Evelina paced around her room as she read the poem dedicated to her. Every letter was written very meticulously and every stroke was elegant, but it felt like thorns had pierced her eyes everytime she read a word. Not only that, why was her envelope covered with such a pungent smell!?
"Hahaha... Oh Lilith, you're trying to provoke me, aren't you?" Evelina quietly muttered to herself.
[Sharing your blood makes me disgusted. Your pretentious acts causes me to drown in hatred. When you look at yourself in the mirror, do you feel accomplished? Do you feel like you've gotten everything you wanted? Silky blonde locks, ocean blue eyes, and the charming smile you put on. It must've been such a sight to lay one's eyes upon. But such beauty is wasted when an ugly soul like your's is the one who holds it. The moments we clashed replay in my head, along with all the sweet lies you said. At times, I actually pity you. Wasting your life trying to fit in this mold they have created, too bad the person they admired never truly existed. Someday you will cry for your loss like I cried for mine. Someday you'll regrets your decisions but I won't regret mine.]
Ugh! She should've just tore the envelope and threw it in the trash just like her brother did!
"What do we do, m'lady? She's going to be crowned the second princess in months! Nothing good is awaiting us if we don't do something!" Lia sat in the farthest corner of the room as she tried to calm her uneasy heart. Did she make the wrong choice? Did she follow the wrong master?
"I know that! But...." For the first time in forever, Evelina didn't know a way out. From what she can see, there aren't any good paths to take. As if all her roads have been blocked, she's stranded and stuck. What can she do? What can be done!?
' I don't like this. I don't like this. I don't like this! I can't believe I let her slip through my grasp! I haven't felt so... lost in a long time. Not after I promised myself something better! But now it's too late to take another route! She ruined everything! All I wanted was...' Evelina stopped. She grabbed a vase and threw it against the wall.
Damnit!
***********
"Lilith? Lady Angelina, are you certain? This decision cannot be taken back. If you regret, there's no turning back. This name will be written in the imperial family ancestry after all." The secretary warned. But her words merely made Lilith even happier. Her name will be included in the imperial family's ancestry? Wonderful!
Who would not be happy with their name being included in such an honorable and wealthy lineage? Compared to this, the Skyler family is nothing.
"Of course I'm certain." Lilith confirmed.
"Alright, then it has been decided." With that, the secretary left.
After a few days of Lilith residing in the Eternal Rose Palace while preparations for her crowning are underway, the servants have warmed up to her and the previously cold head maid of the eternal rose palace, Alma, has also begun to get used to her presence. It's truly surprising that they became so obedient to her in such a short time. Perhaps it's because of Lilith's pretty face, or her charming personality, or maybe it's because she had given each of the Eternal Rose Palace's staff a small bag of money as 'gifts of appreciation'. Who knows?
As expected, she made the two servants she had brought in, Marie and Serina, her personal maids.
Lilith's crowning will be held on her birthday since all the past adopted princes and princesses also had been crowned on their birthdays. The preparations consumed many months but it all worked out smoothly with the help of the Empress and Emperor. Now all that's needed is duke and duchess Skyler's signatures of approval.
A month before the set date of the crowning, the duke and duchess were summoned to enter the palace.
***********
"This way, your grace." A female servant led the way for the duke and Beatrice. As they slowly passed the grandly furnished halls, Beatrice grew more and more nervous. Even though she had already decided in her mind that she would sign the agreement, she still felt uneasy in her heart.
The duke however, was far from nervous or uneasy. All he felt was boiling anger and worry. He doesn't want to sign, but what can he do? He can't simply say no to the Emperor and Empress right in front of them!
The Skyler family has truly been cornered up against a wall with nowhere to escape.
The female palace servant stopped and opened the doors to the two. Inside the Emperor, the Empress, Lilith, and one other man waited for them. This 'other man' is the high priest of the temple. He was quite old but one could see from just the way he presented himself that he is very experienced in these types of situations.
When Lilith's eyes met the duchess's, Beatrice's expression brightened and she mouthed a hello to her. Lilith replied with a smile.
"Duke Skyler, you have arrived." The Emperor nodded.
"Apologies for keeping your majesty waiting." The duke cleared his throat before sweeping his gaze over to the old high priest and saying, "Let's begin."
The six of them sat down on the seats prepared for them. A long table separated the Skyler duke and duchess from the Emperor and Empress, with the high priest sitting in the middle whilst Lilith sat beside the Empress. This type of seating arrangement set a tense atmosphere in the room.
"Duke, it's quite simple. All you need to do is sign the agreement confirming that lady Angelina will be stripped of her title as your daughter and therefore all connections between you and her will be severed. Once you sign, you are not allowed to claim her as your daughter or interfere with any of her affairs." The high priest patiently explained. His tone gentle and calm but it seemed like pins had pierced the duke's chest after every word he spoke.
