"Oh, I'm honoured that you have heard a lot of me. How astounding it is that the great prince is interested in me." Felicia said with a smile across her lips, trying to roll her eyes in front of the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, we prepared lunch for you. I heard that you're only visiting for short notice. Would it be okay if we were to lead you to the dining room?" The Duchess their conversation off, walking towards the Crown Prince with a wide smile, welcoming the second highest man in this empire.

Seeing that the Duchess is so attentive to the Crown Prince, Felicia couldn't help but wonder if there were any hidden agendas besides this whole play of them, trying to win the favour of the crown prince.

"Ah, yes, please. But before that, I would like to have some alone time with my fiancee. If it's okay with the Duchess, as well as Alexander." The Crown Prince said, not denying the intent to converse with them during dinner.

"Talk to me? Why?" Felicia asked herself as she continued to stare at the Duchess. The Duchess's face irked in annoyance as she nodded her head and curtsied the Crown Prince in front of her, backing down first.

"Yes, Your Highness. Please, take your time to know your fiancee better. It would be our pleasure if you knew her well." Tyren answered the Crown Prince with a smile across her face, a fake smile to show.

Felicia's lips thinned, showing displeasure as she heard what Tyren had said in front of the crown prince. It's making her blood boil but since one of the royal descendants is here, she ought to stop herself from attacking the Duchess verbally.

"Thank you. Shall we go, My Lady?" The Crown Prince asked, extended his hand for Felicia to rely on. However, Felicia was contemplating whether to accept his hand or not, knowing that she had something personal with the crown prince.

In the end, Felicia accepted his hand, embracing his arm. It's a form of escorting the female, one of the crucial laws for etiquette. "Thank you for allowing us to chatter, Madame. Be at ease that he'll know me personally." She said with a smile, letting Tyren know that she knew about what she said earlier.

Instead of feeling mad about it, Tyren just smirked while Felicia and the Crown Prince started to walk together, leading the Crown Prince to one of their parlour rooms where guests should be led in terms of visiting.

It was silent as they walked hand in hand, no one tried to voice out anything. The Crown Prince was looking at the paintings on the wall, appreciating their mansion while Felicia didn't care at all and was just straight with her business of leading the Crown Prince to their parlour.

As soon as she arrived at their destination, maids were already stationed inside, with a complete set of tea and refreshments for the two of them. As soon as they both sat down, Felicia started to pour the tea into his teacup before sitting down.

"Please get out. I'll call anyone if there's a problem." Felicia said, commanding the maids who were stationed at the parlour room to assist them. All the maids bowed their heads and left the room without making any sounds at all.

Constantine, the Crown Prince was sipping his tea, observing Felicia with his black eyes, feeling like his interest had been piqued by this woman whom he had heard from Liam and Alexander.

Alexander has written him a lot of letters with the content of how absurd it is that his sister was an obsessed freak, disgusting and an utter clutch. Yet Liam's words weren't displaying anything that ruined Felicia's reputation. Rather, Liam speaks too highly of this woman in front of him, as if she's closer to what perfect means to Liam.

"Seems like you've got something in your head. I've noticed that you're constantly looking at me with your black eyes. Is there something that you would like to tell me, Your Highness Constantine?" Felicia asked, putting her teacup as she looked at him with eyes expressing her boredom.

Constantine was confused as to why she was acting like this when everyone would want him to grace them with his appearance. Yet this woman is indifferent, he could tell by looking at her eyes.

"Ah yes... I came here to talk about our engagement." Constantine said as he folded his legs. "I never like the idea of us getting married, therefore I would like you to stop assuming that this marriage will happen because—"

"If it's about you talking crap over how I'm obsessed with this marriage and how I wanted this, you are wrong, Your Highness Constantine." Felicia cut him off before he could finish his words.

His face suddenly turned into a frown, mixed with bewilderment as he didn't expect that she would cuss in front of a holy being, which is him the Crown Prince. He didn't like how she was answering him, even cut him off before he could even finish with his words.

