Octavia was at a loss for words, struggling to respond to the prince before her. His presence was overwhelming, his demeanor regal and commanding.
"Nice to meet you. I am Prince Riven from the Empire," he introduced himself with a courteous bow.
'This is a sign. He is telling me I have committed a grave sin,' Octavia thought in a panic. Her mind raced with the implications of his words, misinterpreting his formal introduction as an accusation.
She immediately rose from the bed, knelt down, and bowed her head to the floor. "I will accept whatever punishment it may be," she declared, her voice trembling. Her hands and feet were cold, and sweat dripped from her forehead, each droplet marking the agonizing seconds of silence.
Prince Riven looked taken aback and then laughed gently. "No, I didn't mean it that way. I'm just introducing myself in hopes of getting your name in return," he said, trying to alleviate her distress.
"For a moment, I thought my life would end," she mumbled, placing a hand on her chest to calm her rapid breathing.
"Lady Xerxes, it's quite unseemly for a lady to remain on the floor," King Fabian commented gently.
Octavia stood up, dusted herself off, and curtsied to greet Riven properly. "Greetings to His Imperial Highness. I am Octavia Xerxes, daughter of Duke Daniel Xerxes. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Despite being barefoot and inappropriately dressed for such a formal greeting, Octavia exuded an unexpected elegance. She held the side of her nightgown and bent her knees, placing one hand on her chest and bowing her head gracefully.
"Nice to meet you! I would like to give you some alone time so you can get yourself together," Riven said with a warm smile.
With that, Riven and King Fabian left the room. Octavia remained in a state of confusion, replaying his words in her mind. She rubbed her chin, her hand on her waist, adopting a posture that was far too relaxed for a noblewoman of Arcadia. These were the little bad habits from her past life that she couldn't entirely suppress.
A maid entered the room, her eyes widening in shock. "My lady, you have to forgive me, but did you greet His Highness in such an attire?" she asked, holding up a dress and looking horrified.
"What attire? Wait! If my dress is in your hand, what am I wearing?" Octavia screamed, her heart sinking.
She hesitated to look down, but the mirror at the far end of the room gave it away. Octavia was clad in a pink gown, clearly changed while she was unconscious. She had not bothered to check her appearance upon waking.
Her face flushed with embarrassment as she squealed, folding herself onto the ground. "My lady," the maid called out, watching Octavia's aftershock with concern.
"I'm not attending that banquet. I will die from embarrassment," Octavia screamed, her voice muffled by the bedclothes she had pulled over her head.
The maid, initially shocked, couldn't help but laugh at her mistress's dramatic display. "Okay, as you wish, my lady," she said, still chuckling.
Octavia peeked out from under the covers, her face still red. "It's not funny," she muttered, though a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
******
Despite her earlier resolve not to attend the evening banquet that was meant to greet the Imperial Prince, Octavia found herself standing in front of her mirror, dressed in a bright lilac gown. Her pink hair was adorned with delicate accessories, and she wore a simple necklace and earrings. Her green eyes sparkled with a mix of apprehension and determination, giving her a look of both loveliness and innocent charm. Yet, beneath her composed exterior, her nerves were anything but calm.
As she entered the grand ballroom, her face immediately flushed crimson at the sight of Prince Riven. 'Ah! It's the Prince. The mirror that was behind me. What if he saw my underwear?' she screamed inwardly, her embarrassment intensifying with each passing second. To avoid making eye contact, she quickly turned and headed for the refreshment table.
Grabbing a glass of wine from a passing waiter, she started nibbling on cookies and gulping down her drink, trying to steady her nerves. However, the combination of her anxiety and the wine soon resulted in a fit of hiccups. Feeling even more self-conscious and slightly tipsy, she decided to step outside for some fresh air.
Octavia stumbled onto the balcony, the cool night breeze washing over her flushed face. She sat on the floor, leaning against the balustrade, and took deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. Memories of that fateful night—the night she had fallen into the ocean due to her drunken state in her past life—began to flood her mind. The shame and fear of that night were etched into her soul, and now, drunk again, she felt the same helplessness creeping back.
"Are you trying to escape some bad memories?" Prince Riven's voice broke through her thoughts, and she looked up to see him standing nearby, his hand extended toward her.
Octavia's bright green eyes, usually so full of life, were now dull with sorrow. The balcony scene was almost poetic in its melancholy—the moon obscured by dark clouds, a cold wind blowing, and hardly any stars in the sky. She took his hand, but instead of using it to stand up, she pulled him down to sit beside her.
"Sit," she ordered, her voice unsteady.
The Prince complied, recognizing that she was not in her usual state. 'She's just drunk. If she were her normal self, she would be so flustered she might even run away,' he thought.
"I'm sad, I'm very sad. If I didn't drink, I wouldn't have drowned," Octavia yelled, her voice filled with anguish. She started crying, hitting her chest in frustration.
A notification window popped up in front of her, but she was too intoxicated to make sense of its contents. It read:
* New Mission: Befriend Prince Riven*
The message was too blurry for her to decipher, and she continued her self-criticism, blaming herself for past mistakes. "I shouldn't have, I shouldn't have," she lamented, her voice breaking.
"What are you talking about?" the Prince asked gently, trying to understand her turmoil.
Instead of responding, she continued hitting her chest before eventually turning her frustration on him, hitting his shoulders and crying on his chest. Before long, she was fully in his embrace, her tears soaking his fine clothes.
* Mission Completed*
...flashed briefly before her eyes, but Octavia was too consumed by her emotional state to notice. Her broken heart, under the influence of alcohol, took precedence over everything else.
Gradually, her cries subsided. The stern demeanor she had tried to maintain around him disappeared, replaced by a vulnerable softness. She became more comfortable in his embrace, and before long, she fell asleep against his chest.
Prince Riven looked down at the sleeping Octavia, her tear-streaked face peaceful at last. Gently, he stroked the strands of her pink hair, pondering the events that had led them here. "What was this all about?" he murmured to himself, still stroking her hair.