《I Choose The Villain Duke》 Chapter 1 - To Die And To Live Again The girl opened her eyes to a familiar scene. She felt like she had just read this exact scene somewhere. She looked around. Tall white pillars, a cathedral ceiling, and a large number of people wearing white robes. She must be inside a temple. The people in white robes were staring at her with such expectation and marvel, she couldn''t speak in fright of saying the wrong thing. What if she says the wrong thing and she gets attacked by these weird cultists kidnappers? But were they really kidnappers? She looked at herself. She wasn''t tied and she didn''t looked harmed. She was just sitting at the middle of the temple floor while everybody stared at her. She was still wearing the blue dress she wore at the party. It had too many shimmering stones for her liking but she had to wear it because it was a gift from her fianc¨¦. She remembered retiring early from the party. Her engagement party. It was too dull and depressing. Her fianc¨¦ paid more attention to the guests than to her which she should have been used to already. It was an arranged marriage but she couldn''t help but wish for more. It was for the family business. Everything was always for the family business. She went back to her room and decided to finish a webnovel she was reading. She liked reading webnovels. It was her secret hobby. She could escape to a fantasy world where everything was better than her real life. The title was Taming the Saintess. It was about a girl who gets reincarnated in a different world and she''s the saintess who will save the Empire of Aderlan. A saintess is someone who has holy powers that can fight the evil forces. She remembered finishing the novel and feeling sad about it. The protagonist died in the end after saving the kingdom. It was a noble death but why did she have to die? Why didn''t the male lead, the prince, prevent her death? "You left the party." She turned and saw her fianc¨¦. He had a strange look on his face. Was he angry? "I''m sorry. I wasn''t feeling well and I didn''t want to bother you," she said. Her fianc¨¦ handed her a glass of wine. "Here. Drink it. You''ll feel better," he said. "No, I''m going to sleep already. I-" she tried to say but he took her hand and forcibly made her hold the glass of wine. "Just drink it. You''ll sleep better," he said firmly. She looked at his face. Her fianc¨¦ was good-looking. She knew he had lots of admirers and he was nice to them. He came from a wealthy family and he was handsome. Who wouldn''t want to be his wife? But is it so difficult to treat her like one of his admirers? A smile once in a while? Some caring words from time to time? She couldn''t refuse him. He might get a fit and she would have to cover up her bruises again. "Thanks," she said softly. Maybe this was his way of showing he cared for her? He did come looking for her. He was looking at her expectantly. Oh, right. She had to drink it. She gulped the wine quickly. She didn''t even like the taste of wine. "I''m done," she said. "Yes, you are," he said and then smiled. Then there was darkness. * * * "Welcome to the Empire of Aderlan, Holy Saintess!" She snapped out of her thoughts. Aderlan. It''s impossible but it was the only explanation. Everything and everyone looked different but so familiar. "I am the High Priest of this temple, Reverend Anthony. May we know your name, Holy Saintess?" He had long silver hair but his face looked not a day older than thirty. He was wearing a long white robe and he was also holding a golden staff in his right hand. The High Priest reached out his hand to help her up but she ignored it and got up on her own. "My name is Mi¡ª" No, she didn''t want to be that girl anymore. That girl was killed by her own fianc¨¦. If she really was in Aderlan, if she really had reincarnated in another world, it was her chance to live her second life. It was her chance to no longer be that dutiful girl trapped to her duties. "My name is Euphemia," the reincarnated girl said with a determined smile. "I look forward in my stay here." Chapter 2 - To Choose Freely "Let me see her." The priests who were all huddled together suddenly made way for someone from the back. The man who spoke walked towards Euphemia. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. His hair was like honey, golden and gleaming. His eyes were golden also, like the sparks of a fire. His face and body was a sculpted perfection. This must be what Apollo, the Sun God, looks like. He was wearing a white coat with gold embellishments and she could see that there was a gold rapier hanging from his side. He carried an air of authority. No, it was regality. It could only be him. The prince. This was the main lead himself. He smiled at her. His smile was like a warm ray of sunshine. A regular girl would have already blushed and babbled in panic for being in front of this ultimate incarnation of a prince. Euphemia was not a regular girl. She was already used in seeing the face of her "handsome" ex-fianc¨¦ and it only irritated her. They had the same expression - an expression that knew women instantly fell for them. "I am the crown prince, Prince Vincent of Aderlan," he said and smiled sweetly at her. "I assume you''ll tell me that there''s no way back to my own world," Euphemia said, unaffected by his looks. The prince looked momentarily startled but he softened his features quickly. "Yes, we do beg your forgiveness for that," he said. "Our empire needs the power of the saintess and that saintess is you, my lady." She narrowed her eyes at him. "I''m not your lady." There was a collective gasp. The prince smiled but there was a hint of panic in his voice. "It is merely a manner of how we respectfully call women, my lady." "You can call me ''Saintess'' or ''Lady Euphemia'' Just don''t call me your lady because I''m not," Euphemia said coldly. She wasn''t sure if it was his face that irritated her or maybe it was the fact that she was reincarnated inside a novel where the Saintess dies in the end. How could she be happy with that? "Lady Euphemia, you will have nothing to worry about. You can stay with me in the Imperial Palace and you shall be provided with anything you wish for. You will have a full wardrobe and a set of servants that will be at your beck and call. I, myself, will be at your service also," Prince Vincent said. He looked proud of himself. "Why should I stay with you?" Euphemia asked with her eyebrow raised. "Because you''re my fianc¨¦e, Lady Euphemia," the prince said with a smile. He seemed to be expecting for a delighted reaction. She looked at him in shocked disgust. He didn''t even ask her! He just simply declared her as her fianc¨¦e. Euphemia was sick of people deciding who she will marry. "No, you''re not. I haven''t decided to be your fianc¨¦e and you didn''t even ask me," Euphemia said. She didn''t hide her irritation anymore. "Will you be m¡ª" "No. You''re not my type," Euphemia interrupted. There was a collective gasp again. "So shameless!" "Is she really the Saintess?!" "Such impudence!" Euphemia glared at the priests and they went quiet. "You summoned me here in your world without my consent and you can''t even bring me back. I think it''s my right to decide on where I stay and who I''m going to be with," Euphemia said loudly. The prince looked confused. He wasn''t prepped on what to say in this kind of situation. No one had ever rejected him. He thought that she would be happy to be engaged to him. There must be something wrong with her head. "I know that you brought some of your people with you. Let me see them. I''m going to decide which house I''m going to stay in," Euphemia said. Prince Vincent blinked. Was she ordering him? "No? Fine. I''ll go to your neighbor kingdom instead. Maybe I''ll find better accommodations there," Euphemia said and turned her back. "No! I mean, yes! Please wait, Lady Euphemia!" The prince panicked. As if he was reminded of his status, he composed himself quickly. "Friends of the Imperial Family, come to the front. The Saintess wishes to see all of you," Prince Vincent said loudly. The priests made way for the crowd of aristocrats as they came forward. The prince began to introduce them to her. They were the heads of aristocrat families. Most of them already looked old but still distinguished. "Count Aderfeld, he owns the jewelry making business here. He has a mansion beside the lake. Count Sherraford of..." Euphemia was no longer listening. She was searching for someone. There were so many of them. She looked at their heads instead. Yellow hair, brown hair, no hair, yellow, gray, gray, bald, gray ... BLACK! "Him! I want him!" Everyone turned to see to whom she was pointing at. Their eyes widened at her choice. They couldn''t believe it. She had chosen the least reputable head of the family! "Are you sure, Lady Euphemia? I haven''t even introduced him to you yet," Prince Vincent said with a panicked look. Choose anyone! Anyone but him! He wanted to say. "Yes, I''m sure. I already know him," Euphemia smiled. "Duke Lucien, may I please stay with you?" It was widely believed that he was the cause of the fire that killed all of his family members. The Saintess had just chosen the Demon Duke of Aderlan. Chapter 3 - To Have A Partner Duke Lucien Ashburn was not interested in watching the summoning of the Saintess. It was indeed a great event that was only conducted every century but he wasn''t excited about it. It had nothing to do with him. He couldn''t have been more wrong. The aristocrats were situated behind the priests as spectators. The priests were standing in a circle with their heads bowed while their mouths chanted words from a dead language. It looked like nothing was going to happen at first until a strong wind suddenly came out of nowhere. Something was happening. The priests'' words became louder and louder. Their eyes were shut in concentration. Sweat dripped from their bowed heads. The words sounded angrier and harsher. It was as if they were demanding from the gods. As if the gods had enough of their demands, a huge flame suddenly went ablaze in the middle of the circle. The aristocrats gasped. Lucien himself was in awe of the mystical flame in spite of himself. The flame was huge. It was bigger than any person. The priests'' chanting changed to a gentle hymn. They no longer sounded angry and demanding. The hymn sounded like a grateful message to the gods. The flame changed from raging orange to a light golden color. The huge flame started to dissipate and in its place, was a young woman lying on the ground with her eyes closed. The priests stopped singing. There was no need anymore. She had arrived. The Saintess. The first thing that Lucien noticed was the color of her long hair. It was black. Lucien smiled. Most of the people of Aderlan didn''t like black hair. They think that black haired people are cursed by black magic but the Saintess herself had hair as black as a raven''s feathers. Her skin was the winter''s fresh fallen snow. The Saintess opened her eyes. Her eyes were unusual in Aderlan. It was as brown as the autumn''s fallen leaves. Her dress was a vivid color of ocean blue. It was studded with small gems that sparkled like stars at the night skies. Everyone was looking at her in awe. The Saintess looked back at her surroundings silently. She was calm. It would have been expected if she looked extremely confused but she wasn''t. It actually looked like she already had an idea on where she was. The High Priest approached her and offered to help her up but she ignored his hand. Interesting. A woman that had no need of false kindness. The High Priest asked her name. She was going to say something then she looked like she changed her mind. Her name was Euphemia. Lucien felt that it was not her real name but it also felt like there was no malice in it. Perhaps she just wanted to be a new person. Lucien watched as the crown prince approached her and conversed with her. It was a curious thing to watch. Most women were usually a blushing mess around the prince but the Saintess looked unaffected by his presence. She even looked irritated. It was obvious that she didn''t like the prince. It was even more obvious when she publicly rejected him. The prince called the aristocrats forward and he started introducing them to the Saintess. She was obviously not listening. She was searching for someone. Then their eyes locked. Her eyes widened. "Him! I want him!" She must be mistaken, right? It couldn''t be him. The aristocrats looked at him in shock. He was shocked too. The prince was obviously panicking. He didn''t want his nemesis to get the Saintess. It would be an amusing thing to make the annoying prince feel defeated but it was too much of a hassle to take care of a Saintess. More so, because they had to be engaged for a woman to be allowed to stay in a man''s house. He started to make his way towards her. She heard him say, "Yes, I''m sure. I already know him." A Saintess was said to know things about the past and even the future. What could she possibly know about him that made her choose him? He looked at the Saintess. She was pretty. She reminded him of a doll. Her lips curved into a smile. A very beautiful doll. "Duke Lucien, may I please stay with you?" "I apologize, Lady Euphemia, but I think I will have to turn you down. You will not benefit from me and I will not benefit from you," Lucien said. The aristocrats looked at the Saintess pleadingly. The Demon Duke himself had rejected her so they still had a chance in obtaining the Saintess. She would be a powerful political tool to anyone. Her healing powers would also be beneficial. To add to that, she was very pretty. "Could you please lean down, Your Grace? I have something to tell you in private," Euphemia said and raised her hand to her mouth in the pose of a whisper. Lucien raised an eyebrow. It was something that ladies never did. It was insolent to a duke and suggestive to a man. He leaned down anyway. "I know where Sylvia is," she whispered. His eyes widened. "What? How do you ¡ª" "It doesn''t have to be a real engagement. Just let me stay with you for a year. I can help you and you can help me. I won''t be a bother to you, I promise." He leaned back to look at her. She looked like she was telling the truth. Truthfully, it would also benefit him to have a fianc¨¦e already. He was getting irritated in receiving marriage proposals from fathers who wanted to get rid of their most hateful daughters. "Are you sure of me? Do you even know what they say about me?" Lucien asked. "Yes, I know and I don''t believe them. Don''t you want someone who believes in you?" Yes, he did. He never imagined for him to say the next words he would say. "I, Lucien Ashburn, Duke of Aderlan, take the Holy Saintess, Lady Euphemia, as my fianc¨¦e." Chapter 4 - To Be Protected The Saintess and the Duke left the stunned crowd in the temple. They didn''t give the aristocrats time to congratulate them or to say their protests. They just left. Euphemia boarded the Duke''s carriage with his help. She felt like Cinderella who just escaped from the prince in the ball. The Duke sat on the seat facing her. They looked at each other quietly at first. He was very alluring. Long black eyelashes, glossy black hair, emerald green eyes, and a handsome nonchalant face. He was wearing a black fur cape, black coat, and black trousers. He was like a prince of the night. "You said that you know where Sylvia is, Lady Euphemia," he said. Euphemia nodded. "Yes, Your Grace. I have read of her." Lucien looked surprised. Euphemia chose her next words carefully. It would be a disaster to tell someone that he or she was just a character in a webnovel in her world. "Before being summoned here, I was reading a book that contained some information about Aderlan and its people. It''s not complete and the events there are not set in stone but I think it can help us," Euphemia said. "Help us? What do you mean? I understand that you might be able to help me with your knowledge but are you in trouble of some sort, Lady Euphemia?" The Duke looked confused. Euphemia chewed on her lip. Should she tell him? Lucien noticed her anxious expression. "Could you please tell me? I would like to protect my fianc¨¦e. Is there some kind of harm that will befall you?" Euphemia was surprised. "Why would you wish to protect me, Your Grace? I''ve already imposed on you for letting me stay in your residence. I would not want to bother you more, Your Grace. I can protect myself," Euphemia said. "You''re my fianc¨¦e. Isn''t that reason enough? I may be a temporary fianc¨¦ but I will treat you kindly and you will be under my protection," Lucien said firmly. He was serious in protecting her. She didn''t expect that he would treat her kindly. Euphemia looked down. She was suddenly getting teary-eyed. She felt embarrassed. She had always been good in concealing her emotions even when she was hurt. But this time, she was touched so why was she crying? "In what I''ve read, the Saintess dies after using her powers to save Aderlan," she said softly. She felt Lucien''s hand touch her cheek. "I won''t let that happen to you," he said and gently wiped her tears. He did not ask for her to stop crying. He simply let her. "I''m sorry. I''m not usually like this," Euphemia said. "I''m more surprised that you weren''t like that in the temple," Lucien said. "I think I was . . . murdered," Euphemia said, recalling the drink her ex-fianc¨¦ gave her. Lucien looked alarmed. "By who?" "My fianc¨¦," Euphemia said. Lucien didn''t know what to say. "It was an arranged marriage between our families. He wasn''t really fond of me. I just didn''t expect that he would do that. Maybe he wanted to marry someone else and I was in the way," Euphemia said. Her tears had stopped already. She was not going to cry for that person. "May I ask why you chose me, Lady Euphemia? You must have read in your book about my reputation. Are you not scared that I will murder you?" Lucien asked. Euphemia shook her head. "From what I''ve read, you loved your mother dearly even though she was . . . cruel to you. When your father died, your mother fell into depression. It said that your whole household was already burning when you came back after buying the white flowers your mother requested." She was right. It was the same thing he told everyone else over and over but no one had believed him and he got tired of defending himself. "It didn''t say that you didn''t kill them but I think you wouldn''t do that. You were just a young boy. You loved your mother so much and why would you kill her and your servants? It doesn''t make sense. The only thing that makes sense is that she . . ." Euphemia trailed off. ". . . burned everyone with her" Lucien finished. His mother had killed herself and their servants in the fire. Before that happened, she had told Lucien to buy white flowers for her. It was a strange request. He didn''t want to leave her while she was still obviously depressed from Father''s death but she insisted that he follow her request. She told him not to bring any servants with him also. He bought white lilies for her. As he walked home, he saw the huge black smoke coming from the mansion. He ran but it was too late. The house was fully engulfed by the fire. "I''ve chosen you because I think you''re a good person. I don''t know if the prince is not a good person but he wasn''t able to protect the Saintess in the book I''ve read. I just want to change my fate," Euphemia said. "I don''t want to die again, Your Grace." It was strange. They had just met but it was like talking to someone they''ve known for a long time. "As long as you are under my protection, I will not allow you to die, Lady Euphemia," Lucien said. Euphemia smiled. "Thank you, Your Grace. I will also help you find Sylvia." Lucien smiled. "I think she will like you." The carriage stopped. Euphemia looked outside the carriage window. They were in front of a beautiful Victorian mansion. "Welcome to your new home, Lady Euphemia." Chapter 5 - To Have A New Home The carriage door was opened by Lucien''s personal aide, Hansel Griffin. "Welcome home, Your Grace! How was it? Did you see the Saintess?" Hansel said energetically. Lucien looked at him in amusement. Hansel looked at the seat facing Lucien and was surprised. "Oh! You have someone with you." "Did you kidnap this lady, Your Grace?" Hansel asked with a horrified look. Lucien chuckled. "Your Grace, you shouldn''t kidnap people! I''m sure there are ladies we can discreetly pay to serve you," Hansel said in a scolding manner. Lucien burst out laughing while Hansel looked at him in confusion. "Hans, meet the Saintess, Lady Euphemia, my fianc¨¦e. Lady Euphemia, this is Hansel Griffin, he''s my personal aide and also my best friend," Lucien said. Hansel looked at Euphemia in shock. Euphemia smiled in amusement. "It''s nice to meet you. Could you please help me down the carriage?" Euphemia extended her hand to him. Hansel quickly regained his senses and took Euphemia''s hand to help her alight the carriage. Lucien was still chuckling as he got down the carriage. "Lady Euphemia, I''m afraid you might be mistaken. As the Saintess, you''re expected to stay in the Imperial Palace. Did this Duke coerce you to come with him?" Hansel said in panic. "No, he didn''t. You have nothing to worry about, Hansel. I chose to go with him and I don''t want to stay with that prince in the palace," Euphemia laughed. "Hansel, aren''t you going to let us in? Lady Euphemia must be tired," Lucien said, pretending to be angry. "Apologies, Your Grace. Please come in. I shall instruct the servants to prepare her room," Hansel said hastily and stepped out of the way. Euphemia and Lucien went inside the mansion. Euphemia had never seen such a beautiful house before. She looked around, admiring its beauty. The style wasn''t very extravagant but it exuded elegance. Dark wood with intricate carvings, velvet sofas, and a huge chandelier hanging from the celing. "Your house is beautiful, Your Grace," Euphemia said. "Thank you. I had it made when I moved out of the Imperial Palace," Lucien said. "The dining room is over there. You must be hungry already." Euphemia nodded. It was already dark outside. She wasn''t sure of the time but it must be past dinner time already. She worried that the Duke might hear her grumbling stomach. "You lived in the palace, Your Grace?" Euphemia asked. She was sure there was no information of that in the webnovel. "After my mansion burned down, the King took me in. I lived there until I signed up for the army when I was fifteen. While I was in training, this mansion was under construction," Lucien said. The dining table had twelve chairs and Euphemia wasn''t sure where she should sit. Lucien sat at the far end of the table. Euphemia sat at the chair nearest to him. Lucien looked surprised but he just smiled quietly. "Did you get wages when you were in training? You must have paid a lot for this beautiful house," Euphemia said. The first course arrived. The rich aroma of the soup made Euphemia hungrier. Euphemia blew on the soup repeatedly while Lucien watched her in amusememt. "No, there are no wages for those in training. It turned out, Mother had left me a fortune in the bank. It was only turned over to me when I was fifteen," Lucien said. She must have predicted that the King would take him in because his father was the King''s brother. She must have also predicted that he would choose to leave the Imperial Palace around that age. The flavor was exotic to Euphemia. She could identify the tomatoes, onions, and garlic in the soup but she wasn''t sure about the other ingredients. Euphemia slurped her soup happily. "Your Grace, is there someone who could help me sell this dress?" Euphemia asked. Lucien was surprised. "Why would you wish to sell that?" "I was just summoned here and I don''t have anything else to wear. Maybe I can trade this for clothes. I hope there are stores here that accept second-hand clothes," Euphemia said. Lucien was baffled. "You don''t need to do that. You''re my fianc¨¦e, Lady Euphemia. I will provide you with your wardrobe and your living expenses. Also, your dress is worth a fortune! I''ve never seen gems like that," Lucien said. "Oh. They''re just rhinestones though," Euphemia said. "Rhynne Stones? They must only be available in your world, Lady Euphemia," Lucien said. He noticed that she looked disappointed. "Is there something wrong?" Lucien asked. "I . . . just wanted to get rid of this dress. It was given by my ex-fianc¨¦," Euphemia said with a frown. Lucien nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, I shall not let you sell it in a small store. I can have it sent to an auctioneer and it will be sold as ''The Saintess''s Dress''. I''m sure you will gain a fortune for it, Lady Euphemia." "Me?" Euphemia was confused. "All gains should proceed to you, Your Grace." "It''s your dress, Lady Euphemia. I think you keep forgetting but I''m your fianc¨¦, not your lender. You don''t need to repay me anything," Lucien said gently. Euphemia felt uncomfortable being a freeloader. She''ll find a way to repay him. If the Duke is right and she''ll get a nice sum of money, maybe she can start a small business then she can repay him! Lucien and Euphemia finished the second and third course. All of the dishes were new to Euphemia but she found them delicious. She did miss the dishes from her old world. Maybe she can try to cook them here. If they like her dishes, maybe she can sell them in Aderlan! Lucien noticed that Euphemia was quiet. She looked deep in thought. He sighed. He had the feeling that she was coming up with plans on how to repay him. "Will it be all right with you to have our engagement contract signing tomorrow, Lady Euphemia?" Lucien asked. "Yes, of course, Your Grace," Euphemia said. "We can put in our conditions in the contract. You may add there your requests such as how you wish to be treated or how much do you wish to get per month. Other couples add in their contract how many times they wish see each other per month." "I don''t think I would have any special requests," Euphemia said. "Just think about it. I think I already have a request I would like to add in our contract," Lucien said with a smile. "I hope it''s not too hard, Your Grace," Euphemia said. "My name. I just want you to call be my name. You keep calling me ''Your Grace'' like Hansel and I don''t want my fianc¨¦e to sound like him," Lucien said teasingly. Euphemia laughed. "I can agree to that. I''ll call you by your name tomorrow." Euphemia thought for a while. She didn''t want to be called by her old name. Maybe a nickname then. "In exchange, please call me ''Euphee'' as your nickname to me," Euphemia said. It sounded cute when she thought about it. It sounded fluffy. It sounded like Eevee in Pokemon. Lucien wasn''t sure if he should tell her. Only close friends and lovers use nicknames in Aderlan. He didn''t want to tell her. He wanted her to call him with a nickname too. Maybe next time. Lucien felt his cheeks go warm. "It''s late. You must be sleepy already. I''ll guide you to your room." Lucien stood up. Euphemia followed him out of the dining room. They went to a corridor and passed by several rooms. At the end of the corridor, there were two doors at both sides that both had elaborate designs. "My room is just here facing yours. If you need anything, there''s a bell at your table and a servant will serve you," Lucien said. The door to his room was dark brown while Euphemia''s door was white. "I''ll leave you now. Have a good night, Lady . . . Euphee," Lucien said. He was glad that the end of the corridor was dark. His ears felt warm. "No, wait! Come inside first!" Euphemia said and suddenly grabbed his hand. Euphemia opened the door to her room and pulled the Duke inside. The room was dark. There was only one oil lamp at the bedside table. Lucien didn''t know what was happening. His mind was going blank. Euphemia led him to her bed and made him sit on it. Somewhere from the corridor, a grandfather clock chimed. A beautiful melody filled the mansion. "Oh, it must be midnight! I can call you by your name now," Euphemia said cheerfully. "Lady Euphee, I''m confused. Why did you bring me in here?" Lucien finally remembered how to speak. "Lucien, please take off your clothes," Euphemia said. Chapter 6 - To Have A Contract Engagement Lucien couldn''t believe what he just heard. She must be joking. "Do you not want to do it right now? Do you prefer to do it in the morning instead?" Euphemia asked with an innocent look on her face. "Do what exactly, Lady Euphee?" Lucien asked. He could hear his heartbeat pulsing in his ears. "Healing you," Euphemia said. She cocked her head to the side. "Were you thinking of something else?" Lucien could feel a wave of embarrassment flood him. He really was glad that the room was dark. He must look flushed already. "Do you mean that you wish to try your healing magic on me?" Lucien asked weakly. "Yes. I haven''t tried my Saintess powers yet. The book I''ve read mentioned that you have scars on your body," Euphemia said. "You must have been injured a lot during your battles." She was wrong. His scars were from his mother. He was kind of relieved that the Saintess''s book did not mention that. He wasn''t sure how to tell her what his Mother did to him. His Mother''s cruelty was more painful than the wounds he received from his battles. "You can try tomorrow, Lady Euphee. It''s late already," Lucien said gently and he got up to leave. Lucien opened the door and found Hansel standing outside. He must be waiting for him. Maybe he had something to ask. "Let''s do it tomorrow instead! Good night! " Euphee said loudly. Hansel smirked at Lucien and Lucien grimaced. Lucien shut the door. "It''s not what you think!" Lucien whispered. Hansel chuckled. "If you say so." "Argh," Lucien groaned. * * * Sleep did not come easily to Euphemia. The day''s events were overwhelming to her. Did she really just die and reincarnate? Euphemia thought of her parents. Would they cry for her? They didn''t think much of her because she wouldn''t manage the family business anway. She was just a pawn to make the family business bigger. Then there was Yuzan, her older brother. Yuzan was the only one nice to her but he was sent away to a prestigious school abroad to study. The last time they met was when she was ten years old. The main branch of the family business was located at the country where Yuzan was studying and he was not allowed to come back ever since. Maybe Yuzan would cry for her or maybe . . . they wouldn''t even tell him. Yuzan never knew what she went through when he left. She wasn''t allowed to contact him. They said that she would just distract him from his studies. If given the chance, she would thank him for his kindness when they were younger. Euphemia thought about Lucien. He seemed nice. Perhaps it won''t be so bad. She had a year to change her fate. According to the novel, the Saintess died after a year. Could she avoid her doomed fate and not risk the lives of Aderlan''s citizens? Sleep eventually came to her tired mind. The clouds parted to reveal the moon. Its moonlight spilled into the room, her black hair shone under its brilliance. It was as if the moon was watching over her. * * * Euphemia awoke to the light. The sun was too bright. She opened her eyes slowly. She decided to close the curtains next time before going to sleep. In the morning light, Euphemia could clearly see her room. The colors were light to the eyes. White bed sheets, a canopy bed with intricate light gold designs, a bedside table and a vanity table both in ivory white, and another door at the wall across her. That must be the bathroom. Euphemia was about to go to the bathroom when her door opened and a group of maids suddenly went in. "We bid you good morning, Your Grace. We would like to assist you in your morning ritual," a maid wearing a different maid uniform said. She must be a maid with a higher status than the others. Were they waiting for her to wake up the whole time? Were they just outside the door listening to her? "What''s your name?" Euphemia asked. The maid who spoke look surprised. "It''s Helen, Your Grace. I have no last name." "You''re addressing me the same way the Duke is addressed. We aren''t married yet so I think it would be presumptuous of me to be called the same way. You may address me as Lady Euphemia instead," Euphemia said. The maids looked at each other. They looked unsure and worried. "You have nothing to worry about," Euphemia assured them with a smile. "As you wish, Lady Euphemia," Helen said with a bow. Euphemia was assisted by the maids with her bath despite her initial reluctance. Surprisingly, it was nice to be attended to. The maids in Aderlan were very attentive and she was able to relax. The maids brought different dresses for her to choose from. The dresses were ordered by Hansel on day the Duke arrived with Euphemia. The Duke''s name was amazing. Everyone was scared of the Demon Duke so several dressmakers quickly sent out their best dresses to the Duke''s residence. Each of them were lovely. They had laces, ruffles, and ribbons that were uncommon in modern dresses. Euphemia chose a white dress with light blue ribbons. It made her think of pleasant days with clear blue skies and white clouds. Euphemia went to the dining room. Lucien was already there. He was busy with writing. His table was filled with documents instead of food. "Good morning, Lucien," Euphemia said brightly. Lucien looked up and smiled. "Good morning, Lady Euphee. Please have a seat. I''ll have our breakfast served." Euphemia sat at a chair beside Lucien. The Duke rang the bell beside him and breakfast was served. While Euphemia ate, Lucien was still busy writing on the document. "May I know what you''re so busy with, Lucien?" Euphemia asked. "It''s our contract, Lady Euphee. I''m amending the usual