Chapter 33 Chapter 33: The Serpent's Tongue
Chapter 33: The Serpent's Tongue
Vishea’s POV
Rachelle seems to hate me so much. She must be scared I would steal the king from her. How immature. She should act as a king’s fiancée, not some pathetic girl scared of being shadowed.
Well, she started to annoy me. Let’s see how far she can endure watching me take the popularity from her. She’s not a queen yet, and even if she becomes one, nothing will change. Someone like her doesn’t deserve that title.
Today’s event will show her that I couldn’t be easily intimidated. What a great opportunity—we have a garden tea session. The other guests are also attending. I should wear something that makes her insecure. Make her think that no one could beat me, that she’s no match for Anastasia Cullen.
“Yana, I want to wear the dress my mother Kaira gave me before we departed. Get it for me,” I ordered. Yana immediately went to my closet.
“This is gorgeous, Lady Anastasia,” she commented while walking, the dress in her hand. I stood up and looked at it. I’ve never worn this before.
Maybe it’s time to parade this dress.
“I’m sure the knights and even the king himself will be mesmerized by your beauty when they see you, Lady Anastasia,” Yana giggled. Who would not? It was made with gold designs. This dress was shining.
“Don’t flatter me too much. This is only one of the dresses my mother Kaira gave me before I attended this festival.” Her eyes widened in surprise, her mouth half open.
“Your family is actually wealthy, just like what others are saying.” She nodded her head as if talking to herself. I chuckled at the way she acted.
I grabbed the dress from Yana’s hands and stared at it. This dress was personally made for me.
“You can leave for the meantime. I’ll just call you when I need help,” I told Yana. After she left, I wore the dress. My curves showed off, and it revealed some of my skin.
My hair was curled, and I applied a generous amount of makeup. When I was ready, I left the room.
“Lady Anastasia,” someone called from behind—it was Nathan. What was he doing here?
“Sir, how can I help you?” I asked him. We both walked through the hallway. I could feel his stares while I quietly walked beside him.
“I was just roaming around the palace when I saw you leave your room,” he reasoned. I nodded my head.
“You look stunning in that dress,” he added. I didn’t expect him to compliment me. I glanced at him but didn’t show surprise.
Nathan, when we were still kids, always dreamed of being a knight. Now I saw how he had grown into a mature and strong man.
“Just today?” I asked jokingly. He chuckled while looking at me. I smiled. Nathan and Darius were opposites.
Nathan is calm, knows how to handle things, and only focuses on his goal, never letting anything distract him.
While Darius? He’s someone who doesn’t keep his word. He’s only good at lying, cheating, and getting easily distracted.
“Of course, you’re always stunning, Lady Anastasia,” Nathan said, smiling.
“Thank you.” My gaze caught Liliane walking toward us.
“Wow, Lady Anastasia. You’re totally beautiful in that dress. Is it actually made of gold?” she asked curiously. I chuckled at her reaction.
“Indeed, it is made of gold,” I answered. She looked really surprised. I chuckled lightly.
“I’ll leave you now, I have things waiting for me,” Nathan said. I nodded before he left.
“By the way, why were you with my cousin? Don’t tell me you two are—” she was about to say something when Cassie arrived and cut her off.
“Dating?” I thought she would say something meaningful, yet she continued Liliane’s suspicion. I sighed while they both grinned at me.
“We are not. It just happened that I saw him roaming around the palace. We just talked. Besides, Knight Nathan must have already found his mate,” I told them, but that didn’t stop them from teasing me.
“Lady Anastasia, Nathan is my cousin. Believe it or not, he spent every second of his life fulfilling his duties in this palace,” Liliane said. I paused for a moment. Was she telling the truth?
But why doesn’t he search for his mate?
“She’s right, maybe you two are hiding something? I’ve noticed in the past few days that you two often talk to each other. Well, Knight Nathan doesn’t actually talk to other women until you came,” Cassie even fueled the conversation, trying to force me to admit something.
“No, we’re just casually talking, that’s all,” I told them as we arrived at the garden. Everyone was gathered, and I noticed Rachelle was surrounded by other guests.
“Alright then, if that’s the case,” Liliane said, though I could still hear the tease in her voice.
“What’s happening here?” I asked them. Cassie pouted her lips like a child.
“Well, Rachelle is bragging about the jewelry that His Majesty gave her as a gift. That’s normal, but there’s nothing to be proud of. Everyone knows she’s King Darius’ fiancée.” Cassie rolled her eyes. She really hated that girl.
