When Quinn opened the door to her house, a robot greeted her with a stiff voice, "Welcome, Miss Flos." Along with a happy expression on its monitor.
"Hello, Q1. Did you miss me?" Quinn replied, letting the robot take her things.
"I miss you so much, Miss Quinn. We haven't seen each other for over 14 days." Fourteen days. She didn't think she'd been at the Knox household for more than two weeks.
"Did you take good care of the house while I was gone?" the robot followed Quinn, its wheels rolling along the floor. Its expression changed from happy to sad, then back to excited again. "Of course! I clean the house every day."
Quinn chuckled, "of course. I brought you here to do homework."
"I'll prepare a drink for you, Miss Flos." The robot left without a sound. Quinn relaxed on the white sofa in her minimalist apartment. She lived alone, and the apartment was located in a remote location, yet it had a high level of security. On the one hand, Quinn disliked crowds, but on the other, she was anxious about being in a place that didn't have tight security.
Just as the black-haired woman was about to close her eyes, the communication device on her wrist rang before displaying a hologram showing her aunt's face.
"Auntie." She greeted.
"Are you home yet?"
"Hmm... yes," Quinn answered briefly. From what was visible on the hologram, her aunt was currently away.
"I heard you got the Knox family's invitation. That's great. I called to make sure you wouldn't ignore it," the aunt said in a serious tone.
This news reached her aunt faster than Quinn expected.
"I remember you didn't want to stand out too much, but you even managed to catch the eye of General Xavier's mother. That woman is in a class of her own, she has high standards in everyday life, especially for her son's partner. I shouldn't be surprised anymore when I hear you were chosen."
"Auntie..." Quinn interrupted her aunt's rambling. "That's because Mrs. Knox doesn't know the color of the flower on my temple. If she did, she would have kicked me out earlier." Quinn didn't want to raise her aunt's hopes for her or the Knox family. She also knew how worried her aunt and uncle were about her.
Before, they didn't really mind that she was still unmarried, now they were worried about Jacob Pan who was chasing her like a shadow, not letting her go and still watching her in the shadows, ready to drag her into that darkness once she was free from the Knox family.
Quinn's gaze grew more serious, and she ran a hand through her hair, revealing the gray flower at her temple. "Auntie, how did you get that invitation?" her aunt was speechless.
"This is the Knox family's election, and moreover, it's to find a future wife for General Xavier. You yourself said that Mrs. Knox is a perfect and picky woman. Logically, she wouldn't have let me participate in this election in the first place," Quinn continued. Maybe when she first received the invitation from her aunt, she didn't really care, but now the same question always haunted her. How? How did her aunt get the invitation?
The aunt who looked younger than her actual age was still reluctant to open her mouth, reluctant to tell Quinn, "Auntie, if this continues, when the Knox family finds out the truth, they will sue you for fraud. This will burden you and uncle. Besides, it also opens up opportunities for Jacob Pan."
The atmosphere of their conversation seemed to intensify, even though they were only communicating through a hologram. From within the hologram, Quinn didn't detect the slightest wavering from her aunt. With a firm voice, the woman broke the silence that had enveloped them. "Anyway, whatever method I used to obtain that invitation, don't worry about it. I didn't do anything illegal. If Mrs. Knox likes you, all the better."
Quinn sighed, "Auntie... didn't you hear what I just said? I won't be attending the dinner tonight. And I'm dropping out of the election."
"Quinn, don't be stupid. After you get out, Jacob Pan will pressure you. I know that. What are you going to do after that?" They were both tired, but neither of them wanted to give in.
"I plan to go to another planet," Quinn said uncertainly.
Her aunt paused, giving Quinn an incredulous look, before she too let out a deep breath. "Trust me, in your current state. You won't be able to leave this planet." That was true, because someone in her condition wouldn't be allowed to enter another planet easily.
...
Ultimately, Quinn decided to attend the Knox family dinner. She received the formal invitation, specifying the venue and time, shortly after she ended her call with her aunt.
Following the directions given, Quinn gazed out at the bustling capital of Crescere, her chin resting on her hand. The sky over Soul Planet tonight was filled with auroras, with meteors seemingly passing through the atmosphere for a split second. Her thoughts were elsewhere when the driver behind the wheel called out.
"Miss, we've arrived." The building in front was a familiar one to Quinn. It was the most famous restaurant on the planet. A five-star restaurant that required a long wait to enjoy its food.
That night, Quinn wore a simple pastel-colored dress. Despite its simplicity, the outfit looked a thousand times more attractive when fitted against her perfect body. She let her hair down, her bangs covering her temples. It was to cover her grey flower. Perhaps Quinn hadn't really cared about other people's opinions, but she simply didn't like being the center of attention.
After showing the invitation she hadn't forgotten to bring, the waiter led her to the VIP room the Knox family had reserved. Greeting her with a soft voice, Quinn was the last person to arrive at the banquet.
"Sorry I'm late." She said, trying to make a face of guilt at the hostess who had arrived first and sat down at the round table.
"Oh, Miss Flos, you're here. It's okay, we all just arrived." Quinn sat down in the last remaining chair—the one next to Seeli, who immediately whispered to her, "Sis, you look so beautiful tonight."
"Hmm... you too." She replied with a faint smile at the corner of her lips.
After sitting down, Quinn finally began to look around—noticing who was already at the table. It wasn't just Seeli who had arrived; Youna, whose beauty was truly dominating the evening, had also arrived. Even though their eyes met, the woman didn't smile at Quinn. The same went for Quinn, a girl known for being cold and rarely smiling among the other girls.
Furthermore, not only was Mrs. Knox present, but Knox's grandmother was also present at the banquet. An elderly woman with graying hair, her style still remains timeless.
And finally, next to the grandmother is the Knox family's son himself, the general, Xavier Knox.
….