Chapter 8 - Viviana de feur Lostel - A Sudden Visit

Ling Mei caught a fever due to 'shock' as the physician have stated after the horse incident. She have been staying inside her bedroom for almost a week and a half, and refused Vernon's summons with the reason that she doesn't feel well when in fact she has already recovered from her fever 3 days ago.

Taiyou Palace (the emperor's palace)

In the dim lighted throne room, Vernon sat casually on his throne wearing a white robe with gold and maroon linings on the edges, a maroon sash attached on his left shoulder and tucked in gold and maroon belt, his elbow on the armrest as his right cheek rests on his knuckle.

His cold gaze directed at the knight who was kneeling in front of him.

"So you are saying… today too, she won't come, is that it?" Vernon's dangerously low voice rang inside the quite room.

The knight or Leo felt cold and can't help but swallow his own saliva with the pressure he's getting from the emperor and his nervousness.

"Y-your Majesty, forgive this s-servant for I have failed you."

"What's her reason to refuse this Emperor's summons?"

"t-that…ermmm…P-princess Viviana is still f-feeling unwell."

"Not feeling well, huh?" Vernon trailed. "I heard from Physician Grim that she's already recovered." The room temperature dropped lower than before as Vernon said this. What he despises and cannot forgive are liars.

Leo flinched and felt like crying. 'Why does he felt like his Majesty is getting mad?'

Both the emperor and the knight looked his way. Vernon urged him to continue while Leo felt relieved the attention of his Majesty isn't on him.

"If I may be presumptuous, I think that Princess Viviana is sulking right now."

Vernon's eyes narrowed. "sulking? What for?"

"T-this… His Majesty hasn't visited the Princess to ask for her health … that's why I think Princess Viviana is sulking."

"And why should I visit her palace just to ask about her health when I can just send someone to inquire?" Vernon questioned and raised his right eyebrow.

Theo wants to knock some sense out of his Emperor for being clueless around children. And she's his daughter at that!

"Your Majesty, showing your care personally is different from sending my brother. Children want the attention and care of their parents, and PRINCESS VIVIANA IS STILL A CHILD." He specifically emphasized the last part of his sentence.

Vernon stayed quiet for a while before mumbling "So childish." and started staring outside the floor to ceiling window.

Theo sighed and shook his head lightly feeling a little helpless for his emperor.

"Let's go." Vernon suddenly commanded and stood from his throne. The twins were still standing there - confused when Vernon has already started walking towards the door.

Vernon looked back "What are you two still doing?"

Leo stood up, feeling his legs slightly buckling. "ermm. Your Majesty where to?"

"Where else? To visit the sick."

The two gaped but immediately walked behind the emperor. They couldn't believe that he would personally visit their princess all of a sudden. Although Theo did mention, it is not something the emperor would do. It is so out of character.

Leo who has his emotion written all over his face looked at Theo, the latter looked back at him with his emotions masked. The two communicated through their eyes.

'What happened to his Majesty?' - Leo

'Don't ask me, I also don't know.' - Theo

'Is he possessed?' - Leo

'…goodness.'

'It would be good if it's a ghost of a loving father….'

Surrounding the path walk leading to Tacita Palace are numerous trees which made the place slightly cool. In addition, Tacita is slightly elevated than the other palaces.

On some subshrubs, Linnaea twin flower have started blooming, becoming the belle of the mini forest. Vernon noticed this and couldn't help but stop to gaze at it, feeling a slight melancholy which he shook off immediately.

"She's becoming more and more brazen…."

The twins who were walking behind him also stopped and heard this.

Leo who has no tact started blabbering. "I think so too your majesty, she's just like her moth—"

Theo elbowed his brother when he noticed where the emperor was looking and for him to stop digging his grave. Leo shot a hurt look at his older twin brother which earned him a glare.

The aura surrounding Vernon suddenly became sharp and chilling. "You don't need to remind me of someone who I've already forgotten." After saying this, he redirected his sight back to the path walk and started walking.

After ten steps… "Leo… Pick those pale pink flowers. I want them fully bloomed and would be enough for a bouquet. Do it fast."

"Eh? Now?"

Vernon didn't respond but Leo felt his aura pressuring him. "Y-yes Your Majesty!" and quickly fled towards the Linnaea flowers.

