Blood Contract with her Royal Villainess

♕CHAPTER 6♕

♕CANA ANNALIS ♕

♕♕♕

I woke up early to prepare for the emperor’s arrival today. And after I washed my face, I went straight to my sister’s bedroom and knocked on her door. As soon as she opened her door, I saw her appearance. A woman who is admired by all for her kind-looking face, sweet smile, and her beautiful round eyes that will melt your heart every time she looked straight at your eyes; now is the opposite of all that as soon as she saw my face, her frown emerges, and her eyes glared at me with full disgust and irritation.

“Good morning, my dear sister, Lady Keisha,” I greeted with a smile of sarcasm as I looked at her facial expression. I mean, who wouldn’t be piqued if you see the person you do not like first thing in the morning, right?

“What are you doing here? And why are you here?” Keisha asked with her left eyebrow-raising in a very termagant way. I scoffed at her question.

It seems like this child has forgotten that I am still two years older than her and that she must respect me, even though we are only half-sisters.

I shook my head in pure dismay while sighing and crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“Have you forgotten what Father told you last night? You have to lend me one of your expensive and fancy dresses for today’s event,” I reminded her, but she just rolled her eyes at me and raised her eyebrow again.

“Do you really think I’ll let some filthy trash like you use my beautiful dresses? No way! They might get dirty and itchy, just like you and you wh*re of a mother,” she replied in silence but full of anger since servants are watching us who admire her so much, she fears that those admirers might lose the respect of her and her reply to me might ruin her reputation as a Lady of this household.

“So you wouldn’t lend me one?” I asked while looking straight at her eyes with my right eyebrow-raising. I definitely would not allow her to win this conversation. After what she said to my mother and me!?

“Are you deaf or what? I will never lend you my clothes, so go away and wear your dirty clothes for all I care,” Keisha replied.

“You-!” I was about to rebut, but the witch slammed the door on my face already and locked her door. I was about to pick a fight with her when I heard the servants secretly laughing and talking behind my back.

Fine, go ahead, laugh all you want because I am no longer the Kiera Deidamia you used to know. Once I have the emperor and the Duke’s favor, you will be sorry for all you did to the real Kiera. I thought as I stared at every one of the servants gossiping about me. I can see the satire looks from their eyes and their urge to laugh at me. They are still whispering at each other while I mentally memorized each of their faces because once I have the opportunity, I will make sure that they will be fired.

How dare they make fun of my mother and me? Just because we came from the slums and that my mother was once a pr*stitute, they thought they could belittle us now? Well, they do not know the truth! The duke loved my mother first before he married Keisha’s mother for his royal reputation. Father just kept us a secret at first until his previous wife died.

“Tsk! This family is really a pain in the ass, plus these gossiping servants,” I whispered and secretly rolled my eyes at the servants before I went back to my bedroom. As I was walking my way back, I bump into, uhh, was her name Krista? I mean, that servant who helped me to clean my room just before the graduation ball?

“Greetings, my lady,” Krista greeted and bowed her head as a sign of respect. Actually, she’s the only servant here who pays respects to me, and that makes me like her service, so I called her over then she stepped forward.

“Krista, right?” I asked to confirm if I was right or not.

“Yes, my lady,” she replied and nodded at me. I crossed my hands and looked straight into her eyes.

“Can you do any decent hairstyles? Anything that would look good for today’s event,” I questioned her, and she shook her head as an answer.

“Forgive me, my lady, but all I know are household chores only but do not worry my lady, everything you need for the welcoming of the emperor is already prepared in your room, e-except for the dress that Lady Keisha will lend you with,” she answered which surprised me.

“Wait, everything? Did the Duke send those?” I inquired.

“Yes, my lady. Everything’s ready in your room. Have you picked out the dress you want to borrow from Lady Keisha?” Krista asked, but I shook my head as a no.

“That witc — I mean, Keisha doesn’t want to lend me her clothes. Oh well, never mind her, I’ll make do of what is available in my dresser,” I replied. I can see that she worries about me in her eyes, but I decided to ignore it and walk back to my room.

After a bit more steps to my room, I am now standing in front of my door and open it. Then I saw some servants standing inside with the things needed for my preparation for today. Just like what Krista said, everything is in here now, except for the dress. Tch! But wait, because of that witch sister of mine, I think I have something in mind that will surely make this day more entertaining.

I smirked at the thought of my plan and looked at the servants standing a few steps away from me. I can see the nervousness from their looks as I smiled widely at them.

“I am so excited for today, hehehe,” I uttered to myself while looking at the servants one by one.

♕♕♕

We can all hear from the inside of the Romulus Estate the sound of the royal guards marching their way towards us as they accompany the carriage where the emperor and the Princess of the Lumire Empire are riding.

I can sense that everyone is nervous as the emperor’s party closes into where we are waiting. All of the butlers and maids are lined up outside the estate to welcome the emperor and the princess, while the Romulus family are standing with grace and class at the door, waiting for their arrival. But my father and mother are very much uneasy about what I did to myself today. I can see the panic in the duke’s movements as he keeps clenching his fist and looking over at me.

“Keira Deidamia, why do you look like that? This is a significant moment for our family, and yet you’re wearing a worn-out old dress,” the Duke commented in a stern voice. Based on his looks, I know he’s nervous, but he’s trying his best not to show it to anyone, especially now that the emperor’s carriage is just a few feet away.

“I’m so sorry, your grace, but Keisha did not lend me her dress, so I didn’t have any choice but to wear my best looking dress, and this is it,” I answered and acted like I was tearing up because of embarrassment while looking at Keisha who looks so pale now due to trepidation.

“Keisha, are you not thinking at all? Why did you not lend your sister a single dress, you have so many in your room, and yet you can’t even let your sister borrow a decent dress for this occasion? The emperor will be here in a minute, and now your sister looks like this because of your stubbornness and stupidity! The emperor is here because of your sister, and now she looks much unprepared,” The duke bombarded his favorite daughter, Keisha, with his angry voice, and I admit, that made me happy. I may sound like a freaking b*tch, but she deserves it.

“All hail for the emperor and the princess!!!” A man wearing a white uniform, a royal guard, loudly announced.

As soon as we heard that, we all bowed our heads in front of the carriage while waiting for the emperor and Princess Diana to step out of it. The royal guard assisted Diana as she steps out of the carriage, and as soon as I saw her full appearance, I smiled because she looks gorgeous today.

The two of them walked on the red carpet while the servants bowed their heads as the royal family passed by in front of them. I saw Diana’s left hand clinging to her grandfather’s right arm as she smiles at me, so I smiled back at her.

“Welcome to the Romulus Estate, your majesty, the Shining Sun of the empire,” the Romulus family said in unison and bowed our heads. Then the Duke stood up straight and looked at Princess Diana.

“Head of the Romulus family, Roman Romulus. I am honored to meet your majesty, Princess Diana. May the shining sun bless you,” the Duke greeted the princess, and we bowed our heads again.

“Thank you, Duke Roman. I am happy to finally meet the man who raised the excellent friend of Diana,” the Emperor replied, which made me smirk secretly when I heard his compliments.

You all heard that? The emperor likes me as Diana’s friend…and! He said I am a good friend! Hoho! I thought as I stood up with a proud and honored smile plastered on my face.

“It is our family’s honor to have my daughter as Princess Diana’s closest friend, your majesty,” the Duke responded and reached out his right hand towards the princess. Diana reached out her right hand too. Then the duke kissed the back of her hand as a royal greeting towards female royalties.

