CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A DAUGHTER'S DEPARTURE
The following day was just another ordinary day for Ciara, but for the rest of her family and even the maid, it held great significance. It marked the occasion when Lady Ciara would formally present herself to the royal palace. Throughout her life, Ciara had never attended any parties or gatherings outside of her father's palace. The only social gatherings she had experienced were the family gatherings, where relatives from both her father's and mother's sides would come together. It wasn't that Ciara had never received invitations to other gatherings, but her parents had always declined them, considering it a means of protecting her from the harsh realities of the world.
Ciara was abruptly awakened from her sleep early in the morning. Reluctantly, she resisted getting out of bed until her maid whispered to her, reminding her about potentially canceling the engagement. Hearing this, Ciara swiftly opened her eyes and arose from her bed. However, what she beheld was truly astonishing. In all her life, only Flower and her nanny had been responsible for dressing her, but now there were seven maids present. Intrigued, she got out of bed and approached them. The first maid held a towel, the second held her stunning dress, the third held a beautiful white fur coat adorned with silver thread designs. The fourth maid held her undergarments, the fifth maid held her shoes, the sixth held her accessories, and the seventh held a small box whose contents were unknown to her.
Upon witnessing this sight, Ciara nodded in approval and let out a soft sigh before making her way to the bathroom. The bathwater was filled with scented flowers, emanating a delightful fragrance. Flower assisted Ciara in undressing and guided her into the luxurious bathtub. With gentle care, the maids began to scrub Ciara's body, ensuring that she felt incredible. They meticulously carried out their tasks, conscious of the need to please Ciara to prevent her anger from flaring up.
She felt incredible by the time they finished bathing her. Once her bath was complete, the maids dressed her up, and when they were finished, she gazed into the mirror, unable to believe her own beauty. The small box, which had been held by the seventh maid, was now presented to her. Curious, she opened it only to find a delicately embroidered piece of fabric. She scoffed at it, but Flower took it and begged her to use it instead of the one on her face, and she later agreed. After completing her dressing, she was escorted out of her chamber, where her entire family awaited her, including relatives from both her mother and father's sides. Ciara couldn't believe her own eyes; she was simply going to greet the Empress, not getting married. Nevertheless, she managed to contain her anger.
Upon reaching the gathering place where her family was staying, Ciara greeted them all. Her grandmother, Lady Mirabelle, took hold of her hand and spoke softly, "Ciara, you must make our family proud." Ciara nodded gently, a small smile crossing her lips. She then approached her mother and father to bid them farewell. Her mother embraced her tightly and advised her to behave well, not wanting to bring any trouble upon the family. Ciara promised to behave accordingly and then said, "Please can Eugene come with me? I think I might behave well if she is with me." Ciara said, and Clarissa looked at Vivian, who nodded in agreement, and she quickly hugged her aunt, Vivian. With a mischievous grin, Vivian remarked, "You must think you're quite lucky, having the entire family here to see you off, even though you're not getting married. Let's see how long that special treatment lasts." She said and then disengaged from her, but Ciara, undeterred, moved closer to Vivian again and hugged her and whispered, "If I were you, I would do everything in my power to prevent my marriage, for the day I become the crown prince's wife will be the beginning of your miseries." Ciara smirked, asserting her own resolve.
Vivian, looking at her in disbelief, hurriedly approached her mother, Lady Mirabelle, inquiring about the extent of Ciara's power to punish or do something bad to her family if she were to become the crown princess. Mirabelle replied, "that is not possible, as she would be perceived as a heartless crown princess and may even be unable to ascend to the position of Empress. However, I advise you to focus on other concerns. Once Ciara becomes the crown princess, if she were to make any punishable mistakes, instead of punishing her directly, she will have the authority to choose any of her family members to take the punishment in her stead. This punishment may even include the worst punishment, which is more cruel than you can imagine." Vivian questioned, "but can't I refuse to be punished in her place?"
Mirabelle stared at her intently and said, "If someone were able to refuse, would I have reason to concern you with it?" Fear filled Vivian's eyes as she processed this information and looked towards Ciara, who smugly smirked at her before departing for the palace through a magical portal.