Chapter 152 - Those close by
Livvi stood in front of the mirror in the washroom of the quarters provided for her, giving herself a final once-over. She had styled her light-brown hair in a bow hanging over her shoulder, like her mother often did, and wore a light white dress with blue patterns. For once, she chose to forgo her glasses. There was no need for them when she was only meeting other people, and they would only further accentuate her already bloodshot eyes.
She had not gotten much sleep.
The previous night had been a horrible ordeal. The chaos, the screams, the blood — it was her first experience being in such close proximity to fighting and death, and the sights still lingered in the recesses of her mind. What had occurred was a tragedy and a disaster, not only for the Windgrove duchy and the Tyndalls but for the entire empire. She didn’t know how many of the attendees had lost their lives, but even if it was just one person, it was one too many.
And yet, the duke and the rest had decided to proceed with the gathering for the nobles this morning.
She disagreed with that choice. There was nothing wrong with canceling such an event under these circumstances. It felt disrespectful to the victims of the attack to simply pretend nothing had happened. She understood the reasoning behind Duke Tyndall’s insistence on proceeding and her father’s resolve to attend, but she didn’t like it.
Unfortunately, there was little she could do to change the situation.
Releasing a tired sigh, she left the washroom and completed her final preparations before departing from her quarters to meet her family. They were waiting for her in one of the foyers, and together they exited into the courtyard, making their way towards their carriage. As she climbed inside the vehicle and it set into motion, her father’s intense gaze studied her from across the cabin. The healers had tended to his injured nose the night before, but it still had a redder hue than usual, making him appear either annoyed or sick. It wasn’t an unfitting look on him.
She met his eyes. “Is there something you want to say, father?”
“…You don’t have to accompany us, buttercup,” the large man answered in his booming voice. “These gatherings are often pointless, and it would be better for you to remain in your quarters and get more rest.”
“But both you and Garrin are still attending, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then I’m joining as well.” She fixed him with a determined look. “I didn’t suffer through what happened yesterday alone. If our family has chosen to attend despite the circumstances, so will I.”