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2024-10-29 19:42:56"Ughh… My head." I wake up and sit as I rub the back of my head. I check my surroundings and realize I'm in my room. "Eh? Wasn't I at the imperial palace last night? I don't recall coming home with Julian."
I look at the clock hanging at the wall near my bed, the hour and minute hand showing it's 11:18 a.m.
"I-It's almost midday?! Why didn't Mina wake me up?!" I yell in panic, quickly kicking off the blanket on me and in action to get off the bed.
"But… If Mina didn't wake me up, that means there's nothing important to do today." I remind myself, instantly calm down.
*Knock. Knock*
Someone knocks on the door and slowly opens it, not bothering to wait for my response. As the door fully opens, I instantly recognize the figure. It is the dukedom's physician. Before I can ask why he's here, he rushes to me as fast as lightning.
"Thank goodness you're awake, my lady! Everyone was worried!" He says, a relieved and grateful expression on his face.
I tilt my head in confusion. Didn't I just wake up late? Don't tell me I was suffering from a coma or eternal sleep? "What happened?" I ask.
"Do you not remember?"
I shake my head in denial as an answer.
"My lady fainted last night at the imperial palace due to a panic attack and injury at your neck."
"Huh? Fainted? Injury?" Curious, I slowly touch my neck. My fingers don't come in contact with my neck's skin, rather some kind of cloth wrapped around. I guess those are band-aids. In a flash, all memories of last night come flying into my head, one by one. My hands tremble, remembering that deadly scenario.
"M-My lady! You're trembling!" The physician says, immediately opening his briefcase.
"I knew I should have given my lady a shot." He takes out a big syringe with a needle whose radius is around 2 cm and a bottle with green paper wrapped around it. Containing medicine I presume. Still, seeing that gigantic killer syringe, I pull his coat while he is opening the bottle.
"It's nothing. I'm just cold. There's no need for a shot." I smile reassuringly. Please don't shoot me with that cursed invention.
"Then, I shall make a final check-up and prescribe my lady some medicines." He agrees quite instantly, saving back the syringe and bottle in his briefcase. I silently sigh in relief.
'What kind of enormous human syringe is that?!'
After the physician gives me the medicines as prescribed, he leaves the room. I ask him not to tell anyone I'm awake because I really don't want to be 'interviewed' by the manor's 'reporters'. Besides, there are some things I must sort out quickly.
"At the balcony last night… Was it all a dream?" I murmur, my hand near my lips.
"It's real."
An answer to my question from a mysterious voice. I flinch, but immediately turn in the voice's direction. Who else is here except me? Examining the whole room, a figure sitting on the sofa caught my eye.
"Y-Your Highness!" I gasp in shock, totally not expecting it's Azher. I'm alone with somebody who wants to kill me last night!
He rises from the sofa, taking a seat on the chair beside my bed. My eyes shot him a few nervous glances. He's not possibly here to interrogate a patient, right?
A silent bridge is fastly building on the atmosphere until he breaks it. "…First of all, I apologize for mistaking you for a spy and everything I did to you last night." He apologizes, but it's clear it is half-heartedly. Even so, I am stunned. That was indeed a little… Unexpected.
"It's fine. I'm also at fault for not introducing myself first." I reply promptly, not meaning what I said at all. I don't accept his apology, not even the slightest. It wasn't sincere nor genuine. More like for formalities or sort. And I hate that. I hate people who apologize without feeling the slightest guilt and tarnish the proper meaning of the word. But there's no need to create a scene. I still need to draw a deal with him, so I better not do anything rash before then.
Unexpectedly, he hands me a glass of water. "Please have some water. You look pale, Lady Airis."
I glance at the glass and hesitate. He did attempt to kill me last night and mention he needs to eliminate my existence. What if it's poisoned?
Perhaps noticing my hesitation, he let out a sigh and places the glass on the night table beside. "I apologize again for last night. I didn't realize I was crossing the line."
