Chapter 3 02 - Family Dinner

Trisya sat by the window as her eyes wandered far ahead. The two maids who accompanied her were confused. They were still worried because a few days ago, Trisya looked like someone who was devastated. The two maids nudged each other, giving each other the code to ask Trisya.

"No- Lady, what- is there something bothering your mind?" asked one of the maids. Trisya turned her head and watched the maid carefully. In her heart, she regretted why the depiction of Trisya's maids in the novel was all the same, except for one person who was the head maid. If this is the case, how will Trisya greet her?

"That's... I..."

"Are you feeling ill? Does anything hurt?" asked the other maid in a worried tone.

"I just feel a little dizzy," Trisya replied at last.

"Oh, then I must excuse myself to make you some tea, Lady," the maid replied as she hurriedly exited Trisya's room.

Trisya let out a long sigh. She didn't know what to do now. She didn't even remember the plot details of the novel. Especially, if she had to look at it from the perspective of Trisya who was only the antagonist in the story.

"Why don't I just wake up as Rania? That way I don't have to worry about getting a tragic ending, right?" muttered Trisya.

"Yes, Lady?"

Trisya tapped her lips. She forgot that there was still one more person in this room besides her. Someone who wasn't supposed to know what was really happening to her.

"Did you hear me say something? I didn't seem to say anything," Trisya said.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, Lady," said the maid.

Trisya focused her gaze forward again, until a fragment of the scene popped into her head. "Ah... that's it. When will Layla return here?"

"I heard that Layla will return this afternoon," the maid replied.

"Really?" Trisya was happy to hear that. Because the one person she could trust the most was Layla.

"Oh yeah, what's your name?"

"Me- me, Lady?" Trisya nodded.

"Jinni, Lady," the maid replied.

"All right, Jinni. You may go out now. I want to be alone until Layla returns," Trisya shooed her away.

"But, Lady, what if your head suddenly hurts again or-"

"I'm fine, Jinni. I just want to calm my mind. And order Layla to go to my room as soon as she gets here!" ordered Trisya.

Unable to defy lady's orders, Jinni finally excused herself. And moments later, one of the maid who had left first returned with a tray containing a cup of chrysanthemum tea.

"This is your drink, Lady. I have also instructed the others to call for a physician. Is there anything else you need?"

"What? A physician again? But I'm fine."

"Just now Lady said-"

"Cancel the summoning of the physician! I want to rest alone until the afternoon!"

"But-"

"This is an order!" said Trisya. After that, the maid could only nod resignedly before finally saying goodbye to Trisya.

And here Trisya was now. In a luxurious, sizable room filled with expensive classics. Trisya massaged the bridge of her painful nose, before finally taking a book from the drawer. Not to forget, she also took a beautiful feather pen.

"I should try to sort out the events that I remember. So that I can start to fix my own flow," Trisya said. Then, she started writing from the point where her story began. From her meeting with Prince Terry, to Adriana's entry into Duke Gerald's residence.

"If Trisya had passed her seventeenth birthday two months ago, that means the meeting with Prince Terry is getting closer. Ah damn it! I intended to have fun with this noble title and abundant money first before getting serious about the story," Trisya was upset.

"But anyway, how handsome is Prince Terry, that even this beautiful Trisya could be crazy about him? Aaargh, but he's still a dangerous person for you, Trisya. No matter what happens you won't fall in love with the man who killed you in your previous life, right?"

***

For the first time since awakening as a novel character, Milla - Trisya finally agreed to fulfill her father's call for dinner together. There was already Duke Gerald and Duchess Amara who greeted her cordially.

"Good evening, Mom, Dad," Trisya greeted. She had learned a lot about manners from Layla who had returned this afternoon.

"Good evening, my daughter. Sit down, let's eat together, I've missed eating with you," replied Duke Gerald.

"Oke, Dad," Trisya replied.

Trisya combed her eyes around the room. Several court ladies looked down in fear after her arrival. Not to mention, Trisya realized there was something missing in this room. "Father, Mother, where's Darian?"

"Are you looking for him? Do you have important business with him?" the Duchess asked quickly.

Trisya squealed in incomprehension. "There must be a clear reason for me to meet with my own brother, Mom?"

Instantly, everyone in the dining room looked at each other. Before the Duke finally ordered the maids to leave the three of them. Trisya increasingly felt that something was wrong. 'Have I done something wrong?

"Dad, is there something wrong with what I said earlier? Then, I-"

"Did Darian make trouble with you? He didn't upset you again, did he?" cut in.

"What?" shocked Trisya.

"Trisya, you are not fighting anymore, are you? Did Darian hurt you?" the Duchess continued.

"No, no, no. It's not like that, Dad, Mom," Trisya replied.

"So why are you suddenly looking for your brother, Trisya?"

"I- I'm just looking for him because he's not here," Trisya replied simply. This made the couple breathe a sigh of relief.

"Your brother Darian is on his way to the palace to pick up the Prince," Duke Gerald replied.