engagement contract that aristocrats use. I''m just removing the parts unapplicable to us," Lucien said. "Like what?" Euphemia asked. "Like how many times the fianc¨¦e can go back to her residence and visit her parents," Lucien said. "Oh," Euphemia simply said. Lucien stopped writing and looked at her. "I''m sorry. That was insensitive of me." Euphemia shrugged. "It''s fine." Lucien looked at her worriedly. Did she miss her parents? There was no mention of them yet from her and he wasn''t sure if he should ask. He wouldn''t be able to bring her back to her world anyway so it would just make her sad if he mentioned them. "On the positive note, I''ve finished amending the contract. We can now add our conditions. Afterwards, Hansel can make a clean version and send it out to the Civil Office," Lucien said. He was glad he had finished already so he could change the subject. Servants cleared out their finished plates and they left the dining room. "Should I write down my conditions?" Euphemia asked. "I can write them down for you," Lucien said. "One, our engagement will last for a year. If you will break up with me, please allow me a week to find a place elsewhere." Lucien wanted to tell her that would be unlikely but he allowed her to continue. "Two, if you will have someone you love during our engagement, please meet with that person discreetly so as not to damage our reputation. I would also prefer for you to tell me but I would request for you to make sure that we won''t meet." Lucien was baffled with her requests but he continued writing. "Three, please don''t . . ." Euphemia trailed off. "Yes, Lady Euphee?" Lucien prompted. "Please don''t physically hurt me or force me," Euphemia said. She had a grim expression. Those conditions weren''t what he expected. "Is that all? Do you not want to specify your allowance?" Lucien asked. Euphemia shook her head. "It''s up to you. I have no right to decide on that." "I''ll have Hansel open an account for you." Lucien made up his mind to give her a substantial amount without her knowing. "That''s all," Euphemia said. "May I know what your conditions are?" "One, you will allow me to protect you. If you are in danger or if you will be in danger, you have to tell me," Lucien said. Euphemia smiled, remembering their conversation in the carriage. "Two, I would like you to . . . " Lucien felt his ears go warm again. ". . . call me by a nickname after a month." Euphemia cocked her head to the side. "A month? Why? I can give you one now." Lucien covered his face in embarrassment. "I''m not ready yet. Just give me a month." Euphemia laughed. "Sure, Lu-ci-en." Lucien''s cheeks felt warm. "Lastly, after a year, let''s talk about this contract again. A lot of things could happen in a year and . . ." Lucien didn''t finish his sentence. He almost said what if he wanted her to stay with him longer. Someone knocked on the door. "Come in," Lucien said. It was Hansel. "A letter from the Imperial Palace arrived. It''s addressed to the Holy Saintess." Euphemia opened the letter. It was a summons from Queen Celestinia. The Queen wanted to speak with her. For some reason, the thought of facing the Queen made her nervous. Euphemia chewed her lip. "It''s Her Highness. I have to go to the palace today," Euphemia said. Lucien already expected that. The Imperial Family must have been outraged at the turn of events yesterday. "I''ll go with you. You may go ahead to prepare. Please tell the head maid that you''re meeting with the Queen. You''ll need a suitable attire," Lucien said. Euphemia nodded and hurriedly went out of the dining room. Lucien turned to Hansel. Something had been bothering him ever since Euphemia mentioned it. "Hans, what do you think is the reason that she would add this condition?" Lucien pointed to Euphemia''s third codnition which he had written. It was the condition not to physically hurt her or force her. Hansel looked disturbed after reading it. "It must mean that someone already did those to her in the past," Hansel said. Chapter 7 - To Meet The Queen In the webnovel that Euphemia was reading, Queen Celestinia was beloved by the people of Aderlan. She had a smile that warmed people''s hearts and she was very friendly with the Saintess. The Queen was happy with the engagement of her son and the Saintess in the story. What about now? She wasn''t engaged to the Queen''s son and she also insulted him publicly. Euphemia couldn''t help but be nervous. She looked at the dresses displayed in front of her. "Lady Euphemia, would you like to wear this white dress? It is customary for the Saintess to wear a white dress," a maid suggested and showed her a pristine white dress with white lace and white pearls. It would be the last thing she would want to wear. The Saintess in the story was forced to wear white as custom dictated. She didn''t want to do the same. She wanted to avoid anything that the Saintess in the story did. Euphemia shook her head. "No, not that." "Perhaps a blue one again? It''s not as beautiful as the dress you were wearing from your world, but this one would look majestic on you, Lady Euphemia," Helen said. The dress was a vivid color of blue with several ruffles, ribbons, and buttons. It had a matching blue cap, blue gloves, and blue shoes. It did look beautiful. Perhaps she would wear it on a different day. Then she saw it. It was behind all the other dresses. A black one. Euphemia took it, not minding the widened eyes of her maids. "I want this," Euphemia said. "A Saintess never wears black! You should just wear the white one!" The maid who was holding the white dress exclaimed. Euphemia frowned. "Are you disagreeing with me?" "Yes! You''re Aderlan''s Saintess! You should do what you are told. In fact, you should have been engaged to His Highness. You''ve been very disobedient," the maid said. The other maids were silent. Perhaps they were watching how Euphemia would react. If she would allow this disrespectful maid to stay, the other maids might become disrespectful too. "You''re dismissed," Euphemia said with a steely voice and a cold pointed stare. The maid looked startled. "Pardon me, Lady Euphemia. Here, let me help you with that black dress." "No, you are dismissed. You are no longer working for the Duke. If you stay any longer, I will not allow even a letter of recommendation to be given to you. Do you understand?" Euphemia said. The maid looked horrified. She bowed quickly and hastened out of the room. The maids helped her dress in silence. Euphemia didn''t ease their fears. She needed for them to respect her. She would not be molded on what a Saintess should be. Euphemia looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled a bit. She was sure that Lucien would wear black again. They would be a matching couple. The black dress was made of satin. It had a high collar that covered the sides of her neck but open at the center. It showed a hint of her cleavage but not too much. The neckline had black fur sewn on the edges. The fur was touching her skin and Euphemia liked how soft it was. It reminded her of Lucien''s black fur cape. The sleeves were in cape style with delicate silver flowers and leaves. A velvet black belt hugged her small waist and under it, the skirt was long and flowing. She looked regal. Euphemia went out of the mansion. Lucien was waiting for her in front of the carriage. Lucien looked surprised at her appearance but he smiled. "You look stunning, Lady Euphemia." Euphemia smiled back. "Thank you, Lucien." Lucien helped her in the carriage and he went in himself afterwards. It was time to go to the Imperial Palace. * * * Euphemia walked in the throne room by herself. Lucien was not allowed to go in with her. The throne room was decorated in red and gold. Euphemia walked at the red carpet at the center of the room. At the end of the room was an elevated crimson throne. Anyone who would sit on it would look at the subjects from above the steps. Euphemia stood below those steps. She was told to wait for the Queen to arrive. She was starting to feel nervous again. She didn''t even know the proper way to curtsy. A trumpet suddenly sounded. Knights clad in silver armor arrived. They came from an inconspicuous doorway at the side of the room. They positioned themselves uniformly at both sides of the throne room. Then she arrived. She ascended the steps gracefully as if she was ascending to the Heavens. Queen Celestinia was goddess incarnate. Her beauty was breathtaking. She had long golden hair like honey. Her purple dress was decorated with gold flower embroideries that sparkled like sunlight. Euphemia''s instinct told her to bow down so she did. She peaked at the soldiers at her right side. They gave no indication if she was doing it wrong. Was she supposed to kneel instead? She peaked in front. The queen had sat down already. Her long skirts were like purple and golden liquid on the throne steps. "Praise be, Light to the Empire''s Sun," Euphemia said. It was something Lucien had taught her while they were in the carriage. The Empire''s Sun was the King and the Queen was the Light. "The Light shines upon you," the Queen replied as customary. "Let me look at you." Euphemia stopped bowing and stood straight. She made eye contact with the Queen. The Queen''s icy blue eyes seemed to be assessing her. "You wore black," she stated. "Yes, Your Highness," Euphemia replied. "Why?" The Queen asked, her gaze as cold as ice. Where was the Queen''s warmth mentioned in the webnovel? This Queen was the total opposite of what Euphemia had read. "I just wanted to match my fianc¨¦, Your Highness," Euphemia said. She could feel the Queen''s cold gaze. "You do know that the Duke wears black because he has been mourning for years? His family had burned down to ashes and he has been wearing black ever since," The Queen said while watching her reaction. "No, Your Highness. I just wanted to match him," Euphemia said. It was partly true. She knew about the fire but she didn''t know that the reason he wore black was because of that. "Were you not given a white dress?" The Queen asked. "Yes, but it''s not my style to wear a dress in all white, Your Highness," Euphemia said. The Queen was silent for a while. "I heard that you''ve rejected my son," The Queen said. "Why is that?" "I . . . am just a commoner from my world. I am undeserving of your son. There are other ladies who will suit him better, Your Highness," Euphemia said. She knew that the Queen was going to ask her that. "You can still reconsider his proposal. If you do change your mind, the Imperial Family will still welcome you," the Queen said without warmth. "I will keep that in mind but I have already been formally engaged to the Duke, Your Highness," Euphemia said. "Engagements can still be broken especially when one of the two suddenly dies," the Queen said. "One cannot be engaged to the dead." Euphemia chewed on her lip. She hoped that Lucien wouldn''t be in danger because of her. "Have you already tried healing, Saintess?" "Not yet, Your Highness." The Queen gestured one of the knights to come forward. The knight walked forward and stopped beside Euphemia. "Let the Saintess practice on you," the Queen said, her expression impassive. "Yes, Your Highness!" The knight knelt on the ground and pulled his sword from its sheath. Euphemia''s eyes widened. She tried to stop him but he was too fast. The knight stabbed himself with his sword. Blood gushed out from his stomach. "No!" Euphemia exclaimed and knelt beside the knight. The knight looked like he was in extreme pain but he made no sound. He pulled out his sword and collapsed on the ground. More blood gushed out. "Be quick, Saintess. He''ll die at this rate," the Queen said in a bored tone. Euphemia didn''t know what to do. Her mind was racing. Her heart beat was pounding. "Anyway, I still have a lots of knights for you to practice on," the Queen said. Euphemia closed her eyes. How did the Saintess heal in the webnovel? There were no incantations. The Saintess would just heal outright. Euphemia touched the knight''s gaping wound with both of her hands. She could feel the sticky blood flowing from the wound. She concentrated hard. The webnovel mentioned that the Saintess'' healing magic looked light a burst of golden light. She imagined in her head the sun. The hot sunlight on her skin. The bright blinding sunlight. Banish the pain with might! Bless thee with healing light! The words suddenly filled her mind and warmth radiated from her fingetips. Euphemia opened her eyes. A bright golden light burst out of her hands. The light slowly dimmed and faded to nothing. The knight''s wound was no more. The knight looked shocked. He was already prepared for death. Euphemia smiled but a sudden exhaustion came over her. Then the pain came. Pain suddenly burst inside her stomach, the same place where the knight had stabbed himself. Euphemia couldn''t scream. She was too shocked to make a sound. It was as if she had been stabbed the very same way. Her mind was in shock. She collapsed on the ground. "If you dare be impudent again to the Imperial Family, I will send you to war where you shall heal all the wounded soldiers," the Queen said calmly. Euphemia remembered something. The strange title of the webnovel. It was called Taming the Saintess. She couldn''t see anything anymore. There was only darkness. She was losing consciousness. It was better than the feeling of dying. Chapter 8 - To Anger The Queen The Queen went to the King''s bedroom. She didn''t allow anyone else to enter with her. The room was dark and smelled of strong smelling herbs. The Queen sat on a chair beside the bed. The King''s eyes were closed. His skin had red and black patches. His bed sheet had splatters of blood. He must have vomited blood again. "My Raegan," Celestinia said softly. Her expression looked sorrowful. The King''s eyes slowly opened. "Sylvia, it it you?" The King extended his red hand to touch her face. Celestinia flinched. "Sylvia, I knew you would visit me," The King said, his eyes distant, unseeing, but his voice was happy. Celestinia had enough. "No, it''s me your wife, Celes." The King was silent. "My King, who is Sylvia?" Celestinia asked. She must have asked him for thousands of times already but he never answered her. It didn''t hurt to try. She was already hurting anyway. The King averted his gaze and looked towards the ceiling instead. He had drawn back his hand away from her. "You''re always looking for her. Who is she? Maybe I can help you. I can command our soldiers to look for her!" Celestinia forced enthusiasm in her voice. The King continued his silence and closed his eyes. Celestinia sighed. It was no use. He was soon going to die but he still would not open up to her. She was not the one he was waiting to visit. She got up and was about to leave when the King spoke so softly she almost didn''t hear him. "She is my one true love." Celestinia was enraged. She saw his expression. His eyes were closed but his lips were smiling as if he was reminiscing that woman. How dare he? "After all these years, Raegan? Why not me? We''ve been married for so long! Why can''t it be me?" Celestinia screamed. The King opened his eyes and looked at her. "You are not her." Celestinia''s nails dug on the palms of her hands. They were going to bleed again but she couldn''t feel the pain in her rage. "That woman will never set foot here. If she ever comes near you, I will have her executed. I will hang her head in front of you," Celestinia said. The King laughed. Celestinia was startled. She was not used to his laughter. Then he looked at her with such intensity, his golden eyes seemed to be aflame and spoke the words that made his cold Queen shiver. "You cannot kill her." * * * Meanwhile, in the Duke''s residence, Euphemia opened her eyes. She felt exhausted. She could not remember why. "Lady Euphee!" Euphemia looked to her left. It was Lucien. He was sitting by her bedside. His face looked distraught. "What''s the matter? Why are you here?" Euphemia asked. Lucien frowned. "Don''t you remember? You fainted in the throne room. I was called inside to carry you out." Euphemia started to remember. The Queen, the knight, and the extreme pain that she experienced after healing the knight. "What happened? What did she do to you?" Lucien asked. "She . . . made me heal someone," Euphemia said slowly. She was also trying to understand what had just happened. "Who?" Lucien asked. "It was someone in armor. A knight maybe. She told him to let me practice on him then he . . ." The gushing blood. There was so much blood. "I''m sorry. Perhaps you should rest first. I''ll tell the chef to make soup for you." Lucien said. Euphemia shook her head. She had to tell him. "Please stay." Lucien waited for her to speak again. "He stabbed himself with his sword. He was bleeding . . . a lot. Then the Queen told me to heal him or else he''s going to die and she''ll order the other knights to do the same," Euphemia said. "Did you faint at the sight of the blood? It must have been terrifying," Lucien said. He was furious at the Queen but his priority was Euphemia''s mental state. "No. I . . . healed him," Euphemia said. "I fully healed him. I tried really hard to make it work even though I didn''t know how but it did. Light came out of my hands and his wound closed. But then . . . so much pain came to me afterwards. It felt like I was stabbed in the stomach too. Then I fainted." Lucien was disturbed. It was the only explanation. "I may be wrong but I think the pain transferred to you after healing him," Lucien said. "Did he stab himself in the stomach?" Euphemia nodded. She had the feeling that was the case. It meant that whatever she healed, the pain would transfer to her. Euphemia looked at Lucien sadly. "Your scars. I''m not sure if I can . . ." Lucien held her shoulders. "I''m fine. You don''t need to heal my scars. I don''t want you to be in pain again." He couldn''t bear the thought of her receiving the pain he had felt from his scars. He remembered the pain he had felt when he was being whipped. His mind almost broke during those days. No, those years. He would absolutely not let Lady Euphee heal his body. "I''m sorry," Euphemia said. She felt lost and useless. What''s the use of a Saintess who''s scared to heal? "You have nothing to be sorry about. Just rest for now. I''ll have food sent to you," Lucien said and caressed her head. Lucien left the room. His blood boiled at what the Queen did to her. Since before, he had a feeling that the Queen was not as warm and friendly as she was said to be. When Lucien was living in the Imperial Palace, the King had been kind to him. He was treated like a son instead of a nephew. The Queen was not hostile to Lucien but he hand a niggling feeling that she hated him. Her mouth was smiling but her eyes were not. She encouraged him to join the army. She must have wanted him out of the palace or . . . dead. "Your command, Your Grace?" It was Hansel. He must have been listening in to their conversation. He didn''t mind. It was Hansel''s job to know everything. He was his shadow and sometimes his sword. "Find out if our sources have new information about the slaves. I have a feeling that knight Lady Euphee mentioned is a slave. A normal person would not stab himself upon command. He could have been under a slave contract," Lucien said. Slavery was illegal in Aderlan but there have been rumors of a black market selling slaves in the kingdom. If the rumors were right, perhaps the Queen''s knight''s were actually slaves. It would ruin the Imperial Family. "Understood, Your Grace," Hansel bowed. "Also . . . see if you can find out how the King is doing," Lucien said. He was worried. Was the King still alive? He had not appeared in public for almost a year already. The King was more of a father to him than his own. Lucien closed his eyes. Sylvia. What would Sylvia say in this kind of situation? He remembered her words while she was teaching him how to hunt. "Sneak to your prey. Let it not suspect your movements. When it''s already in your trap, kill it swiftly," Sylvia whispered as they waited for the deer to step on the trap. "But what if it fights back?" He whispered back. Sylvia looked at him in amusement. "Then you fight back too. Remember, don''t be the prey." Chapter 9 - To Meet The Girl With Red Hair A certain guard of the Imperial Palace was having a terrible time. He was used to his peaceful mornings that required him to do nothing but stand in front of the gates and listen to the chirping of the birds. But the red-haired lady was not giving up and his ears were starting to ring from her voice. "Please! Just let me meet with His Highness. You can tell him that it''s his fianc¨¦e, Rubiella Summers," she pleaded with the guard. The guard sighed. "As I''ve told you already, you cannot go in the Imperial Palace if you''re not invited. I won''t take messages either. Go home already, Lady." The lady couldn''t go home. Not if she didn''t want to be shouted at by her father. He had told her to meet with the Prince and confirm their engagement. The Prince was said to have been rejected by the Saintess so did it mean that Rubiella''s engagement with the prince when they were still kids was still in effect? Rubiella sighed. There were sounds of a carriage coming from the palace. Rubiella looked at it. The carriage was decorated with so much gold, it seemed to be ablaze under the sun. It must me a member of the Imperial Family, Rubiella decided. Perhaps someone could get her in touch with the prince or it could be the prince himself! Rubiella stood to the side as the guard opened the gates. The carriage stopped in front of her and the door opened. It was him! Rubiella felt relieved. Her efforts were not in vain! His golden hair shone brightly under the sunlight. He looked at her with so much . . . disdain? She must have seen wrongly. Maybe he was just irritated at the sunlight. Rubiella curtsied. "Praise be, future Sun of our Empire." "The future Sun shines upon you," the crown prince replied as customary. "What brings you here, Lady Rubiella?" Vincent asked. Rubiella felt uncomfortable speaking about their engagement in such a public area. Were they really just gonna discuss their engagement in front of the palace gates? "I would like to speak to you about a private matter, Your Highness. If it''s not too inconvenient for you, perhaps we could talk about it in a private place?" Rubiella said. "No, what is it? I have somewhere to attend to and you''re wasting my time. Tell me now or I''ll leave," Vincent said. Rubiella felt scared. She shouldn''t be scared of someone she might be married to one day but she couldn''t help it. The crown prince obviously was not taken with her. Maybe it was her hair. It was so unruly and so red. She wished she was born with the light blonde hair that most ladies had. "I . . . wish to speak to you about our engagement, Your Highness," Rubiella said. The crown prince raised his eyebrow at her. "As you know, our families have promised us to each other when we were still children. My father would just like to know when we can formalize our engagement, Your Highness," Rubiella said. The Queen and Rubiella''s mother, Rosietta, had been best friends before they became married women. Queen Celestinia was a countess before she was married to King Raegan. Rosietta was a viscountess, a rank lower, but that did not hinder their friendship even after marriage. The two ladies promised that their children will be married to each other when they come of age. Their husbands also knew of the promise and they didn''t have a problem with it until the High Priest declared that the Saintess will arrive in Aderlan years later. It was customary for the Saintess to be engaged to the Imperial Family. Rosietta fell ill and died when Rubiella was only nine years old. The Queen attended her funeral and it was the last time the Summers family had a connection with the Queen. Lord Edward, Rosietta''s husband, did not want to lose the connection with the Imperial Family. His business flourished because he had told everyone that his daughter was engaged to the Prince. He didn''t want to lose his business connections. He tried several times to speak to the Queen, but he was refused. Still, Lord Edward educated Rubiella in all of the subjects that future queens were expected to know of. Then the twentieth birthday of the crown prince came and all of the aristocrats were invited for the ball. Rubiella was nervous. The last time she saw the prince was when she was nine years old. Her father had repeatedly told her that she was still engaged to him. She was not allowed to be courted by other noble men. She was raised only for the crown prince. During the ball, she was able to dance with the crown prince. He had become more handsome. He was like the prince in the fairytales she had read in her room because she was not allowed to go outside. She introduced herself and said that she was his fianc¨¦e. The prince looked surprised but he did not contradict her. Rubiella thought that perhaps he would like to talk about their engagement in private after the ball. Days passed until days became months and still, the prince made no contact with her. She wondered if all engagements were like that. Perhaps they would only start to get to know each other when they become husband and wife. Then the Saintess arrived. The crown prince publicly declared the Saintess as his fianc¨¦e but he was publicly rejected in front of all the nobles. Rubiella''s father had enthusiastically told her about it repeatedly. It meant that the original engagement between the Summers family and the Imperial Family would still proceed he said. The only thing they needed was the formal engagement contract. "We''re not engaged, Lady Rubiella. The viscount must be confused," the crown prince said. "No, our mothers promised us to each other. Her Highness knows about this, I swear. Our mothers were best friends," Rubiella protested. "I recall that your mother, Lady Rosietta, is already dead. The promise does not hold to the dead. Also, the Saintess is to be my future queen. She would come around eventually when she gets used to her life here in Aderlan," the crown prince said. Rubiella looked at him in shock. She never knew that the crown prince was such a hateful man. "If your father will still insist, perhaps I can take you as my royal concubine. You would be delighted with that, I presume?" He smirked. She''d rather face her father''s wrath than this hateful prince! Rubiella hurriedly curtsied. "I will not keep you any longer, Your Highness. I bid you a safe trip," Rubiella said and ran away. * * * She was reprimanded, of course. She told her father that the prince did not acknowledge the engagement. Her father threw a fit and shouted at her. He said that she must have not have tried hard enough. But she did. She stood in front of those palace gates under the hot sun, begging the guard to let her in. She didn''t tell her father what the crown prince had said about making her his royal concubine. She had a feeling that her father might agree to that happily. She didn''t want to be a concubine. She didn''t even want to be a queen. Rubiella looked outside her window. The sun had just set, tinting the skies with orange and red hues. Her mother had hair just like the sunset. Would mother have also pushed her to be engaged to the crown prince if she was still alive? A knock interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," Rubiella said. It was Annie, her favorite maid. "What is it, Annie?" Rubiella asked. The maid looked worried. "I''m sorry, My Lady. His Lordship, your father, did not allow us to bring you any food. He said it is to be your punishment for not formalizing the engagement." Rubiella sighed. Her father had starved her whenever he was displeased with her. She was used to it but it didn''t mean that she was not hungry. Rubiella smiled to Annie. "Don''t worry. I know you have to obey his orders but I do have a favor to ask of you." "Anything, My Lady," Annie said. "Could you lend me an extra maid uniform? I want to eat outside. Also, make sure to leave the window unlocked so I can sneak in again," Rubiella said. Annie''s eyes widened. "It''s dangerous, My Lady! They say that there are women who have gone missing during night time." "It''s going to be fine. I won''t stay out too long. I''ll even bring my dagger with me," Rubiella assured her and showed the maid a dagger with red roses engraved on its hilt. It was owned by Rubiella''s mother. "As you wish, My Lady. Let me get you a clean uniform," Annie said and left. Rubiella had sneaked out before to eat while she was in maid uniform. No one would suspect that she''s the young lady of the Summers family. There weren''t many who knew her face because her father did not allow her to attend social events. Her father did not want her to be courted by "useless men." For him, only the crown prince was worthy to be his son-in-law. Annie returned with the maid uniform. Rubiella wore the uniform which was a black dress and a white apron. She also tied her long red hair into a bun and tucked it inside a white maid cap. Rubiella looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled to herself. She was going to eat dinner and her father would not know. Annie made a makeshift rope using a spare blanket. She let down one end outside of the window and tied the other end to the bed. "Please be careful, My Lady," Annie said. Rubiella hugged Annie. It wasn''t normal for a noble lady to hug a maid but Rubiella was not a normal noble lady. She was a nice noble lady. "I''ll be fine," Rubiella said and ventured out into the night. * * * Meanwhile, in the Ashburn residence, the head butler was also getting ready to go outside. His master had given him the command to investigate the illegal slavery in Aderlan. He didn''t know how he could get information about the King so he''ll investigate the illegal slavery first. Maybe he''ll get more luck with that. He removed his butler clothes and changed to clothes that made him look like a noble man. They were formerly owned by the Duke and they were given to him. They were still in nice condition. Hansel had a feeling that they were still new and Lucien just told him that they were old already just so he''d accept them. Hansel removed his hair tie, his light brown hair cascaded like a waterfall on his shoulders. He also removed his eyeglasses. His green eyes glowed like emeralds under the moonlight. He actually did not need to wear eyeglasses but they helped conceal his piercing green eyes. The eyeglasses were given to him by the King. They were infused with magic which made his green eyes looked gray. The King had commanded him to wear them when he was assigned as Lucien''s personal aide. Hansel went out of the Duke''s residence and decided to go to a pub that both nobles and commoners frequented. He often got his information from there. As he walked towards the pub, he saw a lady being pulled into a dark alley by two men. He shouldn''t get involved. He should focus on his investigation but he found himself going into the alley. They were not there. The alley was actually a pathway. Hansel followed the dark pathway. "No! Unhand me! Unhand me, you ruffians!" A female voice shouted. Hansel quickened his pace. "We got a new one, Boss," a gruff male voice said. "Hmm...she looks pretty. She''ll sell for good coin," another male voice said. Hansel finally got out of the pathway and found himself standing in front of a seedy old building with red lanterns hanging at the front. A brothel. The three men saw him. Two of them were holding the woman while the other one seemed to be their boss. "What are you looking at, eh?" One of the men holding the woman said. "Please help me. They have kidnapped me!" The woman looked at him tearfully. Her hair had fallen out of her cap. Her hair was like the color of sunset, a blend of red and orange. "Are you just going to stare, eh? If you''re not a customer, piss off!" The other man said. Hansel looked at the woman. Her clothes indicated that she was a maid but her skin looked unblemished, and her hair . . . He wondered how it would look like in the morning light. He wondered how it would feel to run his fingers through those curly red tresses. "I''ll take her," Hansel said. Chapter 10 - To Save A Lady Rubiella had a filling dinner from the pub. She ate steak, bread, and cheese. She was in a great mood. Her night escape was really worth it. She was supposed to go home already when two men suddenly grabbed her. She screamed and fought back but they were far stronger than her. Rubiella couldn''t reach the dagger in her dress pocket. If only she could reach it perhaps she''d have a fighting chance. The two men dragged her into a dark pathway. Then she saw the old building. It had red lanterns hanging on the front. She couldn''t remember what the red lanterns meant. The two men holding her showed her off to another man who seemed to be their boss. She finally understood. The red lanterns meant the building was a brothel. She was going to be sold off as a prostitute. Was this her retribution for going against her father''s wishes? Then she saw him. He was dressed like a noble. She couldn''t clearly see his face because of her tears. The two men holding her noticed him also "Please help me. They have kidnapped me!" She could feel his stare even in the darkness. "I''ll take her," he said. Rubiella didn''t know if she would be horrified or delighted. Was he a customer or a savior? She noticed that the men holding were stunned too and their grip had loosened. She took the opportunity and broke free from their grip. "Get her!" She quickly got her dagger from her dress pocket and brandished it to her abductors. "Stay away from me if you don''t want to be cut," Rubiella said in the most intimidating way she could do. She continued raising her dagger at them as she slowly backed