In the afternoon, I felt bored.
I paced around my room. There was nothing I could do in here. Then I remembered—Cassius's lessons were supposed to start today. That was something productive.
I decided to leave the room.
I went straight to the first floor and started searching for Cassius. First, I checked the courtyard behind the house, but no one was there. Then I scattered around the house, checking the parlors and the kitchen.
In the middle of the hallway, I met Adel. Our eyes met.
I ignored her and continued to find Cassius, walking briskly past her.
Yet, I could hear her footsteps behind me. Tap. Tap. Tap. She was following me.
"May I know why My Lady is walking around the house?" Adel asked politely from behind. "It is like you are trying to find something…"
"Where is Cassius?" I asked without stopping.
"What does My Lady need from him?"
"Of course, the lesson and the practice…"
"I thought the lesson would start tomorrow, not today…"
Immediately, I stopped and spun around.
"What? Why? So what do I need to do today?" I threw my hands up in frustration. "I can't go to the Palace to do my job, and now it is still noon, so…"
Suddenly, I remembered something. I walked toward her, eyes wide.
"Wait a second, Adel… Do I need to send a letter to the Palace about my absence?"
"I believe you don't need to do that," Adel reassured me. "Because the Palace will immediately know the reason why you didn't go."
"That is reassuring…" I sighed. "So where is Cassius right now??"
"I believe he is accompanying Valerie…"
"WHAT?" I groaned, throwing my head back. "ARGHHHHH!!!!!"
"Why does My Lady act like this?"
"Because I am bored… There is nothing to do…" I whined, slumping against the wall.
"Well, perhaps you can go to the garden and enjoy the view…"
I immediately had an idea. I pushed off the wall, grinning.
"Speaking of view, how about we walk around the city?"
"I believe that is not a great idea…" Adel said quickly.
"WHY?" I leaned my face close to hers, challenging her.
"Because…. and I believe, Lady Octavi will not let you go outside from this house…"
"Nonsense…"
At Lady Octavi's Room.
"Rejected," Lady Octavi said flatly, not even looking up from her desk.
"HEEEHHHHHHHHH…." I exclaimed in frustration. "But why? I'm so bored here!" I pleaded with her, hoping she would change her mind.
"Deep apology, but to ensure your safety and out of concern for any danger, I cannot allow you to venture outside the house," Octavi explained calmly, dipping her quill into the inkwell.
"Yet, I am the Lady of this house, right? So may you obey my words?"
"As My Lady knows, I am not obligated by your words," she countered smoothly. "Instead, I am obligated by His Grace and Madam's words. Their words are 'to assist you, and protect you…'."
Her response left me feeling defeated.
"Come on!!!" I stomped my foot. "There will be no one who dares to touch me if you two come along with me into the city… Right?"
Lady Octavi paused. She sighed deeply, her expression softening.
"Exhale. Fine…"
I immediately jumped up. "YAY…"
"BUT!!" She raised a finger. "You need to wear something else besides your dress."
"Why do I need to do that?"
"Your presence now is a big deal in the Capital. It is not just among the Palace but among the public," Octavi explained, standing up. "The publicity of your betrothal is like a stab into the people... My Lady maybe knows about the rumor between Lady Anna and the Crown Prince…"
"Of course I know it. Or maybe I can say that all the people know it…."
"The rumor is so popular among the public that every corner of the Kingdom has stories and news about them. Yet, these rumors have been changed by your betrothal. So I am scared that the people will harbor hatred for you…"
"Why do people love and adore their relationship so much?"
"Well," Octavi said dryly, "because Lady Anna comes from the peerage of Count, and you come from the peerage of Duke."
"I see… It is like a great tale of romance overcoming status… So the public loves it…"
In My Room
Adel brought me some simple garments—a plain white tunic and brown trousers. She helped me take off my elaborate dress and wear the common clothes.
As I changed, Adel stepped out. I looked at myself in the mirror. I saw a reflection of a different person staring back at me. A commoner. Yet it wasn't that bad…
I went outside the room. Adel was already waiting in different attire. She didn't wear her usual maid uniform. Instead, she wore simple garments like mine.
Observing her, I realized her usual clothes were vastly different from those of the maids from the Palace or Lady Clara's household. The maid's attire represented the wealth of the household. The maids in my family, especially Adel, wore more extravagant clothes than most lesser nobles.
"Is there something wrong with my clothes, My Lady?" Adel asked, noticing my stare.
Snapped back, I replied, "No, there's nothing wrong with your clothes… You just look different…"
"Well, you look different too, My Lady…"
We walked outside.
Arriving at the front of the house, I couldn't see my carriage. Instead, I saw two brown horses. Lady Octavi was holding both of their reins. Her clothes were the same as mine—plain white tunic and brown pants. Even with those common clothes, her aura remained noble, perhaps because she always wore men's attire anyway.
I walked toward her with Adel following me.
"For this time, we won't use the carriage," Octavi explained, patting the horse's neck. "Your family emblem is on the carriage, so people will recognize it. Instead, we will ride these horses to maintain a low profile."
"I don't mind about it…" I replied.
Lady Octavi helped me mount the first horse. As I settled onto the horse's back, she immediately jumped onto the saddle behind me. She took the reins, reaching around my waist. Adel mounted the other horse.
We rode out into the city.
As we rode through the streets, I looked around.
The streets were different from the city of Florence, my home. Here, it wasn't crowded, but it seemed to lack activity or life. The atmosphere felt quieter, more subdued compared to the bustling energy of Florence.
Is this why the Royals are envious of how my parents developed their city? I wondered.
Even with the Royal Palace visible in the distance, the city lacked vibrancy. It made me appreciate the efforts my parents had put into creating such a thriving place back home.
As there was nothing interesting to see here, I turned my head slightly to Octavi.
"Can we go to the square?"
"Is there any reason why My Lady wants to go to the square?" she asked near my ear.
"I want to check the square. Is there any difference between home and this Capital?"
"Well, if you insist, surely we can go there…"
We arrived at the Town Square.
The first thing that caught my interest from far away was the statue at the center. It was a grand and imposing figure. However, the surrounding area was empty. There were no performers, no street merchants, no crowds—unlike the lively square back home.
"May we go down?" I asked. "I want to see the statue closer."
Lady Octavi nodded. She jumped down first and helped me dismount.
As my feet touched the cobblestones, I immediately walked toward the statue. Adel and Octavi followed, leading the horses.
As I got closer, the figure became familiar. It was a woman with two graceful wings extending from her back.
I stopped at the base of the pedestal.
"May you tell me who the figure of this statue is?" I asked.
"This figure is different than the one in My Lady's home city," Octavi answered softly. "In Florence, the figure only has one wing or half wings, and it is Goddess Gena. Yet, in this figure, it can be said as the opposite of that Goddess. It is Delia…"
Delia.
I stared up at the stone face.
I had never realized it back in my city. I had seen her statues in the temples, but back then, I didn't know her. Now, seeing her statue here, after witnessing her death in the void... somehow it was different.
You have been immortalized by your people, I thought, a lump forming in my throat. The people will never forget you, even though you are not alive anymore. Your legacy lives on through these statues, forever remembered by those who worship you.
But they didn't know the truth. They didn't know how she died. Spitted by black swords, dragged into the abyss by Nona.
I touched the cold stone of the pedestal.
Rest in peace, Delia.