On the carriage ride home, silence reigned.
I sat staring out the window, watching the city blur by. Lady Octavi sat opposite me, her face impassive. Adel sat beside me, her hands folded neatly in her lap.
Until…
"That was surprising, My Lady," Adel said suddenly, breaking the heavy quiet.
I turned to her, puzzled. "Surprising? What do you mean by that?"
"You easily let Lady Octavi partake in the Queen's plan," Adel said, her voice unusually sharp.
"Me? Easily? Why did you say it like that?"
"Did My Lady not recognize or not realize her intention?" Adel asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. "She tried to pry you open. She tried to corner you. And My Lady easily reacted to her intention, giving her exactly what she wanted."
Adel's words struck a nerve. I furrowed my brow in confusion and defensiveness.
"Yet, Lady Octavi was fine with the grander sparring," I argued. I looked at Octavi. "You are fine to partake in this event, right?"
Lady Octavi answered immediately, bowing her head slightly. "It is up to My Lady. I will obey your words."
"See, My Lady!" Adel gestured to Octavi. "She just followed your words. So it is up to you how you observe and see around, and what will happen in the future."
Adel leaned forward, her voice intense. "My Lady needs to know that blind obedience is not always—"
"INSOLENT!"
Lady Octavi suddenly reacted to Adel's words with a brash tone, her calm demeanor cracking. She glared at Adel.
"Are you doubting My Lady's judgment? Or perhaps do you question my skill? There is no need for further questioning. Do we need to test each other again? Because the last time we were just warming up."
Adel didn't flinch. She kept her composure, her face a mask of calm.
"I am not questioning your skill or My Lady's judgment about this grander sparring," Adel replied coolly. "We all know how great and formidable you are. Yet, is it alright not to tell her—the person you are obligated to protect and serve—what lies ahead?"
Adel continued, her gaze piercing. "She needs to be informed of potential risks and challenges to make well-informed decisions. But you, Lady Octavi, are just accepting everything that My Lady asks without giving her the counsel she needs."
Octavi seemed taken aback by Adel's directness. Her expression momentarily faltered. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her stoicism.
"I believe My Lady is capable enough to decide and make decisions," Octavi replied, her tone thoughtful but defensive. "And she is now twenty-one years old. At that age, she is quite mature."
"Here is a thing, Lady Octavi," Adel countered, her voice dropping lower. "Maturity does not always equate to wisdom or the ability to make great decisions. Age alone does not guarantee great judgment, which requires experience and knowledge."
Adel turned her gaze to Octavi, eyes hard. "So when she asks you what you think about something, you should give her your insight and warn her of what would happen in the future. Not just blatantly say 'It depends on you, My Lady.'"
I sensed the heat radiating from Lady Octavi. She stood up slightly from her seat, the carriage rocking with her movement. She looked at Adel with an irritated face, her hand twitching toward her side.
"IMPUDENT!!" Octavi shouted. "You know what you said, right? You assume your Master, whom you serve, is incompetent and incapable of making great decisions!"
Adel's face didn't change at all. She took her gaze off Octavi and addressed me.
"As for you, My Lady, I apologize if my words came across as disrespectful to you."
She turned back to Octavi, unflinching. "I am not assuming My Lady is incapable and incompetent. Yet I stand by the fact that My Lady needs guidance to ensure she is not making bad decisions. You, as the Sword of the Family, have a duty to protect and advise her. It is not about going against your Master; it is about advising. After we give all the possibilities and advice to her, then it depends on her to choose. But you just put the burden entirely on her without giving any advice. That is what I don't like about you, Lady Octavi."
I saw Lady Octavi gripping the edge of the seat hard, her knuckles white, trying to control her anger. Her right hand trembled. I could see she wanted to swing at Adel.
Quickly, I screamed.
"STOP!"
The carriage jerked to a halt.
Cassius opened the door instantly, looking panicked. "Is there something wrong? Why did you scream?"
I ignored Cassius for a moment. I addressed Lady Octavi, my voice shaking.
"May you control your anger?"
Lady Octavi closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. She slumped back into her seat.
"Forgive me for my outburst, My Lady."
As soon as we arrived home, I could sense the tension still hanging thick in the air between them.
After we stepped onto the ground, Lady Octavi immediately bowed stiffly.
"I excuse myself to my room, My Lady."
I granted it with a nod. I understood she needed time alone to calm down.
Whistle.
Suddenly, I heard a low whistle from the coachman's bench. It was Valerie.
"It seems your Sword is in a bad mood," she commented, jumping down.
"Lady Octavi just needs some time to cool her anger," I said tiredly.
"Well, I am more impressed with the person who dares to make your Sword in a bad mood like that," Valerie chuckled, glancing at Adel's retreating back.
I continued to walk toward the front door.
"My Lady..."
Cassius called out to me.
I stopped. "Do you need something, Cassius?"
"I heard that you want to learn about Transmutation," he said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
I was taken aback. "Yes..."
