Chapter Four

I sigh again for the nth time today while I play with the system in my headspace. Serves it right. It's been two days since I woke up from this world and met the Monarch. It took almost all of my courage in just one day and yet, the system said I came on a perfect timing that day? Ridiculous! Who on their right mind would believe that?

It seems like the system can't take my violence anymore and starts complaining instead of struggling from my hands, "Host, don't you think you need to prepare a plan? There's only 13 more days before the fated day!" I smirked and squeeze him even harder.

"What? Only if you didn't put that kind of task I would have gone according to my initial plan." I said and remember how it ruin my plan two days ago.

When I opened my eyes, it's like the time was frozen. I observed their different expressions, it's after the prophet recited the prophecy. The Duchess looks terrified, the Duke has a grief reaction while the King has a complicated complexion in his eyes. I wonder if he will still do the actions he has done just like the information I received.  

It didn't take long before I felt an unusual warm feeling in my body and the next time I know, the people around me also start moving. I stare at the prophet who was still standing and looking at the bright light coming from the scroll. Is it just me or does he look like he wasn't affected by that strange incident?

The Duchess holds my hand tightly and I feel like if these people have some absurd idea towards me and move unexpectedly, she will take me and run away from this place.  

The bright lights start fading but the tension inside the room keeps increasing as time passes by. I secretly watch the reaction of the King, as expected, he stands still and looks calmly at the situation. "Have anyone known the prophecy?" He asked.

"Aside from the Monarch himself and the Ruler, no one else has known about this." After that, he stands up and gestures something to the other two who remain alert and then, directly arched their back to the King. "We shall now take our leave." Surprisingly, they didn't even want to stay one more minute with us.

The King nodded and slightly bow his head to the prophet. They talk a little more that we can't hear from where we're standing. The Duke also comes near them and joins their discussion. I don't need to wonder how they were able to talk without us hearing them despite how narrow this room is.

"My dear," The Duchess tried her best to smiles at me. "Don't worry, this has to be a mistake. Your father and I will be with you, always. We can fix this, okay?" If she have told me this before I even met the Monarch, I would love to reject her offer as I need to personally meet him to obtain his favor, but now as I remember our encounter I know that I shouldn't meet him in the meantime.

"I know, Mother. I'm not afraid, I believe in you." I smile at her but she looks even more distressed and her tears start piling in her eyes. "Oh dear," She hugged me and the only thing I can do is to pat her back. I shifted my eyes as she reminds me of someone from my past world. 

From her shoulders, I saw how the prophet finally take his leave, but before that, he looks in my direction and directly meet my eyes. His face is blank and expressionless but I feel a hint of ridicule in it. It's like, he found my situation funny and entertaining. My impression of him decreases drastically.

And here I thought he's different from what I read in the information but reality kicks that possibility away. I chuckled silently and even wanted to hit myself for having some thoughts like that. The Duke walks toward us, the Duchess also notice the departure of the prophet and tried to compose herself. I also stand straight and smile at the Duke. I move my eyes away and stare at the King who was on his side. He signaled something to the knight. They nod and silently left the room, leaving only me, the Duke, the Duchess, and the King.

A couple of minutes have passed but we're still in silence. The King breaks the ice and asks me, "I hope this didn't ruin your night, Lady." I shakes my head and answered honestly. "No, your Majesty." This night not only ruin my night but also the following days or even months of my stay here. I thought.

He nodded and looks at the Duke. "I was told that 15 days from now is the fated day when she will be fetched by the Monarch and announce the prophecy and her identity to the public." He stares intently at him. "You know that I  can't do  much if the order came from the Ruler." The Duke bows his head, I know that this is the first time we met but the image of him looking so helpless stirs something inside of me.

"Does the feelings of past Selene may affect my emotion?" I asked the system. "No, host." I frowned but decided to throw the whole thing at the back of my head, I will personally investigate in the future if it's true. The system senses my lack of trust in it and starts complaining about my lack of gratitude. 

I pay it no attention and bring back my interest to the King and the Duke. "We will talk about this tomorrow, for now, we should take a rest." He looks at us. "Or we can continue the celebration tonight." The Duchess stares at me, letting me decide what I wanted to do.

I switch my eyes from the Duchess to the Duke. "I think we should take a rest first. I already had my fun tonight in the hall. I would like to stay with my family right now, Your Majesty." I said while purposely making myself sound tired and confused with the situation but never bothered to ask for more. The King nodded and switch his gaze to the Duke. "You can stay and we'll wait for the orders if you want." The  Duke distracted but then said firmly, "It's my pleasure to stay with you, Your Majesty but I would like to stay with my daughter right now." 

I can't help but blink my eyes when I heard him. Selene is lucky enough to have this kind of parent. Thinking about how they will end up in the future makes me kinda uncomfortable.

