She was fourteen years old when she first saw Valentin.
In his coming of age ceremony, finally, everyone in the Empire will see the crown prince of the Seirende Empire.
Born from the Legendary S class and the only living man possessing the rarest constitution, the Open Paths. Son of Idelfonso De Seirende, the current Emperor of Seirende.
Everyone in the open grounds of the castle had been waiting for his first appearance with great anticipation. The Crown Prince, who was born as a talented mage, at the age of fifteen had already been promoted to Class A.
Everyone had also speculated that if the Empire is blessed, he may also be promoted to S class. However to them, it was already a blessing that he had reached the A class this early. S class is considered as non-existent, except for the crowned legendaries.
Great Emperor Idelfonso had been publicly warning the people not to compare his achievements to pressure on his precious son. Everyone knew that he had reached the S class because of his rare constitution.
Despite the obvious truth and the protection of his father, Crown Prince Valentin still lived a life of pressure and high expectations. However the Crown Prince, lovingly raised by the Empress and the Emperor grew up to have a compassionate heart and charisma for the people.
Just like what he is doing today.
Carolina's amethyst eyes focused on the valiant and handsome fifteen year old prince, who was calmly stepping outside the platform to greet the people.
He was clad in a royal blue suite with a red sash fixed to his sturdy shoulders. It was in contrast to his reddish hair and crystal blue eyes. Nonetheless, his overall appearance was princely and charming, stealing Carolina's maiden heart on the spot.
She could feel butterflies in her stomach as she watched him appear to everyone.
The way he stands exudes royalty, where one would automatically feel they had to submit to his authority.
The way he looked at the people had a mix of warmth and calmness, making people nod with approval.
Indeed he was the Crown Prince of this great empire! A normal fifteen year old would never be able to release such an aura.
Only him, the son of the Emperor, Crown Prince Valentin could do it.
At that moment, Carolina decided that she would one day step on that platform to be by his side as the Empress of the Empire.
Going home, the first thing she did was to ask his father, Duke Vesala to find her the most prominent teacher for etiquette, language, history and arts. She wanted to be the best noble lady in her generation.
She will do her best to rise to the top of the noble society, so much that Valentin will not even look for another suitable candidate for an empress but her.
She immersed herself in learning these things. She also cultivated herself some talents so that she could be well known all throughout high society.
Her wardrobe had only been the best of the best. They were all imported and designed from the Belizia Kingdom, the authority for textile and fashion.
At a young age she started wearing a corset, even before her coming of age.
She also had to make sure that she bathes with the finest oils and fragrances in order to keep her skin and appearance beautiful beyond comparison.
True enough, she had attained her goals to be the top noble lady of her generation in high society. Her social debut, upon reaching the age of fifteen had been a talk of the town for a couple of months.
The young girl, in a grand and luxurious hall filled with the purest crystal chandeliers, descended from the stairs like a fairy of the lavender garden.
Her vibrant plum hair was decorated with laced crystal ribbons and fragrant white petunia flowers. Shining like a precious stone, her amethyst eyes made the attendees the coming of age in awe.
She walked confidently and gracefully, wearing a simple yet elegant light blue dress, which reminded everyone that although she was already a beauty beyond compare, she was still a young innocent lady.
She was Lady Carolina Vesala, the precious daughter of the Duke, the most beautiful flower of the high society.
Lady Carolina charmingly accepted the well wishes and greetings of the guests, her heart anticipating the moment when the Crown Prince would finally see her.
However the ball started and ended without him at sight. Grieving disappointedly, she tearfully asked her father why the Crown Prince missed her social debut.
When she heard that the Crown Prince had to go to the borders to defend the empire, all resentment was gone. Like a faithful wife, she smiled brightly waiting for his victorious return.
As for her, she will continue to expand her influence and might in the high society, letting everyone know that no other lady in the Empire deserved the Crown Prince other than her.
It was so much to the point that she had created her faction, composed of ladies of her age supporting her as the future crown prince's fiance.
At a tea party on a bright summer day, she and her faction had caused a daughter of a count to break her legs when she heard her compliment Valentin's swordsmanship.
On another social event, she humiliated another young lady who shamelessly admitted her crush on the Crown Prince, that poor young lady had to go home with her face scalded with hot tea and disheveled clothes.
