Bala: The Duke's Contract Wife

The Angel of Ellyseria

Her annoyance didn't go away that day. The fire inside her refused to snuff out. In fact, Countess Corina's question was still gnawing at her. What do I not understand?

Then she recalled how Paul look at her while calling her 'Mother'. And how the people of Maraina treated her.

Rose chest felt like being filled with so much fire and water at the same time. The fire was burning but also drowning her that she had to remind herself to breathe. One thought came to mind. And no matter how much she tried to erase that thought, it always came back stronger.

The thought had spread its roots in the hollow soil inside her. They established themselves and cracked the concrete walls of Rose's heart. That thought was; maybe staying here isn't so bad?

Rose shook her head. No. No. She should hate that thought.

Nevertheless, she could not hate it. That was what was upsetting for her.

So upset that she changed her clothes to a shirt and pants. Then she looked for Baldur to vent her anger. The sound of wood meeting wood echoed on the west wing training ground. Just like before, Rose attacked and Baldur kept on avoiding. The man let Rose vent her frustration.

"It's not even a month from the last time you vented?"

Rose swung her sword without stopping. She did not answer Baldur, instead, she focused on swinging the sword.

"I know you're just venting your anger," Baldur said, "but use a good technique, Duchess. Don't forget to move your weight when you move."

The girl followed Baldur's instructions, and her swing became much sharper. They continued their sword dance until the sun finally set. Rose was already panting. But the fire still hadn't gone away from her.

Not knowing what else she could do, Rose finally went back into her room and washed her whole body. Hoping the water would bring that thought out of her and into the drain.

Yet again that thought repeated in her head. The roots of that thought were getting stronger inside her.

***

An old man threw a vase of flowers towards the wall with annoyance. The vase made of antique ceramics was broken into small pieces. Soils were strewn all over the floor because it was the third vase the man had broken.

"F*ucking Maraina w*hore!" shouted the old man for the fourth time that day. He opened and closed his fist. His anger was not over.

"Calm down, Marquis Ferinde," said a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She sat on a chair in the living room of Ferinde's residence gracefully. Sipping tea like nothing bothered her at all.

"Calm down?" asked Marquis Ferinde, "Calm down, you say? You and the Crown Prince of Elysseria assured me that sending your half-sister would make Duke Maraina a joke. But look! It's me who's considered a joke now!" The old man's screams rang out throughout the room. Some of the vases and paintings in the room seemed to vibrate, fearing that he would throw them next.

The woman flinched a little. One corner of her eye twitches. Anisa was upset too when she heard the wonderful news about Rose appearing one by one from Maraina. She thought her sister was going to be crushed in that cold place. Besides, her sister was always mute and there were a lot of nasty rumors surrounding her. Obviously, Anisa thought she was a much better person than Rose.

So when the rumors about Rose's beauty, about the Duchess of Maraina who solved the Viscount Don scandal and Madam Gina, then about the Duchess of Maraina who cured Paul Maraina's insomnia... Anisa couldn't think straight. How could Rose do all that? How can that incompetent girl achieve all that stuff?

And then, there was the rumor that Rose helped Duke Maraina take down the illegal children auction.

Anisa's grip on her cup strengthened. She didn't like to hear of Rose's successes. She didn't like to hear other nobles talking about Rose at tea parties or balls.

Because Rose's successes raised unsavory rumors for Anisa. That all this time Anisa and Rendre hid Rose's beauty and talent.

Anisa hated that her half-sister had tarnished her brilliant reputation in Elysseria. Moreover, recently, some noblewomen stayed away from Anisa. She didn't know what their problem was. They began to ignore Anisa and started spreading nasty rumors about Anisa. Even some started to talk down to her during tea parties. So it wouldn't be wrong if Anisa slapped one or two people when they were outrageous towards the future queen of the Elysseria Kingdom, right?

Tch. Just thinking about it made Anisa's emotions boil.

That murderer isn't supposed to have a pleasant life in Maraina!

Recently, Anisa's fiancé, the Crown Prince of Elysseria, and Marquis Ferinde have corresponded with each other. Anisa herself only learned later that the funds from the illegal auction were used to fund alchemy research in Elysseria. She didn't know what it was for, and she didn't really care. What she cared about was that once the Crown Prince learned Rose was actually the mastermind of taking down the illegal auction, making them lose the source of the research fund, he began to behave colder and harsher than ever.

Anisa instinctively squeezed her right arm, remembering the day the Crown Prince found out, where blue and purple bruises were hidden under her clothes.

The Crown Prince began to look at Anisa with a disappointed gaze, much different from before.

It's all Rose's fault. That little killer... I should have killed her when I had the chance. This time she's going to pay for it!

So, Anisa asked the Crown Prince to let her visit Marquis Ferinde secretly. The girl would persuade Marquis Ferinde to do some dirty work.

"Calm down, Marquis Ferinde," Anisa said again. "Listen to my plan."

"What? How is your plan to fix this situation?" asked the Marquis angrily, "You know, the auction news got my name dragged into nasty rumors! My reputation is destroyed and factional funds are at dire risks!"

"From what I've seen, the Duke of Maraina should never have been able to sniff out the auction," Anisa said quietly, "Until Rose came to his residence."

"That I already know–"

"Then let's just trap Rose." Anisa's blue eyes stared coldly at Marquis Ferinde. The man was old, short, and a little overweight. He also had terrible fashion. He loved wearing lace on his clothes and wore shoes with floral motifs. Some of his teeth were replaced with gold teeth, and he was wearing a wig because of loss of hair.

He was an unsightly man. Nevertheless, his power and money were strong. And the Crown Prince needed those. Anisa wanted to be warmly looked at again by her fiancé. The woman saw this as an opportunity to prove herself to the Crown Prince.

Let me show you that Rose is a nobody. She is the kind who should be left in the dark. She should have lived in silence like a dying rat.

"Send assassins to kill Paul Maraina," Anisa said with a wry smile. The smile made Marquis Ferinde shuddered in horror. "Successful or not, tell one assassin to say that Rose is a spy from Elysseria."

Marquis Ferinde was stunned. The old man liked the idea. He wanted revenge on the b*itch who took down his auction operation. The Marquis smiled.

"Are you sure you're the Angel of Elysseria?" he asked.

"When it comes to my sister, I am the Angel of Death."

Marquis Ferinde laughed it off. "All right. Let's do that plan."