"Papa, what do you have for me?"

  Viena is trembling with expectation. She no longer can't wait to see what her dad has in store for her. However, instead of handing out his gift like others, Randia instead gives her a scrap of paper. Viena takes it from his hand and try to read it. Written inside the paper was weird numbers and Randia's cursive handwriting that makes even Eleanor taken aback.

  "How beautiful . . . Mr. Ran, I have no idea you are extraordinarily talented in penmanship."

  "Please, my dy, you are fttering me. It's just an extra proficiency I picked up during my work when treating the members of the higher society, nothing too extravagant."

  "But Papa, I can't read it at all."

  Instead of answering, Randia picks up his big bag and get ready to leave for the cathedral.

  "Hey, wait! Where are you going?!"

  "Wait Viena, I think I know what your dad is trying to do. Look."

  An grabbed Viena's shoulder and pointed to the scrap of paper. Gwen peeked from behind her also, seemingly curious.

  "Isn't this . . . ," Gwen raised an eyebrow.

  "Yeah. This is a coordinate."

  "Coordinate? What is a coordinate?"

  "It's a certain pattern of numbers that people use to locate a pce."

  "Ah! So that's it! Your father wants to see if you can find the birthday-gift he had prepared for you!"

  "In other words . . . ."

  An and Gwen nodded to each other.

  "It's a treasure hunt!"

  "It's a treasure hunt!"

  "O-Ooh! Wow!" Viena's eyes sparkles.

  As the two knights make quite a fuss about the coordinate, Viena hears the door opening. She left the paper to An and Gwen and runs outside. There, she saw Randia closing the fence, ready to leave for work.

  "Papaa!"

  Randia turns his head towards Viena.

  "If I find it ugly, I'll bite your ears, okaay?!"

  ". . . If you can find it."

  The way Randia's looking down on her and slightly smirking gets on Viena's nerve.

  "What?! Just you see! I'll find it before you have your lunch and funt it on your face all day!"

  [02.30 PM - Parque de Memoire]

  "Whoa! There are so many statues!"

  "This is the Parque de Memoire - The Park of Remembrance. The crown family build this ndmark as a tribute to the heroes of the past, just as its name implies."

  An, Gwen, and Viena arrive in the pce pointed by the coordinate. This time, Lisabelle unfortunately couldn't come with them since the pce is heavily guarded. It would undoubtedly spell trouble had she was caught breaking the w of her house-arrest. Thus, only the three of them have the privilege to go for the treasure hunt.

  "An! Who is this man?"

  "That's Robert Dufraisse. His statue is the considered new since it was erected only thirty years ago."

  Viena was sure that she had heard of that name. She was deep in thought until her memory finally kicks in. It's the name of the statue back at the Master Bathroom of the Arbon's Mansion in Neim.

  "Ninon . . . Dufraisse?"

  "Heh. I didn't know you were familiar with the noble standings, Viena. Lady Ninon Dufraisse is the current head of the Dufraisse family. She was turning 75 years old four months ago, and the party was so vish that the mps in their domain stayed up for a whole week! Can you imagine?"

  Gwen, being one of the hottest gossipers in town makes her remarks. An is lost in his imagination when he heard her story, dreaming of wealth and dies, like most men would be.

  "Wow! Then this Robert must be a really strong man! But it's strange . . . I don't see him carrying any weapon though."

  "Haha, of course he won't. Lord Robert Dufraisse was not a warrior. He was our greatest Minister of Finance that saved our country from bankruptcy. One-third of everything you see in Rosmayne was the result of his work, as the old saying; 'If you see three birds drinking in a fountain, one of them is praying for Lord Robert in heaven'."

  "Whoa! That's cool!"

  "You know? The rumor about him is even more interesting!"

  "Ssh! Gwen! She's too young for that! Keep it to yourself!"

  The rice is now a bowl of porridge. There is no reversing what Gwen blurted out. Viena's curiosity is already on the hook, and she won't stand down until she is satisfied. She pulls Gwen's pants, begging for her to continue while pushing An away.

  "Don't mind him! Tell me what you want to say! Come on!"

  Gwen hesitated at first and gncing left and right. She is making sure there isn't going to be any unwanted listener. Then, she crouched down and whispered to Viena.

  "(Some people said that it was him who plotted the assassination of the seventh crown, King Boronea.)"

  "(Huh?! Why would he do that?)"

  "The seventh king is a fool and a degenerate. He splurged the nation's wealth for his wives and concubines. Taxed the commoners more and more to fund his exorbitant vish lifestyle. Supported by the church, he exerted power uncontested, until the civil war finally broke."

