After some time of recuperating her feelings, Lady Amara, the late Emperor Darya, finally had the opportunity to go to an Imperial banquet. It was the birthday banquet of the current Empress. Silla did her best to make her stand out and insisted on assisting her during the ball.
When the time to leave came, Count Sebastian came to pick her up in her room as they went out the manor together. While in the carriage, the ride was silent at first until Count Sebastian spoke.
“Does the Crown Prince treat you well?” Count Sebastian had been curious about this. He can see that her daughter has changed since that incident. He is also worried that something is going on but he has no idea.
Amara was silenced as she thought of whether lying or telling the truth to Count Sebastian. She then found herself showing a small smile to not make him too concerned.
“We are well and we understand each other, father.” She replied, choosing to stay neutral without telling both the exact truth and a made up lie.
Count Sebastian’s brows furrowed and later, he had a gentle look on his face. “You fell out of love, didn't you?” He knows his daughter better than anyone else.
She did not speak. So Lady Amara did love the Crown Prince? After accidentally finding out about Lady Amara’s personal diary, there she found out that the Crown Prince was cheating on his fiancée. Lady Amara met the Crown Prince’s mistress a few times and had bullied her. Lady Amara was a kind lady and is very passionate about being honest with her feelings. At first, she had no feelings with the Crown Prince but she eventually fell in love after meeting him a few times. There was also an incident where she witnessed the Crown Prince help a poor child, making her fall in love even more.
The way Lady Amara described the Crown Prince in her diary, Darya can say that she had really fallen in love with the physical appearance of the Crown Prince without any other investigations. She looked at him literally and complimented him and respected him with his position. It was purely a simple attraction for a young woman to have fallen in love for the first time.
“I failed to have reserved the amorous sentiment in my heart, father.” Lady Amara answered, feeling sad that she does not know whether the real Amara liked what she replied. She had no idea if Amara still likes the Crown Prince.
How would the Count react if he finds out that his only daughter has actually died after she learned that her fiancée was cheating on her?
She looked down upon the Count’s silence after hearing her reply. Count Sebastian might not be the best father but at least he cared for his daughter and did not leave her alone when she was sick before her death. Until then, she heard a small laugh from Count Sebastian.
“That’s good to hear from you, my daughter.”Amara raised her head upon hearing the Count’s unexpected reaction. She watched the relief on the Count’s face as she also felt relieved to see that the Count was happy to hear her reply.
“Honestly, I have not liked the idea of you engaging with the Crown Prince. If it was not because you look at him with such admiration, I would have chosen to get punished rather than forcing my only daughter to accept an ‘ignorant’ man. I am sorry for the term.” The Count laughed with his last sentence.
And as the former Emperor, how could she have not noticed the presence and sincere feelings of the Count during her time? Count Sebastian, and as far as she can remember, he was the silent one among the nobles. He has a calm personality and is only speaking if he speaks relevance. Now she knows why Count Sebastian rarely attended ceremonies. It was because… Lady Amara, his only daughter and only family, is always sick.
With his eyes looking at her with love and care, Count Sebastian tapped Amara’s head. “You have no need of concern, Amara. If I get an opportunity to have a personal conversation with his majesty, I will open up about this matter and ask him to reconsider your engagement with the Crown Prince.”
That moment, Amara strangely felt safe as she felt the feeling of having a family by her side. It’s nostalgic. She felt comfortable and is missing that moment in her life when her grandfather was still alive. If only, she could bring back the time…
“Count Alejandro Sebastian, Jr. and Lady Amara Sebastian have arrived!” The informant’s voice echoed all over the banquet hall as the attendees turned their heads towards the upcoming visitors.
While gently holding her hand, Count Sebastian guided his daughter to the staircase as they were approached by some noblemen and noble ladies. Count Sebastian told her to enjoy the banquet before coming to his fellow noblemen.
“My lady, it has been a while since I saw you. I am glad you are doing well.” A lady with curly hair approached her. She had noble ladies behind her who greeted her as well. Looking at them, they seemed to be friends with Lady Amara.
This time, she showed a small smile to stay in her character. “I am also glad to have seen you again, my lady. We should have tea again.”
“Oh yes, thank you very much! I am looking forward to it.”
Lady Amara had a talk with the ladies as they also ate snacks while waiting for the real event. The ladies asked about why she was not with the Crown Prince but she just made a reason and changed the subject without suspicion. So then while exchanging words, they were stopped upon hearing the informant’s announcement.
