Welcome, Your Highness

My mother, the duchess was a Master Mage before she gave wedded my father, the duke. She was a legend, as people describe her, she created new magic that helped people, especially healing magic. Her contribution to medicine was beyond imagination as she created half of the healing magic known now.

Because of that, her relation to the castle is close. Even the empress sometimes spends time with her in tea.

Since Miss Lucette didn't grow up with them, her family friends are almost strangers to her. People only know her by name, but since I'm living with them now, I have to meet everyone they know.

Cyrille lives with us while we continue studying. His family only have one house and that is in Magali. He's like a family to us, that's why my parents let him stay here as long as he wants.

Today, someone important will visit my parents. I'm not well-informed about who it will be but the servants are all busy. They've been running back and forth to the garden where my parents and the guest will have tea.

Jean and Lady Marianne, my maids, have been spending a long time brushing my blonde wavy long hair. Miss Lucette's hair is blonde in the shadows, but once the light hits her hair, it turns white. It's so beautiful that the maids spend a long time attending to it.

Even Miss Lucette's eyes, lavander colored, strike who ever looks at her. It's one of the rarest eye color which she got from her great-grandfather who was also a mage.

Miss Lucette's skin wasn't as perfect as I imagined. Her arms have tiny scars from practicing different magic which led to multiple incidents, but no one can't deny that it still looks as beautiful as a pearl. It still feels soft and fair.

The shape of my face, eyes, nose, and my body, are all similar to Miss Lucette, the only difference are the color. My eyes are dark brown, my hair's brown, and my skin isn't as fair as Miss Lucette.

"I don't think you have to tend too much to my hair, Jean, Miss Marianne," I murmured as I struggle to get out of their hands, but defeated because Miss Marianne pulled my head back again to brush my hair longer.

"We have to make you extra pretty today, Miss Lu, someone will meet you. We don't know who that's why you have to look your best," Jean nods as she agrees to what she said.

Jean, who was a slave sold to my mother, has a short dark orange hair and red irises. People told my mother that she will bring misfortune because her appearance is similar to a demon. But even though people look at her that way, she's still cheerful and full of energy.

Her appearance may not contribute to the demon similarity, however she does love dark colored things. Most of her dresses are black and Gothic.

Miss Marianne, a daughter of a baron, is the exact opposite of Jean. She fancies ribbons, jewels, and soft things. Her long brown hair and orange irises always look warm. She looks at everyone with a smile and greets them.

There's no denying that there are a lot of people who wants to court Miss Marianne, but she said she's not into anyone and even promised her whole life to me.

As I pout while watching them tend to me, we heard a soft knock in the door followed by someone peeking in. We all looked at the door through the mirror and saw Sir Gabriel, my guard.

"The duchess wants to see you in the garden, Miss Lu. The guests had arrived," his low monotone voice echoed around my room.

After hearing his words, Jean and Miss Marianne moved as fast as lighting that within a second my hair was done. If only they didn't brush my hair too much then we would be finished moments ago.

They gave me a braid with a lily comb pushed near my ear.

"I'll go with Miss Lu, you two can clean her room now," Sir Gabriel bowed his head when I walked towards him while his eyes were glued to the two.

"You don't have to order us around, Gabriel," Miss Marianne's beautiful eyes suddenly rolled when she looked at the guard.

Miss Marianne is the nicest person around, except when Sir Gabriel is around.

Everyone said that they had a history, but they never confirmed it. Yet the way they fight, reminds me of old couples.

"Oh, if I don't, you won't do anything. You'll just sit around the Miss' room and wait for her," Sir Gabriel replied followed by a snort.

Jean raised her brows at Sir Gabriel and was about to hit the guard, but I managed to pull Sir Gabriel away from the room and bid goodbye to the two who were glaring at him.

Mother decided to let me have maids and a guard the moment I stepped inside the house. Since I grew up with my grandparents who let me do everything on my own, mother thought that I deserve to be treated as a lady and I need some people to help me.

Miss Lucette is a very independent lady, it was rare if she doesn't know how to do something on her own. Even Cyrille had a hard time managing her independence. But that's not the only thing Cyrille hates about her, Miss Lucette is an impatient one.

It was the first thing Cyrille noticed that's different when I woke up, he said I'm no longer impatient, but as time passes by I think it's getting to me. I think her impatience is slowly creeping in to me too.

"Who are the guests?" I asked Sir Gabriel as we walk downstairs towards the door.

"I can't tell you, you have to find out yourself," he said as he slows down.

When I reached the door, he stopped and waved his hand, "I have to check the guards at the gate, Miss Lu. I'm sorry I can't go with you." He smiled to me before he left towards west.

