Clip-clop, clip-clop.
Listening to the horses' steps as they pulled the carriage down the worn path on the way to the Sinclair estate, Alexandra let out a relaxed sigh and leaned back into the plush seats. Across from her, Elias was aimlessly staring out the window at the passing scenery. The atmosphere in the carriage was quiet, peaceful, and relaxed. Today's trip to the palace had truly been fruitful. Not only had she been able to get her engagement annulled, but she had cemented herself in the king's mind as a reformed and capable individual. King Leopold was a straightforward individual who favored people based on their usefulness for him. She was sure that he wouldn't actively try to hinder her in the future when she begins to accumulate her own power. All she had to do was continue to be useful.
Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift off into unconsciousness. She had earned this little break.
***
Elias looked over when he heard the sound of his sister's head softly knock against the carriage window. After her accident, he had thought she would develop some fear of carriages but she had proved him wrong thus far. He chuckled to himself. These past two weeks had been filled with nothing but surprises from his sister. It was almost like she had become another person after her brief bedrest.
First, the way she treated others had changed. Before, she had been bratty, spoiled, and haughty. He could never bring himself to regard her with respect. However, after her week of introspection, she had become kind, understanding, and honorable. The servants of the manor had first been shocked, then disbelieving, but now they pretty much adored Alex. It was interesting, he mused, how easily and quickly she could gain the trust and admiration of others.
Second, she had reordered her priorities. In the past, she had always prioritized her relationship with Prince Nicholas, followed closely by her physical appearance and her other whims. Alexandra was still a little selfish, he admitted, but she was a different kind of selfish now. Eli could still remember the utter shock he felt at being invited to the library of all places by his sister, the intensity with which she read the books. It now seemed that while she was still focused on herself, she was determined to improve her mind and her relationships with people other than Nicholas. It made him relieved and happy to see such a sight.
Which brought him to the third and most surprising difference. Her abilities seemed to have drastically improved. The Alexandra of the past would never have been able to concoct such an elaborate plot to annul her engagement. She had taken into account the personalities and tendencies of everyone involved, and predicted their reactions. Plus, during the meeting with the king, she had displayed impressive knowledge about the inner workings of Iridia's economy and even suggested an effective way to deal with an economic problem. There was no way she could have read about that in such a short time, much less develop her own solution. Had she been hiding her talents before? And if so, why?
"...mmm, macarons..."
He stifled a laugh as he looked over at Alexandra, who was now drooling in her sleep. Well, no matter. This version of her was much better than the one from the past. He could only hope that she continued on this path.
"Young Master? We have arrived at the residence."
Elias grinned and reached out to wake his sleeping sister
***
"Miss, a letter has arrived for you!"
"Thank you Marie."
It had been two days since the trip to the palace and Alexandra was holed up in the library again. That night, her father the Duke had come home frazzled. However, she had quite easily soothed his concerns with a watered down version of the excuse she had given Eli and the maids.
"Your actions today have given me pause, Alexandra. You have never behaved in such a way before."
"Father, as you know, I spent a week in my bed regaining my memories after the crash. After reviewing myself, I have decided not to be that kind of shameful person again. I refuse to be an uneducated unrefined woman, and I will live an honorable and successful life with my own power."
"It is good that you have decided to remedy your behavior Alexandra, but you will still need to settle down and marry into a good family eventually."
"Well," she hedged. "I will cross that bridge when I get to it."
After their exchange, the Duke seemed to accept her change, and didn't speak to her about it again. Actually, he just didn't really speak to her, period. Curiosity satisfied, he returned to obsessively trying to mold her brother and ignoring her existence. His behavior served her just fine, as it allowed her to study whatever she wanted and plot behind his back. She now had a general idea of what to do next.
Even though she was no longer in danger of meeting her doom from being the jealous fianceé in Nicholas's route, there was no guarantee that she might not just die from physical attacks. After all, she had offended him, and with his power, he could put together an excellent attempt at making her life hell. Thus, she needed to become more powerful, and to do that, she would begin physical and magical exercises. While the body of Alexandra housed a vast mana reservoir, the previous occupant of this body had never really tried to train it. That was a huge waste of potential. She was sure that with these abilities, she could easily become extremely powerful.
"Ha! Watch them try to touch me then, hmph!"
"...um, Miss...?"
Oops, she had forgotten that Marie was still in the room. She must have looked like a madman, cackling to herself in a corner of the library.
"Ehe...it's nothing! Nothing..." she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly and smiled brightly at her bemused maid. "Anyways, Marie, who's that letter from?"
Marie's eyes lit up. "Oh right, I didn't tell you! It's from the palace!" she handed it over.
Alex furrowed her brows. Why would the palace send her a letter? Wasn't everything resolved already? She opened the envelope and began to read.
"WHAT?"
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