Same World, Same Princess, Different Path [WMMAP]

Chapter 29 - Luck's Comeback?

"Athanasia." A soft knock on the office door was heard. The young princess looked up from her papers.

"What?" She asked with a hint of displeasure in her voice. She clutched the quill she had in her hand and looked at Hannah before nodding. Hannah, who had been tidying up her mistress's office until then, ran to the door and opened it wide before passing Carsein and heading for the kitchens. The redheaded guard's head appeared in the doorway.

"Princess Jeanette wishes to have an audience with you." Well, Athanasia already knew, she could feel the black magic of the brunette trying to work its way through the walls of her Palace from here. She had made sure that everyone here was protected from such spells, but since the incident with Lilian that had occurred two weeks ago now, she had made sure to permanently block any black magic that tried to enter the Ruby Palace. If Jeanette was there, it was because the blonde knew it.

"Lead me to her." She stood up on her two legs and walked confidently as she passed Carsein before he followed her to the room set aside for guests. At the door, Cesilia and another maid stared at the young brunette princess through the doorway with a hint of disdain. However, they immediately softened their faces when they saw their princess.

"Your Highness! The Princess..."

"I know, I'll just talk to her for a few moments. Carsein, I don't want anyone around the room until I get out. Only Hannah can come with the refreshments."

The guard nodded and opened the door to the room while announcing Athanasia. When she entered, Jeanette felt tense. Her hands rubbed tirelessly on the fabric of her dress and she bit her lip nervously. The blonde took a seat across from her and immediately after, someone else knocked and Hannah came in with the tea and refreshments.

"You're the one who made it, aren't you?" She asked the maid who meticulously nodded. "Thank you, Hannah, you may go." When the door was closed, a silence weighed down the atmosphere again. The reason Athanasia had asked this was because everything was uncertain. If Lilian had been able to be reached, then Jeanette's poisoning incident could take place sooner than expected. She certainly had a lot more power now, but that didn't stop the brunette from remaining the favorite of her dear and loving father, the Emperor.

"To what do I owe this visit so early, Jeanette?" Dry. Cold. That was Athanasia's voice. Jeanette opened her mouth immediately.

"I have something, I think, very important to tell you. I thought at first it was just an illusion, but now... After Lady Lillian Yo-"

"Don't say it."

"...What?" Jeanette frowned slightly in incomprehension.

"Her name, I don't want to hear it from you. Don't ever say it in front of me." For a moment, the brunette seemed bewildered. But to tell the truth, the fact that Athanasia had accepted her presence so far was already a miracle in itself so she made no remark.

"...I understand. Well, some time ago, maybe months already, I had a kind of dream..." Athanasia immediately scoffed in an almost muffled sound.

"You came here because of a dream, Jeanette?" But Jeanette shook her hands restlessly.

"No! It's much more than that! It's-"

"-a foolishness."

"-a vision." Jeanette echoed Athanasia, and the two stared into each other's eyes for a moment before the younger one straightened up from her seat, imposing a sort of dominance over the other.

"A vision, huh? What kind of vision?" Suddenly, she seemed more interested in the subject. Legs crossed, head up and shoulders forward, she was all ears.