CHAPTER 286: DID SHE HAVE A GOOD ENDING?

[If Carolyn is the heroine, then what am I?] Aristia wondered. [Side character, cannon fodder, villainess?!]

After thinking deeply, she plopped back down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. She couldn’t help the plea that left her lips.

"Lord, have mercy."

She was feeling a lot of conflicting emotions at the moment.

Just when she had found a balance in living in a book world when she hadn’t asked to, now she had found out that her balance was threatened.

She came to that conclusion because...

[If I didn’t play a major role here, then I wouldn’t get to read this book. That means that I will get very much involved, and this is just the beginning.]

Who knew what would happen from here onwards.

Reading that book had already showed her outrightly that she wasn’t the heroine.

[I know how this works.] She scowled. [The heroine will always receive the love and support of people no matter where she goes and who she meets, without even working for it. That novel I read back on Earth just removed her name and put mine there. But what was the point?]

She was feeling uncertain. How would the book end? What about Aristia? Did she have a good ending or... She didn’t want to think about it.

She released a deep breath, her eyes rolling around the room. This feeling of uncertainty was a bit troublesome, but it wasn’t something she couldn’t manage.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The door opened.

Adeline entered.

Millie woke up at that moment.

"Good morning, princess. Good morning, Millie." Adeline greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Linny." Aristia said, coming down from the bed.

Millie nodded her head at Adeline, coming down from the bed too with Aristia.

Adeline went to pick out clothes for Aristia to wear for the training.

"Princess, your classes begin today." Adeline said as she helped her change into training clothes.

After the training with the captain which was the same as usual, Aristia returned to her room with Millie.

Adeline entered with a few maids.

The maids prepared the bath.

Once the last of the maids had left, the three headed to the bathroom.

After bathing and breakfast, it was time for Aristia second class of the day; history.

Aristia entered the room the history class was holding in.

Viscountess Vasily Hemsworth was already seated down and sipping juice.

Because of pregnancy and childbirth, Vasily features had undergone a slight change.

She now had a more mature, motherly look to her.

"Viscountess Vasily."

"Princess Aristia."

The two exchanged greetings before meeting gazes and laughing.

"How are you, Tia?"

"Good, aunt. How is Valen?"

"He’s fine. He’s in the mansion’s nursery." Vasily said.

Aristia nodded.

Actually, she had been surprised when she found out that the mansion had a nursery.

"I spoke to the tutor assigned to tutor you here in Belonmusk while I was nursing, and Governess Andrea, so we’ll continue from where they stopped. But Governess Andrea said that you’re studying ahead of your classes?" Vasily asked.

"Mm, I am." Aristia nodded. "You know that I’m mostly busy. I’m studying ahead so that I’ll have free time."

Vasily nodded at her answer, somewhat impressed.

Most girls were just barely managing their classes, but here Aristia was, already studying the syllabus of a year forward. In just the time they stayed in the East, she was already at the same level as the first and second princesses who were a year older.

"So, let’s begin." She said, opening the book in front of her.

"Today, we’ll be studying about other kingdoms, not only in Yosanda, but also in Altunia. First of all, there are two Empires; our kingdom in the Yosandan Continent, and the Hawthorne Empire in the Altunian Continent."

[Yup. Amberale is an Empire. They deceived me at first when I first arrived, calling it Kingdom instead of Empire. Why? Just for the fun of it! It turned out other kingdoms call it the Amberale Empire, but only the people of Amberale call it Kingdom. Are they sick or what?] The thought still popped a vein in Aristia’s head anytime.

[Something about humility and stuff, because it was just a kingdom when Lord Nerin first blessed it. Pwah! Pure bullshit!] She spat inwardly.

"The Hawthorne Empire is a powerful Empire. It holds great power over the kingdoms in Altunia. It’s the same for Amberale in Yosanda." Vasily began.

The current ruler of the Hawthorne Empire, Emperor Vladimir Hawthorne had an Empress and a Queen.

The Empress and Queen had both given birth to only a son for the King.

The Empress’s son was the Crown Prince.

The relationship between the Empress and Queen could only be said to be complicated. They weren’t enemies fighting for their own son to inherit the throne, but they weren’t friends either.

It was mostly passive between them.

This was also possible because none of them were loved by the Emperor more than the other.

The Empress was from another kingdom and married the king as a peace alliance. While the Queen was from the Hawthorne Empire, it was also a political marriage as her family had power.

The Emperor however, had a woman whom he loved. She could only be a Royal Consort, and she was from lowly birth being just a commoner.

This concubine hadn’t immediately given birth to a child for the Emperor, but two years after the second prince was born— three years after the first prince was born— she gave birth to a daughter.

So the king only had one child from each of the women in his life.

The Empire’s Crown Prince was Prince Dante Hawthorne and he was ten currently. The second prince was Nolan Hawthorne who was nine, and the princess was Rose Hawthorne, seven years old.

As expected, the first and second princes had already begun attending the academy since they turned eight but the princess hadn’t reached the age requirement for females of ten years old, so she remained in the Empire.

Vasily moved from talking about the Hawthorne Empire’s royal family to the economic aspect of the Empire.

But Aristia’s mind was no longer on the lesson.

[Hmm... Dante Hawthorne. Why does the name seem familiar?] She thought, trying to remember if she had met or heard about anyone with that name.

But there seemed to be none.

However, in her mind, there was an image. It was faint and blurry.

As she focused, the image started to become clear.

But before she could focus on the image, a headache split through her head, feeling like someone had just hit her head with a hammer.

"Argh!"

Vasily who was still in the middle of explaining froze and looked up at her.

Worry quickly filled her eyes.

"Princess?" She dropped the title, getting up and going to Aristia’s side, unsure of what just happened. "Tia, what’s wrong?"

One second Aristia was normal and paying attention, and the next second, she was holding her head and groaning in pain.

Aristia’s hand was on her head. She shook her head at Vasily, still gripping her head.

"I have to tell her highness." Vasily said, turning and heading for the door.

The hazy image disappeared.

Slowly, the headache subsided.

Aristia released a breath, then looked up at Vasily.

"Aunt Vasily."

Vasily stopped and turned around to look at her.

Aristia smiled. "I’m fine."

Vasily’s eyes narrowed. "You didn’t look fine a moment ago."

Maybe it was because she had become a mother, but she now had an even stricter demeanor like a mother whose child said something absurd.

"It’s just a minor headache." Aristia said.

Vasily sighed, no longer bent on opening the door and telling Catherine that there was something wrong with her daughter.

"Perhaps we should stop the lesson here. So that you can rest."

Aristia quickly shook her head. If they stopped the lesson midway, wouldn’t that give off that something was wrong?

And besides, she was okay. There really was no need to raise alarm.

"I’m fine, really. Maybe I’ve been too busy with the restaurant." She used work as an excuse.

Vasily sat down. "Hm. You need to take it easy, princess. It’s good that you’re giving attention to the restaurant, but you have to be mindful of your health." She said.

"I will."

"Since you asked to continue the lesson, then we’ll continue."

Aristia nodded, relieved that Vasily had dropped the matter.

She stopped trying to think of why the name was familiar. She didn’t want any other headaches.

Vasily moved from talking about the Hawthorne Empire to talking about other kingdoms in both continents, from their royalty to the kingdom itself.

Because of the speed of Aristia’s understanding, the history class ended before the time was up.

After the history lesson, Vasily left to have tea with Catherine, while Aristia headed to the mansion’s nursery.

Just as Vasily had said, there was baby Valen crawling on the floor while a nanny watched over him.

However, what Aristia saw next not only shocked her but made her blood boil with anger.