Chapter 243: A Crown Princess and Her Partner-in-Crime
[Dawnspire Wing—Private Garden—Later that Morning—Lavinia’s POV]
I leaned back, smirking as Sera clutched the tray like a shield, cheeks still burning. "Lesson one," I announced, tapping my finger against the table with all the gravitas of a seasoned professor, "is about posture. You must appear confident, graceful, yet utterly irresistible. Understand?"
Sera nodded vigorously, although her hands were shaking ever so slightly. "Yes, Your Highness! I—uh—I think I can manage."
I raised an eyebrow. "Think? No, Sera. You will manage. A kiss is an art form. Precision, timing, subtlety... and the absolute ability to read your partner’s reactions."
She swallowed hard. "Reactions...?"
"Yes." I leaned closer, letting my grin stretch dangerously. "For example, if he—" I paused dramatically, glancing toward the palace wings as if Osric himself might hear me—"if he stares at you like he’s trying to solve a riddle, you freeze. If he leans closer... you respond. Always three steps ahead. Always."
Sera nodded again, wide-eyed, hanging onto my every word like a devoted student.
And then, as if the universe enjoyed mocking me, my thoughts refused to stay in this ridiculous, perfect bubble of teaching.
Papa. His words. That odd, heavy "this time" when he promised to protect me. Osric. Rey. The vision at the altar. The library...
And I couldn’t shake the feeling that while Sera was rehearsing "lesson one," the real lessons—the ones that could save me or shatter everything—were quietly waiting in shadows somewhere in the palace.
I shook my head, trying to focus. Sera leaned forward again, whispering, "Your Highness... what happens in lesson two?"
I smirked, lowering my voice to a teasing murmur. "Lesson two... is all about chemistry. But Sera..." I let my words hang just long enough to make her squirm, "you might want to master lesson one before you accidentally cause a scandal in the garden."
She groaned, burying her face in her hands again. "This is torture!"
I laughed, but even as I did, my eyes drifted toward the horizon where the palace towers met the morning mist. Something was coming. I could feel it in the way the wind whispered through the garden, in the distant clatter of guards, and in the very air I breathed.
And I knew, with a sudden, icy certainty... that not all lessons could be taught with kisses and macarons.
Some lessons... would cost blood.
Sera was pouting in the air, arms crossed, floating as if she were some ethereal soap opera heroine. "Am I doing right, Your Highness?" she asked, voice trembling with exaggerated fragility.
But my mind was miles away, at the temple. At that vision. The altar. The veiled figures.
"...Highness..." I muttered, lost in thought.
"Your Highness!!" Sera’s voice sliced through my fog like a dagger.
I flinched. "Huh? What?"
She blinked at me, tilting her head like a very concerned owl. "Are you... alright?"
I exhaled, trying to gather myself. "Yes... let’s... go with lesson two—"
"No, Your Highness!" Sera snapped, landing gracefully beside me like a feline queen.
"Huh? What?" I squinted at her. "Don’t tell me you don’t want lessons now?"
She stood straighter, lips trembling in faux tragedy. "Your Highness... you seem... disturbed. Something happened, didn’t it?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Do I... look disturbed?"
"Yes... Your Highness," she said solemnly, nodding like a devoted courtier delivering a death sentence.
I rubbed my temples, sighing, leaning back in the chair, trying to maintain my dignity.
"Is something troubling you, Your Highness? You can tell me... maybe I can help?" she asked, voice dripping with sweet concern—but also suspiciously dramatic.
I gave her a sidelong glance. "It’s nothing, Sera... just... this and that. You don’t need to worr—"
THUD!!!
I gasped. Sera had flopped to the ground like a soap opera actress mid-scene, arms flung across the marble tiles.
"I... I... shared my biggest secret of my life!" she wailed, voice cracking like a violin string. "I told you who my—who is my boyfriend—"
I cut her off sharply, folding my arms like a general reviewing a foolish soldier. "You didn’t tell me. I guessed it."
But she ignored me, continuing her dramatic performance with Olympic-level flair.
"...And yet... I can’t believe you don’t even have a single shred of trust in me! I left my family... my HOME... to serve you!"
