1 Chapter 1: The Painting

Bedazzling.

That was the term Irene used to describe what she was seeing right now—a lovely portrait of a woman clad in expensive and thick clothing of the 1800s. She had fair skin, rosy cheeks, unique hair color, and a very elegant posture that suggested royalty.

Though the painted lady wore no crown, she must've been bred and lived in extravagance.

"Money," she mumbled.

The last few months were nothing short of drama. During her eighteenth birthday, she thought that life would be sailing on calm waters until she received news that her parents had met an accident. Oh, and not just any accident, a plane accident—a plane crash!

Irene just had to be unlucky enough to have even more unlucky parents that experienced a one in a million phenomenon.

The good news is that Irene came from a well-off family boasting business success throughout the country. Well, it was a good thing up until before the accident happened, as Irene's family members were quick on their feet to indulge themselves on the money left by Irene's parents.

She was then adopted by her aunt, who turned out to be very abusive. But her aunt also inherited the unlucky genes and she died the same year Irene was adopted. Unfortunately, she left all of her wealth to her son, who then threw Irene. Again.

Now, Irene is a broke and homeless woman who currently spent her last 100 dollars on an art museum ticket.

"This was a very smart decision," she said to herself, "at least I'd get my last taste of extravagance. Clearly unlike this lady."

She walked away and paced the long halls to look at the next painting. It caught her breath the moment she laid her eyes on it. It was nothing special, for it was just a painting of a baby surrounded with flowers. But Irene felt chills and even more when she read the title.

"The missing princess of Suvia."

An old man who wore a black coat walked up to her, "Fancy to see such a beautiful young lady in a museums."

Irene smiled. It was true that not many teens were interested in things like old pictures. They'd rather dance and post it to social media.

"It's a beautiful piece, is it not?" she said.

"Yes, it is. It is said that the child in the painting was never found even after the kingdom's efforts to search for her."

"Why did she disappear?"

"Well, her mother was nearly killed during an assassination attempt. According to old records, it was a plot by the enemy kingdom to fulfill an old request."

"So, the princess is dead?"

The old man looked at her then to the painting. "Well, the queen said the child was taken by force and was not harmed. Even if she did not see, perhaps it was her intuition that led to such a tedious operation."

Irene thought the old man would keep going, but he was gone when she turned. It was such a shame, he was very wholesome too. The sun was still high, and Irene felt her legs getting tired. She pulled out her phone when she sat on a nearby bench and searched up the history of the Kingdom of Suvia.

What the old man said was true. The king and queen were not able to find their daughter, and as for the old request, there were no information listed on the internet. The kingdom fell to war, and because their resources were exhausted due to the search, they lost to their rival and neighboring kingdom. Irene sighed.

"They could've made another child. Contraceptives weren't that popular back then anyway—plus they were rich."

Feeling slightly wasted on what she read, she continued looking at each and every painting until the sun set, her extravagancy ending in five minutes. She looked at the Missing Princess painting before she left and wandered the streets, looking for shelter.

Perhaps a bench under a tree would be better.

Still, Irene inherited unlucky genes, so she was not able to find a nice sleeping spot. Finally, she sat on the sidewalk and rested her chin on her hand. It was uncomfortable and chilly, but she soon fell asleep.

The sun finally arose and Irene opened her eyes to a grassy field.

"A dream," she mumbled.

She looked down and noticed she was wearing a long satin gown. She gripped her chest and was amazed at how they were bigger than hers in real life.

"This really must be a dream!" she exclaimed.

The sun revealed her brown orbs while the wind ever-so-slightly touched her skin. Irene gazed upon the clouds in awe, trying to indulge herself on the view while she sat atop a hill.

"Floran!"

Irene turned to a beautiful man. He was tall, dreamy, and very delicious looking.

"We did it!" he celebrated.

His smile was wonderful. Even the sparkle in his eyes were as charming as his handsome voice. He hugged Irene lovingly and whispered.

"We're finally having a child."

HUH?