"I understand." The King sigh and asks me again. "Before you go, I would like to know something. What do you think about the prophecy?" The coldness of the room creeps inside of my skin but compared to what I experienced with the Monarch, it's nothing to mention about. 

I opened my mouth, wanting to say how badly I don't have any intention to meet the monarch but then the system sense my plan and starts complaining again. "Host! You need to meet him again. it's part of your mission." Hell, I know but that didn't stop me from rejecting the idea of meeting him again.

"No, Host!" Before I knew it, I heard a computer-like voice.

"Hidden task open.

Congratulations on opening a hidden task from the system.

Hidden Task: Convince your family how much you want to meet the Monarch.

Task Points: 500."

I can't help but to knitted my brows after what it said.

"Selene?" I tilt my head up and look at the King and my parents who look concerned with my lack of response. "It's my bad for asking you such a question, you should now take your rest." I felt the concern from his voice and so, I gaze at him apologetically. "It's my fault, Your Majesty." He waves his hands and a high-ranked knight entered the room. The King look at us for the last time before taking his leave, probably got to fetch the Queen and go back home to the palace. 

The Duchess hugged me before leading me to my room, the Duke needs to go back to the hall first to officially end the celebration tonight. While walking to my room, I look coldly at the black and ball-shaped piece of crap floating on my headspace. I realize the crisis that I need to face with my palm as it tried to run away from me. Of course, I wouldn't let him get out of my sight. After catching its body, I hold it tightly. "Host! The system prevents this kind of malpractice  and violence!" It struggles from my hand.

"Will something like that may happen in the future, huh?" One thing I hate the most is to lost control of what's happening. I let some of my true presence and intent out. It shivers from my hand and that confirmed one thing. 

It's a living entity. Unlike the one I read before, it has feelings of touch and sense.

"Host," It calls me in a soft voice but that didn't stop me from holding it. "Will something like that may happen again?" I  repeat.

The idea of it keeps on ruining my plan by bestowing some kind of sudden task that I know for sure wasn't originally included keeps making my head hurt. I know that some hidden task will open when I touch or come across the plot but something a little like that will never be part of it and the fact that it appears suddenly after it rejects my plan, confirmed how it manipulated what happened.

"I can only ask for something a little like that. " It answered. "Why?" I asked again. "I just want to help you, Host. In the past Selene also rejected the idea of  meeting the Monarch so, I thought that maybe you should convince your parent to meet him to change the plot."  I frowned and felt the honesty in its voice. The moment I know that it's a living entity I can now detect its true intention and thoughts.

I secretly feel relief that at least I don't need to keep my guard so high when I'm around it as I know for sure that we will stay together in this place for a long time. It's better to have a neutral companion. Still, I rolled my eyes on it and squeeze him lightly, "Don't you know the words reverse psychology huh? Do you think I'm dumb enough to reject that chance? I just need to convince the King that I'm not interested but what did you do? You ruined my plan." It shivers and starts rubbing its body on my palm, seeking forgiveness for its reckless move.

"I'm sorry, Host! I won't do it again." Then added silently, "If not necessarily." and giggles. I glared at it. "And you have the guts to laugh, huh?" It realizes how I can fully hear what it said and struggles again. "No, I'm not!" That whole night, I tormented it and used it as a stress ball. 

The system also remembered what happened two days ago and looks horrified. "I already told you that I won't do it again, Host!" I smirked before finally letting it go. 

I look at the mirror and this reminds me of the first day I came here, it's just that I'm wearing less grandeur than before. 

"Lady,  the Duke calls you to attend to the visitor's hall." One of the maidservants said as she obediently pay her respect to me. I nodded and smiles sweetly. "Tell him I'm coming." She bows blushingly before walking outside my room. 

The time has come. I wonder what she is like? The other maidservant put a veil on my face, leaving only my eyes to appear a cover the rest. It's a standard rule here, especially if I'm meeting an outsider or someone whose rank is below my family. Despite that, It didn't cover the beauty of Selene but only enhance the mysteriousness and allure of my presence.

I stand up and calls Amelia to lead the way. Now, I also have two trusted knights of the Aphelion family to protect me in case of an emergency. I walk down the aisle and everyone around me bows but stares secretly, admiring the Lady, even if Selene has been with them since birth, there's something more fascinating with her these past few days, they thought.

The attendant announced my presence and I finally came to the hall only to see three different people aside from my parents. The other two look old and I know is the parent of a girl wearing white in the middle. It has ash-gray colored hair, pale purple eyes, and looks very petite. Like a living doll. 

As expected, according to the timeline from the information, they found the girl who almost has the same characteristics from the prophecy. The girl who will be my substitute shortly. The one who will be with the Monarch and torture a lot of humans in her era, Ellen.