CH. 4 Blasphemy

When I woke up, Apparently It was another week later. Days are going by so fast and I was sleeping without knowing it. I turned to look at the bedside where the bell to call for a maid was present. I wanted to reject everything in this world in my frustration and protest. I wanted to just stay in this bed and starve myself to death. I could kill myself but what if I die for good instead of going back? Besides, taking a life wasn't that easy. It takes a lot of courage and I don't have enough to either cut my wrists or eat some poison and who would willingly suffer pain? I have never felt so unsure and helpless.

"Ivy." I called as I finally rang the bell and soon the little maid walked in. She still seemed upset because I didn't beat her up and give her some gold coins. She looked like a sulking puppy and for an absurd reason at that, so it was cute. The sight of this little hard working puppy maid made me feel a little better and I sighed, stomping another fit of tears before they could fall down my cheeks.

I let Ivy lead me to the bathroom and help me bathe with all sorts of fragrant bath supplies and then dress me in a decent outfit. Grace Finley had a soft brown hair and golden coloured eyes, though her taste in jewellery and clothes was fine, they didn't suit her. They were all finest and expensive but none suited her figure or appearance. I'm not big on fashion but at least I know what would suit me and what I am comfortable in.

"You look lovely, Your Highness." Ivy smiled nodding at her handiwork. But what caught me off guard wasn't my dress that Ivy picked–which suited me–but my appearance.

The soft brown hair was darker than it was a few days ago. The gold in my eyes was barely there and the colour of my eyes started to look silver. It was like something sucked the colour out of my eyes and my hair was slowly being dyed to the dark colour of coffee beans.

"Ivy, Do you find anything different in me?" I asked to confirm that it wasn't my hallucination.

"Your Highness' hair got a little darker. I find it rich and alluring, Your Highness." Ivy said flatteringly.

"Is it normal for hair colour to change?" I asked. After all this was a world full of magic.

"Of course, Your Highness. Doesn't one's hair change to white as they grow old? It is a common occurrence." Ivy said with a little confusion.

No! Not that! I almost cried.

"Then what about my eye colour? Don't you think they changed?" I asked leaning closer to her with my eyes wide open.

"They do seem a lot lighter, Your Highness." Ivy informed me and I couldn't help my racing heart.

The change was so obvious. It was like erasing Grace Finley. D…Does that mean… Was it making me the real owner of this body?

"Where is Seth Peregrine?" I almost shouted at Ivy who looked at me in horror. I don't know what kind of face I was making right now but I need to find him.

"H…His Highness would be in his office at this time." Ivy stuttered a reply. And I ran without delaying another second.

"Your Highness!" Ivy's calls barely registered in my mind as I ran through corridor after corridor in this uselessly big palace. Once I was out, I made my way to another building where Seth's official duties were taken care of.

"Your Highness." The butler outside the office door looked at me bewildered.

"Is he inside?" I asked and before he could answer, I pushed open the door and the butler was too late to stop me.

"What are you doing here? I'm busy. If it was nothing important, Talk to Sen." Seth sighed, waving me away. Sen was the butler who tried to stop me from barging into the office a moment ago.

"I want to go to the Holy Empire of Soleil. It is very important." My voice came out urgent and pleading.

Seth looked at me for a while in silence before answering, "Fine. I will let Priestess Myrtle know. She will-" He stopped mid sentence as he looked behind me and I turned to see one of the resident Priests of the Grand Palace, Miss Myrtle standing in the doorway.

"Great timing. Miss Myrtle can you schedule a trip to the Holy Empire and take the Grand Princess with you." Seth said as he took another set of documents from his Aide, who's been in the office all this time.

"Unfortunately I can't, Your Highness. I just got news from the Holy Empire. The Island will be closed for any visitors until further notice. So no one is allowed to visit until the Empire says otherwise." Priestess Myrtle informed.

"Can they do that?" The Aide, Jasper Fox, asked.

"Yes, When the Empire has any revelation from the great sage or when the High Priest had to prepare for one, The Island will be closed. It's been centuries since this happened though." The Priestess informed.

I felt like crying and laughing at the same time. I knew my answer was to go seek that damn god, This news just cemented that. The island was closed just when I thought I was going to look for their god. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Alright, I will wait. However long I have to, I will wait. Two can play this game but what am I to do with this raging storm inside me?

"Your Highness?" Ivy, who made it to the office at some point, called slowly.

"Sol, was it? That damn god." I seethed.

"How-" The Priestess was baffled at my words and Ivy gasped.

"What? Tell your god to strike me with lightning if he doesn't want to hear me curse him." I glared back at her. I wasn't angry at her but anyone who faced me at the moment might become a victim to my outburst and my head was too hot to care.

"Seth, How busy are you?" I turned to look at 'my' husband. I have no choice but to play it nice for now. For now, that is. Until that god gathered enough courage to face me... fuck it!

"Very busy." He replied but I'm not in the mood to keep my temper in check.

"Still, Make some time for your wife." I said as I walked and took his wrist. "Take me to the nearest temple." I said pulling him out of his chair and his office. Jasper and the butler were shocked to see the scene and Ivy hastily followed after me.

