Lucinia

A soft light dawned inside a grand room. The space was luxurious, centered by a massive bed draped in sapphire blue sheets with thin curtains surrounding it.

In the middle of the bed lay a beautiful young girl, her light blue hair spilling across the crinkled sheets as she moved. As the sunlight crept across her face, she blinked slowly. Her eyes, like azure diamonds, shimmered faintly in the dim light. She sat up gradually, rubbing one eye while stifling a yawn.

Pushing the curtains aside, she planted her bare feet on the carpeted floor. Slowly, she made her way to the window, letting the sunlight bathe her as she gazed outside.

Maids were tending to the beautiful garden below. The girl rested her tired face on her arms, leaning against the windowsill as she observed the scene.

She sighed, turning back to grab a robe draped over a chair across from her bed. As she wrapped it around herself, the massive double doors to her room opened, revealing a maid—fairly young, though older than the blue-haired girl.

"Milady, breakfast will be ready in ten minutes," the maid announced.

"Has anything interesting happened lately?" the girl asked, her voice soft yet commanding.

"The Pronz family heir has still not backed down from their marriage proposal," the maid replied.

"What a pain," the girl groaned, rolling her eyes.

They walked out of the room and into a long hallway. The floor was covered in a dark blue carpet, and the walls were adorned with portraits of men and women who bore a striking resemblance to the young lady.

"What's the most popular story in the news?" she inquired casually.

"It appears a new fateweaver has emerged, around your age," the maid responded.

The young lady scoffed. "Seriously? It took them that long to complete their first trial?"

"I'm not certain of the details, but it was reported that they were severely injured—two chest wounds and a hole in their stomach."

"I see," she paused for a moment. "Next time, save the details for after breakfast."

"My apologies, milady."

"It's fine. If that Pronz boy tries to visit, tell him I'm feeling sick."

"Of course, milady."

The girl entered the bathroom as the maid whispered her last instruction to another maid. The other maid nodded and quickly left.

A minute later, the girl was being bathed by three maids, one brushing her hair and the others scrubbing her delicate skin.

'I wonder,' the young lady mused, 'if they, too, inherited a god-given name.'

"Is something on your mind, milady?" one of the maids asked.

"Yes," she stood, water cascading down her body. "I want to meet this new fateweaver."

"Do you plan to recruit them to your side?"

"Of course. I need all the support I can get if I'm going to defeat my brother," she said firmly. "Do you have a contract ready?"

"Naturally, milady. It will be prepared by the time we leave."

---

Outside the grand estate, the girl now stood dressed in casual attire—shorts, a hoodie, sneakers, and a hat. 

The butler stood beside an expensive car. "Miss Lucinia," he began hesitantly.

"Hm?"

"Are you sure you wish to go out in public dressed like that?"

"Is there a problem?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, as the daughter of one of the most prestigious families, I humbly suggest dressing more... appropriately."

Lucinia glanced down at her clothes and then back at the butler, waving him off. "I'm fine. People my age dress like this all the time."

"But Miss Lucinia—"

He didn't finish, as the car had already started moving. In the backseat, Lucinia stared out the window, resting her chin on her hand as the city scenery—buildings, parks, and pedestrians—blurred by.

'How boring,' she thought, watching the world pass by as she headed to meet the new fateweaver.

As she was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang. Glancing at the screen, she frowned at the words "Father" before answering.

—"Heyo, it's me!" came a bold, young voice from the other end.

Lucinia froze. This voice wasn't that of her father—it was far worse.

"Luke… what do you want?" she asked coldly.

—"Ouch, is that how you greet your dear older brother? So hurtful."

"Cut the crap and get to the point."

—"I know you've been avoiding it."

Lucinia gritted her teeth.

—"You know that marriage to the Pronz family would benefit us greatly. So why avoid it? Oh, right. It's because you want my title as heir."

"You already know the answer. And I've never had a high opinion of the Pronz family."

—"So what? It sounds like you're just avoiding your fate, dear sister—"

Lucinia hung up, tossing the phone beside her. "The next time I see that bastard, I'll kill him," she muttered.

"Miss Lucinia," the driver called out, "we will be arriving at the hospital in five minutes."

"Perfect. Remember to have the contract ready. Depending on their demands and power, we might need to offer more."

"Of course, Miss Lucinia."

She glanced out the window once more, her mind already racing with thoughts of how to manipulate this new fateweaver to her advantage.