ENCHANTED | Ergi .C

Chapter Twenty-Nine | Two Princesses Of The East

"I heard you say something about reputation. Are you changing course?"

Heinley walked in silence to the Southern wing as McKenna nagged at him.

"Do what you usually do, Prince. Don’t fight from the front, fight from behind. Why are you trying to do something that you can’t do well? And why does it have to be with the Eastern Emperor? At this rate, our spying will be moot."

McKenna's nagging got worse as soon as he closed the door, and Heinley ignored him and pulled up a chair.

"What are you going to do with the chair? Are you going to hit me?"

"Sit down."

As McKenna sat down, Heinley touched his head and forced mana into him. With a cry, McKenna turned into a bluebird, and the clothes he wore tumbled to the ground. McKenna's eyes widened as Prince Heinley went to his desk and then held out something.

-Squeak?!

"Deliver this to Ergi."

– …

"I won't get myself in trouble, so go deliver it and tell him to get back here at once. If he say no, just tell him that Princess is in trouble. Just as you said, I'll fight from behind. But I would need him to do so."

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It was on the first day of New Year's ball when Rashta first meet Duchess Landegre.

"It's her."

"So she came."

"Hush! She could hear you."

The fact that everyone around started acting nervously like walking on eggsheels by her appearance made Rashta more curious about the identity of the woman in deep green dress who calmly walk through the crowd without sparing a single glance to others with her head high. Rashta originally thought the only woman who've privilege to act such in Empire are Empress Navier and Princess Veronique. Turns out there's someone more.

Duchess Adelaide Landegre of the South.

Rashta was very curious of that reputable woman with short mahogany hair and ruby eyes. Thus after another encounter with the said woman in the dinner before the special banquet and even told she look like the Empress by her, Rashta could no longer held back her curiosity and questioned Baron Lant about the Duchess the next day. Being a weak man to her inquiries as usual, Baron Lant didn't refused her question and patiently explained.

"Two Princesses of the East?"

Rashta wondered with a whisper at the strange statement of Baron, who continue explain her patiently.

"Yes, that's what Princess Veronique and Duchess Landegre were referred oftenly. Have Lady Rashta never heard that? It was quite an explosive topic of gossip in society in past, perhaps till now."

Baron Lant added thoughtfully and Rashta have gone silent. Even if it was such a well known gossip, her past self as a slave have no way of knowing such and Rashta wouldn't be admitting that fact in any case. Henceforth, she straightforwardly rotated the direction of their conservation to initial reason.

"Does that mean Princess and Duchess Landegre are friends?"

At her naive question, Baron Lant could only chuckle indulgently and shook his head.

"Of course not, Lady Rashta. It's quite the opposite."

"How?"

As Rashta tilted her head to the side with a confusion brimming in her dark eyes, Baron Lant decided to explain in details.