CHAPTER 217: FRIENDS

After Wade answered, Aristia didn’t keep asking.

But she too became lost in thought.

[Is Charlotte sick because... Or am I overthinking it?] She thought with furrowed brows.

Her brows knitted tighter. [It should be around this time that she died... right?]

It was hard to tell.

In the dream vision she had, it was raining around the time of Charlotte’s death, but she couldn’t determine when exactly. It probably had taken a few months after she became sick before she died. So it was either she had become sick before the rainy days came and died during the rainy season, or she had become sick during the rainy season and died towards the end.

But for some reason presently, Charlotte hadn’t become sick during winter or spring or early summer— the next month was the beginning of fall— and Aristia had changed a lot of things.

Now Charlotte was sick now.

[Does this also mean she’s not dying anytime soon?] Charlotte just became sick now, and according to the dream, it would take a few more months until she died. Aristia’s brows relaxed at the thought. [Then there’s nothing for me to worry about.]

She picked up a wine glass...no a glass of juice, from a servant and took a sip, then refocused on the conversation.

The others changed topics after noticing Wade’s mood, drawing his attention to something else they were saying and taking his mind off of thinking too much.

Aristia was listening to what they were talking about when suddenly, she felt that gaze on her again.

Suddenly, she had a tiny guess.

Just as she turned, she locked eyes with turquoise eyes that appeared a bit startled at being caught from they way they widened slightly.

[I guessed right. It’s her. Hm, she likes staring at me.] Aristia thought. [I know I’m beautiful so... it’s understandable.] Aristia smirked.

She gulped down the juice and excused herself from her group.

"I’ll be right back." She said.

She left before they even nodded.

On the other side of the hall where Vivian Quentin stood.

"Aren’t you and the third princess friends? She hasn’t looked in your direction since entering the hall." Count Quentin’s voice was filled with annoyance as he looked down at Vivian.

"The third princess is royalty. Should we expect her to come to us? It should be Vivian going to her." Countess Quentin corrected, looking at her husband incredulously.

Count Quentin’s eyes widened slightly and his heart thumped, looking around to make sure no one had heard his words and childing himself internally.

He nodded in realization. "Yes. Vivian should have gone to her the moment she entered the hall." He turned to Vivian. "What are you doing? What kind of friend are you?" He asked.

Vivian just remained silent with her head slightly lowered, but her hand pinched her clothes.

She looked at her clothes for a second. Just like her mother said, she had taken her to purchase new, better clothes.

If it were before, her mother wouldn’t even bother picking a dress for her, but now, she had meticulously chosen dresses for her— dresses even better than the ones her sisters had, making them very jealous.

And it was all because of... her.

Just then, Countess Quentin nudged her husband.

"Honey, is the princess coming over?"

Count Quentin turned quickly, and Vivian turned too.

Vivian Quentin’s eyes widened slightly when she saw that it really was in her direction that Aristia was going to.

Aristocrats watched Aristia discreetly, and seeing her going towards Vivian Quentin, their interests were piqued and they watched keenly.

Count and Countess Quentin obviously wouldn’t keep their mouths shut about Aristia and their daughter being friends.

Nobility had heard that the two girls had gone from almost not crossing paths to becoming friends.

But they had to see it with their own eyes to believe.

As Aristia walked closer, Vivian’s heart subconsciously picked up pace.

Her parents who had been telling her earlier to approach Aristia quickly put on amiable smiles and nudged her forward.

"Your Highness," Count and Countess Quentin smiled.

Aristia only nodded at them, eyes still fixed on Vivian.

Vivian seemed to be frozen, her eyes just fixed on Aristia’s face.

"Ahem!" Seeing no movement from her, Count Quentin coughed.

Vivian blinked rapidly, before curtseying. "Princess Aristia."

"Vivian," Aristia nodded.

The surrounding Aristocrats were filled with surprise. They were all aware of what had happened between the two girls and had even thought that the third princess was going to do the same thing even though the Quentin couple said they were friends.

But now, they were seeing that it was actually true.

Some even began discreetly signalling their children to get close to Vivian Quentin.

Seeing this, the Quentin couple raised their chin higher and glanced meaningfully at the Aristocrats around them.

"Can you excuse Vivian, Count Quentin?" Aristia asked.

Count Quentin nodded. "Of course. It’s our honor, your highness." He said with no objections. His smile that he couldn’t hide stretched so widely that his lips almost reached his ears, and Countess Quentin was the same. She smiled so much that her eyes closed.

Aristia didn’t spare them much of a glance, instead, she turned to Vivian.

"Let’s go." She flashed a dazzling smile.

[Oh no! I feel like a flirt. Like a heart thief.]

Vivian nodded somewhat dazedly before following.

As Aristia led the way, she caught sight of Vivian’s sisters and brother staring at them from their positions in the hall.

Annie and Bethany Quentin were surrounded by other girls of similar ages and even younger, but all their gazes remained fixed on Aristia and Vivian.

Annie and Bethany kept glaring at Vivian, while her brother was just staring at them blankly.

Aristia moved her gaze away and continued on.

In Annie and Bethany’s group.

The girls finally moved their eyes away.

"Miss Bethany. I thought you said that your sister wasn’t close to the princess." One of the girls asked, turning to the sisters.

"Yes. If I had known she was close with her highness, I would have still remained friends with her." Another girl grumbled.

They all regretted stopping their association with Vivian. If they were still friends with her, then the princess would have also asked them to come along, bringing them closer to her.

If Aristia had known what they were thinking, she would have been shocked.

These children ranged from the ages of six to ten; quite a young age, yet they had already learnt how to think of using someone.

But Aristia didn’t know this. Right now, she and Vivian had already reached their group in silence.