When a young woman opened her eyes after the Gods gave her a second chance to live again and fulfill her dreams in exchange for one tiny, and not so dangerous mission, she found herself in a body of a 19 year old girl named Despina who's hated by ev...
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ROWAN EMPIRE. An empire where wealth and power is everything, where you need to be someone who's capable of anything, and everything. Established by the great Glacious Gregorio Rowan, himself.
The Rowan Royal Family holds a lot of power and authority, in which almost everyone fear them and no one would defy their words especially, when they gave you a gold eagle statue with an envelope stuck in it's beak.
The great Glacious Gregorio Rowan has an eagle by his side as his pet, and that eagle has been his companion ever since in which helps him discover the land of the current Rowan Empire. It become the official and royal symbol of the royal family and the Rowan Empire itself.
And an eagle statue with an envelope stuck in it's beak is an Emperial Summon that the Emperor will sent to you. No one ever refused the Emperors summon, not after the death of Duke Herman Stroe Swertuanfel, Despinas' great great great grandfather.
Duke Herman Stroe Swertuanfel is one of the second generation of people in the Rowan Empire that up helds his status and showed his power to the whole continent. When the King sends an Emperial Summon, he refused it as his wife at that time was in a labor for their first child, and he refuse to leave her side.
Not too long after the Duchess of Swertuanfel gave birth to a healthy young boy, the Emperor send the Duke Swertuanfel to prison for defying his words and was punished with death three days after. The Emperor also punished the whole Swertuanfel family by stripping them off of their Ducal title and downgrade them to a mere Marquess.
And I am now currently in the middle of either accepting the Emperors Summon with Duke Poviour or just completely commit suicide. Ugh! Why did the Emperor sent an Emperial Summon!?
"Here it is, My Lady." Napatingin ako kay Buns ng pumasok ito sa aking kuwarto, dala-dala ang gintong estatwa ng isang agila at mayroong isang sobre ang naka-ipit sa bibig nito. Sinenyasan ko si Buns na ilagay sa aking mesa ang estatwa na agad naman niyang ginawa.
"Please tell Lily to ready my bath," utos ko sa kaniya. Ngumiti naman ito sa akin at yumuko bago lumabas sa aking kuwarto. Nang makalabas na si Buns sa aking kuwarto at nasarado na ang pinto ay bumuntong hininga ako bago ibinaling ang tingin sa estatwa.
"Ano ba ang tumatakbo sa utak ng kasalukuyang Emperador at pinadalhan niya ako ng isang emperial summon? May nagawa ba akong mali?" nagtatakang tanong ko sa aking sarili habang madiin na nakatingin sa estatwang agila.
Medyo nag-o-overthink na ako sa mga puwedeng dahilan kung kaya't kinuha ko ang estatwa at inalis ang sobreng sa tuka ng Agila.
Binasa ko ang nakasulat na mensahe at napatango-tango habang binabasa ko ito.
"Nais lang niya pala kaming batiin ni Duke Poviour sa aming kasunduang pakasal, huh? 'Yun lang naman pala eh," natatawang komento ko.
Sana nagpadala nalang siya ng normal na mensahe kung ito lang pala ang nais niyang gawin. Wala namang problema eh.
"Ha!?" malakas na sigaw ko at napadiin ang paghawak sa mensahe matapos ko na mabasa ang buong nilalaman ng minsahe.
'Is it already the time to meet the person who killed the original Despina?' seryosong tanong ko sa aking isipan bago pinunit ang minsahe at itinapon sa basurahang katabi ko.
The Emperial Summon will be tomorrow morning and we will be having lunch in the palace together with the Royal Family. Will this family disown me if i refuse the Emperors Summon? Aish! I'll surely die first even before the Marquess can disown me.
"My Lady, your bath is ready," lintaya ni Lily pagkalabas niya sa banyo ko. Umiling-iling nalamang ako at tinanggap nalamang ang gusto ng Emperador bago nagtungo sa banyo para maligo.
"Don't cause any trouble at the palace, Despina," seryosong babala ni Marquess Poviuor sa akin pagkalabas na pagkalabas ko sa aking kuwarto.
'Ang aga-agang gumising nito ah? Ay. Alas otso na pala ng umaga,'
"I'll try my best, Your Grace," sagot ko sa kaniya. Tumingin naman ito sa akin at binigyan ako ng isang hindi makapaniwalang tingin bago umiling-iling.
"I'm relieved to hear you say that. Go on, the Duke is already waiting for you outside," he stated before turning his back at me and stride towards his study.
My eyes widen with his words and quickly walk outside of the marquessate and found out that he is not bluffing at all. A black carriage with golden linings is currently in fornt of the marquessate, but that wasn't the first thing that caught my attention at all.
"Stop staring and get in." I was pulled back from drowning while staring at his crystal blue eyes. Buns who's beside me cough to get my attention which he successfully did.
I looked at him with a questioning look. He pointed Duke Poviour who looked like a greek god with the power of seduction using his eyes. I almost squinted my eyes at him because I don't know what message he is trying to rely, but good thing I stopped myself.
My mask is almost at the verge of destruction and my real emotions and thoughts would be visible, and that should never happen. I should never let anyone figure me out. I should never show my emotions to anyone, or I'll be punished again. I can't let that happen. No.
"The Duke is waiting, My Lady," lintaya ni Lily sa akin na nagpabalik ulit sa akin sa kasalukuyan at naiwasan ko naman ang muling malunod sa aking sariling iniisip.
"Ah yes. Let's go, Buns," sagot ko at huminga ng malalim bago dahan-dahang naglakad papasok sa karwahe ni Duke Poviour.
"Took you so long," usal niya pagkapasok ko.
"I was hesitating. I don't think I deserve to be riding the same carriage as you, Your Grace," sagot ko.
"And why is that?" tanong niya.
"I might go blind and die early," sagot ko. Nakita ko naman ang tumaas ang kaniyang kanang kilay at binigyan ako ng isang nagtatakang tingin.
"What does that mean?" he asked again.
"Don't mind it. Let's just hope to get leave the palace without being drained," bulong ko.
'Let's try our best to survive this summon without spilling that much information to the Emperor and... Crown Prince,'
Tumingin ako sa labas ng bintana at hinayaang palayawin ang aking mga mata sa magandang tanawing na sa labas papunta sa palasyo.
