Chapter 2

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Ava quietly opened her master's bedroom curtains to welcome the bright sun, signaling everyone it was finally the day after their beautiful, but also maybe stressful, night they had yesterday.

A small yawn was heard from behind the maiden as she looked towards the breathtaking view from the young woman's room. "Good morning, my lady. It's time to get up, you have a guest waiting for you downstairs."

"May I ask who?" She questions while her personal assistant starts to get her ready to go outside. "Let's just say, it's someone whom you hated back then?" Ava laughed, before fixing the lady's hair to make it look decent-looking.

"How excited am I to know who this person may be." She sarcastically rolled her eyes before she was led out from her bedroom as your average-looking Florence to a lady with a decent-looking dress and a neat hairstyle that 'deserves the title as the duchess of the Florence duchy' to the living room.

Was she expecting him out of all people? Maybe, but also she was hoping he wouldn't be here but alas, the saints weren't on her side for today. The boy whom would tease her till evening on how she wouldn't be fit to be the heir, the guy whom would always get on her nerves every minute of the day, should she even call him a man even after all this time? Let's see for now.

"Ah, my dearest daughter, here you are." Her father joyfully announced while she smiled, "You called, father?" The old man mirrored her expression. "Yes, well, the Ernest family decided to visit my well-being today, so I decided to call you since they have heard the news about you."

"I humbly thank you for visiting my ill father at a time like this, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest. We shall repay you for your kindness someday." She bowed her head to give them a small greeting as they smiled and the young lady stared at him.

Anthony Ernest.

He looked taller than when he was a kid. His brown hair has also gotten a little longer than before. Back then, he always demand a haircut because long hair looks 'weird' according to him, did he change now? Are you dumb, Viviane? Of course he probably did! You last saw him more than five years ago, of course he would look different.

The lady was arguing with herself in her head when Ava slightly tapped her on the shoulder, coming back to her senses once more, she cleared her throat, "Father, you do know you could've just handed them to me, you're still sick after all."

"Nonsense! They visited for my being, of course I had to at least host them." He laughed aloud, signaling a butler to pour his own daughter a cup of warm tea. "Well, we do have something other than that, your grace." Mr. Ernest declared.

"And what might that be, earl?" The ill man asked, sipping his own cup of tea. "We have thought that perhaps your daughter is now ready for marriage." The countess announced, making everyone in the duchy mansion freeze to their spot.

Here we go again.

"P, pardon?" The old Florence cleared his throat, not sure what he heard was right. "Oh, c'mon duke, Ms. Florence here is old enough to get married! And who else is her perfect match other than our son!" She beamed with happiness while clinging unto her husband. "Do you think so too, duke?"

"Hm, yes, well," Her father thought carefully. He doesn't need to, he knows the answer after all. Ever since, she has always been strict about her, from what she eats in a day to what time she should go to bed. 

She's nothing but a marionette in his eyes. That was why he sent her to that boarding school.

"You went to that boy's place again, didn't you?" Her father's words rang through her ears. She stayed silent before her father sighed deeply. "You will be the heiress of the Florence duchy, Viviane. So make sure to act like one."

"But father, you told me to find someone who I will love! And, and I think it's him." The 12-year-old girl explained. "He might be-" Her father cut her off before she could speak one more word. "Ha! What? He could be a what, Viviane? Your future husband? You're a child! You know nothing of those things!"

"But father!" She tried to debate further when a hand slammed on the desk, papers flying everywhere. "I will say this once. You are not allowed to ever go outside this household, do you hear me?"

"No, that is not enough, I will send you to a boarding school. Maybe then, you will get your mind off those dumb romance you're so in love about. You will leave next week, do you understand?" Her father spoke angrily. She went silent and had no choice but to nod her head.

The duke sighed before standing up and walking up to her daughter, carrying her in his arms. "I lost my way into love, I don't want the same for you, and I am doing this simply because I don't want you getting hurt, alright?"

She smiled and nodded again, understanding his point of view. He was right, he was always right, she has done everything so that young boy could at least look at her, but the result was always the same. He wouldn't even glance her way, only because he was waiting for someone else to pop out of the sky.

Or that's what he says when he told her that story.

"I terribly apologize, earl, countess, but I simply do not like the idea of being married to a boy whom I do not like." The young Florence stated. "Viviane, watch your words!" Her father nervously scolded.

She glanced at her father before speaking again, "I do not like your son because he always gets on my nerves, I do not like your son because he's makes everything some kind of joke when it isn't, and I do not like your son because he is not my type and therefore, I will not marry him."

"Viviane!" Her father tried scolding her again but to not vail as she kept going. "I want to be the duchess of the Florence duchy, not some kind of woman who got a title because I married some man." She ended her sentence with a small and short bow.

"Now, if that's all you're going to say, if you'll excuse me." She exited the living room with the countess behind her yelling things like, "How dare you!" and all those nonsense. 

You want a daughter that doesn't want or need love? Fine, she'll give you one.

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Hi! This is yours truly! I just wanted to tell you all that 'Anthony Ernest', along with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest, and Viviane's father, are all my own original characters! 

- Shirahime_





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