Month 5th, Day 19, XXXX
King's chamber of the Ornella Castle, Ornella Kingdom

A well-known soldier that patrols at the gate came to the audience hall to meet the king, he kneeled down in front of his royal king as he swiveled his head down. He sweat profusely as he became pale.

“So? What the report?”

Without raising his head, he reported.

“The princess returned from her scout earlier than expected” He said, “the Princess didn’t have any company of guards and the princess had dirtied her dress with blood”

The nobles at the sideline started to make a ruckus about it, the Ornella king starts to worry.

“I believe that they were ambushed by bandits and the princess made it out alive”

The soldier drop the last and final bomb, the king grew paler than before. He could state his order, however the double door that almost have the size of a gate opened suddenly.

The one who opened it was the princess, she walked gracefully in front of the king and kneeled down. Even though her clothes were covered with blood, she was seen as elegantly as ever

“I have returned, my king”

Somehow, there’s something strange about her. It’s her, but their heart feels so uncomfortable about it. Was it because of what she experiences just earlier? They all assumed many conclusions.

 Inside, the princess made a hideous smile like a monster that enjoys trampling the weak.

✦✦✦✦✦At the same time ✦✦✦✦✦

An hour later since they started touring the household of the Reign’s, they still haven’t completely explored the entire building, it was so big than an average duke’s estate.

“As expected of the hero, their adobe is huge!” Said Arthur, his gaze went all over the place as he compiled all the cost of the house.

It’ll be more than a hundred thousands of gold coins, or so he assumes.

Coincidentally, they arrived at the backyard of the Reign’s mansion, where the flowers and vegetation are planted.

Like a Garden of Eden, be it rare or unique, many flowers were properly placed, the sweet lively aroma invaded their nostrils and the vivid color spreads to their eyes.

“Wow” Nervae uttered a word of amazement and almost forgot her name.

“This is amazing!” Arthur followed a praise as he stepped forward to the garden.

Nervae swallowed her saliva and ran towards the garden, she have likely forgotten her manners. Arthur, who at least did not forgot about himself.

Arthur have seen many gardens through his merchant life, but it wasn’t as beautiful as this. Nervae stroll down the stone pavement in a haste while Arthur is identifying each flower.

“Look at this! Look at this Arthur!” Nervae excitedly said while pointing at a certain flower that has many various petals.

When Arthur came, he saw a flower with multi-colored petals. It was an evolve rose.

He gasps and utters in amazement “wow~!”

Their hearts are captured by the evolve rose. Nervae involuntarily touches the petals, it let out a pleasant smell while the petals have a moist surface. Nervae’s eyes shined.

Seeing what Nervae did, Arthur followed her and touch the petals and had the same reaction as hers.

Nervae look for more amusing and beautiful flowers, her eyes strayed at the entire garden, meanwhile Arthur bothered the evolve rose more and couldn’t see a single withered rose.

Nervae, on the other hand, ventured her eyes more to the garden. She noticed that the butler assigned to them was long gone, but it didn’t bother them and continued. She took a stroll with manners this time. Filling up her sight with spectacle vivid colors, Nervae arrive at a small house made out of quartz unknowingly.

The quartz house seem to be a spot for relaxing. Just ahead the quartz house, a fountain was built, it gives a pleasant and relaxing sound.

Arthur came back to reality and followed the pavement towards Nervae.

While he was doing so, Nervae came up close and noticed a girl with a long silver hair across her. The silver hair beautifully reflects the incoming light, the hair extends to her waist in a free manner as if it wasn’t properly comb in the first place.

Expressionless face, the red velvet eyes that conveyed the word lonely. The silver haired girl was reading an intermediate-level book that even Nervae cannot comprehend.

“Beautiful” Nervae uttered unconsciously while staring at the girl.

She wore a slim long white sleeves paired with a dark blue skirt cascading down under her knees. She was slouching while she read the book.

A page to another, she uses her peony index finger to turn a page. Just in time when Arthur arrive and saw Nervae spacing out, he couldn’t help but to take this opportunity to poke her cheeks.

“What are you staring at?” He pokes at her and said in a monotone.

It seems that Arthur couldn’t detect nor perceive the girl inside the quartz house. She was casting [Stealth] without base, but still normal people wouldn't be able to detect her.

Nervae, who came back to reality and gasped. She says.

“There’s a girl with a cursed appearance, or perhaps she’s our party host?” She pointed at the girl without batting an eye.

Arthur look at it and couldn’t see anything but an empty space.

He looks back at Nervae with a worried face and said as he puts his hand on her shoulder and started to pat it.

“Maybe you’re just tired” He starts to walk inside the quartz house as he suggested, “Let’s get some rest here.”

