Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 144 - 130: Tea Party 2 { Russel’s provocations }
"Dear ladies please, your pastries are ready," announced a maid with a warm smile as several servants wheeled in trays laden with pastries and an array of exquisite dishes.
One of the girls couldn’t contain her excitement. "Is this feast just for us girls?" She inquired with curious sparkle in her eye.
"Absolutely," responded another girl with a reassuring nod.
Lavender couldn’t hide her enthusiasm either. "Russel, check out these pastries, they’re absolutely exquisite!" Lavender exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she plucked a pastry that resembled a cupcake with tiny floating lights.
The maids had thoughtfully arranged delicate porcelain cups in a row before the girls, filling them with fragrant tea. Meanwhile, the center of the table showcased an assortment of finely cut sandwiches, egg creations, and succulent meat dishes.
Aurianna wasted no time. She reached for a plate and indulged in the meaty delights, gobbling them up easily, leaving the other girls around the table utterly surprised.
Rosemary couldn’t help but giggle at Aurianna’s love for food. "You truly are a foody, princess."
Aurianna, mouth full of pastry, nodded vigorously. "Absolutely! Every type of food is a delight."
Russel playfully rolled her eyes at Aurianna, muttering, "Glutton."
Aurianna shifted her attention to Rosemary. "Speaking of delights, have you ever tried the infamous hell soup?"
Rosemary’s eyes sparkled with delight. "Oh, yes! I had the pleasure to taste some at a gathering at Chun’s place," Rosemary beamed, gesturing to Chun, who nodded in agreement. Chun appeared as a teenager with long, silky black hair, an olive complexion, and freckles, elegantly clad in a grey gown.
"My father advises King Girsal, so I’m quite the lucky one when it comes to trying new dishes they brought back from their travels," Chun proudly shared.
Ann chimed in with a laugh. "The foodie family!"
Chun’s cheeks flushed with pride and embarrassment as she asked, "What’s wrong with being a foodie?"
"Nothing, nothing, I’m quite jealous," Ann, a kind-hearted girl with short peach-colored hair and slightly droopy eyes, confessed, "My mom is all about eating healthy, so I rarely get to enjoy unique dishes. I hate eating only vegetables. I want meat!! That’s why I enjoy going out!! It’s the only time I can eat meat without my mother’s watchful eye!!" Ann declared passionately with teary eyes.
Beth sympathetically patted Ann’s shoulder. With her curly black hair and soulful, dark eyes, she said, "I feel for you. You’re missing out on a lot." Ann nodded, her eyes welling up.
Aurianna turned her attention to Ann. "Is your mother Duke Melissa?"
Ann nodded in confirmation.
"At least your mom is chill," Marie griped, placing her foot nonchalantly on the table. With her striking short blue hair and piercing black eyes, she continued, "My mom, Duke Antya, is a real pain in the butt."
Russel raised an eyebrow. "Duke Antya?"
"She’s super strict, you wouldn’t believe it! Making me study a whopping 30 subjects! I mean, who does that?" Marie vented, her frustration clear in her tone. "I swear, sometimes it feels like my brain’s about to fry! Thank goodness I have friends to keep me sane," she added with a relieved smile.
"But honestly, if anyone’s got it the toughest among us, it’s gotta be Aurianna," Lavender commented, directing everyone’s attention to Aurianna.
"Princess, it must be quite the challenge for you, right? No need to hold back your feelings; we’re all just young girls here," Rosemary said, her cheeks tinged with a blush of empathy.
Aurianna, nonchalantly simply shrugged. "Hard? Well, it has its moments, sure, but I’ve sort of grown accustomed to it," she replied casually, earning awestruck gazes from all the girls except Russel.
"Wow, the princess is quite the hard worker!" Vici cooed, her light green hair and brown eyes giving her an innocent charm.
Russel, on the other hand, couldn’t resist a snide remark. "I thought the princess would have a harder time due to the duties of a princess and also the rumors circulating around."
"Rumors?" Ann asked, her curiosity piqued as she looked back and forth between Russel and Aurianna. Aurianna, too, regarded Russel with a raised eyebrow, clearly sensing a provocation.
