"Mother." Anastacius closed the door to his mother's room.
"Oh it's you son." Morgana said as she looked up from where she was sitting from her desk, reading the letters sent by foreign kingdoms about new trade deals.
"Did it go well with Penelope?" Her son asked as he approached the desk, guessing the cat that was undoubtedly on the empress's lap. "If I'm correct she dared recommend Meredith to me..."
"Well sad news my son, she does not want to marry you." The empress said, crumpling the letter she just read and throwing it into the bin next to her. "She's really into that meek wimp of a brother of yours."
The empress looked at her son's internally annoyed face and chuckled.
"Anastacius. It's ridiculous these days how you are around girls." She mocked him "First you chose your dance partner randomly on your father's birthday ball, then now you chase off the girl I also randomly selected for your father's other son. Seriously, what's gotten into you these days? I miss it when you asked me to drive Penelope away because she bothered you too much! What was that, one or two years ago?"
"Yeah." Anastacius snorted, flopping down onto the couch.
"Sit up straight."
The prince groaned softly and took a more refined position:
"I think it's offensive how one day she worships me and the second day she decides I'm actually not that big a deal anymore." He confessed.
"Well she does have a deep reasoning of her own." Morgana shrugged, opening another letter, darting her eyes towards the name of a sender and then just crumbled the paper and then threw it back to the bin, not bothering with the content. "I tried to tempt her with the throne that is currently mine, but she denied it. She's highly intelligent. I expected her to be more like how you first described her. With more makeup, accessories and more power hungry. And more tea drinking too. I never saw her drink one drop of tea."
Morgana however recalled how Eliza died suddenly after having drank poison mixed with tea. Would that perhaps be the cause of why Penelope stopped drinking tea? It'd be pretty logical.
"How can people change that way, mother, I don't understand!!." The prince pouted, crossing his arms. "Did I...Did I get ugly??"
"No..? Not at all? Everyone could change their minds easily for whatsoever reason, my son." The empress said on a graver tone "You better watch your steps. You can't let your father change his mind about you like how that girl did. It's not an admirer you'd lose, it'd be a whole position."
Anastacius looked down grumpily. He'd like one day where this subject wouldn't come up.
'She's right' Carax stated in his head.
'Carax, fuck off' Anastacius mentally scolded Carax.
'With that mouth you'd never go far-'
'Which part of fuck off did you not understand?! I had one of those days. Now you, SCRAM.'
"The good side of things is that Aetvum isn't half as witty as Penelope is." The older woman said, oblivious to her son's inner conflict "I don't think you'll get that girl, son. She has one steely will. I wish I had picked another one for Claude. Women that wish to make it big in society by starting their own company are rare you know."
"Ughhhhh." Anastacius held his head and groaned, annoyed and very irritated.
"Stop being like that, she's not a priority." The black haired smiled at her son's attitude. "Worse case, we engage you to her younger sister."
"Roselia would be the worst empress. Our fortune would be cut half by our second year of marriage." The blond one smirked half heartedly.
"Fair. Siblings aren't always the same aren't they." Morgana said "Sometimes one's a shiny diamond and another one's a lump of coal."
Anastacius had the feeling she wasn't talking about the Judith sisters.
'At this rate, YOU will be the lump of coal.' Carax snickered.
"Agreed." He nodded anyway TO HIS MOTHER. "And mother, how's father been these days?"
"Oh he's been sick here and there, coughing out blood and sweating floods." Clearly his mother didn't really give a damn about what's going on with his father's health. "I'm taking on all the paperwork you see."
She pointed her chin towards the thick stacks of paper on her desk.
"If you're worried you could go visit him." She finally said.
"No I don't want to." Her son shrugged as he got up "I won't take up anymore of your time, mother. Good day."
He exited.
--
Claude entered the Judith's mansion with Felix and a somber face. The butler was surprised but he gladly led the two boys towards Penelope's room.
"M'lady?" He asked, knocking on the door.
--
I was reading a bunch of newspapers about Obelia's capital, trying to get ahead on the actualities and familiarize myself with the older events when the butler interrupted me.