Nervae nodded and followed him. Arthur sat beside the girl without noticing her, while Nervae sat across from him. She felt so awkward and may not end well for Arthur.

They both knew that their host has a cursed appearance just like Alusu said to them while they were eating.

Nervae strayed her eyes and her attention was caught by a void-like colored ring. The ring did not reflect the incoming light, but instead capture them and never luster. The ring emits a small shadowy smoke around it, it has the same smoke as the maid without face.

As she was about to space-out again. The girl uttered a word and surprise Arthur.

“I see that both of you arrived safely.”

Like appearing out-of-nowhere to Arthur, he involuntarily let out an embarrassing shout unbefitting to be called as a man, he tumbled down to get away.

“WYAAH!”

‘I’m starting to like this’ the girl – Steph said to her mind.

“Don’t scare me like that! In the first place, how did you appear out-of-nowhere” Arthur retorted as he realized the one that surprised him was a girl. Not to mention it has the same appearance as Alusu said.

Ignoring him, Steph introduced herself.

“I am Stephany reign, your party host” While saying so, she puts down her book stealthy

Her voice was nonchalant, she didn’t change her tone in any of that statement. As if she was uninterested in the first place. Her movements are simple yet it gives off a superior air.

Arthur stands up when he heard the other party’s name and said with a shaking voice.

“I apologize for my rude manner” and bowed 90 degrees.

Steph said with yet another nonchalant voice. “I don’t mind it. So can you introduce yourselves?”

Arthur swallowed his saliva and nodded. He sat beside Nervae with apologetic face. On the other hand, Nervae let out a sigh of relief that nothing happened to him. It seems that she’s not the type of noble to trample others under her rank.

Nervae introduced herself first because she’s the eldest.

“I am Nervae Silmon” She didn’t include her noble rank just like Steph because this is a tea party.

Noble ranks are disregarded when you’re in a tea party.

“I have a cursed too, the curse makes me able to see anything that others can’t.”

She stated her course, because it’s unfair if the other party was the only one to show her curse. Although she’s not sure whether to raise this sensitive topic or not.

Steph nodded and averted her gaze to Arthur with velvet red eyes.

“I am Arthur” He does not have a noble rank, hence he doesn’t have a family name.

He was left out and have a sour taste swelling in his mouth. Ignoring what he feels, he continues.

“I too, have a cursed. I am unable to carry heavy things”

Saying so, a batch of maids came inside the quartz house and serve tea for the guest, a coffee for Steph and many parfaits placed at the metal tower that can be seen clearly. It was very pleasing to the eye as the lust from their mouths was keep under from their manners.

Silence cast upon them until the maids left the quartz house. The maids didn’t stay with Steph because of how scary she is. Or so everyone believes that rumor.

Steph initiate to break the silence and also want to gain useful information about their curses.

“Can you tell me about your curses? I’m interested” Her words tells so, but her never-changing face did not.

Again, Nervae told about her story first.

“I am born with this curse and was able to see that others can’t, mana flow, spirits, to be able to see someone under the effects of [Stealth] magic or skill.”

Steph wants to capture her and perform various experiments. But she held it down inside. She wants to clone her with magic. However casting a [Conceal] from Mystic craft, it will disturb the mana around before it gives effect.

The curse’s ability might even just be a surface of what it can do. Hence, Steph would probably take effort in order to capture or make her into Steph’s. The excitement grew inside her, but didn’t show it off in her face.

She looks at Arthur, who is currently eating a toasted bread and there’s even a speck of peanut butter besides his lips.

The stare that Steph gave made Arthur to swallow the entire bread. He chokes and reaches for a cup.

Without hesitating, he drinks a cup of tea. Incidentally the cup of tea is really hot that can leave burns in the tongue. When he felt it, the hot instantly spreads inside his mouth.

He swallowed it because he doesn’t want to cause more rude actions. ‘What a pity child’ Steph thought.

His mouth instantly became beet red and tears swells in his eyes but didn’t fall down. He looks at Steph with a poker face as if nothing happened, ignoring that pain and not to let out a cry of pain.

Nervae looks at Arthur with amaze face. Arthur didn’t mind her and let out a cough before he started.

“Before becoming a merchant, I was a hunter”

‘Seems like this would be a long story’ Steph thought rudely. She looks at Nervae’s expression, she seemed to be used to this kind of stuff.

Anyways, Arthur tells his story.

“In my hometown, Cradin town, I ventured inside the dangerous forest, also known as “Altor forest”. Venturing carelessly in the deep, where light from the sun can’t seep through the leaves. I met the witch.”

