"Then you can be my daughter." The emperor held the empress's waist and announced, "The imperial family will happily take Angelina in!"
Complete shock drowned the ballroom into silence. All that the nobles were able to do was stand still with their mouths agape and eyes widened while replaying the emperor's words. Even the members of the Skyler family couldn't find anything to say for a moment.
"What the fu-" before Rienne could continue, Alice quickly covered her mouth.
"Your majesty? Are you...are you serious?" Angelina gasped and asked in disbelief.
The emperor's expression softened at the sight of such a vulnerable side of Angelina. He always thought there was something behind the perfect, elegant, and put together mask Angelina put on. At times, he would catch Angelina stare at his three children playing or get into spats together with envy lingering in her smile.
It wasn't until today did he truly see how the 'gentle Duke Skyler' really treated her.
Angelina didn't reveal it in her features but after paying attention to the emperor's expression, she knew her plan had worked. Some might call it cruel for her to play with people's minds and sympathy, but this is how she was taught. The world of nobility is all about manipulating a situation to work in your favor or make it an opportunity. She didn't think it was unfair or unrighteous for her to do this.
"Of course. If lady Angelina accepts, the imperial family will gladly adopt and take you in." The emperor laughed, his gaze full of tenderness.
"What!? Y-your majesty! This...this can't possibly be allowed!" The duke opposed.
"Hm? Are you saying you disagree with my words, Duke Skyler? Haha, I'm not stealing your daughter. You said it yourself how lady Angelina is no longer your daughter. It's your words against yours." The emperor raised his brows at the duke.
"No your majesty! It's just..." The duke was lost for words.
"Lady Angelina is a very sweet child and my wife favors her quite a lot. She is also a brilliant talent and very enlightened. It would be a shame if I just let you throw her aside like that. Not only that, I must repay my debt for the time where Lady Angelina saved my daughter's life. It is only fitting that I take her in." The emperor explained. He strangely felt satisfaction when seeing the dumb expression of the duke. Duke Skyler has been getting increasingly bothersome the past few years...
"But..." The duke hesitated. He knew in his mind that he should back down, but he couldn't. He can't bear to let Angelina have her way. But what could he do?
The empress locked eyes with the emperor and she smirked at him. She turned to Duke Skyler and said, "Duke, please listen to my words and take your daughter back. But Angelina can stay. Our decision has been determined. Since you have publicly disowned Angelina, there's no problem with us accepting her into the family. Don't worry, we'll treat her very well if that was your concern."
The duke realized he couldn't change the emperor and empress's minds so he turned to Angelina. He held her shoulders as he said, "Well... Angelina wouldn't dare accept this, right Angelina? How about we forget everything that has happened and start over? I will treat you better in the future as long as you don't accept it."
His hand pinched her shoulders. But Angelina wasn't moved in the slightest. She didn't hesitate to answer the emperor's offer. "I accept your majesty! Thank you for your grace!"
"Wonderful! Come here, Angelina! Oh my, we'll have to plan for your crowning after this and... Oh so much to do!" The empress took Angelina into her arms excitedly and laughed.
Once again, the Skyler family has received a slap in the face.
The duke had no other choice but to take Beatrice and his two children home. But before they left, Beatrice glanced at Angelina and gave her a look of concern. They met eyes and Angelina sneakily winked. Only then did Beatrice leave.
"Lady Angelina's crowning? His and her majesty is actually serious about this!"
"Ah, I really can't handle this! I'm feeling faint just from excitement!"
"She turned from a lady to a soon-to-be princess just like that!"
"The Skyler family has really been put to shame. How will they ever dare to reveal their faces after this?"
"It seems the previously admired lady Evelina had fallen down the ranks and been replaced by lady Angelina."
"Pfft. How will anyone dare deem Lady Evelina the top beauty of the empire after this!?"
"These recent months have really come with surprises..."
Everyone was still in the mist of shock that it took some time before the ball could continue on smoothly. The second dance came and Charles wanted to ask Angelina to dance, but alas why must things never go his way?
Charles broke through the crowds of nobles surrounding Angelina and they retreated back obediently. He and Angelina met eyes as he took her hand in his and asked for a dance. Angelina was just about to accept when she felt her hand being pulled away.