"M'lady?" He asked at the door.
"Hmm?"
"You have guests!" He sounded excited.
"But I invited no one today." I said, perplexed.
"Well we invited ourselves!" I heard Claude's irritated voice as he barged in angrily, nearly breaking my door.
"Oh okay-" The butler retired. "Never mind manners..."
Claude looked mad for some reason. Felix stood behind him, waving at me in little gestures. His face expressed a very clear: Idk what I'm doing here but hiiiiiiii!
"You." Claude pointed at me angrily "You fell into cold water?!?!"
Why does he make it sound like I did it on purpose?! Like what did I even do wrong?!
"Uhm yes." I shrugged "So?"
"SO!!? How dare-"
"Hey hey hey I didn't even get hypothermia! Chill, Claude!!" I said "Everything is A-okay!!"
"EVERYTHING IS ABSOLUTELY not A-OKAY!!! You asked my brother not to tell me anything?!?! What were you going to do, keeping this to yourselves?!" He was really furious at me. "I was your fiancé I was entitled to know whenever you get in trouble!!!"
"Well-..."
"Well?!" He was very anxious to hear what I had to say.
"Well." I had nothing to say. "You do look pretty mad."
"Of course I'm mad." He said more calmly "You could've died!"
"But I didn't." I said as I got up "Calm down! I didn't fall on purpose!"
"No I know you didn't. I know Meredith pushed you. She won't do it again." He huffed with the same attitude. Gee what a kid.
"Uhm...Why?" I asked, fearing the worse.
"Brother and I dealt with her. She won't do anything like that again." He said.
"What did you do to her?!" I gritted my teeth.
If I'm correct, they surely just made Meredith hate me more!
"We asked her to apologize sincerely." Claude snorted as if I was making too much a big deal of things.
"Oh really?" I sighed, relieved.
"And he tattooed her face." Felix said nonchalantly behind Claude, earning himself a very mad look from Claude.
NOW WHAT?!
"YOU WHAT?!" I shrieked, lunging forward and grabbing Claude's collar. THIS DAM IDIOT! "A tattoo?! That's going to be a huge negative impact on her image!!! Claude that was too much! You can't erase a tattoo! That's the worse thing that could be on a noble lady's skin!! And you did it ON THE FACE?! You practically r-ruined her! You can't hide a face tattoo!! Her parents will kill her now!"
"Gosh I sure do hope so." My fiancé said, ignoring my death glare and my hands menacing to choke her. "I initially wanted to kill her you see-"
"Claude! Come on!!" I released him brutally, pushing him back to Felix "I'm unhurt! A-and...You just ruined her life!!"
"Nah uh she deserved it." He pouted "I'm really upset you didn't come to me right away. Had brother not been there-" he grabbed my shoulders and his voice cracked "God, that would've been the end of me! You're my safe place! Never let yourself fall into that kind of situation again!! Never!!"
His safe place...
"Sure..." I said awkwardly.
Was my answer too insensitive?
We stood like that for 4 uncomfortable seconds. I was surprised for seeing how distressed he was.
"Sooooooo, nice room you have Penelope!" Felix said, saving me. "I see you kept his highness's drawing of you hung on the wall over there."
Yeah I was serious about hanging Claude's christmas gift for me on my wall. Jane and Roselia both complained about how ugly it is but I insisted.
"Well yeah I like it a lot duh." I shrugged.
"Are you at least okay?" Claude grumbled, drawing my attention back to him.
"Yep." I nodded, tapping his cheek twice "You didn't have to worry so much, there were many guards outside anyway!"
His hands slid off my shoulder. I'm taking it as a sign of defeat.
"So now, excuse you, you barged into a lady's room really abruptly, Claude." I said "First time you come over and this is how it is?!"
"You barge in mine all the time." He rolled his eyes "I thought you said this is a relationship of equals."
You dare use my own spells against me Potter?!
"Hmphf. Well since you're here, have a seat." I told them before I peeked my head out of my room and shouted: "JANE I HAVE GUESTS! BRING US SNACKS!! AND LIPPE TEA!!!"
