Chapter 3: Riddle Me, Grab

Evy has experience job hunting before. Any opening available, she would try to apply.

Sometimes even goes as far as to work as an intern for a long time before they finally give her a position.

That was how dedicated she was. Others would say crazy.

Yet, it was a bit different here.

There were no such things as companies. She wanted her prospects to widen so she was planning to go to the city only to find out that she wasn’t allowed to bring anyone with her.

Geographical-wise, she can easily get lost.

The Duke was willing to drive her anywhere she wanted as long as she can tell in them advance. So she can’t just willy-nilly go anywhere in the city.

When she asked Oji-san for help, she was told that she might get lucky with being a maid.

Just like Holly.

Since she was already open to the prospect, the only thing she needed was the directions.

That’s how Evy changed her course and tried looking for jobs as a maid or a servant to other prominent houses.

The tricky part was her background. She can’t outright say her family name and she can’t just stick with her first name. So every time she is interviewed, they get held up with her personal information and flop on the spot.

When she was able to forgo the issue of her name, rumors would come to haunt her back, as the interviewer would then ask if it were true that she came from a noble house and which house it would be.

When she can’t supply them with an answer she would be easily declined.

“You were unsuccessful?”

“Please just pour me some tea or coffee… whichever one brings me closer to drinking myself to death, would be fine.”

Evy had come home, jobless, yet again.

This was her third day of trying to find one and it wasn’t looking good.

The memory of the Duke gave her an arrogant look had her spirits down. Added with the feeling of being jobless, it has been a long time since she was like this, and was getting desperate.

“Holly”

“Yes, My Lady?”

The only good thing recently was Holly’s interaction with her was getting better. She was able to look at her from time to time and doesn’t shake as much as the others.

Holly could also strike a conversation with Evy without turning into a raw tomato.

Having at least, one familiar face was better than looking at the mirror and wishing it to talk back to her. She could do that back home but usually, she was busy with work so she was distracted.

“How did you get hired in the Devine household?”

“Actually I used to be a baron’s daughter”

Evy has heard that some of the servants that served them were also members of a few lower-ranked households, so it didn’t come as a surprise when she learned Holly was one of them.

“I was due to be married off but our house was suffering. My engagement got canceled and My brother pulled strings to get hired here. With the pay I get from working as a maid, I can help my family in Tulie. So it wasn’t much of me getting the job rather than my brother’s friend who suggested me”

“Yes. I’m quite familiar with what you’re talking about.”

Only she just found out rather yesterday, that nobody outside of the estate and a few people working under the Duke, has ever seen Lord Devine’s daughter Evelyn.

Which was also one of the reasons, she can’t go around with a Devine personnel in fear of being connected and getting found out.

She plans to first go around looking for jobs that would require a maid, if that doesn’t pan out she’ll search for something else.

By then, she’d had already the needed requirement to keep herself safe and remember the mappings of Polvaros.

Being Evelyn was troublesome.

She kind of heard bad rumors about her. Like how the Duke was so ashamed of her attitude that she didn’t even hold a debut party as other maiden who-are-of-age when they hit 16, and was always locked up in the mansion never to be seen.

No hide.

No hair.

Only rumors.

Because of that, she has no other connections that could help her.

The Duke certainly wasn’t willing to be her backer either. So she’s in a difficult bind.

Evy sighed and drank her tea.

A soft knock on her door and Owen comes in.

Owen is the nice Oji-san that she keeps seeing all around. He is actually the head butler and oversees the other servants under him. He manages the maids and male servants with what the duke wishes them to do. It took Evy a really long time to get his name due to her getting used to calling him nice Oji-san instead.

“Hello, Owen. What is it?” She tiredly asked from her seat.

“A letter of invitation to a tea party?”

“A tea party?”

This time, it kind of caught her attention.

There are parties for tea?

Back in her country, she knew full well that they have parties of birthdays, family reunions, graduations, celebrations, holidays, and more to do with accomplishing something as a group.

Evy hasn’t even attended any of the parties she had just mention. So she’s very curious about what this one entails.

 “The daughter of the Rose family is giving out invitations to any noble family to attend as they will be hosting it for the royal family’s princes and princess’ visitation in Polvaros. Your father was given one and since he’s still busy he can’t go and offered this as you might want to attend on his behalf.”

 “Wasn’t my identity a secret? If I go on behalf of Lord Devine then they’ll know who I am.”

 “There isn’t any house name attached to this invitation. You could go and pose as a low count’s daughter and my Lord could write you up a supporting letter if anyone is suspicious.”

 “Why do I feel like your suggestion just now was illegal. Anyway… What do they even do in these parties?”

