19: Sneak Out Mess up

After nearly a week of being cooped up we're finally heading out of Republic city to the meeting ground. It's something I both look forward to and dread.

Obviously the immediate benefit is that I can finally escape mother.

I don't remember it but I'm very sorry for being such a sticky rice cake when I was sick! Whatever it was I won't do it anymore so please release me!

The good news is that mother will not be coming with us today, she still has much to do back in the capital home.

Besides she won't be directly speaking at the conference like Father will be doing. That's his job.

I can acknowledge the respect that father has shown me for not discounting my plans and opinions on the matter. He could easily dismiss, or more reasonably be frightened of, a two year old child and their thoughts. I wonder what sort of charmed life he's lived to be so quick to adapt?

It must have been a pretty awful one knowing his side of the family. Old established money and strict traditions but there were certain unsavory rumors. Some of them made the Biccherris' sound like some crime syndicate family, funny.

Not like I knew very much, even back then. Father tended to keep us away while he was alive.

The current plan, if an official engagement is unavoidable, is to make an easy exit route with as many benefits for our side as possible. While the other side could technically request for a choice between both Lilyanne and I, it would be more than improper to keep us on hold for an extended amount of time. Though not as powerful individually, the various noble houses and neighboring states would have a fit.

Though we won't push it but by all reason, such an engagement match should go to me by default

The previous Rosalia saw it as both her duty and sacrifice. Why else would anyone willingly tie themselves down to...that.

She wrecked herself beyond her limit and got nothing in return but her own suffering. Silly girl, putting too much of herself in the wrong people and places.

I don't intend to repeat any of that.

This time around is more of a damage control plan. There were various clauses that could be redirected or added on to our benefit, including reduced tax territories and undiscovered resources. Dungeon spots especially. The Ventrella benefits are my own after all, not the other way around.

The stupid prince and I will more likely than not still be engaged regardless. But this time I'll keep it in name and title only. If anything where to change in the future, there should be wiggle room to negotiate on both sides both sides. That's more time to figure things out and save my hide.

All I have now is time and insider information, which is still the most useful type of information. If I don't use it now to prepare Father and company, then when?

With my help, aka subtle predictions of the future, we know exactly what they're asking and can come prepared. Of course, I said it more like:

"They will probably request for this or that." or " It's a likely chance they will bring up these uncharted land and change this policy."

Father will present them as his own research and ideas to cover for me. He could have come up with them on his own with enough time but why wait for these advantages to expire? As bluntly rude as he is I'm fully confident in his abilities in court, he'll be elected prime minster soon after all.

Shame he died so soon.

Oh I should probably do something about that. There would be more advantages to keep my parents alive. Well, that's still too far off in the future. I have about 8 years to worry about that. This is now.

Even though I don't like the stupid prince I can respect his power, especially in the future. The Heinrichs do not have to be my enemies. They were Rosalia's even though she was determined to marry into them, if only for duty.

If only she knew who the real enemy was.

Well, she had her hunches but it's not like she knew where they were. There was just too much going on and not enough leads to investigate, not before I ....died.

What does it matter, everyone was Roalisa's enemy in this world. I don't intend to repeat her course but it doesn't hurt let some things come naturally. When you can't change or beat something, work around it.

Might as well enjoy my childhood as I like.

Which is why we've snuck out from the carriage when we arrived!

Who is the we? Why my precious little sister and I of course. Who else could I grab along?

True the furthest that Lilyanne has ever followed me in my escapes is the garden but she has gotten considerably bolder over winter holiday by the sea. I'm very proud at how much braver and more adventurous she's gotten!

"Waaaah Rosa don't weave me! Rosa! Rosa don't go!"

Er okay fine she's not that brave yet, she's just very attached to me. Like a baby cow- er I mean duckling. She'll get there eventually, she just needs a lot more exposure. Fighting Lilyanne!

"Hic Rosa I come too, Hic hic wait for meeeeee."

"You can do it Lilyanne! Follow me"

"Rosa!

"You made it!"

Her tears immediately turn into all smiles when she falls into my waiting arms. You really can't trust this girl's tears, they flow like a water fountain. She just turns them on and off as she likes. What a terrifying skill fit for a female lead!

Right now though she is sincerely just a crybaby. It's a natural skill, I couldn't imitate it even if I tried. These beautiful snotty tears are the first arrows to strike the cold dead heart of that stupid prince!

He and I met between the legs of our parents in a grand hall. We were forced to curtsy and bow to each other then cornered into a room for a full silent hour. That is the official first meeting between the northern prince and the eldest Ventrella twin.

The younger one however is a tale of puppy love so sweet it would give even the most seasoned war veterans diabetes. Which reminds me, I want to eat some sweets. Sugar is too expensive in this world. Well I steal some from the tea party later.

Back to the stupid prince being my sister's creepy stalker! Yes even as a child he was already such a terrible creature.

One day Lilyanne got separated and lost while in this territory and wandered into the woods behind the gardens. In a bed of just budding spring flowers she collapses and cried her sweet little tears.

Her crying was so awfully loud, I mean just pitiful, that the stupid prince decided to stop being a rock for one minute and go see what the commotion was. They say it was love at first sight. The stupid prince came to the little princess to be and rescued her back home. From that day on whenever he heard her crying he would come running. Despite his cold indifference to others, since that moment she was the soft spot in his heart.

Ah I'm really craving something sweet after that cavity inducing story.

I imagine the stupid prince, like some protagonist in a teen romance, would cry pathetically into his pillow at night over how he got engaged to the wrong twin. It's not a joke but reality, Lilyanne told me that he confessed to her how he used to do that.

What a foolish man. Couldn't he have just told someone straight out. Nooooooo he had to harbor a secret love story in his heart and go crazy with it later. Oh woe is him, if only Rosalia wasn't here blah blah blah.

There's this thing called healthy communication and everyone should try it sometimes.

I don't know how such a stupid person did as king, I kind of died before finding out if he run this country down to the ground or not. Which would be bad if Lilyanne stayed by his side. She's so dumb and in love she probably did marry him, eventually.

I need that stupid prince to understand that not only is he an absolute baboon of a man child at any age but that Lilyanne and I are linked. We're a package deal called family. I was so focused on trying to either get out of being wife and then training to be a good one that I never got the chance to be the sister in law from hell!

A much better role than the rival second female.

Isn't it a sister in law's job to interfere and threaten her sibling's significant other? I just need to ruin their little first meeting by tagging along and maybe beat the prince up a bit. You know before we're officially engaged and then I won't get in, as much, trouble over it.

So today we're getting "lost" in these part of the woods. It's actually quite nearby to the gardens if you know the way, it's all perfectly safe. We're going find him being a rock 'training' with his sword practice somewhere and whatever happens won't be a sugar rush love at first sight moment for these two. Who knows, maybe I'll even save Lilyanne from catching feeling for the baby stupid prince!

It's a very simple plan, a lot flexibility. So why are things going wrong?

"AHHHHHH MONSTA!!!! WAAAAAHHH "

"Run Lilyanne go, up here."

"Papa! Mama! Hewp!"

"I got you Lilyanne, Come on up you go, climb up and stay there!"

"Rosa!!! No Rosa!!! "

"Stay there!"

Okay don't panic. Lilyanne is safe up in a tree. A hoard of spiky rock things are coming this way. And I'm a literal 2 year old without any weapons or powers.

Why do things never go as planned?

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Author: Happy Lunar New Years.