Chapter 63: Chapter 60: Swan Lake (1)

"My lady, the nobles have started to gather."Vienna Golden Hall sat idly on a chair, her long yellow dress flowing down to the ground while the mirror reflected her face. A beauty that would drive many pageant winners to suicide was her every morning. Not much affected the girl, who was perfect in every sphere. In fact, she could count the problems of her heart on a single hand.

But now, there was something that bogged down her mind even on such an important day.

'Will he get by? Is his vision just bad, or is he completely blind? How did he defeat me like that?'

Vienna was a person who kept her siblings at the top. Even more than her parents, who didn't think much of marrying multiple times, her regard for her siblings was extreme, and this one person who was no better than an enemy of her younger brother was now filling her mind.

If he were just a child night disowned, she wouldn't have thought much of him, but that wasn't it. He was overly competent, not only was he strong but he also acted on edge as if he was no more than a guest at this place.

And more than all of it, the way he played the piano.

Vienna remembered it pristinely. The lament in the form of notes that his fingers soulfully screamed out, all of it was etched deeply in her mind.

If not a family's love, what else could such a person be looking for?

If she knew that Eugene's only longing was more strength and that he couldn't bother with vying for a family, then she would have had a stroke right then and there.

After taking one last look at herself, she turned to the maid she had kept waiting for so long.

"It is two hours too early, we'll adjust the time if all the nobles gather."

"Two hours?" the maid tilted her head. "But, my lady, it is just thirty minutes from the decided time?"

Vienna was stumped at the maid's words. The two of them turned to the clock in her room and looked at the time. Vienna then turned back to see the maid nodding and smiling.

She held in a sigh. Since the maid came from outside, the clock in her room must be the one that was slow. She would ask them to take care of it later.

Sighing, Vienna picked up her golden paper fan and covered her lips as she stepped out of the room while holding a part of her dress. The maid followed right behind Vienna.

As she moved down the stairs, she suddenly ran into a smiling boy. The child with hair the same blonde shade as herself came running to her with two more children following right behind, in the hands of the youngest was a small black orb with red engravings. Vienna stopped and stared at the orb which exuded ominousness.

"Sister!!" the oldest of her younger siblings, Billy Ard Hall, called out to her in a happy voice. "We found one too! Let's go together!"

"Found one?" Vienna voiced. "What is that thing in your hand?"

The children came to a stop in front of her while hopping on their spots.

"Sister, you look very pretty!"

"Why, thank you, Leon. But that won't change the topic."

"I-it's sister's birthday..." the youngest one looked down at the orb in her hands while sticking her upper lip out. "S-so I'll give it to sister."

Vienna wanted to scoop up her sister in a tight hug when she saw her reddened cheeks, but held herself back. "Bill, explain. What is that."

"Explain? It's a bomb?"

"B-bomb!?"

A few eyes turned toward Vienna when she voiced it out loud. Some of the people in the castle seemed to be smiling happily while observing from a distance while some looked at the orb with fire in their eyes. The reaction of the people to a bomb placed hundreds of more questions in Vienna's mind.

She was certain she had said bomb. So why were they all so relaxed? Sёarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"W-what is happening here?" Even the brilliant Vienna was stumped.

"My, could it be you were not aware of the event?" Billy asked. "Then maybe father prepared it as a surprise for you! Since you were holed in your room all day you must have missed the news."

Billy extended a neatly folded pamphlet that he pulled out of his coat pockets and handed it to Vienna. The girl urgently pulled the pamphlet open and skimmed through it.

[Celebrate the founding with a bang! A special event for the entire city of Dienin!!

People of Dienin! The city needs your help! 10 bombs disguised as mana combustors have been spread around the city by the Evil Squirrel Don Chiik!

If the bombs go out, all the nuts in the city will disappear and no nut chocolates will be made again!]

"What in the world is this...?" Vienna was at a loss for words as she saw the crude illustration of a caped squirrel and a sad group of nuts. She held the paper tighter and read ahead.

[Find the bombs all over the city and gather at the Dienin Castle Square at 7 PM to defeat Don Chiik and save the nuts! All finders of the bombs will receive a special reward like none other! Witness a spectacular fireworks show and many attractions to celebrate the founding eve!

All finders must bring the bombs to Castle Square and inform a knight to maintain integrity!]

"D-don Chiik? Bombs?" Vienna was shocked again. All this would require a high budget, one that she didn't think would escape her eyes. How did her father even plan all this?

"This is the version for the commoners," Billy said. "The nobles were informed by the knights. Quite a lot of them found some, I guess we have to keep the esteemed guests happier than the civilians." The child didn't hide the sarcasm in his voice, but Vienna had not thoughts of it.

Seven PM was just around the corner back when she was in her room.

"Did you know about this?" She turned to her maid and asked.

The maid bowed. "I am sorry, my lady. I thought you would be aware, almost the entire city knew. If I had known you were interested in participating—"

"S-sister can take my prize..." Sydney Hall spoke again, her eyes swelling up. "S-sydney doesn't mind."

Vienna wanted to eat up this girl who forgot to address herself in first person after seeing that cuteness, but held it in.

"I didn't know..." she muttered. It was quite the interesting event, but as one of the people overseeing everything in these lands, she couldn't help but find it odd.

While she was sitting in her room, her entire city was on its feet looking for apparent nut-stealing bombs.

"Sister!" Billy spoke. "We're getting late, let's go together!"

"Y-yesh... sister can take—"

Unable to hold herself back anymore, Vienna pulled her younger sister in her arms and started walking toward the Castle Square with her siblings. Quite the crowd must have already gathered there with the entire city invited.