"I was quite shocked when I heard about this, but Aurianna, I heard a young girl like yourself is always being sent to do bounty missions.Don’t princesses usually play the part of those dignified ladies like Venassa and Helto? Some must be the example all young noble girls look up to?" Russel asked as she looked at Aurianna with a mocking face.
Aurianna, unfazed, met Russel’s gaze squarely. "So what?"
"Wait, there’s more," Russel continued with a mocking grin. "People say you don’t just complete bounties; she I heard you kill those whom you hunt from those bounties! What’s more I also heard some months back you killed an adventurer and his crew brutally and you enjoyed it! They claim you had this wild grin plastered across her face the whole time."
"Russel, you know those are just unfounded rumors!" Chun interjected, only to receive a fierce glare from Russel that promptly silenced her.
"So, what do you guys think? Do you believe those rumors?" Russel challenged, eyeing the girls.
Aurianna calmly sipped her tea, observing the unfolding drama with a faint smile.
’Did they honestly believe I wouldn’t notice how visibly shaken they were when I walked in?’ Aurianna mused silently before taking another sip of her tea.
Russel, however, wasn’t done yet. "Oh, there’s still some more left, I also heard that Aurianna is nothing but a troublemaker, always itching for a fight. And they claim her parents have practically disowned her because of her wild behavior, leaving her all alone in that fancy palace of hers."
’What’s gotten into Russel? Why is she trying to provoke Aurianna? Everyone knows Aurianna has quite the fierce reputation and the cruelest among her sisters,’ Ann pondered, her eyes locked on Russel.
Rosemary leaned in closer, her eyes filled with hope. "Aurianna, is any of that true?"
Aurianna shook her head firmly. "No, it’s not."
Russel, undeterred, raised her voice. "Quit trying to deny it, Aurianna!"
Aurianna’s unsettling grin stretched across her face, making Russel visibly uneasy. "You missed out on a few intriguing details, Russel."
"Huh?!" Russel and the rest of the girls gasped, their confusion palpable.
"I killed my teacher who annoyed me, I mashed the bodies of maids who dared to steal from my palace and acted cocky. Well, let’s just say I dealt with them in a rather creative way—packed their remains neatly into boxes and shipped them off to their unsuspecting parents," Aurianna admitted with a twisted sense of satisfaction.
"There have been a few more folks who’ve met their end at my hands, but honestly, I can’t even remember who they were; they were just incredibly annoying!" She waved her hand dismissively before she perked up, "Let’s not forget I make sure to bully Ralph whenever he’s at home! I hope you like seeing those injuries he has whenever he goes back to school? That look of despair on his face is darn priceless! After all, he’s nothing but a useless brother!"
Russel found herself taken aback by Aurianna’s willingness to share such macabre details. ’Why on earth is she spilling all of this? Is she completely crazy? Doesn’t she care about her reputation?!’
"The princess did all of that?" Rosemary asked, her voice trembling, body quivering.
"Yes I did," Aurianna confirmed.
"Aren’t you worried about facing consequences, like being punished?" Marie asked, her voice filled with nervous concern.
"I’m a princess, darling. I’m above the law! Who would dare to lay a finger on me, let alone punish me?" Aurianna proudly proclaimed, causing Russel to clench her teeth in frustration.
"You..." Russel seethed, glaring at Aurianna with intense anger.
"Princess, you do know that even royals can be held accountable for their actions, right?" Beth chimed in.
"Huh? Since when?" Aurianna asked, clearly bewildered.
"Well, typically after they hit 16," Beth clarified.
"Guess what, I’m just 9," Aurianna grinned.
’She’s got a point,’ all the girls thought in unison.
"And who else could even think about punishing a princess, aside from the King or the church? But I don’t think the church would ever lay a finger on me; we’ve got a good relationship," Aurianna mused, her expression souring as thoughts of Horton crossed her mind.
"Well, there are these Royal Humans," Beth added.
"Royal Humans?" Aurianna and several other girls chimed in, clearly puzzled.
"Among all the human countries, they wield the highest authority. It’s a shame they serve under the god of Light," Beth explained, shaking her head in disappointment.
"Royal Humans, huh?" Aurianna mumbled. ’I’ll definitely have to look into that later.’
