Tok! Tok! Tok!
The door of the princess's bedchamber was knocked on three times, and Sina walked to the door then opened it.
A young man with an athletic build but gentle features, and brown hair and melancholic brown eyes, entered the room.
"I am Reyes, here to present myself before Her Highness, Princess Viana Yanis," the young man introduced himself, placing one hand on his chest and bowing.
His outfit had changed from what the princess had seen him wearing earlier on the training grounds.
Now, he was dressed in the formal attire of a Royal Knight, and he looked exceptionally handsome.
Viana glanced at him briefly and then returned to writing something in her book.
After finished writing, she turned to him and asked, "Pleasure to meet you, Reyes. So, do you fully understand your responsibilities as a special Royal Knight?"
Reyes, still bowing, responded, "Yes, Your Highness."
She smiled, then stood up and walked closer to him.
"So, you must always be ready and never too far from me," she said, reaching out her right hand.
He froze for a moment, staring at the princess's extended hand, but then he took it and kissed it.
"Yes, Your Highness. I will always be ready to stay by Your Highness's side, and I will willingly risk my life for Your Highness," he answered, his voice trembling slightly.
Viana smiled sweetly, as she noticed a "Love Percentage" screen hovering above Reyes's head, showing the number 8%.
***
It was a written rule that all princes or crown princesses who were set to inherit the royal throne had to attend and participate in royal meetings or activities.
And today, Viana had to attend a dinner gathering with the nobles of Elysia.
She already knew about this dinner from her past life, and she was aware of everything that would take place during the event, including the topics that would be discussed.
However, what left a slightly bitter and sour taste in her heart was the fact that she would meet Count Lazarus Bloodworth, again.
At the afternoon, Sina and several handmaidens were helping her get dressed.
She wore a long, soft light green gown that matched the color of her eyes.
Her long blonde hair was styled up, exposing her elegant neck, and adorned with a necklace featuring unique ornaments and yellow gemstones.
Sina added a touch of light pink lip color to the princess's small lips, then evaluated her work and said, "Now, it's all done, Your Highness."
"Oh my, Princess. You look absolutely stunning," praised all the handmaidens after she was fully dressed.
Viana gazed at her reflection in the mirror and saw a young woman who looked almost like a fairy.
She gave a bittersweet smile. In her past life, she had taken great pride in her beauty, that there wasn't a single man who would dare to reject her. After all, she was the Crown Princess.
But the reality was, she still had to bow down to that brutal Count.
She closed her eyes for a moment, calming her emotions, then stood up and stepped out of her room, heading to the royal banquet hall.
The King and Queen were already standing by the banquet hall's door, waiting for her to enter together with them.
The King, Clive Yanis, with his bright green eyes and striking red hair and beard, looked majestic in his royal black and golden attire. Beside him, the Queen stood gracefully in a black dress accented with gold.
She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and Viana's beauty and generosity came from her mother, Queen Issabella. Meanwhile, her temperament clearly reflected her father, often stubborn and entirely selfless when focused on something.
They both smiled as they saw Viana approaching. The King put his arm around her shoulders, while her mother kissed her cheek.
"You look very beautiful today, my dear," she said with her usual elegant smile, and Viana kissed her cheek lovingly.
They rarely had the chance to meet due to their respective busy schedules. And now, this was one of the rare occasions where they would be together, and also in front of the public.
"Let's enter, shall we?" The King asked the ladies with a warm smile, and both of them nodded.
So, the Queen held the King's right hand, while Viana held his left hand.
Then, the King gestured to the attendant who was ready to open the doors to the banquet hall.
And so they entered the banquet hall, as two attendants opened the doors for them.
"The King Clive Yanis, Queen Issabella Yanis, and Crown Princess Viana Yanis have entered the room."
A royal servant announced their arrival, and everyone attending the banquet stood up simultaneously.
They all placed their hands on their chests and bowed deeply to the royal family of Elysia.
The King took his seat on the throne at the special table reserved for the royal family, with the Queen to his right and the Princess to his left.
Once all the members of the royal family were seated in their respective places, the nobles present followed suit and took their seats.
The servants immediately began serving lavish dishes and filling all the wine glasses with high-quality wine.
The King raised his glass high and proclaimed, "Let us toast to the glory of the Kingdom of Elysia, now and in the future!"
"Cheers!"
In unison, all the nobles raised their wine glasses and joined in the toast.
Viana also raised her glass, but her eyes subtly glanced toward one spot in the right row of the table where the nobles were seated.
A man in his thirties, with a stern face, thin black mustache and beard, and slicked-back black hair, joined the toast.
His outfit looked slightly garish, and all his fingers were adorned with rings embedded with large, precious gemstones.
His dark eyes narrowed slightly, a sly smile lingering on his face.
Viana glanced at him with a look that was a mix of disgust and fear.
This man had destroyed her life.
This man had taken everything away from her.
She took several sips of her wine and placed her glass back on the table with a slight slam.
She squinted her eyes, staring directly at the man.
Count Lazarus Bloodworth.
This time, she would not forgive him.