This is it, Anya thought, stepping down from the carriage.
The Zenlyns Palace was exactly how the novel described. It covered acres of land, with hundreds of workers and a massive wealth that even the Empire couldn't get its hands on. It was truly a spectacle. A huge line of butlers and maids stood opposite each other, greeting formally, while a gold carpet lay in the centre. Anya couldn't believe her eyes and wondered if she was looking at some sort of scene straight out of a manhwa.
"Um...is this where M-miss lives?" Coni asked, his eyes struck by all the stunning views.
"Uhh..." Anya sighed. "I can't believe it myself, either. This is my first time here."
Well, technically speaking, she had been here when she was young. And another time to confront her troublesome But that doesn't matter anymore. They had sent her away just so they couldn't bear the sight of someone like her.
"Young Miss Seraphina!" A butler, younger than the most, came running to her. "We all had been waiting for you! Please, make your way!"
Anya sighed again. She seemed to sigh a lot these days.
"Let's go, Coni," she held Coni's hands, startling him.
Coni hesitated. "I-is that a-alright?"
"Of course!" Anya said, delighted. She knew why he was confused. It was seriously not okay to bring in someone other than a member of the Zenlyn for a family dinner. This wasn't going to end well, but she didn't care either way.
Though Coni was only a minor character in the beginning, he was still one of the protagonists. Letting him know the real power of the Zenlyns in the initial stages would bring him to his senses, which would make it easier for Anya to help him.
"E-Er, Young M-Miss?" The young butler titled his head, nervous. "B-but you c-can't bring an outisder--"
Anya flashed the butler a scary face, which made him reconcile his decision. She hadn't meant to go that far, but Coni was needed. Also, if she had to encounter someone with malicious killing intent (which basically included everyone in her family), she needed him by her side. Though he wouldn't be able to help her, it would still progress things a little faster for her future plans.
"It's alright, Mr Butler," Anya gave a light smile. "You won't lose your job because of this."
She turned to Coni. "Let's go, Coni!"
...
The inside of the Zenlyn Palace was even more extravagant than the outside. Chandeliers aligned the ceiling endlessly, with jewels embedded on very single doors, and staircases adorned with gold that reflected the sunlight. Anya felt like she was going to end up blind with all the lights and bedazzled furniture.
This was totally different from what she had in mind. She was expecting some kind of dark and murky environment with rose gardens and flesh-eating butterflies. Didn't villains always like that kind of thing? All the beautiful things that delivered an ominous secret. Well, it would have made more sense that way too. After all, she lived in that kind of place. An abandoned place that reeked of corpses and misery.
"I am starting to feel like I should strangle someone..." Anya grinned, her veins bulging on her forehead. UGH! Why did she have had to live in that sort of place while the real villains lived in this sort of luxury?!
And she was also framed as the bad guy after suffering all that! This is so unfair! Life is so unfair!
Anya could feel steam coming out of her ears and found herself pouting.
"M-Miss...are you alright?" Coni asked, concerned, his cheeks puffed out.
OMG! He is soo cute! Anya felt like pinching his cheeks but restrained herself after thinking about what he is actually capable of. Though he was an actual adult, being a child suited him too. And even though the incoming events was inevitable, she couldn't just hate him yet.
Anya shook her head, smiling. "Yes, I am perfectly fine!"
"B-but..."
"Don't worry! I am actually fine!" Anya insisted, patting him on his head which made him blush.
"Let's go, Coni!" She held his hands, almost careless about the whole situation.
They walked for a few minutes, passing by sunflower gardens and Daise lake, before coming face to face in front of a huge door.
"Young Miss, I may take my leave." The butler bowed, leaving Anya and Coni alone in the hallway.
Anya could feel some sort of weird sensations and aura emitting from the door, and whatever lay behind it was the answer. Magic was a component that the Zenlyns' were well-versed in. Dark magic, in specific. She could guess everybody had already gathered, and most probably, she must be the last one to arrive. She felt her arms tense up a little but clenched them tightly.
She was at the Zenlyns', an impossible family of tyrants that would be the death of her. And aimlessly walking into them wasn't her motive. Though her heart beat fast, and she felt nervous inside her head, she wasn't here to cower in fear and be afraid. She was here for a change.
And for that to happen, she had to walk past this impenetrable door. One that would decide her fate for the future.
Anya breathed in a few times, calming down her nerves.
Determined, she announced, "Seraphina Lyranila Zenlyn."
There was no response at first. But the next second, the door banged open.