She turned her head and Elizabeth pulled her arm.
"Let's dance together, sister Lina! Oh wait, should I call you big sister now? Since we're going to be family soon..." Elizabeth grinned.
"Oh well," Angelina glanced at Charles and laughed awkwardly before answering, "sure princess!"
"Great! This is going to be so much fun! I've been meaning to show you my dancing skills!" Elizabeth buried herself in Angelina's arm and sneakily shot a provoking smirk at the dark faced Charles.
But when Angelina looked at Elizabeth, the provoking smirk was quickly replaced with an innocent, cute smile.
"...???"
Sonia stood amongst the crowd and coldly stared at the charming Angelina and Elizabeth dancing together. She can't believe this day. That girl actually became a princess just like that!? This isn't fair! She's already been immensely blessed by being born into the title of a duke's daughter. Now she's thrusted into having a greater title such as an adopted princess!? How is any of this fair!?
Heaven knows no one else could compare to her in the matter of wishing to raise their status! No one else is as desperate as her!
Noticing Sonia's rising hatred, Harper stroked her back comfortingly. Sonia looked at the beautiful Harper and couldn't stop the taste of bitterness spreading in her mouth.
"It's alright, Sonia. I'm sure you'll find a way. Good things happen to good people." Harper softly uttered with a smile. But her pure behavior only caused Sonia's jealousy to rise.
"No, good things happen to scheming people." Sonia glaced at Angelina before returning her gaze over to Harper. "It's easy for you to say, Harper. You're beautiful, well liked, and have a respectable backing. Unlike you, I don't have a marquess family to protect me. Having a baron as a father isn't easy! Sure I might be higher than servants and commoners, but that's as far as I can get. Aside from that, I'm below every other noble lady. I'm nothing more than a lowly servant in their eyes!"
"Lady Sonia..." Harper gasped, "That's not true! I don't think of you like that in any way! Lady Evelina also doesn't look down on you..."
"You don't see me like that because your not a true aristocrat! There's not a trace of nobility running in your blood! You're just a commoner who got lucky!" Sonia snapped. She didn't forget Evelina's advice in maintaining a friendship with Harper, but... She can't stand it anymore!
"I..." Harper stepped back, stunned. She didn't understand how to respond. But she didn't need to. Without giving her another glance, Sonia walked past her.
Angelina stole a glance of Sonia's departing gloomy figure and sneered. Oh, if only Evelina chose a more competent chess piece. Now her plan to pull Harper into her team has been completely thrown out the window...
Once the second dance ends, one must switch partners with the closest pair near them. Angelina and Elizabeth part hands then switched. After Angelina caught a glimpse of her new dancing partner, she chuckled and her lips curled into a smile.
"Happy?" Charles placed a hand on her slender waist and pulled her closer to himself.
"Hm, perhaps." Angelina smirked. She looked over her shoulders and saw that Elizabeth's new partner is actually the second prince, Leon. A sudden realization arose. She turned back to Charles and asked, "You danced with the second prince?"
"Yes. He was a horrible dancer. He kept stepping on my feet." Charles sighed. His toes are still aching...
"Hahahaha! I can tell..." Angelina checked on her soon-to-be younger siblings again and laughed. They didn't seem to be in sync... Even from here she could hear their bickering.
"Lily was much worse back then." As he remembered those memories, Charles's smile subconsciously brightened. He could still picture the little Lilith's frustrated pouting face as she struggled to follow the dance's next movements.
"What? I don't believe it, I'm a great dancer! Actually, I might be better than you!" Angelina sensed her pride being disturbed and rushed to defend it.
"Oh? Then shall we find out? Let's see how much you have improved, Lily." Charles pulled her even closer and they both quickened their pace. Their legs moved very quickly but they managed to avoid hitting each other. The two were completely in sync.
Alice and Rienne, who were dancing together, saw the sight of the two figures practically sweep around the ballroom dance floor and both their jaws dropped. Isn't this just a dance? When did it turn into some competition!?
They looked at each other and tried to quicken their pace too but failed horribly. Their legs eventually got entangled and they both fell down. The other nobles around them shot them mocking gazes but Alice and Rienne just laughed it off.
