''.....''
Inari and Mara stared at the delicate-looking pink-haired student, idly poking her meal with a fork. She appeared to be lost in thoughts and hadn't even heard their voices calling out to her.
''Rosaline.'' Inari reached out and shook her wrist for a moment. ''Have you been listening to us?''
Her expression shifted by a fraction with a flicker of displeasure, but quickly smoothed over as if it has never been there.
''Y-Yes?''
Rosaline blinked, snapping out of her daydream. She met their questioning gazes, her doe-like pink eyes widening slightly.
''A-Ah....I'm sorry. What were you saying again?'' Rosaline asked, this time, with her utmost attention.
Inari and Mara exchanged a brief look before turning back to her.
''Are you sure you're okay. Rosaline?'' Inari was the first to ask. ''We noticed you've been spacing out for some days now.''
''Really? Have I?'' Rosaline sounded genuinely surprised to hear that.
''Yes.'' Mara nodded, concern evident in her eyes. ''Is everything alright, Rosaline? Did the temple bully you?''
''No, No. Everything's fine.'' Rosaline assured them quickly with her hands. ''The temple is not bullying me. If anything, they've been very accommodating.''
''Really?'' Mara did not sound convinced
''Yes.'' Still, Rosaline insisted that she was fine.
She was very fine.
How could she not be fine?
After all, her life has been become much better from the moment she left her previous life as an unwanted child and orphan.
''Then why have you been spacing out?'' Inari pressed for an answer.
''W-Well.....'' Rosaline hesitated, glancing around as if to make sure no one was listening. Then, she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. ''Promise you won't tell anyone.''
''It's a secret?'' Inari arched an eyebrow at her words and actions.
Rosaline nodded. ''Yes, but for now.''
She gestured for them come closer, and after a brief moment, the two students leaned in with vivid curiosity in their eyes.
''I'm dating someone and we're going to make our relationship known to the public soon.'' Rosaline whispered carefully.
''Are you serious?'' Mara was the first to react, almost jumping out of her seat. Inari, on the other hand, only straightened her back, a strange expression flickering on her face before it vanished.
''Yes, we've been dating for months now.'' Rosaline sat up, letting out a light laugh at Mara's reaction
''Do we know him?''
''You'll see.'' Rosaline answered Mara with a mysterious smile. ''His identity is a bit complicated so I can't tell you yet.''
''Oh....'' A look of understanding dawned on Mara's face. She then asked with concern. ''Did his family not approve before?''
''It's nothing serious, Mara.''
To steer the attention away from herself, Rosaline quickly returned to their earlier conversation. ''What were you talking about before?''
''Ah...'' Mara glanced briefly at Inari and informed her. ''We were talking about the Beastless Young miss.''
''Her?'' Hearing about that person, Rosaline's smile faltered briefly from her face.
The Young miss from the Blackthorne family with scary red eyes.
Amina Blackthorne.
And the fiancée of her lover, the Crown Prince....or rather former fiancée.
It would an utter lie to say Rosaline had good feelings towards her. After all, she could not be careless with her relationship with the Crown Prince because of the Young miss or she would suffer immense backlash like the last time.
But, it was different now.
''She became Professor Ateles' research assistant.''
''That instructor?'' Her eyebrows jumped at Mara's words.
What's her department again? Rosaline couldn't recall. To be honest, she had forgotten about the Young miss since her life became busy as the Saintess of Beasts.
''How?'' Still, she was surprised to hear that. Even she had heard the rumors of the notorious Professor Ateles, and that Young miss was working under him? Asides from her prominent background, Rosaline knew the Young miss Blackthorne had no future as a Beastmaster.
The Crown Prince had always told her this many times.
Did she become a Beastmaster? Rosaline felt a slight panic in her heart at the thought. Though she did not show her fear outwardly.
''It's obvious her family pulled strings.'' Inari snorted before Mara could continue. ''Nothing surprising there.''
''Well, we can't be too sure, Inari.'' Rosaline didn't carelessly agree to Inari's words, and returned to her meal. As the Saintess of Beast and face of the Temple, she had to be mindful of her actions and words.
...Don't worry, Rosaline. Tomorrow's almost here. Rosaline told herself for the umpteenth time.
This has been her mantra ever since the Crown Prince had informed her that the Emperor had finally looked at her in good light, and they were going to announced their engagement at the press conference holding tomorrow.
One of Rosaline's regrets since coming to this world was hiding her relationship with the Crown Prince from the public.
Secret dates...Secret glances....She was tired of them all. And just when she had gotten the Crown Prince to display their relationship at his birthday banquet, and push him to break his engagement, that Young miss just had to faint on the spot.
Rosaline knew she was wrong for dating a taken man. But from the moment she and the Crown Prince met each other, they had fallen in love at first sight.
She had been the one to meet and date the Crown Prince first before the Young miss Blackthorne had returned to the Empire. The Crown Prince had also mentioned every time that they were fated mates blessed by Anima. And Rosaline felt the same.
Just when she had assumed her new life was going to be different from her old one, the Emperor just had to obstruct their relationship by engaging the Crown Prince to that Young miss. If it wasn't for that, she would have been known as the future Crown Princess, not that Young miss.
Only Rosaline knew the doubts in her heart every time she thought of her relationship with the Crown Prince.
Would he fall for that Young miss with a better background than hers?
Would he listen to the Emperor's words and forget about their relationship?
Would he abandon her the same way her parents had abandoned her?
Similar doubts continued to haunt Rosaline. The only consolation was that the Young miss hadn't interacted with the Crown Prince after her return. But still, that did not nothing to soothe Rosaline's insecurity. Even when the Crown Prince had informed her that the Young miss had agreed to break their engagement, Rosaline wasn't entirely convinced because of the Emperor's apparent dislike for her.
However, all this changed on the day of her Beastryl Assessment.
Her entire life transformed because of the Divine Stigma.
Every student suddenly wanted to become her friend unlike the times she only interacted with Inari and Mara. The instructors were always conscious of her. The head of the Beast Combat department had personally spoken to her. The Western Beast Academy and Temple of Anima were competing over her education. The Academy forum and the BeastNet were flooded with her photos and name. She suddenly became the beloved Saintess of the Empire. Every citizen and reporter crowded up outside the academy just to catch a single glimpse of her. Even other Empires were planning to send their dignitaries just to be in her good grace.
Fortune seemed to favor in every way and as if that was not enough, the Emperor had finally approved her relationship with the Crown Prince and pushed forward for an engagement.
The engagement was the sole purpose of the press conference tomorrow, and Rosaline couldn't wait to stand side-by-side with the Crown Prince in public.
She absolutely couldn't wait any longer.
~~~~
April 12, 5120 (Tuesday)
''Did you watch the press conference?''
''Who would have expected the Crown Prince and the Saintess were already together?''
''Our Empire is going to have a prosperous future!''
''Hey, do you think what the Saintess said is true?''
On her way to the first year's lecture hall, Amina felt the familiar gazes from the students of the Beastology department once again.
Not the gazes of caution.
But the gazes of contempt.