Hatred

Primreyo

"Say it again. That woman did what?"

I dropped the quill I was holding, careful not to drip ink on the scroll and looked at the woman speaking in front of me.

"Great Zenith of Anderia. Your concubine knelt, kissed the ground and kept saying sorry, it was scandalous to see her crying for the first time. We have never seen her cry since she was five and the entire years thereafter that we have served her"

Says one of Reida's maidservants. A spy I place to keep an eye on her, for that woman is outrageous and her selfish impulsive actions always cause danger and death to people around her.

She was a sacrificial concubine, the beloved daughter of ruler of northeastern tribe, Gayne.

Her existence ceased the raging war between our land and theirs, far more than that, their tribe acknowledged my reign in the whole continent of Anderia.

I gave off an unamused laugh.

"Reida kneeling and apologizing? That's the biggest fraud I've heard, has she finally lost her mind?"

I shake my head. No, Reida won't lose her mind over something that petty. She's a woman famed for the vileness after all. Just losing consciousness for days won't faze her.

"The medicinists her father hired to examine the change in her eye color still have no clues. Also, the jewelry merchant she slept with the night she collapsed was being interrogated"

"I will inform you Great Zenith of Anderia, once I have the full information" The maidservant said. I stare at the eminent scar on her right face which she tried, yet failed to hide with thick powder. The scars Reida brought to all women she envied.

"Never mind. Pay no significant attention to her, I don't have the time to care either way. Just ensure that once she's fine she won't do anything shameful again"

Just then there was a knock coming from the door.

"Come inside and speak what you came for Dallan" I ordered. Half a decade ago since my reign, Dallan has been my appointed right hand, apart from that he's the only person whom my sister trusted when she was still alive.

"Grace and favor be unto you great Zenith of Anderia, our battle warriors were already spotted near the borders of the dry land. The victory procession is forecasted to happen seven days from now"

"I see...so then, prepare to summon all my advisors and invite our retired battle warriors. Send a letter and ensure that all the rulers from the tribe of Picree, Gayne, Hindra will be present to witness the victory march of Esmori's tribe. This will be an excellent venue for me to formally give my blessing as their Zenith...and Dallan"

"Yes I am listening your greatness"

"See that my wives are carefully brought here, I know they're currently handling the affairs we have with the religious visionaries from the east, tell them they need to return for now"

"Your commands will be carried out right away Great Zenith" Dallan responded before excusing himself

"And you" I called to Reida's maidservant

"Keep in mind to bring that woman, she needs to return here after all. I believe seven days is long enough for her to recover."

"Tell her to be more prepared, as now I have witnesses on the luxurious stones she had dug up and embezzled from my sister's tomb" I spat and clenched my fist, feeling all my wrath and rage rising for that insolent, disgraceful woman.

***

Salvia

"Emerald, can I still not go out?" I asked the young woman with the beautiful green eyes.

Every now and then she would still flinch and stop when she hears her new name.

"No, I'm afraid not yet Lady Reida, your father still insist for you to rest until the victory procession of Esmori's tribe" She replied

In the span of four days that I was locked inside the comfortable warm room, Emerald has been my constant companion.

I will never forget that day when she kissed my hand upon telling her that she now have a new name "You are no longer to be called Hideous, your new name will be Emerald just like this glass that represents the color of your eyes" if there's one important thing I learned, it is that Lady Reida's word are law in the tribe of Gayne. She held so much power being the daughter of the ruler.

"I see" is what I managed to say as I slump back on the bed again. Emerald was busy cleaning the room she called 'cosmetics and jewelry wardrobe', I have never entered the dazzling room since I've woken up inside Reida's body.

"Emerald is it fine if I ask you more questions today?"

"It is fine Lady Reida, but you did ask me tons of questions already yesterday, are there more things you wanted to remember?" she said.

"Well..." yesterday and the day before that I kept pestering Emerald whenever we're alone. I told her that since I lost my memory, I would need her help to tell me things about this world and most of all about Reida.

"Well, yes, if that's all right with you Emerald. Anyway do you really need to polish all the dazzling jewelry in that room? it seems like that is a room where the goddesses gathers...so I'm afraid to go there"

I hear the young woman chuckle lowly and I see her dropping the cloth she was using to clean. I'm glad that somehow she began softening up to me. I'm glad to have someone to talk to in this lifetime knowing she's only few years younger than me. I learned Reida has already been living for two decades.

Emerald sat on the bare ground with her legs crossed. Her posture is that of a servant looking up to her master.

I breathed in and pouted a bit, despite me telling her many times that I don't like our position when we talk to each other. But what can I do, when this little girl was trained to be like this her entire life, so just for now I will let her be.

That entire day, I was taught by Emerald about the continent we live in, Anderia. Although master Coyran already told me of this countless of times before but it's my first time knowing that Yumina is not the only tribe existing in Anderia.

There was us, the shipmakers also famed as the 'land of luxury' the tribe of Gayne and we occupied the southeast.

The land on our west, is the tribe of Picree. Emerald said they are a peaceful tribe and had the fewest people in the entire land.

The land above us, northeast, were the tribe of Hindra, known to be the 'land of knowledge' and they had the biggest archive.

Lastly is the largest land in Anderia, occupied by the tribe of Esmori and the ruler of which is also the Great Zenith of Anderia, Primreyo.

"Great Zenith, Primreyo ruled Esmori's tribe when he was fifteen"

"What? That is such a young age for a boy to rule their tribe and the entire continent!" I was astounded by how capable that frightening man is, that also means that we are of the same age, two decades. And now he's a Great Zenith while I am just a lowly concubine of his. Just thinking of him and his name gives me shiver.

"He was a war strategists, a fierce warmonger in the battle field. When he was fifteen, he lead the battle warriors and conquered the bandits of the sea, when he became the Great Zenith, he subdued the barbarians who roamed the dry land. Those were his achievements before and after he became the ruler of all"

"That was...appalling Emerald! He's really something else ain't he? Are you sure he's not a reincarnation of Esmori? our goddess of war"

Emerald's smile faded a little "However, you and him are not in good terms since a long time ago. Even before you became the sacrificial concubine"

I laughed it out "I know of it, don't worry. The way he looked at me that day, his threats and warning weren't empty, he's like a container of fire and any time that day he would have killed me without blinking. He really despises me doesn't he Emerald?"

The young girl only stayed silent

"But who can blame him anyway? I must have done something grave to that man..." and whatever that is, only Reida knows.

Exhaling in, I feel tired all of a sudden. Three more days and I will see Primreyo's face again. How will it turn out this time. Will he finally cut my neck, pierce my eyes, stab my chest? I don't know...all I feel is that, this body I'm in, this woman, caused him great torment and pain.

A damage that can no longer be reversed.

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