"Milady, should we pair this pearl necklace with this one?" A maid timidly asked Rumina who looked absentminded as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
The girl had to be called twice before noticing that the maid was asking her opinion about the other pieces of jewelry.
"Hmm? Ah, yeah. Which one to pair with which?" She asked back before giving them a slight smile.
She cooperated with one of the girls and raised her right hand. The maid slipped a bracelet with many small red precious stones on her jade white wrist and then respectfully retreated to one side. The girl removed her gaze from it and through the reflection, she checked how it looked when viewed with her dress. Her hands were making waving gestures as she turned her cheeks from one side to another.
After looking into the mirror for ten seconds, Rumina subconsciously pulled the edges of her lips downward. Sothing was off. She was not pleased by the red glow the prominent encrusted gem in the middle part emitted.
'I feel like that man wouldn't like it.'
While the female servants were watching her nervously, she looked at the boxes jewelries laid out on the dressing table, checking each of the sparkling gems there one by one. Not long after, she spoke softly yet with finality.
"I don't want the ruby one. Find that sapphire bracelet honored father gifted last month. I want that one. And the other articles and accessories...? In fact, I think blue is better so let's change all my accessories to that color."
The maids widened their eyes and exchanged glances with each other.
Even though they have no doubt that their young lady would look good in anything and any color, still, wasn't she fond of red? She was even wearing an especially tailored fiery dress and her hair decors were also in that color. What made the lady change her mind?
The youngest attendant ca back with a box in hand. When Rumina opened it, she showed satisfaction at the accessory stored inside. Her expression beca brighter and after putting it on, she found it more beautiful on her wrist.
"Do I have a dress in yellow or sky blue color?" A couple of seconds later, without removing her eyes from her reflection, the female lead asked.
"Milady, of course, we have. The master of the house has told our exclusive seamstress to take care of your dresses, bags, and shoes. Clothes for all seasons and occasions are delivered tily. There is one perfect for a ball. However..."
Rumina waited for the older woman dressed in a standard maid's clothing to continue her words. A full minute passed without the other speaking again. However, she could guess what she wanted to say.
The dress was not made for a simple and private eting. And the cold hue might not match her temperant and style.
'Sighs.' The girl lowered her gaze at the blue gem shining on her hand.
It was a gem preferred by the crown prince and was usually worn by the Saintess. Blue and white made that black-haired woman appeared lovely, holy, and pure. Combined with that and once that woman made a pitiful appearance as she asked for sothing from the Emperor or the other ministers and church mbers, they would imdiately do her bidding.
Couldn't she try the sa? To confirm whether n would always have the urge to protect once they saw a woman acting and looking pitiful?
The female lead was not confident that she could make the white-haired man agree to her request. The repeated rejection had worn down her confidence that she could get a yes from him through normal ans.
But what if a little tweak in her getup could bring a change?
She had a hunch it was rely a wishful thinking, but if there was a choice and lesser evil, she would take that. Deep inside, she also didn't want to pull out the faked written agreent.
However, Rumina was in a constant state of worry and these days, it was so intense, and still growing worse the closer the coronation day approaches.
Don't look at how satisfied she was at her appearance. In reality, she relied on makeup to hide her eyebags and dull complexion.
The nightmares kept haunting her. The dark circles under her eyes beca prominent due to sleepnessness. It was getting harder to keep her reason.
Hence, the female lead already made a decision. Once everything went south and the coronation happened the sa way as the past life, she would not hesitate.
She knew it would be hard to accomplish since the other party, if pushed to a corner, could simply use his authority to deny her claims. However, there was no more leeway to back down, hence she planned to give her all in this endeavor.
Thinking of this, Rumina took several deep breaths. When she felt herself and there was no change in her heart, she realized the determination did not waver, not even when her father dissuaded her.
Feeling a bit nervous, she left her room and walked down the hallway towards the entrance. Her father, Duke Bolden, a tall and slightly thin gentleman stood near the carriage talking to the main housekeeper.
He approached her afterwards, getting her gloved hand and escorting her personally to a relatively simple carriage not bearing their house's crest. "Have you truly made up your mind?"
'To stop being Prince Ro's fiancee?' she knew he wanted to add but considerately didn't.
The girl silently nodded.
'Luke, I'm sorry... and Dad... sorry if your daughter will be a bad one this ti... I know this will be overboard. But I really need an excuse so we could survive.' When she said the last part to herself, she glanced at her father then recalled the bloodcurdling sight in her mories. Face pale, she looked away and then quietly boarded the horse-driven ride. Yet her heart beco more desperate.
One of the two thods she thought of were to wed herself to a person of considerable weight in the empire. The prophet who was exclusively bound neither to the Church or the royal family was the best choice. There were other important noble households in the capital. Needless to say, most of them were loyal to the crown. The ones not were heavily guarded against by the other houses, not to ntion, for so weird sort of reason, all of them had no unmarried mbers around her age.
Only Luke Wade was the only heir of a duke or a marquis still not tied to any lady. Rumina knew the royal family had long wanted to plant a woman loyal to them by his side to control him. But up to date, not even the current Emperor could force that man to marry. Actually even the Pope could not. Because when the latter did try to pair him with Su Luxi on her second day in this world, he declined and even retreated from the public's view. Luke had not even stepped out once since then.
Rumina worried about whether her plans would succeed and conveniently forgot that the other person repeatedly told her that his health condition was poor. This was the real reason why he could no longer go out as frequently as before.
The second thod which crossed her mind was to beco a nun and have the prophet, in the na of friendship, to declare the Goddess heard of her devotion and approved of her being a pure female cleric. However, she was sure that man would not heed this request too. The prophet definitely can't lie. Otherwise, why did he refuse to help terminate her engagent with the crown prince?
'Ah... The sun is setting soon.' She sighed in her heart. 'The world will usher the night sky soon. And that will be a good cover. Two dukes and their heirs talking privately will not garner much attention. But it was a different matter altogether if one of the heirs was already promised to sobody else. The night will be helping us.'
Duke Bolden observed his daughter for a while and then sighed secretly. He didn't know what had gotten into her head to think of terminating the contract now.
The duke was aware that Rumina frequently went out of the mansion in a maid's clothing, but not how she was frequently at Duke Wade's residence. However, he knew that the girl would be going to the Wade Mansion to et the prophet.
For a mont, the man in his forties felt tired. The girl must have tried a relationship with the prince but didn't succeed. So now that she wished to escape from the marriage, she thought only the prophet could go against the royal family or invalidate the agreent.
An hour passed and both the father and daughter didn't notice that they had sunken deep into contemplation.
...
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