The King's Rejected Lady

The Dormitory

THE ENDLESS gifts of well-wishers were almost non-stop. So when Tori found a way to take a break, she immediately excused herself towards the powder room. Walking away from the crowd, she saw in her peripheral vision Sabina was with the Duchess and Elisa. The queen, on the other hand, had left already after the commotion with the Jewel Eyes of Rhea. But Tori saw a familiar pair of golden eyes behind the countryside nobles. And Tori intended to speak with him.

The moment she opened the powder room that was exclusively for the birthday celebrant, Tori found herself face-to-face with Prince Corean. His golden eyes still amazed her.

"Blessings to Empire's star, Prince Corean." Tori curtsied even if she just wanted to stare at him. She felt guilty that the recipient of her horny thoughts was the shy second prince.

His stare landed on her neck where the Jewel Eyes of Rhea was pinned. Of course, he's here for the jewel.

"You got it. You keep on surprising me, Lady Victoria." He strolled toward her and since he's so tall, Tori was now looking up at him every time he took a step forward.

"You know that you're not supposed to be here, right? I will just deliver this to the Turvy."

Prince Corean kept on walking toward her one step at a time. On instinct, Tori also stepped backward until her back hit the wall of the powder room. "What the hell are you doing, Your Highness?"

Her harsh glare did not stop the mischievous prince. He only stopped a foot away from her so that Tor could practically smell his minty smell. Oh, I love mint-flavored ice creams. Please do stay away from me or I'll eat you instead, Corean dear.

"Happy seventeenth birthday, Lady Victoria," Prince Corean whispered, which made his voice come out sensually. Tori had to press her thighs together. Now I'm horny!

But the torture did not stop from his voice. The moment Prince Corean took the loose tendrils of her golden hair from her bun and twirled it around his forefinger, Tori audibly gulped. And the craziest thing happened, Prince Corean kissed the tendril of her hair while his golden eyes were looking at her.

Now you've done it!

Gripping his nape, which was almost impossible for Tori, she pushed the startled Corean to the wall and kissed his neck. She was aiming for his jaws, but she could not reach them.

Why am I stuck with this girlish body?

"Thank you for greeting me, Your Highness." Tori collectedly walked away from him, leaving the second prince speechless and wide-eyed.

She was almost out of the door when she looked back at him, "I preferred it on my skin, Your Highness."

Tori left the shocked prince with a wicked wink.

Damn, I'm horny!

THE FAMILIAR renaissance-style building was the first thing that Tori saw as soon as she looked outside the carriage. Days passed by like a blur. After her birthday party, Sabina's birthday came too. The same lords from her birthday came bearing gifts aside from Marchioness Susana, who only greeted that wench with the fakest smile Tori could see. Nothing out of ordinary, everyone already knew that the Duchess of Castaña would be the one to escort Sabina. Tori came and acted like the benevolent sister as she always did. She even gifted the wench with a sapphire-decorated brooch.

Acting almost all day like a caring sister tired the hell out of Tori so the next day she just spent her day lazing around in her room while Rowan was the one who delivered the Jewel Eyes of Rhea with a personal letter for the queen to the Turvy, Information Guild's Headquarters.

The next day, the Duke became so busy, but Tori knew why. If her calculation was correct, according to the original plot in Season 1, a sudden trend for the Oolong Tea happened. Season One's plot would happen two years from now and that would be the time that another trend from the western southern countries would happen, the introduction of coffee beans. Marquess Zoliel would hold the monopoly of Oolong Tea from the Ming Country since he was the ambassador of the Empire to that country he was overpricing the Oolong Tea to the nobles and aristocrats. Later on in the Season 1 plot, the coffee trend would have an enormous impact on the high society since the noble faction traders would still be the ones to take the monopoly of coffee beans, this would eventually weaken Lord Tofera's food trading business. It was later in Season 2 that they revealed that it was a strategy from the noble faction to weaken the aristocrats who were slowly going bankrupt because of the Oolong tea monopoly.

