Classica: Under Eternal Mirage

UEM 34: The Ninth Member

UEM 34: The Ninth Member

My jaw dropped in awe as I stood before the largest flower garden I have witnessed in my entire life. Almost all types of flowers could be seen, but the majority were in the shades of light pink, peach, orange, lilac, and yellow. They were sorted depending on their kinds and were perfectly highlighted by the green field surrounding the whole place.

I have heard before that the palace has hectares of flower gardens, but to see it myself feels surreal.

"I knew you would like it." I heard Princess Mirah chuckle beside me as my eyes remained mesmerized by the ravishing beauty of the garden.

"I love it," I said, and a quick smile escaped from my lips.

It took me a few minutes before I finally took my eyes off the flowers and settled on the chair across from Princess Mirah. It was placed at the center of the flower field so we could enjoy the astonishing view.

A maid servant gracefully arranged the teapot and cups on the table between us with a plate of cookies and bread I was familiar with. Soon after, we began slowly eating the snacks in a dignified manner. I did it without much effort, as my body remembered how I used to do it back when I was not yet at Pansy University. Studying at that school freed me from those unnecessary, exaggerated table manners.

But I guess growing up in a family of politicians really etched that way of life in my veins. And it has just been two months since I had a change of course in life, so I still behaved that way at some point.

"I'm sorry that you cannot meet my parents today. Like usual, they're at an important event. But they knew you're coming here," Princess Mirah softly said as she gently wiped off the moisture on her lips using a fabric after sipping on the cup of tea.

I shook my head and smiled. "That's totally fine, Princess Mirah. To be honest, I'm surprised that they allowed me here despite the ongoing issue."

Actually, that's a relief. I don't think I'm in the mood to meet the king and queen of this country. I can't even imagine meeting them in person because that will be a complete torture to me.

"Well, I'm not a princess for nothing, Minah. I can pull some strings. At saka isa pa, wala ka namang kinalaman sa nangyari sa pagamutan niyo. My parents tried to hear me out about my friendship with you, including the things you're doing for me. That's more than enough for them to exclude you from whatever mess this is," she explained sincerely.

Huminga ako nang malalim at tumango sa kanya. I could not think of anything to do to respond to that. I also feel like I have already gotten used to not letting sudden waves of guilt hit me when things like this resurface.

"And my brother Ravil assured our parents that we would be monitored by him from time to time. Nandito siya sa palace. But don't worry; he's busy with something. An instructor from Pansy visited him to talk about something," she added enthusiastically, but I could sense that she somehow regretted telling me more.

Pasimple kong inanalisa ang kanyang ekspresyon at nakita kong nababalot ng pag-aalinlangan ang kanyang mukha. It's like she wants to tell me something.

"Oh, Sir Ravil is here..." I said to acknowledge that additional statement of hers.

An instructor from Pansy? Who could that be?

When I looked at Princess Mirah once again, she stuffed her mouth with a few cookies and awkwardly smiled at me with her cheeks protruding on both sides.

The elegance she had shown me for the past interactions we had was now drowned out by this image of hers. I stifled my laugh and smiled at her instead.

"Slow down..." I paused and leaned towards the table. "If there's something you want to tell me, you can tell me. I won't judge you. But of course, I won't force you to say it..." I persuaded her.