Another event, she had another lady lose all her hair after she complimented how charming the Crown Prince's hair was.
And another event, and another event… Soon she was all feared by the young ladies and almost all wouldn't attend an event had they heard that she would be attending.
Due to her family's large influence, her 'petty' offences were all dismissed as childish pranks. All the victims' parents gritted their teeth in grievance as they couldn't fight with the Duke of Vesala.
Childish Pranks my ass! Your daughter was already an official adult!
But Carolina's obsession for the Crown Prince didn't stop there.
She became more resentful and violent when she reached eighteen. Any lady who would longingly look at the Crown Prince during an event will be abducted on their way home and disfigured beyond recognition.
One time, there was a lady whom Valentin casually talked with. Upon seeing them smile and laugh in enjoyment, Carolina glared at them sinisterly.
She then planned to abduct that lady and had her violated by her men under her watch.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince had been tracking the lady's whereabouts and rescued her on time, much to Carolina's dismay.
That lady was actually the Crown Prince's cousin, from his aunt who was happily married in an allied kingdom.
Filled with wrath and anger, the Crown Prince condemned lady Carolina, so much that he demanded for a trial!
For a noble lady to be subjected to a trial it was a big humiliation and disgrace. However, her crime was big this time.
She had actually plotted against a relative of the Imperial Family and a princess of an allied kingdom, which could be translated to treason! The punishment was absolutely death!
However no remorse could be seen in Carolina's eyes, but utter disbelief that the Crown Prince, whom she had loved for many years now, was looking at her with disgust and contempt.
She felt like her whole world crumbled just because the fantasy of her and Valentin happily holding hands, as they ascended to the throne was shattered by his piercing crystal blue eyes.
She lifelessly stood while being besieged by the imperial knights, as she blankly stared at the cold receding figure of Crown Prince Valentin.
She tried calling out his name to plead but the image of him looking at her with disgust and contempt made her choke with heartbreak. Her whole world became dark, her heart so painful as if it was peirced with a cold sword.
Why do you look at me with such eyes? Why?
Lady Carolina was detained in the cold tower for days, without her knowing how she even managed to walk towards it. She was staring blankly at the cold and mossy tower wall, as if she already had no soul.
However she was woken up with a loud and painful slap from her elder brother Maxim.
"Till when will you be crazily obsessed with that man?! You fool! You have caused our father's death!"
That cruel slap, added by the devastating piece of news had woken her senses up.
Her soulless amethyst eyes slowly turned towards her Brother Maxim's crying face. She glanced at her older brother, whom she have always known as pampering and generous, stupefied.
"Foolish woman! Wake up! Can't you see? You'll cause our family to ruin! Because of you! Father had to sacrifice his life in your stead!" Another resentful slap resounded in the cold tower.
"Because of me??? Father… father died?" Feeling the sting of the powerful slap right into her soft skin, Lady Carolina trembled in disbelief.
"Who else! Didn't you know that the Emperor had been waiting for this opportunity to put a leash on our family? You walked straight into their trap! Because of a brainless daughter like you, who only knew how to have beauty! Father took the death penalty in your stead!"
Maxim vented out his sadness and anger to his little sister who caused this all.
"Bring back my father… bring him back.." He couldn't take the grief anymore, he knelt on the cold moldy stone floor and cried his heart out.
Seeing his previously pampering elder brother cry in sorrow, realizing that his ever doting father is dead, Lady Carolina finally shouted in grief and sorrow.
Revenge revenge revenge! Her heart cried out.
She blamed all her misfortunes to that lady who caused her to fall into the trap. She blamed all those ladies who caused her to act like that, making the enemy use her feelings to their advantage.
It's all their fault! It's all their evil!
Burning Crown Prince's Valentin's first image deep into her heart, she swore to get him and the throne at all cost.
Getting that throne is the best revenge, just you see. I will make it so that you don't have any choice but to give me that!
The throne, the empress title, the empire, Valentin! All Mine! All Mine!
Like a cocoon finally ripe, a butterfly struggling to come out to the world.
So was Lady Carolina's transformation into a beautiful and poisonous butterfly the Empire of Prasinos would ever have.
