In fact, in every election Quinn participated in, she always caught the attention of the families holding the election. From the hostess, to the head of the family, to the young man looking for a wife. Who wouldn't be hypnotized by Quinn? She had a beautiful face, every movement she made screamed that she was a classy girl, every word she uttered was like gold, every time she expressed her opinion, she showed qualities that surpassed other girls.
Unfortunately, all the families would look at her with disappointed eyes and say, "What a shame. You have so many good qualities. Whether it's green or blue, we can accept it, but gray flowers? We don't think we can." Every time Quinn heard those words, it was as if she could hear what everyone was thinking. "What a shame." They never tried to hide what they were thinking.
Afterward, the family would promise not to share the news publicly. Quinn's uncle didn't want to burden her with potential gossip, and Quinn didn't want to burden her uncle with gossip about them. Ultimately, Quinn repeatedly participated in the election, receiving the same response time and time again.
Every time she ran for election, the cycle would be the same. Knox's family was no exception. When they discovered that the flower on her forehead didn't even have any color, they would stare at her with pity and surprise, or perhaps anger.
Mrs. Knox wasn't a difficult woman to meet. After hearing the butler report Quinn's desire to meet her, the middle-aged woman readily agreed. "Quinn Flos? I remember her well. She had an unusual aura," the grandmother, sitting quietly enjoying a cup of morning tea with her daughter-in-law, remarked. The scent of the mountains always soothed her elderly mind. Moreover, it had rained last night, and the damp scent lingered in the air.
"What do you think that girl wanted to talk to you about?" the daughter-in-law smiled, stroking her mother-in-law's arm, who, despite her age, still looked beautiful. "It's probably about the news that's been circulating. People usually try to exploit this kind of news to gain more recognition. I know a lot of people who do this." The madam stood up, preparing to meet Quinn.
"Oh, I don't think that's true. Miss Flos doesn't look like that."
"Then I'll go see her first. You can continue enjoying this cool morning." The grandmother waved her hand, telling her daughter-in-law to go see Quinn Flos immediately.
….
Quinn met Mrs. Knox in one of the separate rooms of the villa reserved for the seeds. Mrs. Knox looked different when she wasn't wearing the traditional attire she wore almost every day. "Sit down," the older woman said. Quinn hadn't planned to spend much time there, so she politely declined when a waiter came over and asked what she would like to drink.
"It's rare for Miss Flos to come to see me in person like this. Is there something you'd like to discuss with me?"
"It's about the news that's been circulating out there." Well, Mrs. Knox had expected this, so she wasn't too surprised. "Ah… that news. The news seekers out there will do anything to get news related to Xavier. Even though I've tried to strengthen the security, there are still gaps." Although Quinn refused to drink her drink, the hostess didn't.
"They are very curious about you, do you want me to reveal your identity to them?" Hearing that, Quinn immediately shook her head, "On the contrary, I want you to not say anything about me. More precisely, I want you to delete all the photos from last night until there are none left." Surprised, the aesthetic ceramic cup that Mrs. Knox was holding was suspended in the air, one of her eyebrows raised, feeling that what Quinn wanted from her was not what she had imagined.
It seemed like she had lost to her mother-in-law this time. Without realizing it, the madam burst out laughing quite loudly.
"Hahaha. You're truly one of a kind, Miss Flos. I can't predict every step you take." The middle-aged woman raised her glass high, "I'm sure you have your own reasons for the request you just made. Don't worry, I won't ask you to explain it, because you've already made me feel satisfied."
Who would have thought this would be easier than she thought? Initially, Quinn thought the hostess would ask her many questions or explain the reason behind her request. However, the hostess readily agreed to her request without question, agreeing to it without hesitation.
Confused and happy, Quinn left the villa and reconnected with Irish, who pulled her toward their room. "Where have you been? I almost asked for help looking for you. I thought you were lost in the woods." Quinn snorted as she packed her things. The room she was occupying was a spacious room for four people. Besides herself and Irish, there were two others sharing the same room with the two young ladies.
"Hey Irish! I tried looking for that article you were reading earlier, but I couldn't find anything." A girl appeared from the bedroom doorway. Her face was a picture of confusion. "Here, let me find it." The know-it-all Irish had to step in.
Not long after, a look of confusion appeared on the Gold woman's face as well. "What happened?" The two confused faces didn't notice that the tension in Quinn's body had vanished along with the vanished photo.
…
"Sis Irish, why do you look so excited now? You looked like you were out of battery earlier." Quinn wasn't the only one who noticed the strange change in Irish; all the girls felt the same way.
"Of course! We'll be facing a real challenge soon! Hahaha! I can't wait to explore this forest!"
"She must have fallen over the weekend and hit her head hard." They thought.
As Mrs. Knox and her grandmother arrived, the previously lingering noise slowly subsided. They stood in the courtyard of the villa, and were asked to wear simple, light clothing—something that wouldn't hinder their movements.
"I thought staying inside would be boring. So, we thought we'd play outside together." Some felt uneasy after hearing the hostess's opening words. They wondered if Irish was right. Most of those who had never been in the woods felt feverish.
"In the middle of the forest, I have prepared something for you." The mysterious lady smiled. "I have also prepared a piece of jewelry that I got when I visited Beast Planet."
Irish whispered to her, "I remember that on our military trip to the Beast Planet, their queen gave Mrs. Konx a memento. A precious stone, unmatched on the entire planet."
"I thought about giving the stone as a gift, but there are so many talented girls here, I don't want to appear to be playing favorites and choosing one of you all. I will wait for all the ladies in the middle of the forest. At that time, I will give the stone to the chosen one."
Some wanted the stone. Others wanted to win, while others wanted to show off their skills to the Knox family. Although their goals varied, the hostess managed to persuade everyone to participate. Quinn herself wanted to see the stone. She had heard about it and read about it in many books, but no one had ever seen it in its true form, not even a picture.
"We've made sure there's nothing dangerous in the forest, but the journey through it won't be easy." The service robots handed them a bag.
"You can start now." The madam's smile felt a little odd, but unfortunately, only Quinn noticed it. Turning back and focusing ahead, Quinn followed the others who were already running.
"Aren't you being too cruel? Those girls will be out of the election as soon as they get in there." The grandmother shook her head, staring at the spirited back that disappeared behind the lush trees.
"Ah, Mother, there's no harm in being active while admiring nature. If anything bad happens, we'll help them." The woman's smile widened, causing her eyes to close.
"These spoiled brats need a little entertainment too, don't they?" Grandma Knox shook her head. Even after so many years, she couldn't stop wondering about the other side of her daughter-in-law.
.....