All good things must come to an end and thus, Dahlia's leisure time ended as Master Sorel's reply arrived. Thankfully, she was all too eager to do her best student a favor so that took care of one thing. The next thing looming ahead of her was the upcoming victory banquet.
The victory banquet for Dorian Terramont and his troops marked the beginning of the original Dahlia's numerous trials.
Dorian was… a terrible person to say the least. He was the main antagonist and the cousin of the male lead, Lucien Aurelio, who was currently engaged to Dahlia. He was the biggest obstacle to Aurelion's era of prosperity with his cultivation and distribution of opium. Many a supporting character had fallen victim to addiction including Rowan Ignivar who was one of the first lives to be claimed by it.
The earth was his biggest asset in more ways than one. He wielded it freely, turning the tide of battlefields in mere seconds. The Terramont duchy was blessed with fertile soils and was the agricultural center of the kingdom. In the original story, he consolidated his power by withholding food and grain after the less than stellar year of harvest. But with Noelle by her side, the current Dahlia would no doubt have an asset to improve their own harvest that the original did not.
He was also the biggest reason why she wanted to get stronger as he was the only one in the realm who could go toe to toe with the real Dahlia in a fight. The fake Dahlia at her present state stood no chance against him.
Dahlia's mood soured at the thought. She needed to cheer up. She needed to find her primary source of serotonin: Noelle.
She got ready in record time with Ivy's help and set out for the greenhouse. As she exited her wing of the mansion, her way was blocked by one Captain Adler Valerian aka Dahlia's knight aka the ex-head of the Marquis' forces aka the Knight of the Ashen Plume. Big fancy titles for an annoying man who constantly stood in her way.
He bowed and said, "My lady. You have no outings scheduled this morning. May I ask where you're headed? The Marquis mentioned you only needed an escort in the afternoon."
'That's none of your damn business, you brown noser,' was what Dahlia wanted to say but she managed a polite, "I don't need an escort. I'm headed to the greenhouse."
Without waiting for him to reply, she walked away from the conversation towards salvation in the form of a pretty, earnest girl. No doubt, he would report everything she did to the Marquis who had assigned him to her for that very purpose.
***
Soon, the greenhouse came into view, its glass roof shimmering in the morning sun.
Inside, Noelle knelt beside a table of delicate potted seedlings, sleeves rolled up to her elbow with a faint dusting of soil clinging to her forearms. Sunlight spilled over her skin, making her soft brown complexion glimmer like honey-gold.
She had not noticed Dahlia yet. Dahlia watched her for a moment. Her quiet diligence and her expression of intense concentration as she coaxed new life from the earth with a gentle touch. It almost seemed like a crime to disturb this peaceful atmosphere. It's a good thing Dahlia had no respect for the law.
"Noelle," she called out.
Noelle jolted up so hard, she almost bumped into the table of seedlings.
"M-my lady!" she squeaked, scrambling to her feet. "I didn't hear you come in!." A petal was stuck to her cheek making her look even more adorable than usual. Dahlia understood why Noelle was so beloved in her world now. Everything she did was so sincere and genuine that one couldn't help but feel endeared towards her.
"Sorry I startled you, Noelle," Dahlia replied. "How are things going?"
Noelle glanced behind her, took a deep breath and announced, "I planted the asters and the… uh… dahlias." She hesitated as if waiting for a reaction before adding, "The camellia seedlings will be planted today. I was just planning out the spacing so they don't get too overcrowded, my lady."
"You did well." Dahlia reached forward and brushed the pale pink petal off her cheek. "You are a fast learner, just like you said."
Noelle's eyes widened like praise was a rare gem that had been out of her reach.
But before Dahlia could say any more, a voice interrupted. "Are you done with your sentimentality now? Can I rest in peace?"
Rowan.
In the webtoon, it was said that he often shirked his responsibilities to hide out in various parts of the house, away from the Marquis and Dahlia's watchful eyes.
Guess the greenhouse was one of them.
Dahlia watched as Rowan walked out from behind the gazebo, a smoking pipe hanging from his lips.
"Ah," Rowan continued, his gaze lazily sliding over the scene. "Does my sister have a new toy to play with? Your hobbies confound me, sister."
Dahlia stiffened. "I don't see how my hobbies concern you." She hoped that answer would deter Rowan from taking this any further. If he did, she didn't know how to respond. She wanted to grab Noelle and take her far far away from him but she couldn't. Letting him know Noelle was important to her would probably be a bad idea. She hoped against hope that Rowan would let this go and leave, but luck was not on her side today.