He gave a strong gaze to Steph and continues. Also, when Steph heard Cradin town she shivered unconsciously but didn’t show it off because Cradin town is the one going to be attack by her illusions. Well, it is only for gaining undead monsters and huge amount of blood.

And she could use the undead monster army to kill someone for her. With that, she doesn’t have a problem if people bothers her. She could always kill them in the highways using her undead monster so it won’t be too suspicious. Anyways.

“She has the same appearance as you. She was the one that gave me the curse, the witch in the forest! Curse her!” He said angrily at the very end.

He calms down before continuing “Because of that, I requested insurance from the hunter guild and from my Father Mike. I decided to become a merchant like father Mike used to be”

He didn’t blame Steph for having the same appearance as the witch of the forest. But he still clearly have grudges left.

Steph was surprised hearing Mike’s name, to think that she met his son here for a tea party. She ignored the name and continue to pursue her interest.

“What’s her name?” Steph ask hopingly.

Arthur pondered for a minute, while Steph took a sip of her well-brewed coffee. Her taste changes as time passes by, or it was simply for her mood.

The silence took place, the sound of the sipping liquid and the fluttering sound of nature invades them once more, until Arthur finally remembered and uttered without confidence.

“I think she introduce herself as Artermia”  

Hearing it, Steph became more interested. She wants to see Artermia and if there’s a chance that Artermia does not seek fight nor anger. Steph wants to copy Artermia’s knowledge, and if the dragon is dead. It’ll be a great material for Magus crafting, or an ingredient for alchemy.

“Heh~” She let out a weird voice and said “Can you take me there? I’ll reward both of you 500 gold coins”

“”Eh?” This time, both of them let out a dumbfounded voice in unison.

“Wha-what are you talking about?” Arthur was confused that he almost forgot to speak properly.

Arthur is still regretting that he came to the forest and got cursed. And yet, this girl wants to meet the witch? Does she have a death wish? Those thoughts came to Arthur as the anger and rage swells within him.

“I want you to take me there”

They wanted to say something, however Steph raised her index finger, making them to silent reflexively.

“No questions asked” Her voice was somewhat cold and dark, even though it was the same tone as before, they shivered from it nonetheless. Her tyrannical and selfish attitude surface “I just want you to take me there”

The suffered from unexpected goosebumps and the eerie feeling lingered. Steph stood up and said to them before leaving.

“I’ll ask permission from my father and let’s set out tomorrow morning”

Just like that, Steph left them without stating her reasons nor them able to refuse.

“She’s really a tyrannical person” Nervae commented, which Arthur couldn’t argue nor oppose. He nods too before reaching to another bread.

 

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

“Yes it is indeed” Rachael agrees “If you grant everything that Milady Stephany wants. I’m sure you will be recognized as her father.” Rachael said positively.

Across Rachael was looking-so-exhausted Alusu. He laid back to the sofa and rest his head. He asked without a care of his current manner.

“How do you suppose to know?”

“Because I have seen Milady Stephany’s smile, a true smile that may rival to the Angel’s figure and I want to protect that smile!” Rachael’s words were sincere.

To think that Rachael was the first to make Steph to smile, it made Alusu to become more disappointed in himself.

He let out a heavy sigh and starts to regret everything what he did to Steph. Although, that sense of guilt was at ease at the same time, Steph didn’t want to socialize at the first place. He was confused whether he made Steph to be like that, he recollected what Steph wants according to Rachael’s information.

‘She does not want to engage in the world of nobles, she want to live peacefully while gaining knowledge.’ Alusu thought somehow it’s laughable ‘In the first place why does she have that kind of thoughts?’

Digging deeper would only make him confused, so he stops thinking for reasons why but instead think of how to pleased Steph. Despite being the 3rd daughter, or in fact, the 6th child born in the Reign family, she’s the hardest one among her siblings.

When Merry was like this, Alusu tried his best and spoiled her. Hence, Merry had opened out her heart to everyone, but she does not if it’s a commoner or to those who are lower than her.

Alusu can use his power of course and it will totally be easy, but he considered what will happen to her in the future. Alusu was worried about how his daughter will survive in the future. Alusu can lend a hundreds of thousands of gold to her of course, but it will only mean a bounty.

Many people will know and will try to steal it from her. Hence, that thought scared him.

Rachael gave more pressure to Alusu.

“Didn’t you say you’ll help me earlier?”

Like a bomb dropping from heaven to hell, Alusu sweats profusely and swivels his head towards Rachael, she has an evil smile on her face. She knew that Alusu doesn’t want to disappoint anyone this time, hence taking this moment and secured her victory.

Alusu responded a wry smile, a business smiling face.

He nods before saying “Fine, I will!”

He has no choice but to agree. Just when he said that, the door of the office room burst out open and the figure of Steph appeared.