48. The Villainess Thinks of Soup
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In the life of Lady Mildred Lindvall, the Orchid of the Court, not much was truly... interesting.

"Lady Mildred, your homework."

The Lady of silvery blonde locks and blooming green eyes lowered her eyes from the window to the maid in front of her. "Put it on the desk," she replied quietly, not moving a single finger from where it sat daintly on her lap.

Yes, even homework was not done by Lady Mildred herself. The maids did it.

There was much that Lady Mildred did not do herself. She did not run. She did not panic. She did not laugh. She did not cry.

No wonder the students whispered behind her back, asking if she was a doll come to life.

"It is the lunch hour, Lady Mildred."

Lady Mildred rose from her seat and walked out. (She did, at least, walk.)

"What is today's lunch?" asked Mary1why are all lady's maids called Mary? from behind her, for Lady Mildred did not ask questions.

"Lobster with cream soup, m'lady." The cook bowed his head low.

Lady Mildred did not respond. All assumed that it was because she perfectly understood and thus found no need to reply, for Lady Mildred did not respond unnecessarily. 

In reality, Lady Mildred had not heard the second part (some other student had slammed a door near her and diverted her attention) and was wondering what, indeed, she was going to eat with lobster. Alas, Lady Mildred did not ask questions, more so for someone to repeat what they'd said, so Lady Mildred remained quiet and assured.

"Lady Mildred, this way."

She sat softly down onto the chair that overlooked a perfect scenery outside the window. No other student dared to sit near her, for she emitted an aura. Of what, nobody knew, but it was an Aura.

"Lobster with Cream Soup," the cook announced again, and the dishes were served.

Ah, Lady Mildred thought, so it was soup.

She waited for a few moments, leisurely taking in her surroundings, and was the picture perfect example of a flower in a garden, silent and still and beautiful. All of her attendants took the time to admire her posture and beauty and the way the sun reflected off her silver hair.

Lady Mildred was only really waiting for the soup to cool down, for Lady Mildred did not burn her tongue.

After three minutes of absolute silence, she finally took up her silverware. A dainty spoon in her dainty hand. It glinted in the sunlight and made the cook a bit dizzy with the beauty.

She dipped the spoon into the soup. The cream of the soup was dark in comparison to her pale skin. She raised it up and examined it, trying to get a feel for how hot it was, for Lady Mildred did not blow on her soup.

She shouldered the risk and brought it to her lips. It was hot, but thankfully not too hot. She breathed a sigh of relief, but everyone else mistook it for a sigh of pleasure.

The cook almost cried.

As she brought a second spoonful of soup up to her lips, someone suddenly approached her and sat-- right in front of her.

All the attendants sharply took in some air. Who dared to disturb the lady during her meal in the lunch hour? Who was so insensible enough that they couldn't feel the Aura that was being emitted into the air?

Lady Mildred paused, raising her eyes to level a questioning stare at the new person (for yes, Lady Mildred did not ask questions. We went over this.)

"Lady Mildred," said the person, an admittedly pretty person, with an Aura of her own, "I'm here to become your friend."

"What?" Mary hissed, then clamped her mouth shut. She had dared to speak for herself! What disgrace.

"Yes," the person continued, shaking her light brown hair out of her eyes. Sparkles seemed to awash the area surrounding them, but surely they must be imagining things. "I would like to be your friend. But first things first. I must discuss some things about the Prince."

All the attendants gasped again. What? Who dared to bring up the Crown Prince Alexander The Lady's Fiancee in front of Lady Mildred herself? Who was so insensible enough to bring this up?

"The Crown Prince," Lady Mildred stated (for Lady Mildred-- yes. We all got it, she doesn't ask questions. Got it.) as she smoothly raised a perfect eyebrow up.

"Your fiancee," the person agreed.

All the attendants--

"Please send all your attendants away," the person interrupted. "I have some very important things to discuss with you, Lady Mildred. As a friend."

All the--

Lady Mildred tilted her head. "So important that they must leave," she said, which was definitely not a question. It was another statement.

"Yes."

All--

Lady Mildred looked at Mary before anyone could gasp again, and Mary furrowed her eyebrows for a nanosecond before nodding. She nodded to the other maids, and they nodded to the other maids, and they-- yeah, they all nodded to each other and stepped away.