Rowan strode towards them with unhurried steps, each footfall crunching the dirt and stopped right beside Noelle, whose eyebrows were furrowed with worry. Rowan studied her with a coldness that contradicted the warm, sunny air around them.
"Tell me, maid. What are you to my sister?"
"I…uh." Noelle's eyes darted to Dahlia. Rowan moved to put himself right between them so as to block her view. "Master Rowan, I'm just the gardener and Lady Dahlia likes the flowers," she answered with a surprisingly steady voice.
"Oh," he mockingly exclaimed, taking a puff from his pipe. "Is that so? Is that why my sister, who has never stepped foot inside this greenhouse in years, is here for the third time this week? Tell me dear sister." He turned around to direct his accusing eyes at Dahlia. "Does your little prince know of his fiance's forbidden tastes?"
"Rowan," Dahlia spoke in a warning tone.
"Oh! That's right. He doesn't want to marry you either so maybe all of this works out for the best, eh? But a maid? Really? I thought you were supposed to be better than that."
"That's enough!" Dahlia's temper flared and her jaw clenched. "You may speculate wildly as you wish. I will not hear another word of this. Noelle, come with me. Ivy, call the knights if Rowan decides to foolishly follow us."
Dahlia hoped she sounded convincingly like the real Dahlia. But Rowan merely smirked and walked away with a smile.
The moment the door shut, Noelle let out a breath and sagged forward. "My lady, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to create trouble for you," she whispered desperately, her voice cracking.
Dahlia placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Noelle," she said softly. "Look at me."
Noelle lifted her eyes, which were wide and watery like a cornered deer.
"Listen. You did nothing wrong. Rowan's not a very good person. You should steer clear of him. As long as you're under this roof, he cannot touch you. I won't let him," Dahlia affirmed, her promise sounding hollow to her own ears.
Could she guarantee Noelle's safety?
Could she protect anyone in current state?
She did not want to find out the answers.
***
After a very eventful morning, all Dahlia wanted to do was rest but the outing in the afternoon was scheduled by the Marquis and she couldn't decline. She had already antagonized one member of the family today and she was not about to antagonize another.
The shopping street was a warzone of velvet skirts and sharp elbows. It was a battlefield where nobility hunted for silk, satin and social superiority. And Dahlia Ignivar was a legend in high society and she needed to look the part at her first social outing. She strode through the chaos, flanked by the two people she loved most in this world: Ivy and Noelle. Following close behind was the Knight of the damn Ashen Plume, radiating contempt in a sea of women radiating perfume.
They arrived at the boutique welcomed by the sounds of steaming hot gossip.
Two silk-draped matrons sat at the entrance on plush seats, whispering not-so-quietly. "Isn't it time for the King to announce his heir already. The twin princes are all but useless. The victory banquet seems like the perfect time to choose Sir Dorian instead."
The other matron clearly agreed as evidenced by her jerking nods. "That's what I've been saying. That boy Dorian resembles the King more than his crow sons. Blond hair and golden eyes. He actually looks like an Aurelio and he has command over the earth like the Kings of the Aurelio line. Meanwhile, no one knows if the princes even have any gifts."
"Oh! But the temper on that boy. Did you see him at the tournament last year? Where he split the ground and crushed that poor man?"
"He'll grow out of it, I'm sure. The people clearly like him and I'm sure the right woman can tame him eventually. Definitely not the Ignivar girl. Heaven knows why Lucien would want that witch to be his queen."
Dahlia decided this was her cue to keep walking to get into the boutique. She refused to look at the two gossipers. That would scare them even more.
Let them worry and stay awake at night wondering when the witch would come for them
Today was a lesson in just how cutthroat this world could be where siblings could act that way towards each other. She needed to adapt before this world swallowed her whole.
Behind her, Adler muttered, "The Marquis will not be pleased."
"The Marquis doesn't need to hear about what old vultures squawk about," Dahlia shot back.
Adler seemed surprised for a moment before he said, "Yes, my lady."
And with that win, Dahlia entered a new arena.
Maison Rolland was the most extravagant boutique in the district and it showed. The fabrics shimmered with enchantment and the mannequins stood like silent noble canvases where a new piece of art was displayed each week. All around, silk cascaded in waterfalls and velvet lay draped like midnight fog. The ruler of this land greeted her at the door.
"Greetings, Lady Dahlia. We've been expecting you," she said with an exquisite bow.
"Greetings, Madame Rolland. Shall we begin?"
