Lizzie of the North (Yrsoreth Chronicles 2)

24. ◦✿◦ Twelve Offers of Misfortune

Hello. I've been really busy this week with all my flight requirements, moving, buying things for the new house 😭
I'll try to update another one tomorrow. Please enjoy the chapter. 🥰

Your comments matter a lot.

Ellena Odde. ♥

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Even if the office of the duke was placed on the ground floor, it was still quite far away from the garden. Instead of employing her guards' unlimited piggyback service, Lizzie walked.

Talking to great men needed time and mental preparation. Vicious,  questionably grey, or righteous, whatever kind of greatness it is, one must sharpen their wits to face such men, even if it's one's father.

She had an inkling that her Adorable Points would not mainly be the answer to her problems.

Behave, Lizzie. And may the gods be with you.

She wore a warrior's face about to go to war, with the vase of morning screamers now near her chest, and greeted the servants with nothing but nods. Even the butler Hewitt who seemed to come from the Duke's office earned a simple "Hmm." from the youngest lady of the house.

And so, when she reached the high glossy black door, Lizzie was prepared.

For the first time, she knocked and announced "Lizzie is here." Only when Devanti commanded a "Come in." that she entered the room, with her head peeking first.

As expected, he was already behind his desk, surrounded by the pile of paper works he had left for a few days. The glass wall behind him was painted with the blue sky and the entirety of the Norvillon Castle, and darkened his form into a silhouette of a busy man.

She always wondered why the duke had no assistant, but she assumed it was rooted in his deep distrust of people. 

She approached him with calculated and quiet steps. He didn't say anything, didn't even lift his head. His hand caressed the quill pen and its ink marking the paper.

She lifted the vase on the desk like an offering to the higher being. "Papa~" she called in tiny, her head partly hidden by the vase. "Papa~"

He did not answer. So Lizzie, despite the internal frown, rounded the desk to risk her neck and bother him for forgiveness, to save the same neck.

"Are you mad at Lizzie?" she asked, tugging his rolled sleeves.

Finally, the duke granted her attention. "Why would I?"

"Because... Lizzie said you sent Ana away."

"How certain are you that I didn't?"

She blinked up at him. The audacity of this man to wreck his improving image to her. She almost scoffed. "Because you didn't. Lizzie is sure."

"And you thought I was hurt?"

But why did you look so sad back then? Even if your face was weird. Lizzie nodded her head slowly. "A-huh."

"I was not."

Yes, yes. If you say so.

Before she could hug him to squeeze his forgiveness, he took the flower vase. "Twelve?" he asked, sounding like a growl to her ears. "Feliziia, do you hate me so much that want me to die within a year?"

Huh? All she could do was tilt her head in confusion.

"Giving twelve flowers symbolizes the twelve months of the year. And also wishing someone's death by the end of the last month. But Feliziia, you can't kill me with such a simple curse."