away. The three men laughed at her. "Stay there!" Rubiella shouted. "Get the lass. We''re wastin'' time," the boss said. The two men lunged at her. She was too surprised to react. "I said I''ll take her." The man behind her said. The noble man grabbed their arms and twisted them. They shouted in agony. He shoved them on the ground and kicked them. They shouted in pain again. He stopped and looked at the boss intensely. "Tell your men to never take her again or I''ll break your bones too," he said. The boss looked frightened. "No one will touch her again! I''ll tell my men to stay off lasses with red hair. Please take her and leave!" The noble man nodded. He walked towards the boss. "Please! We didn''t know she was yours, Your Lordship!" The boss said. The noble man cocked his head to the side. "She is not mine . . . yet." He said in a whisper. He punched the boss at the stomach. "Just leaving a reminder. If you break your word and this lass goes missing, I''ll be back to finish you," the noble man said. The noble man turned and walked towards Rubiella. Rubiella looked at his face. His emerald green eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. She was about to thank him but he suddenly took her hand. "Let''s get out of here first," he said. They got out of the pathway and walked together in silence, his hand still holding hers. Rubiella could see his face more clearly under the moonlight. He was good-looking in a bookish way. He looked like someone who wouldn''t get in a fight. He was clean shaven, his light brown hair looked silky, and his posture was straight. His green eyes were almost cat-like. "Thank you for saving me," Rubiella said. He looked at her then at their joined hands. His eyes widened and let go of her hand. "I''m sorry I didn''t ask permission to hold your hand," he said. Rubiella smiled. He seemed like a proper gentleman when there''s no fight. "It''s quite all right," Rubiella assured him. She actually felt comforted when he held her hand. "From what house are you, My Lady?" He asked. She looked at him in surprise. She didn''t expect him to call her formally when she looked like a maid. A proper gentleman indeed! "I''m from House Summers," Rubiella said. Should she tell him that she''s the daughter of the viscount? Would he find her repulsive for disguising as a maid and going out into the night? "It really is dangerous for a young lady like you to go out alone especially for one such as pretty as you," he said. Rubiella''s eyes widened. No one had ever called her pretty before. Even her own father said it would have been better if she was born with blonde hair like all the other ladies. "But my hair is red, My Lord," Rubiella said. "Yes, very much so," he said. "No one likes red hair," Rubiella said. He looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Perhaps I''m the exception." Rubiella felt her cheeks go warm. Was he flirting with her? She was not used to it. The only young man she had spoken with was the crown prince and what he said to her was far from flirting. "Perhaps . . . you could come with me for dinner next time so I won''t be alone," Rubiella said. She probably looked like a strawberry already with her red hair, red cheeks, and red ears but she wanted to meet him again. He smiled at her. "Perhaps." Rubiella contained her excitement and bit her lip to keep from smiling too widely. Then she remembered something. He was a noble man and she looked like a maid. Did that mean he was fine in accompanying a maid to dinner? It was unheard of. Perhaps he was just being kind in declining her. Should she just tell that she''s an aristocrat too? "We''re here, My Lady," he said. They had arrived in front of her house. "May I know your name, My Lord?" Rubiella asked. Rubiella decided that she would invite him formally with a letter instead. She''ll send a letter to his house and when they meet, he''ll see her noble lady self instead. She just hoped that he would still treat her kindly when he learns that she''s the viscount''s daughter. "Hansel," he said. Rubiella nodded and smiled. "Thank you for saving me, Lord Hansel. I bid you good night. Until we meet again!" He smiled back, with a hint of regret, "Yes, until we meet again." Rubiella went back to her room the same way she sneaked out. She changed her clothes and hid the maid uniform. When she was about to sleep already she remembered something important. She forgot to ask which house he was from! * * * Euphemia woke up refreshed. She decided that moping would not solve anything. Perhaps learning about the past Saintesses would help her. Maybe someone kept records about them in Aderlan. Breakfast was nice as usual in the Ashburn House. "Did you sleep well, Lady Euphemia?" Lucien asked, looking worried. Euphemia smiled at him. "Yes, I did. I would like to ask your help about something later if you''re free." Lucien brightened. "Yes, if there''s anything I can help with." "Sorry to interrupt. There''s a letter for Lady Euphemia," Hansel said. Euphemia looked at him as he handed her the envelope. He looked different. He was smiling. "You look like you''re in a good mood, Hansel," Euphemia said. Hansel looked startled. "I''m uhh . . . it''s just a nice day." Lucien looked at him in amusement. "Someone had a nice night outside." Euphemia''s eyes widened. "Oh? Were you on a date last night, Hansel?" Hansel looked confused. "I''m not sure what you mean by that, Lady Euphemia." Oh, right. They didn''t call it "date" in Aderlan. She thought for a moment for the old word. "A tryst!" Euphemia exclaimed. Hansel''s ears turned red. "Were you on a tryst last night, Hansel?" Euphemia asked. "No, I wasn''t. I was her sav- . . . she was in a danger of sorts and I just happened to be there to save her," Hansel said. "How exciting. She must be really pretty to get you to smile until morning," Lucien said in great amusement. "So what''s her name?" Euphemia asked. Maybe it was one of the characters in the story and she can help them be together! "I . . . did not ask," Hansel said, he looked regretful. "What?!" Euphemia exclaimed. Lucien sighed. "She must have been really pretty to make Hansel forget to ask." Euphemia proceeded in opening the envelope. The letter inside was an inquiry if they would allow her to visit the Ashburn residence. She would like to talk to the Saintess. Euphemia''s eyes widened at the name signed at the bottom of the letter. She was the character who did atrocious things to break the engagement of the crown prince and the Saintess. She was the one who tormented the Saintess out of jealousy. She was the villainess of the story. Rubiella Summers. Chapter 11 - To Have Someone You Like Rubiella woke up in a delightful mood. She was excited to begin searching for Hansel in the family records. Annie noticed her good mood as she brushed Rubiella''s thick red hair. "Did you have a nice night, My Lady?" "Yes, I absolutely did. I . . .met someone," Rubiella said. Annie was surprised but she held her tongue. She liked the young lady and she didn''t want to scold her for going out and meeting a stranger. The young lady had taken enough scolding to last her a lifetime from her father. "Pray tell, who did you meet, My lady?" Annie said. She just hoped that it wasn''t an evil man who had stolen the young lady''s heart. "His name is Hansel," Rubiella said. "And his last name, My Lady? I do hope he is a noble," Annie said. "I forgot to ask," Rubiella laughed. Annie groaned. "My Lady, is he a noble or not? I do worry for you." "I think he is. He looks rather dashing in his suit and his manners are impeccable," Rubiella said with a daydream look in her eyes. Annie sighed. "If you say so, My Lady. If you do not have his last name, I suppose you would like to have the book of family records?" "Yes! Oh you''ve read my mind," Rubiella said and hugged Annie. There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Rubiella said. It was another maid in the Summers residence. "Good morning, My Lady. His Lordship, your father, says you are to visit the Saintess this afternoon," the maid said. Rubiella frowned. "But I have not yet sent a letter to her. It would be improper to visit unexpectedly." "His Lordship had already sent a letter in your name this morning. A reply had already arrived and they would expect your presence in the afternoon," the maid said. Rubiella''s mood darkened. Her father just decided to send her off to the Saintess without telling her. He even had the audacity to forge a letter in her name. "Did my father tell you anything else?" Rubiella asked. "Yes, he would like you to see if the Saintess truely has no interest in getting married to the crown prince. If it''s just her ploy to make the crown prince chase her, your father would like you to cease her efforts. If you need to scare her off, your father will help you," the maid said. Rubiella sighed. She didn''t want to meet the Saintess. She didn''t want to make any effort in being the crown prince''s betrothed. "I see. Tell my father that I have received his . . . orders. You may go now," Rubiella said. The maid bowed and left the room. Annie could clearly see that the young lady''s good mood had vanished. "I will look for his name in the family records while you are away, My Lady," Annie assured her. The book of family records contained all the names of noble houses in Aderlan. When a new noble is born, a new book would circulate throughout the kingdom. "Thank you, Annie," Rubiella smiled. Rubiella hoped that her father will be displeased with her again and she won''t be given dinner. She''d have no choice but to go out secretly again, right? Perhaps she''d meet Lord Hansel. * * * Euphemia told Lucien that she wanted to know what happened to the past Saintesses. Lucien had no knowledge of them also so he told Hansel to get books from the library about them. The library was just walking distance from the Ashburn residence so Hansel would be able to get back quickly. "I just know that the Black Pit is always successfully sealed by the Saintess. Because if it is not sealed, Aderland would no longer exist," Lucien said. "It''s where the demons come from, right?" Euphemia said. Lucien frowned. "Not exactly. The Black Pit has a black miasma coming out of it. It''s like a black mist and when a person touches that mist, that person will be possessed by an evil spirit. He will become a demon." "I didn''t know that. What happens after the person becomes a demon?" Euphemia asked. "The demon will slaughter anyone in its midst. It is bloodthirsty and it is stronger than normal people. We can kill the demon but the possessed person dies also," Lucien said. Euphemia was troubled. If she would not seal the Black Pit, everyone would be in danger but her healing magic might just kill her. "Sorry to interrupt, Your Grace and Lady Euphemia. The guest has already arrived in the drawing room," A maid said. "Let''s continue this later, Lucien. I do hope Hansel would be able to get records about the past Saintesses," Euphemia said and got up to leave. "Yes, let us continue later," Lucien said. Euphemia went to the drawing room. The drawing room was not a room for drawing. It was simply a room to entertain guests. "You must be Lady Summers. Good afternoon," Euphemia said. The lady sitting suddenly stood up and whirled around to face her. She had a very striking appearance. Her long red hair contrasted against her pale skin. Her face had a child-like innocence and freckles on her nose like stardust. "Pleased to meet you, Holy Saintess," Rubiella said with a curtsy. "You can just call me Lady Euphemia," Euphemia said and sat on a chair across Rubiella. "You may call me Rubiella," Rubiella said with a smile and sat back. Euphemia was surprised. "Are you quite sure? I know that etiquette is strict among nobles." Rubiella laughed. It was a nice laughter. It sounded open and honest. "I''m not much of a noble lady. Is your world strict with etiquette too, Lady Euphemia? You''re really good at it," Rubiella said. "My world is not that strict with etiquette but I did have a strict upbringing. You may call me Euphemia. It would be unfair if I''m the only one dropping the name etiquette," Euphemia said. "Euphemia is a lovely name," Rubiella said. Euphemia was relieved. Rubiella was not a scary villainess. She was so warm and friendly. "I chose it myself," Euphemia revealed. "Oh! Does it have some kind of meaning?" Rubiella asked with obvious curiosity. Euphemia felt shy for a moment. "It''s the name of a princess in a show that I used to watch when I was a kid." She used to watch a certain anime with her older brother, Yuzan, when they were not yet separated. "Oh, a princess! What did you like about her?" Rubiella asked. "She''s really nice and caring. I suppose . . . I kind of want to be like her. She''s really pretty too," Euphemia said. "You''re just like her then," Rubiella grinned and Euphemia blushed. "Did she have a happy ending?" Rubiella asked. "She . . . was killed," Euphemia said. "Oh my!" Rubiella suddenly took her hands. "I''m sure you won''t get killed. You have the Duke who will protect you and you''ve got me!" "You?" Euphemia said. Rubiella nodded eagerly, her eyes wide. "Yes, me! Us women have to stick together. Especially against arseholes like the prince." Rubiella covered her mouth. "You didn''t hear that." Euphemia smiled teasingly. "I''m pretty sure I did." "No, you heard nothing. Please," Rubiella pleaded. Euphemia patted her shoulder. "Don''t worry. I agree with you. He is an arsehole." Rubiella''s eyes widened in alarm. Euphemia laughed and Rubiella laughed with her. Euphemia could not remember the last time she had enjoyed laughing with another girl. In her original world, all the other women she had encountered despised her because she was engaged to her very popular ex-fianc¨¦. "I forgot to ask. You truly are not interested in the crown prince?" Rubiella asked. "No, I''m not. I''m confused though. You cursed him but you wish to be engaged to him?" Euphemia asked just to confirm. Rubiella looked horrified. "No, I do not want to be with him. His personality is horrendous." Euphemia smiled. "That''s a relief. You will be wasted on him." Rubiella laughed. "I do like someone who is a gentleman much like the one I met last night." Euphemia''s interest stirred. "Last night? Who is he?" "Just a noble man who saved me from abductors. If not for him, I would have been trapped in a brothel already," Rubiella said. Remembering him, made her cheeks go red. "Someone I know just saved someone last night. May I know the name of your knight in shining armor?" Euphemia asked. "Hansel. I forgot to ask his last name. Do you know him, Euphemia?" Rubiella said. Euphemia was sure of it. Rubiella''s savior was the Hansel of Ashburn residence. He did not provide a last name because he did not have a last name. Only noble men and women had last names. "What if he''s not who you think he is?" Euphemia asked. Rubiella thought for a moment then smiled. "Then I would have to get to know who he truly is." Euphemia stood up and walked towards the window. She could see a familiar man walking towards the Ashburn residence with books on his arms. "It''s been a pleasure to meet you, Rubiella. I truly enjoyed our conversation," Euphemia said. Rubiella got up also. "Thank you so much for having me. Would you like to call me by a nickname?" "A nickname?" Euphemia asked. "Oh, right. You might be unfamiliar with it. When you call someone with a nickname it means you''re close to that person. It means he or she is your friend or your lover. Is there someone here who already calls you by a nickname?" Rubiella asked. "The Duke. He calls me Euphee," Euphemia said. Rubiella looked delighted. "That''s wonderful. You''re close to him! Do you call him with a nickname too?" "No, he said he needed . . . a month," Euphemia said. What did that mean? "Perhaps he''s just not used to someone calling him with a nickname. It truly is a personal thing to us," Rubiella assured her but Euphemia still felt worried. "So, would you like to call me with a nickname? We''re friends, aren''t we?" Rubiella asked cheerfully. Friends. Euphemia didn''t have friends before. She had acquaintances. People she just greeted in parties and discussed her family business with. Friends. The word made her feel warm inside. "Is Ruby fine with you?" Euphemia asked with a gentle smile. Rubiella looked ecstatic. "Yes, I like it. May I call you Euphee too?" Euphemia nodded and Rubiella suddenly hugged her. Rubiella was like a warm fuzzy bunny. Euphemia patted her red locks. Then she looked out the window again. Hansel was not in sight anymore. Euphemia broke the hug. "Until we meet again, Ruby?" Euphemia asked. "Until we meet again, Euphee," Rubiella grinned and went out the drawing room. Euphemia smiled. She hoped that her first friend would be able to meet the man she''s looking for. * * * Rubiella was about to open the main door when it suddenly opened. She looked at the one who opened it. Light brown hair. "Lord Hansel?" Rubiella asked, unsure. He looked a bit different. His hair was tied to the back, he was wearing eyeglasses, and his eyes were gray. She was sure that they were green the night before. He looked stunned to see her. "It''s you, right? We met last night!" Rubiella said excitedly. He did not speak. He just looked at her intensely. "I wasn''t able to introduce myself. My name is Rubiella Summers," she said and curtsied gracefully. "It''s so nice to see you again, Lord Hansel!" "You must have the wrong person," he said and left her standing by the doorway. Chapter 12 - To Cling To That Person Hansel did not expect to see her so soon again. He had a feeling that she was a noble lady in disguise when he met her. He was frustrated for being right. "Wait!" Rubiella shouted. He felt her pull on his sleeve. Hansel stopped walking and looked at her. He forced himself to look disinterested. "Please let go of me, Lady Summers," Hansel said. He chose to call her by her family name. Perhaps she would finally realize that she''s a noble lady and he''s not. "I know it''s you! Stop denying it!" Rubiella said angrily. He wanted to pull her into his arms and calm her down. "I''m not a lord, Lady Summers. I''m the head butler of House Ashburn. You must have the wrong person," he said and brushed off her hand off his sleeve. "But . . ." She looked hurt and confused. Hansel was about to turn to leave again when Rubiella suddenly held his hand firmly. "Hear me out first before you leave," Rubiella said in a pleading tone. He kept silent. "I will be sneaking out again to eat tonight. If you don''t come with me, I might be in danger again," Rubiella said. Hansel''s lips pressed tightly together. She wasn''t serious, right? Was she not scared at all of being abducted again? "It''s dangerous to sneak out, Lady Summers," Hansel said, trying to seem nonchalant. "I will be eating at the pub near the alley where you saw me last night. I''ll wait for you there," Rubiella said. Hansel sighed. "Like I said earlier, Lady Summers, you''ve got the wrong person. You should not go out in the evening without a chaperone. It''s dangerous for a young lady as pretty as you." Rubiella grinned widely. "It really is you!" Hansel''s eyes widened. He slipped. It was the same thing he said to her last night. "I''ll be going now, Lady Summers," Hansel said hurriedly and removed his hand from her hold. Rubiella giggled. "Until we meet again!" Hansel shook his head and walked away. * * * Evening came and Lucien was alone in the dining room. He had not touched his meal yet as he was waiting for Euphemia to join him but it was getting late already. Lucien rang the bell and Hansel promptly arrived. "You called, Your Grace?" Hansel asked. "Did Lady Euphee have an early dinner?" Lucien asked. "I believe not, Your Grace. She has not gone out of her room ever since I gave her the books," Hansel said. Lucien frowned. Perhaps she did not notice the time while she was reading. Lucien got up to go to Euphemia''s room. He did not wish to eat without her because he remembered how lonely his mother was whenever his father did not join them. He vowed to himself that he would not like be his father who neglected his wife. Lucien knocked on Euphemia''s bedroom door. "Lady Euphee, it''s Lucien. Dinner has been served. You must be hungry already," Lucien said. There was no answer. Lucien pressed his ear to the door. He heard sounds from her room. Sounds that were familiar to him already. The sounds of crying. Lucien opened the door. Euphemia was sitting on the bed with the books scattered around her. Her eyes were filled with tears. She looked like she had been crying for a while already. She looked up and saw Lucien. "I''m sorry. I''ll join you for dinner in a bit," Euphemia said with a forced smile. Lucien sat on the bed beside her. "What''s wrong?" Euphemia wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her dress. "It''s nothing important truly. Let me fix myself then we can eat dinner." Lucien took her hands. "You''re crying. What did you find out?" Euphemia was reluctant to explain. "I expected it already. I just kind of hoped that that there would be an answer somewhere. I just got frustrated. Don''t mind me." "What did you find out, Lady Euphee? How can I protect you if you won''t let me?" Lucien asked earnestly. Euphemia smiled at him tearfully. "I don''t understand why you''d want to protect me. I''m just a burden to you. I haven''t even kept my end of the bargain yet. I haven''t led you to Sylvia yet." Lucien frowned. "I don''t understand either but I can''t help it. When I look at you, you make me feel that I need to protect you." "I''m just using you. You do know that, right?" Euphemia said with a pained expression. Lucien brought Euphemia''s hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. "Then use me," Lucien said. Lucien could not understand what he was feeling. He could not stop himself from worrying for her. "All the other Saintesses of the past died, Lucien. All of them were engaged with the crown prince or with the reigning king but none of them even got to marry. It''s not recorded here how they died but all of them died after sealing the Black Pit," Euphemia said. "What do I do? If I don''t seal it, everyone in Aderlan will die!" Euphemia said anguished. "Perhaps there''s another way instead of sealing it. If there''s none, we will fight against the demons. I will not let you seal the Black Pit," Lucien said firmly. "My life is not worth the lives of the people of Aderlan. They shouldn''t be endangered just because of me!" Euphemia said. "I do not care for them!" Lucien said. "Why don''t you treasure yourself more?" Euphemia looked at him in confusion. "Why are their lives more precious than yours? Stop sacrificing yourself. Your life is precious too." Euphemia closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears that were about to fall again. "Why do you keep being kind to me? I''m not worth the trouble." Lucien gently pulled Euphemia to his chest. He enveloped her in his arms. "You''re worth it for me," Lucien said. * * * It was late in the night already. Rubiella was waiting inside the pub. She had already finished eating her dinner but Hansel was nowhere in sight. "Lass, you have been ''ere for hours. In a wee while, it will be past midnight already. I reckon your man is not to arrive," the bar maid said while wiping the table. Rubiella nodded sadly. "I reckon so too." She had no issue of Hansel being a butler. She regretted not telling him that. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable that she was a noble lady. Rubiella sighed. She did not want to be with a noble title. She wanted to be with a man she liked. Rubiella got up to leave. She would have an opportunity to meet Hansel again anyway. She knew where he was staying. It just saddened her that he did not arrive. She hoped that it was not a sign that he had no interest in her at all. * * * At the farthest table in the pub where no one like to sat because of the bad lighting, someone was observing the red-haired noble lady in maid disguise. A bar maid approached the said table which was really dark. She could not make out the man''s features. She could only see that he was wearing a butler uniform. The mysterious man had been at the table for hours already. He paid good coin but he did not ask for any food or wine. The man had only requested for one thing ever since he had arrived. He asked the bar maid to tell the red-haired lady that the man she''s waiting for will not arrive. The red-haired lady left the pub. The mysterious man got up to follow her. "You should have just joined the lass if you were to worry for her safety. You''re the one she''s waiting for, ain''t you not?" The bar maid said in a reprimanding tone. "No, it should not be me," the man said. The man''s long light brown hair swayed as he ran after the red haired lady to make sure she would arrive home safely. He kept quiet the whole time, his presence concealed by the darkness. He longed to call for her but he did not. Chapter 13 - To Be Who You Truly Are Fourteen years ago... A nine year old girl a thirteen year old boy were watching an anime in television without the sounds turned on. Their eyes diligently followed the subtitles and they gasped in the fight scenes, their minds making up for the sounds. They were siblings and both of them had hair as black as a raven''s feather. The boy, Yuzan, was dressed in outdoor clothes, he was about to leave that day but his sister did not know that yet. Yuzan was not sure how to tell her. The end credits for the episode appeared. His younger sister clapped her hands excitedly. She liked the episode and she wanted the next one already. "Mia-chan, I need to talk to you," Yuzan said. His younger sister looked at him curiously. She looked adorable with her long black hair in twin pigtails. She was also wearing a dress with lots of ruffles that made her look like a doll. "Your Onii-chan has to leave this day," Yuzan said. "Leave? Where?" His younger sister asked. "Somewhere far away. Onii-chan has to study there for our family business," Yuzan said and patted her head. Mia frowned. "When will you be back?" "Onii-chan doesn''t know. I''m sorry, Mia-chan," Yuzan said with a pained look. He had a feeling that his parents would want him to stay in the US permanently as the future head of the business. Mia looked hurt and confused. "Take Mia with you?" Yuzan shook his head. "I wish I can but you know our parents won''t allow it." Mia teared up. "Mia will be alone." Yuzan hugged Mia. "You''ll be all right. Your Onii-chan knows you''re strong. You''re just like . . . the princess we were watching! Isn''t she amazing? You''re just like her." Mia cried more. "The princess died, Onii-chan." Yuzan scratched his head. "Ah, right. Hmm . . . just remember even if you think you''re alone you''re not. I know that someone will care for you and protect you even if I''m not by your side." "Don''t . . . leave, Onii-chan," Mia said between sobs. Yuzan patted her back. "You can still watch anime secretly even if I''m not here. Just remember to turn off the sounds so they won''t know, okay?" Mia nodded, still crying. Yuzan wiped her tears. "Maybe one day, you can make your own show and Onii-chan will watch it. In that way, we''ll still be connected." "Our parents won''t like that," Mia said. Even in her young age, she knew that their parents did not like the entertainment business. They liked products more than people. They liked money more than happiness. It was a wonder how they were able to make two kids. Perhaps making them was part of a business contract too. "Yes, they won''t," Yuzan smiled. Yuzan knew of Mia''s secret notebooks filled with stories she tried to write. Mia devoured stories and she liked making them too. It was too bad that she was born with parents who did not support her dreams. Heck, they even had to watch anime in secret! Yuzan hugged Mia. "Believe in yourself. Oniichan looks forward to see who you will become." Mia frowned. "Mia is Mia." Yuzan smiled. "Yes, Mia-chan is Mia-chan. Don''t forget that, okay?" Mia finally smiled. "Onii-chan so weird!" Yuzan laughed. That was the last day the siblings were able to see each other in their original world. * * * Euphemia woke up with a smile. She felt better after crying last night and she even felt better after having a vivid dream of Yuzan. Lucien left last night after seeing that she had calmed down already. Euphemia felt her cheeks go warm, remembering him hugging her. He was just comforting her! Even Yuzan hugged her whenever she cried! Euphemia nodded to herself. That was it! There was no other meaning to Lucien''s hug last night. Euphemia rang the bell and the maids arrived. They helped tidy her up and she was dressed for the day. Euphemia chose a white and pink dress that reminded her of the princess in the anime that she liked. Lucien was already at the dining room sipping a cup of coffee. He looked up when she entered. "Good morning, Lady Euphee," he said with a smile. "Did you sleep well?" "Good morning, Lucien. Yes, I did. Thanks to you," Euphemia said cheerfully. Lucien must have remembered the embarrassing things he said last night. He covered his face but his ear was red. "That''s good to hear," Lucien mumbled. "Is it all right if I do something else besides Saintess duties here in Aderlan?" Euphemia asked. "Well, there really are not Saintess duties set in stone so I think there would be no issue," Lucien said. "Do you have plays in Aderlan?" Euphemia asked excitedly. "I''m not sure what you mean by plays, Lady Euphee," Lucien said. "Actors and actresses? Theater?" Euphemia asked. "I have no idea what those are, Lady Euphee," Lucien said. Euphemia looked undeterred. "Thats all right. I''ll just make one then!" "Make what exactly, Lady Euphee?" Lucien asked. "My own story!" Euphemia said. She was going to fulfill her childhood dream. She wanted to try making her dream come true instead of dying without even trying. * * * Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace, the knight that Euphemia had healed was looking for a way to escape. After the Saintess healed him, he had noticed that he was not doing the commands being given by the Imperial Family like a puppet anymore. His mind was his own again but it would be fatal to him if they knew so he pretended that he was still under the influence of the slave contract. He never signed a slave contract willingly. All of the knights thought it was just an ordinary contract with the Imperial Palace. When they finished signing it in front of the Queen, the contract glowed and magically transformed into a slave mark. All of the knights were branded by the said slave mark and after that day, they were simply puppets of the Queen and her son. The knight quietly crept at the corridors. He had taken off his armor in order to move silently as possible. His only weapon was a simple dagger in his boot. He had to escape the palace so he could reveal its dark secrets to the world. He had to tell the Saintess of her power to save them. He knew where his comrades were stationed so he was able to avoid being seen by them. There were people in the corridor he was about to pass through. From the pillar he was hiding, he could see that it was the crown prince and the High Priest talking to each other while walking. Behind the High Priest were other priests and behind the crown prince were his guards. That corridor was the only way out of the palace that he knew of. It seemed that the crown prince was escorting the High Priest. They would be passing by the knight but the pillar would hide him. The knight watched, silently waiting. He was so concentrated in watching them, he did not notice the presence of someone behind him until that person spoke. "What are you doing?" The knight jolted up and whirled to see who it was. It was the Empire''s light herself, Queen Celestinia. "Answer me," she said, her eyes as cold as ice. "I was feeling unwell, Your Highness. I am simply resting," he said. Should he make a run for it? But she would be able to command all of the soldiers to come after him and he would surely die. He should pretend that he was still under the influence of the slave contract. The Queen looked narrowed her eyes at him. "You''re that knight, aren''t you? You have been healed already," she said. "Yes, the wound has healed already but I am still feeling lightheaded. I think it''s best I rest in my quarters. Will you grant me your leave, Your Highness?" the knight said, trying not to appear nervous. "No, stab your neck first," she said without batting an eye. The knight''s eyes widened in shock. His body did not move as fast as someone who was under a slave contract. He realized that he had not moved yet so he quickly took his dagger from his boot. He decided that he would make only a small wound and quickly lie down on the floor to conceal the wound. He was about to raise his dagger to his neck when the Queen suddenly screamed. "Help! He''s going to kill me!" Knights rushed from both sides of the corridor. The knight was trapped. The knights slashed their swords at his body. His dagger fell out of his hand. Blood burst out of him. He on the ground with a thud. The knight gasped. The pain was excruciating. With the last of his strength, his hand looked for the dagger he had dropped. He wanted to kill her but the darkness took over him and he breathed his last. * * * The Queen was glad that she had arrived late for the discussion with the Holy Priest. She was able to find a traitorous slave who almost escaped. She was pleased though. She learned something new. It meant that the Saintess had the power to break a slave contract. She would have to make sure that the Saintess would never heal a slave again. Perhaps the Saintess wouldn''t heal anymore of her own volition after that incident in the throne room. "Are you all right, Queen Mother?" her son