Golden Eyes

The Duchess decided to respond to the Emperor by saying that they would go to the capital and meet Prince Heinrich before finalizing the engagement. The Emperor criticized the Duchess for dragging out the procedures, but agreed anyway. After all, it was understandable that Kalina wanted to meet her future partner first.

When news of Kalina's engagement spread throughout the mansion, it inevitably reached Nessa's ears.

"What? That girl is getting engaged to the prince?" Nessa was in the middle of applying her makeup when she was notified by her maid. It was the same maid that had instructed her to buy poison. Her name was Jane.

"Yes. The engagement has been planned since Lady Kalina was born. The Duchess and Lady Kalina are planning to go to the capital to have an audience with the Emperor in a week," Jane said with her head lowered. She spoke carefully in case anyone was listening in on them, but her disdain for the mother and daughter pair could clearly be heard.

Nessa slammed her fist on her vanity before Jane could finish her words. The jars of cosmetics on the table rattled from the sudden impact. A perfume tipped over and shattered. The fragrant contents slowly seeped into the carpet, creating a sickeningly sweet smell that filled the room.

"She wants Lucille to stay in her shadow forever, doesn't she? When she becomes a princess, then she'll easily be able to dispose of us. I can't let everything I've worked for be for naught!" Nessa's beautiful face was contorted into a painful grimace.

Jane swiftly moved to her mistress's side. Keeping her voice steady, she spoke: "Madam, it's not too late yet. I heard from a loose-lipped maid that serves the Duchess that the engagement hasn't been finalized yet. Anything could happen."

"Is that true? You better not lie to me, or else I'll..."

"Of course not. I would never lie to you, Madam."

Nessa's face gradually softened as she thought over Jane's words. A wisp of a twisted smile tilted the corner of her mouth. "Good, good. You're a good girl. I'll have you be my personal maid from now on."

"Thank you, Madam!" Jane's eyes shone with glee. Finally, she didn't have to be satisfied with being a mere maidservant anymore.

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That night, at dinner, the Duchess announced what Nessa had been informed of earlier–that she and Kalina were heading to the capital to meet the prince.

"Oh my! Kalina, congratulations! You're going to become a princess!" Nessa squealed with fake excitement. The meticulous curls on her head shook as she gushed to the girl sitting across the table from her.

Kalina merely nodded, a faint smile on her rosy lips. She soundlessly placed down her fork and said: "Mrs. Nessa, I don't remember giving you permission to call me by my name."

"Oh, I'm sorry...Lady Kalina. I really didn't mean to." She did.

"Kalina, don't be so critical. You know she didn't mean it. You're going to be the crown princess one day, you can't pick on everyone like this." The Duke cut in before Kalina could respond.

"Of course, Father. Mrs. Nessa, it's no big deal. You are forgiven. But please, don't forget next time. If the public hears that the crown princess can be talked to so informally by anyone, our reputation will surely suffer."

The Duke cared about his reputation more than anything. He had all of high society believe that he was working hard day and night to manage the dukedom, when in reality, he was spending his time gambling and indulging. Even so, he couldn't bear having people spread rumors about him.

His expression stiffened and he pushed away Nessa's hand that was reaching for his, in search of comfort. "Listen to her. I can't have you damaging my reputation like this." He ignored Nessa's horrified expression, continuing to eat.

Nessa couldn't believe that he would push her away and defend Kalina. Now, she believed that her position was even more threatened by Kalina's presence. Every single word that came out of Kalina's mouth sneakily insulted her, and she was forced to tolerate it.

Gritting her teeth, Nessa endured the humiliation. "I'll watch my words in the future. But, I heard that you're going to the capital? How long will you be staying?"

"As long as we need to. We own a mansion in the capital, so it's no problem." The Duchess said, her expression as cool as ice.

"Oh, is that so...well, I heard that the engagement hasn't been finalized yet? Is that true?" Nessa pushed further. She was prodding a wasp's nest so that she could complain when she was stung.

The Duchess narrowed her eyes. How did Nessa find out? She had only told a few of her closest maids that had been with her since childhood. There must be someone reporting back to Nessa.

"Yes, it's true–though I wonder how you found that out before I announced it."

"I just heard it from someone," Nessa laughed nervously under the suspicious gazes of the servants who stood around the dining room. "Lady Kalina and Prince Heinrich are a good match. I'm sure nothing'll go wrong."

Since when did Nessa care if Kalina's engagement went through or not? There was definitely something fishy going on.

The dining room was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Lucille, who had been silent this whole time, slowly looked up from her plate. She peered at Kalina with an unwavering gaze as she gnawed on her bottom lip.

"I hope that you won't forget Lucille when you become the crown princess, Lady Kalina. After all, you're sisters. No matter what happens, you must stick together. Lucille is only a year younger. I've been thinking about finding her a good engagement now that Lady Kalina has gotten hers. Would it be alright if we also went to the capital? I'm sure there will be lots of noblemen suitable for her there."

Kalina chuckled under her breath as she fidgeted with her ring, twisting it around her finger. It was the golden diamond that Holly had given her as a gift a while ago. She had found it when cleaning out her jewelry boxes. She hadn't worn it until now, and had suddenly felt the urge to put it on.

"Please mind your position. I–" The Duchess began to respond. It was totally improper for her to bring her husband's mistress with her on a trip to see the Emperor. If the nobles in the capital heard about it, their reputation would surely be affected.

"Of course you can come along." Kalina interrupted, casting her mother a reassuring gaze. She turned to Nessa and continued. "It's great that you care so much for Lucille. She's very lucky to have such a thoughtful mother."

Lucille raised her head when her name was mentioned. Her hollow gaze quickly changed to a lively one and she beamed at Kalina. "Sister's right!"

Kalina continued to fidget with her ring and didn't respond. For some reason, the skin around the white gold band felt itchy and stuffy. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but it was uncomfortable. She couldn't quite pinpoint the sensation.

Nessa saw Lucille being ignored again and clenched her fists under the table. "Then, I wish Lady Kalina a happy engagement. I hope you will be happy with the prince."

Hearing Nessa's seemingly caring words, Kalina lifted her eyes from her hand to inspect the woman's appearance. She especially loved seeing Nessa grit her teeth. Watching her face twist into ugly expressions was one of Kalina's greatest joys.

"Thank..." Kalina's voice trailed off as she met Nessa's eyes. Her lips were frozen, slightly apart. The next word was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't continue.

Nessa's deep amethyst-colored eyes had turned a brilliant golden. They were the same exact shade as Kalina's eyes.