"Unexpected turn of events"
Thinking about what to reply to the Duke's letter, I sighed heavily.
What would be the best time to meet him? Should I ask if we could meet tomorrow?
No, no, I think that would be improper.
"Are you writing a letter back to the Grand Duke?" Ade questioned and looked at the paper in front of me.
"Yeah, but it's hard to reply when you don't know what to say. I'd like to meet him as soon as possible, but I don't think he'd like that very much." I frowned.
"If you're unsure about the date, you can just tell the Grand Duke that he can pick a day that he's available." Ade said while brewing a cup of tea for me.
"You're a genius, Ade! I'm sure thankful that you're here!" I said with enthusiasm.
Ade chuckled. "Oh, please, you always say that."
"Yup, and I'll keep saying it!"
We both laughed.
After an hour, I finally finished my letter for Xyriel!
It's a letter saying that I'd like us to meet when he's not busy and when it's convenient for him, and I threw in some flowery words too just for the heck of it.
I immediately passed it on to the butler and ordered him to deliver the letter to Xyriel as soon as possible.
Surprisingly, he replied back a day later, saying he'd love for us to meet the day after tomorrow.
I didn't think he'd invite me with so little time.
Usually, aristocrats would invite guests over a month or a week before the said date.
But of course, I'm not complaining though. I wrote back another letter right away and let the butler know to deliver the letter by dawn.
Because of Xyriel's letter, my mood became great! And I headed towards my balcony to get some fresh air.
Although there's an obstacle that has to be cleared out, let's just focus on the positive side right now.
*Knock *knock
"Who is it?" I questioned and looked at my bedroom door.
As soon as I said that, Butler Dave opened the door to my room and bowed down.
"Good afternoon, Princess Zinnia." He greeted.
"Good afternoon to you too, Dave." I replied.
"I came to fetch you. King Alexander and Queen Julian request an audience with you."
Ah, of course, trouble follows when you're happy.
I have no choice but to go. I can't refuse the request made from the King and Queen themselves. They're a different league than Zemis.
"Lead the way." I said, and we both headed to the main hall, where the King and Queen meet guests.
I honestly don't know what to do. Ade is not here with me due to an urgent task she had to take care of, and I don't know why the King and Queen suddenly wanted to meet me.
Crap, are they gonna interrogate me about why the accountant resigned?
No, no, let's not overthink. Maybe they have a surprise for me?
Oh, who am I kidding!? It's definitely about that. Well, I'll just tell them I don't know, then end of story.
"We're here, Princess Zinnia," Dave said and opened the luxurious door in front of us.
I saw the King and Queen sitting graciously on their thrones, and they looked at me with a smile.
Upon seeing them, I started to sweat, and my hands were shaking, but I took a deep breath in before I bowed down.
"Greetings, King Alexander and Queen Julian."
"Greetings, our dear Princess Zinnia. Please, you may rise," the King said.
I stood up and smiled at them.
"I heard from Butler Dave that you requested my presence, Your Majesty."
"Yes, I did summon you, Princess Zinnia."
I gulped upon hearing him say that.
"I heard from the butlers, maids, and even the guards that you're doing a wonderful job managing your area. I was a bit taken aback by the news I heard, so I went to your area to see for myself, and I was stunned by how magnificent you had turned the decorations. It was truly astonishing!" The King said with great enthusiasm.
...
Eh? What?
Did I hear him correctly?
His complimenting me? The King himself?
"Oh dear, I must admit, you truly changed your area into a whole new world," the Queen said and clapped.
Is this for real?
"T-thank you so much for the compliments. With the help of others, we managed to change the decorations and also repaired the area which was overlooked."
"Tell me, who was it that helped you plan the exterior?"
"No one, Your Majesty. All of the planning and designs were purely from my own preference."
Both of their eyes widened, and they looked at each other, their expressions showing disbelief.
They couldn't believe I was responsible for all the designs and decorations.
Even in my past life, designing and decorating was a habit of mine. I would give people advice online about what goes well with their walls and floors, and all of them would love my ideas.
"I never knew you were capable of such things, My Child," the King said.
"Indeed, even I'm at a loss for words," the Queen added.
"I'm not only capable of designing the exterior and interior of the palace. I'm also proficient in handling the funds as well."
I think this is a perfect opportunity to win their affection!
"King Alexander and Queen Julian, no... I mean father and mother." I looked down, but I saw both of them shocked by what I said.
"I know I may not have been the best daughter, and I'm fully aware of my mistakes from the past. Even now, I'm still ashamed of what I did before, but I hope you will give me another chance to prove to you both that I have changed."
"I won't be like how I was before. And for that, I wish for your support." I went down on all fours to try and evoke more of their sympathy.
"Please, Zinnia, my child, stand up. You should not bow like that, even to us." The King stood up and walked in front of me, patting both my shoulders.
I looked up at him and saw how he smiled so dazzlingly, looking right at me. For some reason, it made me cry.
The Queen followed right after and gave me a hug.
"I'm sorry, my dear child. I know that we haven't always been there with you even in your darkest moments, but I want you to know that we care for you." The Queen said and caressed my hair.
Her words made me cry even more.
"T-thank *hic- you *hic-." I cried, and they both chuckled.
"Silly child," the King said.
Good golly, it was never in my plan to bawl my eyes out. But I guess this was for the best.
This situation lightened up my mood. Maybe this was the 'real' Zinnia's feelings. How these little words would mean so much to her.
After that, both the King and Queen gave me another hug and dismissed me. They said I should rest for now from all the crying I did, and we will continue with the discussion at a different time.
Butler Dave guided me back to my room, and when he opened the door, I saw Ade waiting worriedly while nibbling her thumb.
Butler Dave then bowed down and walked away.
"Ade," I said while rubbing my eyes.
"Zinnia! What happened to you?! Are you sick? Did the King say anything bad?!" Ade bombarded me with questions while scanning my body from left to right.
"No, I just cried my heart out, that's all." I chuckled.
Ade then grabbed my cheeks and stared at me intensely.
"Did the King and Queen hurt you?" She said in a serious tone.
"It's nothing like that, really." I assured her and pushed both her hands away.
"Firstly, can you make some tea first? Let me calm down for a bit, and then I'll talk." I said and proceeded to lay down on my sofa.
"Certainly!"
After that, I told Ade what happened, she also cried after hearing the story, but we both laughed it off afterwards.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone