Chapter 7

"B-but sister—"

"How disrespectful of you to cut off someone who is still talking. Did father not teach you any respect at all?"

I was angry but remained calm as I talk. I can see much more people coming near my room to hear our argument.

Those people are monopolized by Rachelle. Rachelle must've told them earlier to come to my room to watch our fight. This was all planned by that cunning woman.

How lowly of them to not do their jobs and come watch their masters fight?

"Why are you involving father in our fight? Y-you're the one who's being disrespectful for including father into our fight!"

"Was I the one being disrespectful? Or was it you that entered her older sister's door without her permission and whine to me about how I refused your request? Is it hard to accept that I said no?"

Rachelle looked at me with such vengeful eyes. Tears started to stream down her face as if she was crying. But of course, her tears are fake. Since all of this is just another childish act of hers.

"H-how could sister do this to me!"

Rachelle started crying more just making the people around us pity her. But no dared to interfere.

"How could I what? How I could be telling you what's right?"

"T-thats-!"

"Tell me, Rachelle. Was your vacation just not enough? Do I need to send you to a family estate by the mountains to longer your vacation?"

Rachelle trembled in fear as I walked closer to her.

In this society, it is common for a noble to send their child to another estate to the mountains or to a forest whenever they misbehave. It acts as a discipline to noble children who misbehave or disobey their parents.

"N-no, my vacation was rather enough."

"Exactly. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

"Y-yes I will! Forgive me for interrupting you, dear sister!"

Rachelle hurriedly lowered her head before running into tears.

Rachelle was ever a match for me. She was always childish and a little dumb in the first place.

But I never realized how smart of a dumb*ss she was in the past.

"To everyone other than you and you who watched—"

I pointed at Rachelle's maid and Libbe.

"All of you are fired."

***

"My lady! A letter for you has arrived!"

Libbe came rushing to me with a book in her hand, instead of a letter.

"Didn't you say it was a letter?"

"Yes, miss! This book has a letter in it in disguise. I guess the person who is giving this letter wants to give it to you secretly."

She gave the thick book with a brown cover to me as I inspected it first.

Seems legit.

"I would like to be alone, Libbe."

"Yes, miss."

Libbe bowed her head as she walked out of my room.

I sat on my desk and flipped the pages of the book until the letter came out.

The letter was perfectly in a white cream envelope with a golden seal on it. The golden stamp mark is the only stamp that Imperial Family can use. Anyone within the imperial bloodline is allowed to use this seal.

As I opened the letter, I was surprised that the letter contained nothing but a sentence.

'Come to the palace tomorrow and let's talk about our contract.'

That means he agrees with me... Yes

***

Meanwhile at Rachelle's side...

"Lady Rachelle! I have news about Lady Cecil."

Said a maid working under Rachelle.

"Speak"

"Yesterday, a letter for Lady Cecil arrived which was received by Libbe. But instead of a letter, a book was brought back instead."

"Okay. Tell me more."

"Earlier, the Lady departed early and was said that she was going to visit a friend."

Rachelle smirked as she crossed her arms.

"She can't fool me. My sister doesn't have friends other than Via."

"In my conclusion, the Lady is meeting someone which she doesn't want people to know."

"Have you asked Libbe who was she meeting with?"

"Libbe said that she didn't know either. The Lady must've kept it a secret even from her own maid."

"She has got to have some kind of dirt that we don't know of. I'll expose her and make her the shame of the Marquise. Now, go do your job and investigate some more about that wench."

The maid bowed down to her knees with her forehead touching the ground, as if she was bowing down to a God.

"I will heed your orders, my lady."

***

"His Highness is waiting for you, Lady Andreas."

The butler who had dark blue hair, unusual hair color for a butler opened the door for me as I continued walking in the Prince's office.

I lowered my head as I lifted up the hem of my dressmaking a curtsy.

"Cecil Andreas greets Your Highness The Crown Prince."

The prince who was sipping tea already turned to me and nodded.

"Please have a seat, Lady Andreas."

The dark blue-haired butler poured a cup of tea for me. He soon left with the teapot in his hands.

"Allow me to speak a little bit informal towards His Highness for an awhile."

"I heed your request."

I smiled as I took a sip of the chamomile tea I was served.

"Do you really wish to make me your wife? That fast?"

I mean sure, I was rushing for his reply but I really expected that it'll take a month or so for him to say yes.

But of course, if that happened, I won't let it happen. I'm not going to waste a month just waiting for the Prince's reply in order to start my revenge.

"Allow me to ask you a few questions first, my lady."

"Please, go ahead."

"Why do you want revenge on your own sister?"

I took another sip of the chamomile tea before answering.

"I can't reveal that much on why I want revenge but I'll tell you in a simple way. My sister plans to take me down whether she kills me, mocks me, or makes me the shame of the Andreas Household. Another, she did something to me that is not worth forgiving."

"And what do you plan on your revenge?"

"As I've said, if I wanted to take down my sister then I need to be someone inferior to her. By both status and rank. That is why I desire to marry the prince."

"But didn't you say that your sister is in love with me?"

"Does his Highness not know?"

He sipped his cup before answering.

"I am not dense to not notice the way she acts around me."

"Exactly"

"Are you perhaps trying to marry me so that you can be the crown princess, or do you just wish to marry me because you know that your sister is in love with me?"

(📝: Being Crowned as the Princess or the Crown Prince's wife just means she can obtain the second-highest status of nobility other than the prince. And of course unlimited power)

"What if I say it was both?"

"Then let me ask you a final question. What exactly will you distribute in this empire if I were to choose you as my wife?"

"I am confident that I myself is very skilled in case his Highness does not know. I cannot prove it by word but I will be sure to prove it to you when I have the power."

Of course, it's not just about my revenge towards Rachelle that I've been thinking of. I've thought about this whole plan thoroughly.

I figured that if I marry the prince, I would have to take some risks like managing one-fourth of the empire as the princess, and helping the citizens of the empire while planning my revenge.

"I will marry Lady Cecil."

...!