"Did you heard His Majesty was in a rage and fired all the servants who served Miss Belial at the capital?"
A chatty merchant talks to his customers, the capital was noisy since morning with the hot topic regarding the first appearance of Miss Belial at the engagement party yesterday night.
"Yeah, I heard it at the shop I went before, apparently most of the servants who served Her Highness were spies sent by the Belial's political opponents, they were the culprits who spread nasty rumors about the innocent child"
"What a pitiful young lady"
"I feel bad for her Highness"
The other customers added, a lot of people who heard the news can't help but show their concerns to the Crown Prince's fiancee since this innocent Miss was the victim of those greedy nobles' schemes.
The rumors spread like wildfire thanks to the workers who were on duty at that party gossiping here and there promoting the kindness of the new Princess like a salesman.
It's all began when the Crown Prince gave those servants a few days day off to enjoy the triumph in the capital of Azure right after the party as a token of gratitude.
Most of them are spending time wandering and enjoying the market while bragging about the future Crown Princess, overthrowing the nasty rumors surrounding her since they witnessed the kind-hearted young Miss almost sacrifice herself to heal the Prince with their own eyes, not to mention the Princess' friendly attitudes to mere lowly servants and how brave she is in front of the arrogant nobles.
The Princess is a gracious maiden with the power of healing and the heart of Saintess, bravely upholds righteousness and stand against discrimination.
It doesn't take long for the supports of this engagement to flow like a river, congratulatory gifts, flowers, letters, flattery, and blessings were sent to the Palace endlessly.
Giving those servants a few days off worth the result expected by the cunning Prince, the culprit behind the rumors.
"Her Highness? Is it okay to call Miss Belial like that since she wasn't officially married to His Highness yet"
Another woman in her thirties asked because the title of 'Her Highness' can only be used for the Crown Princess, the legal wife of the Crown Prince after the official wedding ceremony.
"Don't you know that both His and Her Highness were bestowed the Azure Heirloom at the party?"
"Oh my goodness, isn't it wonderful news? We were promised such a wonderful Emperor and Empress in the future"
The crowds seem happy to hear the news after knowing the truth about the future Crown Princess, the cheerful atmosphere filled the air and blows through the whole continent except for several people...
-•-
Bam!
A hurtful hit of the belt once again landed on the back of a cowering little girl as she cries louder, her fancy soft pink dress was ruined and the beautiful coral hair is now messy.
"How could I have such a disappointing child like you, Lily"
A huge man shouted in anger venting all of his frustrations towards his only daughter who once was most beloved.
"What a useless tool"
Bam!
"F-father, I'm sorry, I'm sorry"
"I'm sorry"
"I'm sorry"
She replied the same line again and again like a broken record with a shaking voice, crying in pain, couldn't believe her doting father suddenly became this abusive, that party is the start of her miserable life indeed.
Ever since that day, there's no more Princess Goldway.
Sob...
Sob...
"Take care of your stupid daughter, I need to attend the urgent meetings with them"
The Baron said coldly to his beautiful wife, leaving the room after throwing the belt to a startled maid.
'That ugly pig dares to speak like that to me? ha!'
'The man who worth nothing without his wealth'
The beautiful coral-haired lady cursed his husband inwardly, unconsciously clenching her fists as she grits her teeth in resentment.
"M-mother..."
Lily tugged her mother's sleeves, calling the Baroness while bearing pain all over her body, but rather than her mother's usual affectionate eyes, Lily can only find her mother glaring in disgust.
Swoosh...
The Baroness pulled up her sleeves from Lily's hand as she indifferently ordered one of the pale maids who stood still like a statue in the corner of the room, seemingly doesn't wish to involve in Goldway's family affair.
"You, treat her wounds and make sure it doesn't leave any scars on her skin, call the priest only if needed"
Hearing her mother, Lily's expression brightened, she thought there may be some small pieces of concern left for her to gather but as if blown by the wind, her hope disappeared as her mother grips her chin lifting her head harshly.
"You might fail to seduce the Prince, but you can use that ability of yours to tame the other young masters of the prestigious families"
"Can you prove your worth?"
The Baroness asked heartlessly to her teary daughter as Lily nodded weakly.
"Bring her to her room"
The maids rushed to bring Lily back to her own room, the once was warm family is nowhere to be seen and the tense atmosphere worsened when the servants heard the bad rumors pointing out this family's ugliness after that party, not to mention the gossip about Lily's charm ability.