Lippe tea was a code I use with Jane whenever I want to say that I'm in the presence of Claude and Felix. That way Jane would know to bring more treats in.
"OKAY!!!" She shouted back somewhere from the kitchen.
I went back and threw myself on the couch with the boys.
"Do you like my estate so far?" I asked them.
"It's very luxurious." Felix noticed. "Is Roselia home?"
"No she's out shopping with our father." I said as I swung my legs. "I'm not happy with the way you barged in, but it's pretty great that you're here."
"Yes we're sorry-" Felix stated.
"Lippe tea and pastries for my lady and her guests!" Jane entered with a silver tray and deposed it in front of Felix who thanked her happily. "And this came in!"
She handed me a letter.
"Diana!!!" I squealed and jumped up, making Claude lose his stability on the bouncy couch and eventually tumble off.
"Wha?" He tilted his head on the side, sitting on the ground and leaning back on the couch as if he fell off the sofa on purpose "You were serious about the letter thing?"
"I'm ALWAYS serious when I say I'm going to do something!" I growled at him, gesturing the picture on my wall "When will people take me seriously?"
"I dunno. I take you seriously!" Felix said.
"You thought I wouldn't hang Claude's drawing." I glared at him.
"Well I've seen better portraits of you.." He mumbled.
"Hey! It looks exactly like her!" Claude protested.
"Wait that was a portrait of miss Penelope?!" Jane gasped, looking back to the portrait "I thought it was a green eyed lion.."
"Yes anyways." I opened the letter "Stop mocking Claude's artistic talents. That privilege is exclusively mine. Do you want me to read the letter out loud or am I the only one interested in knowing what Diana is doing in...Alciod-sha-di I can't read this nation's name."
"Read it out loud!" Felix clapped his hands, shoving a pastry in his mouth while Jane left.
"Dear Penelope,
I was so scared when you said you got attacked by bandits on Christmas! And I don't believe you when you say it was amusing and informative!! Did they hit your head???? Are you okay???? How could you find getting attacked amusing?!
Why does it sound like Diana is scolding me?
Felix: "I didn't find it amusing at all."
Claude: "No neither did I."
Me: "That's because you passed out."
Still, I'm just glad you're all okay! Christmas here was pretty good! We got one of those huge meals that made us feel sick the next morning! We also performed at a Christmas showcase and the master took us to the opera! Oh! And his daughter Maisie slipped on ice and now she got a broken tibia!
Claude: "Amazing!!!"
Not that I'm glad it happened to her or anything, I just thought you'd want to know! I hope everyone is okay and I sure hope you don't get attacked again! If you wish to write back, my next destination's residence will be: ************* of *********** in **********. Please stay safe! I'm starting to worry about you and your definition of *amusing*.
Sincerely and with best wishes of safety,
Your suspiciously worried, Diana."
"Okay I'm writing back." Claude popped up and walked towards my desk.
"Why you? She wrote to me!" I protested.
"Because you'll just say that you're doing fine and that everything is doing pretty great and you got pushed into freezing water but IT'S NO BIG DEAL." He said.
"That..." I was starting to protest but agh no he was right. I was exactly going to write that. He knows me too well. "Well yes, but I was perfectly allowed to write that. Hey! That's my stuff!!!"
He took my quill and a paper.
"We're engaged. So mine too."
Okay, but since when did that rule exist?!
"If you return home and see that your bed is missing, you'll find it here. Because we're engaged so mine too." I nagged him.
"Those are the rules of married life! Not engaged life!" Felix said as if he knew everything.
"The couple makes the rules." I glared daggers back at him while Claude sat on my desk as if it were his. Next time I'mma sleep on his bed like it were mine and take all the space. "Hey can I see what you'll be writing?"
"No! My personal letter!" Claude said as he wrote something and hid it from me from the side.
"Lemme see!" I looked over his shoulder.
But the paper suddenly glowed blue and levitated into the air with the quill that's still writing.
