Devil's tears

The snow in the castle garden had not yet completely melted, but the climate was extremely mild, and bright blossoms had sprung up everywhere, embellishing the environment that surrounded the tables set up for the party.

The nobles present stopped at the entrance of the garden to thank Dia for that spectacle, before taking their seats at their tables. As the incarnation of the goddess, it was obvious that she was the one who had blessed the day with such balmy weather and beautiful flowers.

It was as he listened to those thanks, that Daren wondered exactly how the girl's powers worked. It was said that the incarnation of the goddess could guarantee a mild climate and controlled all life forms, shaping it according to her will, but there was little information on the subject.

He was still immersed in those thoughts, when Candace entered. She wore a white dress, decorated with red fabric, shaped to resemble many small roses. Her hair was gathered in a large bun with some flower-shaped pins. On her earlobes, she wore the rose shaped earrings that Daren had given her the day before, when they had talked in the garden, and which went perfectly with her look.

All the nobles had turned to look at her. Especially the Roiland family.

Daren had talked at length with Candace about it, warning her that the proposal to invite the most important families also involved an invitation to the Roliands. But Candace didn't seem the least bit concerned, in fact, she almost seemed enthusiastic about it.

"What do you think?" she asked when she got close to him.

"You are really beautiful."

Candace seemed surprised for a moment, then giggled. "I wasn't talking about me. What do you think of the garden? I thought about having the tables decorated with fresh flowers and lighting some candles in the shaded areas with colored glass surrounding them to produce multicolored lights. It looks good in my opinion.”

"Oh, yes. The garden. You were obviously talking about the garden... Yes, it's very beautiful.” Daren tried his best to change the subject, but Candace said: "Don't worry. I really appreciate your compliment."

Daren sighed and held out his arm for her to lean on, then walked with her down the stone steps that led to the lawn. Dia was already waiting for them at the table reserved for them, together with Marcel and Erika.

"Lady Candace, your dress is gorgeous! You look beautiful," Erika exclaimed, standing up and taking Candace's hands with enthusiasm.

The latter smiled, unexpectedly friendly. "Thank you, Lady Erika. But you are much more beautiful in my opinion."

Daren wrinkled his nose. There was no comparison between the two. Candace's beauty was on another level, but even more so was her self-confident and intelligent air, which none of the women, or even the men, present emanated even remotely.

Candace was one step ahead of everything and everyone.

They sat down at the table, and Marcel looked around with an apparently admiring gaze.

"Did you choose the arrangement of the flowers and lights?" he asked to Daren.

The emperor shook his head. "It was Candace that chose everything."

"And I gave her a hand!" Dia intervened.

"True, Dia's help was essential," Candace confirmed with a smile.

"You have good taste, Lady Candace." Marcel looked thoughtful. "The idea of ​​colored glass surrounding the candles is very original."

"Thank you, Lord Marcel. In some countries they use this technique to produce multicolored lamps, you know?"

Marcel looked confused. "I have never heard about a similar custom. You must know strange places, Lady Candace."

"Knowledge of various cultures is a strength in understanding the facets of human beings," replied Candace.

"You are a person full of surprises, Lady Candace," Erika intervened. "You give me the idea that you have studied a lot about other lands, do you perhaps love the idea of ​​travelling?"

Candace seemed to think about that words, and Daren set his eyes on her, curious to know the answer. "Yes, you are right."

"Then why do you want to settle here forever taking on such a heavy role as that of empress? Won't you feel trapped?" Erika had asked that question keeping a smile on her lips.

Candace laughed.

Daren expected one of her usual sharp comments, but the girl said nothing. Her gaze became melancholic and took on a calm, mature note when she finally replied: "Life is made up of priority. We need to understand what is most important to us to actually feel free and not trapped."

"And what would be important to you?" Marcel's voice had an arrogant tone, as if he was trying to belittle Candace in every possible way, and to Daren's ears, the question sounded like ‘What would be important for a woman like you?’

Candace barely closed her eyelids and revealed shortly after a determined look, accompanied by a beautiful smile.

"The only person who has shown me kindness."

Marcel looked at her with a hint of evident contempt. "You're talking about Daren, aren't you? Why don't you name him clearly then? Or maybe you’re not talking about him?" he provoked her.

Daren glared at his cousin. "Marcel, that's enough."

The other sighed. "I'm sorry, Lady Candace. Maybe I overreacted. I was just curious as to why you are so fond of Daren."

Candace didn't seem offended by Marcel's behavior, and replied: "No problem. I understand that you want the best for Daren... You want to know why I'm fond of him?"

The girl seemed to reflect, and the emperor waited patiently for her answer. He was curious to know what was on her mind.

"As I said before, kindness means a lot to me, and Daren really showed me that. That's one of the things I love about him."

Daren found himself pondering her choice of words.

Love... She said she loves something about me. She had never used such an absolute term before.