By the end of the third dance, Angelina and Charles had already tired themselves. A thin layer of sweat covered the two's forehead and both panted.
"Ha... See? I'm...a...great dancer!" Angelina pulled away with her head raised up high.
"I must admit, Lily did get better at this... " Charles spent a few seconds staring at his now empty hand and his gaze darkened for a moment. He saw a familiar figure at the side, trying to catch his eye. It was his aide, Aaron. Charles sighed before reluctantly leaving the young beauty.
Angelina decided to not continue dancing and fled to the terrace. When she arrived there, she expected to be alone. But when she turned her head to look at the person standing beside her, she shockingly met with a familiar face.
"Eric?" She whispered his name.
"Lady Angelina." Eric's eyes widened and the two just stood there gazing at each other for some time.
**********
A trembling hand belonging to a maid of the Skyler estate hesitantly knocked on the family's eldest lady's door. Sounds of crashing and loud screams sounded from the inside. The maid's legs became limp as noodles as she braced herself.
After a few seconds, the door was opened by Lia, who was also quite shakened.
"What!?" Evelina fiercely glared at the poor maid, her hair a mess and a crazed look swirled in her previously pure looking eyes. There was no trace of the originally beautiful, kind, and patient eldest lady the maid was used to.
"Eldest lady... U-um... There's a guest here who wishes to see you. Her grace has already...given her permission for the guest to see you..." The maid reported, her head was so lowered, it almost touched her knee.
"Who is it...?" Evelina questioned through gritted teeth.
"It's me, lady Evelina." Harper stepped out.
"Oh, you." Evelina tried to brush her disheveled hair with her fingers but it was to no avail. After struggling for a good five seconds, Evelina let Harper enter and Lia was left outside with the maid.
Inside the room were shattered fragments of glass and feathers from torn pillows that splattered the ground.
"Um, I came here to check on you, lady Evelina. Today must've come as a shock to you. I can't believe those people dare to disregard your feelings like that!" Harper followed behind Evelina as they entered.
"Mhm..." Evelina exclaimed, clearly impatient from having her tantrum interrupted.
"But don't worry, lady Evelina! I got your back! I won't leave you merely because of your now...um not as splendid reputation." Harper tried to encourage, but her words only left Evelina to fall deeper into the depths of despair.
"That impudent little b*tch. She ruined everything!" Evelina didn't care that Harper could hear her at this moment and cursed loudly.
"Lady Evelina..." Harper added after a pause, "If I may ask, why do you hate lady Angelina? She seemed quite nice when we were together."
"Hahaha... It's hard not to hate her if you knew what I knew. She ruined everything! All my hard work is ruined! I've worked so hard just to get here... Just to get there! Just to have the power to escape! And then everything was taken away from me and I'm back to where I began!" Evelina fell to her knees, near the broken glass and by the window. The moonlight shone through and illuminated her pitiful figure.
Harper stared at the lady Evelina that had lost all her grace and felt her heart shake. Then, she saw tears drip onto the floor and she immediately knelt by Evelina, disregarding the presence of the shattered pieces of glass that pierced through her gown and into her skin.
Harper spent at least thirty minutes comforting the mad Evelina until...
"Pfft, hahahaha!" Suddenly, she let out a laugh.
"..."
"You deserve all of that, Evelina." Her voice turned cold and no longer sympathetic.
"What...?"
"Remember when we used to get along? I actually really looked up to you. But all you did was raise me up to push me down. You treated me so horribly. Yet I never told anyone anything bad. I remember how happy you looked when I was scared. I only had little time to live. I was supposed to enjoy every moment while it lasted. But you made me hate every single second of living. I could go on all about how kind you were to me, but I can't even remember that anymore. All I remember are your hits and hurtful words. You ruined everything good that belonged to me. Yet everytime you were caught, you would always claim it was merely a 'misunderstanding'. You made all the happy moments into sad ones. Did you forget? How could you forget? How could you forget that we were once sisters?"
Harper pulled Evelina's face closer to her's and stared into her eyes.
"Do you not recognize me, big sister?" She whispered softly as she wiped the blood seeping out of her knees and smudged Evelina's white cheek with the bloody finger.