Rosie's Games

"The tea from the North is quite bitter," Baroness Bethia Bohan smiled as she finished drinking her tea. "But I heard that the Duke of the North loves it, he can't quite live without it."

"My husband said the same thing," Countess Helen Stacey said. "It is said that the North had been giving bitter teas to other kingdoms and empires hoping that they would like it. I suppose they wanted to make it a new trend."

"A new trend?" Victoria smiled. "Bitter teas aren't as popular as the others because, well, it was just too bitter for a lighthearted conversation. Womenfolk prefer something sweet and light. I doubt that that was the intention of their gifts."

"Marchioness, I believe — "

"Marchioness, I apologize for interrupting the conversation, but the daughter of the Duke of Daunce just arrived."

"The Duke of Daunce?" Victoria frowned. The Duke of Daunce was the only living brother of the current Emperor. He was a cripple who used to fight in the North. While many people liked the Duke of Daunce, not many were fond of his manly daughter who liked to create trouble all over the place.

However, the Emperor actually doted on the lady as the Emperor didn't have any daughters of his own. Moreover, the Emperor treated his older brother well as he believed his older brother sacrificed so much for the empire.

Because of this, the Emperor gifted the Lady the title of princess and declared her the only princess in the Empire.

Victoria felt an upcoming headache.

Victoria didn't remember inviting the woman! Why was she here of all times?

"Are you talking about Lady Isabel?" Baronnes Bohan asked. "Are you talking about the same Lady Isabel who burned her fiance's carriage after catching him cheating with a lowly daughter of a knight?"

"Baroness Bohan, please stop talking nonsense— " A crisp voice interrupted them. A woman wearing a flamboyant red dress walked in with a beautiful smile on her face. Her long brown hair moved like waves as she took a step towards the women.

Everyone was certain there was no wind, yet her hair looked as if it was dancing. 'Was it a relic?' The women who watched Lady Isabel approaching wondered.

But who would waste a relic for some cheap tricks?

"Princess Isabel—" Victoria immediately got up and welcomed the woman.

"I am not here to see you, Marchioness, I came here to see the Duke."

"Princess Isabel—"

"Where is he?" she asked.

"May I know why you are looking for him?"

Isabel lifted an eyebrow. "Is that any of your business, Marchioness?"

"I— " Victoria's face reddened.

"I have been walking through the maze for quite a while and I cannot find him."

"The Marquess is with the Duke. They are on the other side of the maze."

"How annoying," Lady Isabel responded. She then looked at Baroness Bohan. "And I didn't burn his carriage, I am not that shallow. Did you think a carriage is enough to alleviate my anger?"

"I— "

"I burned his house," Isabel smiled as she lifted her chin, pride swirling in her brown orbs. "My anger is worth that much, at least."

Silence suffocated the room.

"Very well ladies, please excuse me I— "

"Madam!"

Everyone turned towards Lellana who was running towards Victoria.

"What is it? Did something happen?" Seeing Dorothy's maid acting like this, Victoria immediately panicked.

"The Young Lady… the Young Lady is missing!"

"Dorothy?" Victoria's face immediately paled. "What happened?" She looked at the other women as she tried to calm herself.

How could Lellana just run here and declared Dorothy missing? They were having a banquet and many noble women were currently here, even Princess Isabel was here!

"I— "

"Madam… should we call the knights?"

She awkwardly looked at the other women as she thought about the reputation of the Lux Family after this news. She gritted her teeth. How could Lellana be this careless?

"Please excuse me, ladies, I believe— "

"We should go with you," Princess Isabel said.

"What?"

"I am familiar with Lady Dorothy and I would like to help you find her," Princess Isabel continued. "I can only imagine her devastation when she didn't receive the Blessing."

"Princess this is not the time to talk about the Blessing."

"Didn't she choose to disappear because she didn't receive the Blessing?" Princess Isabel asked bluntly. "I would do the same if I were in her position. In fact, I would have done something more sinister. Ending myself would be another option."

"Princess Isabel! Please mind your manners! We— "

"It's alright, Countess Stacey, I understand," Victoria said as she hid the embarrassment that she felt inside. The Princess was well known for her sharp tongue and blunt words. She had no qualms in saying what she wanted to say— even in front of the Emperor.

"Someone—" Princess Isabel said. One of the maids following behind her immediately approached. "Tell my knights to start the search, this maze is large. Start at the corner furthest away and move towards the manor."

"Princess Isabel I think— "

"I think we should start searching…" Princess Isabel smiled. "I am certain Lady Dorothy's mother would agree…"

"I—" Victoria couldn't say another word due to the embarrassment that she felt inside. She wanted to create this opportunity to make it known that the Lux Family would treat Rosalind fairly, but aside from the fact that Rosalind disappeared, even before the others arrived, Dorothy suddenly created some issues out of nowhere!

"That's right, we should start searching," Victoria said. A part of her knew that this was just Dorothy's way of gaining attention and pity from the womenfolk. While she did not disagree with the scheme, she thought that the timing was wrong!

Why would she suddenly pretend to vanish when Princess Isabel was here!?

"Lellana, tell us everything—" Victoria said, confident that Lellana would give her some vague answer about Dorothy not being in her rooms when she checked. However, Lellana suddenly paled at her question. The maid hesitated.

"What is it!?" Princess Isabel said. "Speak!"

"I— It was just— Lady Dorothy was seeing the young miss Rosalind. They were having tea together, and Lady Dorothy asked me to leave. It was already late so I went back and— and they were no longer there."

"Marchioness, I thought Lady Rosalind was not feeling well?" Princess Isabel asked. "Isn't that the reason why she refused to join any banquet in the past few weeks?"