“Crown Prince Lorenzo Marshall De Garrett and Lady Tanzania Amorio have arrived.”
Everyone stood up to greet the Crown Prince including her. In fact, she was silenced with the fact that the Crown Prince, her fiancée, actually just ridiculed her by bringing another woman on a banquet when she was present.
After greeting the Crown Prince, the people’s eyes would turn to her and then to Lady Tanzania, a woman with a slim curve on her waist. Her hair is wavy and red. She was wearing a luxurious red dress that shaped her curvy and slim body along with her bulky breast. It was definitely a man’s best scenery. In a malevolent man’s view, this woman will be a perfect banquet partner to show off.
As the fiancée of the Crown Prince, she started walking to him while the ladies cheered her up because they were thinking that she was hurt by the sight of her fiancée being with another woman at a banquet.
As for Amara, she was wearing a simple pink dress with flowers woven to it. She had light makeup but it emphasized the simplicity of her beauty. It was her first time to tie up her hair, making the Crown Prince not recognize her for a few seconds. By how she walks, elegance was possessing her appearance and by how she looked at the Crown Prince, it was pure formality without any affectionate feelings.
“I greet his highness Crown Prince Lorenzo. May the light be with you,” she lowered her head out of respect before raising her chin up to look at the Crown Prince who just got mesmerized for a second.
“I apologize if I was not able to inform his highness about my arrival as I was confused about my endeavour. In the end, I have chosen to attend her majesty, Empress Kathika’s birthday banquet.”
Upon hearing that, mouths started moving and whispers started being mumbled.
“Oh my, I could not believe that Lady Amara could be this calm upon seeing her fiancée just take another woman to a banquet.”
“Right, if I was her, I would definitely slap that indecent woman for touching my fiancée.”
“What is this? I thought that the Crown Prince was a man with his words…”
The whispers were mostly about the Crown Prince neglecting his responsibility as Amara’s fiancée, making him grit his teeth in insult. He was about to say something to defend himself and ridicule her in front of everyone but then they heard the informant again.
“His Majesty, Emperor Esteban De Garrett and her majesty, Empress Kathika Morata have arrived!”
Everyone was silent as they all turned to face the grand door. Everyone made a way for them. Upon passing each one of them, they finally raised their heads as the Emperor and Empress stood in the front. The Emperor took a glass of wine and raised his hand.
“This is the most awaited day of my beloved wife as it also serves as the only day I would never neglect. I would like to thank all of you for giving us your time to celebrate with us tonight. Enjoy the rest of the party.”
Amara, the Late Emperor Darya, was all silent upon seeing Esteban’s face and his eyes that were her favourite. His face was more cheerful and the wrinkles on his face made her realize that he was actually much older than her. Right, they had a ten years gap when they got married. However, although he is old, his face is still entrancing and it is full of gentleness.
Her lips curved while she looked at him longingly but it faded upon seeing him hold the Empress’ waist, lovingly and gently. His eyes say it all that he is happy… with someone else.
Amara was looking gloomy all the time as she watched the nobles dance in twos. She watched the Crown Prince dance with Lady Tanzania. And she watched Esteban happily talk to the Empress. She found herself silently walking out the banquet hall and went to a dark and empty hallway. And without any knowledge where her feet took her to, she found herself looking at portraits of Esteban with Empress Kathika. That hallway was where all the royals’ portraits were displayed but she never saw her face, her own portrait, as she could only see a lot of Empress Kathika’s portraits. She stopped in front of a portrait of three people. There was Emperor Esteban, Empress Kathika, and Crown Prince Lorenzo, looking happy together, like a real family.
“Wake up, you brat!” A man splashed water on a young girl’s face to wake her up. Startled, the young girl opened her eyes feeling so cold with the water all over her clothes. She was confused. “Go fetch water and put the luggage in the carriage! We are going to leave!” The fat man kicked her legs making her groan in pain. She was about to speak for herself but ended up hearing a crack on her voice like something just pulled her tongue. She covered her mouth only to realize that she could not speak well. She immediately stood up to look for a mirror but she stopped upon seeing the place where she was sleeping a while ago.
