The King's Rejected Lady

Destroying Marquis Zoliel

TWO DAYS after the execution of Mia, the Rozenreff Duchy came back to normal. A day after the execution, the Duke held a grand but quite private dinner for the three of them to celebrate her achievement in the entrance exam although Sabina declined the invitation saying she had a prior party to attend, the Castaña Duchy's banquet.

Tori didn't mind since it was very clear that Sabina would use this opportunity to gather the Duchess into her team. But she still had Rowan at her disposal. Sabina may get the favor of the Duchess, but Tori would get the favor of the Duke once he learned about Rowan's situation under Tori. This was putting aside the fact that Rowan was the only son of a patriarchal family of the Castaña Duchy.

Tori still had three more days before going back to Trifecta Academy. The admittance of every student would start three days from now. After the admittance, the new students would have classes after the Winter Solstice. That was also the time that she would celebrate her birthday.

After the Winter Solstice, she would move to the dorms of the Trifecta Academy. She would have to spend three days in the dorm since there would only be three days of classes in a week and the rest of the day she would spend at the Rozenreff estate. She would take care of her school matters in three days, but now she still got a whole aristocratic faction to impress.

Dress in her coat with no belongings that would identify her that she's the heir apparent of the Rozenreff Duchy, Tori took Rowan with her in the Pivet Alley. Their destination was the Turvy.

Walking with her head covered by the hood, Rowan guided Tori until they were inside the Turvy. Unlike before when they came here, there were no people inside save the one woman at the counter, Lady M.

"You came. Everyone didn't expect you to come, but I know you will, knowing you. Come on, everyone was there waiting for the second prince." Lady M led them to the same room where they talked before.

"Prince Corean is still not here?"

Lady M looked back at her. "Yes, he needs to tie some loose ends first. The king summoned Prince Corean last day."

The information took aback Tori. It has to be about topping the entrance exam. After all, Prince Lauren didn't get to be in the top 3 when he took the test.

The three of them stopped when they reached the door. Behind this door were aristocrats that served the second prince. Lady M finally opened the door and when she stepped inside, all the family heads under the banner of the aristocratic faction were present.

"It's good that you came." A familiar warm voice spoke behind the three of them. She sharply turned and was welcomed by the brilliant amber eyes of the second prince.

"Blessings to the Empire's star, Prince Corean." Tori's voice was buried by the voices of the aristocrats who also paid respect to the arrived prince. She stepped back to make way, but Prince Corean stopped in front of her.

"Shall we, my lady?" Prince Corean held out his hand and offered it for her to take. Tori wanted to decline, but he didn't want things to get worse. She didn't like to make the aristocrats have malicious thoughts about them, she couldn't deny him in front of these people.

You are such a headache, Prince Corean.

Rowan stayed outside the room just like any other knight. Tori got guided by the second prince to an empty seat beside him at the round table. "Thank you, your highness."

I didn't see this round table before.

Lady M also took her seat to begin the meeting. Now that Prince Corean had finally taken his first step towards the crown by taking the entrance exam, it was prime time for the aristocratic faction to step up their game too.