WEARING A red-colored off-shoulder outdoor dress with black diamonds adorning it, Tori twirled one more time in front of Lily who was clapping her hands with pure delight.

"You look so beautiful, Lady Tori!" Lily was teary-eyed the whole time they were preparing, which caused Tori to laugh. "You must wear this now. It arrived this morning, the late Duchess' tiara, which you customized for today's event."

Tori stared at the tiara. They now adorned it with rubies unlike before when they adorned it with clear white diamonds. Her father gave this tiara to the late Duchess. And the other night, the Duke summoned her just to give her this tiara.

The late Duchess wore this when she got married and now Tori's wearing it on her seventeenth birthday, wherein she will be properly introduced to the high society. Tori hated the tiara the very first time she saw it. They adorned it with glistening diamonds that screamed purity, which was something that Tori was not. So she replaced it with rubies to show subtlety about her no-bullshit attitude.

Placing the tiara above her styled bun, Tori faced her handmaidens who were there the whole time.

"Are you sure you will not wear a necklace, Lady Tori?" Alya, Tori's handmaiden, asked her again.

I need to have space if I want to wear the Jewel Eyes of Rhea, but I can't tell you guys yet.

"I want to remain simple and who knows, someone might gift me a necklace." Tori jokingly replied Alya. The latter's eyes sparkled. "Lady Tori, the princes might gift you that." She was gushing like a dog in heat.

"Alya," Lily scolded the poor Alya.

"It's okay, Lily. So, shall we go to my very own birthday party?"

A knock stopped them. A very shocked Johanes came into her room with her sponsor in tow.

"You did not tell them that I am your sponsor, I see." The entertained smile of Queen Aurina did not ease the shock of the people around Tori as she came inside her room.

Why should I? That very look of surprise is something that I am looking forward in this party after all.

"I intend to start this party with a bang, Your Majesty." Tori made a courtesy together with her bowing handmaidens in front of the Queen, Prince Corean's mother.

"Shall we surprise them then, Lady Victoria?"

Tori did not bother to hide her evil smile in front of the queen. "It would be my pleasure, Your Majesty."

They were walking side by side towards the assembly hall. Their handmaidens were just behind the two of them as they walked with confidence. And when Johanes announced her arrival, Tori heard audible gasps from everywhere. Everyone seems to freeze like a sick comedy film.

Her mocking red eyes went straight to her half-sister.

I will always be the center of attention, dearest sister. Bow down to me, loser. After all, my sponsor is the queen.

Contempt and anger were visible on Sabina's face. Oh, we're just getting started, dear sister.

-Two days before Victoria's Birthday-

ROWAN TROTTED inside her room. Tori immediately knew what he was doing in her room. After all, Tori only assigned Rowan two tasks. The first task is to ensure the safety of her beloved KANON camera developer. The second task is to secure all the letters from the Information Guild since her dear KANON camera developer had already sent her a message about his development the other day. Then the letter that Rowan was carrying came from the Information Guild.

From Prince Corean specifically.

Four days after their meeting, Tori was only waiting for the letter to arrive. This only showed how Prince Corean loved his mother.

His only weakness will be his downfall in the original plot. That's why I must connect to his weakness, to secure his life before he can claim the throne.

Queen Aurina was the second queen to be married to King Elphaim Eckrett. The just king loved his first queen, Queen Iliya, the first prince's mother. The first queen was also the Vesta candidate from the noble faction. When the first queen died from the plague, Prince Lauren was only two years old. The aristocrats took this chance and pressured the king to marry their Vesta candidate, the second queen, Aurina. Two years after their marriage, the second queen gave birth to Prince Corean.

The Vestas is the noble ladies that were both selected by the two factions to compete for the seat of the next queen. To be the Vesta from the noble faction was their primary goal of Sabina. This was the reason why she wanted to be the only heir to the Rozenreff Duchy. If she would be the next successor to the powerful Rozenreff Dukedom, her illegitimacy would not be questioned anymore.

Aside from the Hunt for the Elysian Crown to select the next king, the Vesta Challenge would be held to select the queen who would become the factions' pawn to take control of the Empire.

The noble faction did not feel any animosity or desire for the throne from the second queen. Her teachings to the second prince which were not to draw any attention and to hide his true talents had deeper reasons and it was only revealed in the original plot when the second prince was dying from the second great plague. The noble faction viewed Queen Aurina as a meek queen and a puppet who's been long disposed of by the aristocratic faction. That was the reason no one felt threatened by the second prince. What they didn't know was the fact that behind the closed doors of Queen Aurina's palace, she was just waiting to strike for her son.

It is just both pathetic and lame that she could not save his son from the second great plague.

But not this time, no one is dying without my permission.

"Thank you, Rowan." Ruby eyes met his cobalt ones. Rowan's gentle smile surprised her, but she immediately masked it by smiling back at him.

Rowan, are you my loyal subject now? Are you loyal enough to help me destroy your actual family? Behind her smiling face, wicked questions lingered.

Rowan bowed, "I will prepare the usual carriage, Lady Tori." He knew what to expect from the letter. They would need to go leave the Rozenreff estate covertly. During the months he spent with Tori, he already knew that behind those gentle smiles laid a beast ready to devour anything on its way. And Rowan was ready to lay his life down for the beast. He would betray the Empire himself if need be.

"You have my thanks, Rowan. You may go now."

Tori waited for Rowan to leave before opening the letter that she was waiting for. And as she was expecting, he arranged a meeting for her and his mother. And they would meet in the Turvy. The queen leaving her royal palace was something that only Lady M and Prince Corean only knew aside from her and the queen.

So the queen knew about the Information Guild. Just how deep does she know?

Tori rang the bell and Lily immediately came inside her room. "Yes, Lady Tori?"

Her handmaidens were quite busy preparing her birthday party to be held in the assembly hall located on the west wing of the Rozenreff estate.

"Prepare me a modest outdoor dress, Lily. We are going out for a walk."

Like Rowan, Lily knew what her mistress meant. Since the incident where Lady Tori saved Lady Sabina from the stairs by pushing the latter, her mistress seemed to change drastically. And if Lily could describe Lady Tori, she would describe her as someone who was like being chased. By who or by what? Lily did not know. "Yes, Lady Tori. Should I call someone to prepare your bath for you?"

"No, I can wait for you after you finished looking for a dress. I'll just finish my tea."

ACCOMPANIED BY Lily and Rowan while riding the familiar shady carriage, Tori stepped out towards the Pivet Alley. Like the usual scene, beggars, street people, and criminals loitered everywhere she looked. As the three of them walked towards the Turvy, the eerie feeling seemed to darken. Coming here for the third time, Tori who was wearing the baggy coat was now used to this feeling and scenery. Not knocking anymore, Tori just entered the Information Guild's secret base like it was hers to begin with.

Unlike the previous visitation Tori did in this Turvy, the people were now back and were enjoying their drinks and foods like what she remembered when she came here for the first time. Lady M was also waiting for her at the counter.

"She just arrived too. Let's go."

Tori followed Lady M as the latter led her towards the secret passage to the room where the queen was waiting.

"I don't know what you're planning, but the queen is not like what everyone knows," Lady M warned her.

"Trust me, I know."

Of course. If she is as pathetic as I thought, I won't be coming back here for the third time.

"Your Majesty, Lady Victoria Rozenreff is here."