Who wouldn’t? Her arrogance and lack of propriety make her unfit for the throne. She possesses a notable ignorance.
“Your dress is better than those jewels,” Liliane said, comparing me to Rachelle.
“She’s the king’s fiancée. We should not compare her to me. I am better educated than her. She’s full of ignorance. Let’s just ignore it and enjoy this day,” I told both of them.
We found a seat, though I could feel the stares around me. I acted unbothered.
“She’s Lady Anastasia, right? She’s gorgeous.”
“Look at her dress, she’s a goddess.”
“I admire her beauty.”
“Wow, she’s the only daughter of Cullen, right?”
“Yes, I never imagined someone would be as beautiful as she looks.”
“Indeed, Cullen is wealthy. Look how expensive that dress is.”
“Unbelievable. I heard she’s also brilliant in all things.”
“She’s no match for the ladies here.”
I heard them murmuring. Even the ladies beside Rachelle left and started gossiping about me, admiring the dress I wore.
“Oops, someone must be mad right now. You just stole the spotlight,” Cassie laughed teasingly, and I already knew what she meant.
“Stop making noise!” Rachelle shouted. Everyone went silent, while Liliane and Cassie were still laughing and talking, pretending they hadn’t heard her.
“Lady Anastasia, everyone is mesmerized by your beauty. You’re really different,” Cassie intentionally said in a loud tone.
“Thank you. Every one of us here is gorgeous, Cassie,” I smiled, though Rachelle wasn’t actually included.
What a shame—she’s really not that beautiful. She should at least improve her attitude.
“Is it really your plan to get their attention?” Now she was already behind me, talking. I was not in the mood to argue with her right now.
“Just ignore her,” I told them when Cassie was about to talk.
“Ignore me? How dare you! Everyone here is talking about you and your stupid dress!” she shouted. Now she truly had my attention. I stood up and looked her in the eyes.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I pretended. I was actually enjoying watching her get angry.
“Really?! Know your place, bitch. Isn’t it because you look like someone everyone thought you to be? You have the audacity to show off like this?” she said, trying to find ways to humiliate me.
“What are you talking about, Rachelle? Aren’t you just jealous because Lady Anastasia is actually better than you?” Cassie interfered. Rachelle gnashed her teeth.
“Me? Jealous? Why would I get jealous of her? Remember your place, bitch—you’re talking to me. And you! Don’t celebrate just because these folks talk about you. They only remember you as someone who was thrown away from here years ago,” she said. I already knew what she meant. She was referring to me.
“And how does that have something to do with me?” I acted uniformed. This girl was really trying my patience.
“Oh, come on—that stupid Vishea, who looks just like you. I wonder if you’re actually related to that pathetic loser. She’s nothing more than a stupid little kitten.” She started to insult me for no reason.
“Watch your words, Rachelle. I am sure King Darius’ mate is better than you,” Cassie uttered, defending my name. I sighed and stared at my nails. This woman had no delicacy.
“Shut up! Perhaps you’re overlooking the fact that I hold a superior position to you right now.” She pointed at Cassie.
“Now tell me, are you that bitch’s twin sister?” She smirked. I tried to calm myself.
“Why does it seem like you’re too threatened by her? Are you afraid she’d actually come back and take what belongs to her?” I asked, making her lose her composure.
“Why would I be afraid of someone who’s freaking stupid? Dumb and hated by everyone? That stupid girl should be punished by death just like what happened to her dumb father.” She even proudly laughed while saying those words.
How dare she insult my father like that? I would still accept her throwing unacceptable words against me. However, insulting my father in front of others was intolerable.
“I’ve seen enough of why you’re acting like this—you’re insecure. I heard you were once a mistress. You weren’t mated to the king but you stole him. What do we call someone like you? Homewrecker? Seducer? Manipulator? Whore?” I asked her. I heard Cassie chuckle. Rachelle’s face reddened in anger.
“How dare you call me that! I am the king’s fiancée. You have crossed the line,” she uttered. However, she couldn’t scare me that easily.
“If you’re innocent, why would you act like that? You said it yourself—you’re the king’s fiancée, so act like one and stop being impulsive and uneducated. You’re only making everyone here think that you don’t suit being a queen.” I walked closer to her.
“Did your parents teach you any manners? You should learn a lot of them.” I smiled genuinely. Everyone was amazed at
how I dealt with her.
“How dare you humiliate me in front of them!” She started to grab something and threw it at me.
“Lady Anastasia!”