Dahlia slowly fluttered open her eyes as she groaned, "Urgh... I can't feel my body..." she mumbled
She rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust her vision
But suddenly, she was pulled in a tight hug
Her eyes widened in surprise
She quickly looked up, and saw her mother
"My daughter..." The Duchess mumbled as she cried silently as she kissed Dahlia's forehead
Dahlia blinked but soon tears also formed in her eyes too, "M-Mother..."
She hugged her mother tightly, afraid she might disappear
"I am here... I am here... shhh..." The Duchess comforted Dahlia as she lightly pats her back soothingly
Suddenly, the door opened
A few more gasps were heard
Dahlia looks up with teary eyes. And sees both her brother and her father, along with some maids and her nanny
"Father... big brother..." Dahlia called out lowly as her voice cracked
Jhony teared up as he quickly rushed to them and smacked Dahlia's head
"OWCH!!!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!!!!" Dahlia yelped in pain as she rubbed her head, she glared at Jhony
"WHAT IS "WRONG"?! YOU SAY THAT AFTER YOU DISAPPEARD FOR A WEEK!!! AND WHEN WE FOUND YOU, YOU WAKE UP AFTER ANOTHER 2 WEEKS!!!" Jhony pointed his finger at Dahlia
Dahlia blinked, "Two... weeks?!" she was speechless
"Yeah... if you weren't my sister, I would've murdered you and buried you alive!!!" Jhony hissed at Dahlia
"Hey!!! What you mean murder me!!! I would've murdered you first if you weren't my brother!!!" Dahlia huffed
"AT LEAST I DIDN'T DISAPPEAR ALL OF A SUDDEN!!! AND APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE AND SLEPT FOR NEARLY 2 WEEKS!!!" Jhony retorted
"SHUT UP-" Dahlia was about to hit Jhony
Until both of them were pulled in a tight hug
The two looked up and saw their father hugging them tightly, his face buried in between the two's shoulders
The Duke's shoulder was shaking slightly
"You two always fight... What am I gonna do with you two?" His voice cracked slightly
The Duchess watched as she wiped her tears, but more tears came out from her eyes
Both Jhony and Dahlia looked at one another
The two just glared one another
Before, the two broke down and cried in their father's arms
The maids and Jasmine nearby were also tearing up in the background
"The lady finally woke up..." Jasmine mumbled as she was relieved
"Yes... it was truly a relief..." The head maid hummed as she wiped her tears
- { After a week passes by } -
Dahlia was reading at her room, "Hmm... he hasn't been talking to me for a week now... is something wrong with him?" she pondered
"... Hey... can you hear me?" Dahlia tried to talk to her guardian telepathically
.
.
.
There was no answer
Just silence
Dahlia let out a long sigh
"It's unusual... he usually talks to me... what changed?" she mumbled
She soon looks down at the newspaper, she is reading
The newspaper read out
[ Around 5000 children who were missing, is found on the eastern forest, fainted ]
- 5000 children were mysteriously vanished. All of them were commoners as only two were from the nobility. Lady Dahlia Guillebeaux and Lord Xinhua hunts -
- They all were discovered unconscious in the eastern abandoned forest alongside Lady Dahlia Guillebeaux and Lord Xinhua Hunts -
- After a warp had appeared in the sky. The witnesses who saw this, claimed that the warp was as if someone or something had torn the sky -
- Many even claimed seeing large blue hands, basically to keep the tear open. Before it mysteriously disappeared in air -
- The children all were asked about what happened to them, they all claimed that Lady Dahlia, Xinhua Hunts and the two other children. Who are adopted by Lady Jasmine- Lady Dahlia's nanny, had helped them as they all were at a realm -
- But they refuse to tell anything about the realm. Yet they claimed their helpers as "heroes" -
- Further investigation are being done -
[ The tower mage masters of different regions coming to meet with Lady Dahlia yet refused by the Duke Guillebeaux ]
- The mage masters claimed that "when the warp had appeared in the sky, the balance of magical energy were disturbed. When they investigated, they found out it was disturbed at the same time as of when the missing children suddenly appeared out of nowhere -
- The mage masters personally checked every children and had noticed faintest traces of ancient power inside Lady Dahlia. Through a small strand of her hair which had fallen from her hair, after when Duke Guillebeaux took his daughter back to the estate -
- They tried to meet up with Lady Dahlia but were refused by Duke Guillebeaux, as Lady Dahlia hadn't regained consciousness yet -
[ The king of Dandir, Adelio Famir Dandirium, talking with the tower mage masters about meeting Lady Dahlia ]
- His majesty, the king of Dandir has asked an audience of Lady Dahlia through Duke Guillebeaux -
- The Duke Guillebeaux claims he will take his daughter to meet with his majesty after his daughter regains consciousness -
.
That was all the important news
Dahlia let's out an sigh and puts the newspaper back down on her table
She glanced out from her windows
The day was bright out there, a sharp contrast to the chaos that is currently going around
{ { { Knock } } }
{ { { Knock } } }
{ { { Knock } } }
"Dahlia, it's me" Said Jhony after he knocked on the door
Dahlia looked over at her room's door, "Come in brother" she replied
The door opened as Jhony stepped inside
He closed the door behind and leaned against it, not saying anything as he simply stared at Dahlia with an unreadable expression
Dahlia raised a eyebrow. "What is up with you? Why are you making that face?"
Jhony only hummed as he casted a brief glance towards the newspaper that Dahlia read just now. Before looking back again at Dahlia
"You read the news" He stated, not asking but rather confirming
Dahlia doesn't say anything at first, as she only looks down at the newspaper
"... Everything is in chaos... the mage towers want answers from me... so does his majesty, cause he won't ever ask for an audience of me without any reason."