The duke's hand picked up the quill prepared for him and his hand hung over the paper, right on where he was supposed to sign. He hesitated. But he knew there was no point in struggling. Finally, his hand dropped down and marked the contract with his signature. The duchess followed shortly after.
Lilith stared at the clearly frustrated duke for a second before wanting to retract her gaze. But just as she was about to, she once again locked eyes with Beatrice. There was a trace of sadness in the woman's eyes but she concealed it with a reassuring nod.
The Empress caught this scene and pity bloomed in her heart. She never gotten to know Duchess Skyler very well but she could see that the so-called 'dignified Duchess of the Skyler family' is actually a very fragile hearted woman. As a mother herself, the Empress could sense Beatrice's pain thus she told Lilith and Beatrice to take a moment to speak alone in the garden nearby.
When the two were finally alone, Beatrice immediately pulled Lilith into a hug.
"Congratulations, sweetheart. I'm so proud! I know you'll live a comfortable life here." Beatrice tightened her arms around her before reluctantly pulling away.
"Thank you...mother." Lilith didn't know what to refer to Beatrice as. Mother? But she's officially no longer her daughter. Not only that, Lilith's not even her biological daughter, Angelina is. All she is a child born out of Beatrice's own husband's infidelity. Duchess? But it doesn't feel right in calling her that.
While Lilith was pondering about what was right to say, Beatrice didn't seem to care about that.
"Lina, though you're no longer my daughter in name, you'll always be my daughter in my heart. I'll always love you, dear. Know that I will always care for you. And if you're needing someone to talk to, I'll always be there. And I'll help if I can." The beautiful woman muttered gently as she held Lilith's hands.
Hearing her words, Lilith's expression softened.
"Mother, I've decided to change my name. Lilith, that is the name I chose." She informed.
"Lilith? Lilith... That's a beautiful name. I like it. A pretty name for a pretty girl." The duchess chuckled as she playfully pinched Lilith's cheek.
"Haha, thank you." Lilith laughed before adding, "Mother, if you need help, you can talk to me. You don't have to keep it inside and conceal it. I know you want to divorce him and there are many who oppose that decision. But I can help you once I am officially crowned."
"..." The duchess froze. Her lips stiffened as her eyes reddened. She noticed this and used her hands to wipe away the tears that were about to fall. She awkwardly laughed, "Oh no... I'm crying again. I'm sorry you always have to see me like this, dear."
Lilith just stayed silent, letting the duchess calm herself down.
"Thank you, sweetheart. I really appreciate this." Beatrice couldn't help but smile. But shortly after, her smile sank and her eyes dimmed. She looked at Lilith before sighing. "It's time I tell you, right? I know you want to know what happened and I shouldn't be keeping this matter from you, dear."
Lilith nodded as she awaited Beatrice's explanation.
"Eve and Lex...they were not treated very well by their father. He was always very strict to them, too strict. When they would make a mistake, he would hit them and scold them for hours in his study until they obediently followed his instructions. And I did nothing to stop him. I tried once. I interrupted his beatings and that earned me a beating as well. He threatened me with my family and I was scared, thus I just stood aside and endured my own children's cries. Eve and Lex grew resenting towards me, I don't blame them for that honestly. Because of what they experienced together, Eve and Lex grew very close. Lex has always been protective over Eve and he cherished her." The duchess's voice was shaking and her clenched hands trembled. Her tone was very weak.
"..." Lilith felt a mix of emotions. She didn't feel sympathy for Evelina but more confusion. Duke Skyler used to beat them? But... he's been spoiling Evelina and Alex for what she can tell. The information she was fed caused everything to only become more complex and yet...it also tied a few strings together. At least she knows why Alex would follow Evelina's orders like a dog now.
The duchess read her thoughts through the obvious confused expression and explained further. "He's only doted on them now because they have satisfied his requirements. They became the perfect children he had been training them to be. He treats them very well now, especially Eve. Eve used to be a loud and willful child, but because of his 'teachings', she has learned to be gentle and sweet."
"..." Lilith stared at Beatrice with astonishment. She had never felt so happy that she was abandoned before. Thank goodness! If she were to be raised in the Skyler estate, who knows? Perhaps she would've been just like Evelina.
"I told my brother about what was happening but he told me to keep quiet... He told me even if he reported it to the palace, no one would do anything about it because it's a silent rule that everything that happens in the family, stays in the family." The duchess began to sob. It felt so nice to let it out. All this time she felt frustrated and angry with herself because she couldn't do anything. Not then and now. She really is useless...