"Cheater!" I screeched as Claude laughed, flexing with his mana.
The letter nearly reached the top of my bedroom.
"Magic is cheating!" I told Claude.
"Since when do you make the rules?" He smirked, continuing to write at distance from the letter.
"Claude are you writing nonsense about me?!" I grumbled "Show me the letter or I'm cancelling our engagement!"
"Yeah right." He scoffed while I ran after the letter that was flying away at top speed.
Dashi run run run.
Yep they just don't take me seriously. Felix started laughing from where he was, enjoying the pastries one by one.
"Miss! Another guest!" Jane came back and knocked at the door.
"Hmm? Lots of uninvited guests today!" I said as I gave Claude one last death glare when I came to open the door.
Huh?!
I stared at who was next to Jane.
"Lady Meredith." I said.
"Hmmmmm?!" Felix bounced forward while Claude recuperated his letter and continued writing on my desk, ignoring the newcomer casually.
Meredith was looking down and I could see the small imperfection on her face now. It wasn't that bad to me since I came from a time where 'tattoos are cool', but for an Obelian noble lady, this must be a disaster. It was a very cute flower, but on a lady's cheek it's nothing more than a disgrace.
"Okay...come in." I stepped to the side to let her come in and I saw her freeze upon the sight of Claude just swinging his feet on my desk, writing.
Felix too didn't look too happy to see her. If anything he looked menacing too with those cold eyes. Now Claude and Felix combined is very...unsafe. If we weren't friends I'd have ran out of the room by now.
"Uhm I-..." She said to me but her gaze stayed on Claude who eventually looked up to her in a very cold way. She didn't expect him to be here, that's for sure.
"Penelope you just let a murderer into your room." Felix smiled cheerily at me. Yes, cheerily. Why does Felix appear more scary than Claude now? His smile is just so...happy. It doesn't even look fake. How is he smiling while accusing someone of something-Oh nevermind. The knight of crimson blood folks, Felix Robane.
We're all two faced monsters here.
"The victim is alive, so she's technically not a murderer." I glared back at him before turning back to my uninvited guest number 3 "What's your business here, lady Meredith?"
"I-..." Meredith's lips trembled lightly before she gave Claude a terrified look and dropped to her knees.
"Whaaaaaa-" I was first shocked. Never had anyone gotten on their knees before me. My first impulse was to drop down and pull her up by the hair or something. Whatever, I just wanted her to get up. This was too weird. But then I looked to Claude. I remembered her terrified face when she saw him.
Claude, what did you and your insane brother do?!
"Lady Meredith-" I started but she bent down even lower until her forehead touched my carpet.
"I'm sorry, lady Penelope, f-for...throwing you into the water. I hope you accept my f-forgiveness." She said.
"L-lady Meredith...P-please get up!" I said quickly and dragged her up to her feet.
"I know what I did was bad and I sincerely apologize. I should've never..."
"N-no it's okay!" I said "Well it's not okay. But it's okay now. I won't resent you for this. I know that you've already faced the consequences." I looked to Claude who was busy writing. Still I spot his little smirk.
Aish Claude.
Meredith unconsciously landed a hand on her cheek where the tattoo laid.
"Okay that's enough come speak with me private." I pulled Meredith out of the room, she was too uncomfortable with Felix and Claude plus a staff member there. "Watch the boys. I want my room intact when I come back." I told Jane.
I stood outside alone with Meredith.
And she burst into tears. It must be very embarrassing for her, considering how I'm younger and everything.
She just stood there crying uncontrollably. I gave her 15 seconds. That's how I was with Roselia and my little brothers. 15 seconds and then it's done.
"O-okayyyyyyy lady Meredith. Nobles are supposed to not show any emotion righhhtttttttt?" I asked. It's one stupid rule, but it's great to calm a proud child down.
She eventually stopped crying and wiped her face with her hands.
"Handkerchief?" I asked, pulling out one.
"T-thank you." She wiped her face.
"Lady Meredith. I accept your apology. I do say it wasn't the most...pleasing experience in my life, but I survived. And you just wanted to marry his highness. It's understandable." I said awkwardly "Hey it's okay." I tapped her shoulder.