“Well, My lady. You can interact with other nobles, eat delicious sweets and even get to see his highness the princes and princesses. I heard they’re very stunning children.”

 Holly’s eyes sparkled while Evy thought it was a hassle.  

She wasn’t even good with social events as she has zero life outside her work.

She remembered she almost threw someone out of the foyer in one of her work mate’s farewell office party. True to her words she didn’t exactly go to the party since she threw him before the party started so technically speaking, it didn’t count.

“I don’t see any merit in going. So I’ll decline for now.”

“Hmm….Okay, my lady. I will inform your father…”

Evy saw Owen hesitate by the door, looking at the letter in question while she sipped the tea Holly had brewed.

“Isn’t Francine Rose looking for a maid in their estate?”

“I believe so.”

“Hm.. We can’t help it if, my lady doesn’t want to attend.”

Hearing the two’s obvious bait, Evy’s body went rigid before calling out for Owen, who had disappeared into the hallway.

 ...

Evy sat in the carriage sitting uncomfortably under all her layers of clothes. She reached over her hair and found it tightly secured in place. Her silver hair was done in a braid and enforced with whatever Holly calls pins. Her dress was a fine light blue that ended at her ankles.

The thing she hated the most was the corset she had to wear.

She was having a showdown with her lungs and the blasted wire.

Evy had to oppose four people when they told her she had to wear it. They cheated by using the Duke’s burly men to hold her in place.

“Breathe… slowly… breathe…”

 Evy came alone per her request.

She didn’t want to stand out so having a personal maid with her and a guard would be too grand.

Her entrance was smooth, after the guard read the contents of her letter she was quickly excused in.

Out in the Rose garden, were tables and chairs with many nobles spurting unique dresses and suits.

It was like they were outdoing each other.

A woman she saw had a deep red dress that had captured several eyes of men. While another woman wore a periwinkle blue that made her cute and enticing.

They were all talking to each other, sharing their experiences, and trying to win favors.

Evy, however, had a different purpose for coming.

She tried to scan people who have already arrived and tried to look at where Francine Rose is.

Francine Rose was Lord Rose’s only heir. Sources tell her that she was very influential in the noble circle since she was both called a beauty and versatile vixen. Her father being an earl was a boost in their family business which was supplying the kingdom with barley, wheat, and sugar.  

Owen provided her with a photo of Francine from an old newspaper back in summer.

True enough, she was beautiful. Her black hair was silky, her eyes a rosy red, and her body was already proportioned at such a young age.

She plans to get a good impression upon meeting Lady Rose and if that may raise her standing in getting hired.

But first, she needed to blend in.

She slowly maneuver across the garden, effectively being ignored by other nobles, still able to grab a drink and put herself in the farthest corner. She was glad that while her face has changed, her skills of being withdrawn and unnoticeable hadn’t been erased.

While she was waiting for Francine she saw a woman being crowded by a lot of men, trying to get her attention as they began to go over the boundaries. She was around her age, blonde hair and blue eyes, she had an ideal body and had a regal aura around her that made the men absolutely enticed.

She sipped her glass of wine and thought that the woman was having a hard time.

Evy thinks she’s glad that she wasn’t in her place, suffering from interacting with so many people. It was the worst.

Maybe it was her fault that she stared far longer than she should because she met eyes with the woman.

The blonde woman was clearly trying not to get overwhelmed but her eyes were starting to water. Evy looked at the many guys trying to win her over and didn’t find it in herself to interfere.

She doesn’t want to get into an argument. So in an effort to not feel too guilty, she changes the direction of her head to stop looking at her.

This is not what she was here for.

Somehow, she still felt someone intently looking at her, as if begging her help. To combat this feeling, she turned her whole body until she was looking at the green bushes of the Rose garden while sipping her wine.

 “Good cut. Nice placement. Not too tall. Straight edges are straight.” she mumbles to herself, appreciating the work done.

“Hmmp”

Why did she just assume that the ‘hmmp’ she just heard was behind her?

“Dear me. I’m sorry but I thought I saw my friend from over there. Please excuse me”

Please, don’t come here. Please don’t come here.

Evy felt someone touch her shoulders, the person behind spoke with a warm voice.

“Oh, if it isn’t it you. My oh my, I haven’t seen you in so long.”

Her voice was louder than normal.

Evy turned her face to find the woman she didn’t want to see facing her and acting as if they were long-lost friends.

“Ho ho ho. You must have mistaken me. I haven’t seen you befo—”

She felt something sting on her arm and saw the woman’s other hand had clamped dangerously on her.