I grasp my blanket tightly. Again, the unmeaningful fake words. Anger, mad, and upset. Those are the feelings I'm currently oppressing from bursting.
'Hah, don't joke with me. Didn't realize you were crossing the line? Does he thinks drawing a sword aimed at a person's neck isn't crossing the line?! Is a person's life so trifling to you?'
Despite my eagerness to slap that all straight into his thick-skinned face, I remain calm. My life is more important. Even though he's in our manor, that doesn't mean he can't kill me right now. I better confirm he's not here to kill me.
"Why didn't Your Highness kill me?" I daringly ask.
"As I said before, I mistook you for a spy. There's no reason to kill you."
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Vision Of Ardiane MEMORY 2: Beginning Of Our Tale (Pt.2)
Unexpectedly, he hands me a glass of water. "Please have some water. You look pale, Lady Airis."I glance at the glass and hesitate. He did attempt to kill me last night and mention he needs to eliminate my existence. What if it's poisoned?Perhaps noticing my hesitation, he let out a sigh and places the glass on the night table beside. "I apologize again for last night. I didn't realize I was crossing the line."I grasp my blanket tightly. Again, the unmeaningful fake words. Anger, mad, and upset. Those are the feelings I'm currently oppressing from bursting.'Hah, don't joke with me. Didn't realize you were crossing the line? Does he thinks drawing a sword aimed at a person's neck isn't crossing the line?! Is a person's life so trifling to you?'Despite my eagerness to slap that all straight into his thick-skinned face, I remain calm. My life is more important. Even though he's in our manor, that doesn't mean he can't kill me right now. I better
Vision Of Ardiane MEMORY 2: Beginning Of Our Tale (Pt.3)
"Do you accept? No matter how you see it, Your Highness has nothing to lose." I say in a vendor-like manner. No matter what, the deal needs to be done today!"I have a question. Why do you intend to help me become the next emperor? Everyone knows that Aiden is more likely to be the next one."I scoff in disgust. "I think Your Highness of all people should know how Ardiane will unfold if that scumbag becomes the emperor.""Scumbag?""That evil two-faced guy doesn't deserve to be called a prince. He acts like 'Hello. I'm the empire's precious diamond for you all' when he's actually the 'I'm a plagiarized diamond made by a pirated company'. I'm sure the empire, no. The world would be better without his existence." I purposely make fun of Aiden, the villain in my dream in front of Azher, the hero.A laugh breaks out from him again. Though this time, it isn't a mocking laugh. It's a genuine laugh. "That's the first time anyone had ever insulted an imper
Vision Of Ardiane MEMORY 3: Opening The Curtains (Pt.1)
I walk out of Lady Airis' room and slowly sigh. What a weird lady. Thank god Felix helped me carry and took her home last night. However, I'm curious. How come she's aware of the truth behind Mother and Zane's murder? Even father, whose position is the emperor, isn't aware of it. I know the truth from Felix, who secretly witnessed that accident. I'm unsure whether to trust her or not, but time will decide that.And the deal about helping me become the next emperor. I originally thought she was there to confess last night, but I was wrong. When she proclaimed knowing the truth of the murder, I quickly assumed she was a spy sent to threaten me. Turns out, she just wanted to make a deal. A weird deal at that.Morefore, she's something else. Not your average noble lady. In my entire life, I have never met someone who dares mock an imperial in front of another imperial without any hesitation."Your Highness!" Someone shouts from behind, though I don't need to guess w
Vision Of Ardiane MEMORY 3: Opening The Curtains (Pt.2)
"Let's get you to engage!" I voice my idea excitedly, clapping my hands once."W-What?!" Julian stutters in shock. Just by his reaction, it's clear he completely disagrees. But there's no solution better than this one!"Think about it. Not many rumors affect Lady Cecilia every time she bothers and clings to you. But if you have a fiancée, people will say she's disturbing another's fiancée and she'll be forced to stop." I explain, then munch on a chocolate cookie served on white porcelain with gold lines on the table.Julian and I are talking in my room about how to solve matters with Lady Cecilia – the daughter of a count who clings onto my brother as if Julian is her husband – without tarnishing Absalom's reputation. This had been occurring for over a year now. I'm helping him because he had helped me a lot when I 'forgot things' – he's not aware of the truth – and I regard him as my 'real brother'. I'm certain the original