I heard Felix's laugh in my room followed by some of Claude's yells and Jane's irritated sighing.
Oh dear my poor room.
"You're really a lucky person, lady Penelope." She sniffed "You get along so well with their highnesses. You should've seen all they would've done for you. Your fiancé wanted to kill me."
Yes well...
"I know you didn't deserve all they did to you." I said "And I'm seeing a proof right now."
She covered her cheek with my handkerchief and looked away.
"Oh I know the truth. I apologize on his behalf." I said "If it helps, I think it looks cute!"
It did not help. She only looked more ashamed.
"P-Penelope!" We heard a voice behind us.
My cousin...
Ahem. I mean uninvited guest number 4.
"Roger!" I said "What are you doing here? Why does nobody send a letter first?! Who do you all just barge in-"
"I had some business with your father and-Hey did you make lady Meredith cry?!" My cousin gasped.
My cousin. The only sane one who will always however see me as a faulty person. The only genius in the whole book likes to nag me. I can't really blame him. If I had two little spoiled cousins who always act like they own the place, I would immediately think they're the bad guy if standing in front of a crying person. He'd pick anyone over me and Roselia I suppose. Well, what could I do... Felix could kill someone right here and I'd blame Roger if he were on site. Just for fun you know. We have a very loving cousin relationship.
"No..." I crossed my arms and pouted, answering his previous question.
"My lady what is the matter?" Roger approached Meredith and looked to me "Sometimes Penelope, I wonder if you ever killed anyone with your words!"
"I'd love the power." I shrugged as he looked to Meredith.
"Are you okay?" He asked but she still had her face in the handkerchief.
"Um No! D-don't look at me!" She said quickly and he seemed shocked and mildly offended. Guess she didn't want the tattoo thing to get out too quickly. I wonder if she already showed it to her parents.
Okay. Awkward. And very cute. My cousin's courting a lady in my own house outside my room. Okay whatever.
"And I'mma go back inside..." I said as I opened my door and stepped back inside. "Uh...feel free to...Use this/my house at your will."
I left them there. Now what's up with my room...
It's spotless. There's been no alterations.
Claude was still on the desk. Felix on the couch. Jane standing guard at the door. They all gave me innocent smiles. It's very suspicious.
"Where is lady Meredith?" Felix asked, probably trying to distract me from whatever it is they did to my room.
Girls, letting boys into your room is NEVER a good idea. I KNOW they did something. I just know it.
"My cousin may or may not be flirting/comforting her." I shrugged, looking around.
"Pardon?" Felix's eyes shone with surprise.
"Yes. She was utterly terrified and distressed by Claude!" I looked to my very innocent looking teddy bear of a fiancé who was still writing his letter. "I've never seen a lady cry this way Claude!!! What you did was seriously too much!! There's a limit to how much a person could take you know. Just the apology would've sufficed!"
"No." Claude simply replied with some sort of different stubborn energy "You throw my fiancée in the water, I tattoo your face. It's a very common rule."
"Wha-." I threw my hands in the air, done with his reasoning. He's not the emperor yet! Why is he already making up so many rules?!
"I don't see why you're complaining-" He raised one eyebrow.
"A TATTOO, Claude, a tattoo!!" I waved my hands, trying to make my point "You can't erase that!"
"So?"
"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh." I groaned, rolling back on my bed. I can't explain to him this kind of stuff. Even I have limits.
There was a light knock on the door before Roger entered while Meredith hovered at the door.
"Your highness." My cousin stood in the middle of the room with crossed arms "While I have much respect for you, don't you think that tattooing a young lady's face just because out of anger she may have thrown your fiancée into the water is a little bit too much?"
"No." Claude shrugged. "Why are you even complaining? You're Penelope's cousin. Is lady Meredith your fiancée?"
"Well no-"
"Are you courting her?"
"No-"
"Are you related to her in anyway?"