Ah... Trisya had almost forgotten that her brother was one of the king's confidants who was likely to be appointed as a royal minister in the future.

"Oh, the Prince is leaving tomorrow?" muttered Trisya.

"No, my daughter. I shouldn't say this now at least. But since it's good news, I thought it would be okay for you to know," said Duchess Amara.

Trisya immediately looked at her mother. Curious about what her mother called the 'good news'.

"The Prince will be visiting tomorrow morning," said Duchess Amara.

"Visiting where, Mom? Why are you calling it good news?" Trisya was confused.

"To our residence, of course. That's why your brother is picking him up now," Duke Gerald continued.

"Uhukkk" Trisya even choked on her own saliva in shock. And the Duchess immediately helped her drink to make Trisya feel better.

"The Prince will coming here? Wait! Whose prince and for what the purpose?" Trisya panicked.

"Prince Terry, of course. He's coming to see you," replied the Duchess.

"WHAT?!" Trisya unconsciously screamed in front of her parents. 'Prince Terry is coming? But, isn't my meeting with Prince Terry supposed to happen in a few months?' Trisya thought.

"Trisyaa, you don't look happy. You still like The Prince, don't you?"

"It- it... I... I just..."

"It's okay. Mommy understands. You must be so happy that you can't even describe it right now," said the Duchess, making Trisya gape even more.

Wait! Did she guess wrong? The meeting between Trisya and Prince Terry in the beginning of the novel was not their first meeting? Then what about Trisya's original words in the dream? Their meeting should have happened in the park beside the lake, right?

"Trisya, are you alright?" asked Duke Gerald who was worried about his daughter who suddenly looked gloomy.

"Oh, I'm fine, Daddy," replied Trisya who had just regained consciousness from her reverie.

"Then let's start dinner!"

After dinner, Trisya immediately said goodbye to her parents to return to her room. She was followed by Layla and some of her other maids. When she reached the front of the room, she turned her body to face the maids.

"Let Layla come in and help me get ready for bed. I want to go straight to rest after this," Trisya said.

"Yes, Lady," they replied in unison. After that, Layla accompanied Trisya into her room.

"Is there anything you want to tell me, Lady? Is it related to Prince Terry?" Layla asked once they reached the room.

Trisya threw her body on the bed and her eyes looked straight at the ceiling. "Layla, do you remember when I first met the Prince, and what my attitude towards him was like?"

"It- it... it... I..." Layla looked doubtful. Making Trisya let out a long sigh as she seemed to understand why Layla seemed that difficult to answer her question.

"I must have had a very embarrassing attitude, huh?" guessed Trisya.

"N- no, Miss. It's just that your first meeting happened many years ago. When you were ten years old and I wasn't here yet. I only heard from the Duchess, that you was fascinated at that time and had asked to marry Lady. Then-"

"Ah... enough! I don't remember my behavior being that shameful back then," Trisya whined. If what Layla said was true, then where would Trisya put her face when she met Prince Terry tomorrow? Even as a child, Trisya had shown such a shameful sign of immorality, which Prince Terry would surely remember and be embarrassed by.

'It doesn't matter if he doesn't love me. But why must there be such a shameful memory that I'm only hearing about now? I thought our first meeting would be in the garden when the Prince saved Trisya from the villains. Turns out I was wrong. Long before that I had already humiliated myself. At this rate, there's nothing I can do to improve Trisya's image in the eyes of the entire kingdom, right?' Trisya regretted.

"Trisya, why have you been acting up so much since childhood? It's very troublesome." Trisya felt like crying.

"Lady, but I don't think what you said back then was anything to be ashamed of. After all, you're going to be a strong candidate to be Prince Terry's bride, right? So I don't think it's something to be ashamed of," Layla corrected.

"You have no idea how hurt my pride is, Layla. I don't think I want to see him tomorrow, if I'm allowed to."

"Of course you must entertain the Prince, Lady. The Prince has come to see you."

"Yes. And it must be because of royal orders, right? He and I are both forced to have a meeting tomorrow," Trisya complained.

"I'm sorry, but is Lady no longer interested in the Prince? Isn't-"

"Layla, please forget all your behavior with Prince in the past! Whatever I ever said about Prince Terry, get it out of your mind, Layla!" cut in Trisya while covering her face with a pillow.

Secretly, Layla chuckled at her lady behavior. However, wasn't this very strange? 'Although she and the Prince haven't met for a long time, but didn't she consider herself to be the Prince's bride-to-be? Doesn't that mean that she still likes him? But why all of a sudden-'

"Layla, you may go out now. And don't let anyone in. I want to contemplate my bad luck while trying to sleep," Trisya pleaded.

"Yes, Lady. In that case, I won't let you out. I'll stand guard in front of your room," Layla replied before completely exiting Nona's room.

Trisya's face turned red at the thought of how crazy little Trisya used to be. "Damn. She's the one acting up, why do I have to bear the consequences now?" Trisya felt annoyed.