Seventeen

It's been three days since Zion and Historia watched the floating lanterns. She still remembers how Zion kissed her forehead and almost kissed her on the lips! She covered her face with a pillow because she was embarrassed remembering that moment. "What the h.ell," she muttered. 

"My Lady, it is already time for lunch; what do you want to eat?" Sally asks, prompting Historia to take a peek at her. 

"Tell them to cook beef steak," Historia said, then covered her face with her pillow while lying on the bed. Sally bowed her head and quickly exited the room. 

After that night, rumors spread throughout the empire that Historia and Zion are in a romantic relationship. Alternatively, Historia could have used a love potion to make the Duke fall in love with her. "Am I really that bad to people in this Empire? Accusing me of bewitching Duke Zion? How absurd!" Historia yelled, remembering what was in the newspaper. 

Sally was walking to the kitchen to inform the cook about her Lady's request. "Mr. Javan! Beef steak for Lady Historia!" Sally exclaimed, and Mr. Javan gave her a thumbs-up. She was about to leave the kitchen when she ran into someone, causing her to fall down. She looked up and saw Roxia, Admarine's maid, staring at her, but after a few seconds she smiled and reached out her hands to help Sally stand up.

"I am sorry, I didn't see you! Are you okay?" Roxia asks, concerned. Sally simply nodded and smiled at her, assisting herself to stand up. Roxia quickly grabbed Sally's arms and dragged her out of the kitchen like a friend dragging her somewhere and started walking. 

"Hey, is it true that Duke Zion and Lady Historia had a romantic relationship? Or that the Lady bewitched the Duke?" Roxia curiously asks Sally, looking at her. Sally was mad as she kept hearing that around the mansion and they even believed that! 

"Of course not! My Lady is not like that! The Duke itself volunteered himself to go with the Lady! Stop accusing her over something she didn't do!" Sally yelled which made Roxia pouts. 

"I am just asking! I am not accusing Lady Historia, okay? But," Roxia pauses for a moment and continues to speak as she turns her eyes to look at Sally. "Tell me more about her! I really adore her ladyship but I can't get close to her. Do you think the lady had a crush on Duke Zion?" she added. 

Sally was uncomfortable with Roxia, so she paused and looked at her intently. "Asking for my lady's privacy is something you must not ask from me. For what? To gossip about her life? Stop asking me about My Lady, Roxia; I won't tell you anyway," Sally said and began walking, leaving her behind. 

Roxia left stunned, still standing where Sally had left her. She stared intently at her back before turning around and walking down a different path with Sally.

Sally is now walking towards Historia's room. She looked around and noticed other maids and staff in the mansion busy with housework and designing the garden in front of it. They are currently cleaning the garden near the big gate, the entrance to the ballroom in preparation for the Duchess' Celebration, which is only days away.

She was now near Historia's room, and all she could hear was Historia and Redam conversing. She may have wanted to knock on the door, but she chooses not to because she does not want to interfere with what the brother and sister are discussing. 

"You're hiding secrets with me now! It's not fair!" Redam cried, pleading with Historia to reveal whether Zion and Historia were romantically involved.

Historia just let out a heavy sigh and looked back at her brother. "Brother, I already told you. W-were just friends," Historia stuttered, recalling how Zion gripped her waist and attempted to kiss her lips. That caused her to blush, and Redam raised his eyebrows at her seeing her sister's cheeks turn red. 

"Friends, huh?" Redam asks her again but Historia just looks away trying to avoid her brother's follow up questions. 

Redam quickly took a ball crystal from his pocket and revealed Zion's face, which widened Historia's eyes. She quickly tried to take the ball crystal from her brother, but she couldn't because he raised his arms, preventing Historia from catching it. She pouted in response to what her brother had done. 

"What is it, Redam?" Zion asks without even looking at him. He was busy looking at the papers in front of him. Historia looks at her brother angrily however, Redam doesn't care about it and speaks. 

"I want to talk to you; I assume you already knew about the news, didn't you?" Redam asks Zion to make Historia blush because she is embarrassed by her brother's actions. She decided to open the window and jump down, which surprised Redam. 

"I hate you, brother!" Historia exclaimed, but Zion's eyes widened when he heard her voice and he turned away, recalling what he had done to Historia a few days before. He doesn't know how he can start a conversation with her and doesn't know how to show himself in front of her. 

Typhis appeared and transformed himself into a beast creature, a fox with a mermaid tail, walking alongside Historia, whose face was as red as tomatoes. "Brother Redam is really! Urgh, I already told him we're just friends!" Historia yelled and kicked the rock, startling Typhis, who looked at her. 

"You had guts, huh?" Typhis asks, his gaze drawn to Historia, who has her hands covering her face. 

"How can I show myself in front of him? I'm so embarrassed!" Historia yelled, still covering her face with her hands. Typhis simply rolled his eyes and stared at her.

It had been four hours since then, and she was still hiding in the garden of blue roses with Typhis. She decided to walk to her room, knowing that Redam had already left the mansion to attend a meeting at the Royal Palace. Sally ran towards her, breathless, holding a paper. 

"My Lady! Lord Redam gave this to me and he said to give it to you!" she said, reaching the paper to her. "You didn't take your lunch!" she added. 

Historia took the paper and read the note written on it. She sighed heavily as she read her brother's apology letter. "I am hungry, and I want to eat," Historia said, rubbing her stomach. 

As they walked to her room, they noticed a maid exiting, which confused her. Her expression was one of disappointment, and she was holding a white rose hair pin. She crossed her arms as she looked at the maid; she had already informed everyone in the mansion that Sally was the only one who could enter her room. So, why did the maid enter her room without her knowledge? Despite her father's requests, she is not permitted to enter their room unless permission is granted.

"Roxia?" Sally's confused mention of her name drew Historia's attention. 

"You know her?" she asks, and Sally nods. Historia continues to stare at Roxia's back until she is no longer visible in her eyes. 'What is that woman doing in my room?' she thought to herself.