This seemed like a futile endeavor for Quinn. They wandered aimlessly through the forest as the sun was about to set. It would have been easier to give up, but she still had to stay here for a while longer—until Jacob Pan lost interest in her, or perhaps until that bastard found a new target. If Quinn was to leave, then she would leave when Mrs. Knox herself sent her away. This was no longer a journey of the forest for the madam's precious stone, but more of a gentle banishment for the noble girls who couldn't stand it.
In the approaching midnight, the sunlight was still visible on the western horizon. Quinn—one of the girls who joined the Knox family's selection stopped for a moment. Her body was tired, the snacks she had brought with her were no longer able to hold back her hunger. Her legs were shaking with every step she took, if she left it any longer, she wouldn't be able to continue.
Gazing into the distance at the beautiful shimmer of sunlight filtering through the colorful leaves around her, the pale woman closed her eyes. She didn't need eyes to hear the sounds of nature, the gentle breeze blowing against everything she passed, against her sweat-streaked face.
She could also smell the sweet scent of Blossom Bell flowers growing in the forest. Opening her eyes again, Quinn Flos found the sunlight shining directly on her face.
Her wavy black hair seemed to sparkle under the golden light, her bright eyes also shone, as did her pale skin that glowed.
"Hey, I see something over there." Quinn turned, following Irish Gold's finger. Not far from them, the top of a building came into view.
Quinn had to force her whole body to walk, just a little bit more, and she would arrive. When her feet carried her tired body out of the thicket of trees, relief filled her chest. In front of her, she was greeted by a servant, "Congratulations, Miss Flosh, Miss Gold, you have found this place." Behind the servant, a luxurious, old-fashioned European-style building stood firmly in the middle of a stretch of flower gardens. The fragrance danced in her senses. If only Irish hadn't been holding her, she would have surely fallen asleep.
Quinn looked around, and saw that several girls participating in the election had gathered. Some had just arrived, like herself, while others had already changed their clothes and seemed to be enjoying watching the whimpering of a girl who had just emerged from the woods.
One of them was Youna Scarlett, and standing next to her were girls from the Shoure and Wolmes families. They had changed their clothes and looked beautiful as they enjoyed snacks at a table in the middle of the flower garden.
"Big Sister Youna is truly amazing. I made the right decision to follow you. You move so quickly and efficiently, you're truly the best. Unlike someone who boasted that this was an easy task, when in the end, she almost didn't succeed."
Shoure raised her voice as Quinn and Irish passed their small, overly conspicuous group. The girl was trying to provoke Irish, teasing her. The Gold girl stopped and slammed the table with a loud bang. Having intimidated Shoure, Irish left without another word.
"I thought you guys were going to fight," Quinn teased. Irish said, tossing her golden hair. "Damn that crazy woman was right! Ah… how did she get there before me?! Ah… I'm so angry!"
"She managed to get out of the forest because of Youna Scarlett, maybe if it was just her, she would be crying in the middle of the forest by now." Quinn's words seemed to have restored Irish's mood.
"Well, you're right! That crazy woman is talking big!" They were led to the room they would be staying in during their stay at the castle. Quinn called it a castle because it truly looked like one. The hallways, the halls, even the glass windows and lamps built into the stone walls. In a time where everything seemed fake and modern, this building seemed very real to Quinn, who had spent most of her life surrounded by plain white walls. There was no denying that the buildings owned by the Knox lords were truly captivating.
It's no wonder everyone immediately ran to register themselves to be part of this family.
Quinn remembered hearing about this castle. Besides the residence they had occupied a few weeks earlier, the Knox family also owned a castle nestled in the mountains, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was hidden by tall, dense trees. Not everyone could find it.
The Knox family often held parties here, special occasions that only those who were invited could attend. Besides being hidden by tall trees in the middle of the forest, the castle also had an invisible barrier that could only be passed by a special code. Therefore, many uninvited guests still insisted on attending, only to end up getting lost in the forest.
It was an honor to visit this place. Ultimately, she didn't regret joining this election, as she saw so many amazing things.
At dinner time, all the Seeds were called to eat together. They sat at a long table, not only were they there, the mistress of the house and grandmother of the Knox family also enjoyed dinner with them.
Of the fifteen Seeds, only seven remain. More than half of them decided to drop out of the election, which was returned this afternoon.
Among those remaining were Quinn and Irish. Seeli, who on the outside seemed like an innocent, naive girl who would immediately run away in fear upon entering the forest, was actually one of the Seeds who discovered this place first. When they met earlier, Seeli had spoken to her in a serious tone. "I entered this election to become the mistress of the Knox family. I've already accepted Mrs. Knox's dinner invitation; a forest is no big deal to me."
From there she knew that Seeli was not an ordinary innocent girl like she had thought all this time.
Then there is Youna Scarlett, a noble girl from Shoure and Wolmes along with a girl named Euphineva.
"I'm sorry I've troubled you all." Mrs. Knox interrupted Quinn's reverie and listened to what the woman had to say seriously. "I never lied when I said I would give you the Black Hole stone." However, the middle-aged woman never clearly stated how or to whom she would give the stone.
"I was going to give it to the girl who found the stone first, but after arriving, no one tried to look for the stone, perhaps the ladies forgot their original purpose after arriving here." Very clever for Mrs. Knox who liked to play with words. Youna who was the first to arrive at the castle realized her mistake, she did not try to look for the stone, assuming that as the first to arrive, the stone was already hers.
"Therefore, I will give the Black Hole stone to the girl I like. Which means, the girl who will become my son's wife."
....