“Greetings, Princess,” the Duke said, and Diana just nodded her head at him. This is so ironic and funny at the same time. When Diana was still a commoner, my father would not even greet her. He even said that Diana is a bad influence to me since she’s teaching me how to live a life of a commoner, her untidy doings and that Diana does not look good for my image every time that she’s with me, because Diana looks like an uneducated woman who’s only after my money, but look at my father now. He speaks like he treasures the presence of Diana in front of him, and he keeps talking like he never belittled my friend before she was crowned as a princess. What a hypocrite.

“Oh, this is my wife, Duchess Carla,” the Duke introduced my mother as the Duchess bowed her head.

“And this is my second daughter, Keisha Antonette,” the Duke introduced Keisha as he points in the direction of my sister. Keisha gracefully bowed her head at the emperor, but everyone noticed the emperor looking intently at Keisha.

“Hmm, it looks like Lady Keisha prepared herself very well for my arrival, more than Lady Kiera did. Or perhaps her clothes are just fancier than her older sister?” the Emperor commented, and I secretly smiled at the emperor’s comments. This is it! This is what I planned for. For the emperor to notice the favoritism within this family.

“Lady Kiera, your dress looks like time has come past it. It looks like the Duke has forgotten about his eldest child,” the Emperor chuckled at his words, but I felt like he intentionally said that to warn my father. I think my heart skip a beat due to nervousness, even though I’m the one who planned for this. The emperor’s presence is really something else, to the point that even if he’s smiling at us, we all can agree to the fear that his tone of voice is giving us.

“Ahh, your majesty, Kiera here, is a very thrifty person that is why every time I gave her allowance to her, she’s saving it, and she’s not a fan of buying clothes and dresses, unlike Keisha, who tends to spend all her money for unnecessary things,” the Duke immediately reasoned without realizing what he’s saying to the Emperor.

“Pfft, Keisha, you should control your spending,” I remarked with a smile on my face while Keisha looks so red now for feeling embarrassed and pissed at me.

“I really admire you, Lady Kiera. You’re not just kind, and you are also a provident person,” the emperor said and smiled at me. Diana smiled at me too, so I genuinely smiled back at them.

“Thank you, your majesty, for your compliments, but I think we should go inside now. We have been standing here for a long time already, and it would be our honor to serve the royal shining sun of this empire and the princess with a feast that we have prepared. Shall we all go inside?” I invited them all in. Then I noticed my parents looking at me like they are thanking me for cutting this conversation.

“We will gladly accept your offer, Lady Kiera,” the emperor replied with a smile. Then we all went towards the greenhouse of the Romulus manor, where there are different kinds of flowers, plants, and trees that only the Romulus family have.

This is what the Romulus estate is proud of, the Romulus greenhouse. The place is wide enough to grow thousands of plants inside, with a glass ceiling where the sunlight can freely pass through, pillars made of marbles, and a big water fountain in the middle. It is not only the appearance of the greenhouse that we are proud of but also the plants planted inside. Most of the plants here are used for medical purposes that supply all around the empire.

“This way, please,” I pointed towards the long table with six seats around it. The table is located in a pavilion beside the water fountain and is surrounded by perfectly trimmed trees and sweet-scented flowers. Different delicacies are placed on top of the table, and the napkins and dining tools are perfectly placed in their respective places.

“Wow!!!” I heard Diana reacted as she saw the pavilion and the surroundings.

“Do you want to have this kind of garden back to the palace too, my beloved granddaughter?” the emperor asked his granddaughter, who quickly shook her head as a no, who looks shy at her grandfather’s question. I giggled at her reaction before inviting them to their assigned seats. Diana is now sitting beside her grandfather at the other end of the table, while the Duke and the Duchess are sitting at the other end of the table, and finally, I am sitting beside Keisha now.

“We prepared your favorites, your majesty,” my mother said as she personally served the emperor.

“Oh no, Duchess, just let your servants serve me,” the emperor said, but my mother refused.

