New World, New Life: I Became A Bigshot In The Ancient World
Chapter 135: REALLY TOO SUPPORTIVE FOR HER OWN GOOD

Chapter 135: REALLY TOO SUPPORTIVE FOR HER OWN GOOD

Sometime after Aristia got to the parlor, Adeline entered with steaming cups.

"Drink this, Princess Tia. You must be feeling cold after being outside for a while."

"Thank you, Linny," Aristia collected a cup.

Adeline nodded before she gave the remaining cups to everyone. Aristia was her first and foremost priority.

[Oh, what will I do without Adeline?] Aristia thought as she took a sip of the hot liquid. It ran down her throat and warmed her stomach. Adeline really knew what she needed most of the time.

"What is this?" Alistair asked as she took the cup, staring at the hot brown liquid.

"Hot chocolate. It is a new drink I devised. I was planning to serve it in The Vanilla Courtyard during winter." Aristia explained.

"It’s so hot." Lilith held it tight in her hands and blew gently on the hot drink.

"Yes. Drink it carefully so that it won’t scald your tongue." Lauren said before taking a sip from her cup. "Mm. I like it." She licked her lips.

"How did the tea party go?" Maxim asked both his wife and sister.

"It went quite well." Alistair replied, "The northern ladies are still the same— as warm as ever."

The adults laughed at the joke while sipping their chocolate.

Aristia turned to Liam and Lauren who were sitting on either side of her on the couch and asked in a low voice. "Tell me about Vivian Quentin. She seems to have a problem with me."

On hearing the name, Lauren’s brows knitted in confusion at her words, then she whispered back. "You really don’t remember her?"

Aristia shook her head.

[It’s just like I thought, there really is something between us.] She waited for either Liam or Lauren to speak.

When Aristia had asked for Vivian’s name, Lauren had thought it was a way to annoy Vivian. But her cousin was no longer like that, since the month after she turned five years old, she seemed to have changed. It seemed her cousin didn’t really remember.

"It sounds like I’m supposed to know her." Aristia continued.

"Yes," Lauren nodded then muttered. "I think she’s still upset."

"Upset?" Aristia echoed, her brow furrowing slightly.

Lauren sighed. "About what happened when we were four. You really don’t remember?" She asked again, as if she couldn’t believe it.

Aristia shook her head and held back a groan. "I really don’t."

Lauren shrugged. "It was at a tea party. You asked her why she had her hair and eye color, and why they were different from her parents’. Then, you pushed her down and told her not to come near you because she was only a minor noble. You humiliated her in front of everyone. She was crying so hard, her mother had to take her away." She finished.

Aristia nodded in disbelief, wincing inwardly. [Four years old or not, that’s no excuse for such behavior. That was so insensitive of the original Aristia. How did no one teach her better?]

A hand fell on her head. She looked up to see Liam patting her head consolingly. "It was only because she kept pestering you. You didn’t do anything wrong."

"But how can you not remember?" Lauren asked again.

Liam turned to Lauren with a frown. "It’s understandable that Tia won’t remember her after so long. After all, Tia’s been very busy with many important things." More important than thinking about the little girl she hurt ruthlessly when she was four.

But to Aristia’s disbelief, Lauren nodded seriously, looking enlightened. "That’s true, you’re right. It’s normal for Tia to not remember her. She’s got other things and people that need her attention." She was clear referring to herself.

"...."

[Really Liam? Is this really a good thing to say? And look what you just thought sweet, innocent Laura... It’s no wonder Aristia would do such a thing when her family is like this.] She was speechless. [So supportive... And Laura, what is with that last sentence?!]

She stood up.

"I will be returning to my room now. I won’t have dinner as I’m quite full." She addressed everyone, gathering the attention of the adults who hadn’t been paying attention.

"Very well, then. Have a good rest." Rulia nodded, then turned to the others. "She should not be quite used to the cold weather. Your family should visit frequently Cathy, so that they get used to..."

The voices trailed off as Aristia left the parlor. Adeline was walking beside her.

"Princess, are you alright?" Adeline asked with worry.

Aristia nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

[Am I expected to resolve the matter? I have other things to do than clean up the original Aristia’s mess. I’m just confused. It’s not what was said about Aristia in the book. Can I really trust that book’s information? Who knows how many people she’s offended or treated badly. And now I’m finding out she has a bad reputation that I have to deal with.] Aristia was a bit annoyed.