asked, rushing to her side. She caressed his cheek fondly. "It is in God''s grace that I am unharmed." The High Priest nodded. "God''s grace indeed. Praise be, Light to the Empire''s Sun." "The Light shines upon you," the Queen said. She turned to the knights. "Clean that up. You know what to do with the body." The knights bowed and responded all at the same time, "As you command, Your Highness!" She turned back to her son and to the High Priest with a smile. "Let us discuss somewhere else, shall we?" Queen Celestinia was in a good mood. They were going to discuss how to enslave the Duke without the Saintess realizing. Chapter 14 - The Flame Inside Prince Vincent had a smirk on his face. He was eager to carry out the plan but he had to bide his time. It was not yet time. The crown prince kept the paper he was holding inside his pocket. The paper looked blank but it was actually the slave contract. The slave contract was concealed by magic to make it look like an ordinary paper. Anything can be written on it and it would not activate. It would only activate when a person writes his or her own name on it. The contractor was the Queen as always but she had assigned Prince Vincent to carry out their plans. He wanted to make his mother proud. The crown prince passed by his father''s bedroom. He had the urge to visit his father. It had been a while since his last visit. He wanted to tell his father about their plans but mother forbade him. His mother said the King was too sick in the head already. The crown prince went back and knocked on the door. There was no answer which he had already expected. Perhaps his father was sleeping. Prince Vincent went in the bedroom. The strong smell of herbs filled his nose. He frowned at the state of the room. It was so dark and dreary. His father''s eyes were closed but he was mumbling incoherently. He must be having a dream. Prince Vincent went closer to the bedside. He almost felt pity towards his father. The King''s golden hair that used to be so beautiful had fallen out a lot, his skin was discolored, and there were blood splatters on his sheet. He wondered why no one had changed the sheets. Were the maids afraid of catching the King''s disease? It wasn''t a disease though. The King''s eyes opened and looked straight at him. Prince Vincent was startled at the intensity of his father''s gaze. He felt small and weak, almost like a child. This was the power of the King, even in his dying state. "Why are you here?" King Raegan asked. "I just came to see how you were doing, Father," the crown prince said, attempting to look concerned. The King''s eyes narrowed at him. "As you can see, I am not yet dead thus you are not yet the king." Prince Vincent let out a hollow laugh. "You jest, Father dear. I truly just wanted to see you." "You will never be the true king," King Raegan said, the gold in his eyes seemed to shimmer. Prince Vincent smiled. "Mother is right. You are already too sick in the head. Father dear, I am your only heir. There''s no one else who''ll be the king when you die." "You have not been acknowledged as the true king," King Raegan said with a satisfied grin. Prince Vincent glared angrily at his father. "Even if you don''t acknowledge me, I will still be the king and you will be too dead to stop me." "It is not I who will acknowledge you, foolish boy. When the other heir is acknowledged, he will be the one to take the throne and the blood of the Gold Dragon will continue to live," the King said with apparent glee. The King''s golden eyes seemed to dance in golden flames. * * * The foolish boy left. King Raegan was alone again in his bedroom. He hated the boy as much as he hated the mother of the boy. He balled up his fists. If only he was stronger. He could feel death creeping up on him, pulling at him, waiting for him to fall. "Your flame is almost gone, Raegan." The King closed his eyes. In his mind, he could see the Gold Dragon, so majestic, so magical. Its gold body shimmered and crackled like flames and sunlight. "Have you met the next heir, my old friend?" Raegan asked in a loud voice. The Good Dragon was so enormous, Raegan was even smaller than the dragon''s toe. "I do not like your son, Raegan, even if you beg me he shall not have our power," the Gold Dragon said. The Gold Dragon''s voice was like thunder, majestic and impossible to not be heard. "Not him, my old friend. The other one!" Raegan shouted. "He does not seek me thus I have not come to him," the Gold Dragon said. "He does not know! His father did not tell him, I am sure!" Raegan shouted. "Then tell him before you turn to dust, Raegan," the Gold Dragon said. "I can''t! I cannot even get out of my bedroom! I am dying!" Raegan shouted. "He will seek me when he needs our power. When that time comes, I will judge if he is rightful," the Gold Dragon said. "I know he is! He would be a great king!" Raegan shouted. The Gold Dragon looked at Raegan with eyes that seemed to convey sadness. "Perhaps you can let the Saintess heal you. She has already arrived in our world. Why did you not call her?" "I am not afraid of death! Her power should not be used to me! It should be for the people of Aderlan!" Raegan shouted. The Gold Dragon lowered itself, it leaned down towards Raegan and gently rubbed its head at him. "I am sorry I have not been up to your expectations," Raegan said sadly. He raised his arms to caress the Gold Dragon''s scales. "Tell the next heir to greet Sylvia for me. I do miss her terribly," Raegan said with a sad smile. "When her time comes, you will see her again," the Gold Dragon said. Its voice was no longer like thunder, but like the gentle rain falling in the night, lulling him to sleep. "Sleep warmly, Raegan," the Gold Dragon said. The Gold Dragon disappeared, leaving only a flame on the dark ground. Raegan knelt down and tried to protect the flame from going out but the flame got smaller and smaller until there was nothing but darkness and a small trace of warmth. * * * The king died in his sleep. His body would still be warm for days. Chapter 15 - The Kingdom Of Magic In another kingdom, where magic was everywhere, far north from Aderlan, the Kingdom of Feylantis prospers. Feylantis was a kingdom mixed with antiquity and magic. The structures were made in wood and stone like in the medieval age but instead of torches, they had exquisite magic crystals that were in several colors and exuded light. There were people who could control the elements and there were magical devices being used and sold on a daily basis. Magic was a common thing in Feylantis, it was the opposite of Aderlan where magic seemed to have ran dry. The Royal Palace was a magnificent sight to see. It had water flowing out of it like waterfalls. The water was connected to the kingdom''s water system. The walls had enormous crystals which would be activated if there would be an attack and a magical barrier will be formed. The walls were also decorated with exquisite magical flowers which would glow in the darkness. Inside the palace, the third princess and the seventh prince were having a heated discussion. "I know that the abductions have been increasing but it''s too dangerous, Azmir!" The third princess, Kiera, said. She was dark skinned and had long curly black hair. Her dress exposed more skin than the usual dresses in Aderlan. Her bare shoulders were exposed and there was a long slit at her skirt which showed off her thigh down to her leg. The dress was decorated with gold and crystals which made her skin seem to shimmer. "They''re stealing our people, Kiera! Making them do Fey knows what! It is our duty to our people to protect them no matter the danger," Azmir, the seventh prince said. He was also dark skinned but instead of black hair like his sister, his hair was a dark shade of blue and indigo. It was something that usually manifested for people who could control water. His prince outfit was stylishly decorated with gold embroideries. "What if they find out what you''re doing?! Our kingdom might come into war with them! That kingdom has never lost to wars! It has conquered so many lands already and I have heard that the Saintess has arrived in their kingdom. Their fighting capability might be even stronger now!" Kiera said. Azmir sighed. Kiera was the sibling he was closest to but she was prone to worry too much sometimes. "I will be careful, dear sister. I will not make a move unless I am certain. At the moment, I am still unable to go to that kingdom. Their forces are too tight. When I find a way, I will be able to look for evidence and hopefully bring back our people," Azmir said, trying to reassure his sister. Kiera nodded. "We only have suspicions and rumors right now. Continue with your investigation but be careful. They must not know, Azmir." "I will be careful," Azmir said and they parted ways. Azmir went to a underground tunnel which he always used when going in and out of the Royal Palace. The tunnel was cold and made up of stones. There were only a handful of small crystals which lighted his way. Azmir traced the wall with his hand, feeling for the door. A few moments of walking, he finally found the door. He pushed it open. Inside the door was a small chamber where he had some clothes stored. He changed his elegant clothes to simpler ones. He tied his long hair into a bun. For the final touch, he wore his belt pouch. The belt pouch was enchanted with magic which allowed him to put any number of items in it. The magical belt pouch was an essential item for all merchants in Feylantis. The chamber had another door which led outside. Azmir went out through that door. He was no longer Azmir, the seventh prince. He was now Mir, the merchant. * * * Being Mir, the merchant, was his way of going out of the palace without any restrictions to his behavior. Initially, he had only done it for fun but then he learned of the disappearances. The people of Feylantis were being abducted. Being a merchant in disguise, he was able to get information from all kinds of people. Aderlan. A kingdom that liked to conquer. A kingdom that had no magic except for the Saintess that they summon every century. If the culprits were indeed from Aderlan, why would they need people from Feylantis? What were they using them for? While walking, Azmir noticed that the Cathedral was glowing with a golden light. Someone had arrived again from another world. It was a usual thing in Feylantis. There were people being reincarnated from another world in Feylantis. They were great help in making the kingdom prosperous and in making advancements in their everyday lives. Several of their magical devices were inspired by the devices talked about by them. They were called "adventurers." Azmir went inside the Cathedral out of curiosity. As a merchant, he liked hearing the ideas of adventurers. They were usually eager to help and improve the lives of the people. Adventurers usually were physically or magically strong too. Azmir could not see the adventurer at first. There were a lot of curious people like him who came to see the new adventurer. Azmir squeezed himself against the crowd to be at the front. The golden light vanished. The adventurer had arrived. He had skin like winter''s fresh snow. His hair was black as a raven''s feather. He opened his eyes. His eyes were brown like autumn''s fallen leaves. "Welcome, adventurer! You have arrived in the Kingdom of Feylantis!" The High Priest said happily. The crowd cheered. Azmir observed the adventurer. The adventurer was busy looking around. He did not looked excited or happy like most adventurers. This adventurer seemed to be . . . looking for something. "What are you looking for?" Azmir said in a loud voice to get his attention. The adventurer fixed his gaze on Azmir. "I''m looking for my sister. She might be here too." "What''s her name?" Azmir asked curiously. "Mia. Her name is Mia. Is she here too?" Chapter 16 - To Prepare The Play Euphemia told Lucien all about plays in her world. They would need to recruit a lot of people and it would be a lot of work but Euphemia looked so excited, Lucien wanted to support her. "So, what do you need first, Lady Euphee?" Lucien asked. "Hmm . . . a story. I think the first play needs to be written by someone from Aderlan so more people can relate to it. I would have to look for a writer," Euphemia said. "I can take you to the library," Lucien said and got up. "No, it''s fine. I''m gonna ask around instead. I just want someone who''s good at writing stories, not necessarily someone who has his books already in the library. I''ll go now. Bye!" Euphemia left and Lucien was left alone with Hansel. Lucien was dumbfounded. "Stop it. I know you''re not laughing, Hansel," Lucien said with a glare. "Pft! No, Your Grace, I would never laugh at you," Hansel said, obviously holding his laughter. Lucien rolled his eyes at his personal aide. "I''m not really sure how to help her," Lucien said. "Did she mention where she''s going to hold the play?" Hansel asked. "I think she has not mentioned that yet. Good thinking! Let''s see where we can set up the venue of her play before she beats us to that," Lucien said excitedly. * * * Euphemia decided to ask the maids if they had favorite stories or books they liked to read. Unfortunately, several of them did not even know how to read. It made Euphemia sad. The education system in Aderlan favored only the nobles and even noble women could read only a little. "If I may, Lady Euphemia, I know someone who has written good stories," Helen, the head maid said. "Have you read them? What are they about?" Euphemia asked. "I am also unable to read so he would just tell us the stories he had written out loud. The writer is my childhood friend from a fallen noble family. The stories are mostly about forbidden romance with the nobility and the commoners. Sadly, no one published his stories. The nobles do not want to be portrayed as evil or in love with a commoner so they bribed all the publishers to not accept his manuscripts," Helen said. Euphemia frowned. That was so unfair of them to crush the writer''s dreams just because they wanted to preserve their reputation. It reminded her of the rich families she had been acquainted with in her original world. "Do you know where he is, Helen?" Euphemia asked. "Yes, Lady Euphemia. If he still lives there, we can try to talk to him. I am just not sure if he will accept your officer. He hates nobles with a passion," Helen said worriedly. Euphemia smiled. "It will be fine. I''m not a noble. I''m the Saintess from another world." * * * Euphemia and Helen went to a poor side of the kingdom. The houses were all rundown. Several of the people were just sitting on the streets too exhausted to move out of hunger. Euphemia wanted to help them but she had not brought enough coins with her. She promised to herself that she would help them one day. Helen led Euphemia to an old small house. "He lives here," Helen said. Euphemia nodded and knocked on the door. There was no answer. Euphemia knocked again several times but there was still no answer. "Are you truly close to him?" Euphemia asked Helen. "When we were children, yes. When I became a maid, I only heard how he''s been doing from my other friends," Helen said. "Then let''s hope, he''ll forgive us," Euphemia said with a smile and kicked the door. THUD! The door did not open. Euphemia kicked it again with greater force. THUD!! The door gave away, the hinges were damaged from the force. "Oh my!" Helen exclaimed. The house was dark inside but Euphemia could see that there were bottles of wine on the floor, and lots and lots of papers. The manuscripts perhaps. "Who are you?" A gruff voice came from the darkness. "It''s Helen. I''ve brought the Holy Saintess with me, Fred. She wanted to meet you," Helen said. Euphemia noticed that Helen who usually looked emotionless actually looked concerned towards the writer. The writer came forward. He had dark circles around his eyes, thick beard, and messy blonde hair. The writer glared at them. "What does the Holy Saintess want with me?" Fred said with disdain. "I wanted to read your stories. Helen told me you''ve written good stories. If I like your stories, I will make them into a play and everyone will be able to watch your stories come to life. Even those who cannot read will be able to read your stories," Euphemia said. Fred glared at her."You must be a trap set by the nobles. I''m not falling for your trap! You''re going to execute me!" "Fred, she''s telling the truth! You should listen to her!" Helen said. Fred smirked at her. "You didn''t even go back to this hellhole ever since you became a maid to that Demon Duke. I think you''re just like them." "I shall not allow you to call my fianc¨¦ the Demon Duke. If you are to work for me, you will have to respect us. I am offering you a chance, Fred. Let me read your stories and perhaps your stories will finally be known by the people. If you don''t take my offer, you''ll just die here in this hellhole, your stories buried forever," Euphemia said. The writer stared at her intensely for a while then turned his back. Euphemia sighed and went towards the broken door. She would have to find someone else. "Here. Take these," the writer said. Euphemia looked back. The writer was holding several papers in his hand. "These are my best ones. I hope you''ll like them, Holy Saintess," Fred said. Euphemia smiled. "I will let you know." * * * Euphemia was on a reading frenzy that night. She stayed up to read the several manuscripts given to her. They were really good. The stories were filled with moments of laughter, love, and heartbreak. There was a knock on the door. Euphemia looked at the door in a daze. What time was it already? She had not slept yet. "Lady Euphee, the maids have told me that you have not slept yet." It was Lucien''s voice. "Come in," Euphemia said. Lucien went in. He was wearing silk black pajamas. He went towards her bedside. His eyes went to the papers strewn across Euphemia''s bed then to Euphemia who was wearing a nightdress. "It''s past midnight, Lady Euphee," Lucien said gently. "Sorry. I couldn''t stop myself from reading," Euphemia said. "You can continue reading them tomorrow," Lucien said with a wry smile. "But I''m almost finished! Ah! I can show you the ones I''ve already read. Tell me if you like them," Euphemia said excitedly and picked up some of the papers on her bed. "Lie down. We can read them together," Euphemia said, motioning Lucien to lie down beside her on the bed. "N-no, I can''t! It would be improper. Also, it truly is late already. You should be sleeping, Lady Euphee," Lucien said. Euphemia chuckled and suddenly pulled Lucien''s arm. Lucien''s head landed softly on Euphemia''s pillow. "If you don''t stay with me, I''ll continue on reading until morning. Stay with me for a while and tell me what you think of the stories," Euphemia said. Lucien could not think of anything else except Euphemia being beside him on the bed. Her body was so close to his. He could smell roses from her hair. It must be the roses from her bath. Euphemia raised her hand holding the papers in front of their faces while she chatted excitedly what the manuscripts were about. Lucien tried to make some comments about them but he was much too distracted. She was so close to him. If he rolled to his side facing her, he would be able to hug her tight. An hour later, Euphemia was drained of energy and she eventually fell asleep. Her hand was still holding some papers, her arm on Lucien''s chest, her head on Lucien''s chest. He wasn''t sure how Euphemia went to that position but she fell asleep comfortably on his chest. Lucien could not get out of her bed without waking her up. He wasn''t sure if he even wanted to get out of her bed. Chapter 17 - The Morning After Euphemia woke up already but her pillow was so comfortable, she wanted to sleep more. She nuzzled her nose on her pillow, sniffing it. Her pillow smelled good. She liked it. "Lady Euphee," a voice said. Strange. Euphemia could swear that was Lucien''s voice but why was his voice so close to her ear? Euphemia rubbed her cheek on her pillow. Her pillow felt so satisfying this morning. It was so warm! "Please get up," the voice said again, sounding a bit strained. "I want to sleep more, Lucien. Go away," Euphemia mumbled. "I can''t. I am trapped by you, Lady Euphee," Lucien said. Huh? What did he mean by that? Euphemia ignored Lucien''s voice and snuggled more to her pillow. "You''re hugging me, Lady Euphee," Lucien said. "No, I''m not. I''m hugging my pillow," Euphemia said and squeezed her pillow. "N-no! Please do not squeeze there!" Lucien said. Sheesh! Why was he making a fuss so early in the morning?! Euphemia slowly opened her eyes. She frowned. She knew her pillow case was white. When was it changed to black? Euphemia craned her neck upwards to get a better view of her warm pillow. "Good morning, Lady Euphee." It was Lucien. Lucien was on her bed and she was staring straight in his eyes. Euphemia jolted up and realized that what she thought was her pillow was actually Lucien''s chest! Euphemia quickly scooted over at the far side of the bed. "I''m so sorry. I didn''t know. I don''t know how. I must ha-" Lucien laughed, cutting off Euphemia''s rambling. He sat up and gazed at her with a gentle smile. "You fell asleep last night on top of me, Lady Euphee," Lucien said with a grin. Euphemia covered her face. "I''m so sorry. I''ll never do it again." Lucien tilted his head to the side and smiled mischievously. "I didn''t say you shouldn''t do it again." Euphemia could feel herself overheating. "You must have been so uncomfortable." Lucien nodded his head, looking like he was in deep thought. "Yes, it was really hard for me." "I''m so sorry!" Euphemia said. Her head must have been heavy on his chest or maybe he wanted to sleep on his pillow. It was so unlike of her to fall asleep comfortably beside a guy. Correction, on a guy! "That''s why I think you should take responsibility," Lucien said with a smile. "What is it? What do you want me to do?" Euphemia asked. Did he want her to cook for him? Clean for him? She''ll do anything to make it up for his uncomfortable night! "I think we should sleep together from now on," Lucien said brightly. "WHAT?!" Euphemia squealed. * * * Euphemia''s cheeks were still red as she ate breakfast with Lucien. She was beside him but she was trying to ignore his presence. "We can talk about the stories until you fall asleep and I can make sure that you are actually sleeping," Lucien said, still trying to persuade her. "You can just go to your room after we read. There''s no need for you to join me sleeping!" Euphemia said, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Didn''t you like sleeping on me? Just think of me as your body pillow," Lucien said with an "innocent" smile. Euphemia looked even more confused. "Why would you even want to sleep with me again?!" Euphemia said, her voice came out louder than she had expected. "Oh my. I didn''t know you were at that stage already, Your Grace," Hansel said. Euphemia''s eyes widened in alarm. She didn''t notice that Hansel had arrived in the dining room. He was holding an envelope. "It''s not what you think, Hansel," Lucien said in an irritated tone. "If you say so, Your Grace," Hansel snickered. Hansel handed over to Lucien the envelope and a letter opener. Lucien opened the envelope and read the letter silently. After a few seconds, he smiled widely. "Yes!" Lucien said in triumph. "I assume we got it, Your Grace?" Hansel asked. "We certainly did!" Lucien said. Euphemia felt left out and asked, "May I know what you just got, Lucien?" Lucien turned to her. "We just got your venue for your play, Lady Euphee!" Euphemia''s eyes widened. She didn''t know he was helping her with that. "Where is it?" Euphemia asked excitedly. "It''s the town square! Several people will be able to watch your play, Lady Euphee!" Euphemia leapt up happily. It was the ideal place for her first play! Anyone will be able to see it even those who are not nobles! Euphemia hugged Lucien. "Thank you so much!" Lucien was frozen at first. He was taken in by surprise but he quickly recovered and put his arms around her. "So may I sleep with you again tonight, Lady Euphee?" * * * Meanwhile in the Imperial Palace, Queen Celestinia and Prince Vincent had been notified of King Raegan''s death. It did not surprise the Queen but she had thought he would actually do something before his death. Perhaps try to kill her or try to get out of the Imperial Palace to look for his beloved Sylvia. Celestinia looked at her husband''s discolored face. Perhaps there was no strength left in him anymore even if he had wanted to do those things. She could still remember the day they were introduced. He said that her eyes were like ice. He liked the ice, he said. She thought that it was a compliment. She had a fair amount of suitors and they did not attract her attention. She felt that she could have something real with the King. He seemed lonely. It made her curious. Why would a king be lonely? She started rumours that the King was courting her and had even kissed her. During that time, the nobles were already pressuring the King to take on a wife already. He was past the usual age of marrying and an heir was needed to continue the royal bloodline. When Celestinia started the rumours, the nobles pressured the King more but this time, they were pressuring him to marry Celestinia. Celestinia was the best candidate to be his wife anyway. She was the daughter of a count and she was the most beautiful lady in Aderlan. The King finally announced that he would take Celestinia as his wife. She was so happy that day! She vowed to herself that she would erase his loneliness and make him fall in love with her. On their marriage night, Celestinia noticed that the King seemed to be angry at her. "Is there something wrong?" Celestinia had asked him. He looked at her and his gaze made her shiver. He looked so angry at her. "You''re the one who spread the rumours, aren''t you? The rumours that I was courting you! The rumours that you are my lover!" His voice was loud and angry. Celestinia worried that people would hear him shouting at her. "No, my King. They must have assumed that because they saw us talking frequently!" Celestinia said, trying to calm him down. "I thought you were content with that! I thought you were different from the women who wanted to be a queen!" Raegan said. "No, I did not want to be a queen, my King. I just wanted to be yours," Celestinia said softly. He walked towards her. "Fine. Fulfill your duties as my wife but remember . . . I do not love you." He roughly pulled her to the bed. Celestinia remembered how frightened she was. He took her roughly. It was excruciating and not like the sweet pleasure she thought she would experience. It was pure torture. When he was finished, he left her without a word, alone in the room. Celestinia regretted pursuing the King. She could have been the woman of a man who adored her but she just had to fall for a man who did not love her. It was the only time he had touched her. She had become pregnant from that night. "Do we announce his death now, Mother?" Vincent asked, looking at her expectantly. The voice of her son brought her back to the present. "Not yet. You are not yet ready," Celestinia said firmly. "But I''m ready, Mother! It''s finally my time to be king!" Vincent said, looking like a kid eager to prove himself. Celestinia narrowed her eyes at him. "The public do not approve of you yet. You need to win them first before you can sit on your father''s throne. If only you got the Saintess to be your fianc¨¦e, the public could have been yours already." "I can do that but I don''t know when, Mother! I still have to get that blasted Duke out of the way!" Vincent said in frustration. "Your language," Celestinia said in a scolding tone. "I''m sorry, Mother," Vincent said hastily. "Aderlan needs a king right now and they need me!" Celestinia raised her hand towards her son''s cheek. Her gloved hand caressed his cheek. From afar, she looked like a mother looking at her son adoringly but Vincent was frozen from fear at her icy cold gaze. "They do not need you. They have me, the Queen." Chapter 18 - To Learn About Love Euphemia did not allow Lucien to sleep with her on the same bed again. Instead, they stayed up late together in the study and when they were sleepy already, they would go back to their own rooms afterwards. Lucien liked seeing Euphemia''s enthusiasm but he wanted to be closer to her. He just wasn''t sure how to go about it. On the night Euphemia slept on his chest, he was initially really flustered but when he calmed down, it felt wonderful. He had no memory of sleeping with someone on the same bed. His mother made him sleep alone even at a very young age. He did not dare move a muscle in fear of Euphemia waking up. He liked her warmth, her scent, and her presence so very close to him. It was calming. He usually had nightmares but on that night, he slept very peacefully. "Oh! I think this would be good to make into a play!" Euphemia said. It was already the fifth night of their reading session and they were in the study again. "What is it about?" Lucien asked, putting down the papers he was holding. "The title is The Sun King and the Moonlight Princess. Hmm . . . it''s quite long. Fred didn''t write any summary of the story but I''ve finished reading it already." "Could you tell me the story, Lady Euphee?" Lucien asked. Euphemia smiled and nodded. * * * "Once upon a time, there was a Sun King living in the heavens. He was the most powerful being in the world. He was firm but not cruel. He was a good ruler but he had no partner. The other heavenly gods urged the Sun King to marry the Moonlight Princess. The heavenly laws dictated that the Sun King must marry a royal heavenly being also and the Moonlight Princess was the youngest and most beautiful of all. The Sun King proposed to the Moonlight Princess but he was the ruler so it wasn''t really a choice for her. She accepted his proposal and a day for their wedding was set. The heavenly beings became busy preparing for the most lavish wedding of all time. The dress of the Moonlight Princess was sewn with starlight, dewdrops, and the strings of fate. It was the most exquisite and magical dress in the world. She would be the most beautiful bride. On the day of their wedding, the Moonlight Princess went missing! They searched and searched the heavenly realms but to no avail. She was nowhere to be found. There was only one place they haven''t searched yet - the mortal realms. The Sun King declared that he would be the one to bring back the Moonlight Princess. He went down to the mortal realms and disguised himself as a mortal being. He asked several mortals but every time he asked someone, they would question him too. ''What is her name?'' A carpenter asked. The Sun King did not know. He just knew her as the Moonlight Princess. He did not even ask for her name before he proposed. ''Why did she run away?'' A fisherman asked. The Sun King did not know. He himself was also baffled. Why would she not want to marry him? He''s the Sun King! He''s the most powerful being in the world! ''Do you love her?'' An old woman asked. ''No. Is that important? We just have to get married and fulfill our duties,'' the Sun King said. The old woman laughed at the strange man. ''Love should be the only reason you are to marry. If not for love, you are better alone. You will only be miserable until you die.'' ''But we do not die. We are immortals! That does not apply to us,'' The Sun King said. The old woman laughed again. ''Silly man! Then you shall be miserable your whole life!'' The Sun King became even more confused throughout his journey. Everywhere he went, the mortals questioned him and he doubted himself. He couldn''t understand why the mortals said love was more important than duties. One day, he heard a scream in the middle of the forest. He went towards the sound and found a young woman below a cliff. She looked injured. The Sun King went down the cliff and helped the young woman. He wasn''t usually helpful but perhaps being a mortal in disguise was rubbing off him. The young woman was obviously a peasant. Her dress was old and tattered but her face was quite pretty. ''Thank you for helping me. I am still unable to walk. My village is far away. Could you please help me until get better?'' ''Why would I do that?'' The Sun King asked. ''I am your responsibility already. You should take responsibility for saving me. If you leave me now, you would just leave me to die,'' the young woman said. The Sun King was surprised by her attitude. No one had ever defied him and spoken back. He found her strangely alluring. For several days, the Sun King hunted food for the young woman. He built a shelter for the two of them. He tended to her wounds with herbs with healing properties. The day came when she was finally better. ''Thank you. I did not expect you to do all those things for me. Would you like to live with me in my village?'' the young woman asked. The Sun King went with her. The young woman''s parents were very grateful to the Sun King. They offered to let him stay with them. The Sun King did not refuse. For the first time in his existence, he felt truly happy. He liked seeing the young woman smile. He liked helping her. He liked her. A lot. One day, the young woman said that there would be a wedding in the village and everyone was invited. He was surprised to see who the bride was. It was the Moonlight Princess. She was wearing a simple wedding dress and she was going to marry a mortal farmer in the village. The Moonlight Princess was frightened to see the Sun King at her wedding. She feared that he was going to stop the wedding and he was going to drag her back to the heavenly realms. The Sun King assured her that he would not do that. He asked her why she ran away. ''I have a