"Speak," Lady Mildred said, in her quiet and regal voice. "Tell me what you must discuss so importantly with me about my fiance."

See, Lady Mildred did not find much interesting. But her gut instinct buried deep inside layers of learning and common sense drilled into her since she was two years old was ringing, and ringing hard, that this would be an interesting addition to her very uninteresting life.

"My name is Rosa Chesterfield," said Rosa Chesterfield, her golden eyes flashing and her perfect lips grinning, "your newest friend. And I am aiming for your fiancee."


"And that's how I made a new friend," Rosa told Roly, as she brushed Poly's hair.

Poly turned around and exchanged quizzical looks with Roly. "That's how you make friends?" Roly asked, doubt seeping into her high-pitched voice.

"Yup. Learn well, you two. And Poly, don't turn your head while I'm braiding."

"Ummm," Poly piped up, obediently straightening herself, "That doesn't sound like how to make friends."

"Yeah, that sounds weird."

"Yeah!"

Rosa smacked Poly's head lightly. "Are you trying to say that you guys know better than I do on how to make friends?"

Roly blinked. "But you don't have any friends, Rosa."

"Yes I do! Fi's my friend!"

"Except for Filian," Poly added. She tried to turn around to look at Rosa, but Rosa hissed a warning. "You don't have any friends other than Filian."

Ouch. Rosa frowned. "Must you two always hit me where it hurts so casually?" she muttered to herself.

"What did you say, Rosa?"

"Nothing. I'm done braiding. Now go and play with your entire group of friends." 

With a chorus of "Okay!"s, the twins scrambled downstairs and rushed out, the door banging behind them. Almost immediately, a bunch of high-pitched voices called out to Roly and Poly from outside the window.

Rosa could almost hear the echoes of Poly's words ringing in her ear. You don't have any friends other than Filian.

"Fine, Roly Poly," Rosa grumbled, rising to her feet. "You win."

But it didn't change the fact that Rosa had a new friend now, so Rosa flipped her hair behind her shoulder and said, "But I didn't lose, either!!" ...though none of this had any meaning at all.


"My fiancee," the game's villainess inquired, though not as a question (never as a question). She tilted her head. "You are aiming for the Crown Prince."

"Yes, but not romantically."

Lady Mildred blinked slowly. If not romantically, then... "Politically."

"No, not at all."

"Then..." Lady Mildred let her words drawl off. And waited, for she must not question. When the defiant girl in front of her did not answer immediately, Lady Mildred raised the tea cup at the side to her lips.

"As a target."

Mildred almost choked, her thoughts set awhir immediately. Did she mean... Assassination?

"A means to an end."

A coup d'etat, then?!

Golden eyes flashed in front of her, oblivious to the chaos inside. The girl whet her lips once more and continued. "I am planning to save someone. He is but a part of my calculations. I have no intentions to harm you or the Prince."

But how could Lady Mildred trust her, she who Lady Mildred knew nothing about.

"May I have your permission?" persisted Rosa Chesterfield, leaning forward. Her light brown hair fell from her shoulder unto the edge of the table, and Lady Mildred blinked. She must be a bit tired-- that had almost looked like sparkles.

"Permission," mused the silver haired Lady. She looked out the window. "For... the Prince," the Lady surmised.

"No," the girl responded instantly. "To be your friend."

When Lady Mildred did not reply, the girl pressed on. "I am here to be your ally, not your enemy. It's for the good of mankind."

Of mankind, she says. Lady Mildred felt the corners of her lips curve upwards, her eyes shifting from the window back to the girl. 

How... interesting.

(After this, Rosa spent the rest of the lunch hour plunking cherry tomatoes into the soup and explaining the concept of buoyancy and volume and the Archimedes Principle-- yes, the guy who supposedly yelled Eureka in the bathtub, that guy-- which was so boring that Lady Mildred would have taken back her agreement to the newfound friendship had it not been for the fact that Lady Mildred did not, just like how she did not ask questions, take back her words.

Alas, it was a day that Lady Mildred learned to the depth of her bones that one must very much be careful with words.)


A/N: Wheeeeee totally forgot to mention, but poor Glitcherman in the polls, nobody likes him! Haha I love him so much and he doesn't even matter :D

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