The Duel of Names

Chapter 1 - Birthday Extravaganza

Adelaide Grata Agrippina

The Duel of Names is nothing more than just a survival game. A kind of game that only the strong and privileged would survive.

Oh yeah, it's my birthday today. The threshold of my misery.

As usual, moguls and aristocrats were invited for my birthday celebration. I'm officially nineteen. Nineteen and exhausted.

The same routine happens again and again. Rich people gather round, clinking champagne much more expensive than tuition fees in public sectors. Princes and aristocrats trying to take my hand and different Spanish dances.

People who made me believe that they love me so. People who only loves me thanks to my money and title.

I've been a celebrity since I introduced The Duel of Names into the world. According to the latest surveys, my invention has helped thousands and thousands of nations around the globe to overcome poverty and to ice overpopulation.

The Duel of Names was first initiated to the world last year. I was eighteen and I was tired of the world's stereotypes. The Duel of Names launched without any warning. The government knew of the idea, but never said a word to notice the public about it.

That's when I became the world's premier. All because of a survival game.

Presidents of different nations are still called presidents. Monarchs remain as monarchs and are the prime ministers. The name remains the same, but each country is in my hold.

Everyone lies beneath my hand. Nobody knows that even their leaders bow down to the superior — me and my people.

Simultaneously tapping my fingers on the table, prince Darryn casts me a calculating gaze. I boomerang a more malevolent gaze back at him.

His looks were a controversy for the past years. Prince Darryn inherited his father's sharp jawline, and his mother's charming charisma. His subtle green eyes hooked onto mine. I look away to reduce the weight on my shoulders.

A blond girl, who must be his girlfriend, held his jaw in the middle of her thumb and the rest of her fingers. Making Darryn flinch to look back on her.

She said something incoherent, yet the agitated look on her face says a lot about her words.

I'm not the prettiest girl I have seen in my whole life, honestly, I find the blond girl much more prettier than my whole existence— only that the blond girl wouldn't be launching a worldwide game phenomenon like me.

This is life for me since last year. The newspapers under my hands stole my attention away from the royal couple. Norway wouldn't want me as their princess. Norway definitely wouldn't want me as the wife of prince Darryn.

And I certainly wouldn't want an arrogant prince for a husband.

Rumors had spread like wildfire. Prince Darryn and I. Another prince that I had never heard of. A president's son. Warren Daialamer, CEO of the latest gadget company (in which I couldn't remember the name).

The magazine article emphasizes in bold letters that I have been dating three well-known men for the last couple of weeks.

It's a shame that the writer of those articles knew that I have a boyfriend — even when I have none.

Whoever those authors are, I'd like to talk to them and ask them to make their articles come true since Warren Daialamer's looks are attractive enough for the latest fashion show of Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

But of course, I wouldn't manifest my thoughts in front of a hundred of people. Even if the celebration is in honor of my birthday, everyone in the room has been talking about The Duel of Names for the past three hours.

The celebration started three hours ago, oh bugger.

Prime Minister Yael Yu commended me with the genuine smile I show to my attendees. The only problem is the fact that I'm not smiling, but the opposite way around.

I never smile. And everyone who has seen me knows that well.

"You look so beautiful, honey-hun-hun," she says in a motherly pitch and it sounds scary. "You are blooming! There's someone special beside that smile, yeah?"

Oh, maybe you're talking about sadness who never left my side since the day I was born?

I continue smiling back at her, making sure to give her subtle-yet-not-true statement justice.

"My academics are enough, señora." I reply since I have no way out of the conversation. "I don't need anyone to lead me to the path of happiness, madam."

Prime Minister Yael nodded in sort of way an unconvinced person would. "Sure, it's not like the papers haven't written about your F grade in Math."

Señor Marquez, her husband, nudged her on the shoulder. What a happy couple.

I nod to myself as I focus back on my fidgeting fingers. It's a known fact that Prime Minister Yael despises me due to the relationship of prince Darryn and the blond girl beside him — Prime Minister Yael's daughter.

No one knew of Prime Minister Yael's secret blond daughter Yllina since her daughter doesn't belong to Señor Marquez.

Even I even doubt it that Señor Marquez knows of the existence of Yllina.

How do I know about this?

I have my minions.

Prior to The Duel of Names, I had another plan in mind. The reason why I have my way around through a lot of things.

The very reason why a lot of people die in the span of The Duel of Names.

Before I could control my emotions in a better state, I tap the table five times with my forefinger.

It's time for the birthday girl to shine.