"Plus, our father is lying to everyone that I am still unconscious..." Dahlia traced the headlines of the Duke putting a false claim
"Yes... but that is not the only reason they want to meet you. And you know it..." Jhony soon gets himself off the door
He goes towards the chair across Dahlia's bed and sat down on it
"They wanna see if your useful or not to them if you have what they are interested. That is what rules this entire nobility" he stated while maintaining eye contact with her
Dahlia remained unfazed by all
"I know... brother..." She began
"His majesty would never seek audience with me. Unless he wants to see how useful I am... for his resources..." Dahlia narrowed her eyes
"The more power one has... the more they will be targeted by others... if they don't play smart" She repeated the words of her father
Jhony nodded in agreement
"Yes... so... Dahlia I want you be prepared to meet with his majesty just in case" Jhony interlocked his both hands together on top of his knee
"Cause we both know well enough that father can't hold off his majesty for long..." He tightened his grip
"The longer the meeting is delayed, the more tough position our father gets himself in. Cause it is defying his majesty..." Jhony narrowed his eyes
"I know... that is why I will go to his majesty soon enough, after I am full prepared" Dahlia smiled slightly
Jhony returned the smile at Dahlia but soon looked faintly away from her
Towards the clock
Clearly to see if his break was over or not for swordsmanship
It was currently 4 o'clock
The time was almost over for him
He lets out a faint sigh
"Dahlia..." Jhony began as he looked down on his lap
"Just tell me honestly... what are you hiding?" He finally asked
Dahlia remained silent as she looked out from her window
Jhony also remained silent with her
.
.
.
"... Is it something you can't say?" He asked after the long silence
Dahlia remained unfazed but, Jhony noticed how she gripped her dress tightly
Enough of a reaction for him to know
And enough to not push this further beyond comfort
"Rest, I will go now to train. Since I came here during my break" He stood up from his chair
He goes towards the door and opens it
"Also, Dahlia..." He began
"Whenever your ready to go to the palace, notify me. I will tag along" he said and gave her a brief smile
Before he left her room, the door clicking shut
Dahlia still stared out at the window before she stopped gripping her dress
"... I guess I really should make preparations to meet with his majesty..." She thought internally
Dahlia stood up and goes to her closet
She opens the doors and looks inside it
"First... I need to find something suitable..." She mumbled as she went through her clothes
She kept on searching the perfect dress to wear on and on...
Long moments had passed on
Yet Dahlia couldn't find a single perfect dress
She let out a frustrated sigh as she powed on her closet door
"Owch!!!" She yelped in pain and rubbed her knuckles
Suddenly, Dahlia heard a soft chuckle from her doorway
She looked over
The person was none other then Jasmine with two maids behind her
"Having trouble to find a dress my lady? Perhaps something befitting to meet with his majesty?" Jasmine stepped deeper inside the room with the two maids following behind her
Dahlia can't help but smile faintly, "I-... uhh... yeah..." she replied
"Well, then what can we do?" One of the maid sighed deeply but with a smile
"Maybe we have to lend her an hand, no?" The other maid replied while trying not chuckle
"Yes, then help me choose you two" Jasmine soon began to rummage through the clothes inside the closet
"Right away! Come on Natalie" One of the maid said, helping Jasmine up
"Your treating this like it's a mission, Scarlet" Natalie also began to help the two
"Oh, it is a mission!" Scarlet giggled while searching
Dahlia simply watched as they searched
"Don't pick overly too perfect outfit like I am going to a ball" She stated, as she shook her head slightly at their enthusiasm
The three froze and looked over at Dahlia
"Huh? Why? Your meeting up with his majesty so it has to be a perfect dress, my lady" Jasmine pointed out
"That is true, but we don't need to over do it." Dahlia began
"His majesty ordered father to bring me to the palace after "I wake up". Which basically have to be that..." She gestured with her hands
"But his majesty doesn't knows that I woke up long ago. If he finds it out, then my father would be accused of defying his majesty" she kept eye contact with the three
"So to make it look like "I just woke up", the dress basically has to be rushed yet presentable. Like I was dressed up in a hurry after I just woke up" she stated
"And if I go looking like wearing something overly presentable, not rushed. That would definitely make it look like, "I woke up much later" vibe. That can raise questions and put my father in a rough position" She pointed out
The three pondered for a while
And looked at one another, before looking back at Dahlia
"Ok then, we got it" Scarlet replied
Determined, the three rummaged through the closet with too much force
Meanwhile, Dahlia chuckled faintly
"They are taking this too seriously then I am..." She thought
She looked down on floor, "... I guess I will be asked many questions..."
She soon lifted her hand to grip the sapphire gem that is around her neck
"They might see that this gem is not ordinary... if they check me..." She stared down at her gem
"They will ask how I found this gem, or how I acquired it..." Her grip on the gem tightened slightly
"Guess I will leave the gem here for now... when I leave" She closed her eyes briefly
"Lady Dahlia"
Dahlia snapped open her eyes and looked up
Jasmine was holding out an light blue dress
It had a few white ribbons here and there
The sleeve was a longer
The dress was presentable
Not overly perfect
Yet fit the image of it being rushed
"Oh, that might do the work" Dahlia's eyes sparkled as she observed the dress
The three huffed proudly
"We told you my lady, that we will pull out something perfect you" Scarlet grinned
"Yes! And let's choose accessories that goes with this dress" Natalie exclaimed
"Right" Jasmine chuckled
Just like that the atmosphere here is light, making Dahlia to forget all the tension for now