"Yo Quinn, you're really famous now!" Quinn Flos had just arrived. She had just come down after a long journey from her house to this place. A place different from the last time they met. As if to confirm their suspicions about the Knox family's wealth, today all the girls who had remained to continue the selection had gathered at a villa far from the center of the kingdom. Passing through the mountains and vast grasslands that they had rarely seen in the capital, they were welcomed at another Knox family residence.
"I love the atmosphere here. I can feel that this activity will be much more challenging! It's not like the boring activities we went through last week." Irish Gold, in her very flashy outfit, put her arm around Quinn's shoulder, showing a different spirit from last week. "No more annoying clothes! No more boring activities! No more sitting around, reading poetry or calligraphy! I'm free! I'm free!" She shouted.
"It seems like something happened to her over the weekend."
"Today Irish Gold is weirder than usual," commented everyone passing by.
"Oh right, Quinn, have you seen the news that's been spreading all over Crescere?"
"What news?" Quinn rarely watched the news. The employees at the store often lamented her indifference to the hot topics being discussed everywhere. They even called her "lady out on the news" because of it.
"From the expression you're showing, it seems like you don't know anything. Oh, or rather, you don't care." Irish fiddled with the communication device in her hand, "Here, let me show you." When the hologram activated, the first thing Quinn saw were two figures standing in a very familiar place. Not just a familiar place, but also two people standing side by side in front of that place.
There's more than just one photo available, but several others, from Quinn and General Xavier standing side by side, facing each other, to a photo of Quinn walking away and turning around before entering her space car.
"A breathtaking sight you can't see anywhere else. Two striking figures standing like a perfect couple in front of the Eudaimonia." Irish read every word in the article.
"One of those figures was the kingdom's hero, General Xavier Knox, who had just returned home triumphant. Shortly afterward, the Knox family announced that they would hold an election for the general. Several weeks passed, and a closed-door election was held. Not only were the people curious about the ongoing election, but for the past few weeks, the people of Crescere have been constantly guessing who the 'Seeds' in this Knox family election might be."
"Several famous family names have also been speculated upon, from Shoure, Wolmes, Gold, to Scarlett, who has also been noticed. Many have also begun to speculate about which girl from which family could break through the Knox family's dragon gate."
"From the poll we conducted, the majority of readers chose Miss Youna of the Scarlett family to win. Besides her family background, her looks and military experience make her the favorite." Irish read the news to all the girls who were starting to arrive. Some of them had already seen the article but were still joining in the excitement, while others hadn't seen it and were eager to hear more.
"From a reliable source, we received information that last night, the Knox family held a banquet and invited several 'seeds' to the banquet, one of whom was Miss Scarlett, the strongest candidate for the election. However, the photo above is not Miss Scarlett. According to those who saw them directly in front of Eudaimonia, they both looked like a heavenly couple. No one doubted General Xavier's appearance, and the woman standing next to him was even more stunning."
"As of the publication of this article, we still haven't identified the woman in the photo." Irish concluded the article by closing the hologram. With a knowing smile, she said again, "It's you, isn't it? The woman in this photo, isn't it?" she teased, not allowing Quinn to avoid her question.
Unwavering as an iceberg, Quinn replied, "You heard it yourself. I wasn't the only one there. Besides, the article also said there were several 'seeds' coming. It just so happens that I'm the only one in the photo."
"Ah, so it really is you." Irish grinned. "But people don't care about that. They only care about the pretty girl standing next to General Xavier. It won't be long before people find out who you are."
"See this? Everyone's praising you two— one too handsome, the other too beautiful. People are starting to get angry because your existence has been unknown."
Like being doused with cold water, Quinn realized something. People were going to find out about her. People were going to find out about her, they were all going to dig into her past. The beautiful, bright-eyed girl's hands trembled, her lips and face paler than usual. "I have to go." Quinn left, leaving everyone's gazes on her.
Her pace quickened, almost like running. She met the butler and asked them something. "Could you take me to see Mrs. Knox?" The butler hesitated, "This is very important. I… you may ask Mrs. Knox first. Tell her that Quinn Flos wants to see her." After thinking for a moment, the butler agreed. "I will ask the madam first."
Quinn never liked being the center of attention. She didn't want people to know about the gray flower on her temple. She didn't want people to dig up information about her. She didn't want people to know who she was. She didn't want people to pity her. It gave her the impression that she was different from them when they were both humans on the same soul planet.
Quinn has been able to keep herself hidden from the media and the public, thanks to her uncle. Before going to election, her uncle would ensure that the family would keep her identity a secret, so that even the girls who were going to election with her never knew about her gray flower.
The only carelessness she made was during the last election in the Eywis family, when she didn't realize that Sonia—one of the same election participants as her—overheard her conversation with Mrs. Eywis.
....