In that moment, Erika picked up one of the sweets, lying on the cake stand, but her movement was too sudden, and the cake slipped out of her hand and fell on her skirt.

Dia laughed at that scene, and Candace scolded her: “It’s not nice to make fun of others."

"I'm sorry," said the little girl. Then she turned to Erika: "I'm sorry, Lady Erika."

"Don't worry, Dia. I was careless and it was actually a funny scene." She got up. "I'm going to clean the dress... I can't stay at the party with this stain on my dress."

"Go ahead, Lady Erika. We'll wait for you to start with the tea," Candace said, motioning for the maids to delay bringing the teapots to the tables.

Dia looked disappointed to have to wait longer but said nothing.

"Candace..."

Daren looked up and saw Edora Roliand standing at their table. "Since tea takes a long time, I thought I'd come and say hello."

Candace smiled. "Nice to see you, Edora. I’m glad you and your parents were able to come."

The girl looked distressed. "Don't say that… they're your parents too."

Daren wondered why Edora was so gentle when addressing Candace. She didn't even look like the same person he'd last seen.

"You're right. In any case, I'm glad you were able to come."

Daren managed to hold back his surprised expression a little. He couldn't understand why Candace was so calm.

Had she forgotten the way the Roliand family treated her? Or had something happened without him knowing?

He turned his head slightly and saw a small group of noblewomen intent on looking at the two and whispering.

He caught little of what they were saying, including a "Poor, Lady Edora," which caused him a pang of nervousness.

Lady Edora? Poor? What kind of rumors had the Roliands been spreading to make them believe that Edora was the victim of the situation?

Erika returned at that moment and sat down again at the table.

Edora withdrew and Daren motioned for Galiel to order tea to be served. Right after, the maids made their way to the tables, and two of these reached their table. The first served Candace, Marcel and Erika, while the second served him and Dia.

Daren was surprised by that detail, but then remembered that the tea ceremony required the emperor and his equals to drink tea served in a different teapot, to differentiate their position, superior to that of all the others. Dia was the goddess incarnation, so it was only natural that she should drink with him. Candace, on the other hand, was not yet his bride, so her position was still that of a lower rank.

Daren was irritated by that rule, and decided he was going to abolish it right after the tea party was over.

He picked up the cup and sniffed the scent of the tea before bringing it to his lips.

At that moment, Dia jumped up as if she was being chased by something, and in doing so she pushed Erika, who made her cup and its contents fall to the ground.

Candace then stood up and walked over to the little girl.

"What's wrong, Dia? Are you okay?"

"Yes!" the frightened child exclaimed. It's just that there was a huge insect..."

Candace hugged her and then stood up and smiled at Erika.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, Lady Erika."

She extended the saucer with the cup of tea towards the other with a smile. "You can drink Dia's tea in the meantime. The maids will bring another cup for her."

Erika stared at the cup and shook her head. "N-no, Lady Candace. What are you saying? This is not appropriate. The rules dictate that no one should drink the tea served to the emperor and his peers…”

This time it was Dia who spoke: "Please Lady Erika, accept my tea as an apology. I haven't touched it yet. Daren, is it okay if I give it to her? "

The emperor nodded. He had just decided to abolish that absurd rule, and he thought it was kind of Dia to want to offer her tea. She was really a good girl.

Candace sat down with the child in her arms. "If it's the goddess incarnation and the emperor saying so, we really have to do this, don't you think?" she joked.

Erika stared at the cup and Daren looked at her with a hint of annoyance. "I didn't think you were so squeamish, Lady Erika. Dia said she didn't touch it."

"I-it's not like that..."

Candace looked very disappointed. "Lady Erika... just because Dia is a child, it doesn't mean she doesn't deserve respect."

Daren was surprised when he noticed small beads of sweat cross Erika's forehead. Marcel also looked tense.

"What's wrong with you?" he tried to keep his tone calm, but with difficulty. The way they were treating Dia made him angry, and it wasn’t easy to hide it.

Erika took the cup in her hand, while everyone's eyes were focused on her. Her hands were shaking.

Daren couldn't believe that a noblewoman like her was being so disrespectful towards the incarnation of the goddess.

He looked at Dia, concerned that she might feel hurt by that behavior and met Candace's gaze, fixed on the other woman. Cold and impassive.

Erika brought the cup to her lips and some of the liquid fell to the ground from so much trembling. Then, with a sharp movement, she threw the cup away, sending it to a thousand pieces.

Daren watched it shatter before his eyes, with the purest confusion assaulting him. It made him think that he was witnessing a surreal scene. Something strange and unbelievable.

"Screw this!" Erika exclaimed. "Why didn’t you say anything? Why are you silent? Would you have stayed and watched me die?" she yelled at Marcel.

The latter leapt to his feet, making the chair fall backwards. "Erika, what are you saying..."

"Shut up! Would you really have let me drink the poisoned tea? Do you care so little about me?" she quickly put a hand to her lips in sheer shock.