Vernon and Theo walked quietly after Leo went to pick flowers. When they have reached the gates of the palace, Vernon's brow furrowed. "Why aren't there any guards?"

Theo didn't if he should respond or not. 'Your majesty, you didn't ȧssign guards at the princess' palace.'

Entering the palace, one of the few maids saw them and paid her respect rather dazedly. 'I-it's the emperor! The emperor is here! I'm not dreaming am I?!'

She guided them while the other maids also saw them which caused shocked and confusion. Upon seeing Viviana's Palace, Vernon's brows furrowed again.

"Why is this palace so dilapidated?"

Everyone didn't know if they have to respond or not, and felt like crying. 'Your Majesty, it was you who gave this palace to the princess and didn't favour her highness all this time.' Although they felt indignant, they kept it into their minds.

Ling Mei who doesn't know she has visitors was sitting on her bed, her mind somewhere else. The guardian who was floating leisurely around her room did notice the visitors. On why they wouldn't alert Ling Mei, Lucy is asleep as Fer has told her earlier while he on the other hand felt like 'It's fun.'

"I'm bored." Ling Mei started, her voiced lazed with laziness.

"How about you do something about the mission? Or----- you could also fail it. The punishment is something to look forward and enjoy for." Fer smiled maliciously and because Lucy is sleeping, the right half of the body is controlled by him. Lucy's innocent and kind face turned ugly and it looked so creepy.

'Damn this devil, ruining a beautiful face just like that.'

"Why did you have to transfer me into a baby's body?" Ling Mei said feeling wronged.

"It's not something we can control." Fer flatly said. "and--- you're already lucky your soul is inside a HUMAN body." After that, he laughed mischievously.

Ling Mei felt there was something wrong at what he said, her eyes opened wide. "You mean….I'll be transmigrated not only in a human body?"

"hehehe." Fer didn't answer but looked at her teasingly like hinting 'You guess, not gonna tell.'

"You are impossible." She can only sigh. "What to do now? I can't even meet other characters in the story transmitted to me."

"Improving?"

"What would you do when you do meet the lost soul and system? You gonna have a staring contest with them? Eating contest? A brawl when you only have that puny weak body of yours without any experience in fighting?" Every word that fer has said shot arrows at Ling Mei. She wants to protest! It's not her fault, this is her just first world after all.

As she is housing a body of a little girl, her eyes become teary.

"What I want to say is… become strong…." Her eyes lift up when Fer has said that but was immediately put down. "… although, I don't really have faith on you."

But she realized there is something she can do. 'Train! If I know martial arts or the art of fighting at least… at least, I won't be hopeless!'

She felt giddy when ideas of training immediately entered her mind. She was organizing thoughts, like tempering her body, learning martial arts and wielding weapons…but the thing is how? She only have maids, what more they are the only ones she knew.

Her mind wandered to her Father Emperor, after that a court battle started in her mind.

'No. no. no. that might not work.' – A Viviana holding a hand mirror dismissed the idea.

'But he is the only who can help.~' – A Viviana holding a rabbit said.

'Even b-before we meet the system we m-might get killed by him instead.'- A Viviana with gloomy atmosphere argued.

'I'll beat him up if he does!'A Viviana with arrogance and confident yelled enthusiastically.

The three looked at him, and monotonously said . 'Like you can.'

'oi! I can---'

'How about we try it? Ask him to help and if it doesn't work… attack with cuteness.' – A Viviana wearing spectacles looked at Viviana rabbit. The others looked also and started contemplating.

'hmmm… that might work.'

'…m-my thoughts are not i-important.'

'If it doesn't work I'll beat him up!'

'ne~~~…. You didn't ask my opinion!~'

'that's settled then.. Goodluck Viviana.'

"What are you spacing out for?"

Line Mei snapped out of her thoughts and jumped out of her bed.

'Before that, let's do what we can do here.' She started stretching her muscles before running around her room.

On her third ŀȧp around her room, a maid knocked on her room but she didn't notice it as she was in her own little world. The door suddenly opened and it just coincidentally did when she was about to pass it.

Ling Mei was caught off guard when she saw the door opened. She couldn't control her speed and movements right. The next moment she was feeling a painful sensation on her forehead and was already rolling on the ground.

The people who were standing outside watched her dumbly. 'err----Who…. Is that?'