Reunion

If I had to name the most memorable moment in this world—well, there were many contenders. And the competition was strong too. From meeting new people, to learning about magic, they were all a unique experience. However, the what will forever stay embedded in my mind, would naturally be my transmigration.

The first day I arrived in this world, confused, in a different body, and in front of me two people arrogantly staring at me. Truly unforgettable.

So, when I saw the third prince and his sister stand before me, how could I ever resist the urge to greet them?

The prince, at first, did not recognize me. He leisurely sipped his drink, while around him, several females, all of noble quality fawned over him, though he did not pay them any heed. At first, he probably saw me as one of them, and glanced away.

His dear sister, however, was not that nonchalant. As soon as our eyes made contact, her mouth widened and she stood stunned. She rubbed her eyes, and then looked at me again, before her face turned incomparably pale. The woman took a deep breath, and only after a few seconds, did she compose herself. Her brows then tightly scrunched together and she screamed in fury, "Why are you here!"

The prince, startled by his sisters aggrieved voice, took another glance and what he saw made him lose his strength, causing the cup in his hand to fall, spilling red wine everywhere. Was he this shocked because the makeup made me unrecognizable?

"It has been a while." I bobbed my dress and gently smiled at them.

"How dare you show your face here," the sister continued screaming. She was bubbling with anger.

"Oh my," I hid my mouth behind my hand and pretended to be shocked, "is it not a public place. I must have gotten my address mixed up."

"I heard you returned to the D'Anele territory. I thought they would banish you to nunhood, but here you are. Letting you leave must have been the greatest mistake your household committed," the princess shot out one insult after another. Ah~ exactly how I remembered.

"This lady is flattered that her highness is paying attention to her."

"You—" The princess bit her lips as her beautiful face turned dark. She was so angry, she had trouble breathing.

The prince on the other hand, was a lot calmer. He saw the gazes on him, anyone attending had their eyes on them, hoping for gossip. He understood, anything he did will affect his reputation to come. How could it not, I, his former fiancee, just returned to confront him. The most outrageous couple reunited. I would be offended if no one was paying me any attention. Thus, the prince composed himself.

Still, that did not mean he wasn't mad. "How did you come in," he asked, his voice cold. Nice to meet you too, darling.

"Through the door of course."

His eye twitched due to my reply.

In the background, I heard Agnes laughing hysterically. "Lᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ʜɪs ғᴀᴄᴇ. ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪs ɪᴅɪᴏᴛs ғᴀᴄᴇ," she shouted while pointing at him. I could tell without reading her mind, that she was feeling absolutely ecstatic.

"Have you not humiliated me enough," the prince asked. As he looked at me, his expression mellowed out. He wasn't as mad anymore. I could tell, he was sad now. As for why, I couldn't tell. "Why do you have to come here just to ruin my stature at your expense?"

"Hey, not everything is about you. Did you really think I came here just for this?"

The third prince furrowed his brows. "Why else would you be here?"

"There's no need to reason with the unreasonable!" The sister yelled before I was able to answer. "Brother, have you forgotten what atrocities she had done to me? Just get the guards and kick her out!" She then steppe forward and tried to grab me.

However, before she could, Raya stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "Your highness, it will be unwise to make a scene right now." She had been watching patiently, and her eyes were filled with reverence when she looked at the royal family, a novel expression. I was rather surprised by her decision to intervene, but that was why she was my favorite Raya; always there when it counted.

"Who are you," the princess asked and swatted Rayas hand away, "let go of me!"

"Raya Josephine," the prince answered solemnly, "apologies for not greeting you."

"Not at all, your highness." She simply shook her head.

The gaze the prince shot at her was filled with complicated emotions. Confusion, anger, sadness—he could only sigh. "I see you have made your decision."

"Indeed so, it would seem," Raya said and looked at me, "though I had little choice, quite honestly."

I tilted my head, for I did not understand what they were talking about. Neither did Agnes herself. If I remembered correctly, Raya had met the prince twice. Now that I was already remembering, my memories also told me that she had an amicable relationship with him, to the point where she even found fault with me the moment I returned. At that time, I thought her hatred stemmed from jealousy for my engagement. Since that proved not to be the case after a while, I decided to not pursue the matter anymore.

However, looking at this scene, things seemed more complicated than I initially anticipated.

"Allow me to introduce you," the third prince told his sister, "this girl is Raya Josephine D'Anele. She is Agnes' sister."

"Cousin actually," Raya corrected.

Also, she wasn't a D'Anele anymore. Neither was I. But I didn't say that, because things would have only gotten more complicated.

"So she is that detestable demons relative," the princess scoffed, "with what authority are you trying to stop me? Are you going against the royal degree."

Raya smiled and coquettishly hid her face behind the fan she took with her. "No, I would not dare. I am simply stating that an altercation might sour the mood."

The princess rolled up her sleeves and said, "if I do not take care of the both of you, I won't call myself the royal princess of Enderea anymore."

"Sister dearest, calm down," the prince urged her, but his voice was like a pebble in a raging flood, it could not stop her at all.

She stepped forward, ready to confront Raya. Now that I thought about it, the two of them are really alike, both with a quick temper—No, she was actually making Raya look good in comparison.

"Hey, relax," someone suddenly called out.

"Who dares!" The princess immediately turned around and scanned the surroundings, searching for the voice. She looked at the third prince, then the women around him, then at me. But it was none of us.