Vision Of Ardiane MEMORY 3: Opening The Curtains (Pt.3)
If things are happening according to Vision Of Ardiane, Aiden will be elected as the crown prince, and ascend the throne 2 weeks after due to the emperor's death – murder to be exact. His ruling times were the darkest era of Ardiane. He'll rule with great cruelty without a single sense of humanity. All commoner men and children would be captured and forced to do hard labor, while women were arrested for sexual desires.As for Airis, don't know if it's a blessing or a curse, she became Aiden's wife. He didn't make anyone his consort or empress, only took in wives.Because of the havoc caused, Azher and Adam joined forces as well with some nobles. They are known as Elite. The Absalom duchy was one of the houses. Because of Airis' position as Aiden's wife, she was assigned to be a spy in the imperial palace. Despite Aiden ruling cruelly, he had never hurt her. Airis also constantly pursued Aiden, hoping that he'll stop this madness.Soon after, Aiden found ou
Vision Of Ardiane MEMORY 4: New Technology (Pt.1)
"A maid from the duke's manor had arrived. She said she has something important to give you. Most likely to be Lady Airis' maid." Felix reports."Anything suspicious in the past few days?""Nothing in particular. She'd only stay in the manor.""…Let her in." I give my permission after thinking for a while. Felix nods and brings in the maid. She bows down, greeting me."Greetings upon the fourth sun, Prince Azher Alexander Ambrose.""Stand forth. What brings you to the imperial palace?"Rather than answering, she glances towards Felix and the maids who are standing at the corners of my office, watching us.'She wants what happens here, stays here, huh?'I make eye contact with Felix, signing him to leave. He obeys and leaves the room, followed by the maids. By then, it is just the two of us."I assumed Lady Airis wants this to be a secret?""Yes. Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness."I nod
Vision Of Ardiane MEMORY 4: New Technology (Pt.2)
"Good afternoon, Lady Airis. I am Alfred Raff, head butler of Prince Azher's palace. I will escort you to His Highness today." A middle 40 years old man bows to me."Hello, Alfred. Thank you for escorting me." I thank him while my eyes inspect his attire. It's exactly like a butler uniform in historical British movies.He stands up and places his left hand on his chest. "No need to thank me, my lady for this is my job." Alfred says.I just smile as a response and follow him walk along the road. Despite arriving here at midday, the temperature isn't hot and the wind is breezy. Over 20 maids line up along the road, bowing to us.'Woah… Little did I expect to have such a grand welcome. The duke's daughter's position is indeed high.'We soon enter the palace. I'm amazed by the fancy classic sight. This is exactly like what's shown in historical movies and drama series, but ten thousand times better! The walls were painted with gold and white pai
Vision Of Ardiane MEMORY 4: New Technology (Pt.3)
Lilith Pandora is one of the 'perfect' types of people. Long wavy light pink hair, bright blue eyes, and a beautiful face. Make sense if His Majesty fell for her. But pushing all that aside, I'd say she needs mental treatment. ASAP.When she's angry, she throws fits and destroys all kinds of stuff to vent. She often compares his son, Aiden, with the other princes. Even worse, she even poisoned His Majesty's food after Aiden won the crown prince election because she couldn't wait for Aiden to ascend the throne. Like that's not enough, she was the one who tortured Airis to death. Voluntary! Haa… Her sins are uncountable beyond belief.The reason why she hired the assassins was that Zane is the first in line for the throne – he's the empress' son. According to the law, if anything happened to Zane, a crown prince election will be held – because all sons from wives are equally second in line.As for Amira – Azher's mom – she happened t
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- Vision Of Ardiane