I shrugged, Sir Gabriel always goes with me until I reached my destination. I think security is the priority in his list now.

I managed to go to the garden, but there was no one. I saw some maids and butlers waiting far from the table that was arranged beautifully.

"They took a quick walk, Miss. If you want to follow them, they went that way," a maid smiled at me and pointed towards the rose section of the garden.

I thanked them and went to the direction she pointed, but there was no one. I can only see the beautiful roses around me.

I remember my mother in my world, she loves roses just like the duchess but my father has pollen allergy, that's why she can't keep the flowers in the house. Thankfully, the duke doesn't have any allergy. It will be sad if even the duchess can't keep the things she loves.

I bent my knee and took a sniff of the roses.

I suddenly felt sentimental, I remembered my family back in my world. My big brother, who was away because he's a soldier, my father who owns a bakery, my mother who works in a flower shop, I miss them.

I do have a brother in this world, but just like mine in my world, he's away. He's a knight. It's funny because their professions are almost the same.

"Miss," I heard someone with an upbeat voice called.

I turned my head and saw a tall young man with hair as red as the roses I am holding, but his eyes were as blue as the sea. He is wearing fancy suit, showered with the color of the kingdom, maroon, dark blue and gold.

He smiled at me energetically, I suddenly remembered Jean, they have that same sunshine air around them, then I stood up.

"I'm lost, the maids told me that the Duchess and the Empress went this way," he rubbed his cheek as his eyes look around for the two women.

I shook my head, "I'm sorry, but the Duchess and the Empress---"

I cut myself off, did I hear him right? The empress is with the duchess? Does that mean that the guest was the empress?

"What?" He raised his brow at me, "I just went away for a minute and now mother left me." He sighed and shook his head as if his head ached.

He said mother, but he's not my brother, then that means, he's the Prince.

"I am searching for them too, but I'm afraid they're not here," I said as I look away, someone should've told me that it's the empress and the prince that's visiting.

His eyes suddenly widened when he noticed me looking away in embarrassment, then he bowed and took my hand lightly, "I apologize for not introducing myself, my lady," his energetic voice suddenly changed into a very formal cold tone, "I am Rousel Adnet Nel Boivin."

He kissed my hand and rose with a smile on his face, but unlike before his face looks stiff as if he's faking his smile.

I curtsied and bowed my head, "My apologies, your highness. I am Lucette Orianne Duvalli."

I don't know why but he feels like he's irritated when he found out that I'm the daughter of the duchess. He was friendly when he approach me without the knowledge of my identity.

"If the lady wants to look for them, then I shall go with you," his voice was still the same cold tone.

I'd rather hear that upbeat voice than to hear this tone the whole day.

"I'd rather wait for them, your highness." I said as look at the arranged seat.

He nodded and walked towards the table, when he was near to one of the seat, he pulled it and invited me to seat.

Of course, a prince is supposed to be a gentleman, I smiled and seated.

"I heard you're studying magic, Lady Lucette," he said as the maids pour us tea.

I was surprised he knows that I'm studying magic but I can't ask who told him. That'd be embarrassing.

I nodded and smiled, "Yes, your highness. I'm a Talato. We're currently studying how to make heavy things float."

It seems like I caught his attention, his brows rose and he smiled, "You can't make heavy things float?"

I heard insult in his words, but I remained composed and nodded. There's nothing better than admitting the reality.

"I'm afraid so, I can only basic magic. But I'm learning," I said but when I looked at him, I felt my tongue being cut.

"Talato, you said. That is the third level of a student mage, how did you manage to go that high if you can only do basic magic?"

His voice was weak, as if he doesn't want the servants to hear what he said, I don't know if it's for my sake or for his. It's not normal for a royal to ask such sensitive question.

I felt chills climb up my head. He's half right. I only managed to level up because of my ability to summon the phoenix and because I opened the gate of the temple of Siwathandu.

But that's not all. I did my best and worked hard to deserve the level. I spent sleepless nights to at least memorize every magic there is, even though I can't properly do it.

"Well, I'm not as good as my mother, but I can perfectly chant spells," I proudly said as I fixed my composure.

"Then, can you chant a spell for sleeping," he said as he yawned, "I'm bored."

I can't help but widen my eyes. He's definitely insulting me. What did I do wrong to get this type of treatment?

"I'd gladly do so," I said and immediately said the words, but it seems like he was just joking because he shook his head with surprise, but it's late, his head slammed to the table after I only said three words for the chant.

I smirked. He deserves it.

The maids and butler, along with his guards went to him. They checked if he was poisoned, or hurt. But he's just sleeping.

Everyone looked at me, but I just sipped my tea while looking away. I know they know that he's just asleep. I hate to be rude to a royal but he asked for it.

Jerk.