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2024-10-29 19:42:56"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 imperial without hesitation in front of another imperial." He informs me, still laughing to his heart's content.
The sunray that shines through my room makes his face look stunning with his whole-hearted laugh. Somehow, all my negative thoughts about him fade in an instant. I stare at him in awe. He's acting like a cute little boy. I swear, if he lived in the modern world, he would be a famous world-class model or idol. I don't know why, but my hunches are telling me that it had been a long time since he could laugh like that – considering his cold attitude last night. The only response I can give is a sincere smile.
"So, is Your Highness agreeing on my deal?" I smile innocently, yet compulsively.
Like I just ruined his happiness, an annoying expression appears on his face. "For a noble young lady, you're very stubborn."
"It's called persistent." I reply nonchalantly.
"…Alright, let's form an alliance."
"Really?!" I ask in a cheerful manner.
"Only if you tell me what you know about the murder."
"Of course."
As he is eagerly waiting for my explanation, I hesitate before answering. Slowly tugging his sleeve, I move my eyeballs towards the window, signing him to look there too. Shifting his gaze, he spots the thing that made me hesitate. A bunch of maids is eavesdropping from the window outside. They must have thought there's something between us – since I had woken up but didn't call the maids and he's sitting next to my bed.
"When did they-"
"Rest assured, Your Highness. I'm sure they didn't hear any of our conversations." I answer before he could ask.
"I hope so. It would be a hassle to find someone to silence them."
"The window is at least 5 meters away. They can't hear us considering the normal limits to human perception."
"I suggest we stop here. We will continue some other time." I quickly close off our unfinished conversation.
"…" He grits his teeth. He's mad and, so do I. But at least I managed to draw the deal. I slightly glare at the maids outside. Just wait until I find every single one of you sneaky mouses!
"I should leave now and call Lord Julian to avoid any more suspicion." Azher stands up and grabs his blue-black coat which was placed on the sofa before heading to the door.
"We'll continue our talk later. Goodbye, Lady Airis."
I nod, and just like that he leaves, me alone in my room.
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"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
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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
- Vision Of Ardiane
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
- Vision Of Ardiane
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
- Vision Of Ardiane
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