And thus began her first shopping trip. The attendants brought out a whole parade of clothes handpicked by Madame Rolland herself. Ivy shortlisted a few she thought would fit Dahlia's image. Noelle hesitantly picked up a dress of crimson silk that fluttered like a captured flame between her fingers. She noticed Dahlia's gaze on her and whispered, "I think this one would suit you quite well, my lady."
Ivy clearly disagreed and got into an argument with Noelle while Adler quietly sulked in the corner. Next came a sapphire blue gown with lace sleeves that Ivy liked but Noelle didn't because she thought Dahlia would get cold. And then a black gown and on and on. Ivy and Noelle, who Dahlia was just finding out friendly enough to take playful jabs at each other, just couldn't agree on anything. Eventually Adler tried to convince Dahlia to put an end to 'this madness' before joining the fray himself, hoping to sway one of them into agreeing with the other just so he could get out of here faster. Dahlia gave her comments here and there but none of the dresses really felt like "The One."
And if she was being perfectly honest with herself, she liked it here. She liked the company and she enjoyed the change in environment from that stuffy mansion.
And then she saw them. Long, black gloves made of soft, glossy charmeuse. And that's when she remembered. The princes would be at the victory banquet.
BOTH princes.
That was a problem because while the world did not know of their abilities, Dahlia had read about them. Lucien was harmless because despite being engaged to her, he mostly minded his own business. His ability to feel the emotions of the people around him was no threat to her.
The problem was Silas.
He could read the minds of people by making contact with their skin. And he was deeply suspicious of Dahlia and did not approve of her engagement to her brother. He was constantly looking for ways to undermine her so he absolutely could not know about her being a fake. She would be stripped of her title and banished if he had his way. She needed to cover up as much skin as possible to repel the devious prince.
She looked around and sighted an ember-black gown to go with it.
"This one." She pointed to the dress.
Noelle beamed like she'd personally woven the fabric so that was one of Noelle's choices then. She ignored Adler's sigh of relief and went to try the dress on. By the time she finished getting fitted and picking out the accessories to go along with the dress, it was nighttime already and her stomach was sending her not-so-subtle signals.
They decided to go to a famous restaurant nearby. Ivy and Noelle were chatting about the local food in the area when suddenly, Noelle stopped mid-step, her breath catching in her throat. "My lady," she whispered, tugging at Dahlia's sleeve like a kitten, "that knight over there. The one by the fountain. That's the person who saved me the day I arrived at the Capital."
Dahlia followed her gaze and found him.
Long white hair cascaded down past his shoulders and his armor glinted like it was being polished five times a day. Dahlia could only think of one white haired character in the webtoon.
Caedwyn, Dorian's old friend.
He had met and saved Noelle?
"Would it be improper," Noelle asked, her voice as soft as ripples on a pond, "if I went to thank him? I'm afraid I was quite rude when we first met."
"Somehow, I doubt that." Dahlia waved a languid hand. "Go on. We'll wait right here."
Noelle hurried off with a little skip in her step. Dahlia watched her closely as she weaved through the crowd and reached her destination. She couldn't hear a word of their conversation, but she didn't need to.
She saw Noelle, earnest as sunrise, hands clasped to her chest, pouring gratitude like a gentle waterfall. She watched as Caedwyn's stoic expression morphed into one of confusion. Dahlia could sympathize. He was facing the full concentrated power of the sun for the first time after all. He eventually managed a decent poker face but his ears betrayed him. They were slowly turning a deep red as he responded to Noelle's gratitude.
Dahlia's slow smirk formed almost involuntarily. This development was quite interesting indeed.
Adler stepped beside her, gaze flicking between Dahlia and Caedwyn. "Should the Marquis be concerned about you breaking off your engagement to the prince anytime soon?"
Trust Adler to ruin the moment. "Captain, I mean this in the nicest possible way. You are the most clueless person I've ever met."
He all but pouted and stepped back to his post. Dahlia felt a little bad about it but she had better things to focus on. Like Noelle's potential budding love life. Caedwyn was a decent man who followed the Knight's honor code. He has served with Dorian when he was younger and the two of them had remained friends for years. But when Dorian went astray in the webtoon, Caedwyn teamed up with the protagonists to stop him. He was one of the few men in this world who could be considered borderline trustworthy. Of course, Noelle had to like him back first before Dahlia could set anything in motion.
Once Noelle returned, Ivy pounced on Noelle before Dahlia even had a chance. She interrogated Noelle thoroughly better than Dahlia ever could. From overhearing their conversation, Dahlia concluded that yes, Noelle liked Caedwyn. Now all she had to do was hatch a plan to bring them together.
A task for tomorrow, she decided.
There was good food to be enjoyed with good company after all.