Chapter 13 - Controllable and Uncontrollable

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They were taken aback by the fact that they only had to stop twice on their initial attempt.

Malia was pleased with that fact; it simply demonstrates how talented and competent the people they hired are.

Everything worked perfectly the second time they tried it. Malia was satisfied with their progress. That day, she smiled for the first time.

Her smile touched everyone's heart. Her adorable smile was formed by her smiling lips.

They decided to wrap things up and tidy the area. They thought they had a very productive and fulfilling day. They decided to leave their equipment in the studio as well. They couldn't practice it outside because the song was still confidential at the time.

To the Marquis, they all bowed and expressed gratitude for Malia's sharing of her beautiful song with them. After Malia's simple nod, everyone left the studio space.

Malia notified the Marquis that she was prepared to go after drinking some water.

Before leaving with her father, Malia thanked Sean as well.

Malia awaited the assistance of her father this time. The Marquis struck up a discussion as soon as they were seated inside the carriage. Fortunately, Malia managed to prevent herself from abruptly dozing off in front of her father.

"Lia, dear, the prince thought your song was wonderful. He also declared his willingness to fund the song's production. He actually wanted to produce a lot compared to what I had planned in mind," the Marquis stated with a smile. He exuded such pride for her.

"Really? He enjoyed the song? He didn't seem all that enthusiastic."

"HAHAHA, I had the exact same thought —we can't read whatever he is thinking, can we?" The Marquis recalled the prince's expression as "HAHA." Although the prince didn't appear pleased, his remarks were at least consoling.

"Anyway, that doesn't matter; what matters is that he will carry out his promise," the Marquis said.

Malia only nodded, expressing her sleepiness.

When he observed her crimson knuckles, her father suddenly remembered.

"Lia, how's your hand?"

"I'm good, dad. It's nothing to worry about," Malia reassured her father.

"Please refrain from using violence in the future, Malia. You might encounter other noble ladies and be accused of hurting them. It would be difficult to win in court if it were to occur." His tone conveys a lot of worry.

"I assume some noblewomen are more etiquette-savvy than I am but don't worry, dad, I would never hurt anyone if I am not harmed first." Malia smiled. She's not someone who would not retaliate when needed.

"Alright. Just be careful all the time," her father added while smiling.

The return home was silent after that chat. Malia fell asleep briefly while still seated as well. She really wanted to lie down, but she couldn't do so in front of her father, so she was forced to settle for simply leaning on the side. 'This is the best time to appreciate the paved road' she thought.

They returned home without any hiccups, allowing her to relax. Instead of eating dinner, she skipped it and jumped into the tub to soak in the vanilla-scented water. It was still just 7 o'clock when she decided to go to bed after cleaning herself.

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The next day, Saturday, Malia decided to help with breakfast as she woke up so early. Malia was also tired of eating the same greasy or fried food in the morning.

She went to the kitchen and made a simple bouillabaisse after seeing fresh sea fish and prawns. It was a stew made by fishermen. It incorporates traditional Mediterranean ingredients into a dish that combines shrimp and fish straight from the sea with saffron, olive oil, fennel, garlic, and tomatoes. She cooked a large portion for her brother and parents like she typically does because she was accustomed to doing so due to her family back on Earth.

Additionally, she remembered to make her creamy coffee to complete her breakfast combo.

Everyone at the table was taken aback to see Malia pushing the troll tray that contained their food. As Lily helped her move the food to the table, she smiled. Her brother also got to his feet to assist her.

"Thank you, brother," Malia said.

"No problem, Lia." Matthew also smiled brightly.

'Wow, being this attractive ought to be a sin.'

"What is this, dear?" Malia was questioned by the Marchioness.

"Oh, I woke up early so I decided to make breakfast for you guys. After all, it is a special day," Malia stated, indicating how important the day was to her.

"Right! During dinner last night, your father told me that the musicians live up to your expectations. I was overjoyed to hear that everything was going well for you."

"Thank you, mom. I hope the recording goes well today as well.", recognizing that her father did not bring up the problem with the commoner girl, she looked at him and smiled.

'The Marquis undoubtedly adores the Marchioness. He doesn't want to put her under any stress.'

"Let's eat!" The Marquis suggested.

Everyone received a serving of Malia's soup and the chef's homemade garlic bread. After tasting Malia's food, their expressions were beaming.

"Did you really make this?" Matthew enquired, He was certain that he had never seen Malia pick up a knife or any other kitchen tools.

"Of course! You can ask the chef if you want okay, why would I even lie about it? And this is very easy to make" Malia replied. She simply wanted to try a new dish that day because eating fish soup or fried shrimp gets tiresome.

"This is just amazing, sweetie!" Her mother said, "I could eat this every day." She had a sincere belief that the soup was exceptional. Compared to the palace meals served at balls or coming-of-age ceremonies, it was superb.

"This is really tasty." The Marquis stated, "Unfortunately, she'll be at the academy next week." The idea of her going made him feel sad. She just recently warmed up to them, and they haven't spent much time together.

"All right, dad, don't worry!" Malia reassured them, "I'll show the chef how to prepare it." She also made the decision to teach the chef two or three more dishes over the next few days.

"This kid, it's not about the food." The Marquis sighed. "Anyway, your uniform will be sent right to your dorm room once it is ready. The student handbook will also be available tomorrow. Would you like to get something else ready for school?" The marquis enquired.

"I'll check the handbook tomorrow and check what I'll need," Malia replied. She already has some basic knowledge of the academy; she just needs to completely write it down as she had been pushing that task for quite some time now.