Regardless of the truth behind those bad rumors, the anxious servants started to distance themselves from the Goldway family members and focus on their job as they don't want to be dragged into the aristocrats' power struggle.
Whatever happened to this family at the party, one thing for sure is...
That party turned the warm family into a shattered one in a single night.
"Miss, please bear the pain for a moment"
The appointed maid is applying the ointment to treat Lily's wounded body, Lily is sitting on her comfortable bed in her spacious fancy chamber, the bedroom prepared by her beloved parents and decorated with her favorite pink color, ironically, she was hurt by the very same parents.
"The wounds are not deep and will be better by tomorrow, please rest assured Miss, they won't leave any scars on your skin"
The maid convinced, looking at the wounds, everyone knows it wasn't severe and bearable enough, calling a priest at a time like this will only result in another bad rumor since everyone is keeping their eyes on this family, even though she is okay but for the Goldway Princess who was raised with love and never once experience pain, this may become a traumatic event for her.
"Please ring the bell if you need me, then I will excuse myself"
The maid bows down, it was quite obvious that she felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave the chamber as soon as possible even if she still acts respectfully towards Lily, there's also a hint of anxiety as the rumors about the servants including herself are being charmed by the Young Miss' hidden ability.
"Wait..."
Lily stopped her who almost reaches the door as the maid turned around and asked.
"Yes, Miss? Is there anything else you need?"
"Can you sing me a lullaby like you always do?"
The maid flinched at Lily's simple request, it's not like it was the first time, Lily indeed sometimes asked her maid to sing a lullaby before sleep whenever she felt lonely as her parents often went to business trips, and the mid gladly sings for her, but this time she might end up being dragged into unnecessary trouble for being too close with Lily, moreover, the rumors of Lily's love charm won't stop bothering her.
"I...umm, t-that... I, I am sorry Young Miss, I have another j-job to do"
"Never mind, you may go"
Lily said with a hurt expression, the world has completely turned its back on her, just like the protagonist who lost her limelight, she is alone and has no one to rely on.
As someone who once was showered with endless love and attention, this is hurting her so much that she can't stop crying after the maid leaving her room.
The dark room is being warped with loneliness, her world was turned upside down since she attended that engagement party, the bad reputation of her family began with only one mistake of hers, and the leakage of her blessing that shouldn't be known worsened the already worst situation.
"This is unfair..."
She mumbled with tears on her cheeks, she did everything that was told and taught by her parents yet when the results didn't meet the expectations, all the blame was easily shifted to her alone as if their incompetence was her fault.
A feeling of hatred towards this household sparks within her sore body and aching heart, if only she has the power to lessen this feeling...
"Then, let's make it fair for you"
Swoosh...
A sudden gust of wind barged into her room making the door of her balcony open wide as she heard a woman's voice replied to her mumbling like a whisper of the devil.
"W-WHO?!"
Lily is shrieking on her bed to the mysterious intruder under the moonlight, a woman covered with a black hooded long-robe stood still at her doorway of the balcony, smirking evilly.
She looks like a woman in her twenties with no special point in appearance yet Lily couldn't help but be drawn to her, she can feel the frightening aura surrounds her.
"Sshhh..."
The lady put her index finger on her smirk, a gesture to silence the freaked-out little Lily.
"I come to grant the pitiful girl's wish"
The intruder is none other than Grizel in disguised, she puts her illusion magic to wrap around her body making her look like a lady in her twenties with no special appearance except for her intentionally-leaked aura.
"W-what do you want?"
Lily screams out loudly yet no one comes to check on her, the thought of she is being abandoned thrives into her mind.
"I come to grant your wish in exchange for wealth"
Grizel said firmly reassuring Lily that she has no intention of harming her since all she wants was her wealth or her parents' wealth to be precise.
Hearing the straightforward answer, Lily finally calmed down and once again observes the mysterious lady and her surrounding.
Although it is almost invisible, she could see a thin barrier surrounds her room, this is might be the reason why no one comes no matter how loud she screamed, and there should be a bunch of guards stationed around here to keep her safe or more likely to prevent her from running away, yet no one realizes someone is easily trespassing into the mansion.
This lady is not all talk.
Lily took her breath and asked to make sure she has the power to make her wish comes true.
"Can you really grant my wish?"
"I can, what do you want? The Prince's love? Your Parents' affection? The servants' attention? Or..."
"Kill them? Massacre everyone who betrayed you?"
