Re: Who needs a prince when you're a queen?

Chapter Twenty-nine: The schemer should have eaten the croissant

      I stared at myself in the mirror and sure enough, I looked like an upgraded version of myself. My hair was in a loose fish tail on one side and my stargazer barrette was placed on my head. There was no excessive embellishment on me but even so, I looked better than ever.

      “My job here is done,” Viveca announces as her ladies-in-waiting lined up and slowly filed out of the room.

      “Shall I meet you at the garden grounds?” I asked.

      “Yes. My brother is apparently in my room already and he is not one to take tardiness kindly.” She sighed. “What about Jamie?”

      As if on cue, someone knocked on my door.

      “Lady Marcella, the young master of the Wellings House is here,” Martinique declared.

      Viveca grinned at me. “Ah, the little lord has arrived. Well, I shan’t be taking much of your time. Au revoir~”

      And just like that, Viveca smoothly glided out of my room while Jamie stepped inside. The lack of hustle and bustle brought about by the previous people inside was replaced by the sudden silence of two people.

      Jamie was in a white suit and he looked absolutely adorable with his hair tousled up and blushing cheeks. I giggled at his obvious display of awkward nervousness. He was holding a bouquet of stargazers and fidgeting with it as if he did not know what to do. In an attempt to lighten the mood and calm him, I decided to speak up first.

      “Are those for me?”

      He stopped fidgeting, looked at the flowers and then looked at me. In a moment of realization, he timidly offered the bouquet to me. “I- I am so sorry. Yes, these are for you.”

      I graciously accepted the flowers. “Why, thank you.”

      “You are beautiful.”

      The straightforward comment caught me off guard.

      “Well, I- I mean, you are so beautiful today! Wait, I mean that you are always beautiful. You have always been beautiful and I- I,” Jamie was fumbling with his words and it was very cute how easily frazzled he is.

      I laughed. “I get it, Jamie. Thank you.” I patted his head ever so carefully, afraid of ruining his hair. “You look handsome, as well.”

      Jamie brightened up and showed off his perfect smile.

      I pinched his cheeks. “And cute. Very, very cute.”

      He pouted and mumbled something but his voice was too low for me to hear.

      “Did you say something?”

      He shook his head and offered his hand. “Nothing important. Anyway, shall we go?”

      I nodded and accepted his offer as we went out of my room and down to the venue of the Spring Soiree. The whole garden was indeed a sight for sore eyes and even though I have lived in this world for thirteen years already, I still could not believe how unreal and fantastical this place is. Flowers were strewn everywhere and extravagant decorations were placed. The fountains were crystal clear and the air smelled so sweet and yet it was not nauseating. Rather, it was soothing. There was also a string quartet playing in the background. It offered a charming background to the clear night sky that was filled with stars.

      “This is lovely,” I mused as Jamie and I trudged through the flower pathway. “And those tiny glowing lights. They are not fireflies right?”