Chapter 237 - Alluring and Dazzling (1)

As Alexandra and her friends were having their usual tea party, water droplets suddenly poured out of the sky and they have to make a run back inside the palace. Thankfully, there wasn't any food damaged as they already ate it all, not noticing that because they were just talking the whole time. Their guards or knights came and were able to shield them from the rain though.

However, their clothes were drenched as well as them. Alexandra has asked for the maids to bring them some towels and some spare clothes that they could wear. Although the two of them have to wear clothes that were for the female guests as they just can't let them wear the princess' clothes, of course.

They were going to take a bath, a warm one as it was cold.

This already happened before but with Amanda when she accidentally toppled over the glass of juice and it poured at her dress, she was wearing a light-colored one during that time so the stain was seen. Alexandra has to let her borrow one of the dresses that she rarely wears that time, so she didn't mind it at all. It suits and fitted her, anyway.

Because of that incident, she has asked her father to buy some sort of spare dresses and such in case that happens once again. It's better to be prepared.

It only took Alexandra half an hour to take a bath. She only did it by herself though, she doesn't need anyone's help. She just has to take a bath but she needs some help when she would be changing her clothes. Amanda and Maribelle are taking a bath in a different bathroom, they are either in the living room where they asked them to stay first or changing with the help of the maids.

"Shall I tie your hair up, princess?" Diana asked her as she was sitting in front of the mirror in her room. She was already dressed in different clothing, it was a red apron dress. Her necklace which was given by Harrison was seen, it matched the color of the dress as the pendant was also a red gem. She couldn't help but smile every time she sees it as it would remind her of Harrison.

I hope he's safe, she thought to herself before she responded to Diana's question.

"Just tie it into a ponytail," She said and saw Diana nodded as a response with the help of their reflection in the mirror. She unconsciously fiddled and played with the pendant of the necklace in her neck as she hummed a happy tune of a random song that popped up inside her head as she watched Diana gather all of her hair to the center at the back of her head, tying it up with a white ribbon.

"You always fiddle and play with the pendant of that necklace. Aside from that, you won't take it off unless you are going to take a bath. I don't remember seeing that in your collections or set of jewelry. From whom did you get that, princess?" Diana asked her, letting out a small hum in the end. She's the first one who commented or said something about that, the others probably didn't notice it and just thought that it was somehow a habit of the princess to fiddle with the pendants of her necklaces.

Diana was sharp as always.

Alexandra just giggled before she responded, "Oh, this? I got this from someone special," She trusts Diana the most, so she didn't hesitate in telling her that. She still hasn't told her about the confession between her and Harrison though.

"From Harrison?"

"How did you know that?" Alexandra asked her in a gentle tone. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, there was a smile seen on Diana's face.

"I have known you for years, princess. I have always been there for you ever since you were born. I know you more than others do," Diana said, still smiling. She sounded proud and confident about what she has said. Alexandra blinked her eyes multiple times. She just realized that Diana has been serving her for 14 years and is planning on serving her until her last breath. Despite her age, Diana looked quite young.

The same goes for Carlos. Despite both of their ages, they have this youthful appearance. Carlos was 25 while Diana was 32. Both of them looked like they were not planning on falling in love despite being in that age where people are either married or in love. Well, Diana told her that she is going to serve Alexandra until her last breath and the same probably goes with Carlos.

Alexandra opened her mouth and spoke, "Yeah, right."

"So tell me, before we go down the living room, what happened between the two of you? I'm sure that something might have happened before he left with his so-called mission or task which was given to him by Sir Friyedor. Don't worry, I won't say it to anyone else. You can trust me, princess," Diana asked her. She knows that Harrison was one of the palace wizards and a disciple of Sir Friyedor.

The recollection about that memory where they confessed to each other came rushing inside her mind and she took a moment before she responded, quite shy and embarrassed about it.

--

Alexandra and Diana along with Carlos are already making their way towards the living room. It only took Alexandra and Diana talk about the confession, it was quite fast but with those 10 minutes, it feels like it was 30 minutes. Diana was somehow fangirling and she was quite happy when she heard about it.

She also told her that she noticed Alexandra's feelings for Harrison before she could realize it herself but she didn't say anything as she thought that Alexandra might figure it fast. To think that Harrison also bore the same feeling as her, it was quite unexpected and she was joyful.

--"I advise you not telling this to your brothers and father at the moment. Just wait for the right time, okay? I'll be here, don't worry."

She told her that and Alexandra felt more relieved and relaxed than ever.

"Diana, you look weird," Alexandra heard Carlos say as they were walking.

"What do you mean by that, you child?" As Diana was older than Carlos for 7 years, she has this habit of calling him 'child' instead of by his name. It was like to mock or tease him.