“You’re quite a joker, aren’t you. Come on, let us eat cakes and catch up.”

Suddenly, she was being dragged away from the crowd and sat at a table filled with sweets. The woman before her looked awfully relieved to get rid of her many star-struck suitors.

“Ahhhhh…. that was so tiring. I thought I was going to cry. There were so many of them.”

“Shameless”

“Why am I shameless??”

“Dragging a stranger in your plight is shameless. Especially someone admiring the bushes.”

“You should be the one ashamed. You deliberately ignored me!”

“Of course. I didn’t want to get involved so I ignored you.”

“Heh. You have quite a mouth on you. What’s your name?”

“.…”

Evy wanted to avoid interacting for this reason. She doesn’t want to get anyone suspicious so soon and she hasn’t even found Francine yet.

“Evy”

“You household name?”

“... Ronx”

“Ronx? I haven’t heard that name before”

“It’s a foreign name.”

“A foreign name?”

Evy went to stand up and leave the woman before she realized she was lying.

“Sorry. I saw someone I recognize. Until we meet again.”

“Wait!”

Evy gasped at the woman’s death gripped on her waist, worsening the corset on her.

“Let go…” she said menacingly.

The woman let go of her when she saw how terrifying she was but didn’t fully let her leave.

“Let me accompany you. I actually don’t know anyone here. I don’t want to talk to strangers.”

“That’s kind of ironic when you say it like that.”

Evy really doesn’t want her clinging on her dress like a puppy but she can’t be too rude or it’ll bite her back.

She gave a deep frustrated sigh.

“Just don’t cause too much trouble for me.”

“Yes!”

As Evy walked around the garden looking for Francine, the woman beside her was happily smiling while grabbing a part of her dress like how a kid would do to her mother at a busy market.

She noticed that unlike before like how she can easily move undetected. Now every time she pass by a group they would now look at her.

This is displeasing.

 “Ohhh! They have cream puffs!”

 “I am not going there with you”

 “But… but they look so appetizing.”

 “If you want to then you can go get it alone.”

 “But then you’ll run off on your own and leave me behind.”

 “You don’t even know me.”

 Evy saw her pouting yet again and looked ready to cry. Other nobles' attention was now on them.

She was causing a scene and she wasn’t ready for it.

“Fine. Fine. Let’s go.”

 Evy grabs the woman’s hand and slowly went to where the cream puff is so she’ll stop whining.

 “Yey! These are yummy.”

 “Yeah eat it, cause I hope you get fat”

Although she doesn’t really mean it. Not that much.

 “Noooo!”

 Evy crossed her arms as she watched her stuff her mouth with a lot of sweets, the crumbs sticking her lips. She was so bothered by this, she took the handkerchief and gave it to her.

 “Please wipe your mouth. You’re still a noble so please act dignified.”

 She sound so much like the duke, she wanted to slap herself.

 “Sister, we finally found you!”

 “Adeline, please don’t run off on your own.”

 Evy saw three male nobles coming towards them, all having two different colors of hair; one blue and the other blonde; and wanted to laugh at the genealogy of the people living here.

Would she see rainbow-colored hair somewhere in the distant future?

But aside from their hair, the three males were quite handsome in their own way.

The tallest of them and the eldest, she assumes, had a dignified way he was moving his body. It helped that his blonde hair would reflect light as if it were glowing.

The second one, looked rather cold and distant, his eyes calculating and his lips form in a frown.

The last one had an easy smile, quite genuine in the likes of it while his hair was cut short and quite dashing.

 As much as Evy makes fun of their hair, she cannot deny their great genes. They’ve been blessed well by their ancestors.

“Older Brother Gerald. I apologize. A lot of men were crowding me before. I tried to make excuses and even walked away but wherever I go, they would follow so I got lost easily. It’s was fortunate that I saw Lady Evy.”

 The three men turned to her.

The one who seemed the oldest must have been Gerald stepped up and bow to give her thanks. Her face turned grim when people saw Gerald bow to her and begin saying.

 “Thank you for looking after our sister, Lady Evy.”

In a cool and suave voice.

He grabs her hand and gave it a kiss like a true gentleman. Only Evy wanted to wipe the kiss already but held herself in front of so many people.

The one thing she hates more than having too much-unwanted attention was unwanted touching.

“Now that you guys are here, I should be going on my own. Please excuse me.”

She gave a forced smile as she was stressing more than usual in just a short matter of time. These siblings were dangerous for her.

“Oh there you are Princess Adelina, your brother has been looking for you.”

Why does Francine have to appear now? Just when she was planning to distance herself from these people.

Wait… Princess?

