Chapter 303: SECRET EXPOSED

Vivian looked around the balcony. The balcony provided a beautiful view of a wide field. Lush green grass and a few sparse trees created a peaceful, serene atmosphere.Occasionally, cool wind would blow through the balcony.

Just being there made her unknowingly relax.

Aristia looked up at Vivian, making the latter turn back to her.

"What brings you here?" Aristia asked, pretending not to know the reason why she was here.

Vivian looked a bit caught off guard as she searched for an excuse.

She couldn’t possibly say that her mother had forced her to come.

"I wanted to visit you." She managed to say.

"Oh, really?" Aristia asked with raised eyebrows. "Then I’m honored." She said playfully.

"I... I received your letter." Vivian said. But now, her brows were drawn together, wondering how Aristia had sent the letter without herself or her family knowing.

"And you haven’t decided yet." Aristia said knowingly.

Vivian quickly shook her head.

"That’s fine. I don’t expect you to decide immediately." Aristia said.

Vivian looked at her seriously. This princess was really full of surprises.

"But why do you want me as part of your people? How can I possibly help you?" She asked.

She couldn’t help but wonder how many people Aristia had because Aristia had said ’one of my people’.

"I need you to help me with intelligence." Aristia said, leaning forward on the table by placing her elbows on it. "You gave me information on Carolyn Cornwell."

Oh, so it was because she had provided information on Carolyn Cornwell that the princess wanted her to work for her, Vivian thought. She had guessed correctly.

"And you have a special ability." Aristia said casually, removing her elbows from the table and sitting straight again.

Vivian’s eyes widened. Her eyes quickly snapped to the maid, but the maid showed no reaction, only standing respectfully behind Aristia.

"Special ability? What are you talking about?" She asked, turning back to Aristia.

Just then, Adeline brought a fruit plate containing sliced fruit with small thin toothpick shaped sticks on them forward to Aristia. "Have some fruit, princess."

"Thanks, Linny." Aristia helped herself to one, popping a sliced fruit into her mouth. Then she turned to Vivian who was still stunned. "Would you like some fruits?"

Without even waiting for a reply, she told Adeline, "Give her one."

Adeline nodded and presented the plate to Vivian.

Vivian mechanically took it, her gaze still stuck on Aristia.

"Princess Aristia, what do you mean?"

Aristia finished chewing the fruit, her gaze also remaining on Vivian.

Vivian slightly shifted her gaze. Aristia’s gaze felt like she was being stripped bare.

"You already know what I mean." Aristia said seriously now, dropping all playfulness. "You have the ability of making yourself invisible."

"Invisible? I don’t know what that means, princess Aristia. People just don’t notice me." Vivian had calmed down now. Her tone and expression had returned to normal, even being as bland as it was back at her home.

"That’s exactly what I’m saying," Aristia said. "People should notice you, especially with your unusual hair and eyes color... but somehow, its almost impossible to notice you in a crowd. People forget you’re even there!" Aristia finished.

She couldn’t forget how even her friends had forgotten about Vivian even when she was right there in the banquet hall during the former celebration.

That was what finally convinced Aristia of her suspicions.

By the time she was done, Vivian didn’t even know what to say.

"I don’t know why people don’t notice me. Maybe it’s because my family doesn’t have a high status." She said.

"Then what about Carolyn Cornwell? You both are from minor nobillity, and you come from a Count’s family, she comes from a Baron’s. Who is lower in status?" Aristia asked, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at the flimsy excuse.

Vivian didn’t respond. She just didn’t know what to say to counter Aristia’s words. She knew that she could be said to be invisible. Even though she was different from the rest; her unique hair and eyes color, she wasn’t noticed.

Vivian had grown used to this. It had been that way since she was little. It was even a wonder that Aristia back then when they were little had noticed and called her out for it.

The only people who seemed to see her were her parents, and that was not common, they usually just forgot about her.

It was only after Aristia visited her that they actively engaged her, and that was because they craved the benefits they would receive.

But her sisters... they took pleasure in mocking her whenever they were in the mood, which was quite common, so they couldn’t forget her.

At first, Vivian had been disappointed that people didn’t notice her, but with time, she has grown used to it. She even came to appreciate it.

It had helped her a lot.

Because of it, she knew... things that not many knew. She had also gotten even more mature than her age, despite not having royal blood coursing through her veins.

But now, her secret had been exposed by Aristia.

Seeing Vivian in thought, Aristia sighed. "I want you to understand that your ability is very useful to me."

"What will I get if I become one of your people?" Vivian asked quietly.

Aristia’s eyes crinkled. [Now we’re talking!] She thought, knowing that Vivian was starting to consider her offer.

"You will get my protection as part of my people, you won’t need an invitation to enter the mansion, you will get my priority, and... you will know secrets no one else knows." The last was the farthest she was willing to go.

She was only going this far because Vivian really was a gem.

Owen wouldn’t be able to find out every bit of information. That was where Vivian would come in.

Her low presence was heartbreaking, but it could be very useful.

Vivian’s cheeks turned red when she heard Aristia say she would be able to come to the mansion without an invitation.

But then her pupils diluted when Aristia said the third and last statements. She would get priority...

And what secrets?

As she stared at Aristia, she realized. Aristia did seem to have many secrets. But she would tell her if she became part of her people? That meant absolute trust.

Vivian found this hard to digest. The princess would go that far just to recruit her?

In the end, Vivian gave an answer.

"I... I will think about it, princess." She said.

In the carriage going back to her family’s mansion in the capital, Aristia’s words were the only thing she could think of.

Aristia seemed to be the only one who actually saw her. It was like... her ability was powerless in front of Aristia.

Aristia’s words meant that she wouldn’t overlook her.

Vivian found that she didn’t find the idea bad.

Just then, the carriage finally stopped in front of her home.

Vivian entered the mansion.

"Vivian, dear, how did your visit with the third princess go? I hope she wasn’t unsatisfied with you?" Her mother asked eagerly.

"It was good, mother... No, she wasn’t unsatisfied with me." Vivian replied without a change in expression.

No, Aristia wasn’t unsatisfied with her.

If she was, she wouldn’t have asked her to be one of her own people.

Her mother sighed in relief. "It’s good you didn’t mess things up."

Vivian didn’t say anything in reply.

"Please excuse me, mother." She said.

Countess Quentin nodded and turned around to leave, going to wherever it was she was going. Vivian didn’t care. She was just happy to be left alone.

She instead headed to her room.

As she closed the door behind her, her eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

Annie stood up from where she was bent over Vivian’s drawer. The drawer was open, and she had clearly been rummaging through her younger sister’s things.

Annie didn’t even show any remorse at being caught.

She didn’t even bat an eye as she replied. "I’m looking for my hairpin."

"In my drawer?" Vivian asked, unimpressed.

Annie just shrugged.

"Maybe one of the maids could have misplaced it, or you might have taken it."

Vivian’s expression didn’t change.

"You know I won’t touch your things. Don’t touch my things again." She said, going around Annie and closing the drawer.

Annie folded her arms.

"What will you do if I do?"

Vivian paused, but a thought crossed her mind.

’You will have my protection?’ Aristia’s words rang in her ears.

Vivian turned to Annie and gave her a long, dull look.

"Then I’ll have princess Aristia know that my sister goes through my things, searching for any gift she might have given me."

The color washed off of Annie’s face and her face turned pale. Aristia was younger than her, but she was scared. She didn’t want to be on Aristia’s bad side.

"Y-You wouldn’t."

"Do you want to try?" Vivian asked.