"You... clearly applied for the position," I said, voice flat, because logic is my weapon against melodrama.
Ignored. Naturally.
"...I traveled through different cities to reach you!" she cried, flinging her arms wide, head tilted toward the sky, eyes sparkling with the very essence of betrayal.
"Ugh... we sent a carriage for you," I muttered, already regretting attempting reason.
Ignored again. Of course.
"...I wake up early in the morning to serve tea, macarons, cakes... handle your documents... and—" She whipped her head toward me, dramatic hair flick included, "—and yet... you don’t even trust me!!"
Marshi, curled up at my feet, stared dumbfounded, jaw slack, ears twitching. Solena, on the other hand, perched on the fountain like a fairy godbird, sparkles literally flying from her wings, looking at Sera with admiration as if she’d just performed the performance of the century.
I opened my mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again. Then closed it again. My hands itched to clap... just clap for the theatrical brilliance I was witnessing—but I controlled myself, because no, I am the Crown Princess. The Empress-in-training. I must retain some dignity.
And yet... I couldn’t help but smirk. Sera’s dramatics were exquisite.
Exquisite... and absolutely ridiculous.
"I guess... I have no choice, then?" I asked, voice dripping with mock resignation.
Her eyes sparkled like fireworks over the Imperial Gardens. "YES. NOW... TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED."
I blinked.
Wow. Just... wow. My lady-in-waiting was slowly revealing her true colors—dramatic, relentless, and completely unfiltered. Who would’ve guessed she was this theatrical? More dramatic than even me, the Crown Princess, the future Empress herself.
My ego quivered.
But... that didn’t mean I could spill everything to her. No, some things were too dangerous. Some secrets... too perilous.
Still, two brains working together might just be enough to unlock the mysteries of the Divine Temple... secretly.
I looked at her, voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper. "I... need to go to the Divine Library."
Her eyes widened. "Divine Library... you mean the Divine Temple?"
"Yes," I nodded, leaning back in my chair, fingers drumming the delicate porcelain. "But... I need to go secretly. Without telling anyone. Not Papa. Not Osric. Not even Rey. No one."
Her brow furrowed, lips pursed as if trying to calculate the trajectory of a cannonball with nothing but her mind. "But... why, Your Highness?"
"I... just need to see what’s inside. No matter what."
She squinted at me, tilting her head. "But... His Majesty won’t let you walk out of the Imperial Palace without security. He... he even guards you inside the palace! Going secretly to the Divine Temple... that’s complicated. Dangerous. Reckless, even!"
I exhaled slowly, leaning back in my chair, letting my fingers trace the rim of the teacup as if the porcelain could absorb my irritation. "...Exactly. Papa is damn too protective..." I muttered, more to myself than to her. "...and yet... he hides things from me."
Sera’s expression shifted. Her brows knitted, lips pursed, and eyes narrowing as if she were plotting a battle strategy for a war we hadn’t even started. She leaned forward slightly, as if the very air around her had grown heavier with the weight of her scheming.
Then—something flicked in her eyes.
Her face lit up, a spark of mischief and genius mingling together. "There’s a way!!"
I froze. A way?
My pulse quickened. "What... what way?"
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to an excited whisper, almost conspiratorial. "For that... we need to go to your office, Your Highness."
I tilted my head, curiosity igniting like wildfire. "...My office?"
She nodded, every fiber of her being buzzing with triumph and secrecy. "Yes! There’s something there... something we can use. But... we have to be careful. Precise. Silent. And absolutely... absolutely invisible."
I grinned, the thrill of forbidden adventure lighting up my chest. With Sera at my side, I might—just might—be able to slip past Papa’s overprotective gaze, sidestep Osric’s worried glare, and avoid Rey’s mysterious watchful eyes... to finally reach the Divine Temple.
A shiver ran down my spine. The secrets behind that door... I would uncover them.
And with Sera’s help... I could almost taste the truth, like honey mixed with danger, sweet and intoxicating.
I looked at her, eyes gleaming. "Alright, Sera... let’s see if your brains are as good as your dramatics."
Her lips curled into a wicked smile. "Oh, they are, Your Highness. They are. Now... to your office."
And so... our little conspiracy began.