"May I offer myself to be your instructor?"
I was surprised. For now, I didn't know who would be my instructor. The obvious choices were Octavi or Adel, but given the tension and their past refusal, it was complicated.
Yet, for Cassius to offer... he was a completely unexpected choice. And after learning what happened when I was unconscious—how powerful and dangerous my Transmutation was—this task might be difficult, even fatal, for him.
"That is an amazing offer from you, Cassius," I said gently. "Yet I need some time to decide."
"I appreciate it, My Lady," he nodded respectfully.
"The sun is already setting. You should take a rest now, Cassius."
The next morning, I was woken up by Lady Octavi gently shaking my shoulder.
"Breakfast is ready, My Lady," she whispered. "You should hurry downstairs."
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I thanked her. She helped me quickly get dressed, skipping the usual leisurely routine.
On the way to the dining hall, I noticed something. The atmosphere in the house was different. The servants moved with hurried, nervous energy. They avoided eye contact.
Even in the dining room, I found it surprising.
Cassius and Valerie were there. They usually didn't attend breakfast, preferring to eat in the kitchen or outside. However, this time, they were standing by the wall, looking grim.
Adel immediately pulled out my chair. I sat down.
I couldn't help but notice the heavy tension. It was clear something significant had happened, but no one seemed willing to speak about it.
"Please, sit," I offered to Cassius and Valerie.
They shook their heads, refusing to join the table.
I couldn't stand it anymore.
"What is happening here?" I demanded, looking around the room. "Why is everyone so different today? Is it about the offer from Cassius?"
Everyone exchanged glances. Lady Octavi, who was seated across from me, finally spoke up.
"My Lady, before I explain to you what is going on, may I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Did My Lady ask something from the Crown Prince?"
I was confused. "Ask something?"
"Yes. Did My Lady recall that you asked something specific from the Crown Prince?"
Suddenly, I remembered. The apology. I had asked him to prove his sincerity by apologizing publicly.
I saw a servant hand an envelope to Lady Octavi. She took it and immediately brought it to me.
"May My Lady read the letter inside this envelope?"
Curiosity piqued, I took the envelope. I opened it and scanned the elegant handwriting.
A sense of unease washed over me.
The content was a confession. It was the Crown Prince's confession of his neglect over the past seven years and his desire to honor our betrothal. It was humble, sincere, and shockingly public.
My heart raced. I can't believe he actually did it.
"As My Lady has read it," Octavi said, watching my reaction, "this letter is a testament to the Crown Prince's sincerity and commitment towards your betrothal. Not just that, it showed the guilt of the Crown Prince towards you."
"Wait!" I looked up. "I asked him to show his sincerity across the Kingdom. Is this confession being shown across the Kingdom?"
Lady Octavi nodded solemnly. "Indeed, My Lady. The Crown Prince's confession was not only shared with the entire Kingdom but also publicly displayed in every corner, ensuring that his sincerity and remorse were known to all."
"But," I frowned, looking around the tense room. "Is this why everyone acted differently today?"
Lady Octavi paused, hesitating. Finally, she spoke.
"This confession is a deal-breaker across the Kingdom."
"What do you mean?"
"First, your betrothal is announced to the public, so it sparks power balance issues and shifts political alliances. I believe the other Dukes will not be happy with this betrothal being announced now."
She continued, her voice grave. "Second, this confession shows the Royal Family kneeling before your family. The guilt shown by the Crown Prince demonstrates how incapable the Royals are regarding the agreement and highlights how much control the Aurelius Family has across the Kingdom."
"Furthermore," Octavi added, "this confession could potentially ignite tensions between rival factions. The other Duke families may perceive it as a threat to the Four Powers. They might view it as a challenge to their own influence and attempt to assert their dominance. Additionally, this letter could lead to speculation and rumors about the true intentions of the Aurelius Family—that we forced the Prince to bow."
Everything was happening just as Fabian had warned me. He had said a public apology would be bad for the Royal Family.
Suddenly, another servant handed Lady Octavi a second envelope.
She brought it to me immediately.
"This envelope is the real reason why we act differently today, My Lady," Octavi said softly.
I became more curious. I eagerly opened the second envelope.
Inside, I found just a flower. A dried sprig of yellow flowers.
I picked it up. "Who is the person sending this?"
"It is from the Third Prince, Tito."
"The Third Prince? I don't know why he would send me a sprig of flowers…"
I saw Lady Octavi's face look pained. I turned to the others; Cassius and Valerie looked grim.
"Does My Lady know this flower?" Octavi asked.
"I don't know anything about this flower. May you tell me?"
"Well, My Lady…" Octavi hesitated. "This flower is a Tansy."
"And?"
"If a person gives someone this flower… it means…" She struggled to say the words.
"Just say it!!" I demanded.
Lady Octavi took a deep breath.
"If someone gives you a Tansy flower, it signifies that person hates you deeply and will never forgive you."
She looked me in the eye.
"And it can be… an unofficial declaration of war."