"I beg your pardon but that was extremely crude and very displeasing. Your actions are horrible. Have you not learned anything?" The Crown Prince asked, almost yelling towards Felicia who remained calm despite the starting point of their argument.

"Was it not too long ago that your actions were also rude considering that you had only sent a notice to the duchy about your arrival? Isn't that also against the rules, Your Highness? Or you're basically saying that you are the next heir therefore you're acting boastful and arrogant?" Felicia said, fighting back with an innocent smile across her face.

The Crown Prince fell in silence as he didn't expect the woman who was picked to become his Empress to be someone with a feisty mouth and annoying personality. It's as if his status didn't matter to her at all, facing him head-on.

"You... Your mouth is like a rooster's annoying loud calls. How feisty. Women who grow spoiled after all are a pain in anyone's neck. Wouldn't you agree, my Lady?" Constantine said, returning the smirk from Felicia's eyes.

"Is that the best combat that you can return to me, Your Highness? I'm disappointed." She said, sighing that it made Constantine even further annoyed with how she acted to him.

"Listen here, Your Highness. I didn't beg for this marriage to happen, nor I was assuming for this marriage to happen. In fact, if I were to choose someone as my husband, it would be someone who knows how to respect the etiquette that was implied when visiting. It would be someone who's not delusional of thinking that his marriage partner is obsessed with him." Felicia answered him with her sharp tongue, not letting him breathe even a single word.

"You are the one assuming that I like this wedding, Your Highness. I have no words about this marriage. If truth be told, I'm not even interested in this in the very beginning, so stop being delusional and assume that I was the one who proposed this marriage when it was the Emperor who bound this ill-fated marriage. Blame him instead, why are you blaming me?" Felicia added.

After saying those words to him, she held her teacup and extended her arm, making her finger stand while the rest of her fingers were curled. She was telling him to wait before she could throw him another shade.

"Ah, and for your information. At least I am well versed with my capabilities when it comes to handling my own etiquette even though I am still looking for a prospective instructor. Yet my mannerisms are already well compared. Unlike someone else." She said, retracting back her hands while smiling sweetly at him.

Constantine's face turned red, embarrassed with bywords he wasn't able to retort back as she kept the conversation flowing to her advantage. Even her last words were meant for him as her eyes trained on him.

But in Felicia's mind, she was actually targeting his lover, Helena who has been thriving for etiquette yet still acts like a goddamn child who doesn't know anything but they all tolerated her behaviour since she's the saint.

Or is she the saint?

"You... You're driving me insane." Constantine said as he wasn't able to retort back with words just to defend himself. Her tongue was so sharp that he couldn't seem to fight her back.

Yet he had this feeling of wanting to hear from her more but her annoying personality was ruining his impression of her.

"I can see now why you are being disliked by your family." He added, sipping his tea while observing Felicia's expression. He had just called out about her existence in this family.

But what shocked him was that it didn't even affect her, rather she just smiled at him and ate her refreshment with pure elegance, making him stunned at how perfect her display of proper etiquette was.

"So?" She asked, not affected by his words. What's the point of telling her that when she had already known how she was despised in this family because of their constant bullying and placing him as the suspect of their accusations?

"You should be like your sister, Helena. You would have been accepted, loved, and even treasured. Helena has a good personality. But you? You're the most ill-mannered person that I have ever met. You do not fit being the Empress of this holy land." Constantine said, comparing him to Helena.

Felicia's eyes rolled as she couldn't keep it any longer. This punk is really comparing her towards that weasel huh?

"Your Highness, since you played it like that, I shall repeat my words to you again." She said, sighing. She then displayed an expression that made the Crown Prince blink twice as if trying to clear his eyes.

Her expression was cold, serious and determined. She didn't cower in fear and self-degradation because of his words, rather she faced him with resilience.

"Your Highness, The Crown Prince. I absolutely abhor the thought of marrying you." She said that made the Crown Prince react dumbfounded with her vile words coming out of her mouth. How could she do this to the Crown Prince?!