"You're smiling since earlier. Usually, you would either have this calm and expressionless look or a grumpy and irritated look. What's with you?"

"Just mind your own business, will you?" Diana said and Alexandra just listened to their conversation. They didn't realize that they already arrived in front of the door of the living room and Diana parted ways with that, going to do her work, probably. Carlos opened the door for her and she entered the room.

There she saw her two friends chatting with each other. Their knights were on guard outside as well as Carlos because she asked him to. She has a hunch that they are going to talk about something that only they wanted to know or something like that.

They noticed her enter the room thus making their heads turn at Alexandra's direction. Alexandra waved and smiled at them before she made their way towards the set of couches and sofa where they are, she sat on the settee near her and made herself comfortable.

[A settee, also called a sofa, an upholstered seat with back and arms (sometimes upholstered), designed to accommodate two or more people in a sitting or reclining position.]

"Princess, you're finally here. We were just talking about Maribelle's feelings for Arthur," Alexandra's mouth shaped into an 'o' before she responded. "What about it?" She asked in a curious tone of voice.

Amanda grinned mischievously before her eyes darted at Maribelle's direction, her gaze remained there for a few seconds before she returned it to Alexandra. A chuckle escaped her lips and she responded, "She wants to make a move on Arthur."

"Heh~" Alexandra couldn't help but grin when she heard what Amanda said. Maribelle's eyes widened as a blush has made its way to her cheeks, she started to speak and panic while doing multiple hand gestures, trying her best to not stutter. Alexandra and Maribelle just watched her, amused.

"It's not like that! I just want him to notice me or something like that. Since my birthday is coming and my family usually invited their family along with Arthur but he rarely comes as he was busy with his tasks as a palace wizard and disciple. Though I made sure that he was going to come, I somehow pleaded or something, telling him that he rarely comes to my birthday and I want him to come this time. I want him to notice me in that day and somehow thinks that I'm beautiful or something."

Right, Maribelle is going to turn 17 soon on the 9th day of June. May is about to end and Alexandra's two younger brothers are going to return to the academy but that's Chandler's last year, he is going to graduate soon yet he still doesn't know what he is planning to do after. He would probably just train and train with their eldest brother then mess around with her.

Amanda has turned 17 on the 23rd of January. Alexandra was always invited to the banquets of their birthday and she would always come. She received an invitation from Maribelle for her 17th birthday.

Her usual calm and cool composure have shattered.

"You're somehow like Arthur with the way you're acting," Alexandra said and Maribelle blinked her eyes multiple times as she stared at her before she smiled widely.

"Why do you look so happy?" Amanda asked her with her eyebrows furrowed. Maribelle just ignored her and Alexandra sighed.

"However, about what you said earlier it's like the same."

"I want him to look at my direction. I don't want to make a move on him or something, you know what I mean?"

"Oh, so you want him to somehow look at you and admire you or something without doing anything at all?" Alexandra nodded multiple times before she spoke, quite confused with what Maribelle was trying to say.

"Something like that."

"Easy, make him jealous!" Amanda said.

"How?"

"Dance with other guys in that birthday, talk with them or something, try to act friendly with other guys, make sure that he is looking, then he will drag you somewhere, pin you on a wall, and—"

"Did that happen to you?" Alexandra interrupted Amanda, her eyebrows were furrowed and the person that she is talking to just looked at her direction then gave her a sly smile while giving her a thumbs-up as a response. Alexandra just sighed as Maribelle rolled her eyes playfully.

"That's way too unrealistic, change of plans. Let's make sure that you're going to be beautiful in your banquet. Like really beautiful that everyone would look at your direction and wouldn't take their eyes off you."

"But princess, you would be there."

"What about me being there?"

"You're way too beautiful even wearing just simple clothes and having your hair down, no matter what you wear, you're still beautiful. You might even grab everyone's attention in the banquet, is what Mari was trying to say," Amanda spoke. Alexandra's mouth shaped into an 'o'. I don't know if I should agree with that or not.

"Should I just hide or appear late?" Alexandra asked.

"That won't do anything."

"Then what should we do?"

"We all have our own kind of beauty, is what I would like to say but that won't do anything. They will first notice your appearance and judge you with that, stop lying people. We have to make sure that you'll be the center of attention with your appearance! Don't worry, you're beautiful, I'm beautiful, the princess is beautiful, we're beautiful but you should be much more than that, you are much more than that. You will be dazzling as the sun, as alluring and lovely as a flower, as elegant as a swan, and as stunning and glamorous as a diamond or gem," Amanda said. It felt like she was worshipping Maribelle or something.

Alexandra just giggled and they discussed what Maribelle should do in her 17th birthday banquet so that Arthur would notice her and probably, start to bear some feelings for her.