"Why do you want to go there all of a sudden?" He asked. As I thought, This man was a big softie. He could shrug me off easily but he calmly let himself be dragged by me.

"I'm angry. Very very angry. I need to give that great sage Sol a piece of my mind. If I don't do that, I feel like blowing up the Holy Empire, at least then he would have no choice but to come face me." I said.

"I could let someone take you there. I have no time to assist you in your tantrums." He said finally stopping in his tracks and I was thrown back into his chest by the momentum.

"I don't trust anyone." I said pulling him with all my strength but this man was like a mountain.

"And you trust me?" He raised a brow as I struggled to pull him and then pushed him to move from behind to no avail.

"No. But you are my best choice." I said. "Move your ass, goddammit!" I said frustrated. This feels so childish!

"This once, hm?" I turned to pleading in front of him. He finally moved and in a few minutes, we were on our way to the nearest temple to the Grand Palace. The temple was in the central part of the capital and I looked at the streets of this world for the first time. There were all kinds of cafes, boutiques, guild offices for the adventurers and many more shops that went from weaponry to a simple street-side stall selling some cheap food. It was bustling but there was some kind of order to the bustling. It calmed me a little.

"Grace."

"Don't call me that." I replied immediately.

"But you called me Seth not long ago." He said.

"Anything but that name." I replied stubbornly and he sighed. We fell into a silence as the carriage rattled away. A few minutes later, Seth led me out of the carriage and into a huge building that looked very intimidating.

The inside were rows and rows of benches on either of an aisle that lead to a huge altar. There stood a statue of the great sage, Sol and a few small statues of his dragon children on either side of him. The people in the temple looked at us with curious gazes and Seth had some ladies fawning over him from afar.

"Good Day, Your Highness." A priest hurried to welcome them. "How may I help you? Were you here to offer some prayers?" The priest asked but Seth waved him away and looked at me.

"Is the biggest statue Sol?" I asked and the few priests around us gasped at the way I addressed their god.

"Yes." Seth replied and stood to the side as I walked toward the altar.

"Oy, Don't you think you owe me some answers?" I spoke to the statue. Though I was truly half expecting for the said god to reply to me, I didn't get any response.

"When I was finally thinking of paying you a visit, You went into hiding. Don't you think it's a little unfair? Do you not pity me in the least?" And the silence that followed my words only angered me to death. In a sudden fit of anger I took my heels off and threw at the statue. There was collective gasp.

"You better reply to me soon, You damn god! I don't think I can be very patient. I might not look like it but I am capable of committing genocide. If you don't want your people dead then you better make up your mind soon." I sighed, feeling a little better. When I turned, The priests were kneeling in horror and the people who came to pray in the temple were shell shocked at my behaviour.

"I'm done." I looked at Seth who was probably the only reason why I wasn't thrown out of the temple.

"You are not angry anymore?" He asked.

"I am still a little angry." I said and Ivy, the little maid who followed me even here, brought my heels back and placed them in front of my feet. I couldn't help but smile at her as I patted her head gently, "Thank you, Ivy."

Once the carriage started its way back home, we fell into another silence. Seth didn't question me and I didn't say anything until I caught sight of a cool looking cafe.

"Take me to that Cafe." I pointed out the window and stared at Seth. He stared back at me and silently obliged as he let Ivy inform the coachman.

The cafe had muted colours and looked very peaceful. It was filled with a lot of people and yet it didn't look crowded. I took a seat and Seth sat in front of me. "Do you like sweets?" I asked, flipping through the menu.

"What is the meaning of this?" He sighed, rubbing his face in exhaustion.

"You threw your footwear at the god that this whole world reveres and worships. You committed blasphemy and now you are sitting in a cafe without a worry. Do you have any idea of the weight of your actions?" He asked.

"But you didn't even blink when I was doing that. And you are sitting here as well without a worry. Why? Because you are of demon descent and you don't care about the said god?" I asked and he froze in his chair.

"I read about it in the restricted part of the library. The roots of the peregrine family. Though I wonder how much of it is true, it was still a fun story. Since I'm angry at Sol, I approve of your demon blood." I gave him a thumbs up but he wouldn't understand what it meant.

"This is a sign of my approval." I explained and called for the waiter to make an order. Soon the table was filled with three types of desserts and a bitter coffee for me, a milk tea for Seth and a hot chocolate for Ivy.

"Come, Sit." I said but Ivy didn't move. "You won't mind right." I looked at Seth who's been watching me for a while. I didn't wait for his reply and took his silence however I liked.

"He doesn't mind." I said dragging Ivy and made her sit in the chair beside me.

"Here, These are for you." I said pushing the hot chocolate and a cute looking dessert towards her. Ivy, who seemed helpless in my advances, silently ate her share beside me. I drank the bitter coffee and my mind calmed a little.

Seth was surprisingly a patient man and I intend to take his patience for granted. This man, I can trust him and as for the carriage accident this body had a while ago, Let's see if they try again. I will make them cry blood. As long as I am in this body, I'm going to live my way and annoy the god until he answers me.

But before all that, It seemed that I needed to answer someone else if I wished to live peacefully until I returned back to my world.