mortal lover who I am in love with. I would like to spend the rest of my life with him.'' ''The rest of your life? You are immortal, Moonlight Princess. He will die years later and you will continue to exist looking as young as you are now.'' The Moonlight Princess shook her head and smiled. ''No, I am no longer an immortal. I left behind my immortality in the heavens. I would like to grow old with him, have children with him, and finally turn to dust with him.'' The Moonlight Princess looked worried. ''I beg of you. Please do not give me back my immortality.'' ''Why would you choose to die with him?'' The Sun King was still baffled. ''Because I love him. Aren''t you the same with that young woman? Do you not want to be with her? Isn''t that the reason you have been staying with her?'' The marriage between the Moonlight Princess and her groom proceeded smoothly. It was a joyful event. The Sun King thought about what the Moonlight Princess said the whole night. The next day, the Sun King gave up his immortality and proposed to the young woman. The young woman was overjoyed and accepted his proposal. On the day of his marriage, an old woman approached the Sun King. It was the old woman who he had the conversation with about love. ''Why did you give up your immortality first before asking for her hand?'' the old woman asked. ''Because it would be unfair. I love her and I am ready to risk everything for her. If she had refused, I would still pursue her. If she would still refuse until the end, I would still choose to love her and die instead of living endlessly without even seeing her smile or hearing her laugh.'' The Sun King realized that the old woman should not even know that he was the Sun King. The old woman chuckled. ''I am Time. It is true what they say. Time changes everything. Yours has been a good change. You should not be bound to another because or your duties. You should be bound together willingly because of love.'' Time disappeared and love was all that was left. The end." * * * Euphemia drank from the glass of water beside her. "That''s an amazing story! I can see why the nobles did not want his story to be published!" Lucien said in awe. "It is, isn''t it? It''s not just a simple love story. I think he is talking about the rules of nobility regarding marriage. The scenes in the story are perfect too for a play. The journey would be nice to show and there would be a lot of characters the Sun King would meet. There are a lot of people we can employ for the play," Euphemia said happily. "It looks like you already have people in mind," Lucien said. "I would like to help the people living in Fred''s area. They are very poor and we could employ them. We could give them jobs . . . if that''s all right with you?" Euphemia said. "It''s all right with me. You''re very kind, Lady Euphee," Lucien said. Euphemia blushed. "I''m just asking because I would be using your finances for their wages. I would try to pay you back, of course. I also plan to have food stalls around the play and the earnings would go to you." Lucien shook his head. "I''m your fianc¨¦ and you don''t need to pay be back." Euphemia wasn''t really comfortable using someone else''s money. Perhaps she could have a talk with Hansel and have Hansel deposit the earnings to Lucien''s account secretly. Lucien narrowed his eyes at her. "You are not to pay me back secretly either, Lady Euphee," Lucien said. Euphemia blushed. Lucien stood up and stretched his arms. "I think we are done for the night? I like the story you have chosen." Euphemia stood up too and compiled the papers scattered. "Yes, you can go ahead now. I''ll just tidy up here." Lucien smiled lazily. "Let''s sleep already. The servants can do that." He touched her hand. Euphemia''s eyes widened. He moved closer to her. Euphemia looked up and saw that his face was just inches to hers. "Let''s sleep together?" Lucien asked. Euphemia backed away slowly. "W-we can''t." "Why not?" Lucien moved closer to her again. "We''re not in that kind of relationship! We''re not even that close! I''m not even calling you with a nickname yet!" Euphemia said, her mind panicking, her heartbeat going overdrive. Lucien tilted his head to the side. "Then call me with a nickname, Euphee." Euphemia''s eyes widened. She had become used already to his formal way of addressing her. When he called her with just a nickname, it felt different. It felt intimate. "I-is Luci fine with you?" Euphemia asked, still in a flustered state. Lucien grinned. "It''s fine. I like it, Euphee." "Why do you even want to sleep with me again? It''s so strange of you!" Euphemia said. Lucien took her hand and pressed his lips on the back of her hand. "It felt very nice. I liked feeling your body against mine. I liked seeing you wake up. I would like to see your face when I sleep and when I wake up." Euphemia was shocked. She had not expected Lucien to be this affectionate. She had only prepared herself for an engagement that was like a business transaction. She had not prepared herself for something like this. What did he even mean by that? Euphemia chewed on her lip and frowned. "I think it would be improper. We''re not even lovers. I bid you good night!" Euphemia said and hurriedly went out of the study. Lucien sighed and scratched his head. He might have just scared her off. He was going too fast and he knew it but he could not stop himself. He would have to proceed slowly then. Lovers, huh? Perhaps he could ask the writer for advice on how two people become lovers. Lucien smiled. Chapter 19 - To Lose Someone The young man had been visiting his sister''s grave for weeks already. He was still wearing his black suit which he wore to the funeral. "Yuzan, my boy, it''s not healthy for you to stay here anymore. Come home with us already!" His mother said, pulling on his sleeve. He shook off her hand and ignored his mother. He continued to stare at his sister''s grave silently. She was buried in a cemetery, surrounded by green grass, and fresh air. "Yuzan, please!" His mother tried to shake him to get his attention. Yuzan had dark circles around his eyes and his face looked gaunt. His mother had been forcefully feeding him for days already by forcing open his mouth and shoving in food inside. He did not speak. He had not spoken since he had arrived. He only stared at her grave. Sometimes, tears would flow out of his eyes and he would not wipe them away. "Yuzan, your father said that we will have to force you back home with us tomorrow if you don''t come back willingly. Our people are very strong and I don''t like seeing you get hurt. You should come home tonight," his mother insisted. Yuzan was very familiar with their family''s "people." They were highly trained mercenaries posing as body guards. "You should use them to avenge Mia," Yuzan said. His mother''s eyes widened in shock. She had not heard her son speak for weeks already and he finally responded! "You know, we can''t, my boy. We do not have evidence that Mia was murdered," his mother said, rubbing his back. "SHE WAS POISONED!" Yuzan shouted, his angry eyes turned to his mother. "The doctors said that she was poisoned! Is that not enough evidence?" Yuzan said. His mother looked worried. "The Matsuya family is a very powerful clan. We cannot just accuse them. In fact, all of the guests in the party are from powerful clans! For all we know, she might have even poisoned herself!" Yuzan gritted his teeth. His sister''s fiance was from the Matsuya clan and his mother was worried of making an enemy out of them. His sister was just a marriage pawn to them. "Her blood is on your hands," Yuzan said. "I did not kill her! How could you say that?!" His mother said angrily. Yuzan looked at her with a steely gaze. "If you had not forced her to marry that Matsuya assh***, she would still be alive." His mother looked at him in disgust. "Fine! Have it your way! Your father will bring in our people tomorrow to drag you home anyway. Tomorrow, you shall get back to work and you shall not mention your sister anymore." His mother left and Yuzan was alone again in front of his sister''s grave. He clenched his fists. He was also a pawn of his parents, sculpted to be the future head of the family business. His future had been decided already when his parents found out their eldest would be a son. They had sent him away because they wanted his secret to be buried forever, hidden from the public. He was not even allowed to be in contact with his sister. They were scared that he would be a bad influence to their female puppet. Perhaps he could get back at them. He could destroy the company. He had the power to do that. He could expose his parents. He could expose the truth about Mia''s death. Yuzan began walking out of the cemetery. His mind was filled with several ideas on how to go about his revenge for his sister. Should he look for her killer? Where should he begin? Maybe he could just kill the fianc¨¦. Yuzan did not notice that he was out of the cemetery already and he was soon approaching a busy road. But what would Mia think of that? Would she hate him if she knew that her brother killed for her? What did Mia even want? He only knew of her younger self. He had no idea what the adult Mia was like. A truck was fast approaching. The driver was panicking. The breaks were not working. Yuzan was not paying attention to his surroundings. THUD!!! The truck ran over him. At Yuzan''s final moments, he was still thinking of his sister. He was no longer thinking of revenge. He only wished that he could see his sister in the afterlife. * * * Somewhere far away, in a place that no one alive can go to, there was a god preparing for the new reincarnator''s arrival. The place seemed to be a combination of the skies and the oceans. Fluffy clouds filled the surroundings, and blue waters reflected the blue skies that seemed to go on endlessly. The god looked like a little boy playing with his laptop. The god only looked like a little boy because if was the form he chose to be in. He also chose a laptop instead of the standard Book of the Dead because a laptop was more convenient. The god typed on his laptop at rapid speed. He was encoding in the details of the new reincarnator. It was a classic case of "truck-kun." A person would killed by a truck and he or she would be reincarnated in another world. Actually, it only became a clich¨¦ because the gods were too lazy to come up with a new idea to reincarnate people. They would just reincarnate anyway. It wasn''t important how they got killed so the truck was the most commonly used method. The god clicked "Enter" and shouted "Done!" happily. The clouds swirled in front of the god and formed into the shape of a person. The clouds dispersed and a young man was standing in front of the young god. The young man''s name was Yuzan. "Hello! You have been chosen to reincarnate in another world! Congratulations!" the god said cheerfully. Yuzan looked at him silently. The god looked at him awkwardly. He expected the mortal to be happy. They were usually happy and eager. This one looked so . . . sad. "Do you understand? You are dead already and to make up for your death, you shall be sent to another world! That world will be full of magic!" "Is my sister there?" Yuzan asked. The god frowned. What a strange mortal! "I''m not sure. I didn''t check. Would you like me to check?" Yuzan nodded. "Yes, please." The god looked displeased but he went back to his laptop and typed rapidly. His eyes lit up. "Oh! You''re in luck! Your sister reincarnated too!" Yuzan broke into a grin. The god closed his laptop. "So, now that''s settled, let''s talk about your skills. What do you want? Magical powers? Sword skills?" Yuzan was silent for a while deep in thought. "Come on now. It''s your chance to be powerful!" "Is there something that could protect against any kind of poison?" Yuzan asked. "HUH?! You can have any skills and you want that?! You didn''t even come from an era where poisoning was rampant! Why would you want that?!" Yuzan looked sad again. "My sister . . . she was poisoned. I just don''t want it to happen again." The god sighed. "Fine but I''ll throw in some bonus skills for you. You will be immune to poison, you can cure anyone who has been poisoned, and you will also have the skill to use any poison!" Yuzan nodded. "That''s good enough. I just want to see her again and be able to protect her as her big brother." "Off you go then!" The little boy waved his hand and the clouds whirled around Yuzan. Then Yuzan realized something. "Wait! My sister! Where can I find her?!" The clouds swallowed up Yuzan and he was gone. Yuzan appeared in the cathedral of Feylantis, the farthest kingdom away from Aderlan. Chapter 20 - What Is Love? Euphemia noticed that Lucien was not bringing up the topic of sleeping with her again. It was a relief because it made her feel things she couldn''t even understand. Euphemia looked out of the carriage window. She could see the structures were very poor and dirty. They were in Fred''s neighborhood, a place stricken by poverty and misery. "You shouldn''t look out the window, Lady Euphee. It''s dangerous. What if someone throws a rock to our window?" Lucien said. "You''re calling me Lady Euphee again. I''m not mad at you," Euphemia said with a gentle smile. Lucien looked embarrassed. "I''m sorry for the other night. I forced you to call me by a nickname and I even dropped my formality with you." "It''s fine. You can still call me Euphee. We''re friends after all, Lucien," Euphemia said cheerfully. Lucien winced. "Are you all right? Are you car sick? I mean, carriage sick?" Euphemia asked, she raised her hand to Lucien''s face. "I''m all right. So, we are friends, Euphee?" Lucien asked with a forced smile. Euphemia nodded. "Yes, you''re just like Ruby, you''re my friend, Lucien!" Euphemia was not sure why but Lucien seemed to be in pain. "You look nauseous again. What''s wrong? Do you want me to heal you?" Euphemia asked worriedly. Lucien covered his face with his hands. "I''ll be fine. I can do this," he muttered. Euphemia looked at him in confusion. What was wrong with him? * * * They eventually reached the writer''s humble home. Lucien got out of the carriage first and helped Euphemia go down afterwards. Lucien noticed that the door was damaged and was not even hanging properly. Before he could even try to move it, the door was opened suddenly by a man. "I bid you good morning, Your Grace and Holy Saintess!" The man bowed. "Raise your head. Are you the writer?" Lucien said. "Yes, I am, Your Grace. My name is Fred. Would you like to come in?" Fred asked. "Sure. Sorry for disturbing you," Euphemia said. "It''s not trouble at all, Holy Saintess," Fred said. They all went inside the house. Euphemia noticed that it looked cleaner than before. There were no wine bottles scattered on the floor. Actually, there were no wine bottles anymore that she could see around the house. Fred himself looked cleaner. He had shaved his ridiculous beard off and his hair was neatly combed. "You cleaned up a lot, Fred. The house looks nice and you look better too!" Euphemia praised. The writer looked embarrassed but happy. "I can''t take credit for it. Helen came to visit a few times and she helped me a lot. She told me that I should be in clear mind when we talk to each other again, Holy Saintess." "You can call me Lady Euphemia. Can I sit here?" "Yes, Lady Euphemia." "So, we''ve chosen a story for the play. We''ve chosen your story of the Sun King and the Moonlight Princess. Will that be all right with you?" Euphemia asked. Fred looked surprised. "That is my very first manuscript. Yes! I am touched that you have chosen that." "We would like to pay for your story. After the play, we shall pay you again for the play''s earnings," Lucien said and handed him a pouch. The writer opened the pouch filled with gold coins and his eyes widened in shock. "Your Grace! It''s too much! I don''t deserve this!" "Our decision is to pay you. Are you refusing our decision, Fred?" Lucien asked in a scary tone. Euphemia giggled. "Just accept it, Fred. You deserve it. In fact, we need your help in something else too." "Anything, Lady Euphemia!" "We would like to ask if you could recruit people for the play. We would need craftsmen, tailors, actors, and actresses. For the main characters, I would like to see them myself and choose from them. Could you do that?" Euphemia asked with a smile. Fred looked confused. "But I do not have connections with nobles." "I don''t need nobles, Fred. I would really like it for you to choose from people in this neighborhood. I would like to give them jobs. We would have rehearsals and days to prepare for the play. During those days, they would be paid and given a meal. After the play, they would receive extra payment that we would earn from it. Could you tell them that?" Fred looked like he was going to cry. "I would be happy to do that. Please give me a few days to tell the people here." "That''s a deal. When you''re done, just tell Helen so she can tell me," Euphemia said and got up to leave. Euphemia noticed that Lucien had not gotten up yet. "Is there something I''ve forgotten to tell him, Lucien?" Euphemia asked. "I have something to ask him. You can go ahead. I''ll just walk home," Lucien said. Euphemia went out of the writer''s house and boarded the carriage. She couldn''t understand Lucien''s actions again. * * * "Yes, Your Grace? How may I help you?" Fred asked. "I want to be lovers with Euphee. How do I get to that stage?" Lucien asked. "Oh um . . . pardon me, but aren''t you engaged to her?" Fred asked in confusion. "Yes, but she said we''re not lovers. Just earlier, she told me that we''re friends! I do not want to be friends with her! I have Hansel for that!" Lucien said in frustration. The writer felt increasingly uncomfortable. He was not used to talking to nobles and most especially, he did not know how to advice a noble about love. "Your Grace, it''s good to begin as friends. It means she views you favorably," Fred said, assuring him. "No. Last night she called me by my nickname. Now she isn''t! She must be mad at me! I just told her that I wanted to sleep with her!" Lucien said. Fred could feel a headache coming. "Your Grace, you must not rush her. Have you told her how you feel about her?" Lucien frowned. "Of course, I did. I told her I like feeling her body against mine and I like seeing her face when I wake up." Fred sighed. "Your Grace, have you told her that you love her?" Lucien looked confused. "Did you tell her that you''re in love with her, Your Grace?" Fred rephrased. Lucien still looked confused. Fred scratched his head in frustration. He suddenly had an urge to have a bottle of wine. "Your Grace, are you in love with Lady Euphemia?" Lucien looked dispirited. "I am not sure what that is." Nobles. They were taught of the arts, of etiquette, and of several useless things but they were not taught of love. "Your Grace, love is when you are happy being with that person. It is when you are happy when you see her happy. It is the feeling of sorrow eating inside you when you see her crying. It is the feeling of wanting to spend your whole life with that person and you know that you would be contented. It is being vulnerable to that person but being strong when you''re with her." Lucien still looked lost. "This must be why she said we aren''t lovers. I do not even know what love is." Fred pitied the Duke. He must have had a lonely childhood. "You''ll learn along the way, Your Grace. For now, I think what you''re feeling is attraction to Lady Euphemia. You want to be close to her, do you not?" Lucien nodded, looking sad. "Get to know the lady first, Your Grace. See what she likes and what she does not. Try to make her happy with what she likes. Try to show her who are you also. I have confidence that you''ll learn about love along the way, Your Grace," Fred reassured. Lucien smiled a little. "Thank you. You really are talented in that subject. I will follow your advice." Lucien got up and went towards the broken door. "Thank you, Your Grace." Fred said. "Good luck with Helen too!" Lucien said as he exited the house. He did not see the writer turn red. Chapter 21 - Auction - Part 1 Euphemia put on the mask. It was an exquisite thing, painted in black and blue with shimmering gold dust. It was designed to look like the wings of a blue monarch butterfly. "You''re beautiful, Euphee," Lucien said across the carriage seat. Euphemia laughed. "You can''t even see my face." "The mask cannot conceal your beauty," Lucien said in a serious tone. Euphemia laughed. Lucien''s comment made her feel less nervous. It was her first time to go to an auction and she wasn''t sure what to expect. Euphemia looked at Lucien with amusement. He was trying to put on his mask and he was failing. "Do you need help?" Euphemia asked and leaned over. "N-no, I think I''m close already. I just have to pull the garter here . . .," Lucien said as he struggled with the mask. "Let me do it." Euphemia smiled. Euphemia stood up. The carriage''s low ceiling did not allow her to stand up properly so she was leaning over to Lucien. "Oh my! It got stuck to your hair!" Lucien was frozen. Euphemia was dangerously too close to him. She was wearing a dress with a deep neckline and Lucien''s nose was so close to her cleavage. He must not move. "Let me just pull here . . . " Euphemia muttered, busy fiddling with the garter. THUD! The carriage must have ran over a huge stone on the road. "Oh!" Euphemia squealed. Euphemia lost her balance and found herself straddling Lucien. Lucien''s eyes were wide. Euphemia was on his lap and her arms were around his neck. "I''m sorry," Euphemia said, embarrassed. Lucien nodded. "It''s quite fine." "Um, I fixed your mask already. I should get back to my seat," Euphemia smiled awkwardly. She was thankful for the mask. If he could see her cheeks, they would be cherry red already. "Thank you," Lucien said, not quite sure if he was thanking her for the mask or for something else more . . . pleasurable. Euphemia found herself staring at his emerald green eyes that seem to have been more emphasized by his black mask. "You should let go now," Euphemia said. Lucien''s hands were on Euphemia''s waist. "You can just sit here beside me," Lucien said and suddenly transfered her to his side. "Oh!" Euphemia was startled. She did not expect Lucien suddenly moving her. "There. Much better," Lucien smiled at her. Euphemia nodded, trying to look calm. He was so close to her if he would lean over to her he would be able to ki- "We''ve arrived, Euphee!" Lucien said, looking at the carriage window. Thank goodness! * * * Inside the inconspicuous building was a luxurious lobby and well-dressed employees. There were grand chandeliers, marble floors, and beautiful decorations. Then they entered an area that looked like the inside of an opera house. There were several floors for the audience and a well-lit stage st the front. "Wow!" Euphemia said in awe. It would be a nice place for a play. Perhaps someday when the nobles are already more accepting. "I have reserved a place for us there," Lucien pointed at the top floor overlooking seat. As they walked, Euphemia admired the paintings and sculptures in the hallway. "It''s so beautiful here. Do you often attend auctions?" Euphemia asked. "Only when necessary," Lucien said. "Do you buy something?" Euphemia asked. "In a way . . ." Lucien said mysteriously. Euphemia did not ask him further. She guessed that Lucien was not comfortable talking about it. "My valuable patron!" A small fat man wearing a gaudy feather mask greeted Lucien. "He is called Marco, he runs this auction," Lucien whispered to her. "I think you should go ahead." Euphemia nodded. They had both agreed that no one should know that she was in the auction. It might not bode well with the public, if they knew that the Saintess herself was in the auction. Euphemia quickly ran off. "Oh! I did not get to greet the lady you were with!" Marco said. "She''s just shy. So, do you have something for me?" Lucien asked. "Just a bit of information, Sir. Not much but it might interest you," Marco said. "Good. What about for a lady?" "I''m sorry? Information about a lady, Sir?" "No. Do you have some nice things here in the auction for a lady. I want to see them before you bid them off," Lucien said. * * * Euphemia stopped running after a while and gasped for breath. She wasn''t good in sports and her shoes made her feet ache. It should be safe now. "Well, hello there, my lady." A voice said in a melodic tone. Euphemia whirled around. Her eyes widened at who it was. The voice belonged to a man wearing a violet and gold mask. The upper half of his face was concealed but it was obvious. His golden hair, his golden eyes, and that smirk! The crown prince. Euphemia frowned. She really should have ran faster. "Good evening," Euphemia hurriedly curtsied and turned around to leave but he suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her. "Let''s have a little talk, Saintess." Chapter 22 - Auction - Part 2 He dragged her. Euphemia struggled but his grasp was firm on her arm, his nails digging to her skin. "Stop it! Where are you taking me?!" Euphemia shouted. The crown prince chuckled. "So feisty! I''m just taking you to my reserved area. Let''s talk there." Euphemia had enough. She kicked his leg and his hand involuntarily let go of her. "Ouch!" Vincent glared at her. "Behave or I''ll make you do it again." Euphemia frowned at him in confusion. "Do what?" "Healing. I know what Mother made you do. She said you fainted from the pain," Vincent smirked. Euphemia''s eyes widened. "I''ll stab my leg and it''s either you will heal me or I will accuse you of treason and you will be executed. Both choices will hurt you I''m sure," the prince said with a sadistic grin. She did not want to heal and experience the stabbing of a sword again. Most especially, she didn''t want to heal the ars*hole prince! Euphemia sighed. "Fine but make it quick. The Duke will be looking for me." Vincent smiled and led her to a private booth. It was Iike a balcony, overlooking the stage, but it was closed off by curtains from behind and at the sides for privacy. The prince sat on the couch and Euphemia grudgingly sat beside him. "You look rather stunning, my lady," Vincent said, his eyes looking at her cleavage. Euphemia glared at him and covered her cleavage with her hair. "I''m not your lady. So, what is it? Why do you want us to talk?" Vincent chuckled. "I am just simply trying to woo you, my lady. I''m quite heartbroken that my charms are not working on you." "I am engaged already. You shouldn''t do that," Euphemia said in disgust. Vincent looked at her in amusement. "We both know that''s just for show. You aren''t really marrying the Demon Duke for love, are you? That''s just hogwash!" "If you''re just going to insult him, I''m leaving," Euphemia said and was about to get up to leave but Vincent stopped her. "Sit down. I''m not yet finished." "Don''t you want to marry a willing lady? I presume several ladies would be willing to line up to be your bride. You don''t need me!" "The Saintess needs to be engaged to the Monarch. It''s how things have been done here since hundreds of years ago. What would the people think of their future king if he has been rejected by the Saintess?!" Vincent said. Euphemia rolled her eyes. "I already rejected you. The people will think that this Saintess chose who she wanted to be engaged to. Actually, the women here in your kingdom should be able to choose who they want to marry! Your traditions just make them miserable." The prince looked like he wanted to murder her. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming to our lovely auction night!" Euphemia looked at the stage. The man speaking was Marco. The auction had started already! Lucien must be looking for her! "Stay," Vincent said in a commanding tone. "I really have to get back," Euphemia said and got up. She didn''t want to stay a second longer with the prince. "Everyone will hear me shouting from here. They''ll see me bleeding and they''ll think you tried to murder their future king," Vincent said with a creepy smile. "You won''t do that," Euphemia said nervously. Vincent''s smile widened. He got up and reached for the sword from his hip. He pulled it out from its sheath and pointed the sword towards her, its tip dangerously close to her neck. "Maybe I''ll just drive this sword in you instead. It will keep you from leaving. I''ll make sure you won''t die, of course but you''ll bleed . . . a lot," Vincent said. "You crazy bast*rd," Euphemia said angrily. "Break off your engagement with the Demon Duke and tell everyone that you''ve changed your mind. You want to be with the prince instead! I''ll be the delighted prince and we can happily live in the Palace!" Vincent said gleefully, the tip of his sword touching Euphemia''s neck. "I''d rather die," Euphemia whispered. The prince withdrew his sword from her neck and raised it high then he swung it to her side. SHING! Another sword blocked off the prince''s attack. Euphemia looked at who had protected her. "Are you all right, Euphee?" It was Lucien. Euphemia breathed in relief. "I''m unharmed, thanks to you," Euphemia said gratefully. Lucien turned his attention to the crown prince. He pushed the prince by putting force on his sword. The prince staggered backwards. "You dare hurt my fianc¨¦e. Do it again and I will cut you down," Lucien said angrily. It was taking all of his willpower to control his rage. Vincent chuckled. "I wasn''t going to kill her, cousin." The crown prince put back his sword in its sheath. "When you get tired of her, give her to me, will you?" Vincent said. "Let''s go," Lucien said to Euphemia and they left. * * * Lucien and Euphemia went to their reserved seats. Euphemia was not prepared to die. She only said that to spite the prince. It was truly a relief that Lucien had found her. "Thank you for saving me," Euphemia said. "How did you find me?" "I barged in to all of the private areas. I initially thought you were just lost. I''m sorry. If I had accompanied you, you would not have been in danger. I''m truly sorry." Euphemia shook her head. "It''s not your fault. If you didn''t arrive, I might have been awfully hurt already. He would have used it as an excuse to whisk me off to the Palace." "Are you truly all right? Did he hurt you anywhere?" Lucien asked worriedly. "I think I''ll get a bruise on my arm but other than that, I''m fine," Euphemia assured him. Lucien looked at her arm which had reddened because of how tight Vincent gripped it. His eyebrows furrowed in anger. "I should have broken his arm," Lucien muttered. "I''m fine. Maybe I can heal it," Euphemia said cheerfully. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Nothing. She imagined the sun. She thought about the words that had popped up in her head when she healed the soldier. Banish the pain with might! Bless thee with healing light! Still nothing. Euphemia opened her eyes, looking worried. "It seems that I am unable to heal myself." Chapter 23 - Auction - Part 3 Lucien looked horrified. "I''ll be fine. I have you to protect me, right?" Euphemia said with a smile to assure him. Lucien still looked worried but nodded. He took a small box inside his coat pocket. "I was going to give this to you later but I think it''s best you have it now," Lucien said and handed her the box. Euphemia curiously opened the box. Inside the box was a necklace with an exquisite emerald pendant in the shape of a leaf. Euphemia looked at Lucien. "This is for me?" "Yes, it''s for you, Euphee. The emerald has been imbued with magic. You can send an emergency message to me and I will hear it from my brooch." Lucien showed her a small emerald brooch in the shape of a leaf. "Would you like to pin it on me, Euphee?" Lucien asked. Euphemia nodded and began to pin the brooch on Lucien''s coat. "So it''s a communication device? We can send each other messages? How far is the required distance? How long is the message?" "Well, the magic can only be used once so it''s best to use it only when you''re in danger. After the magic is used up, it becomes an ordinary emerald. Marco said the distance is limitless. For the message, it''s just around one sentence. Also . . . it can only be activated by blood so you can use it when you''re injured," Lucien said. Euphemia finished pinning the brooch on his coat. It suited him. The brooch matched his emerald eyes. "What about you? Can you also send me a message? What if you''re the one in danger?" Euphemia asked. "Ah, yes. I can also send you a message but I think I will not have any use of it," Lucien said with a smile. Euphemia rolled her eyes at his confidence. "Can you put it on me?" Euphemia asked. Lucien unclasped the necklace and leaned close to Euphemia. Euphemia lifted her hair so Lucien could put on the necklace around her neck. She smelled like roses. Lucien forced himself to look impassive and not like he was breathing in her scent. He clasped the lock leaned back. "Thank you, Lucien. I''ll take good care of it. It''s beautiful," Euphemia said cheerfully. "Yes, beautiful," Lucien said softly, looking at Euphemia. * * * "We are now at the last item of the night! The most awaited item for this auction night is . . . the dress of the Saintess!" The booming voice belonged to Marco and both Euphemia and Lucien looked at the stage. At the center of the stage, was a mannequin and it was wearing the dress Euphemia was wearing when she had arrived in Aderlan. It was the dress from her original world. The crown gasped in awe and admiration. The dress did look dazzling under the chandelier lights. The rhinestones reflected the lights as if it was giving off its own radiance. "The starting bid is 90,000 gold! Any bidders?" Several aristocrats raised their numbers signs. "Number 17 bids 90,000! Will there be a bid for 100?" Several aristocrats still raised their number signs. "That''s a lot of money, isn''t it?" Euphemia asked. She was surprised that a lot of people were willing to pay so much for her dress. "I think it''s still low. It''s your dress, after all," Lucien said looking unimpressed. "I bid 300,000 gold!" "Number 26 bids for 300,000! Is there anyone who would like to outbid this?" There were murmurs from the crowd but no one was speaking up. "Going once . . . Going twice . . ." "700,000 gold." The crowd gasped and turned to see the bidder. The bidder had golden hair and he was wearing a gold and violet mask. Marco looked shock. "700,000 gold! Is there anyone who would like to outbid that?" The crowd remained silent. Euphemia and Lucien looked displeased. "I should just buy it," Lucien murmured. "No, you shouldn''t. It''s for our funds for the play," Euphemia said. "But it''s his gold," Lucien said frowning. "We''ll use the gold to help people, Lucien. I don''t care if he buys it. We just need the funds," Euphemia said. Lucien looked irritated at the bidder. It was obviously the crown prince. "Are you sure you don''t want my funds instead? I can fund the play for you." "I''m sure. I want to earn my own funds, Lucien," Euphemia said. "Going once . . . Going twice . . . Going thrice . . . the dress of the Saintess goes to our bidder for 700,000 gold!" Marco announced. "Our auction night has now ended. Thank you and have a good night!" Lucien and Euphemia went to a private room where the seller will receive the payment and sign the release papers of the item sold. Each seller had a private room so that no one will know the identity of each other. A man wearing a crow mask entered the room. He was wearing a staff uniform and he was carrying a heavy-looking wooden chest. "The bidder has paid," the man said and opened the chest. Inside the chest were several gold coins. Euphemia''s eyes widened at the sight of so many gold. It would be impossible to count them manually. "How do we know this is 700,000 gold?" Euphemia asked. The man took a crystal and put it on the gold coins. The crystal shimmered and emitted a light with strange characters on it. Lucien nodded. "It''s 700,000 gold, Euphee. This is a magic crystal that counts money." Euphemia realized that she did not know the numerical characters of Aderlan. She made a mental note to herself to ask Lucien to teach her. "Please sign the contract, Your Grace," the man said. Euphemia frowned. "Shouldn''t I be the one to sign it?" "The account belongs to His Grace, Holy Saintess," the man said. "Sorry, Euphee. I did make an account just for you but it''s still under me. Don''t worry. I won''t use that account. It''s just for you," Lucien said. Euphemia nodded. She trusted Lucien. Lucien signed the contract and the man closed the chest. "Thank you for taking part of the auction," the man said and bowed. "We finally have funds for the play!" Euphemia squealed excitedly. Lucien smiled at her fondly. "I''ll support you all the way." * * * The man with the crow mask handed the contract to a man with golden hair. "Did he sign it?" the man with the golden hair said. "Yes, Your Highness." "Good work." The man with the crow mask left and the prince smiled in satisfaction at the contract. The Duke had just unknowingly signed a slave contract. Once he hears the Queen''s command, the slave contract would activate. Now, they just had to wait for the Queen''s move. Chapter 24 - The Play - Part 1 The hectic days of preparing for the play began. There were a lot of people who wanted to be part of the play. They heard about the Saintess''s promise of food and fair wages. Initially, the people were scared of Lucien because of the rumours about his childhood but those fears were erased when they saw how he truly was. Lucien was very supportive of Euphemia and he took care of the things that Euphemia was too busy to handle. Euphemia got help from Rubiella too. The two ladies conducted the auditions for the main cast of The Sun King And The Moonlight Princess. Rubiella was happy to help. She was able to see Hansel after all! There were times she would be able to sneak a peak towards Hansel and she had a feeling he was looking at her too when she wasn''t. One day, Rubiella was carrying a huge pile of costumes and she couldn''t see where she was going while walking in the corridor. She was going to bring the costumes to Euphemia and they would be choosing the costumes for the characters. "Oof!" Rubiella bumped to someone and she lost her balance. The costumes were starting to fall from her arms. Rubiella could feel herself falling too. A hand suddenly supported her back and stopped her from falling. All of the costumes fell on the floor. Rubiella looked up. "Hansel!" Rubiella said. "Are you all right, my lady?" Hansel asked. Rubiella nodded, blushing. She could feel his warm hand on her back. Rubiella stood up straight. His face was so close to hers. "You didn''t come when I invited you to dinner last time," Rubiella said, frowning, trying to look displeased. Hansel looked ashamed. "I''m sorry." He couldn''t tell her that he was actually there the whole time, watching her to make sure she was safe. "You should make it up to me," Rubiella said, trying to look intimidating. Hansel raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" "When this play is over, take me out to celebrate," Rubiella said. Hansel''s eyes widened. "My lady, that would be improper!" Rubiella rolled her eyes. "Coward." Hansel looked worried. "My lady, I''m a butler. You shouldn''t be close to me so much!" Rubiella leaned close to Hansel''s ear. "Not close enough." Hansel''s ears reddened. Rubiella smiled in amusement, quietly picked up the costumes that had fallen on the floor, and giggled at the stunned Hansel. "I want your hair untied again when we celebrate, okay?" Rubiella said and left, giggling to herself. * * * Euphemia and Rubiella were having trouble picking out who would be the Moonlight Princess. There were some pretty women among those who auditioned but they did not have the kind of beauty that were perfect for the character of the Moonlight Princess. One afternoon in the town square, a man approached Euphemia. He was one of the props maker. "May I have a bit of your time, Lady Euphemia? I would like to refer someone as the Moonlight Princess," the man said. "Where is she?" Euphemia asked. The man looked conflicted. "Actually, she is ashamed to go out of her house. She was really beautiful in the past and she caught a nobleman''s eye. She rejected him and he destroyed her face in anger. I was hoping that you could . . ." Euphemia realized what the man was asking. He was asking her to heal the woman. Euphemia was scared to be in pain again but she felt guilty for not using her healing powers. "I will have to take the Duke with us. Let me get him," Euphemia said and went to Lucien who was overseeing the construction of the stage. "Lucien." Lucien turned and smiled brightly at Euphemia. "What''s wrong? Are you hungry?" Euphemia shook her head. "No, it''s not that. Someone just requested me to heal someone." Lucien frowned. "I don''t want you to be in pain again." "I know but . . . I have the power to heal, Lucien. Please. Could you come with me?" Euphemia asked. Lucien looked like he wanted to shoo away the man who approached Euphemia but he could not refuse Euphemia''s pleading eyes. Lucien sighed. "All right. Let''s go." Lucien and Euphemia followed the man to a run-down house. "Ayla, it''s Walter. I have someone who can help you!" "Walter, please leave. I don''t need help," a female voice said from inside the house. "Please, Ayla. I hate seeing you suffer. Please let me help." Euphemia could see that Walter cared a lot for the woman inside the house. It must be painful for Walter for the woman he loves to be in hiding because of her destroyed face. "Ayla, my name is Euphemia. I''m the Holy Saintess and I can heal you." The door was opened by a woman with a hood over her head. "Holy Saintess and Your Grace, I thank you for your presence but I am not worthy of your help. Please forgive Walter for taking up your time," Ayla said. "Ayla, Walter approached me because he really wants you to be better. Don''t you want to be happy again? You will not need that hood anymore after I heal you. Don''t you want Walter to see you be confident and happy again?" Euphemia said. "Ayla, please," Walter said. The woman under the hood finally agreed and let them come in. Euphemia and Ayla sat on two chairs facing each other. Lucien stood behind Euphemia to make sure he would be able to catch her if she faints. "Lady Euphemia, my face, it is really gruesome. It might frighten you," Ayla said. Euphemia shook her head. "I''ll be fine. Let me see you." Ayla removed the hood from her head. Euphemia''s eyes widened. The damage the nobleman had done to her was terrible. Her face was burnt. Her left eye was permanently shut from the melted skin. Her skin was made up of patches of black and red. Euphemia felt extremely angry at the one who burned Ayla. He had no right to do that to her! "Lucien, is it possible to punish that nobleman?" Euphemia asked, trying to make her voice sound calm. "Hm . . . yes. I can have him investigated and I believe we''ll find incriminating evidence against him. If not, I will still make sure he is punished. Would you like that, Lady Euphee?" Euphemia looked at Ayla. "Ayla, do you want him punished?" Ayla''s hands gripped her skirt tightly. "Yes, very much so, Lady Euphemia." Euphemia nodded. "Lucien, please make sure that nobleman is punished." Walter gave the details of the nobleman to Lucien while Euphemia shut her eyes and concentrated. Banish the pain with might! Bless thee with healing light! A brilliant light illuminated from Euphemia''s hands and shone towards Ayla''s face. The light slowly disappeared and its place was Ayla''s face as right as day. She was very pretty. She had light blue eyes and light blonde hair. She had a face that exuded innocence and feminity. She would be perfect as the Moonlight Princess. Euphemia smiled. She was glad that she was able to restore the girl''s beauty. Then the pain came. The burning sensation. Euphemia felt that her own face was ablaze. She screamed and screamed then everything faded to black. * * * Euphemia woke up in her room. Lucien was sitting on a chair beside her bed. Lucien noticed that she was awake already. "Lady Euphee!" Euphemia smiled. "Lucien." Lucien suddenly put his arms around her. "You were in so much pain," Lucien said, his voice sounded strained. "Are you crying?" "N-no, I''m not," Lucien said and sniffed a bit. "How long was I asleep?" Euphemia asked, noticing the moon outside her window. "Two days," Lucien said, still hugging her. Euphemia raised her hand to pat Lucien''s head. "I''m all right now, Lucien." Lucien nodded and let go of her. He looked like he had not been sleeping. He had dark circles around his eyes. Euphemia caressed Lucien''s face. "I''m sorry for worrying you." Lucien nuzzled his face on her hand. "I''m sorry too. If there''s a way for me to get the pain instead, I would do that." "Did you even sleep?" Euphemia asked. "You''re more important than sleep," Lucien said. "Hm . . . I''m kind of hungry," Euphemia said. "Do you want to eat here on your bed? I''ll have them bring your food here," Lucien said. Euphemia nodded. She still felt a bit weak. It must be the effects of healing or perhaps she was just weak from hunger. "Would you like to sleep with me tonight?" Euphemia asked. Lucien''s eyes widened. Euphemia realized what she had just said and blushed. "I mean, you just look so tired. It''s my fault that you weren''t able to sleep. If you prefer to sleep in your own room, that''s fine too." A smile slowly formed on Lucien''s lips. "I would love to sleep with you." Chapter 25 - The Play - Part 2 Euphemia woke up feeling very refreshed. She opened her eyes to the sight of Lucien''s face. His eyes were closed, his breathing soft and peaceful. Euphemia leaned in close to his face. He had such long lashes. He had a nice scent. She couldn''t describe it but his scent relaxed her. Lucien''s eyes fluttered. Euphemia smiled. "Good morning," Euphemia said. Lucien rubbed his eyes then looked at her with a sleepy grin. "Good morning, Euphee." It was a strange feeling. They were really just engaged because of a mutually agreed contract but they were like friends, or maybe, more than friends. She liked his presence beside her. "I think the servants will talk if we keep sleeping together like this, Lucien," Euphemia said with a chuckle. Lucien tucked a stray hair behind Euphemia''s ear. "Let them. We are engaged after all." "Just for a year though. They don''t know that," Euphemia said. Lucien stayed silent. Did she offend him? Euphemia chewed on her lip. Perhaps he forgot about their agreement. Lucien sighed. "Let''s eat breakfast?" Euphemia nodded. She looked at Lucien worriedly. His face remained impassive but she felt that she had hurt him when she said that. * * * While preparing for the play, Euphemia was also busy creating other jobs for the people from the poor part of the kingdom. She taught a lot of people about food stalls and some of the recipes she knew from her original world. The food stalls would be placed around the theater stage. It would be like a festival. She also healed several people. There was the man who lost his leg from a carriage accident. There was the woman who could no longer walk from being caned by the nobleman she was serving. There was the man who lost his arm from a fight with drunk soldiers. There were a lot of them. Scarred skins, broken bones, and beaten down spirits. She experienced all of their pain. It made her scream and cry but the happiness she felt after healing them was worth it. Their broken parts had been healed and they were filled with new hope. Her reputation as the Saintess grew tremendously. She did not intend to be famous but she could not help it. Every time she saw someone hurting, it reminded her of the hurt that she had experienced. If she could make the physical pain go away, perhaps the hurt deep inside their souls would disappear too. Lucien was filled with worry and fear every time Euphemia healed someone but he did not stop her. He wanted her to be like a free bird flying to where she wants to go and discovering herself along the way. He decided that he would just do everything he could for her. He held her when she healed someone. Her body would be filled with pain and sickness and he would catch her. He would hug her tight and bring her home in his arms. He would always wait for her to wake up, waiting for her body to recover from the pain and sickness it experienced in a flash. Her eyes would open and she would see him watching over her. She would smile at him and he would feel his chest swell with relief and happiness. Her smile told him that she was all right and there was nothing for him to worry about. * * * The day of the play finally came. It was the first day. It was decided that the play would be shown for three days. After that, the play would take a break to prepare for the next play with a different story. It would be the start of a new entertainment business in Aderlan. The town square was bustling with people. It was hard to distinguish commoners and nobles from all of the people who had flocked together to see the play and the stalls. The air was filled with the sweet and savory smell of food. There were also merchandise stalls where the craftsmen sold the things they had artfully made based on the play. There were matching sun and moon rings, brooches, and even clothes. A lot of people walked around the town square with food they had bought from the stalls and merchandise worn around their bodies. There were not enough seats for the audience but several people still chose to stay and watch even though they were standing. The play began. The audience were quiet, hooked at the scene playing in front of them, then they gasped at the part where the Moonlight Princess went missing. The audience''s reactions alternated between silent intent watching and gasping in surprise at the play''s scenes. Euphemia immensely enjoyed the play and the audience''s reactions. Lucien enjoyed himself too. He liked the play and he felt proud that it was all because of Euphemia''s passion that made it possible. Most of all, he liked seeing Euphemia smile. * * * Meanwhile, Rubiella was with Hansel. Hansel was reluctant at first but Rubiella told him that no one would notice them anyway because there were so much people. Rubiella also told him not to be in butler clothes so they could blend in with the crowd. Hansel met her with his hair down and he was wearing a nobleman''s suit. Rubiella wanted to squeal at the sight of him. Her heart was doing a jumping jack in her chest but she controlled herself, or so she tried. She grabbed Hansel''s hand and dragged him with her to go see the stalls. Rubiella was fascinated with the stalls that Euphemia had come up with but her focus was really on Hansel. She wanted to remove his eyeglasses that made his eyes look gray but there must be some reason why he was hiding his mesmerizing green eyes so she didn''t remove the eyeglasses. "My lady, I suppose I am already taking you out today," Hansel said while they were walking. Rubiella glared at him. "This does not count! You still have to take me out after the three-day play! You''re just ACCOMPANYING me today." "Pfft." Hansel tried to hide his laughter. Rubiella tried to show him her most infuriated expression but she was failing. Seeing Hansel laugh made her heart flutter. "Where do you wish to go, my lady?" Hansel asked with an amused smile. "Hmph! That''s your problem to think about," Rubiella said and crossed her arms. Hansel grinned. "Strange. I thought that only your hair is red but your face is red too." Rubiella pinched his cheek. "Ouch!" "Now you''re red too!" * * * The play went on with great success for three days. When it was finished, several people thanked Euphemia and Lucien. The two received a lot of merchandise and food from the people they had helped. Euphemia fell asleep on Lucien''s shoulder in the carriage. She didn''t notice that she was exhausted. She enjoyed herself a lot but when it was finished, it was like all her energy was sapped out of her. Lucien noticed that there were soldiers standing in front of his mansion. He did not want to wake up Euphemia but he had a bad feeling about it. "Euphee, we''re here," Lucien said gently. Euphemia slowly opened her eyes then noticed the soldiers outside the carriage, standing in front of the mansion. "What are they doing here?" Euphemia asked. Lucien frowned. "I do not know yet." He opened the carriage door and a soldier who looked to be high-ranking approached their carriage. "Lady Euphemia, you are under arrest by the Crown in the charge of treason." Chapter 26 - Into The Woods Going on a journey was something that Azmir had already known he was destined to do. He was not the type of prince to stay still in one place. Ever since he was young, he had always found a way to escape the palace. It was also one of his reasons in choosing to be a merchant in disguise. He just did not expect to make his first journey in life to be with total strangers. * * * Three days ago... "MIAAAAAAA! IT''S YUZAN! ONII-CHAN IS HEEERE! MIAAAA!" The adventurer shouted while looking at the crowd frantically. The crowd wore confused expressions. The High Priest looked completely bewildered too. Azmir decided to step forward and end the noise the adventurer was creating. "We can look for your sister in the Archives," Azmir said, holding the adventurer by his shoulders. The adventurer smiled in relief. "Thank you." The High Priest approached the adventurer with a wary expression. "May we know your name, young man?" "Yuzan. I apologize for yelling earlier," the adventurer said with an embarrassed smile. "I just really want to meet my sister again." The High Priest nodded. "I understand. Did the God of Reincarnation say that she is here too?" "He said that she reincarnated too," Yuzan said. Azmir could clearly see Yuzan''s excitement. Were they separated in their original world? It was highly unusual for siblings to be reincarnated in the same world. In fact, that had never happened before. "Your Holiness, I shall guide him to the Archives. Will you excuse us?" Azmir said. The High Priest nodded. "I can see that the young man''s priority is to be reunited with his sister. I trust that you can guide the new adventurer in our kingdom?" "Yes, Your Holiness," Azmir said and led Yuzan out of the Cathedral. The Archives was only a few minutes walk from the Cathedral. It was a small building made mainly out of wood. The Archives contained the names of the citizens of Feylantis. It also contained the records of the visitors from outside the kingdom. Azmir glanced at Yuzan as they walked. Yuzan carried himself confidently. He was like a foreign prince. He did not seem interested in his new surroundings. New adventurers were usually very excited when they see Feylantis for the first time. This new adventurer was silent and aloof. He was obviously only thinking of his sister. The two entered the Archives and asked an archive keeper for someone with the name of Mia. They waited for quite a while but Yuzan was silent. Azmir found himself getting more curious at Yuzan but he stopped himself from asking. He shouldn''t even be with this new adventurer! He should have been focused in his mission in looking for the missing people! The archive keeper arrived and . . . gave the bad news. There was no record of someone named Mia in Feylantis or anyone with that name in the visitors'' log. Yuzan looked crestfallen. His excited expression completely wiped off from his face. Azmir felt pity for the new adventurer. The God of Reincarnation said that his sister had also been reincaranted. Gods never lie but they were known to not give the complete information needed. It was the only explanation Azmir could think of. "I think your sister is in Aderlan," Azmir said. "Where is that? Why do you think my sister is there?" Yuzan asked. "There are only two kingdoms that have reincaranted people like you. Feylantis usually gets new adventurers several times in a year. Aderlan gets a reincaranted person once in every hundred years and they also need to do a summoning for that. I''ve heard that they just summoned the new Saintess recently." "You think my sister is that one reincarnated person there?" Yuzan frowned. "Well, there''s only one way to find out," Yuzan said. * * * Azmir found himself a new companion by his side. Azmir took care of the preparations in going to Aderlan. He looked for guards who will protect them in their journey. It was going to be a very dangerous journey. Azmir explained to Yuzan that the normal route going to Aderlan would take them almost a year. They had to go through five kingdoms and in each kingdom they would be confined and inspected. There was a shorter way which would take them four months or fewer if the journey would be smooth but that route was very dangerous. They would first be going through the Vyridian Woods, the forest of magical beasts and thieves. There were no soldiers patrolling the forest so it was a nightmare route for merchants. The forest was also known to be inhabited by dangerous magical beasts. Azmir was able to hire a group of guards. They were like adventurers who took on odd jobs in fighting beasts and guarding travellers but they were not reincaranted. The group of guards he hired was made up of two men who would be the stagecoach drivers, two male guards, and one female guard. Azmir was very busy in the three days before the journey. He bought supplies and packed his collection of magical devices. Yuzan was by his side the whole time. He was silent but he helped Azmir carry and check the supplies they would bring in their journey. On his last day in Feylantis, Azmir met up with his favorite sister, Kiera, to say his goodbyes. Kiera hugged him tearfully. "Maybe I should come with you," Kiera said. "You can''t. Everyone knows you here. If you go missing, the kingdom will be in panic. I''m just a prince they know by name. The kingdom will not miss me," Azmir said with a reassuring smile. "I''ll miss you, of course. I have no one to reprimand anymore!" Kiera said while crying. Azmir laughed and rubbed her back. "I''ll be back before you even start to miss me." Kiera wiped her tears and frowned at him. "Why are you with that new adventurer? Did he force you to accompany him? Should I put him to prison?" "He just wants to find his sister and there is a high chance that his sister is in Aderlan. We''re going the same way so there''s no problem with me. Also, he''s an adventurer! I''m sure his powers will be useful in guarding me," Azmir said. Kiera shrugged. "Fine. If he''s just a liar, use your water magic and drown him." * * * The Vyridian Woods was like a living creature in itself. Its colors were vibrant like a beast showing off. The forest ground seemed to pulse with a beating heart. The sounds of birds and beasts in the hiding seemed to come in all directions. They were inside the heart of the woods. Inside the stagecoach was Azmir, Yuzan, the female guard, and two male guards. Beside them were their supplies inside huge wooden boxes. It was cramped and there was no space to even stretch out their legs. "Are you all right, Yuzan?" Azmir asked worriedly. Yuzan nodded. A man of few words as usual. Azmir had a feeling that Yuzan would only engage with him in a conversation if the topic was Yuzan''s sister. The carriage suddenly jolted. The horses neighed. "AAAAEEEEARGHHHH!!!! HEEEEEELPP!!!!" "EAAAAERRRRRGHHHH!!!" The shouts were from the two stagecoach drivers. Then there was silence. The carriage stopped moving. Azmir hoped that whatever beast had attacked the drivers, its belly was full already. "Should I check?" One of the male guards whispered. "No, Bren! It might still be there!" The female guard said. "Someone still has to go outside to drive the horses," the bald guard said. "Then you go out, Yaz!" The female guard said. "Are you ordering me, Ashka?" The bald guard said in a warning tone. "Shush! Be silent for a while," Azmir whispered to them, trying to listen to the sounds outside. Yuzan suddenly got up and opened the stagecoach. "The beast is gone. Who will drive?" Yuzan asked. Azmir looked at Yuzan in shock. He did not look afraid at all and he did not even looked horrified at the dead bodies of the drivers. "Yuzan, are they dead?" Azmir asked. "Yes. There are only bits of bones and organs left on their seats. I think we should clean them up or lest we attrack more beasts," Yuzan said calmly. The guards looked terrified. It wasn''t even a day and two of them had already been eaten by a beast of Vyridian Woods. Azmir was more shocked at Yuzan''s demeanor than the beast attack. It was not normal for someone to be calm in a situation where two men had just died a bloody death. This new adventurer was either a cold hearted killer or someone who had seen so many killings in his life. Which one was he? Chapter 27 - To Face The Beast The stench of rusted iron wafted in the air. There was no rusted iron in sight. There was just blood, lots of blood. It covered the saddles, the horses'' backs, and spilled over them like red wine. Yuzan''s words were true. There were indeed bits of bones and organs still left but they were almost indistinguishable. It was as if a butcher had left in a hurry. His only trace were two bloody pools of blood, and some bits here and there of flesh and bones. The female guard, Ashka, was bent over by a tree, puking out whatever she had eaten in the morning. The smell of her puke made Azmir queasy. "Clean this up. The two of you, drive with care. If you see a beast, call for help fast," Azmir said to the two male guards. The two guards nodded in silence, with tight jaws, and eyes that seemed to have already accepted death. Azmir, Yuzan, and Ashka boarded the stagecoach again. They were silent. Each one trying to hear more than they could, listening for any indication of a beast to kill off more of them. The hours passed by painfully slow. Azmir wanted to talk to Yuzan. He wanted to know more about him, about his sister, and anything that would explain his strange calmness in the face of death. But it was no time for idle chatter. The stench of blood was still in the stagecoach, making them all aware that any of them could be the next pool of blood. Night arrived in Vyridian Woods, its arrival long announced already by the darkness even in daytime. Azmir had already prepared magic crystals to light their way but the shadows of the woods were stronger than the light. Fog curled up on their stagecoach, the lights from the crystals made even duller than they already were. The stagecoach stopped. It was time to make camp, to eat supper, and to sleep. The two guards ventured off to look for dry wood to start a fire. The female guard stood in front of the stagecoach, her back to its exterior, guarding it from unseen beasts. Azmir and Yuzan set up the sleeping bags. It was an invention Azmir got from an adventurer he had spoken to before. It was made of scraps of clothing for softness and animal hides from deer skin to preserve warmth. "Are you regretting coming with me?" Azmir finally asked. Yuzan blinked, as if he had just awakened from a long dream. "No." "There is a safer route to go to Aderlan as I''ve said. You would be better off there," Azmir said. "Safer but longer. I have to see her as soon as possible," Yuzan said. "Why?" "So I can stop mourning for her." The guards arrived, carrying chopped wood with them. Azmir wanted to ask Yuzan further but he stopped himself. For some reason, he wanted to be the only one to hear Yuzan''s words. The fire crackled and blazed in front of them. The flames danced delicately on the chopped wood, eating it away bit by bit. They roasted the meat Azmir had prepared over the flames. Azmir had prepared dried meat and fish, some herbs and spices, and even a few unripe fruits for the journey. They would be able to eat for a couple of days without worry but after that, they would have to hunt. The meat''s aroma filled the air. They ate voraciously. Azmir had not noticed before but now he could feel that he was utterly hungry. It was not the best of meals he had tasted but he ate it with gusto. He could only smell the scent of roasted meat, blocking out the stench of blood from the stagecoach. The guards were to take shifts in sleeping and guarding. Yuzan and Azmir went to their sleeping bags. Azmir was about to go sleep when he felt someone shaking his shoulder. "Mir." Azmir opened his eyes and a hand clapped over his mouth. "It''s here." Yuzan removed his hand on Azmir''s mouth and pointed towards where the stagecoach was. Azmir turned his head to look at where he was pointed at. His eyes widened in horror. A shiver ran up his spine. The ends of his hair stood on end. The most gigantic snake he had ever seen in his life was slithering towards their stagecoach. It was bigger than any human and wider than a tree. It could swallow all of them whole in two blinks. Azmir''s eyes quickly searched for any sign of their guards. The two male guards were gone. The female guard was sleeping, ignorant of the monstrous snake making its way towards them. "I need to know. Are you able to kill that?" Yuzan whispered. "No! I can''t! That''s why I hired guards! I can control water but there''s not enough water around us and that won''t do a thing to that snake!" Azmir whispered back. Yuzan nodded calmly. "I need you to do me a favor." Azmir wanted to shake Yuzan so badly and knock some sense in him but he remained quiet. "I''m going to try something to kill that snake but you have to promise me something." "Promise you what?!" Azmir asked. "Promise not to tell anyone of my ability," Yuzan said. Azmir frowned in confusion. "You''re an adventurer! Everyone knows you have some kind of ability." Yuzan shook his head. "Just promise not to tell. If I''m successful, tell everyone it was you who killed the snake." "If you''re not successful?" "Then you will not even have the chance to tell." Yuzan got up on his feet and slowly walked, taking care not to make a sound. The snake noticed him. Its gigantic amber eyes as big as a human, stared straight at him. Yuzan stood still. The snake slithered towards him with the speed of an arrow being shot through the air. Azmir held his breath, as if he could hold time, as if he could stop the clock from ticking forward to impending doom. The snake opened its mouth. Yuzan leaned his body and extended his arms towards the coming snake as if he was going to push it off as it comes. Yuzan''s hands came in contact with the snake''s fangs. He held onto them. The snake''s force pushed him backwards, his feet making lines on the ground. Yuzan held onto the fangs, his face in deep concentration. The snake stopped moving. Yuzan breathed heavily, his face etched with sweat and exhaustion. He let go of the fangs. The snake suddenly fell to its side with a loud thud. The trees shook from its weight. Yuzan walked back towards Azmir unsteadily then collapsed beside him. "Yuzan! What happened? Are you all right?" Azmir asked frantically. A small smile formed on Yuzan''s lips. "It worked." "What worked?" "Poison. I poisoned it," Yuzan said with a satisfied smile with a hint of amusement. "What in Fey''s name?! Are you unharmed?!" It was Ashka. She had been awakened from the loud thud when the snake fell over. She looked at Yuzan and she looked even more horrified. "Are you hurt? What happened?" "It attacked me but Mir killed it," Yuzan simply said. Azmir''s eyes widened but he quickly adjusted his expression. "Yes, I . . . used my magic. We''re safe now." Yuzan smiled at him. His smile was like honey, sweet and trapping. No one would expect it to be poisoned. Chapter 28 - Out Of The