Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Chapter 244: The Princess Who Walked on A Thin Ice

Rosalie was staring at the mirror while her maid combed her hair. She was expressionless the whole time, but her heart was in turmoil. She thought that everything would be fine, with the death of Aunt Duchess Camille, she would be free from her shackle and live freely with her loved one, Florentino Viete. But turned out, her brother and cousin, Aster, were just the same wolves.

'Maybe I am also a wolf, it's true, the law of the jungle still applies here, eat or be eaten.'

The maids were worried, because their Golden Princess was dazed every day except when Marquis Viete came to visit. She either looked expressionless, or anxious. As if she was walking on a thin ice.

"Princess, maybe you want to take a little walk outside? The spring is very beautiful, you should get some sunlight," the maid suggested. Rosalie glanced at the window, and she sighed, "You're right, I need to take some breather."

She stood from her seat and then wore a simple hairpin before leaving the maids, she said, "Do not follow me, all of you can take a rest."

Rosalie walked around the Golden Palace's garden. She walked aimlessly, because all she needed right now was just a breath of fresh air. Something had been haunting her for days.

'I struck a deal with Aster a few months before his disappearance, but it is my brother's reign now. If he ever discovers that I'm colluding with Aster, I will be dead in the next morning.'

'But, I cannot leave Aster's alliance too right now. Because Aster had my contract with him. If he showed that contract to Charles, then my life would be over, maybe my darling Floren's life too,' Rosalie was anxious because her innocent Floren confessed that he was colluding with Aster.

Floren's contract with Aster was also in Aster's hand, which made him susceptible to any kind of danger of being discovered. For Rosalie, Floren's safety was the utmost important.

Rosalie sat on a sofa in the pavilion, she bit her lower lip as the anxiety grew in her, 'This is why I encouraged Charles not only killing the people in Dionde City, but also destroying and burning Lantern Palace. If he burned that palace, the proof about me and Floren colluding with Aster would also disappear.'

'Who would've expected that Aster's personal servant went berserk and killed the soldiers,' Rosalie thought that she was in a deadlock, because all she could do was just waiting for Aster to return, or to confess everything to Charles and hoped that Charles would forgive her and then protected her.

'No, the second option is simply impossible, I know how cruel Charles can be,' Rosalie thought, 'Ah Floren's condition after Aunt Duchess' death was no better anyway.'

Floren had been shackled and tormented by Grand Duchess Camille for years, she made him a manwhore for high class old noblewomen, he also became this debauched, good-for-nothing marquis that was hated by his people.

Yet, even after Aunt Duchess' death, he still couldn't get his release. Because Aster decided to hold Floren a little longer, he also manipulated him to do whatever he wanted because the contract was still continuing, just with a different owner.

'All I want is a little peace for us, I don't even challenge Charles' power. I let him do whatever he wanted although I should be holding him not to go overboard. Isn't that generous enough from me?'

Rosalie sighed and closed his eyes to relax herself, she opened her eyes gently again but saw a man in black standing in front of her. She gasped and was about to scream, but the man in black immediately shushed her, "Your Highness, I am Milord Aster's subordinate."

"Aster? He will finally reappear after hiding for months?" Rosalie asked.

"Yes, Your Highness Princess should contact Marquis Viete, because something bad will be happening soon."

"Wait, something bad? Did something happen to Floren?!"

"Relax, Your Highness, he is fine, but Milord is holding him hostage again. He said that you should accept whatever Emperor Charles said to you, or else, he would forcefully turn Marquis Viete into a whore once more, just like what the late Grand Duchess did to him before"

Rosalie gritted her teeth, "He is cruel enough to do what his mother did before, and yet, he still has that innocent and soft-hearted high aristocrat in the public, how shameless!" Rosalie said. But the man in black didn't respond at all, he just nodded and then disappeared.

Rosalie was really angry this time, she agreed to join Aster because he was holding Floren like this. He couldn't do anything as his life depended on Aster's contract, 'Just like his mother, Aster is just as insane as her!'

Charles was inside his chamber as usual, he was reading on some important administration until his shadow guard appeared in front of him and kneeled immediately, "Your Majesty, Golden Princess Rosalie is positively colluding with Empress Aster, should we execute her now?"