Evy went to look at the woman and couldn’t believe that this woman, who was still stuffing her face with sweets and then looking at her with an innocent smile, was the princess.

“Of course,”  she said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Did you say something?”

The princess peered at her only for Evy to look lifelessly back.

You are the root of this.

“No”

“And who’s this?”

Lady Francine had made an appearance. Evy tried to stand her ground and curtsied, her eyes maintained poised and light.

“I greet, Lady Francine. My name is Evy Ronx. I was so happy to be invited that I wanted to personally thank you.”

“Hmm. Well, you should be thanking the princes and princess instead. Had they not planned to visit, this party would not have been made.”

“That goes without saying. I also greet the princes and princess. I am humbly thankful to be in your presence.”

“You’re talking funny.”

Evy went and took a piece of Croquembouche and gently stuffs it onto Princess Adelina’s mouth, before chuckling

“You jest, Princess.”

The princess only accepted it and happily munches on the piece that she gave. The princess was too innocent that even Evy can’t fully be mad at her.

She took the handkerchief she handed to the princess and couldn’t help dab it on her mouth since she didn’t listen to her the first time. There much better.

“It’s seemed you’re close with her highness.”

Lady Francine was pretty up close. Her red dress was incredibly well-made and so good on her.  

“Yeah. She saved me from the overcrowding men a few moments ago. She’s now my friend”

 “I think acquaintances is a better fit term.”

 Francine hums at her reply, giving her a once-over before facing Prince Gerald instead and smile.

 “How is the party fairing you, your highness? Is there anything that you find troubling?”

 “Ahh.. well.” Prince Gerald scratches his head stealing glances at his younger brothers.

 “I don’t mean to be spoiled but it's become a bit stale. Are there any activities we could do? It doesn’t have to be big or grand.”

 Francine looked a bit worried at the prince’s reply as her voice wavered for a moment.

“Yes of course.” Yet she didn’t look confident in her answer.

Were there any problems behind the scene?

If that’s so, Evy decided that this would be an opportune time to be of service to Lady Francine and raised her hands.

“If  I may, how about a game? If you are interested in the idea would you rather pick any physical or strategic games?”

 Prince Gerald’s face lightens up at the suggestion, as with gaining the interest of the other two.

 “It wouldn’t hurt to be a little active. But with everyone dressed so stunningly, it would be a waste to soil them. If it would take minimal movement, that would be perfect.”

 “Well if we play any mental game we wouldn’t have to ruin our clothes.”

 “That’s only because you’re quite clever, Sebastian. I wouldn’t want to play with you.”

 The three princes began talking with each other.

Since Prince Sebastian would rather have a mental game, while Gerald with a bit physical and Emmanuel just enjoying his two brothers arguing. Princess Adelina wasn’t even listening.

Francine, on the other hand, did not know where to interject herself as she was worried about offending one of them if she picked the other.

 So that leaves Evy with an idea.

 “How about we play a game that’s a little bit of both?”

 All the four suddenly stared at Evy curious.

 “Really? There’s a game like that.”

 “Of course, as long as there are rules, instructions, and framework for the game then it’s very much possible. That is why I’m suggesting the ‘riddle me, grab’ game”

All their curious faces turned into confusion.

Evy herself had made this game on the spot after merging two games she learned while she was back home. So it’s understandable that they don’t know it goes.

She was basically pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

“I will tell you a description of an object through a form of a puzzle question. This means I may not use words that would describe it directly but through a double or veiled meaning. If you can guess the object you must retrieve it and bring it back to the holder. The first one to retrieve the right object in the riddle wins a point.”

Prince Gerald seemed amicable and suddenly nodded along.

“I can kind of understand the game. Why don’t we try it?”

“Then why don’t we make it into a pairing game. You can pick your partners and then we will begin.”

Francine had the situation back in control and began to arrange the other guests who were willing to play the game. A total of 10 groups were gathered from the nobles.

A lot more than she predicted.

Prince Sebastian paired with his older brother Prince Emmanuel, while Prince Gerald paired with Princess Adelina.

Evy assumed the princess wouldn’t even participate, too invested in the sweets but she was wrong and there she was being giddy beside her brother.

Looking at the pair of blondes and blue-haired teenagers, it somehow turned into a war between siblings.

The other nobles have been brief about the game and said that they would participate. Although knowing that all of them were still new to this, a few sample exercises wouldn’t hurt.

Francine approached Evy and gave her a smile.

“Thank you for help. Would it be alright if you can handle the puzzle question part and I’ll handle the other mechanics of who brought what first?”

“Yes, Lady Francine.” 