"But guess what, they still can’t touch me, because, well, I’m just too cute!" Aurianna quipped with a flirtatious and devilish wink, which sent all the girls’ hearts aflutter.
’She’s right again,’ they all thought, seemingly powerless against her charm.
’Even after all the harsh things the princess said, I can’t help but be fond of her. She’s just too adorable and beautiful. I can’t bring myself to dislike her at all!’ Rosemary thought as she gazed at Aurianna.
"Also, Russel," Aurianna turned her attention back to Russel, "Do you expect me to be soft on cold-blooded criminals, Russel?" Aurianna asked.
"Ugh," Russel gritted her teeth but decided to respond. ’I won’t let her back me into a corner.’
"They’re still human!" Russel proclaimed.
"Hypocrite," Aurianna uttered and clicked her
"What do you mean?! I advise you to stop this behavior at once and leave; you’re a disgrace to the Vanluad Princesses!" Russel exclaimed.
"What I mean is, you talk about criminals being human. So what if the little girl you’ve been using as your footrest throughout the entire tea party? From the way she’s breathing, it’s clear she’s barely eaten, she’s dehydrated, and on top of that, she’s sick. Yet you girls were bullying her before I arrived. So, who the heck are you to lecture me?!" Aurianna’s voice echoed throughout the table, causing all the girls to tremble.
"If you don’t have any useful advice, you’d better zip it and stop your chattering," Aurianna remarked with a smile, which soon faded into an expressionless face. "Your voice is giving me a darn headache!"
However, Russel wasn’t finished as she pressed on, "Well, how can you bully your own brother and boast about it so shamelessly?"
"Because I can’t stand that worthless piece of trash," Aurianna chuckled, her thoughts adding, ’I can’t stand you either.
"Such crude language for a princess," Vici uttered disdainfully.
"What did you say?" Aurianna raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing, nothing, princess," Vici frantically denied, her thoughts racing nervously, ’I hope she didn’t hear me.’
’How can she bully Ralph? I’ll never forgive her!’ Russel gritted her teeth as she glared at Aurianna.
___________
It was just another ordinary day at the Royal Academy’s bustling playground, where laughter of children could be heard, and young nobles were playing childish games. But then, out of the blue, chaos erupted. A frenzied horse, its eyes wild and froth at its mouth, charged into the playground. Its thunderous hooves rushed to the playground destroying the peaceful atmosphere, striking fear into the hearts of the noble children who had been enjoying themselves with their toys and friends mere moments ago.
As the crazed horse terrorized the playground, panic spread like wildfire across the children. Frantic screams could be heard as the children scattered in all directions, desperately trying to run away the rampaging horse’s path. Teachers and staff raced to the scene, their urgent voices guiding the little ones to safety.
However, young Russel remained oblivious to the commotion as she was engrossed in playing with her dolls.
Little did Russel know, the horse had marked her as it new target. It closed the gap between them with terrifying speed.
It was only when someone screamed her name that she snapped out of it. Russel turned, but it was already too late. The horse loomed before her, hooves raised high, ready to stomp her. Fortunately, a young boy with deep blue hair and striking green eyes appeared, positioning himself between her and the charging horse. He swiftly ended the horse’s threat by stabbing it and slashing it into half, causing it to fall lifeless to the ground.
"Are you alright?" Young Ralph asked with genuine concern as he looked at Russel.
Russel met his gaze with teary eyes, her trembling lips managing to convey both relief and fear. Without hesitation, she flung her arms around Ralph, hugging him tightly, her small frame quivering with remnants of fear.
Ralph held her gently as he patted her head, "Hey, you’re not hurt, are you?" He asked, nervously scanning her for injuries.
"I was so scared," Russel managed to utter, her words muffled by the tears that flowed freely from her eyes.
"There’s no need to cry; the danger is gone now," Ralph reassured her with a smile that captivated Russel, making her blush.
Russel immediately released her hold on him and composed herself. "Sorry for my rude behavior. I’m Russel Huns," she greeted, her face flushed and embarrassed.
"I’m Ralph, the second prince of the Queen," Ralph said playfully. "Let’s be friends," he added, extending his hand toward her. Russel nodded and took his hand, smiling warmly. His smile was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, making her want to be close to him and also ignited her love for him.