The young girl was just holding a small pouch where she put the small white ball in. As the carriage started their journey, she was only riding at the back where the luggage and foods were located. Since this morning, she only had an apple and bread but maybe because the body she was in was used to being starved that she does not feel bothered being hungry. It was already dark when they left the Empire. They already crossed the river connecting the two continents and were on their way to the Hapra Forest. However, they did not arrive at the Hapra forest but stopped at the entrance of the forest. Then she was asked to carry some stuff as they decided to rest there. As the errand girl, she was asked to do things here and there. Until then, three carriages arrived coming from another direction. A group of people in commoner clothes came to them as they greeted each other. A mature man with golden hair seemed to be their leader. He was tall and by the way he talked, he
When she woke up from the body of an old woman who lives alone in an empty house nowhere in the Empire, she decided to end her life as she knows that she cannot make anything with that body. Again, when she opened her eyes from another body, she got insane upon realizing that she had transmigrated to a beggar’s body. She would tell anyone who passed by that Emperor Darya was killed by her husband. She would announce that the Emperor Lorenzo was a child of Emperor Esteban from his secret mistress who had become the Empress when Emperor Darya was dead. However, no one would believe a lowly beggar as they regarded her as an insane lowly being who curses the Emperor for her own misery. She was also abused because of this until then she was executed for blasphemy. In her next life, she woke up from a three-year old child’s body of a high ranking commoner. Her family was living in the outskirts of the upper lands of a faraway kingdom where they study alchemy, illegally. Feeling
The meeting has finally come to an end. Darya yawned in boredom because the meeting was all about the markets that will be built in every estate. However, it made her even bored that most of the nobles were only thinking about the profit and their benefits from it. She wanted to scold them so badly and tell them straight to the point about their greed but she thought that her grandfather would surely find a solution for it. She got tired of listening, maybe because she was dissatisfied and her body was still of a young girl. She left the meeting as soon as it ended after getting permission from her grandfather. With only Ejila and Alluka, her personal knight, she walked around to see the things she could not remember in her first life. It was pretty convenient that she can remember all her past life and she can now compare what had changed and what needed to be changed. She looked at the uniforms of Ejila and Alluka. Ejila had a bright blue uniform and Alluka had a
The sword of the knight fell to the ground as it made an ear-catching sound, making everyone look towards the Princess’ direction. Their eyes turned wide as they saw the Princess still standing perfectly while holding her sword flawlessly good. She doesn't even look like she got tired of sword practicing. And she doesn't even look that challenged with the sword fight. Princess Darya had a long sigh after she defeated one of the Imperial knights. Dissatisfied, she looked at the other knights who had their jaws dropped. She then aggressively pierced her sword to the ground, making them all stand up straight and in perfect lines. “This is a disappointment.” She announced, with her eyes going around each one of them, making them all nervous. Everyone could only either bite their tongue or sweat in intimidation. It does not make sense that a ten-year old girl could defeat a knight that had undergone five years of training. However, Princess Darya is special among
The painful slap echoed all over the Duke’s office as his aid could only look down, sympathising with the young master Esteban. Duke Garrett was so mad about the news he just got and called her son from the academy to go home as soon as possible. “This is how I raised you, Esteban?!” The Duke exclaimed to his son while gritting his teeth in anger. “You are meant to become the next Emperor! You are going to marry the First Princess yet you—you did such an unacceptable thing that will disgrace the Dukedom and your name?!” The Duke was so mad about knowing the news that his son, Esteban, had touched a woman and what is more unacceptable is that, that woman had a child in her womb. “And of all the women, why was it the daughter of Viscount Morata?!” It would be alright if it was a commoner or a low-ranking woman from a noble family so they could easily get rid of it. However, it was even the daughter of Viscount Morata who had the same ambition as him. Viscount M
“I am extremely happy to have heard of such endeavour from my dear granddaughter.” Those were the reply of Emperor Oswald to Princess Darya. It is a good thing that the Emperor favours her, however, not only her uncle is a threat to the throne but also Esteban’s father, Duke Garrett, or Esteban himself. In her first life, her uncle, Prince Harrique, did all means to harm her as the First Princess. As a young child, it was a torture to have drunken poison almost every day without her knowledge. She had suffered so much in the hands of her uncle. In the end, Prince Harrique died after committing suicide because of losing his ability to get to the throne. As of now, she must focus on her ultimate enemies, which is the anti-imperial faction. And in order for her to beat them without wasting her time with spying, she needs more achievements to make the people on her side again. She just needs to do what she did in her first life and add more foundation to secure the t