The Queen was flipping the pages of the file in her hand one after other. Her expressions all stern, with hints of a bit of callousness in her eyes.
In front of her, her secretary was standing with a complicated face. It had been tough for her to acc.u.mulate all those data in a file. Tough enough that it almost took her whole week without giving her any weekend. Yet now, looking at the lady's expression, she could say, not only her work has not satisfied her but has also disappointed her to a far extent.
"None of these are suitable. Have you not noted the requirement I have asked you to see strictly? How can none of these women are even near to what I have expected?"
As expected, soon after reaching the last page of the file, the Queen asked, slamming all the portfolios of traditional, cultural models shut.
"Your Highness, my apologies! But these were the best ones among all the traditional, experienced models in Chiboa." The secretary explained her side patiently. Woking with the lady for almost a year now, she has already garnered enough of the experience and courage to not flinch in such situations. Not like the Queen was a ferocious one every time, but she always turns to become a strict one when it came related to her work and duty.
At the words of her secretary, the Queen's eyes turned more sharp as she looked up at the standing posture of the young woman. Under that piercing gaze, there was no way anyone would be capable enough to hold their composure in a right state. The young girl also felt herself losing significantly. But just when she was about to kneel in defeat, an understanding curl appeared on the woman's lips, soothing every line of chaos that she brought with her eyes earlier.
The secretary heaved in relief, but that was until she heard her add her suggestion of improvement.
"If that's what you call the best ones, then I guess it's time for you to go on the hunt for new ones. Because I am sure nothing among them is appeasing me according to the theme we have this year." The Queen said, keeping the portfolio file aside, then elegantly picking up her cup of tea in her hands, sipping a small amount in. Feeling the flowery taste upon her tongue, she smiled at its fragrance and deliciousness with some thought before reconfirming her words. "I hope my secretary would be efficient enough to work on my suggested suggestion?"
For a moment, the secretary was lost in a daze, but soon her composure resurfaced when she heard the woman adding more of her words. Nodding in a little frantic way, she quickly accepted, "Yes, Your Highness, I will start looking into it from today itself."
Chen Rui nodded to her words, and soon the young girl left, bowing her head a little in the lady's respect.
Once she left, the woman enjoyed the rest of her tea in the fresh air of the morning while taking up her phone to randomly scroll through the internet headlines. Scrolling through the internet feeds has never been in her routine, but from the last day onwards, she has readily included it in her schedule, given the news trending recently.
"Your Highness!" The butler greeted as he came forward to greet the Queen.
The Queen smiled slightly as she shortly glanced up from her phone screen to look at the aged man, then again reverted her eyes to look at her phone. "Ohh, Mr Cao! Good morning. Have you checked the recent internet news? Li Xue is still on it," her voice filled with slight zeal and excitement.
But just when she would have cherished that happiness for more longer, her son came to rebel against her words.
"Mama, though she is there on the internet, she is not there for some achievement. People are continuously talking against her. Yet you are praising her here like she has done something remarkable". Shin You Jun said, jumping over to sit on one of the cane sofa couches with a ripe red apple in his hand.
Chen Rui paused. She didn't say anything to rebuke her son; instead, her face held a faint smile that was telling a tale of mystery.
Looking at her mother like that, You Jun looked back at his words, trying to find anything wrong, but before he could get any time to realize his faults, comments were shot at him in the sweetest way.
"Only if my son would have been a little more capable than eating, jumping, and playing, then this poor mother would have also known the meaning behind the word remarkable. But since I didn't get that luck from my son, I could only depend on my daughter now. And I am sure my daughter would be capable enough to not disappoint me like my son".
The young boy was immediately offended. Jutting his brows together, he started to complain. "Mama, she is getting shamed by the public, and yet you are supporting her. Definitely, she must have bewitched you to get your support. She is undoubtedly a witc…."
Before he could complete the last syllable of his word, a cruel glare was passed at him, instantly stopping him in his tracks. "You Jun, these days, why am I getting to remind you to be mindful of your manners again and again? Is this what you have learned? Disrespecting your sister?"
Shin You Jun felt a shiver run down his spine while a lump of fear formed in his throat. "M-Mama, I was just saying. I didn't mean it by heart. How can I be disrespectful of my elders? I have not learned something that audacious from my mother. I was just doing some pitter-pattering. Hehe. Don't mind me", he said, giving an awkward smile of understanding, trying his best to correct the situation he was stuck in. After all, in no way would he again want to get another punishment for disrespecting that woman. He has already been on a continuous roll because of her in the last week.
Chen Rui didn't consider her son's words. She knew him too well to know what meaning he held behind his words.
The young boy heaved a breath of relief when he saw his mother letting him off quickly. He looked at the butler before requesting him to ease the situation more. At the pitiful state of the man, Mr Cao wanted to smile, but his position didn't allow him that. So, just keeping his smile to himself, he looked at the Queen once more before saying.
"Your Highness, I have found out Ms Li Xue would be having a press meet with her former company this late afternoon. And …"
"Mr Cao, I have just checked those news updates on the internet. You are running too slow. Leave all this for now and just go and check something else for me. I want to know what her schedule would be like after joining back the industry?" Chen Rui said, concealing her real intentions behind her words, very well.