The King's Rejected Lady

The Original Villain

THE LOOMING look of the members of the aristocratic faction did not hold a candle compared to Crown Prince Lei Yin's mocking stare. Tori did not know if she would feel grateful to him or what. Sipping the tea that she asked, Tori was waiting for Prince Corean's arrival together with Lady M. While doing so, the thick tension enveloped her when the old geezers had a lot to say to her.

Perhaps the news about the Jewel Eyes of Rhea and Queen Aurina being my sponsor has reached them already. Oh, I bet it did.

"A lovely day, isn't it?" Tori broke the silence together with the crashing of the thunder and the sudden poor of heavy rain outside the windowpanes.

Lord Wolfgang answered her stoically. "Why does the heir apparent of the Rozenreff Duchy playing tea party here when your daddy dearest is plotting against Lord Tofera?"

So they already figured it out? Or the Duke does not have any reason to hide it just to show dominance? So daddy dearest is playing the alpha, huh?

Glancing at Lord Tofera, who's lost in his thoughts, Tori smiled sweetly at Lord Wolfgang. "So this is the meeting all about, I guess. Well, regarding my daddy dearest. A kitten can't give birth to a beast after all. He's a wolf, and he's working with his pack strategically. How about we tossed the bullshit and help each other, Lord Wolfgang? Help me, help you."

"Lady Tori is right. We can't fight among ourselves. Let's take the opportunity that the beast's cub is with us." Lord Helisos butted in before Lord Wolfgang made the situation worse, which Tori did not mind at all.

Lady M's familiar black heels stepped foot inside the secret room with Prince Corean in tow who's wearing a baggy coat to hide his identity. Meeting him a few days after that certain event almost made Tori feel a bit conscious. His nipping teeth like showing ownership always remind her that she's a woman inside a fourteen-year-old body. This sucks.

"Blessings to the Empire's star, Prince Corean." The members of the aristocratic faction showed their respect to the second prince, who greeted them warmly like always. His smiling face regarded her like usual which made Tori breathe in relief.

"It's good to see you, Lady Tori. I never saw you during school days. Something always holed you up inside your room or the library." He took her right hand gently and lightly kissed it, so opposite to the way he treated her the last time they saw each other.

"Learning becomes a chore for someone like me if I wanted to impress my father. You know what I mean, your highness." Tori simply took her hand away from him. I'm not poking him again. I don't have that certain powder anymore.

With all of them sitting at the round table, Lord Tofera started the agendum. "We got to do something with the noble faction's monopoly to the Oolong Tea."

"First, who started the trend with Oolong Tea?" Prince Corean butted in while looking around them. He got the aura of an approachable leader with a no-bullshit attitude.

Lord Helisos answered the second prince immediately, "The Duchess of Castaña Dukedom used this tea during Lady Sabina's birthday."

So, you knew about this plan huh Sabina and daddy dearest purposely left me behind. After all the things I pulled off, you're still the favored one.

All eyes glanced at her, but no one uttered a single word out of respect. Everyone was thinking the same thing as Tori. She smiled sweetly at them like her position of being the future heir of the Duchy was not threatened at all because, for her, it never did.

"So, how can we stop this? They are aiming for our trading companies, especially Lord Tofera." Lord Sozeni asked the majority.

"There's only one way to outsmart them. We must get that monopoly no matter what," Lord Wolfgang strongly answered.