Standing further back, a handsome youth, in his early twenties, stood silently. His long hair burned strikingly red, but his disposition was cold in contrast. He glanced at us (surprisingly, giving me a longer look) with uncaring eyes, before turning around.

"It's you!" The third prince shouted, apparently astonished by the person. "This has nothing to do with you. Why is someone as uncaring as you, standing up for a woman like her anyway?"

The youth closed his eyes and leisurely took a sip out of his glass. "Don't make a scene at fathers event. It is unsightly."

The princess grit her teeth, and in a subdued voice muttered. "Fine." The anger in her eyes faded away, releasing only coldness.

She then turned around, going away with the third prince. The youth left soon after too, unbothered by what happened, and only leaving me confused. Raya on the other hand breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hᴇ's ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ, ʜɪs ɴᴀᴍᴇ ɪs Aʟʟᴀʀᴅ. As ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴜᴍʙᴇʀ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʜɪs ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛs, ʜᴇ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʟᴅᴇsᴛ, I ʜᴀᴠᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇs, sᴏ I ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜɪᴍ,"Agnes, who was rather shocked by his intervention, answered, "ᴍʏ 'ᴅᴇᴀʀ' ғᴏʀᴍᴇʀ ʜᴜsʙᴀɴᴅ ɪs ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ Eᴅᴡᴀʀᴅ, ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ."

"How did you know that I forgot his name?"

"Yᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʀᴇғᴇʀʀɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ ᴀs 'ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ' ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. Sɪɴᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ, I ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪᴍᴍᴇᴅɪᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀɪɴɢ ʜɪs ɴᴀᴍᴇ."

The princess, just as she was about to fade into the crowd, turned to me and with a threatening tone said, "You better wait for me, after this party is over I will regret ever resurfacing in front of me."

I ignored her threat. Instead, I was more intrigued by the youth. Once more, my eyes fell on his red hair. Though it was the same color as Edwards' and his sisters', his was a lot more bright, as if illuminating the whole room.

I knitted my brows. I did not understand why he would come to my rescue. Neither me nor Agnes have ever talked to him. In fact, I didn't know he even existed—not understanding the reason made me feel itchy, like wanting to do something but not having the means to.

I squinted my eyes and decided to edge his name in my mind; though it would be hard to forget such a person even if I wanted to.

"Agnes," another voice called out, this time female, "Oh my, and Raya too? What an unusual combination."

"Who is it this time," I looked around, "Oh, no way?"

The girl in front of me stood with a smile. She propped her hands on her hips and struck her bountiful chest out.

"Are you surprised?"

"Vera?"

My eyes opened wide at the sight of a familiar face. For the first time, I saw her outside her maid clothes. Instead, she wore an long yellow dress, adorned by cute frills and ribbons. She had her hair tied into a knot, with a gleaming blue jewel shaped into a butterfly on her head. "Why are you here?"

"I am a part of the Clerebald household, so it is only natural. Also, how could I miss your wonderful appearance?"

"Tʜᴇ Cʟᴇʀᴇʙᴀʟᴅ ʜᴏᴜsᴇʜᴏʟᴅ ɪs ᴀ Dᴜᴋᴇᴅᴏᴍ, sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ D'Aɴᴇʟᴇs. Hᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ɴᴇᴡ, ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ D'Aɴᴇʟᴇs, ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴇxɪsᴛᴇᴅ sɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴏᴜɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴏғ Eɴᴅᴇʀᴇᴀ,"Agnes explained."I ʜᴇᴀʀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ʜᴏᴜsᴇʜᴏʟᴅs ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ."

Her words felt like a sledgehammer pounding at my heart. "And you just told me this now?" I pursed my lips. How could she withhold such crucial information from me?

"I ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ," I ᴛᴏʟᴅ ʜɪᴍ.

I ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ sᴍɪʟᴇ ᴡʀʏʟʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ I ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜʙʙʟʏ ɢɪʀʟ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʏᴇʟʟᴏᴡ ᴅʀᴇss. Wʜᴏ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴀssᴜᴍɪɴɢ ᴍᴀɪᴅ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ᴍᴀɴsɪᴏɴ ʜᴀᴅ sᴜᴄʜ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴛʀᴀᴏʀᴅɪɴᴀʀʏ ʙᴀᴄᴋɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ?

"Ah, I love that face you are making right now." Vera giggled. "So you can get surprised too!"

"Anyone would," I complained, "how could I have seen this coming." I then faced Raya. "Did you know about this?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "More or less. Everybody in the mansion does, but you weren't there."

So I was alone in this matter. I stared at the rough and massaged my glabella. "Why would you dress up as a maid in another territory."

"Well, officially, it is to learn etiquette, but honestly, it is my hobby." She proudly puffed her chest.

I sighed. That did seem like an answer befitting of her.

"Anyway, why don't you come meet my family," she said then paused, and as if forced to do so, she continued, "I guess you are welcome too, Raya."

Raya smiled amicably, hiding her face behind the fan. "How nice of you Vera."

Vera impatiently pulled my arm, her insistence being quite uncomfortable, while Raya followed quietly. However, before she could introduce me to her kin, the soothing music in the background abruptly turned louder, startling the three of us.

What had been calm string music, was replaced by big drums and a choir, cutting off any conversation and gathering all the attention.

Next, the door opened, and everyone understood the reason for the change.

The king had arrived.