  Viena is confused as why An didn't tone down his voice. She hushed him, only to be brushed off by him with a ugh.

  "Don't worry kid. He is hated enough even today that the royal guard don't give an ass about us trash-talking him," An gnced at the armed guard stationed at the corner of the park.

  "(Basically, as long as we don't talk the rumor about Lord Robert, there's no reason to whisper around like this.)" Gwen embraced Viena's hips.

  "Really? That must have been awful. So, what happened next?"

  "The dissatisfaction turns into revolt. Skirmish broke out in many corners of the country. The biggest movement was led by Lieutenant General Raymond Heisser. In only one year, the nation is split into two, until the Treaty of Solgrace is signed."

  An walks to an oak bench that stands on top of a small wooden bridge where a small canal flows below. Viena and Gwen followed after, holding hands with each other.

  "After that, after that?"

  "After that, peace sted for five years. Until the Golden Lunch Incident takes pce. At that time, there was a dispute over a granary in the West, in the fertile nd of Neims to be more precise."

  "Uncle Liam!"

  "Exactly. You might not know this, but there was a family issue in the Arbon's family. The head of the family, Lieutenant General Dougs Arbon, was a loyalist of the crown, and so does his first son, Gilbert Arbon. However, the st two sons, Graham Arbon and Liam Arbon, were sympathizers of Raymond."

  An opens the basket he bought with him and took some apples out for everyone to eat.

  "The dispute over the flow of the nd yield turns big since it affects the supply-chain of the country. Thus, a negotiation attempt was held in the northern border, a pce called Edenshire."

  "There's a beautiful cave there filled with glowing stactite, Viena. You might want to go one day!" Gwen cuts in while An takes a drink.

  "Hm. I've never been to a cave before, I don't know the difference between good cave and bad cave. But why would they choose to hold a meeting so far up north?"

  "Edenshire was a neutral zone between the two sides. Well, it's not neutral anymore though."

  "Why?"

  "Edenshire belongs to Varnaria now."

  Viena remembers the map she read with Lisabelle when she was pying with her sundial compass. Varnaria is a big country that stands head-to-head with Aramia. Varnaria stand right to the northwest of Rosmayne, while Aramia to the northeast. In the south is the open Oskean Sea, but on the south-west edge of the shore, Rosmayne share the border with Underpoint.

  "Did they attack us?"

  "Hmm. Not really. You'll understand if you listen some more to An."

  "Fuah! Nothing beats a sip of mead in such a chilling afternoon!" An leans his back on the bench.

  "An! Continue!" Viena taps his thigh.

  "So, actually, about the Golden Lunch Incident. A lot of things happened there. King Boronea, as well as Dougs and Gibert Arbon, along with other important figures were killed . . . Peanuts?" An hands out a bag of chestnuts.

  "JUST CONTINUE, WILL YOU?!" Viena irritated.

  "Hahah. Okay-okay. So, this came to light much ter on, but it turns out that Lord Raymond employed the aid of Kingdom of Kiel. After killing King Boronea, they set out for the capital city of Fleurin to vanquish the remaining power and take the vacant throne for himself. And this is where it gets very dramatic."

  "The army from the Kingdom of Kiel is so big that suspicion grows on the side of Lord Raymond's allies. However, being closely tied to their leader, Lord Raymond cast aside the opinions of his advisors. As they advance for months, more and more nd fell into their hands. Almost half of the loyalist faction's territory is now under their control."

  An throws the leftover of the apple into the bushes and grabs himself a sandwich.

  "One night, Lord Raymond was abducted from his main camp."

  "What?! How come?!"

  "The one who kidnapped him was his own wife, the one who will be known as Queen Luseya Rosalia, The Magnificent."

  "NO WAY!"

  "Right?! Right?! I am 25 and I still get goosebumps whenever I heard her majesty name," Gwen goes as giddy as Viena.

  "Ahem. Anyway . . . Lady Luseya, who was only 22 years old at the time, along with her twelve followers snuck out of the camp, carrying Lord Raymond and goes to the capital. When she entered the stage, everything she did behind the scenes has come into fruition. She presents herself as a true Romesian, a figure which the rebel faction and the loyalist faction can trust and rely on."

  "During the five years peace, she actively involved herself with the struggle of the common people every single day tirelessly, earning her the nickname 'The White Lady', highly revered by the masses as a saintlike figure. One of her greatest achievements is sending Lady Remra for education abroad."

  "Who is Lady Remra?"

  When Viena asked that question, An decided to end their little break and stands up. He invites Viena and Gwen to follow after him to walk some more around the park. He doesn't say anything until finally a statue comes to sight. He pointed at the statue of a young girl sitting with her legs folded with birds chirping on her shoulders and palm.