"No-"
"Then I don't believe you should be getting mad on her behalf." Claude said naturally. "You're not the one that's supposed to be defending her. Also, Meredith, I thought we agreed that you weren't to talk about this?"
Meredith tensed up at my room entrance. Claude looked up to me, wondering if perhaps I'd control my cousin for him, but nah I'mma let Roger talk. We do agree that the tattoo is too much anyway.
"No but highness you simply do not mark a lady's face this way!" Roger said sternly. "This will impact her social life-"
"Big brother was totally okay with it. He's the crown prince mind you." Claude said, unconsciously reminding everyone that hey, he's sorta also the emperor's son you know. "I think in a few years he'll make the law so...Yeah."
The empress, the emperor and all of their most loyal servants (ladies in waiting, maids-...) were the only ones allowed to mistreat him. Outsiders doing it would still be considered as offense against the royal family.
Also, Morgana would be happy to hear that Claude is really looking forward to Anastacius as emperor. He still worships his brother every once a while.
Roger let out some sort of defeated sigh:
"Very well. Then I bid all of you a good day." He left "Lady Meredith, do you need a ride home?"
--
Diana stared blankly at the two letters sent to her and the little note that stuck onto the first one. She was very confused, she only expected one letter from Penelope. The second they entered their hotel for the next week, she had asked at the reception if there was a letter there to her name. She was very confused to see two. Once Lily also replied with Penelope but they sent their letters in the same envelope.
"That noble lady sent you a letter again?" Mary asked, jumping up from the bottom bunk bed, as she snatched one of them away from Diana and sniffed it as if it was suspicious.
"Hey!" Diana giggled and took it back while Cosette climbed on the upper bunk bed next to her and sat down, peeking over her shoulder in a more gentle form of curiosity.
"Two letters!" She noticed.
"Y-yeah! This is pretty strange." Diana nodded, detaching the note from the first envelope. "And suspicious..."
Dear Diana!
It's me Felix! I'm the guy with the red hair that you met on the same day as lady Lilian! I'm Claude's knight! Remember meeeeee?! It's FELIXXXXXX!!
(Diana: 😅😅😅)
I hope you're doing well! I just wanted to say that you might want to open Claude's letter before Penelope's because see, there has been some trouble over here that they can't agree-*INK STAIN*
The note stopped there next to a big ink stain as if he had broken the quill brutally on it. Or perhaps someone snatched it away from him. Diana blinked as she read it again. A letter from Claude?! But that's the prince. This was so weird.
She hummed as she opened Claude's letter first per Felix's instruction, wondering what it was that Claude and Penelope couldn't agree on.
"Well there's a certain difference of hand writing between that girl and this guy!" Mary snorted as she saw Claude's handwriting, jumping up to the top bunk.
"Mary stop! That's disrespectful!" Diana elbowed her. "It's not as if yours is any better!"
"Offense!!" Her brown haired friend snorted "I'm just saying there's a difference in how the lady writes and how this dude writes..."
"Mary perhaps we shouldn't invade on Diana's correspondence. I still think that those letters were only meant to be read by her." Cosette said to her friend "Diana might share the most important details with us later! It's not as if we actually met these people."
"Bah." Mary snorted.
Diana read the letter:
Dear Diana,
I'm convinced that Penelope will try to downplay this-
Diana immediately rolled her eyes. What did Penelope get herself into this time?
- but she got pushed into freezing water over a bridge and hit her ribs on the railing.
Of course...Diana thought, a small smile on her face. She remembered how refined Penelope first was when they met. But as they got to know each other better, through letters mostly, Diana noticed that she wasn't a perfect noble. No, she really wasn't. Diana was, in fact, the only person who knows of Penelope's distaste in tea other than Jane.
Never judge a book by its cover. The content inside might be pretty messed up despite the pretty drawings on the front.
Penelope was honestly the most relaxed noble Diana ever met.