The devil offered with an alluring voice, taking advantage of the stray heroine.
Lily felt disgusted with the thought to live with her parent's love once again, how could they were back to be a warm family after she knows their ugly masks and pretends nothing happened.
And the Prince? She doesn't harbor any romantic feelings if her parents didn't always say he is meant to be her future husband, she naively believed he was her destiny since it was said by her trusted parents, but now that trust is gone, and the Prince becomes nothing but a stranger to her.
"How much do you want?"
The innocent protagonist almost fell for the whisper of the devil.
"All of your inheritance of the Goldway wealth"
Lily doesn't have a sibling, she is the sole heiress to inherit her parents' title, land, and wealth.
She will be the new owner of the wealthiest Merchant when her parents passed away.
"What?! Are you crazy? Don't you know how much assets owned by this fam-"
"That is why you need to choose your wish wisely, little girl"
Grizel cuts Lily's words, she doesn't need to hear the total assets of the Goldway family since she has already listed their wealth that soon will be hers.
All of them, if she uses her usual method by looting the Goldway's treasury, Grizel can't take everything because this method has a limit, some assets like buildings, manpower, investment can not be looted.
Rather than looting gold in cash that was only a little part of their total wealth, isn't it better to take advantage of this family's only heiress and snatch all of the assets before she killed her parents as the current owners?
Grizel just needs to do money laundering by asking Lily to sell all the Goldway's assets and purchase the new ones in the name of fictive people with fake identities to conceal who's the real owner of the new assets, after all, this kind of illegal conduct is only natural for Angela Samael.
Of course, to gain those fictive identities she needs to somehow threaten, no, asking Dion politely to arrange it for her.
As long as Lily is useful, her safety is guaranteed by the devil herself.
Hearing Grizel's greedy answer, Lily flinched as she couldn't deny that she believes in this mysterious Lady, the aura around this intruder is telling her that this lady isn't ordinary.
Lily carefully thinks about what she wants, even though wealth is nothing compared to her happiness, still, the price of her wish is ridiculously high, thinking which kind of wish was equal to her inheritance is not something to be taken lightly.
Living happily with her parents in this mansion where everyone betrayed her is simply out of choice, their ugliness won't disappear that easily even if she managed to forgive them, what's shattered couldn't be fixed anymore.
Start a new life? That's impossible for a talentless 10-year-old girl who never struggles in life.
Lily doesn't want to stay and remain as her parents' tool to achieve their ambition, yet couldn't survive in the world of reality yet, moreover, without her inheritance, she might end up being a beggar and die in hunger.
Lily gulped thinking about the choices that will bring a drastic change in her life.
"I..."
"I don't know yet"
Her heart is not ready, she might hate everyone in this mansion but she doesn't have the heart to ask for a massacre.
"You don't have to choose right now"
Grizel gives her a paper with a map on it, this is the map to her secret building in the capital's slum.
"Come here once you convinced of your choice"
Lily holds the map tightly with her hands as if it was her only hope, she might still have the feeling of hesitation, but the fact that the mysterious Lady is her only escape from the harsh reality didn't change.
Grizel smiled because she knows it won't take a long time for Lily to convince her heart.
After all, that time when Lily holds her arm at the party, Grizel plants her illusion magic on her to double the suffering of the heroine's new life, with this, the process to convince her heart will be fastened since Lily have to face both harsh reality and vivid nightmares every single day without rest.
'Haaa... that's why the adults always say do not talk to strangers, let alone touching them'
Grizel sighed inwardly, how long could the former Princess hold such pressure both physically and mentally?
Lily just needs to give up and leaves everything to the devil yet she is struggling so hard to keep her humanity, unlike a certain someone who won't hesitate to get rid of her own trashy parents if needed.
"You don't have to rush, sweetheart..."
The devil whispered once again before leaving the confused poor heroine.
"Because the seed of hatred will bloom more magnificent as the time passed"
Grizel jumped out of the balcony and disappeared into the cold night along with another black-hooded person.
To be continued...
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Author's Corner:
One of the readers said to me there's a song that resembles Rex a lot, I innocently check it out and...
Gosh, I can't stop having indecent thoughts about Rex and his evil fiance because of the song is kinda, hhmm..., sexy?
(/ω＼)
But, what can I do? I'm hooked to the song.
_( :⁍ 」 )__( :⁍ 」 )_
Dang it, you wild brain of mine! stop it, seriously.
I need holy water asap.
(;'༎ຶ༎ຶ')