "Oh, no!"
Cecilia feeling so tired after her fake possesed performance. Mary combed her hair and keep complaining about her dissapearance. Cecilia know that her servant is worried about her. When they met at the market, Mary was cried and hugged her so tightly. "You have to promise me that you will never doing that again, Young Miss. Now, your hair is done and let's go to the dining room. I heard Lord was waiting there." Her eyes widen, "Father?" "Yes! You must be happy, right, Miss?" Mary said with a big smile on her eyes. "It's strange," she said and start walked to the dining room. Armano closed his eyes. He looked like thinking about something. But his eyes was opened when one of his servant said, "My Lord, Young Miss is here," "Good evening, Father," Cecilia elegantly bowed to greet him. "I'm sorry to made you wait." "It's okay." he said while raised his right hand as a sign for the servants to serve the foods. Even after on
"Albert, are you secretly help her?" "No, My Lord," Armano and Albert are in the study room. The Duke reading the proposal with corcerned look. Of course, the proposal which made by Cecilia is far from perfect. It lacked from research and the side effect impact from her projects. She wrote about fifteen different bussines plans. Including a request to do a building construction. But still, it better than his expectation. It's been a year since Cecilia refused to study with her teacher and just busy to wasting her family's fortune. But the fact that she is staying up late to wrote fifty pages of her businness plan, is still amazed him. "Is she secretly being a genius, Albert?" "She is your daughter, My Lord," "You are right, Albert. It is explain everything," "Are you going to accept the proposal?" "No. Eventhough she is the part of Lancia's, she have to be smarter than me." "Are you
Jenkin was peeled the onion while her employer called her out from the kitchen. He said that there is a costumer want to meet her in person.Jenkin, who now works as cook at the small restaurant, wondered why. Is it something wrong with the food? She thought to herself. But, it impossible since I always follow the recipe.She rubbed her hand to the kitchen's towel twice. Just to make sure that she is clean enough to met the costumer.Her employer pointed at someone on the corner of the room. The costumer's figure look like a middle aged man. She can't see his face clearly because he wear a black long coat with hood. He stirred the soup without showing any interest."Is there anything wrong with the soup, Sir?" She asked.But the man didn't answer."If you dont have anything to say, I will go back to the kitchen, Sir.""Are you Adeline Jenkin?""Yes. That what's written on my birth certificate,"The mysterious man slowly
Cecilia sit on the chair, waiting that man to wake up. There is no clue about his identity. The most reasonable reason she can thought is that maybe this man is just a poor beggar and passed out due of the exhaustment.The doctor told her that the patient isn't in the critical condition anymore. Malnutrion and dehydration was the main cause of his unconsciousness. But, it doesn't change a fact that her carriage took a part to worsen his condition."Fortunately, your carriage was stop at the perfect moment, Miss," The doctor said while he write something on his paper. "He will be awake in no time.""Is that so? Thank you, Doctor. Please treat his condition throrougly. Do not worry about the payment."The doctor, whose name is Abraham Grande, nodded. Even a commoner like him know about the rumoured Cecilia Lancia.Beautiful woman with nasty and despicable traits. He just agree on
Armano was massaging his temple. A plan to conquer the Cadia Kingdom was the main reason of his headache.Cadia is just a small kingdom located in accross of the continent. Having several gold mines and coal mines led them into prosperity.But, the current king was so greedy, set the high taxes and doing so many nepotism or corruption in his reign.This make the Emperror of Atrazal mad and planned to take over that kingdom. Then, Armano Lancia was choosen as the high comander in that quest.The problem is a pandemic that infected the kingdom's citizen for this past five years. An antidote is still under development. But because of the nepotism, the project got slowed and faced the dealock.Atrazal's emperror then secretly asked the most knowledgeable scholar to conduct the experiment of making antidote.This is a difficult task. But, we are talking about a gen
Cecilia tighten her dark hooded robe when walked down to the empty street. Theo followed her back and look a bit nervous. Mary, who didn't know her journey, was cleaning in the house."Be careful, Miss. This place is known as an evil nest.""Yes and when will our self defence class began?"Theo gulped and choose to keep silent. Not sure about what to say since Duke's Lancia didn't say anything to him except a cold stare.The only pub which named 'Shooting Star' is located on the Gordon Alley, far northeast from the Capital.The street was empty but Cecilia's can feel that someone is watching her back. She keep walking until stopped in front of a shabby pub and the sign is unreadable. But it is, undoubtly, Shooting Star.The pub interior look the as shabby as the outside. The floor creaked when she walked in. Mosses was eating the wall.
"What an amusing sight," Hugo come out from the door behind the cupboard. He hold his laugh when saw Max was blankly stare at the door, "I should've bring a cofee and snack. So, what do you think about her?""Nothing special." He said while rubbed his cheeks. Cecilia's slap still feel a bit sting. Still wondering, how come a women with fragile hand is able to slapped him, the Mighty Head of Scorpion?"So, can I have her?" Hugo's laughed stopped when saw a cold stare from Max. "It's just a joke, Boss. But she is trully aroused my interest.""Don't you dare to touch her. She is my precious client.""Yeah, yeah. And why don't you just give her the South Island document? It is ready, right?""Tomorrow, I'll delivery it by myself."Hugo's jaw dropped, "What? Hold on, Boss. I know that you are strong, but Lancia's security is not a joke. I don't wan