"Why would the Emperor suddenly make her the partner of the Prince?" Victoria asked as she poured her husband a cup of tea. Martin didn't respond, he continued reading the docunts that needed his signature.
"I heard that Princess Isabel wanted to beco the Duke's partner this ti. Do you think that is going to harm the relationship that we have with the Northerners?" she continued asking. She wanted to know all the information so that she could plan her future moves.
Right now, Victoria's priorities were aligned with Rosalind's, but she was well aware that it wasn't a permanent arrangent. Moreover, she had her own plans.
The mont Rosalind left the mansion, it will be the end of her life.
"You do not have to involve yourself in this matter," Martin said sternly.
"Are you still upset?"
"Have you thought about your mistakes?" he countered.
"I"
"I told you to keep it quiet. Instead, you dragged a bunch of noblewon around the maze and embarrassed the family. Does that sort of behavior warrant applause?"
"I How was that any of my fault!? I am a mother. Did you expect not to lose my composure when soone told my daughter disappeared? What was I supposed to do?"
Martin sneered at her then he got up.
"Where are you going?" she asked
"You are tired, you should go back to your quarters."
"But I thought you wanted to sleep here tonight?" Victoria asked.
"As you can see, I am occupied with more important things."
"So your daughter's matters are not that important," Victoria couldn't help but snort. "Was it because Dorothy did not receive the Blessing?" Her question sohow made her think about the possible outco of Rosalind's Blessing being discovered.
It would be tragic.
Martin was already treating them like this because Dorothy did not receive the Blessing. The man had changed from the previous loving father to a cold, heartless head of the family.
Victoria could not grasp the new Martin. How could a loving father suddenly change because of sothing that his daughter did not receive? Everything was out of Dorothy's control! Why was she blad and treated like this because of sothing that has been decided by fate?
Victoria could not help but chuckle.
Her resolve to help Rosalind leave this place had gotten stronger.
"Then, I am leaving," Victoria added as she got up and marched out of the room with her head held high.
Seeing her leave, Martin sighed and massaged the space in between his brows. First, there was Dorothy and now, the Emperor suddenly wanted to drag Rosalind into his gas.
Another sigh left his lips before he walked out of his room and into his study. For so reason, he wasn't exactly surprised to see his father already there, enjoying his wine.
"I was only gifted with one son and yet I was lucky to have a son who received the Blessing of the Goddess," Federico said when he saw Martin's expression. "And yet you were gifted with two daughters, and yet neither of them are bound to receive the Blessing. This makes wonder what sins you have committed. Why did the Goddess stop favoring you?"
"Father please this is not the ti to talk about this." His head had been hurting since he received the order from the Emperor Himself. He sat opposite his father and stared at the fireplace."Must you mock like this?"
"Was it because of the Emperor's order?" Federico's lips lifted into a smirk. "You must be curious."
"I knew you had sothing to do with it."
"The Emperor refused to do it, but I gave him enough reasons to reconsider the idea. His decision had been influenced by my words, but I did not force him into doing anything."
"So you indeed had plans"
"We cannot just let the Duke have that woman," Federico said. "She is garbage, but desperate people can still use garbage to keep them warm."
"You" Martin looked at his father. "Are you planning to sacrifice, Rosalind?"
The old man snorted. "You are reacting as if you care for the child. Since she was born, you never spared her five minutes of your ti."
"She is still a Lux. It has been proven"
"Exactly, she is a Lux, and we cannot let the Duke take a Lux to the North!"
"So you would rather sacrifice her than let her live in the North?"
"There is no reason for us to let her live. The Duke wants to use her to show his people that he can do whatever he want in this Empire, and I am not going to allow that to happen."
"What of the Emperor?"
"He would not give the order without thinking things through."
"But wouldn't the Duke see through your sche?"
"What can he do? He will be stuck with the Princess."
Martin said nothing. Instead, he grabbed the decanter and poured himself so wine.
"Where are you going?" he asked when his father suddenly got up.
"I ca here to warn you. Do not intervene. Just sit in your little corner and plan your daughter's wedding. In the next few days, the priests will co here to perform another awakening ceremony. Everyone who is not eighteen will join. By then, we will know who had the Blessing."
With that, the old man left without sparing him another glance.
...
Rosalind could only sigh as she stared at her current appearance. Donned with pieces of jewelry that sparkled against the new chandelier inside her room, she took a step away from the mirror and looked at Milith and Grace.
"Must I wear sothing like this while hunting?" she asked. Who wears such expensive pieces of jewelry while hunting?
"That is"
"Remove them," she ordered.
"But Young Miss"
"I am not wearing this large, heavy dress and all these jewels around . I am going to hunt. Who hunts while wearing flamboyant dresses?"
"But Young Miss, this is the first ti that won are going to join the hunt so"
"A trouser," Rosalind smiled. She looked at her appearance and nodded. "No jewelry and trousers. I will be wearing trousers!"
"Won should not wear trousers," Grace said.
"Won are not supposed to hunt," she fired back. "And yet here we are."
"The Madam would be upset if you embarrassed the family further. I think"
"That, or I am not joining the hunt," Rosalind cut Grace's words off. Since she was an unmarried mber of the Lux Family, the whole Lux Family wouldl suffer with her if she received any punishnt from the Royals.
She then bead at Grace.
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