The crest of Three

Adelaide wearily sat down in her chamber. A week and a day have passed since the incident, making her feel frustrated. Her brother Felix is confined in his room, constantly being on surveillance with the curse that befell him. Adelaide would be taunted by screams and cries under Felix's chamber. 

Madam Violet was with her, eyeing her as the Lady's eye could not be hidden by the visible dark spots that made her look lifeless. Her sweet smile gradually faded instantly, and the mindless strolls of Adelaide's visiting Felix's confined room extremely troubled the Grussen Berg Manor. And It has been quiet ever since. She would wait outside to speak to her brother by the door. Adelaide would be lonely whenever her dearest brother was out of their House; now he is stuck here at what cost?

The Young Lady of Marquis Eilberts will soon bear more responsibilities after Sir Felix is terminated from being the representative and as a Knight. One of the very utmost pillars of the generation, only to be broken like that just because of some gruesome curse. The Marquess was even distressed. 

The Eilberts Family was blessed with the birth of three children, which was considered a stroke of luck from the heavens. Their ancestry was rich, with some of the most notable humans born for centuries, and the Crest of Eilberts was a testament to their family's pride and legacy. The crest contained a sword crossed with roses, representing the founding sorcerer and a heroic knight from their ancestors, who had shown bravery and courage in their battles. The shield with a dove drawn on it symbolized the noble who helped in the prosperity of the Kingdom, reminding the Eilberts of their family's commitment to serving their people.

It was only one in every century that Eilbert House would produce not one but three children who were aligned with their crest, and this was a rare and unique event that filled their family with joy and pride. In this instance, Felix was born to symbolize the heroic knight, Heinz was known as the sorcerer, and Adelaide was believed to be the noble who would lead the people. They were raised with the values and virtues of their ancestors, instilling in them a sense of purpose and duty to their family and Kingdom.

Through their bravery, wisdom, and leadership, the Eilberts' children inspired hope and prosperity for the Kingdom. They were a symbol of their family's legacy, and their success was a testament to their ancestors' sacrifices and achievements. The Eilberts were proud of their children and the heritage they left behind, and they knew that their family's story would be told for generations to come.

But people began to doubt this must be karma befell for their success.

The debut is drawing near. And everything was already taking it from the worst things. Adelaide only deeply stares at the tea, lost in her thoughts, and looked at the useless reflections of her stressed face. A frown and sigh escaped her lips. " My Lady, This does not do well anymore! You need to force that suffocating air out of your mouth now." Madam Violet angrily protested when she stormed fast into her room, now sick of seeing the gloomy face. "What is the problem? Does my performance of my artistry in sewing seem not good enough?" Adelaide slowly put down the golden teacup as she did what she had done. "I've been busied myself with sewing." she mused, although her voice didn't match her expressionless face. Madam Violet was silently distressed when she saw. 

Madam Violet took away the sewed clothes out of her sight. "Lady Adelaide. My concerns do not relate to your sewing! Ever since the incident, you are not feeling yourself. If you don't rest, I won't oblige myself to continue teaching you." she cried out of desperation. Adelaide was confused to see her dear friend crying out of frustration, so she guided her soft hands into her and held them tightly as tears began to form in her dreaded eyes. " I-I'm so sorry... I'll take a break.." she assured Madam Violet, stroking her hands. 

Just as the beautiful pleasant day paired with commoners bustling at the streets, Adelaide was accompanied by her trusted knight and a maid from her side. She couldn't believe Madam Violet forced her to come to this place as grandeur and luxurious for a cafe. But she understood that this cafe deserved to be famous. It was full of nobles, lest conversing with people before her debut was bothersome. Adelaide hoped no rumors were swirling about her family, knowing nobles only love gossip to pass their time. All their noble status is like a joke to her; they only satiate hunger with negativity. She was laying a low profile for today, not hoping for more attention to look at her. 

A waitress approached them at their table with a beaming and refreshing smile as she requested her order. 

" One strawberry tart and a full package of the best specialties you could ever offer wrapped for takeout, please," Adelaide ordered with a polite smile.

As she pondered silently, she thought about how her dear brother, Felix, had always loved tarts since they were children. It was their favorite dessert. But her older brother is no longer able to freely go out in his room. There was no freedom for his valiant brother.