This was good. Lady Francine seemed to be relieved.

“Listen up. Lady Evelyn will give the riddle based on the objects that I want to be retrieved. Please take into consideration the things that will be asked that can be found here in the garden so there is no reason to go inside the mansion or outside the gates.”

When everybody gave their confirmation, Lady Francine gave her a nod to begin.

 “My spine stiff. My body pale. I'm always ready to tell a tale. What am I?”

The first who moved was Princess Adelina who whispered to Prince Gerald’s ear. The blonde princes started to run around and looked for the desired object. The second one was Prince Emmanuel after Prince Sebastian had told him his guess.

The other nobles were still thinking before they too, began looking for objects around the garden.

Lady Francine was standing in the middle for anyone to first approach her.

“I have it!”

Prince Gerald ran in the direction of Lady Francine and offered a book.

“First point goes to Prince Gerald and Princess Adelina.”

“Yes!”

 Prince Gerald ran back to Princess Adelina who hugs her and twirls her around. The two blonde duos were a bundle of joy.

Besides them, Prince Emmanuel looks at them still with a smile, while Prince Sebastian frowns after getting it wrong, thinking that answer was a candle.

Then the second riddle was given.

“I run over fields and woods all day. Under the bed at night I sit not alone. My tongue hangs out, up and to the rear, awaiting to be filled in the morning. What am I?”

This time, Sebastian actually took his shoes off and handed them to Prince Emmanuel who ran to Francine, giving them the second point.

This continued until the two groups of royals had gotten 4 points each, with only 1 to the other nobles.

“This will now be the last question.”

“I grow in a barren where the weather varies, I grow in multiple or grown in none, but when the barren grows older I turn paler and paler. What am I?”

All participants got their heads in a jumbled as they think of the answer.

Evy saw multiple nobles getting antsy as no one has thought of the answer yet.

When they couldn’t handle the suspense any longer a man spoke up from the crowd clearly angry.

“This is unfair! You said the answer can be found here? But where are we going to find wheat in a garden.”

Evy gave the man a small bow.

“The answer to the riddle is in here. There is no mistake in the question.”

“I’m telling you right now. That answer is wheat.”

“Please, Sir Kabald calm down. I think Lady Evy knows what she is talking about”

Prince Gerald came in her defense.

As the man was confronted by a prince, he couldn’t insist on his own volition. So he gave a small bow in respect to him and glared at Evy to which she only ignored.

“Can you give us a hint to the answer?”

Adelina approached her with big innocent eyes before she nodded.

“Any one of you here can approach Francine and give it to her. That is how available it is.”

“I got it.”

This time, it was Princess Adelina who skipped until she reach Francine and gave a large smile.

Lady Francine offered her palm to which the Princess pinched a hair strand from her head and offered it to her.

“Prince Gerald and Princess Adelina win this game”

 As everybody realized what the answer was, they began giggling at each other at how obvious it was as the majority of the nobles calm down.

Only the noble who humiliated himself was the only one glaring at Evy.

He did that on his own. Evy did nothing wrong.

“That was enjoyable.”

“Yes. It was. It made the visit all the more memorable”

Princess Adelina came back and hugged Evy who got used to her and just let the princess be. The three princes also came to join the joyous expression of the Princess while Francine was checking if the royal children were having a good time as they should.

“I think we’ll be going now. We still need to get going back to the Capital. We absolutely enjoyed our stay”

“Yes. Thanks to Evy”

Princess Adelina gushes at her side.

Unable to actually handle the Princess’ overly displayed hugs, she put had a hand in between her and the princess and lightly pushes her to give them some distance.

“The pleasure was all mine. But it would be discourteous to leave out the host for today’s party. Lady Francine”

“Yes. We also thank you for making everything to our taste, Lady Francine.”

The prince seems to like flirting as he kissed Francine’s hand, trying his best to impress her. He reminded her, of a workmate she had where he would try and get with any female co-worker in a blink of an eye.

Not including Evy, of course, as she always makes it known that she wasn’t interested or approachable.

Prince Gerald showed signs of moving to Evy next. Expecting this from a mile away, Evy took Adelina’s hand and gave it to the prince the moment he went for a kiss.

“umm… brother”

“Shhhh… don’t say anything” Evy whispers to the princess.

The royal family had to bid them an early goodbye as they were escorted back to the carriage to leave while the festivities continued on. The next one who left the party was her.

She wanted to talk more with Lady Francine but knew she’d be busy handling the other guest.

She was no priority.

Though she did not feel unperturbed as she achieved what she came for and that was getting in her good graces. Hopefully, when her hiring day would arrive she would accept her in.