"Don't worry, dad. I'll take care of her if she needs something else." Matthew remarked.

"Alright." The Marquis can only agree. He only hopes that Malia's admission to the academy goes well.

After finishing her breakfast, Malia changed into another outfit for her trip. Malia chose to dress in a pink, long-sleeved, knee-length dress with pleats. The dress was still conservative but at least it was lighter than the outfit she chose to wear yesterday.

Malia was content with her modest dress and asked Lily to braid her hair in a loose plait to go with it.

They only had to travel for a half-hour, and when they arrived, some men were waiting for them in the lounge.

"Good morning, Lady and Lord Augustus." The man wearing a plain white long-sleeve shirt and what appeared to be steampunk-style pants said, "We finished the signboard and we were waiting for you to inspect it so we can put it up."

"Good job! Would you care to double-check it with me, Malia?" Malia nodded in response to his query before exiting the building to inspect the signboard, which was still covered by a lengthy blue cloth.

When the man opened it, it revealed the logo signboard that Malia had ordered, along with a few small designs that Matthew had created for her.

"I like it. What about you, Dad?" Malia asked the Marquis as she turned to face him.

"This is lovely." The Marquis smiled at the guy and Malia, saying, "It is simple but relatively easy to remember. Your design was very good, Malia."

"Thanks, dad. Would you kindly set it up for us, sir? "Malia asked the man.

With the aid of his fellow coworkers, the man did what she asked. They succeeded in placing the sign.

With a large moon and tiny star in front of the letter A in Augustus, it simply says "Augustus Records and Entertainment Company." White sapphire gemstones covered the moon and star, giving it a brilliant shine. The rest of the words were lime green, with the word Augustus in a light-grey hue similar to his father's and brother's hair color.

Malia clapped her hands. Despite the fact that she is terrible at choosing names for businesses and logos, she admits that it didn't look too shabby.

The Marquis praised his daughter, saying, "This looks good, Lia! It looks better now that it's up there."

Malia simply smiled and clapped her hands again.

'Awesome! I have a strange sense of ownership over the business now Hehe' she laughed at her own thoughts.

Malia left the Marquis to handle the last-minute issues between the man and headed directly to the studio area.

Before the band of musicians showed there one at a time, Malia played and practiced for another fifteen minutes on her own. By ten o'clock, everyone was present, and they performed the song right away like yesterday. Everyone was having a great time and enjoying the practice. When they arrived at their house, they had to restrain themselves from singing or humming the tune since they had grown so attached to it.

That day, Malia worked especially hard to memorize their names because she greatly valued the talents they showed yesterday and she's seeing a future with them as well. To make sure she remembered them, Malia also made some notes. She wrote:

1. Mildred- Mandolin and ukulele player who wears glasses and is extremely bashful.

2. Caleb - Ashley's ex-boyfriend and bassist

3. Dexter- Leader, senior Sir Organ man

4. Aaron - Smiley guy and the drummer

5. Laurie - Plays banjo, a long-haired girl

6. Axel - Electric guitar player and quiet most of the time.

Malia was left alone because everyone assumed she was merely scribbling some notes for the songs. After 10 minutes, Malia suddenly announced that she would treat everyone and that they would have two more practices before the recording at two o'clock in the afternoon.

Everyone felt excited and uneasy at the same time. When Malia noticed their anxious expressions, she advised them to worry about it after lunch to prevent indigestion, which made everyone chuckle. As they spent time together, they gradually and surely grew to like Malia.

Malia left the group in the lobby and went to the office to look for her father. Before her father could respond, she opened the door and spoke.

"Father, I'm going to treat them to lunch, but because I didn't bring any money, you'll have to treat all of us. I promise to pay!" Malia gestured a promise with her right hand.

"Haha this kid. All right, let's leave." The Marquis gets up and walks over to her.

Everyone invited Sean and Sofia, company employees, to join them for lunch. Due to the absence of their carriages, they made the decision to eat at a nearby restaurant.

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At the same time, in Erias Palace. Kai was waiting in the drawing room for Daniel. Ten minutes had passed when someone finally knocked and entered.

However, instead of Daniel, Kai saw Thea de Clermont entering the door. Thea wore a crimson empire-style dress with elaborate floral embroidery. Thea appeared confident and lovely with her straight blonde hair in place.

"Greetings to the prince of Sorav, blessings from the god Rheas to you," Thea said with a perfect courteous bow after giving Kai a quick glance.

"I was expecting your arrival. Are you also waiting for Daniel?" Kai questioned her.

"Yes, Your Highness; I've been waiting since this morning." Thea explained looking disappointed, "I just went to get some lunch."

"Don't you think waiting for someone who doesn't want to meet you is really pointless?", Kai gave her a sly look.

"Why wouldn't he want to see me?" Thea scowled in response to his words, "I'm his fiancé". Kai took a seat first, then Thea followed.

"We are both aware of his disregard for you throughout your entire year at the academy. He had his mind yearning for Anastacia Ashmore. Am I right? ", Kai continued to tease her. It was enjoyable to look at Thea's frowning face coupled with her desperate expression.

Thea continued to glare at him with annoyance, "He's just infatuated. At the end of the day, I'm his fiancé and he belongs to me."

"This issue is unrelated to you as well. So just mind your own business." She added and called a maid and requested some tea.

"What would happen if the King passed away and Daniel was appointed King before the two of you were wed? Are you confident he will pick you?" Kai asked her.

Thea was shaking with rage. She can't treat him too rudely since he is a prince. She gazed at the teacup she was holding before throwing it against the wall, causing a loud smash.

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--- end of chapter 13 ---

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