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are numerous people who I wish to thank for helping me in making Vision Of Ardiane a reality. For instance, the person I want to thank first is my little sister, Qaisara. Thank you so much for listening to my crazy ideas and proofreading my story countless times. Your feedbacks are either the best or the harshest I’ve received to this day. Thank you too for your encouragement. And foremost, thank you for being my first biggest fan.Second, I express my most thanks to my beloved parents. Thank you for supporting me all the way. Thank you too for helping me publish Vision Of Ardiane. Vision Of Ardiane wouldn’t be possible without your help.Third, my thanks go to my last three little siblings. Thank you for letting me use the laptop for who knows how long (it’s silly, I know, but yeah. Thanks)Next, I also wish to thank MegaNovel and GoodNovel for giving me an opportunity to officially publish my work and sharing this to the world. This mea
- Vision Of Ardiane
ABOUT AUTHOR
Hello, sweeties! I’m Daphne Blaze, your author! Congratulations on finishing Vision Of Ardiane! Thank you so much for reading my precious masterpiece of imagination!Little facts about myself, I live in Southeast Asia and I enjoy writing since young – it feels as if I’m realizing my imagination into the world. My birthday is on 8th January and umm… I’m pretty young, not old, HAHAHA. I live in a family that is the big-cheerful-loud type – this is a given when your mom gave birth to 5 childeren. Other than reading and writing, I also love doing embroidery, taking walks outside, listening to music, and shopping (who doesn’t, right?). I'm a huge fan of sweet things, especially desserts! You all can find me on Instagram (@writervoa). You can share your feedback with me there (or here at the reviews) or we can be friends!Publishing Vision Of Ardiane feels like a miracle. A dream come true. In making this book possible, I
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MEMORY 31: How It Ends (Pt.2)
I grip the glass in my hand, looking into the reflection of me in the cold water. My eyes are red and puffy from crying. Thankfully, my makeup is waterproof, or it’ll be messy due to the tears. Azher comes and sits beside me after putting away his suit – “Hot.” He says, despite the aircon turned on 18oC.“Theron didn’t erase your memories and told you everything, right?” I fire my assumption, eyes fixated on the water.“…Yes. She thought I have a say in this matter.” Azher truthfully admits, though halting before that.“…” I say nothing. Honestly, I want to complain, but it already took place, so it’s no use.“How are you here?” My head shifts to him, asking a more interesting question.“Theron sent me here.”“How?”“Is it important? I’m here now, aren’t I?” He says, appearing to avoid my qu
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MEMORY 31: How It Ends (Pt.1)
“You…! Are you alright?!” He yells, rushing towards me and crouching down to check my legs. “How can you be so careless? What if it burns your legs?” He scolds me with an angry frown, but I give no response, only looking at his familiar black hair. He stands up, looking at me a few seconds later. From this nearer distance, I stare at his face, examining every single feature. It’s him. It’s really him. My hand reaches his cheek. It’s chubby. It’s solid. This is real. This isn’t a dream. “Is it… really you?” I ask, somehow sounding desperate. He smiles warmly, grabbing my hand. He looks into my eyes as I look into his. That charming smile. That mesmerizing gaze. Those that I haven’t seen for 5 years. “I found you, Kira.” Thinking no more, my body moves on its own. I hastily pull his suit, hugging him so tight that I don’t care if he’s choking. “Azher! It’s really you!” I cry, squeezing my embrace
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MEMORY 30: Found You (Pt.3)
*Splash!* “Huff… Huff…” I pant from splashing my face with cold water numerous times, hands leaning on the sink. Yet why am I still not calm?! You deserve to be happy, Kira. You always do. I stare into the reflection of me in the mirror, eyes captured on the purple gem necklace I’ve never taken off in the past 5 years. It’s Purple Tears, the one Azher gave me. It’s also the only thing from Ardiane that’s here in my world – it was around my neck by the time I woke from a coma. Even I don’t understand how it’s possible. “…Hah. I’m pissed.” Not because of Ihan’s words. But because of me. Because of my ignorant self who neglects my happiness. I’m disappointed… with myself. There’s been a thought that frequently lingers in my mind for the past 3 years. For how long are you going to be like this, Kira? Yes, for how long am I going to refuse to move on from Azher? He was somebody I was willing to let go. For