“It is my greatest honor to serve you, your majesty,” my mother replied with a smile that impressed me greatly. She served the emperor’s food in front of him carefully and gracefully. She even poured the emperor his drink into his glass which impressed him too. She really studied these etiquettes for her role as a duchess, which she does not know before when she was still a commoner.

“Now, the reason that I have come here with my granddaughter is that I want to give your family another piece of land,” the emperor spoke out of nowhere, and the duke almost chokes on his drink.

“A-Another land, your majesty?” the Duke confirmed, and the emperor nodded his head.

“That is right, Duke Roman, another land, and it is located near the border of the Moonvault Empire,” the emperor replied while the duke was speechless, so he picked up his wine glass, took a sip of his drink, and placed it back down on the table.

“Thank you so much, your majesty,” my parents thanked the emperor with a smile, then the emperor turned his eyes at me and smiled, which almost made his blue eyes gone.

“What about you, Lady Kiera? What would you like as a gift for your graduation from the academy?” the emperor asked me.

Well, that is a kind offer but is it right for me to accept it? Is it right for me to demand more from him? Why do I have this gut feeling that it is better to refuse his offer and just asked Diana for help if I needed one?

I looked at Diana, who is now smiling at me.

Is it really okay to accept more from the emperor? Isn’t the gifts he gave to my family enough?

“There’s no need, your majesty, the gifts you gave to my family are enough already,” I answered and smiled at the emperor that surely surprised my family while the emperor laughed at my answer.

“Hahahaha, Duke Roman, your daughter is really kind, she’s thrifty, and she’s not greedy too,” the emperor said. I smiled at him but deep down myself, I am laughing at my own answer too because if only the emperor knew the real me, he’d stay away from me immediately since loaning and borrowing money is a habit of mine.

I noticed my family’s reaction, and they still haven’t recovered from the shock from my response to the emperor’s offer. Maybe, they are wondering why I am acting like this now since they all know that Kiera is a gambling addict, and she always spends all of her allowances there. Then they heard me refused a big offer from the emperor himself who even called me thrifty? If I am still the old Kiera Deidamia, that is unbelievable, but I am not her. I am Cana Annalis.

The emperor smiled at me before picking up his glass, drinking from it, and then placing it back on the table.

“For sure, the Duke already gave you a great gift for your graduation celebration,” the emperor added. I can sense the duke’s nervousness from where I am sitting since he knew he did not give me anything yet, and anytime from now, I can tell the emperor that I have never received any gift from my father at all. All he cares about is Keisha, and I even thought that the duke has forgotten about his eldest child already.

“Actually, your majesty, I am planning to give my gift to my daughter today,” the duke said, so I looked at him and saw him taking out his checkbook from the pocket of his coat. He also grabbed a pen before walking towards me. The duke stood in between Keisha and me; then, he signed the piece of paper before giving it to me. I took it and noticed that the check is still blank, so I looked at it, confused.

“This is my gift for you, Kiera, just write any amount you want in that paper, and I’ll give it to you,” Father said, which surprised me. He handed me the pen, and I took it with a trembling hand.

This is it. I can use this money to purchase Viggo, and I won’t have to borrow money anymore.

I gulped. I’m sure it’s fine to accept this offer since in the first place, he is my father, and second, there are a lot of things where he lacks as my parent, so why not take this opportunity and take the amount that I need.

I looked up at my father, the Duke since he stood between Keisha and me while still sitting on my chair. I smiled at him and thanked him for his gift.

“Thank you, Father.”

After I thanked him, I looked at the blank check in my hand and wrote down the amount of money that I need to purchase the Vampire, Viggo.

Once I am done, I handed the check to my father, and he nodded while looking at the paper, as if the amount does not bother him.

Wow! The Romulus family is truly wealthy.

I can’t even remember how many zeroes I wrote down on that paper before putting the last digit. But, the only thing that I can’t forget is the face of Keisha, who is obviously jealous of me now.

TO BE CONTINUED