The two trends of Oolong Tea and coffee beans would shake the future of the aristocratic faction's pillar of support. And this plan was made by Duke Luwen Rozenreff and was supported by Marquess Zoliel.

And if it was starting now, she must stop this before it could become a threat. This was the reason Tori decided to leave the Rozenreff Duchy a day before New Year. She would not attend the banquet. When she told the Duke about this, he was at first against it, but when Tori told her that the headmaster called for her, her father could do nothing but agree. That was the power that the head of the Trifecta Academy had.

"We have arrived, Lady Tori. I'll be guarding you until you come inside your dorm room." Rowan held out his hand for her, which Tori accepted gladly.

"Such a kind knight you are," Tori joked casually. Rowan's ears turned crimson red and hid his face away from her by turning in the other direction. How cute.

"Stop kidding around, Lady Tori. People might hear and misunderstand you."

Tori laughed from his concern. "No one will hear us since it is the night of New Year and everyone will be arriving tomorrow."

Rowan glanced at her. "Exactly, Lady Tori. Why are you celebrating the New Year here? Aren't you going to attend the banquet held by the royal family?"

The royal banquet for the New Year celebration was a celebration of thanksgiving from the previous year and a welcome for the coming year. The two factions were going to attend, and even that person would attend.

Normally, Tori would bear at it, but the bigger reason why she did not use this chance to market her social standing was because of the Oolong Tea trend. She would use this opportunity to stop the Ming country from supplying a monopolized supply to Marquess Zoliel. With that, Tori needed a third party to intervene for her. And she just had the perfect person in her mind, the headmaster.

But she needed something to use as leverage to strike a deal; Tori knew she must not use the queen's power yet. With the sudden action from the queen on her birthday, the two factions would be watching Queen Aurina closely for some time.

"You know how careful I am, Rowan. I want to get accustomed first before anyone else to gain an advantage." Tori made up a believable excuse for Rowan since he knew the real her with lots of secrets and that she was always careful with everything.

I am telling you just to trust me on this one. That was what Tori wanted to tell him, but decided not to do so.

The nobles' dormitory was situated near the garden of Trifecta Academy. The vast greenery in front of Tori's dorm was worthy of the noble's praise. The eastern part of the academy which was facing the capital was the dormitory for common folks.

Tori also knew that aside from the Ekcrett Empire's noble students, there were also noble families from the neighboring countries who sent their heirs to Trifecta Academy to learn the three teachings of the famous and well-respected Headmaster Eyzana Valtera.

"We're here, Lady Tori. Beyond this, I can't accompany you anymore." The two of them stopped in front of a mansion-like building that would become her home inside this academy.

Turning towards Rowan, Tori waved her hand. "Happy new year, Rowan. I am so lucky to have you." Indeed, I am. It is not every day that I can bag a future duke to become my loyal knight.

Rowan bowed his head while his right hand rested on his chest, a knight's bow. "Happy new year, Tori."

For the very first time, Rowan called her by her nickname, which astounded Tori. Rowan was a stickler for rules, so he followed them like the Holy Grail. But seeing how he just greeted Tori casually pleased her to know that her relationship with him as master and knight was improving towards her desired result.

Tori was smiling at Rowan's retreating form before she finally turned to come inside the mansion-like dormitory for the nobles.

A practiced smile of a working student welcomed Tori, she was wearing the royal blue robe that served as the uniform of Trifecta Academy. Her robe held no emblem, which meant that the one who welcomed Tori was a commoner who worked for the school.

"Good afternoon, Lady Victoria Rozenreff! I'm Tessa, your guide until you got accustomed to the dormitory routines." Her voice matched perfectly with her pale blue eyes and freckled pale skin that was contrasting with her raven hair.

Tori's smile froze when she realized who was standing in front of her. "I will be in your care, Miss Tessa." The dazzling smile of Tori almost left Tessa speechless.