The maid could sense the weariness. Adelaide looked so blue and down, mentioning the tart as she ordered. So she darted at the knight to converse with her. This was supposed to be a hangout day! Hanna coughed. " Eherm! This cafe is famous for its tarts. It is famous amongst maidens."

"It's just quite crowded; if we could have reservations early, then maybe we could have bought the place for a day," Her aide knight, Cion, felt dismayed when the nobles kept pouring in, and the loudness was hard to bear. In fact, Cion questioned why he was here in the first place. Adelaide could sigh. 

Hanna looked furious at Cion and stepped his feet out of anger. " The hell are you trying to do!?" she murmured. 

' Madam Violet, are you even sure this is helping?' Adelaide could hear them trying to cheer her up. It was cute of them. 

She decided not to make such a fuss for them. The boxes of treats and their food were laid out on the table. Adelaide commended how representable the food in front of her was. The dessert served is still pipping hot, steam coming out of the tart. The freshly baked pastry and the scent of strawberries made the trio feast on the food. 

"Hanna, what are the top tourist attractions in the Capital?" Adelaide asked while wiping off the food on her lips. Hanna was pleasantly surprised at the opportunity for conversation and felt gratified by her research efforts. She set down the tea she was serving and combed through all the latest discussions and trends in the Capital. Hanna's excitement grew as she remembered a popular location. This was a lucky find, as Hanna wanted to visit the same place. 

"My Lady, many ballets try to capture the gracefulness of swans, like Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake," the maid exclaimed joyfully.

The knight snickered at the maid, looking at her bored. He rolled his eyes, aware that the maid was expressing her desire. He let out a laugh. " They called the Swan Maiden Performers. It's best to go there when the sun sets to noon. It'll be as magical as those fairytales." Cion added. He knew how the so-called Swan Lake was close to his neighborhood home. Cion would remember the Maiden performance that stuck him speechless.

As Hanna and Cion chatted, she mentioned that the lake is connected to Ekera Village, which Cion knows like the back of his hand because he used to live there. This idea excited him because he could show Lady Adelaide around his old stomping grounds. Cion humbly asked if they could take her to his family's Farm, where they grow fresh fruit they could enjoy while taking in the sight. It's always so special to share a place you know and love with someone else.

Adelaide nods in eagerness. " Great! I can finally see the Farm," she laughed sweetly. Cion and Hanna felt relieved to see her smile again. She could remember when they were still a child, little Cion was still a servant rather than a knight. He would bring apples and grapes from his Farm and use them for their small picnic. Red, round, and crisp fruit, fresh from the barn. 

"My Lady, shall we purchase the souvenir coats from that store? I recall reading in a magazine at the boutique that it's a tradition among the Swan Lake people to offer their loved ones feathers or fur. The latest trends in the Capital were also mentioned," Hanna said, feeling nostalgic. Giving the Crown Prince an incredible gift made her heart flutter. It's pretty romantic to witness such things firsthand. "That's a good idea!" Adelaide quickly agreed to their plan. Oh, it was lovely, like this kind of happiness. Half a minute passed, and they decided it was time to go. Cion and Hanna carried all the packed food as Adelaide left her bill on the table.

" How bold of you, vixen!" 

" Madam---?! I'm sorry. It is not on the menu..." 

Suddenly, a voice interrupts the peaceful atmosphere of the cafe. All eyes turn to the opulent woman standing before the cashier, her face obscured by a large hat. Curiosity fills the room, with chatters and murmurs growing louder as the suspect revels in the attention. Adelaide raises a brow and mutters, "What's going on? Are people really that shameless these days? Acting out in public?" there were whispers that the Lady heard while she set down her cup of tea and glanced over at the commotion.

'𝘖𝘩, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦. 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘎𝘰𝘥.'

Adelaide was frustrated and annoyed. How petty of them to act so childish. The situation was frustrating for the Lady adorned with heavy jewelry. She expressed dissatisfaction, "We have been patient for far too long, and now you're telling me that you cannot even provide me with the dessert I desired? Is this because we are considered to be nouveau riche?!" Her anger was evident as her jewelry clanked heavily.

Ah. Nouveau riche, a rare sight for someone to be caught in commotion. They were always low-key and quiet regarding their status, especially their wealth and influence, which felt like a threat to all the nobles. Alas, this woman here is a different kind of breed. 

