"My lady, you have visitors."
Cordelia instantly looked up, her eyes boring onto her handmaiden who had just entered her room.
Her brows softly rose. Confusion started to form on her face, as several questions clouded her mind. Cordelia silently wondered what her handmaiden meant.
"Visitors..?" She asked, confused.
"Yes, my lady." Lilibeth answered.
'But I'm not expecting any visitors right now...'
She pondered in her mind. 'Who could those visitors be?'
"Oh my." Curious as she is, Cordelia carefully rose from her bed.
As she stood up, her long ebony hair fell on her hips. Her long hair was like a long flowing river that seemed to never end.
Her slender fingers took hold of her hair, gently putting behind her shoulders. Her eyes looked over to her handmaiden. "You said visitors... How many visitors are there?" She asked.
"You have two guests, my lady."
'Two?' She thought, softly frowning. Cordelia was in the midst of guessing who the visitors are. After all, she didn't want to casually meet people who she did not know, nor informed her of their visits beforehand.
She didn't know whether to be enthusiastic or concerned. 'I don't know many people...'
Noticing her madam's expression, Lilibeth spoke to clear the question in Cordelia's mind. "Both are lovely ladies looking for you, madam."
Cordelia's gently rose for two people came to mind. "Ah..." She heaved a small breath, thinking of who those ladies could possibly be.
'I wonder...'
'Could it be that Lady Vivian and her mother came to see me..?' Subtle chills ran down her spine.
I hope not.' She thought eagerly.
She didn't like that idea as her very own guess made her uneasy. As though Vivian wasn't enough of a trouble, her mother was twice as much of a sinister. Cordelia dearly hoped that the visitors waiting for her were not the mother and daughter pair she was thinking about.
'But who else would show up and ask for my presence so casually?'
"They are looking toward your presence, madam."
"Can you tell me the name of the guests?"
The handmaiden nodded. "Morgana Sorelle and Dahlia Rovenne."
In an instant, Cordelia's eyes immediately lit up. Her eyes that was once dull from boredom was now shining brightly. Even the expression on her face seemed to be have brightened up upon learning who her visitors were.
She was already smiling before she realized. "Oh my." She murmured. Delight was written all over her face, the very expression that her servants seldom see on her.
Cordelia turned to look at Lilibeth. "Please tell the visitors that I will come down in a bit."
"I will, my lady." The handmaiden nodded.
She gave a lively smile at her handmaiden before speaking. "Could you serve them tea and desserts for the mean while I prepare?"
Lilibeth was astonished seeing the genuine smile on Cordelia's face. It was something she only saw whenever Cordelia was really happy. "Yes, my lady. Leave it to me." Lilibeth bowed with a smile before leaving her room.
Cordelia went to the mirror to carefully fix her hair and her dress. The long and void expression on her face earlier was now replaced with a bright smile. Finally, she had some company as her close friends had come to visit her.
At first, she was reluctant for she thought that the two visitors were Vivian and her mother. Both who are eager to get close to Leon. As though they wanted to Vivian to be on Leon's side. To replace Cordelia.
The mother and daughter pair had always been secretly hostile to her. But at the same time, they were very good at keeping their kind facade. She didn't know why they were that way. But Cordelia guessed that it was connected to her Leon and his status.
'After all, he had said before that he married me as because he didn't want to marry a woman who was only after his power and status.'
'Even I noticed whenever we attend banquets together... Though they were greedy as he disliked, they are still noblewomen from powerful houses who are much more suitable for him.'
"Ha..." She sighed, shaking off the thought.
'I'm glad it's not Vivian again.' Thought Cordelia. Her face displayed how greatly glad she was, knowing it wasn't them.
"Come to think of it..." She murmured to herself as she sat in front of the vanity mirror.
"It's been a few months since I last saw them." Cordelia reached for the comb as she took a part of her hair, putting it over her shoulders before combing through her hair.
The corners of her lips softly rose into another tender smile. "We have a lot to catch up to."
She rose from her seat, neatly placing the comb down. She took small strides leaving her room.
•
"Cordelia!" Two voices greeted her cheerfully upon entering the drawing room.
"Oh my, how long has it been?"
Two pair of arms engulfed her in an embrace.
"It has been quite a while." The woman with dark red hair spoke, merrily smiling at Cordelia.
"A few months, is it not?" The other laughed. Her long black hair stood out among them.
Cordelia smiled, embracing them back. "It's been a while since we've been complete together like this." She smiled, hugging the two of them back.
"Have a seat."
"I was in the capital and decided to drop by, but it was a fortunate coincidence that I bumped into Morgana." The woman whose dark red hair flowed down to her lap merrily spoke, glancing at Morgana, who was listening despite in the midst of fixing her raven hair.
"I didn't expect that the both of you would be visiting at the same time. But I'm really glad to see you."
"Of course we'd come to see you!" Morgana spoke. "We haven't seen nor spoken to each other for a while, it's making me lonely."
"And we could barely communicate through letters."
"Letters take too long to arrive, and we rarely ever write."
"That's because you keep wandering around the continent, Morgana. No wonder our letters take too long to arrive. The messenger couldn't find you." Dahlia remarked.
