It took a while for Lunabelle to hear the rhythmic breathing of Arlo, her older brother, signaling that he had fallen asleep in the bed across from hers. She promptly got out of bed, feeling Cloud, her guide dog, calmly walking around her.Upon reaching outside the room and softly closing the door behind her, Lunabelle whispered to her dog, "Take me to Franz, Cloud." The dog acknowledged with a small whine before starting to lead her through the bustling and crowded corridors."Good day, Young Lady," greeted a cheerful servant as Lunabelle passed by. She quickly stood and faced the servant, trying to recall the woman's height from her limited view. "Do you need any assistance?""No, thank you," Lunabelle replied. "I'm fine.""In that case, we'll take our leave. May your day be good, Young Lady."Lunabelle nodded and continued walking. Cloud guided her, veering in a direction towards a fragrant garden filled with various types of flowers. Then, Lunabelle heard som
The old central palace of Varidianth had formal protocols that hadn't changed in a century. As a result, not much had altered. Each flowerbed in the garden still boasted the same type of plants. Every servant still donned the same uniform, moving around the palace to carry out their familiar tasks. However, everything was busier now, with the palace receiving numerous guests in anticipation of the coronation ceremony for the new Queen. Even as Dravon observed the servants bustling about with anxious and hurried expressions, he felt the urge to dash to the servants' quarters and inquire, "How can I assist?" It took a concerted effort to recall that he was in the palace as an esteemed guest, not the son of a palace gardener.As the car door was opened by a knight, the boys of the servants began unloading their belongings. Meanwhile, a servant, whom Dravon distinctly remembered as Jenny, bowed respectfully and said, "I am Jenny, and I will attend to Prince Dravon's entourage during
The ancient Central Library of Varidianth Palace surpasses the library in Valorthorn, not in the variety of its books, but in the abundance of copies for each title. Stepping into the dusty, dancing light, between two shelves so close they seemed to embrace him intimately, Dravon felt a wave of beautifully nostalgic emotions wash over him. In his youth, when his world revolved around serving the palace's inhabitants, he would steal away to the library in his spare moments, losing himself in its pages of books.But now, Dravon couldn't afford to let those feelings cloud his judgment. Leaning against the bookshelf, he sighed deeply. "Speak your mind, Sera," he urged Queen Varidianth, his half-sister, seated before him. "You know I have little time to spare."Seraphina tried to steady her breath, perhaps also gathering courage. "Dravon," she said softly. "Dr. Lemecier called me."D*mn, he's truly a doctor who doesn't respect patient privacy, Dravon cursed inwardly. Nonethel
Despite the heavy rain in Rainvale, Julian's ice cream shop remained bustling as ever. Although its clientele mostly consisted of young girls and women, rarely any children except on weekends."Hey! Um, could I have a large serving of ice cream in a bowl, please?" A girl, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old, requested. It was her first time visiting Julian's ice cream parlour, as she was unfamiliar with it. Her long, black hair was neatly braided. Her sparkling eyes reminded Julian of Serena from their younger days, causing a sudden pang in his heart."Yeah, of course," Julian smiled softly. He swiftly grabbed a sundae bowl and filled it with four scoops of ice cream, then drizzled it with chocolate syrup, condensed milk, chocolate chunks, and various other sprinkles. As a finishing touch, Julian placed a cherry on top. He then slid it towards the girl, who deliberately sat on a bar stool next to the ice cream counter.Meanwhile, the other customers were delighting in
Thundervale stands as one of the finest cities in the kingdom of Varidianth. With its vast expanse, Thundervale boasts boundless mining resources. Atop it, skyscrapers rise, catering to wealthy families seeking luxurious and comfortable lives after toiling for more than twelve hours a day in the harsh economic demands of the kingdom.General Griffin believes himself to be nothing more than a royal knight tasked with fighting enemies who cross the borders of his kingdom. No more than a watchdog, barking and biting at every wicked person who crosses the gates of King Valorthorn's domain.However, in reality, as someone who has contributed greatly to the kingdom, he has received many rewards from the King. Castles, titles, chests of gold, the most beautiful women from the orphanages north of Valorthorn. He is merely a general who is too intoxicated by power and foolish when a pink-haired woman claimed to be pregnant with his daughter. Unable to raise the baby girl, he surrendered her to
In fact, Julian was unaware of Juliana's deception or whoever that girl's real name was. And there was no way Julian could remain calm when facing a girl cursed with the power of a Revenant: it meant that everything was not okay. Kieran, Serena, and Arlo were not okay. Varidianth was not okay either.And Julian himself was not okay, clearly.Julian took a deep breath. His eyes locked onto the shadow at the kitchen cabinet door, observing the figure of the girl standing right behind him, her eyes blazing like hellfire. As red as blood."What did I do to make your boss angry?" Julian asked casually. "Because I don't remember doing anything.""It's none of your business," Juliana's (or Revenant's, whichever) voice sounded so deep and cold. The power of the Revenant could only be attained after reaching seventeen years of age, so it was clear Juliana was just pretending to act like a fourteen-year-old girl when meeting Julian. Or perhaps Julian was wrong to assume so.Cassie, Julian's bel
After the unopenable coffin of the Grand Duchess had been laid to rest in a simple ceremony attended only by servants and close relatives, Jace maintained his mournful expression a little longer as he bid a brief farewell to everyone present so he could promptly depart for Remirer to attend the coronation feast of the new Queen Varidianth.All relatives were cordial to him. After all, he would soon become the new Grand Duke. However, amidst everyone, Jace suddenly encountered her. The woman he had once loved deeply. His former wife whom he divorced to smooth his approach to Serena. The woman whom Jace believed loved him wholeheartedly, yet was ensnared in the game Vikrant devised to test her loyalty. Her love and loyalty to him turned out to be more fragile than splintered wood.Jace maintained his somber expression and returned the embrace from his former wife. "Thank you for coming, Vanessa," he whispered. He wasn't thankful at all. Jace was still wounded by Vanessa's infi
"Are you alright, Lady Serena?"Serena blinked in surprise, realizing that she had been staring down at the plain black fur carpet beneath her feet. She lifted her head slightly, meeting Jenny's gaze, the maid who had been diligently painting her nails plain black with silver glitter. Behind the girl, a fire flickered in the fireplace. The warmth that Jace always enjoyed whenever he visited the old central palace of Varidianth."Should we extinguish the fire in the fireplace? You seem uncomfortable with the warmth," Jenny murmured softly.Serena shook her head, then forced a smile. "I enjoy the warmth," she said, secretly longing for the cool weather before the heavy rain in Rainvale. "I'm just not used to being dressed up like this."She wasn't entirely lying. Jenny had been with her for an hour now, quickly helping her dress, style her hair, and apply makeup. By the time Jenny decided to paint her nails, Serena was already tired and sleepy."Oh, really?" Jenny suddenly looked guilty