Another Lady stepped by the scene and stopped the woman from doing more harm to the innocent worker. Her features were striking, mesmerizing even, leaving those who looked upon her speechless. Her soft voice commanded attention as she spoke, silencing all those around her. "I am the owner," she said firmly. "Please be mindful of your actions and refrain from causing affliction to others."

The Lady's face complexed, jaw clenched from her delicate features. The redhead only fuels more of her useless anger. Adelaide got sick of hearing more of its bicker. She was the first one to stand up.

"Madam Owner, you must know that leading a business is to refrain from such troublesome characters. Enticing this underserving New Rich is just a show-off," Adelaide approached the cashier where the commotion started, and everyone was all eyes on her, anticipating something to happen or to unfold of this mess. The customer could feel an adrenaline rush as if there is a free show soap opera out in public.

"I deeply apologize for the mess, Miss. I hope you could be considerate for this small business we had; I shall take note of the suggestion." Madam Owner nodded apologetically. 

However, the redhead woman scrunched her face in such displeasure at the words Adelaide uttered in her mouth. She scoffed loudly.

" Boasting?! Are you looking down on Nueavue Riche because of your new influence? Indeed, all the nobles are just. Nobles were considered superior just because of their wealth, and taxes kept increasing day by day. It was unfair. If it weren't for the commoners' hard work and innovations, nobles would be nothing but foolish people enjoying their wealth and golden apples." The Lady smiled, surprising even Adelaide, who wondered if the nouveau riche had such mood swings. However, Adelaide realized that her own thoughts were biased, as she believed that nobles were always on top and that commoners were just meant to serve the Kingdom. She did believe because of the nobles' efforts that, Atharta had become prosperous and wealthy in various ways.

Yet Adelaide laughed only, drawing the stares of the several people around her, even the redhead and the Owner. "What a beautiful speech from your utterance. I could find your language to seem incomprehensible. May I ask what language you spoke that I find so dumbfounded?" She, the Lady, straightened her back, and her face shifted into a demeaning and fierce look. The redhead shuddered but restrained her bursting fury that could flare at any moment. "One day, shall you learn the world does not favor the likes of you, and when that transpires, I shall see you at the end of the day,"

The redhead stomped her way back into the cafe and broke a few things on the entrance door, broken vases scattered on the floor. Hannah felt her feet gone cold from the fight her Lady had; it was nerve-wracking, spine-chilling that she swore it made her think that Lady Adelaide's reputation would worsen if that continued. However, the maid's concerns were proven untrue. The sounds of applause rang in her ears, telling Adelaide a job well done. The Madam Owner, who is looking at her with relief in her heart, also cheered. Adelaide reassured everyone. Even the Owner herself was thankful.

Hanna rushed while carrying the boxes and bags full of desserts. "My Lady, you would be harmed if that Lady did anything bad!" said she, out of worry. "I am the Daughter of the most esteemed family. I shall not step low and hold my chin up if there is any unwanted obstacle. And Had you not looked at that woman?" Adelaide raged, aggravated by that interference with her day's peace. Her arms crossed, and she walked out of the store calmly.

"That woman is cursing me. She cussed me like a w---" 

"Ssshhhhhh, My Lady, we shall not speak that word. One utter with that will make a person lose their heads!" Hanna was able to stop Adelaide's uncontrollable harsh words that constantly spouted in her mouth. 

" hmph, if that's the case, then would the devil incarnate already be roaming headless by these days. How come I see their head intact and high up even? Truly unjust, with these hunts unfolding, I could least say it's unreasonable!"

Adelaide calmed herself down, her annoyance long gone departed when they entered the carriage. It took long enough to reach the Ekera Village. It was a journey entire of highlands and rivers to awe in sight. They were welcomed with energy fields, and it made Cion boast so pridefully about their village's scenery that he couldn't even be stopped talking of legends and stories in his homelands.

... They have finally arrived.

To the lands of the Ekera Village, resided the vast lands of greens. The House of Cion's family was similar to a mansion, with more than twenty acres total of plantations and workers doing with work in their minds. The sun is not entirely out, and even the wind still blows so swiftly. And kilometers away would be the forest connected to the Lake of Swan, and beauties alike would gather to sing songs of the Swan Duchess.