Rufus groans. "Ahh, I''m so exhausted. Today''s match is really exhausting." He grumbles. We''re already in the residence now.
The first day of the Competition just ended, and aside from Leander. Rufus and Princess Paislee had their first match today. Rufus ends up being on the third spot for the final round. His match is about arithmetic.
One of Rufus'' strengths is his knowledge in math. He can answerplicated math problems without worry. If not because of the tactic we made, he probably tops the match with ease..
While Princess Paislee ends up second in the final round, shepetes in the Physique category. Herpetition is aboutbat fighting. Although Princess Paislee tried to make herself be at the bottom but with her strength, it''s too difficult for her to do so. But at least she didn''t ace the match.
Thepetition already ended, but the real Csille is the one who is still controlling my body. It will probably take some time before I can take over her body again.
Csille looked at Rufus and made a face. "Why are you exhausted? You didn''t even exert a lot of effort answering the questions. I bet you can do another match like that with ease."
Rufus stares at Csille in disbelief. "Hey! Do you know how difficult it is to act like you didn''t know the answer to the question? I almost want to take my opponent''s paper and answer the question for them. How can they find it difficult? That''s just child y."
Csille is about to refute, but someone suddenly talks behind us. Csille and Rufus both look back and found Prince Fraser frowning at them.
"Arrogance will only lead to failure. Thepetition just started. A lot of things can happen, so let''s not get ahead of ourselves. Instead, you two should focus more on improving yourself." Prince Fraser said in a cold voice before he passed the two of them like nothing happened.
Princess Paislee followed him behind immediately. Csille red at Princess Paislee''s back.
<em>This Farren. I will make sure to that you''ll get what you deserve. Just so you wait.</em>
Csille looks at Rufus. "Does Sir Farren had a match tomorrow?"
Rufus paused for a while to think before he nodded his head. "Yes, he had apetition tomorrow. As far as I know, only Leander and I don''t have a match for tomorrow. Why did you ask?"
Csille shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing. I just want to know." She then starts to walk towards her room with an evil smirk on her face.
Oh no, Csille will n her scheme against Princess Paislee again. I hope Princess Paislee listens to the warning I gave before. Please be safe, Princess Paislee.
________________________________
It''s the second day of the Competition, and I still don''t have the full control over my body again.
Today, Csille will have her first match in the Etiquette category. The rounds in the Etiquette category are simple. It doesn''t have many rounds and only consists of a qualifying round and the finals. In the first round, four contestants will be immediately eliminated, and the three left will be the ones who willpete for the finals.
Csille is currently leisurely sitting on the bench in the contestant lounge when someone calls her name. She looks back and finds Rufus smiling at her. Csille frowns.
<em>What is this guy doing in here?</em>
The contestant''s lounge is exclusive only for the contestants. Any person, even if it''s another representative from another subcategory, is not allowed to enter.
Rufus signals her to walk towards the entrance. There are guards obstructing his way. Csille sigh and walk towards Rufus with a poker face.
"What are you doing here, Rufus?" She asks while crossing her arms at him.
Rufus leans towards her. "I just want to wish you good luck. It''s your first match in the Competition, and I''m worried that maybe it is too much for you."
Csille rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, I''m so nervous to the point that my voice is trembling." She said in a monotonous tone.
Rufus just shakes his head at Csille''s response. "I should have known. Anyway, I''m not here just for that. Prince Fraser wants to say his good luck to you. He wishes he coulde here to say that in person, but many people are currently talking to him."
Csille raised her eyebrows at Rufus.
<em>Does this guy think I would fall for that? Prince Fraser getting worried about me? That must be a dream.</em>
I don''t know if I should feel sorry for Csille. It''s her first match, but Prince Fraser didn''t even say his good luck to her. While he said his good luck to Leander and Princess Paislee yesterday.
Csille chuckled. "Rufus, do you think I am dumb to fall for that? I know you just want me to feel better, but I know Prince Fraser won''t say that to me." She shakes her head. "I appreciate your concern. However, please refrain from making me hope on something that is impossible."
After saying those words, Csille walks inside the lounge with a broken heart. She was okay before Rufus came to say his good luck, but now, she feels more sadness and longingness.
<em>Fraser, is a simple good luck too difficult for you? I''m your fiancée, but why can''t you give me some encouragement? What did I do wrong for you to do this to me?</em>
If I can roll my eyes, I would probably roll it at Csille. What did she do wrong? Everything. She''s too conceited and immature. She''s smart, yes, but her rationality bes hire wire when ites to Prince Fraser. She''s too persistent to the point that she forgot the word respect. Everything she did while she is with Prince Fraser is wrong, and she even got the nerve to ask that question?
I know I made Csille as the Viiness but isn''t this too much? She''s just too much.
One of the delegates of the match called all the participants in the arena. The match is about to start, and for today''s match, Csille will ace this without a problem.
Csille sits leisurely on the chair while looking at the host exining the rules for today''s match.
"Greetings, people from the seven kingdoms. For today''s match, our representatives willpete in one of the subcategories of the Etiquette category, the flower arrangement. The rules are simple for the flower arrangement. We have four judges from the independent cities who are experts in the flower arrangement. The judges will be the ones who will score the flower arrangement made by our representatives. The three representatives who got the highest scores will be the ones who will proceed in the final round."