  "That is Lady Remra."

  "Wow! She is different! How come she was made sitting on the ground while the others are standing tall?"

  "She is disabled, Viena," Gwen taps on Viena's head.

  "Huh?"

  "A disabled commoner, an only daughter of a small bakery owner. There's a story of how the two meet each other, but let's save it for another time. All in all, Lady Luseya who was impressed by Remra's raw intellect sent her to Varnaria to study. She ends up being an assistant to a certain researcher, before getting proposed by a prominent military man. All happened within 5 years, and that's the decisive luck factor."

  Viena is inspecting the statue, and she found numbers written on the bottom; 1116 - 1167, presumably her lifespan. Remra lived for 51 years, and it leaves Viena wondering about Randia's age. Now that she thinks of it, she never really asked how old her father is.

  "Remra sent a letter to his husband and persuade him to convince the other high-ranking officers to commence an invasion towards Kingdom of Kiel in light of the absent of the kingdom's main force. The pn is successful, and it will become critical in the shaping of our current map."

  "Meanwhile in Fleurin, with the help of Lord Hector Crozette from the House of Crozette of the loyalist faction, a grand assembly is held. It is attended by delegations from the two factions, both from nobles and commoners. Lord Raymond was put into trial and ended up executed by the hands of his own wife with our national treasure, the sword of Queen Fionalda, Fleurora - The Blooming Dawn."

  "That is . . . so sad."

  "Yes, it was very tragic. It becomes inspiration for a lot of theatrical py until today. But it triggers the st spark that Lady Luseya needs to reunite the country. Lord Raymond was only the beginning, after that, Lord Crozette leads the beheading of ten cardinals, twelve archbishops, and all of the previous king's wives, concubines, and corrupt officials. Some believed that Lord Crozette inserted a lot of his personal agendas by riding the momentum . . . But yeah, everything works, so no one is compining."

  "What about the king's children?" Viena asked.

  "They are cast away to foreign nd and stripped away of all their titles and belongings," An expined.

  "What? Do you think they get lopped off?" said Gwen while pyfully slits her finger through Viena's neck and makes her ticklish.

  "After the public execution, the masses are throwing the dead bodies with stones and leftover food, until Lady Luseya stopped them, saying that they have paid the ultimate price and there is no reason to lower their dignity by sullying the dead. In this moment, Lord Crozette bowed to Lady Luseya. It's more than a gesture, but also a decration of his support. Maybe it was just a spur of moment, but everyone followed right after. They all bowed to unofficially crown her as the new sovereign."

  "Let me do this part! Let me do this part!"

  Gwen zealously stopped An from continuing the story. She steps back, widen her shoulder and raise her hand. Viena has no idea what Gwen is about to do but she is so eager to see it. Thus, Gwen proceeds to imitate her favorite part of a theatrical py she used to see as a kid.

  "I am Luseya! Daughter of the House Rosalia! A backwater noble with no fertile nd nor flowing gold mines! The one who journeyed the path with the fortunate and the less fortunate! The one who thread the mud for wheat and sleep bitten by bedbugs! The one who grieves the winter with others! The one who shared her bread with the old, and her milk with the newborns!"

  "I am Luseya! Daughter of Rosmayne! The inheritor of nothing! A murderer of a traitorous husband! The one who lived the rut and the mansion, the shack and the castle! The one who drink with the maids while dancing through the webs of affairs! The one who see truth in lies and weaves wisdom for all lives!"

  "I am Luseya! I am your daughter! I am your sister! And I am your mother! Now, raise your head and held it high!"

  Viena immediately stands up straight for no reason at all.

  "I shall not demand you to kneel before old tales and unearned titles! I want you to stand with me in power! With honor and dignity! With confidence and pride!"

  "Y-Yes ma'am!" Viena replied.

  "Look before your eyes! In seven days, this podium of blood and filth will be our fate! The enemy is approaching! Your homes will be besieged! Your elders will be killed! Your wives will be raped! And your kids will be ensved!"

  "So, prepare your heart! Sharpen your steels and forge your resolves! Go home and scream! Let everyone knows that Rosmayne calls for her true sons and daughter on Junda in the Pin of Rikka! Soi coste prospera!"

  When Gwen stopped with a prideful face, Viena cps her hands.

  "Wow! That is so cool! But what was the st words means?"

  "It means; I am the cost of prosperity. It's Rosmesian rallying cry. It is supposed to steel our resolve to sacrifice ourselves for our nd," An answered.