Morgana retorted. "Unlike you who is too old to travel."
"You..!"
"Pftt—" For the first time in a while, Cordelia seemed to be having fun.
For the last few days, she beyond bored because she had nothing to do for the entire day. It was because Leon had strictly ordered the servants to keep an eye on her to make sure that she did not do anything tiring, other than rest.
"Aren't you almost the same age as well, Morgana?" Cordelia asked her, her eyes amused.
"Hush, I am still younger than this hag."
Dahlia's forehead knitted into a frown. "Yes, you are younger and I admit that. But even if you are younger than me." Dahlia glanced at Morgana. "You still look older, hag."
"Pfftt-!" Cordelia held her laughter in.
"Hey!"
"Stop now, the two of you. If you continue teasing each other like this, you might really start a fight." She spoke, still holding back her laugh.
"Look at this crow." She pointed Morgana.
"She called me a hag yet she's turning the same age soon. Ha!" Dahlia scoffed in disbelief.
Morgana innocently flattered her eyes. "I am still a few months younger than you though?"
"This hag is really..!"
"Stop that now, the both of you." Cordelia laughed. "I do not want Leon to know that my guests fought in my presence."
"Oh my." The two of them immediately turned to Cordelia.
"You're calling each other by your first names now?" They asked, grinning.
"Well..." Warmth was slowly climbing to her cheeks. "Our relationship improved a bit."
"A bit?" Dahlia frowned upon Cordelia.
"Deary, that is not just a bit."
"Gracious, my reading of your fortune came true!" Morgana spoke in glee.
"That's right. What you said came true."
"Do you make love casually now?" She asked, which caused Dahlia to hit Morgana's shoulder.
"Hey!"
"You ask vulgar questions so openly." Dahlia replied. "What if someone hears you?"
"I'm just glad that their relationship improved."
"Well, we talk more often and there's less misunderstandings."
"Im happy for you." The two grinned at her.
"But Delle, why do you care so much about him?"
"Most arrange marriage usually stays loveless. But even so, back then and even now, you care too much about the Marquis even if he was indifferent."
"Dahlia, I think it is you who is speaking too much this time." Morgana spoke.
But Dahlia ignored her. "Do you love him, Delle?" She asked.
"That... I don't know." She trailed.
"But because my family's title and honor depends on him... I want to do my best to be a good wife to him."
'Love...' She thought.
'How would I know?'
'I've never been in love before.'
"What about the both of you? How are you?" Cordelia changed the subject.
'But maybe... this genuine care that I carry... and this desire to grow closer to him...'
'Are both symbols of love.'
Cordelia quietly sighed. 'Ha... I don't know.'
"We're both alright." They answered.
"But we did come here to tell you something." The two spoke excitedly.
"What about?"
"Let's go on a short vacation."
"....." Cordelia blinked. "Now?" She asked.
"Not now. Let's go on the last day of this month. That's three weeks from now."
"Where are we going for a vacation?"
Morgana grinned. "On my vacation house on Seleo, near the sea."
•
"No." He immediately answered.
"I'm only going to stay a few days on Morgana's vacation house on Seleo..."
Leon clicked his tongue, annoyed. "Didn't you hear me, Delle?" He spoke, raising his head from the documents on his desk to look at her.
His dark expression showed his displeasure. "I said no."
"But it's just the three of us—"
"Exactly. No one is there with you. Who knows what could happen if you were alone?"
Leon was already frowning before he could realize. 'Just the three of them?'
He huffed in disbelief. 'What are you going to do with them? Are you going to look for another man while you're not with me?'
"Then I'll bring Lilibeth if you allow..."
"No, Cordelia." Leon repeated. "No."
"We're only staying on her vacation house near the sea for four days. If you want, you can assign a knight and I can bring Lilibeth with me."
"My dear, how many times must I repeat my answer and it still won't change."
"....." Cordelia grew quiet. "You know, this is only one of the few times I've ever asked you for a favor." She spoke, unable to hide her disheartened face.
He quickly noticed the disappointment on her face, the dismay she cannot hide.
"So I hope that you at least give it a thought, Leon." She added. It was all still evident on her gaze.
"I promise not do anything that will affect you nor your reputation."
"....."
Somehow, Leon began to feel a trace of guilt. He couldn't help but sigh in defeat as he gave in. "Ha."
"...If you want to go out, then I'll go with you."
Cordelia's gaze quickly moved onto him upon hearing what he said. "What..?"
'What does he mean...'
"For the mean time, I'll accompany you instead of your friends." He said.
"....."
"What? Do you not like it?" He raised his left brow.
"No, no! That's not it." She immediately shook her head.
"Of course I'd love it."
"Alright then. Let's go out tomorrow." He spoke, gazing directly into her eyes.
"T-Tomorrow..?" Her brows rose in surprise.
'He plans to go out so suddenly..?'
"Yes, tomorrow is a nice day to go out for a date."
She looked at him as though he grew two heads. It was something new she heard from him.
'A date...' She trailed in her mind.
"If I enjoy the date tomorrow, then I might consider letting you go on that vacation with your friends."
"So do the best you can to please me tomorrow." He spoke, warmly smiling.