My Stubborn Mistress

She was too beautiful wearing a dress similar to the Princess of Silla, it has a symbol of the Chen family. But her dress has a few differences; it was way more colorful detailing betrothal portrayal.

Her long hair braided finely and bun it behind her head, then jewelry place on top of her hair.

"You cannot take off your eyes of her," Levi teases Quinn, which was true. 

Quinn truly mesmerizes and imagines Ca.s.sandra is now the same age as Marivella and wearing the same dress.

"Huh? Hm, I am just thinking if Ca.s.sandra is better to wear a white wedding dress in a traditional Korean wedding dress than a modern wedding gown. What do you think, Levi?"

"Are you certain to ask me about this stuff?"

"Why not?"

"Okay. Well, Madison looked stunning on her baby blue dress. If I imagined it like a white wedding gown? It will look even beautiful!"

"Hah, I can see it."

"What?"

"How you yearn to marry her sooner," Quinn returned the tease.

"Of course, I do!" he admitted, in fact, he cannot wait for the day to come.

"How if I will object?"

"What? You already give your blessings to us," black lines showing on Levi"s forehead.

"No, I did not." Quinn denied it.

"Yes, you did! You even congratulate us!"

"Yes, I congratulated you both being engaged, but it does not mean you can marry her soon."

"Hey! No more taking back! You agreed already!"

Quinn grins and enjoying teasing Levi further... Then they continue watching the next scenes. Quinn can"t take eyes at Marivella and Levi keeps quiet and keenly observes the prince from Korea who they knew who he is back in the present time.

* * *

"Greetings, my king and queen…"

"Welcome, mademoiselle! I presume, you are the famous Marivella Chen," asked the king.

"I am, your Majesty," she answered, bowing.

The queen whispered something to the king, and then he nodded.

"I see. I"ve heard a lot of things about you to the point, I am curious to meet you," said the king and smiled at her.

She smiled. "Thank you, for a warm welcome, your Majesty. It flattered me. But I am hoping, the rumors aren"t that bad." She jokes.

"Well, I don"t care much of the hearsay," the king laugh.

"If you please, my king. I am here tonight to meet the second prince of Joseon. I would ask your consideration to speak with him."

"Please, Mademoiselle." The king gestured toward Prince Yoo Joon who bowed as a "Thank You".

The prince walks toward her. She bowed the way the Korean give greetings before a royal family. Her mother has been trained very well in the preparation of a royal betrothal and a candidate to becomes a king"s wife... And so, Caroline teaches her daughter, even if there are no possibilities of who Marivella married to in the future. However, Caroline is not happy that Marivella would marry not because of love.

"My dear cousin! Please, there is no need for formalities. I requested your presence upon my arrival but what I heard, someone kidnapped you? Which disappoints me, greatly. My father, the king of Joseon, and Min-Jee"s father the king of Silla have agreed to take you back to Korea."

Marivella glanced at her father. He looks worried. She smiled at him to ease his fears and for her mother to stop worrying. But she looks away after noticing Carlisle at the balcony, leaning in the railings, peering down at her intently.

"Your highness, you need not hold resentment toward this country."

"The people are the country. It would reflect their action. And so, you can"t take away my resentment as you said. It greatly displeased me."

"Your highness, I have many good friends, not only the French people who live in this country. They earn well from trading with our country. As well, as laborers in the port, in the voyager trader"s vessel, and even to the markets. If you stop the good business between the two countries, then a big impact on everyone. My prince, I would request your presence for a private dialogue."

"Are you negotiating with me for these people who hurt you?"

"No—" Marivella replied, then continued. "But for the people that dear to me. My friends, my neighborhood, the people I grow up with. This is for them, not for other people."

"Is that so? Perhaps we do not need a private dialogue, but they can be a witness," Prince Yoon Joo gestured at the crowd who was listening. "Surely, they"re curious about what you will tell me," he retorted.

Marivella did not answer. She presses her lips and ponders for the things she cares about. France is her home. Even if it says, she is foreign but born here; she spent the rest of her life in this city. She met very good friends; She met her lover, and she loves her job being a nurse despite other people treating her badly. But overall, she loves living here.

There are good aristocrats, like Charles, who always there for her. The Bastien family is nice to them even after the rumors circulating about their family. The market people are always good for her. She sighed.

"Would you change your mind if I accept your proposal, my prince?"

"Proposal? What proposal is that?" whispers filled the grand hall once again.

"Then, you have decided, my dear cousin?" Prince Yoo Joon presume.

Marivella raised both of her arms close to her chest and bowed before the prince… the way a girl accepted being betrothed. Caroline almost pa.s.ses out. Her daughter sacrificing herself for the peace of the two countries, after how wants to destroy her.

"Then raise, my Queen," Prince Yoo Joon smiled, stretching his hand.

Among the crowd, two men feel like dying. It is not only Carlisle who"s shocked but also Quinn. His heart filled with trouble. Prince Yoo Joon also lived in the present life.

"This is not happening, Levi."

"Since at the beginning, Ken is your rival? I mean, he will be a treat for you?"

Quinn takes a silent. He"s even confused about the things happening here.

"It seems he holds an important role in our present life," Quinn"s opinion. "We must watch him when we go back in the future."

"Understood, brother Quinn. Meeting him a few years back, I also have a bad feeling about him. Now I understand. As a Charles, I already meet him."

"Our fate just playing on us, Levi," he retorted.

"We are just like walking in a circular path, there is no other direction, but we are to keep connecting either in the past, in the future or even that life."

"It seems, we have to find the answer on how to stop some things, so we could move forward without dwelling in the past nor in the life that does not exist anymore."

"Maybe the answers found in that life where Ca.s.sie has trapped until now?"

"Surely. We need to go back to that life, Levi."

"I am certain Madison would like to. But how could we arrive directly in that life? Because we always came back here," Levi a.s.serted.

"Could it be that we only go to the time when something happens to Ca.s.sandra?"

"That makes sense, brother Quinn! We arrived here again because someone plotted for Marivella"s death."

"Before the ritual to gain immortality? But we must stop it?

Quinn sighed. Things even getting confused and complicated. When would they end their suffering? It seems, both from the past and the future.

* * *

The gathering continued after the king greeted the Prince and Marivella. Madison cannot believe that something happens like this in the past. This is not even mentioned in the book. 

Did something change? She"s getting confused, and so Madison strides towards Marivella for a talk.

"Marivella," she looks at her with sad eyes.

She tilted her head on the side and chuckled before she took Madison"s hands.

"Carlene, don"t be sad for me, can you?"

"You don"t need to do this, right?"

"I am fine, don"t worry."

Marivella retorted, but the way tightens her hold, Madison knew she was not. Is she doing this to avoid Carlisle? Or to end the forming tension between the countries?

Her mama is amazing. She is prepared to sacrifice for everyone, but why she still has to face misfortune in the future? Is it the curse? Ten of the next generation will face circ.u.mstances is what it says. A sin of the forefathers?

"Mademoiselles." the Queen"s attendant approached them. "The Queen seek your presence."

They look at each other, then nodded, following the woman toward the queen.