46 Reason #25: it would be the beginning to my doom (7) A

Before the Ceremonial of Manhood

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The Royal Guest #1

Sigh~

In the end, I haven't had the time to retrieve my knitting bag from the library, and it's all because of Prince's Leon's so-called sudden emergency meeting with me.

Still, I couldn't understand why it was so urgent for him to formalize our agreement anyways.

And because of his selfish behavior, he even went as far as to trouble Sir Jacob in the middle of the night.

I really do feel bad seeing Sir Jacob's face like this.

Ivy felt really concerned because she could see Sir Jacob's eyebags were as black as night while they stood side by side, waiting for the royal guest's arrival.

"I'm really sorry about what his highness had done to you. It must've been difficult for you to get it done in such short notice."

"It is alright, Ms.Ivy. After all, I am his highness's humble servant and best legal advisor in the country. To perform such a measly task is nothing to be worried about."

"Yes, but~ I feel somewhat guilty."

She sighed deeply in her mind as she felt remorseful towards Sir Jacob. In her mind, she thought,

<To think that boy would trouble Sir Jacob like this. Why he even rush him for such an unimportant matter anyways?< p>

Didn't he know that Sir Jacob has been working endlessly at the palace these past few days? If it's not because of what I said, Sir Jacob wouldn't have to endure like this.

On top of that, Sir Jacob even had to accompany me to greet the guest and manage the ceremonial events later. I cannot imagine how tired he must feel. He probably is the best employee you could ever have in a company!

As the Prince's mother representative (even though she self-proclaimed), I need to lecture my boy and make him appreciate the people around him, especially towards an upstanding adult-like Sir Jacob.

Even if he is his employee, he should not act so selfishly.>

(Author: In Ivy's mind, Jacob was like an adult that has helped out her child a lot, and she felt terrible that her child has been giving so much trouble to such a good man. To her, Jacob was more like a man than Leon. Even though Jacob is actually younger.)

So as the self-proclaimed acting mother of the prince, she felt she needed to give him a proper apology, so she firmly calls out Sir Jacob's name and said

"Sir Jacob, I hope you could accept my sincerest apologies on behalf of his highness. Even if he is your employer, he should not have acted so selfishly like that. I will severely lecture him about his behavior later, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your loyal service to his highness. Please do continue to serve him well in the future."

While she bowed at him, he widens his tired eyes as much as he could.

To Sir Jacob, who has never received such an appreciation from anyone before, he felt deeply touched by her appreciation for him. Even when he had to do things that were a lot worse than this, to be thanked for something so small made him felt even determined than before.

From that moment onwards, he pledges his loyalty to her and will never accept anyone else to be the future empress but her. So, he held his hands firmly on her shoulders and said

"Ms.Ivy. Don't you worry!

Because I will make sure with everything that I have to help his highness succeed."

(Author: what Sir Jacob had meant was to help the prince's plan to get her to marry the prince)

"Uhh... ok, I thank you on behalf of his highness then."

She felt slightly startled from his sudden enthusiasm. "But try not to overwork yourself, ok?"

While he just smiled from being so well cared by his acting supervisor Ms.Ivy, Ivy didn't know that she just dug her grave even deeper than ever.

Moments later, one of the royal carriages have arrived, and the first to come was the royal family from the northern country.

"Welcoming the arrival, King Odiet From the Northern Kingdom and her highnesses.

Princess Candy

Princess Taffy

Princess Cherry

Princess Melty

Princess Lolly

Princess Minty

And finally, his highness,

Prince Berry!

Though Ivy was holding in her urge to criticize the author's lousy sense of naming again, she just calmly bowed with Sir Jacob and greeted them as to how she would with any guest.

But while they kept their head down and waited patiently for the royal family to exit from their carriages, she suddenly felt the ground shake beneath them.

*THUMP* *THUMP*

"What?! Is it an earthquake?"

She asked while she panics and had almost lost her footing.

Then after Sir Jacob caught her fall and supported her, he just looks at her with a grin and a sweat as he explained

"No, Ms.Ivy. It's actually King Odiet. Look."

As they turn their gaze to the front, Ivy then witnesses from afar, the enormous figure that was carried towards her - The 700-pound Obese King - King Odiet.

Ivy's jaw immediately drops as she silently said, "Oh... diet."