Who wouldn’t be after finding out that someone else’s mistakes and wrongdoings had been helped on them and they now had full responsibility for something they had nothing to do with?!

They arrived at her room. Adeline opened the door and they both stepped in.

All of a sudden, Adeline called her name.

"Princess?"

"Yes, Linny?"

"Are you worried about what Miss Lauren said? Princess is no longer like that. You don’t have to worry. Princess is kind and caring and considerate."

[Ah, Adeline is worried.]

"Don’t worry Linny. That’s not what I’m thinking about." She assured her. But thank you for trying to make me feel better."

[After the horrible thing Aristia did.] She completed her words in her mind.

But Adeline continued.

"Just like master Liam said, it’s not princess’s fault she was pestering you."

Aristia lost hope on hearing Adeline’s words. She glanced at Adeline in disbelief before shaking her head. What had she expected from this fanatic of he’s?

[Even Adeline is like this. Sigh, I don’t think anyone ever told Aristia to apologise.]

But she meant it. She wouldn’t make a conscious effort to fix Aristia’s reputation. She really didn’t have the time or energy for that.

[Let them call me the tyrant princess or whatever all they want. It’s not like they can do anything to me.]

Yes, she found out what they called her, or at least the original Aristia; The Tyrant Princess.

From what she was seeing now, Aristia did act like a tyrant.

She fell asleep thinking about that.

***

The next morning, she woke up to a bright morning. It wasn’t snowing and the sky was clear.

"Good morning, princess." Adeline added wood to the fireplace to keep the room warm.

"Good morning, my dear Linny," Aristia yawned and rubbed her eyes.

Adeline smiled widely as she stood with her hands on her chest and watched Aristia stretch her limbs.

Aristia slowly got down from the bed. "Inform me of my itinerary for today, Linny."

"You wanted to meet Mister Randall today since you couldn’t yesterday, Princess." Adeline opened the door and maids entered carrying buckets of water. They poured it into the tub.

Because of the North’s cold climate all year round, they couldn’t take cold baths. Every single bath was hot. They used objects called mana stones to heat the water. The mana stones weren’t accessible to everyone. They were expensive and only available to nobles and wealthy commoners.

Aristia watched with interest as the maid put the red mana stone into the water and the water became heated.

After checking the temperature of the water and making sure it was the right temperature, the maid left along with the other maids, leaving only Adeline in the bathroom with her.

After her bath, Aristia got dressed and left the room with Adeline behind her, heading to the dining room for breakfast.

She would leave some time after breakfast.

After breakfast, just at the right time, Wilson approached her holding a sealed box. "This arrived this morning from Owen. This is the key." He handed the box and key to her.

"Thank you, Papa." Aristia collected the box from him. "I’m leaving now."

"Be careful. Make sure to bring Lucas and Adeline with you."

"Yes, Papa."

Lucas was a shadow guard, but he usually disguised as a Coachman, so it was understandable that she should take him along as a protection.

[But why must I bring Adeline with me? Because she’s my personal maid?]

Aristia entered the carriage with the box. She unlocked it to reveal a stack of paper lying inside the box. She took it out and read it carefully.

"Owen has really improved. He’s very good at drafting agreements." She mumbled and closed the paper.

"Owen has been working hard as your aide, Princess." Adeline agreed with her.

After a while on the road, the carriage slowed and Aristia knew they had arrived at their location. "We’re here."

She got down from the carriage and entered the art store.

"Welcome to the store, how may I— Your Highness?" Randall stopped in surprise. Then, he bowed immediately, "I greet Your Highness," he said once the door was closed.

"Hello Randall, how are you today?" Aristia asked.

"Quite good, your highness." He had a smile on his face.

Even though business still remained the same, somehow he had hope things were going to change for the better, no matter how ridiculous it was that a five year old was behind the hope he felt.

He suddenly unintentionally met gazes with the princess’s scary maid from earlier and a shiver ran down his spine when he remembered her gaze.

His attention was drawn back by Aristia.

Aristia raised the paper in her hand, "I brought the agreement I told you about. Once you’ve signed them, we will talk about other things."

Randall locked the store from the inside and gestured with his hands to the inside of the store. "Then, please follow me your Highness."