Charles raised his brow, he replied nonchalantly while still reading the administration paper, "Aster allowed his subordinate to get spotted by you, so he is deliberately using Rosalie as a bait to see my next move. He might be hiding somewhere, but he still has his sharp mind. Just call her here, I will bestow her something important."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Rosalie felt that her knees under her dress trembled in fear as she entered the Emperor Chamber. She visited this chamber often back when her father was the emperor, but now that her brother took his place, she dared not disturb him here.

"Golden Princess Rosalie is presenting herself in front of Emperor Audric V," Rosalie said. Charles finally put down his work and then said to Rosalie, "You have a relationship with Marquis of Viete, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Rosalie replied. He was scared that Charles would execute Floren for some ridiculous reason. But Charles only smirked and then took a letter under the desk and threw it to Rosalie.

Rosalie caught it and then asked, "What is this?"

"Open it, it is a pleasant surprise for you," Charles smirked. Rosalie opened it slowly, and when she read the content, her hands trembled in awe and fear at the same time.

- Under the name of Emperor Audric V, I bestow the marriage between Florentino Viete, Marquis of Viete and Rosalie Anna Camellia, Golden Princess of Golden Camellia

Charles scoffed and said, "Since you want to marry that manwhore so much, then I might as well help you here."

***

Florentino was signing on a document inside his office as always. He glanced at the man who leaned on the wall near the window. His expression was relaxed, perhaps with a trace of ridicule in his face. He asked, "Sir Florentino Viete doesn't have anything to say?"

Floren scoffed, "Well, if this is what I should do to gain my freedom, then why not? My public image is beyond repair, I am just living with the last trace of usefulness in me before I also got executed."

"Don't say that. This is Milord's own plan, although it involves you getting married with someone like her. But he will make sure that you will be just fine when the time comes, in fact, he will give you freedom and safety at the same time after the table has turned."

"Fine then, I know he is planning this to ruin Emperor Charles' reputation, right? By marrying the Golden Princess to a dirty man like me, Emperor Charles will be seen as an ill-willed emperor who didn't even care the slightest bit about his sister's feelings."

"Sir Floren is quite knowledgeable," Irion smiled, "Just don't fall in love with her, because there would be time that she would turn her back on us and it would be painful if we spare her."

"I know," Floren replied curtly. He already knew that Rosalie persuaded her brother to also massacre the people inside Lantern Palace. He already knew that she planned to burn the Lantern Palace, so the proof of their contract with Aster would be destroyed.

"Maybe Aster didn't realize that Rosalie could be that evil, right?"

"Probably, Milord got caught off guard, because he didn't think that Emperor Charles would also target his mansion," Irion replied.

'As expected, she is not a good woman' Floren had tested Rosalie many times, because he was afraid that he would be betraying a good, innocent woman. But the more he knew Rosalie, the more he realized that Rosalie was no different than her brother and the late Grand Duchess.

'They are all golden eyed monsters.'

Floren had a thought about Aster too, but somehow, he couldn't fathom whether Aster was a kind-hearted man or not. He was definitely not innocent, but he didn't have a trace of malice in him.

'Pick the better out of the worst he is the one I should be siding with'

***

Aster had given his order for almost a month now, and the summer was coming. There must be some news about it soon. He waited anxiously, but there was no sign of Nate anywhere.

Knock. Knock.

"Aster, it's me," the familiar voice from outside returned Aster back to reality. He replied, "Come in, Tuskan."

Tuskan opened the door with a tray full of sweet and put it near Aster. He started talking about daily life as always, and Aster responded positively. It had been like this for a couple of weeks, which made Tuskan happy, because Aster could finally accept him slowly.

"You know, I just got an invitation from Golden Camellia," Tuskan mentioned.

"What invitation?"

"The marriage between your cousin, Golden Princess Rosalie and Marquis of Viete. I should come to pay respect to Golden Camellia. I don't want Charles to get suspicious of me, because he still doesn't know that you are hiding here."

'This is the perfect time!'

Aster leaned to the side until his shoulder touched Tuskan's shoulder, then he asked, "That's good, but it's better if I can go too. Please take me with you."