ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴅᴇᴍᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ❅ 𝕽𝖔𝖞𝖆𝖑 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖈𝖑𝖊𝖘

❝𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 7❞

Princess Caitlyn stopped working entirely and faced both her servants with much exasperation, wondering how their heads could possibly come to such delirious conclusions. She then recalled the curses she made months ago in Norway when her grandfather was at the brink of death. She sighed.

"Forget my words uttered impulsively in a moment of rage," Princess Caitlyn said. "It was in the spur of the moment. My grandfather —Thank Hel, she did not summon him to Helheim before his due— had already reprimanded me for my impetuous behavior and temper. I do not wish for your deaths to be a reminder of that."

"My lady," Baek Rang, the princess's bodyguard of South Korean descent, cried out in gratitude.

His co-worker, however, was still unwavering. "Your highness, I—"

"That's quite enough, Valkyrie," the princess snapped. "Don't test my mercy or I will consider making you mute to actually stop your nonsense. Both of you should focus on how to serve me better in the future. Get on your feet at once. We have much to do."

Baek Rang immediately sprang to his feet, skipping out of the office to continue his task of walking the princess's wolves around the school's vast grounds while singing praises of his charge at the top of his lungs. Valkyrie on the other hand, got to her feet with less vigor of the male, moving to make the princess a cup of tea and some cakes as her assignment will be preventing her from spending tea time with the rest of her friends.

Princess Caitlyn looked away from the glaring light of the laptop screen, squeezing her eyes shut as she rested her head in her folded hands on the table.

A cleaved head no longer plots, she thought. A man is useless once dead and she does not want the risk of losing perfectly good soldiers.

Many tyrants of old met their own demise in the form of their own paranoia and distrust by killing off their most trusted advisors and soldiers for the smallest mistakes. Princess Caitlyn will not allow that to happen to herself. She will have history to serve as her guide and her elders as her teachers.

She brought her head up and read the words written on the laptop screen. Princess Caitlyn remembered her grandmother's words at that moment. It is a curse to be named after the dead.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The greenhouses of Ever Realm Academy serve as a refuge for not just exotic plants but also for the hobbyists and home gardeners of the upper class. For the students of Ever Realm Academy, these greenhouses are not just classrooms during botany classes but are frequented by the royalty and the nobility during tea time for a sophisticated and high class experience.

Under the roof of the cooling greenhouse, a group of princesses sat around the tea table enjoying their time of leisure together with tea and cakes while admiring the clusters of azaleas, cinerarias, and cyclamens that decorated the greenhouse with their vibrant colors. Laughter filled the air as the ladies exchanged gossip and small talks with their friends.

"You should consider joining us in the Council, Princess Teuila," sweet Princess Aoife of Ireland leaned forward excitedly, grinning widely at the French Polynesian princess sitting across her. "You have so much potential, I just know it!" Her eyes gleamed brighter than diamonds under blue light.

The princess nervously poked at her honeyed scone, forcing a small smile while politely declining as she was focusing on building up her confidence. She whispered under her breath about considering debate or public speaking to enhance the people skills.

From beside her, Princess Megara of Greece whipped her auburn head and gave her an alarmed look. "I think you will pass out under the pressure and intensity of the debate room and the public speaking practice room is no better than a war zone for silver-tongued snakes and sales people." She ended her harsh words abruptly by pouring her attention to the plate of cake in front of her, stuffing her mouth to the brim, leaving Princess Teuila no room to argue.