- Vision Of Ardiane
MEMORY 30: Found You (Pt.2)
*Click.* Ihan pushes the up arrow button and takes a step back – standing beside me. I discreetly glance at him. He’s wearing a poker face, not the smiley one he’d often wear when visiting other companies. I softly sigh, careful not to get caught. Throughout the journey, we didn’t exchange any words other than the previous unfinished conversation. Yeah, it was also that. ‘What did you mean by that? Surely, not…’ *Ding-!* The system rings, signing the lift has arrived. The door opens, presenting zero souls. I gulp as I enter the lift after Ihan. There are 31 levels in our journey – our destination is at the 35th level. 4 levels had passed yet the awkward bridge between us hadn’t been destroyed. This is definitely the awkwardest lift ride in my entire life! I wish to find a way to break this barrier. Even though Ihan is my mentor, we’re really close friends. Similar to my relationship with… “…” …K
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MEMORY 30: Found You (Pt.1)
“You’ll get a stomachache if you eat it like that, Kira.” Ihan reminds me, sipping his three shots of Americano. “It’s your treat. Might as well get the best of it.” I answer, continuing to take another bite of the slices of different cakes I’ve ordered despite an empty stomach. Ihan Arias, my mentor and colleague at Memoir – a European cosmetic company. We’ve known each other since a year ago – when I first joined the company. “Why are you craving so many sweets? Stressed?” My hand halts. I lift my head with my messy mouth, expressionless. “Yes! Very! Absolutely!” I yell with the utmost frustration. “Hahaha!” Ihan laughs at my answer, perhaps enjoying my torment. “You’re particularly a female Einstein. How can you be stressed at work?” “Einstein is human and I’m human too, you know?” “A prodigy isn’t human.” He takes another sip. “It’s amazing how you got enrolled in a top university and graduated early despite being i
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MEMORY 29: It’s ‘See You Later’ (Pt.2)
I start to monitor Kira’s breathing and heartbeat – suddenly remembered first aid – and try to stop her from bleeding more. As time flies, her breath gets heavier to the point I can hear it. She’s starting to have trouble breathing. I check her airways and they’re not clogged. It can mean only one thing… “Azher… Can you… help me?” She asks in an intermittent voice from heavy breathing. “Anything for you.” “I’ve… summoned Theron, yet… she hasn’t… arrived… Can you…” “I’m not leaving you alone.” I say firmly, knowing what the next words are. “No…” She denies. Her eyes avert to Killian’s corpse. “Destroy… moon brooch.” My head shifts and spot a crescent moon brooch. “I think… that’s blocking…” I stand up, not burdening Kira to explain further. Since it’s not far I go and fetch the brooch. As it’s in my grasp, I drop and quickly step on it – to destroy it. But, it doesn’t crack. Not even a little. “…?” I bend
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MEMORY 29: It’s ‘See You Later’ (Pt.1)
I sprint towards Aiden near the walls – honestly be vibing like a ninja. Azher is doing a great job at averting his attention – shouting and jumping like a wild monkey that escaped from a zoo, and dodging his attacks without a hitch. *Knock!* Aiden falls into my arms from my knock on his neck, lifeless and defenseless. The wooden planks aiming at Azher also fall on the ground because there’s no mana to make flying or floating possible. “Mission complet-” “Kira, let go of that moron!” Azher yells. *Plop.* My body automatically obeys his childish demand – raising both of my hands after letting Aiden fall just like that. “There. Happy?” “Very.” He answers with a chuckle. I smile, then dash to him. He opens his arms wide and I jump right in. “We did it.” I whisper into his ear, standing on my tiptoes with my arms around his neck. My tears are about to fall from this immense joy within me. “Yeah, we did.” He
