Rogelia returned to the drawing room, seething with rage, and recounted to her mother how rudely Sigrid had treated her. Upon hearing this, Nidia vowed to report the incident to the queen, confident that since Rogelia was the prince's fiancee, the queen would surely scold Sigrid.
"I see that Madam and Lady Leroux are not enjoying themselves; you both seem quite upset," observed Roberta.
She and her circle of friends had approached the two ladies.
"It's understandable that we're here out of obligation, but with my recent loss, I find it difficult to enjoy a celebration," Nidia shared, her face mirroring her sorrow.
"The loss of my brother has been hard on our family," Rogelia added.
"What a regrettable event," Roberta remarked, merely pursing her lips.
The other girls remained silent, none of them having been fond of Flabio. His insistent advances had been a problem, and his harassment had made them unwilling to even go out. Fortunately, he hadn't harmed them, but some peasant girls had fallen victim to him and were sadly abandoned. The group dispersed from the two women, leaving only a few older ladies to offer their company.
"Who would have thought your stepdaughter would end up queen of the magic tower, though one wonders how she managed that," commented a countess.
"The previous leader was a man, and she a woman; I think it's quite obvious how she secured her position," another sneered.
"She always was that way; it wouldn't surprise me if that's the method she used," Nidia pitched in.
The women snickered, revealing their envy. At the end of the celebration, Rogelia and Nidia were taken aback by the opulent room they had been given, fit for a castle with even the doorknobs made of solid gold – a sight that only fueled their jealousy. Rogelia felt it was unfair that Charlotte had something better than her.
Charlotte was in her room, the most sumptuous quarters at the highest point of the castle, a space that belonged only to her. The door opened to reveal Sigrid, who didn't hesitate to lounge on the bed.
"Don't you have your own room?" Charlotte asked, annoyed.
"Yes, but I'm lonely and scared. At night, I can hear footsteps outside my room," Sigrid confessed, hugging a pillow and displaying a pitiable look.
Far from moving her, Charlotte's response was to throw a cushion at him; she found him exasperating but couldn't afford to make an enemy of him.
{They argue so much, one might think they're married,} Amira commented.
Amira materialized, sitting on the sofa, smirking with a hint of mockery. Charlotte glared at her, and Amira vanished, leaving behind only the echo of her laughter, while Sigrid buried his face in the pillow. Unlike Charlotte, he harbored feelings for her; since meeting her and recognizing her potential, he had come to admire her, which evolved into something deeper.
"Get out of my bed and go to sleep," she demanded.
Charlotte climbed into her bed; it was late, and she had activities planned for her guests in the morning. But instead of leaving, Sigrid slid under the covers, embracing her from behind. Charlotte pursed her lips, but his presence didn't bother her – perhaps she was accustomed to him, or maybe because he never tried anything unpermitted.
The next day in the garden, a breakfast was set up for the guests, who watched Charlotte walk in on Sigrid's arm. He greeted the ladies warmly, with a smile and a bow, drawing admiring sighs.
"I hope you enjoy this breakfast before your departure, and I have a gift for each of you," Charlotte signaled.
At this, several tower mages arrived, each bearing a small box, and handed one to each woman. Inside was a small blue crystal.
"These crystals are linked to the tower's central stone. Should you face an emergency and need a mage's aid, break the crystal, and we'll know where to find you," Charlotte explained.
"But remember, this is for emergencies only – whether to be saved or cured of an illness. Do not squander this privilege," Sigrid added.
The ladies were delighted, knowing the crystals could prove useful. Rogelia and Nidia, however, looked at their crystals with disinterest; nothing good could come from the girl they detested so much.
After the meal, they bid Charlotte farewell, still in Sigrid's company.
At the palace, the queen was fuming, having learned of Charlotte's invitation to the high society ladies but not to her, a slight she found humiliating. Attempting to stay composed, she planned to host a gathering and invite Charlotte, ensuring Hugo would be there to charm her; she was certain he could get close to Charlotte. Then there was a knock at her door; an elegantly dressed man, the palace professor, entered with a bow.
"Your Majesty, these are Lady Leroux's results," he reported.
The queen's dismay grew upon reviewing them.
"She's a fool; she'll never reach the required standard. Thank you, Professor; you shall be my witness," she stated.
"At your service, Your Majesty. This decision is sound; after five years, that girl has shown no improvement," he concurred.
"Dismissed. I will call upon you when the time comes," the queen instructed, then summoned Nidia and Rogelia.
That same afternoon, Charlotte and Sigrid traveled by carriage to a village plagued by an illness that left strange marks on the men's arms, suggesting a curse. As mages, they had to address this, and Charlotte, needing a break from her office, volunteered for the fieldwork.
"You should've sent others; how dull," Sigrid complained.
"May I remind you, young duke, I did not ask you to come; you got into the carriage of your own accord," she retorted.
"I thought we'd be going somewhere interesting, not the middle of nowhere," he peered out the window.
They drove cautiously through the forest, mindful of any sudden dangers.
"Feel free to go back to the tower, or better yet, your own home," she suggested.
"But if I do, who will hold you while you sleep?" he winked.
"That would be lovely; I'd sleep more comfortably," she replied.
The journey lasted hours before they arrived at an open field, eventually reaching a quaint village...
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