"Poisoned tea?" Daren reflexively stood up, drawing the sword from his belt, and pointing it at the woman.

"What do you mean?" he asked in a sharp voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Candace holding Dia close to her, as she asked: "You didn't drink anything, did you?"

“No, I didn’t!” Dia reassured her.

Daren's heart skipped a beat as his mind flashed back to the moment he’d seen Candace on the ground, unconscious because of the poison.

So it was true… Erika was the poisoner…

"No! I didn't do anything!" Marcel's fiancée had clearly panicked. "Candace… her! It had to be her!"

Marcel took Erika by the arm, trying to calm her down. "Erika, stop it!"

All eyes were on them, and Marcel seemed to be all too aware of it.

Candace stood up, not letting go of Dia's hand. Daren noticed that Jared was already beside her, together with some guards, and wondered when they had intervened. For the first time in his life, he felt so lost and confused that he couldn't concentrate properly.

Candace picked up her cup of tea and sniffed its contents.

"Devil's tears..." she murmured, then looked at Marcel and Erika. "You wanted to… poison Dia and me?" A tear left her cheek. She looked completely in shock.

"No!” Erika exclaimed. “It's impossible! There shouldn't have been poison in her tea! She should have been accused, she..." Marcel raised his palm and threw it on her face.

"Shut up," he commanded.

Daren’s blade moved towards Marcel's throat. The latter drew his sword, trying to repel that of the emperor, but without success.

"What does it mean?"

Marcel looked away.

"What does it mean?" Daren's voice was as loud as it had ever been, and utter fury gleamed in his eyes.

"Nothing, Daren! It doesn't mean anything, trust me!" Marcel glanced at Erika. "It's her fault, she's gone crazy and..."

"What?" the woman yelled. "Marcel, what are you talking about? You... it was you who..."

“I said shut up!” Marcel yelled again.

"You're the one who has to shut up..." Daren pressed against his throat with the blade. "Take them away," he ordered to the guards.

At that order, Erika scrambled to her feet and snatched the sword from Marcel's hands, lunging furiously at Daren, who didn't have time to act and could only watch.

He tried to dodge that blow, but someone stepped between him and the blade.

The sword swerved suddenly, and Erika leapt ahead, slamming into the person who arrived on the scene.

Candace.

“What do you think you are doing?” Candace grabbed the blade with one hand, and gripped it, looking Erika in the eyes, drowning the woman in her irises, that sparkled with the same red that was running down her palm.

Erika shivered and backed away, while a smile full of contempt crept across the other's face.

Candace tightened her grip on the sword, and another gush of blood ran across the blade.

Erika let go, and Candace hurled the weapon elsewhere, across the lawn.

"Lady Candace!" Jared caught up with Candace and secured her while guards surrounded Erika.

Marcel tried to reach her, but Daren blocked him.

He had been shocked by the scene he had just witnessed, and was struggling to maintain his usual composure.

"Get them out of my sight,” he ordered again.

Jared moved away from Candace only when Eldan was at the girl's side, immediately ready to stop the blood that continued to flow from her hand.

Candace didn't seem in the slightest pain and stared at Erika and Marcel with the same gaze of a snake aiming at a prey. The fury ruled in her eyes, along with a sparkle of what Daren thought was fear.

Candace… Daren approached her with his heart pounding, incredulous that she was fine.

Candace turned to look at him with a serious air. “Initially, I wasn't sure… but Devil's tears is probably the same plant that must have been used when they poisoned me. It is banned from Initial, but I know of a place where it grows." Candace stared at one of the tables nearby.

The table where the Roliands were sitting.

"My ‘father’ has a private garden where he grows that plant. I don’t know his motives, but I think you should inspect the villa…”

Count Roliand he stood up, staring at her with an indignant air. "Candace, how dare you..." The guards stopped him immediately.

Daren looked gravely at the count and his family. Ordering an inspection of a nobleman's mansion was no small feat, but he didn't have much of a choice given the situation and the promise he'd made to Candace.

"Seize them and carry out a search,” he ordered, turning away from the count's gaze.

"Candace! How dare you do this to us! Why? Why?" Edora's screams rang throughout the garden as the prisoners were led away.

Daren looked at Eldan for a moment and instructed him to analyze the tea to get proof that it was indeed poisoned, then turned his attention to Candace.

Her hand was bleeding despite the bandage made by Eldan, but she didn't seem to notice it. Dia was behind her, clinging to her skirt and shivering.

"It's alright," Candace whispered to the child.

Daren picked her up in an instant, ordering Jared to take care of Dia.

"What are you doing?" Candace asked.

"I'll take you to the doctor, you're injured."

"This is nothing," she protested.

Daren noticed that her cheeks were still wet with tears.

"Don't cry…” he whispered as he held her close to him. His hearth was filled with the purest relief.

It was then that Candace released a smile and a chuckle, filled with infinite satisfaction.

"Don't worry, these aren't real tears. They are the tears of the most terrible of devils."