<Is this a pun? Is the author trying to be funny? If he is, is whole new level of bad writing. I can't believe his sense humor as naming characters. don't even know how react anymore.>

Even without being overweight, the King's body size was bigger than the average human being. While he sat comfortably on his palanquin (basically it's a throne on a stretcher), ten strong-looking men were carrying under him, and all of them were drenched in sweat as they tried their hardest to climb up the stairs.

When her face went blank from the sight of seeing the Northern King, Sir, Jacob immediately shook her and reminded her to reposition herself to greet the King formally.

"Greetings, your majesty. We have been waiting for your arrival. It is our honor to welcome you to the royal palace.

My name is Ivy Augustine, the ceremonial co-host for crown prince's events, and I shall be your host this morning."

"So you're the Duke's little girl," he says with a straight face while he stuffs his hands in a bowl of candies and chocolate. "Please tell me, has he been well?"

"Yes, your majesty. The Duke is strong and well. I, Thank you on behalf of my father for your concern."

"Yes, he has to be." He suddenly crushed all the candies in his hands, "I'll need him to be when I see him again."

While he remains expressionless, Ivy could feel his rage releasing through his skin and hear the sounds of his gritted teeth.

"Father, I would advise we rest soon before the start of the event."

An attractive young man walks over to the northern King's side, along with six other beautiful women behind him. Prince Berry, the eldest child among them, has short silver-blonde hair with silver-white eyes.

Though he had just come to age, his large stature, together with an emotionless face, made him look like a mature gentleman.

The Princesses, on the other hand, were all fair, beautiful, and slim. They all look like tall models on a runway, beautiful and handsome, just like how you imagine a Prince and princess should be.

Each of them wore bright-looking clothes, and when they stood together in a line, they look like colored rainbows in the sky. Their expressions, however, was completely the opposite.

Apart from the difference in body size, they appeared just like their father, expressionless with faces that look as dead as a doornail.

They reminded Ivy of the mannequins she used to see in her past life, where she works at the department store as a retail assistant, all of them pretty but lifeless.

As the king nodded to his son's advice, he then looks down at Ivy and said

"Please tell your father that I'll be looking forward to seeing him again very soon. Do send him my best regards."

"Ye. Yes...your majesty." She stuttered a bit as she shivered from his impelling tone. "I shall pass your majesty's message to him accordingly."

Before they entered, each of the Princesses glances at Ivy with cold eyes as they pass by her with their hands, holding a fan to cover their mouth.

She could hear them whisper, talking to each other as they say,

"Rather plain, isn't she?" said Princess Candy

"This girl? Is his highness lover? he must've suffered," said Princess Taffy

"I don't see anything appealing about her at all. Are you really sure? what a boring girl she must be," said Princess Cherry

"She must've honestly thought the Prince-like her. Poor thing," said Princess Melty

"What is she wearing anyway? her make up looks awful as well," said Princess Lolly

"Well, it won't matter what she wears, since nothing will help her," said Princess Minty

She could hear every word, and she knows that it was deliberate, but she just kept her composure and masked her face with a smile.

"Your highnesses," She grinned. "Please do let us know if you require anything else, and we shall do our best to make your highnesses stay as comfortable as possible."

After the Princesses left, the Prince stayed behind as it seems he still had a few things left to say.

"The crates behind us, please send them to the arena. We'll be needing it at the battle later, and make sure that no one opens it."

"Yes, your highness Prince Berry, we shall see to it accordingly."

Sir Jacob bowed and immediately went over to get their luggage sorted, leaving Ivy alone with the Prince.

"My sisters can be a mouthful, but they are not bad people."

Ivy turns and looks at the Prince's expressionless face, feeling surprised with his sudden act to explain for his sister's behavior.

Though she couldn't tell how he is feeling, because of his strong poker face, she couldn't see any ill will in his eyes either, so based on her instincts, she's guessing that he was trying to apologize and comfort her.

After letting out the hot air inside of her earlier, she said to him

"I never thought they were. Slightly impolite maybe, but I never thought of them as bad people."

Then she smiled brightly at him and said, "Besides, they have such nice and well-mannered brother. How bad could they be?"

When he saw her vivid expression, his eyes slightly widen and glistered. Others might find it difficult to notice, but at that moment, the expressionless prince let out a faint smile.

Without saying another word, he bowed at her and went in to join the others.

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Next Chapter

Before the Ceremonial of Manhood

The Royal Guest #2