The host paused for a moment. "The Flower arrangement has only two rounds. The Qualifying Round and the Final Round. So,dies, please do your best." The host look at one of the judges from the Frailens City will exin the rules in the Qualifying round."
Frailens City? It''s one of the biggest independent Cities besides Illorian.
The judge from the Frailens City walks in front and looks at each contestant. "You all probably know that flower arrangement is not just simply stuffing different flowers altogether. It''s a kind of art that influences our mood. Each flower signifies a different kind of feeling. It can be happiness, loneliness, resentment, hatred, and regrets. For the Qualifying round. I want you to create an arrangement that you think will make people in here feel better."
Csille frowns. <em>Make people better? What does she mean by better? That will make someone happy? But wouldn''t it be too simple. Everyone will surely opt that way. To make someone feel better?</em>
Csille''s eyes widen. She immediately searches for the flowers she will be needing. The Saiven Kingdom imported each and every kind of flower just for this category. So it won''t be a problem even if each contestant looks for a rare flower.
Csille walks towards the basket full of flowers. She searches each basket to look for the flower she wants. However, after searching for a minute, she still couldn''t find it.
People already start to mumble things because Csille is the only one who hasn''t started anything. The flower arrangement has a time limit also. After the time has ended, finished or not finished, each contestant needs to stop what they are doing.
One of the delegates of thepetition walks towards Csille and asks her what flower she is looking for. Csille immediately said the names of the flowers. However, the delegate just stared at her dumbfounded.
Even I got shocked by the flowers she was looking for. What she needs to do is to make everyone feel better, but why does it looks like she wants to do the opposite.
Csille walks to her walking table leisurely. She''s just waiting for one of the delegates to bring her the flowers she needs. In just a few minutes, the delegate hands her the flowers.
Every person who is knowledgeable about flowernguage sighs when they see only three kinds of the flowers on Csille''s table. Even the judges couldn''t believe their eyes.
The judge from the Frailens City even reminds everyone about what the theme of the Qualifying round is about. However, the real Csille continues what she is doing as if she didn''t hear anything.
She started to arrange the Milkvetch in the middle and surrounds it with Adonis flowers and adding the cypress. In just five minutes, she finished arranging her flowers in an aesthetic manner.
The crowd, who probably doesn''t know anything about flowers, was amazed by how beautiful the arrangement of Csille is. But to those who know the flowernguage looks at her with aplicated gaze. They are probably pitying Csille. Although her arrangement is superb but it doesn''t fit the theme of the first round.
The bell rings, and we all take a step back from our working table. On our working table, the flower that we just arranged can be seen.
The judge from the Frailens City stands in front of us again. "Now that the arranging is done. I want all of you to exin why did you choose to use the flowers. What made you think that these flowers will make most of us feel better?"
Each contestant starts to exin their arrangement one by one. I don''t know why but the judge seems deliberately skipped Csille. But Csille doesn''t mind, though. She just stood there leisurely.
Most of the contestants used Sunflower, Chrysanthemum, Daffodil, Pink Rose, Pink Hyacinth, Yellow tulips, and other flowers that signify happiness. Everyone chooses flowers that represent happiness except for Csille.
The judge looks at Csille with a conflicted expression. "Lady Csille, can you exin to us why is your arrangement like this? You already know that we are looking for the arrangement that will make everyone feel better. So, why did youe up with this?"
Csille gracefully looks up at the judges. "I think better is a relevant word. It can mean anything to every person. So, instead of going to themon happiness, I decided to opt for the neglected road. We all want to feel better because of the problems we are all facing. Some want to feel better just to escape from it."
She paused and took the flowers in her hands. "However, how can we feel better if every one of us wants to get away from sadness, grief, loneliness, and all the negative emotions? Everything has its own prities and if we want to have a bnced them. We need to face the other side. The unwanted side."
Csille starts to look at the audience. "If we want to feel better, we need to face our own demons. Our own bad side. I choose the adonis flower because, in thenguage of flower, it means sorrowful remembrance, painful recollections, sad memories. I want everyone to remember all those sad memories we buried deep down within us. Not because I want you to be in pain but because I want you to know that you cannot take a step if you continue to set it aside."
Csille chuckled. "No, time doesn''t heal any wounds. It just made you numb. Until the source of the pain is still buried deep in you. You won''t feel any better."
Csille takes a cypress flower. "This is a cypress flower. Lovely, isn''t it? But this flower means death, mourning, despair, and disappointed hopes. All of these are things we all avoided because who would want to feel like that, right? However, if we won''t acknowledge these emotions, we won''t feel what happiness is really is. I want you to remember the death of a loved one and all the disappointment you ever felt in your life. It hurts, I know, but all of these make us stronger. How can we overlook something that made who we are?"
Csille takes a Milkvetch. "This flower means your presence softens my pains. Who''s the person? I want you to think of someone who makes you happy. I want to make you realize that in every pain, there is happiness that follows. If you won''t know how to be sad, how can you know if you''re happy? Remember, you can only know what does a thing means if you experienced the opposite of it. Take, for example, how can you know what you are feeling is happiness? It''s because you already feel the sadness."
Csille puts the flower down and stares at the audience. "I choose these flowers because I want to remind everyone that it is okay to be sad and lonely. Your feelings are valid, and you should acknowledge it because, after that negative feelings, you will feel better."