Obviously she acted like it wasn't that big a deal and didn't even want to tell me about it. She didn't even know how to swim and it was rather chilly. My brother fetched her out of the water in time. I'm sure she'll be telling you that all is okay and the other lady didn't think about it-*INK STAIN*
It was another lady?! Diana thought. Nobles were really unlike all the rumors! She thought that noble ladies all acted in elegant ways and never even showed any emotions. Now throwing another into cold water is rather a good display of anger.
But yeah. I tattooed that lady's face as a punishment.
What a harsh prince! Diana shook her head. She herself always thought about getting a tattoo. A very small one on her ankle perhaps. Maybe a little ladybug. But even she, a commoner who had a much more free life than a noble, did not want one on her face. She'd be unable to hide it.
But she remembered how much Claude seemed attached to Penelope and shrugged it off. It was justified. He sounds very proud of himself too. He did it for her so it's okay.
So don't go believing everything Penelope tells you! Even if she dies she'll tell you that everything is fine! I'm watching her walk in a funny way because of her ribs this very second while she doesn't even notice it!! She's even angry at me now! If you could tell her she's acting ridiculous and totally ungrateful to me and my brother, I'd be grateful to you because she isn't listening to me at all. She's still rambling about how I overreacted...Her cousin's literally scolding me in her stead right now.
Have a good life,
Claude.
Diana giggled. It was a short letter that was clearly written in a big fit of anger probably after a fight with his fiancée. To her it sounds as if Claude was writing it right in front of Penelope to prove his point. The handwriting was also so bad she was convinced that he wrote this in a very distressed manner. The ink was also deeply pressed into the paper.
The way he ended his letter made her laugh. Have a good life.
He really is something, Diana smiled, he really seems to care so much about Penelope! They're so lucky!
"What did the dude say?" Mary asked.
"That Penelope got pushed into freezing water." Diana explained.
"And people keep rambling on how nobles are so composed!" Mary laughed.
Diana opened the second letter and Penelope's beautiful handwriting was seen.
There wasn't even an introduction. Apparently Penelope also wrote in a funny manner.
First of all Diana, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CLAUDE WROTE BUT I'M CONVINCED HE WENT OVER DRAMATIC ON WHAT HAPPENED!!!
"These two..." Diana sighed softly. She was amused. Those two gave off a very special vibe to them. Even through letters she felt it.
Like suuuure I got pushed off a bridge and stuff but it wasn't that big a deal!
Yep, her fiancé knows her well. Diana laughed softly. Penelope's energy was quite unique.
Anastacius pulled me out in time and he dried me off right away! I didn't even catch a cold!! (Yes I know I am super awesome!) it really wasn't a big dramatic event so yeah I didn't see why we had to tell Claude about it! He overreacted so badly and now I have a crying lady in my house begging for forgiveness!! He crossed a line for literally NOTHING!! He and his brother REALLY made the poor lady cry! Like I know she pushed me off the bridge and etc... But just the apology would've sufficed! It's not like I died or anything! He put a tattoo on her face! Her face!! Her family will probably disown her now and she isn't even allowed to explain why thanks to Claude and Anastacius!! I DIDN'T EVEN ASK FOR THEIR HELP! HELL I COULD'VE HANDLED THINGS MYSELF!! They exaggerated everything-*INK STAIN*
Actually he didn't go THAT overboard...
But whatever.
Anyways how are you???? You just told me about the showcase last time. By the way I'm delighted that Maisine hurt her leg! If you're not than I am! Does she still have my necklace or did it get sold off already? I also spotted this SUPER desert place in town! It just reopened but it has tons of chocolate inside! I'll definitely bring you and everyone there during your next visit! It's barely past Christmas and I'm already rambling...Lily's doing fine by the way, if you were wondering. Sorry for putting all our problems on you! Claude totally started it. I was just going to talk about the weather or something.
Hope you're okay,
Penelope.
(P-S: Write back to Claude and tell him he crossed a line. Please. For me. Just send the letter to my residence. It'll be my pleasure to smash it in his face. Try to sound angry. He's not listening to me anyway.)
Diana chuckled as she put the letter back into the envelope. "They're all doing decently." Then her face contorted into a more perplexed expression : "How on earth am I supposed to write back..?"
--