Woods Azmir yawned. He suddenly felt very tired. Yuzan woke him up when he was just about to sleep then the giant snake appeared. The day''s events were taking a toll on him already. "Let''s get you back to sleep, Mir. You must be tired after fighting with that snake," Yuzan said. Azmir raised an eyebrow but he remained quiet. He wondered why Yuzan did not want the others to know about his ability. "I''m so sorry I didn''t notice the snake," the female guard said. "It''s all right, Ashka. Actually, it was Yuzan who noticed it," Azmir said in a reassuring smile. "You''re a guard. You should have noticed that snake but you were sleeping soundly," Yuzan said with a steely gaze at her. "It will not happen again. We apologize," Bren said, stepping in front of Ashka. Azmir looked at them in amusement. "Bren, you shouldn''t spoil Ashka too much. Ashka, be on guard duty with me. Bren, you can get some sleep for now," Yaz said. Bren went off to assemble his sleeping bag. Azmir and Yuzan walked together to their sleeping bags. Azmir yawned again. The forest seemed so peaceful now. He felt like he was being lulled to sleep by the rustling leaves and the soft sounds of night creatures. "How long have you been a traveling merchant?" Yuzan asked. "Huh? What merchant?" Azmir said sleepily while going inside his sleeping bag. "You''re a merchant, right?" Yuzan said. "Oh, right. Yes, I am," Azmir said, closing his eyes. A soft chuckle. "Good night, Mir." "Good night." * * * Morning was announced by the chirping of the woodland birds. There was not much sunlight. The trees were far too thick so only a sliver of light could pass through the empty spaces of their leaves. A hand gently tapped Azmir''s shoulder. Azmir groaned and covered his head with his hand. "Let me sleep more," Azmir said groggily. "Mir, breakfast is ready," Yuzan said while tapping a beat on Azmir''s shoulder. "Argh," Azmir said and got up. "You could have just eaten ahead," Azmir said, glaring at Yuzan. Yuzan smiled in amusement. "We already did. Just eat already so we can get going again." Azmir yawned and looked at Yuzan begrudgingly. "You look well rested." "Yes. The sleeping bag is really comfortable," Yuzan said with a smile. Yuzan and Azmir went to the campfire. There was only a small flame burning at the center. On top of the wood was a piece of dried fish. Azmir took it out of the fire and blew on the burned fish. "I had the snake skinned," Yuzan said. "YOU WHAT?!" Azmir almost dropped his fish. "I think its scent will scare off the other beasts in the forest. I had it draped on our stagecoach. There are lots of excess skin though. Should we use it as capes?" Yuzan asked. Azmir looked disgusted. "No. I don''t want snake skin on me." Yuzan nodded in understanding. "I suppose you''ll sell the skin when we get to the town?" Azmir looked momentarily confused? Why would he sell snake skin? Then he remembered his cover story. He was supposed to be a traveling merchant. "Ah, yes, of course," Azmir mumbled while biting on his fish. "Will you earn a lot from it?" Yuzan asked. Azmir could feel his hands getting cold. He was really uncomfortable with lying. "You''re talking a lot today. That''s strange. Why are you so interested?" Azmir countered. "Why can''t I be?" Yuzan asked with a smile. Azmir sighed. "Let''s just get through this journey, okay? I won''t tell them your skill so you don''t need to feel obligated to be close to me." "I just find it interesting that a traveling merchant chose such a dangerous route to sell his wares," Yuzan said. Azmir choked on his food. "Water. I need water." "You can just make that, right?" Yuzan asked. Azmir began coughing. The fish was stuck in his throat. "No. I c-can''t make (cough) water! I can j-just (cough) control it!" Yuzan got up and went to the stagecoach to get Azmir''s water. "For a water mage, you''re not very impressive," Yuzan said while handing the water canteen to Azmir. Azmir glared at him while he gulped down the water. "Give me a lake and I''ll show you what I can do," Azmir said. Yuzan chuckled. * * * The journey was peaceful. Yuzan''s idea worked. The weaker smaller beasts stayed away from the traveling group. For two weeks they had nothing to worry about. They were not attacked by beasts and they ate from their stock of food. During those days, Azmir was able to learn more about Yuzan. More specifically, he learned a lot about Yuzan''s sister because it was the only topic he liked to talk about. Azmir already knew Mia''s favorite show, favorite food, favorite toy, and other random things that he really did not want to know about someone he had not even met yet. Strangely enough, Azmir noticed that Yuzan only talked a lot when the two of them were alone. Azmir had the feeling that Yuzan was not comfortable with the guards so one day, Azmir asked him about it. "Is there something you don''t like about our guards?" Azmir whispered. Yuzan raised an eyebrow. "What made you say that?" "It''s just that you''re not talking to them. You only talk to me always," Azmir said. "You don''t want me talking to you?" Yuzan asked. "No. I mean, yes. I mean, why are you not trusting them?" Azmir asked. "Do you trust them?" Yuzan asked. "Well, their comrades just died but they''re still here protecting us," Azmir said. Yuzan sighed. "That''s not out of the goodness of their hearts. They won''t travel with us risking their lives if you weren''t going to pay them." Azmir frowned. "There''s something you''re not telling me. What is it?" "There''s something you''re not telling me too, Mir," Yuzan said and flicked his finger on Azmir''s forehead. "Ouch! What did you do that for?!" "Both of us have secrets to keep so just stay quiet and let me protect you," Yuzan said. "Huh? Why would you protect me?" Azmir asked in confusion. "You''re my travel guide. I need you so I can meet my sister. Why? Did you think of some other reason?" Yuzan asked, his lips curled in amusement. Azmir felt his face go hot. "Sister complex!" Yuzan smirked. "Water mage." "Is that supposed to be an insult?!" * * * Two weeks later, they ran out of food. All of them had grim expressions on their faces as they stared at the empty crate where the food used to be stored. "So, who knows how to hunt?" Azmir asked. "The three of us know how to hunt but it''s dangerous. Only the stagecoach is safe because of the snake skin," Yaz said. "That''s not a problem. You just have to wear the snake skin," Yuzan said. The guards paled. "Are you confident with your skills? You can choose not to wear the snake skin if you are," Yuzan said. "We''ll wear it. It''s better to be safe," Bren said. The guards opened up the crate that contained the excess snake skin. Azmir tugged Yuzan''s hand. "Let''s talk." The two walked a distance away from the guards. "What''s your problem with them?!" Azmir asked in exasperation. "What''s your problem with snake skin?" Yuzan asked. Azmir frowned in disbelief. "It''s disgusting! A snake is a vile creature! It eats its prey whole! Wearing a snake skin would be like being inside a snake!" "In my world, snake skin is a luxury. Items that are made of snake skin are expensive. They''re really not that disgusting," Yuzan said. Azmir sighed. "I see. It''s normal in your world but you have to understand it''s disgusting here for us. Anyway, try to be nice to our guards, okay? They''re guarding us after all." "I''m not sure about that," Yuzan said. "Besides, we don''t need them. You have me." "We do need them! You can''t do the hunting because you''ll end up poisoning the animals and we can''t eat poisoned food!" Azmir said. "Hmm... I''m not sure if I can remove poison from a dead animal but I can cure you anyway if you get poisoned from eating it," Yuzan said. "That''s not the point!" Azmir said. Yuzan ruffled Azmir''s hair. "You''re just like my budgie." "YOUR WHAT?!" "My pet bird. It''s a small one with blue and indigo feathers. You''re just like him." Azmir wasn''t sure if he was frustrated at being compared to a bird or the way Yuzan ruffled his hair. "I''m not your pet bird!" Azmir yelled. "The way you make noise sounds the same too. Amazing," Yuzan said. "Argh!" * * * Yaz and Bren were able to hunt a boar. They came back looking disheveled and exhausted. "Good work," Yuzan simply said and went back to ignoring them. The guards looked surprised. Azmir smiled at him proudly. The days continued on in the same way. The guards would hunt for food throughout their journey in the Vyridian Woods. They were not attacked by any more beasts so the journey was peaceful. Azmir actually felt relaxed from the forest atmosphere and he did not want to admit it but he quite enjoyed his banters with Yuzan. After a month and a half, they were finally getting out of Vyridian Woods. Azmir looked in awe at the town below them. They were standing from a low cliff. Behind them was Vyridian Woods and below them was a town with few houses. Azmir guessed that it would take them half a day to reach the town. They had to get down from the cliff slowly. It wasn''t very steep but it was still a cliff and one could just slip by mistake and hit his head on a rock. They had the stagecoach with them also. It would be challenging to make the horses walk down the cliff. If that wasn''t possible, they had to find some other way to reach the town. "Finally!" Ashka said. "Didn''t think we''d make it," Bren said. Yaz was laughing. Yuzan and Azmir looked at the guards curiously. They were usually silent so it felt unnatural. Was it relief? Perhaps they were just relieved to get out of the woods. "Mir, stay behind me," Yuzan said. Azmir went behind Yuzan. What was happening? "Just hand over that pouch you''re wearing and we''ll leave you alive," Yaz said. Azmir''s belt pouch contained his boxes of gold and even his clothes as a prince. It was magical so he put all of those inside the pouch. An experienced thief would know that a merchant''s belt pouch contained the real wares and money. "You can take the stagecoach. Just leave us," Azmir said. Yaz laughed. "Not a chance. You have to pay us double for making us travel in that accursed forest." "But all of you agreed to that!" Azmir protested. The guards removed their daggers from their sheaths. They were no longer guards anymore. They were thieves. "No use talking. We can just kill you here and no one will even know," Yaz said with a cruel smile. Chapter 29 - Taming The Saintess - Part 1 Euphemia''s hands went cold. Treason? Was she going to be executed? That would not make sense. The Imperial Family needed her. This must be one of their ruses. "On what grounds am I accused of treason?" Euphemia asked. Her cold gaze made the soldiers shiver. "This is not the place to discuss. You shall come with us, Lady Euphemia. Please get down the carriage quietly," the officer said. Lucien got down the carriage. His emerald eyes seemed to glisten in fury. "No. She will not come with you." "Lucien, it''s fine." Euphemia directed her gaze at the officer. "I am sure this will be explained to me in detail, right?" "No! It''s dangerous! That prince must be up to something!" Lucien said. "Yes, I think so too. Will you come with me then?" Euphemia asked. "What do you mean?" Lucien asked. "Officer, I will come with you but in the condition that my fianc¨¦ will accompany me," Euphemia said. The soldiers looked unfazed. "As you wish, Lady Euphemia. You may use the carriage. Follow us to the Imperial Palace," the officer said. The soldiers went off to retrieve their horses. Lucien got inside the carriage again. The carriage began to move, following the soldiers from behind. The carriage was supposed to bring them home but now it was going to bring them to the place she had tried so hard not to be in. Home. When had she started thinking of Lucien''s mansion as home? "Euphee, have you read about this? Do you know what will happen?" Lucien asked. Euphemia shook her head. "No, there''s nothing like this in what I''ve read. It must be because the Saintess just stayed inside the Palace so there was no reason for her to be charged with treason." "It''s a good thing I''m coming with you," Lucien said. Euphemia frowned. "I thought they would not agree to that and we would have to argue with them but they agreed too quickly." "Perhaps they do not wish to duel with me," Lucien said. "Maybe it''s part of their plan. Maybe they predicted that you would come with me," Euphemia said. * * * The Imperial Palace exuded of brilliance and extravagance as always. It was a mix of white and gold. It was said to be painted with the brilliance of the sun in mind but Euphemia could only feel icy dread from it. Euphemia and Lucien walked in the corridors quietly following the soldiers. "Euphee," Lucien whispered. Euphemia looked up. "Yes?" Lucien held out his hand. "Would you like to hold hands?" Euphemia''s eyes widened. "So you won''t be scared," Lucien said with an embarrassed smile. A small smile crept to Euphemia''s lips. "Thank you." The two held hands as they walked the corridors going to the throne room. Euphemia could feel Lucien''s warmth from his hand. It gave her a sense of comfort. She must have looked incredibly nervous and Lucien must have noticed that. They walked on the red carped leading to the throne steps. To their left and right, soldiers were lined up by the walls, their gazes followed their every step. Euphemia remembered the soldier who stabbed himself and how she was forced to heal him. Euphemia gritted her teeth. They stood below the throne and waited. Lucien squeezed her hand gently. Euphemia squeezed back. She was not alone this time. Lucien was with her. The Queen arrived but this time, she also had someone with her. He followed her from behind and when he saw them, he smirked at them. Prince Vincent. "You have accused me of treason. I haven''t incited a rebellion and I haven''t plotted against your lives. What did I do to you?" Euphemia asked as soon as the Queen sat on the throne. Queen Celestinia laughed. Her laugh was like the twinkling of bells. It was a lovely sound but her eyes contained no merriness. "Still insolent, I see. You did not even greet us," the Queen said in her melodic voice. "Shall I punish them, Queen Mother?" Vincent asked. "No, not yet," the Queen said with a smile. "Praise be, Light to the Sun''s Empire," Lucien said and bowed. "Well, one of you has manners. The Light shines upon you. Rise. Tell me, Duke Ashburn. Why are you here with this criminal?" Celestinia asked. "I have come to give support to my fianc¨¦e. I would also like to hear why she has been charged of treason. I believe she has done nothing to warrant that," Lucien said. Celestinia noticed their linked hands and narrowed her eyes. "Vincent, my prince. Tell them, will you?" Celestinia said. "Yes, Queen Mother," Vincent said with a quick bow and opened a scroll. "Holy Saintess, you have been charged of treason for the following reasons. One, you have been impudent to the royal members of the family. Two, you have incited the people to make a presentation that mocks the customs of nobility," Vincent said. "Presentation? You mean the play? I didn''t mock anyone with that!" Euphemia said. "The story is obviously a call for rebellion against the nobility''s norm for arranged marriage with nobles. Your little play is inciting the nobles to go against their arranged marriages and marry lowly commoners. Disgusting!" Vincent said. Euphemia couldn''t believe what she had just heard. She wanted to hit his head with the scroll he was holding. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Your Highness, that was not my intention at all. I have no interest in changing your norms. I just wish to entertain people with my play and give jobs to the poor people. I do apologize if my play offended you," Euphemia said. She was not truly sorry but she didn''t want to be put to prison because of their ridiculous reasons. "We understand you are still uneducated about etiquette and the rules of our society. We will be lenient to you, Holy Saintess," Celestinia said with a smile that almost looked angelic. "Thank you, Your Highness," Euphemia said in relief. "Naturally, you shall still be educated. You will be given etiquette lessons until we see that you are fit again to be released to society," Celestinia said. Euphemia frowned. What nonsense was the Queen saying? "You will be confined here in the Imperial Palace until we have deemed you fit for society again. As for your punishment . . ." Confined?! They were not going to let her out of the Palace! ". . . your engagement with Duke Ashburn shall be deemed null," Celestinia said. "You can''t do that! You can''t imprison me here and break up our engagement!" Euphemia shouted angrily. "I can, Saintess. I''m the Queen after all," Celestinia said with a sadistic smile. "Your Highness, I do not agree with this. Please reconsider," Lucien said. "Duke Lucien Ashburn, heed my words. My words are your law. You shall break off your engagement with the Saintess. You shall have nothing to do with her anymore. If she tries to go back to you, you shall punish her with your own hands and return her to the Palace alive. We still need her alive . . . for now," Celestinia said. Euphemia felt the air go out of her. She forgot how to breathe. Perhaps it was her mind wishing for time to stop if she would stop breathing. Euphemia turned her head to look at Lucien. Was it a trick of the light or did Lucien''s bright emerald green eyes seemed dull? Almost like there was a thin veil of fog covering the vibrant greens. "As you wish, Your Highness," Lucien said. Chapter 30 - Taming The Saintess - Part 2 For some reason, Euphemia remembered the time she was introduced to Hiro Matsuya, her ex-fianc¨¦. It was a hot summer afternoon. The sun was too bright that day. There was nothing to smile about at that time but her parents were smiling from ear to ear. That was a bad sign. She had just turned eighteen. She was thin during her childhood. One would have no appetite to eat anyway with hawk-like parents who seemed to have no notion of how to praise a child. Yuzan was gone when she was nine years old. He was the one who always urged her to eat, sneaking in forbidden snacks for her. When he left, she only ate just to stop the hunger. She ate as little as possible, like a tiny bird longing to be light enough for the wind to carry away. During her teenage years, despite her small appetite her body started to get some curves. Not much to look at but not that bony anymore like a walking corpse. Her parents were pleased. They thought she was starting to be conscious of her looks but they were wrong. It was just nature taking its course, molding her into the kind of beauty she was supposed to become. Her parents had a young man beside them. He was all smiles, like an actor selling overpriced products in the shopping channel. His eyes seemed to be admiring her. She shivered despite the heat. "Mia, this is Hiro Matsuya. He''s the son of the president of Matsuya Corporations," her father said to her. "Hello," Mia said, wanting to get it over with already. She wanted to rip off the lacy ruffled dress she was ordered to wear and and put on her comfy pink pajamas in her air-conditioned room. Her mother frowned. "Mia, greet him properly." "Good afternoon, Matsuya-san. It is nice to meet you," Mia said with a slight bow. The young man grinned. He was good-looking but he wasn''t her type. Her type was the handsome villain type like the main character of her favorite anime. This Matsuya guy made her think of a polished vase - clean, expensive, and for decorative purposes only. "Good afternoon, Mia-chan. It''s nice to meet you too. You can call me Hiro," he said. Mia frowned. They had just met and he wanted to be on first name basis already. It looked like her suspicions were right. This guy might be the one her parents finally picked for her. Curses. "Can I go now?" Mia asked her parents. "Mia, dear, show him around the garden, will you?" Her father asked but he was not really asking her. He was ordering her. "Right this way, Matsuya-san," Mia said, purposely ignoring his request to call him by his first name. The Hajime family''s garden was featured several times in magazines because of its grandeur. It was landscaped by a team of famous architects and it took almost two years to complete it. It had a maze, almost a hundred different kinds of flowers, and trees that should not even be in their country. The garden had several gazebos and Mia planned to take him there. She didn''t want to tour him inside the maze. She did not want to impress him at all. They walked silently. She thought he would just follow her from behind but he matched her stride and walked by her side instead. They soon reached the gazebo. Mia sat on the bench inside and Hiro did the same. "Mia-chan, have I done something to offend you?" Hiro said. Mia frowned. Maybe she was too harsh at him. "No, it''s just to hot to walk around the garden." "Mia-chan, I know we just met but I do want us to be close. Can we be friends?" Hiro asked. "You don''t have to force yourself," Mia said. "I''m not sure if your parents already told you. Our parents have decided for us to be married," Hiro said. She knew it. She knew that was her parent''s plan. They''ve been looking for a marriage candidate for her ever since she was born and this was their ultimate choice. "And you? What have you decided?" Mia challenged. He smiled at her gently. "I have decided to be your best decision ever." "I don''t understand." "Well, it is still your decision to marry me, of course. You might just run off somewhere instead and this will never happen. If you do decide to go through this with me, you will not regret it," Hiro said. Mia was not sure if it was the summer heat or his surprising words that made her dizzy. "Why are you doing this? You can choose a different girl. I''m sure you have lots of options besides me," Mia said. "The moment I first saw you, I had a strong feeling that we''ll get along well. You''re really pretty and who am I to turn away from a pretty girl?" Hiro said. Mia blushed. She wasn''t used to compliments. It had been years since she had received a compliment. Yuzan was the only one who gave her compliments and those didn''t count because he was biased. "If you''ll have me," Mia said. "I''ll have you. Trust me. I''ll treat you how you deserve to be treated," Hiro said. After that day, their parents arranged the two of them to meet again and again. They went on lots of dates and Mia found herself enjoying herself and maybe, even falling for him. A year later, Mia''s parents asked her if she was ready for their engagement to be formalized. Mia agreed, of course. Contracts were made. Assets to be shared and businesses to be merged. Hiro asked for her to come to his mansion the next day. Mia was excited. He must have heard about it already. They were officially engaged! She wore a cute pink dress with strawberry embellishments. She also wore pink heels with pink fur on the straps. She was in a good mood. Maybe Hiro planned a romantic dinner for them in his mansion! Mia was brought to Hiro''s mansion with her family car. She was surprised when a butler opened the door for her. Usually, Hiro would open the door and he would greet her with such enthusiasm. Maybe he was busy. She was escorted to a waiting room. It had a couch for guests, a huge flat screen television, and refreshments on the table. But there was no Hiro Matsuya. She waited for a while and she was starting to be tempted to eat the refreshments when the door opened and Hiro finally arrived. "Hiro!" Mia squealed and got up to hug him. She put her arms around him and leaned on his chest. Strange. Hiro did not hug her back. He took her by the wrist and led her back to the couch. They sat silently. He had a strange expression on his face. "Hiro? Is there something wrong?" Mia asked worriedly. "Are you sure it has been formalized already?" Hiro asked. "The engagement, you mean? Yes, I saw the contracts. Our family businesses have merged already," Mia said. "Finally," Hiro said and smiled but it wasn''t the usual smile Mia had gotten used to. "Hiro, you can let go now," Mia said. His grip on her wrist had tightened. "Your dress it doesn''t suit you," Hiro said. "What?" Mia was confused. "It looks cheap and you look like a kid," Hiro said with a sneer. Mia frowned. "It''s not expensive but I like the design." "You should take care of your image so you won''t embarrass me," Hiro said, his grip on her tightening. "Hiro! My wrist! Ouch! Let go of me!" "You are not to order me around. You should respect me and obey me as you are to be my wife." "Stop it! Let go of me! It hurts!" Mia tried to shove him with her other hand but he caught it. He pushed her down on the couch, pressing his weight on top of her. "Why are you doing this?! Hiro, get off!" "Mia, dear. Don''t you understand yet? You''re mine now," Hiro whispered to her ear, his breath on her skin made her shiver. "No! I don''t want to be married to you!" Mia screamed. He pinned her arms above her head with his arm. His other hand went to her waist. "You will not break off the engagement. You will just make problems to our families for cancelling it. In fact, I''m sure no one will agree to cancel it. It''s a good business venture. You will stay quiet and be my obedient wife. If you tell anyone about this, I''m sure no one will believe you. Hiro Matsuya is such a nice young man, after all," Hiro said with a sadistic smile. Mia knew he was right. Her parents really wanted their families to be merged. They would bring in so much money to the business. She had a feeling that even if she tried to tell them about the true Hiro, they would reprimand her for being inconsiderate of the family business. "Hiro, please, just let me go. I won''t tell anyone," Mia pleaded. "I want you to promise not to tell anyone and you will still be my bride," Hiro said. "Why? Why are you doing this? Why are you being so mean? You were so nice before!" Mia said. He raised an eyebrow. "It''s tiring to be nice all the time. You should be honored that you''re the only one who knows the real me. Now, promise!" "No!" Mia screamed. Hiro sighed. "This is your fault, okay? You should have just agreed when I asked nicely. Now, I have to train you." His thumb pressed on the softness of her waist. He pressed hard. His thumb sinking on her flesh. She screamed. He made her promise again. She refused and his fist pounded on her stomach. She couldn''t even scream. It continued for hours. Her mind tried to escape from reality but he would not even let her drift off to consciousness. He would wake her up with extreme pain in a different part of her body. Days later, the bruises would form on her skin like wild flowers. "Hiro, please stop. I promise," Mia said. Her voice was hoarse from her screaming for hours. He looked at her silently for a while, assessing if he had finally broken her. He had. "Good," he said, looking satisfied, as if he had just finished a good workout. "Your parents have been advised that you have decided to stay here for three weeks. They''ve agreed already. A maid will clean you up," Hiro said and left the room. Mia closed her eyes. Rest. Finally. Why did she even try to fight back? She had always been the obedient child of her parents. She just needed to be the obedient wife this time. A tear escaped her eye. It hurt. Her body hurt but the betrayal was more painful. She really believed that Hiro actually liked her. She thought that he was truly being nice to her. That someone finally arrived who was willing to accept her and become her partner. She was wrong. A doctor tended to her. He was obviously paid off to keep his mouth shut so Mia did not even try to ask for help from him. He did not even ask her how she got hurt. Hiro bought new clothes for her that could fill up a wardrobe. They were extravagant - shiny and flashy. She felt like an expensive artwork to be shown off. She noticed that the clothes covered her bruises well. No one would know. They would just see her pretty face and gorgeous sparkling dress. No one would see the pain hiding beneath the sparkles. * * * Years passed and it did not get better. Hiro was bound to get fits from time to time. He openly flirted with different women in front of her. She did not mind the flirting. She hoped that he would fall for someone else already and let go of her. He did fall for someone else. She was an actress with a scandalous reputation. To Mia''s dismay, Hiro could not marry the actress. Their families were against it so Hiro vented off his anger to Mia. Mia always tried her hardest not to make Hiro angry. She was always quiet and obedient. She would wear whatever dress Hiro would pick for her. She started to forget what her preferences were. Her mind only remembered his preferences. Perhaps his last resort was to kill her off before they were married. Perhaps it was his last act of kindness to her. She would rather die than be trapped in marriage with him. Her only regret was that she trusted him. * * * "Lucien, please, no," Euphemia said. Lucien turned his head to look at her. His eyes seemed not to see her. He looked so distant. "I am breaking off our engagement, Lady Euphemia. I will finish the documents as soon as possible to nullify our contract. You are no longer my fianc¨¦e." Euphemia felt that he was throwing her away. Betrayal. Again. But why? "Lucien, why? Please don''t do this. We''re friends, aren''t we?" Euphemia cried. "Guards, take the Holy Saintess to her room," The Queen said. Two guards proceeded to drag Euphemia by her arms. "Lucien!" Euphemia screamed. He did not even look at her. Chapter 31 - Taming The Saintess - Part 3 Euphemia tried to struggle free from the two guards but their grips were firm . . . just like Hiro''s grip on her when he held her down. Euphemia shook her head. She would have slapped her cheeks if she could. She didn''t want to think about Hiro anymore. He''s far away from her now. Just like Lucien. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes but she blinked them away. She still held hope for Lucien. Perhaps it was part of his plan to act like he was going along with the Queen''s wishes. She couldn''t imagine everything that Lucien did for her was just a sham. His warm hug. His sweet words. His gentle smile. She needed to talk to him alone. She would give him a chance to explain himself. That chance would be her way of giving back Lucien''s kindness and if he really did not want her anymore, then she would have to seal her heart away again. Euphemia expected to be dragged to prison. She did not expect to be led to a well-decorated bedroom that seemed to belong in a 5-star hotel. A huge glass window, a table set, and a canopy bed. The guards let go of her and shut the door. She heard the door being locked from outside. Euphemia sat on the bed and began to think of ways to get out of her well-decorated prison. * * * Lucien was a prisoner in his own body. The words felt like it was being torn out of him when he said them. He could not shut his mouth nor say anything else. He watched helplessly at Euphemia''s hurt expression as he told her that she was no longer his fianc¨¦e. He heard Euphemia screaming his name as she was dragged by the guards but his body refused to move. A slave contract. There was no other explanation. He had unknowingly signed a slave contract and now he was the Queen''s puppet. "Vincent, my prince, leave us. I would like to speak to the Duke alone," Celestinia said. "But Mother . . ." "Leave, Vincent." The prince looked dissatisfied. He wanted to see how his mother would torment Lucien. He had always wanted to see Lucien in a helpless position. When Lucien lived with them in the Palace, the King only paid attention to Lucien. "As you wish, mother dear," Vincent said with a quick bow and looked at smirked at Lucien before leaving. "Oh Lucien, Lucien. Such a pity you have fallen to this state. If only you had not meddled with us. I could have just left you alone and let you live far from my sight," Celestinia said. He wanted to glower at her but his face remained impassive. "Speak your mind, Duke Ashburn. Your silence is boring me," Celestinia said. He opened his mouth. "You witch! Undo this contract!" Celestinia burst out laughing. "I''m not a witch. I''m a queen and a queen must be crafty! Finally! I have you under my thumb." "I will make you regret this. Let go of Euphee." Celestinia raised an eyebrow. "Oh! A nickname? You two must be close already. It''s making you delusional if you think you can command me, Duke. I still have orders for you." "Are you so desperate to marry her to your son? She does not want the prince!" "And you think she wants you, Duke?" Celestinia scoffed. Lucien glared at her. "Duke Ashburn, your last words before I command you to silence once again?" "Where is the King?" Lucien asked. If the King knew what the Queen was doing, he would surely stop her. The King was a just ruler and he also knew that the King despised the Queen. He had seen the way he looked at her. The way his golden eyes seemed to lose their warmth whenever she was beside him. "The King is . . . at rest," Celestinia said with an amused smile. Lucien frowned. The King had not been seen for almost a year already. What kind of illness did he have? Was he ill or was he being held captive by the Queen? "Lucien Ashburn, you will go back to your mansion and tell no one about your slave contract with me. You will remain silent unless you need to talk but you will not say that you are doing it unwillingly. When asked why you are breaking your engagement with the Saintess, just tell them that you do not deserve her. Lastly, I want you to do the same thing your mother did." The Queen''s next words made his blood run cold. "Burn your mansion and stay there until you die." * * * Hansel paced restlessly. He had expected the arrival of Lucien and Euphemia hours ago but they were still not home. Dinner had been prepared already but the masters were still nowhere to be seen. Hansel heard the main door open. He hurried towards the door. "Your Grace!" Lucien regarded him silently. "Your Grace, you must be famished! Where''s Lady Euphemia?" Hansel looked behind Lucien but the Saintess was not behind him nor in the carriage. "Your Grace?" Lucien opened his mouth. Hansel cocked his head to the side. Lucien closed it and frowned. "Is there something wrong, Your Grace?" "Prepare the papers to dissolve my engagement with the Saintess." Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Chapter 32 - Taming The Saintess - Part 4 Hansel looked at Lucien in disbelief. Did they get into an argument or something? His eyes. Hansel could have sworn that they were vibrant green before. Now, his eyes seemed to be dull with almost no trace of green. It was like peering at a foggy window. "Your Grace, why do want do dissolve your engagement with Lady Euphemia?" Hansel asked. "I do not deserve her," Lucien responded. Hansel frowned. There was something niggling at the back of his mind but he still could not understand it. "Where were you, Your Grace?" Hansel asked. Silence. "Where is Lady Euphemia?" "I have nothing to do with her anymore." Hansel scratched his head in frustration. "Would you like to have dinner first?" "Just prepare the documents so I can sign them." "Your Grace, please tell me what''s wrong. I do not understand," Hansel pleaded. "I know you care deeply for Lady Euphemia. Why are you doing this?!" "I do not deserve her," Lucien repeated. "Your Grace, I beg your pardon but that''s hogwash! I have seen how you have supported her. I have seen the way she smiles and enjoys your company!" Lucien remained silent. "Your Grace, is there something you cannot tell me?" Lucien began to walk and Hansel followed him. He was going to his study. He didn''t have dinner yet and where was Lady Euphemia anyway?! Hansel tried a different tactic. He blocked Lucien''s way. "Your Grace, is there someone forcing you to do this?" "No. I am not doing this unwillingly." What a strange choice of words. "Are you protecting Lady Euphemia?" "No." "Do you wish to protect her?" "I have nothing to do with her anymore." There. Those words again. Lucien was repeating his words! "Why are you doing this, Your Grace?" "I do not deserve her." Lucien had no emotions written on his face. He was like stone. Hansel had a sinking feeling on what was wrong with him. Normally, one would not question a Duke''s actions and if someone did try, the question would only be asked once. But Hansel was different. Their relationship was more of friendship than master and servant. To their advantage, that was not public knowledge. Only a handful of people like Euphemia, Rubiella, and the loyal handpicked servants in the Ashburn household knew of Lucien and Hansel''s friendship. To the Imperial Family, Hansel was only a personal servant assigned by the King as a gift to Lucien. No one would think that the two would become friends over time. "Your Grace, are you under a slave contract?" Hansel finally asked. "No." No explanation. Just a simple no. Perhaps it was a simple command to deny the truth. He needed to be more clever than whoever gave the commands to Lucien. "Your Grace, is Lady Euphemia in the Imperial Palace?" "I have nothing to do with her anymore." Hansel frowned. This was not going to be easy. "Say that again if you mean she''s in the Imperial Palace." "I have nothing to do with her anymore," Lucien repeated. The person who gave the command must have told him to say that if he''s asked about Euphemia. Hansel had a feeling that Lucien was trying to fight the commands. Perhaps Lucien was deliberately repeating the words he was only allowed to say. "Say that again if you wish for me to rescue her." "I have nothing to do with her anymore." "Understood. Your engagement papers would you like me to hide them? If I understand correctly, you do not truly wish to dissolve your engagement with Lady Euphemia." "Prepare the papers," Lucien simply said. Hansel nodded. Someone must have commanded Lucien to dissolve the engagement. He had an inkling that it was either the Queen or the Prince. Hansel would do his best to hide the papers from Lucien. "I will prepare the papers. Please do not enter the study yet, Your Grace." Hansel quickly entered the study and grabbed the engagement papers from under the desk. He folded them and hid them inside the secret pocket of his suit. Hansel opened the door. "Your Grace, I have prepared the papers but you must eat your dinner first. You need to eat your dinner first so you have the strength to sign the papers to dissolve your engagement," Hansel said, trying to manipulate the command given to Lucien. Lucien remained silent. Then he moved and walked away from the study. It worked! Lucien was not forcing Hansel to hand over the papers to him but Hansel was not sure if it was because he managed to fool the commands or Lucien was fighting against the commands. But Hansel had to make sure that Lucien would not get his hands on the papers. He had to give the papers to someone else and ask for help too from . . . her. * * * Two maids entered Euphemia''s room. Euphemia got up and rushed to them. "Please help me get out of here," Euphemia said hurriedly. The maids looked uncomfortable. "We can''t, Holy Saintess. If you disappear, we''ll be punished and we might not even live." "We''re really sorry, Holy Saintess. We wish we can but we really can''t help you." Euphemia expected that but there was no harm in trying. At least, the servants knew she was being held in the palace unwillingly. "What if you just let me talk to Prince Vincent? I''d like to persuade him myself then," Euphemia said. "You are going to meet him in a while, Holy Saintess. We have been ordered to dress you up because you''re going to have dinner with him." "I see," Euphemia said, her expression grave. Dinner with the enemy. "Do you think you can find me a black dress?" The maids looked astonished but they nodded. They wouldn''t be able to help the Saintess leave but they can help her rebel even for a bit. Half an hour later, Euphemia was clad in black. Her dress was made of velvet. It had no gemstones or any other kind of embellishments but the way the fabric hugged her figure and draped down from her waist made her look very elegant. The dress had a slight glimmer under the light. Her raven black hair and jet black dress made her look like a Princess of Darkness instead of a Saintess. It reminded her the first time she had worn a black dress in Aderlan when she was summoned to meet the Queen. It reminded her of Lucien when he told her she looked stunning. She missed him. She needed to get out of the Palace first so they can talk. "You look beautiful, Holy Saintess!" "You look perfect in it, Holy Saintess!" Euphemia smiled at them gratefully. "Thank you." Euphemia exited her room and proceeded to go to the dining hall. She passed by several servants in the hallways. Their heads turned to look at her in awe. She carried such a strong presence that the servants all stopped what they were doing. No one was sure if it was her perfect posture that made them all stare. Or the way she walked with such confidence as if she had been living in the palace for years already. Or her serene expression that betrayed no emotions. She was like steel. She was like the night. She was like a queen. Chapter 33 - An Eventful Evening Euphemia entered the dining hall. Like the rest of the palace, it was extravagant. A normal person would have been impressed at the golden chandeliers, the long Hogwarts-like table, and the handsome prince at the head of the table. Euphemia was not impressed. She just wanted to get out of the palace. The prince smiled at her. She also wanted to hit the crazy prince''s face then get out of the palace. The prince waved at her. He was sitting at the end of the table where the head should be seated. He gestured for her to sit beside him. Euphemia sat at the other end of the table. "You''re so far away, my lady!" Vincent whined and got up. The prince sat on the chair beside her and smiled brightly. "Now I can see your beautiful face up close!" Vincent said. Euphemia''s face scrunched up. "What are you doing?" Euphemia asked, not bothering to hide her distaste. The prince smiled innocently. "I''m just trying to converse with you, my lady. Do you wish for the servants to serve the food now?" Euphemia''s eyebrows furrowed. "You''re disgusting. Go back to your normal self." The prince laughed. His laughter was a lovely sound just like his mother''s. He must have gotten it from her. The shiny looks and the nasty wickedness inside. "You do amuse me so, Saintess. I am merely trying to woo you!" Vincent said with a smirk. Euphemia narrowed her eyes at him. "You should get a doctor to check you. I can see that you have a short memory span. I will tell you again. I am engaged already so stop pestering me." Vincent only laughed harder and Euphemia just ignored him. The food arrived and it was a feast that couldn''t possibly be finished by only two people. Utensils were served also and Euphemia noticed that there were so many of them because there were so many types of food. The prince noticed Euphemia''s surprised look at the number of utensils laid out in front of them. "You can only use one for each food. You can''t use the same fork for different dishes. It''s part of your etiquette lesson but I''m teaching you now so you should be thankful," Vincent said with a bright mocking smile. "You''re really giving me etiquette lessons and you''ll let me go?" Euphemia asked while she stabbed the steak and the potatoes with the same fork. "Naturally, you''ll be receiving etiquette lessons. We can''t have you embarrassing the Imperial Family. Lots of ladies are vying up to be my queen and yet you''re going to get that position because you''re the Saintess!" "I don''t want that position and I don''t want you," Euphemia said and slurped the soup loudly on purpose. Vincent sighed. "The Duke just said you''re not his fianc¨¦e anymore. You should be with me instead! Doesn''t anybody want to marry a prince?" "No. Get someone else," Euphemia said. "I''m being kind to you, Saintess. I can throw you in prison if I wish but you''re here eating delicious food and dining in the presence of a prince!" "Your presence is spoiling the food." Vincent chattered away incessantly. Euphemia ignored him and concentrated in eating. She knew she was pushing her luck with the prince with her rude remarks at him. He might really just throw her in prison so she should eat as much as she could first. Euphemia began eating a slice of cake. "You have cream on your cheek, my lady." It happened so fast. She felt his hand on her cheek. Then his breath on her cheek. "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Euphemia shouted and pushed him. She stood up, horrified at what almost happened. The prince looked merely amused. Was he going to lick her?! "My lady, I was just trying to remove the cream," Vincent said with an innocent smile that could have made a lady swoon but it only made her skin crawl. "You were . .. " Euphemia could no longer finish what she was going to say and touched her cheek to wipe off the cream. There was no cream. The prince chuckled. "You were lost in thoughts, my lady. It was the only way I could get your attention." "You''re not going to kill me, are you?" "Of course not. A dead Saintess is useless," Vincent said. "Good." Euphemia picked up the plate containing the slice of cake she was eating and smashed it on the prince''s face. It was a childish move. It wouldn''t even hurt him but it gave her momentary satisfaction. The prince was too shocked to make a sound. While the plate was still on his face, Euphemia quickly grabbed the nearest knife. She looked at the prince. She wasn''t going to kill him. So she ran. * * * A cool breeze fluttered Hansel''s hair and lifted it slightly from his shoulders. His light brown hair seemed to glisten under the moonlight. From a casual observer, he would look like a noble man out for a night stroll. He had an upright posture, an air of mystery about him, and he seemed to taking a rest in front of the Ashburn Residence. Hansel was actually deciding which part of the hedge he should climb over. He was going to start climbing already when a voice suddenly caught his attention. "Sir? Do you have business in here?" Hansel turned. It was a maid. What should he say? The maid was curiously looking at him. "Are you Lord Hansel?" Hansel''s eyebrows jerked up in surprise. "You are, aren''t you? Do not fret, My Lord. My name is Annie. I am My Lady''s trusted servant. She has told me about you," the maid said happily. "Yes, I was just wondering how I could meet with her in . . . secret," Hansel said while his cheeks burned red. "Oh, a tryst!" Annie exclaimed. Hansel blushed even harder. "N-no, it''s not like that. I just wish to talk to her," Hansel protested. Annie nodded. "No worries, My Lord. My lips are sealed. Come with me. There''s a back entrance for servants. You can slip in there and I''ll show you the way to her room." Hansel''s heart pounded. This was no time for his heart to pound! He should be focused! His masters were in danger and he should be doing his best to help them! Hansel followed Annie to the back entrance. Fortunately, they didn''t run across any other people in the hallway. "This is her room. It''s unlocked. She is usually asleep already at this time of the night. Is she expecting you?" Annie asked. "No, it''s um a . . . s-surprise," Hansel stammered. "Young love." Annie chuckled. "Don''t make too much of a noise, okay? I''ll leave you now. Have a nice evening, Lord Hansel." Hansel couldn''t possibly get more red. Annie left and Hansel was now alone in front of Rubiella''s room. Hansel slowly turned the doorknob and Annie was right. Rubiella was already sleeping. Her long red hair was strewn across her pillow. The moonlight casted light on her ivory skin and flimsy nightgown. Maybe he should just leave. She looked so peaceful sleeping. A fire goddess in deep slumber. Hansel turned to leave. The wooden floor creaked from his footstep. "Who''s that?" A sleepy voice asked. Hansel looked back. She was awake. Rubiella sat up. Her eyes fluttering, still not seeing who her visitor was. She covered her mouth and yawned. Well, not fully awake yet. Half-awake. "My lady, It is I." Hansel said. * * * Rubiella was . . . panicking. What in Heavens was Hansel doing in her room?! Her hair was surely in a messy nestlike state. She was wearing a plain old nightgown. She should start wearing lacy silky nightgowns next time! And was she drooling in her sleep?! Rubiella quickly ran her fingers through her hair trying to detangle it . . . in vain. "Hansel! What are you doing here?" Rubiella asked. "I do apologize for interrupting your sleep, my lady," Hansel said and walked over to the side of her bed. "No, don''t apologize. I was not yet sleeping anyway," Rubiella lied. Hansel was very much welcome in her room but of course she wouldn''t say that out loud. She was a proper lady. "You can sit here," Rubiella said and patted the space beside her. She was a proper lady just offering Hansel to sit. "My lady, I bear unfortunate news. Lady Euphemia is in the Imperial Palace and I fear she is being held there captive," Hansel said. "Oh no! How dare they?!" Rubiella exclaimed. "His Grace, Duke Ashburn, is unable to help her. He is under a . . . slave contract." Rubiella was confused. "I don''t understand. How did His Grace become a slave? What do you mean by a slave contract?" "Someone must have made him sign an innocent looking contract and it has been imbued with black magic to make him a slave. He has been commanded to break his engagement with Lady Euphemia. I do not know if there are other commands given to him and I can only help him with this." Hansel looked incredibly tired and frustrated. She couldn''t understand the whole picture yet but one thing was for sure. She wanted to help Hansel. Rubiella put her hand on his shoulder. "What can I do to help?" Rubiella asked. Chapter 34 - Trapped Lucien was no stranger to the dark. He was well acquainted of it during his childhood. The wardrobe with his wool jackets that had almost never been worn. The space under his bed as he held his breath trying not to make the slightest of sound. Or under his father''s desk in the dark study with the air so stale he imagined the dust filling up his lungs. Those were the dark places he knew of. The places he thought his mother would not reach him. He did not expect to be reunited with the dark again in a place he had never thought of. Inside him. Lucien''s physical body had closed its eyes. Perhaps the magic in the slave contract deemed it necessary for the body to rest so it can perform its duties the next morning. When the body closed its eyes, the real Lucien inside was surrounded by darkness. He shouted. A lot. He told himself to move. He told himself to get up. He told himself to strangle the queen to break the damn contract. But of course his body did not listen. His body had become a puppet. A thing to be manipulated. A thing that was carrying his face but not listening to his mind. Lucien looked around him and decided to walk. It was strange. He could walk. Under his feet was a ground so black he could not make out what exactly he was walking on. Tap tap tap. His footsteps were the only thing he could hear in the vast darkness. "Anyone out there?! Please help me!" He shouted. For some reason, he had a feeling he was not alone. His senses told him that someone was observing him. Studying him. He continued to walk. Perhaps he wasn''t really inside his mind. What if he was transported somewhere else? A dark place where the real souls of those who were under the slave contract thrown into. "Please! Help me!" Lucien shouted. He dreaded the morning. His body would wake up and he would see it moving again against his will. It would surely look for the engagement contract. And after that . . . "Please! I need to get out of here!" Lucien shouted. Euphemia was in danger. What were they doing to her? Was she being harassed by that prince? "Please! I need to get out of here! I need to save someone!" Lucien shouted. He knew it was useless. It must have been his imagination. Why would someone else be inside the darkness with him? Then the voice came. Loud and majestic. Like thunder. A pair of huge golden eyes smoldered from the darkness. "Why?" * * * Euphemia had always fantasized about an alternate world. A world where magic was not just a sleight of the hand. A fantasy world with a prince and a villain. A world she could escape to. But now she was running. Trying to escape the prince. Trying to go back to the arms of her villain. Her villain. Euphemia wanted to scream his name into the night. She wanted to be rescued but he was nowhere to be found. He promised that he would protect her. Now, she had no one beside her. Again. Her legs felt heavy. The air was getting harder to get into her lungs. She had not run into a guard yet but she would rather not take her chances. Where were the guards anyway? Euphemia found herself facing a huge wide door. Her instincts told her it might lead to outside. Small doors meant rooms. Big doors meant exits, right? She pushed the door, putting in all her weight she could on it. She was able to push it open a bit and she fitted herself inside the small space she was able to make. The smell of flowers. She was outside. Greenery. Shrubs, trees, and several flowers hidden in the shadows of the night. The strong fragrance made her queasy. It reminded her of the garden from her original world. Euphemia stepped under the shade. She began running again. It was as though the darkness had swallowed up her whole. Her raven black hair and her black dress that contained no drop of color blended in with the shadows. There must be an exit somewhere. If there was no exit, perhaps she could climb a ledge or a tree to get outside. There must be a way. There must be. She felt terrible. The contents of her stomach were pushing its way up with every step she took. Every gust of wind felt like needles on her skin, cold and impossibly painful. She was sweating but her teeth were starting to chatter. The world seemed to swim in front of her eyes. Everything was moving too much. Why was the ground swaying? Then she collapsed. She was under the moonlight. She could have been hidden in the shadows again in a few more seconds of running but she collapsed just before she could get under another shade. She tried to get up. Her head felt like it was being squeezed from the sides like a lemon being juiced. What was happening to her? She tried to get up but she collapsed again. Strength drained out of her body. She closed her eyes and tried to will strength back into her body. Get up. Get up before he catches you! "You got quite far, my lady. A proper lady should not run! Especially not after dinner," a voice said. Prince Vincent. "What did you do to me?" Euphemia asked through gritted teeth. "You ate a lot, didn''t you, my lady?" Vincent asked cheerfully. She did but that wouldn''t explain everything she was feeling. Unless he did something to the food. "Did you poison me?" Euphemia asked in disbelief. Vincent clapped cheerfully. "Our Saintess is so smart! Yes, I did!" So that''s why he did not eat. She thought he was just a chatterbox but it did not dawn to her that he would actually poison her. "Why?" Euphemia asked. "Well, you will be confined in your room for days if you''re poisoned, right? Not to worry! This poison will not kill you. We''ve tested this already and I gave you the safest one. It just gives you all the unpleasantness without the death. We cannot have you running around like this, can''t we? You just have to stay in your room and . . . do as you''re told," Vincent said with a very pleased smile. "What are you planning on making me stay in my room?" Euphemia asked Vincent smirked. "Making you my wife." Euphemia''s eyes widened. "No!" Euphemia screamed. "You can''t force me!" "I can, actually. I can give you small doses of the antidote and relieve you of the pain. In exchange, you will give yourself to me. Willingly. You will beg me to give you relief," Vincent said. He crouched down beside her and caressed her face with his hand. "It''s painful, isn''t it? It will become more painful. The ones who tried this actually tried to kill themselves just to end the pain. You don''t need to be in pain, my lady," Vincent said. Vincent pulled her up. His hands caressed her waist. Euphemia put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. "Do you have the antidote with you?" Euphemia asked. Vincent smiled in satisfaction. "Yes, I do but there is a price." "I will do anything," Euphemia whispered. "A kiss will suffice for now," Vincent said with a satisfied look on his face. Euphemia leaned in close to his face. Vincent tilted his head and closed his eyes. Euphemia dropped her right arm to her side. The sleeves of her dress were tight but they were loose enough to fit a knife between the space where cloth meets skin. The knife she stole from dinner fell perfectly on the palm of her hand. Faster than a blink, she slashed his face. Red. Despite the darkness, she knew it was blood. She could smell it in the air. She could feel the wetness on her hand. The stickiness. Then he screamed. No lovely sound of laughter this time. Just an ugly animalistic sound. A scream that pieced her ears and made her bite her lip. An ugly red gash dripped blood from the prince''s left eye to the right side of his jaw. He touched his face and screamed again at the sight of the blood on his hands. He looked at her. Murderous rage in his eyes. "I can heal you," Euphemia said before Vincent could charge at her. "Now! Do it now, you bi*ch!" Vincent shouted at her. "Not until you let me go," Euphemia said. His hands grasped her arms and squeezed so tight, tears threatened to come out of her eyes. "HEAL ME NOW!" He shook her. "No! I want you to take me outside!" Euphemia screamed at him. "What makes you think you can survive with the antidote? You can barely even walk!" He threw her to the ground. "Heal me now or I''ll break you arm," Vincent said, stepping on her arm. "No. I want you to let me go!" Euphemia said. He stomped on her arm and she screamed. She tried to reach for the knife again but he saw what she was trying to do and he kicked the knife away. He crouched down. The blood from his gashed face dripping down on her cheek. He fumbled for something in his pocket and took out a small vial of purple liquid. "See here? This is the antidote. You will feel so much better after you drink this." He took of the vial''s cap and started pouring the contents on the ground. "I suggest you start begging now, Saintess." Chapter 35 - Someone Beside Me "You wish," Euphemia whispered. Then everything faded to black. * * * "Pathetic." It sounded like a woman''s voice. Euphemia was fading in and out of consciousness. She did not have the strength to open her eyes to see who had just insulted her. She wasn''t even sure if the voice was real. Her body was burning up. Everything was a flurry of colors and voices. There were people who tried to feed her. Probably the maids. She wasn''t sure. They were there and then they were not there and she herself would fade out. She could no longer keep track of time or days. There were only times when the room would be bright and the room would be dark. Both times she would only be conscious for a while then the unfathomable pain in her body would tire her out. "Pathetic." It was that voice again. Loud and clear. Not like the flurry of voices she would hear from the maids who tried hard to feed her. No, this one was different. A voice clear like glass. A voice that seemed to be speaking inside her head. "Go away," Euphemia said hoarsely. She must have screamed without her remembering or maybe because she had not been drinking as much. Her own voice sounded like branches being dragged on gravel. "Why don''t you?" The voice taunted. Euphemia forced her eyes open. She wanted to see who had the nerve to anger a poisoned person. She was sure it was not the Queen. The Queen''s voice was melodic. This one was far from beautiful. The voice was not ugly. It just sounded wrong. It was night time and she could barely make out the dark figure standing beside her bed. "Who are you?" Euphemia asked. The dark figure drifted closer to her and leaned down above her face. Long strands of inky black hair shrouded her sides. Euphemia could not move in fright. Her neck. The woman''s neck had been slit open. The blood was not red. It was a dark shade that almost looked black. As if it had been dry for several years already. Her skin was chalkish white, her eyes were dark pools of black, and her mouth was curved into a smile. "You know who I am," the woman said. "I d-don''t know who you are! Go away!" Euphemia screamed. The woman threw back her head and howled with laughter. Her laughter bouncing off the walls in a devilish tune. Then she turned her gaze again towards Euphemia with a somber look this time. "Banish the pain with might! Bless thee with healing light!" The room was filled with golden light. Euphemia felt the warm light wash over her body. The light slowly faded and so did the pain. Euphemia stared at the corpse-like woman in shock who had just healed her. "Saintess," the woman whispered and disappeared into a wisp of black smoke. Then she was gone. No trace of the black smoke or her eerie presence. Only a very confused Euphemia was left. "What the hell?" * * * Prince Vincent threw his plate on the floor. The plate broke into several pieces and the soup spread across the floor. "Who made this?! I want the chef executed. This is pig sh*t! How dare you serve me such filth!" The maid hastily began to pick up the broken pieces of the plate. "Your Highness, I beg your pardon but if we execute that chef, we would no longer have a chef in the Imperial Palace," an old butler said. Vincent raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure?" "Yes, Your Highness. The one who cooked that soup is the twentieth and the last one we have." "Then hire new ones. Unless you are telling me I cannot do what I want," Vincent said. "No, Your Highness. I would not dare. Your wish is my command," the butler said and hurriedly left. "Ouch!" Vincent looked at the maid. Her finger was bleeding. She must have cut herself from picking up the broken pieces. "Your commoner blood is dirtying the floor of the Imperial Palace, maid," Vincent said. The maid cowered in fright. The prince had become so frightening ever since the incident with the Saintess. The wound on his face had not yet healed fully. His scarred face and angry demeanor made him almost monstrous. "I''m s-so sorry, Your Highness! I''ll c-clean this up quickly!" The maid said, her hands trembling in fear while she wiped the floor. "Black hair. Just like hers," Vincent murmured. The maid knew who the prince was talking about. The Saintess had beautiful black hair. The maid quickly stood up. "I have finished cleaning, Your Highness. I will excuse myself. Praise be, future Sun of the Empire," the maid said and curtsied. She was about to reach the door when she was suddenly pulled by her hair. "Why don''t you help your crown prince release some stress?" Vincent said with a sneer as he dragged the maid by her hair. "P-please, Your Highness! Have m-mercy!" The maid said repeatedly in between sobs. "Do you see my face, commoner? Do you not think it''s unfair that your crown prince has a wound on his face while your ugly face is unscarred? YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!" Vincent grabbed the knife from the table. "Show your loyalty to the Empire, commoner," Vincent said. "Your Highness, please, have m-mercy!" He was about to bring down the knife to the maid''s face when the door suddenly opened. It was the old butler. "Your Highness, I apologize for interrupting but you have guests," the butler said. Vincent frowned. He did not remember accepting any guests in the Imperial Palace. "Who are they? Why have they come unannounced?" Vincent asked. "They said they are from House Summers, Your Highness. The Viscount arrived with his daughter and he said he already had an appointment with you," the butler said. "Summers? I do not remember that House," Vincent said. He pushed the maid aside, his sadistic interest gone. The maid scurried out of the room. "I believe you have already met the young lady before. Her name is Rubiella and she''s the red-haired lady you spoke with outside the Palace gates," the butler said. Vincent''s face darkened. "Why have they come? Did the father mention?" "He said he wishes to formalize your engagement with the young lady, Your Highness." * * * A few nights ago... "My Lady, could you perhaps go inside the Imperial Palace?" Hansel asked. "I''m not certain. Why?" Rubiella asked. "If you can find Lady Euphemia perhaps you can help her get out of the Imperial Palace. I can''t get in because I''m not a noble but I was wondering if you can," Hansel said. Hansel was looking at her with eyes full of hope and she did not have the heart to tell him she herself had not been allowed inside the gates. Actually, there might be a way but she would need to get help from her father. "I will see what I can do," Rubiella said. Hansel smiled with relief. "Thank you, My Lady." "No trouble at all," Rubiella said while mustering a confident smile. "Are you a frequent guest of the Palace, My Lady? May I know how you will arrange for a reason to get inside?" Hansel asked. No, he should not know. He should not know that her mother and the Queen were best friends in the past and they had agreed to marry their children to each other. There was no way she was going to tell him that. " I um . . . I''ve been there before. No need for you to worry about the details. Just take care of the Duke and I will take care of Euphee," Rubiella said. Hansel nodded. "As you wish, My Lady. I shall take my leave now. I do apologize for putting you in such a position. If you feel that you are in any danger please do not proceed with the plan and just get out of the Palace." Hansel got up to leave. "Um, Hansel. It''s late already," Rubiella said. Hansel looked confused. "Yes, it is, My Lady. I apologize for interrupting your sleep." Rubiella felt her cheeks go warm. "I mean it''s quite dangerous to walk in the streets at this time of the night, do you not think so?" Hansel smiled. "I am able to defend myself. I did protect you once, My Lady." "It''s better to be safe. What if there are too many of them? What if those men get revenge on you?" Rubiella said She knew she sounded ridiculous. Hansel looked like he was perfectly capable to deal with street goons. "I have skills you have not yet seen, My Lady. You have nothing to worry about," Hansel said. Skills she had not yet seen. Rubiella blushed. She had a feeling Hansel had skills indeed. Hansel looked concerned. "Is there something wrong, My Lady? I fear I do not understand what you are trying to say." "I um . . ." Hansel crouched on the floor in front of her and looked up at her blushing face. "Yes, My Lady?" "I want you to . . . " "If you have anything you wish for me to do, I''ll gladly oblige. I am the one who asked you a favour and I will gladly repay your kindness, My Lady." "I WANT YOU TO SLEEP WITH ME!" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * END OF SEASON ONE * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Please read my announcement in Author''s Thought. Thank you for your support. Chapter 36 - Christmas Special (Side Story - 1) It was a cold winter in the Hajime residence. Snow was falling steadily outside the window. A small girl with skin as white as snow and hair as black as raven''s feathers was sneaking in to a room that wasn''t hers. There was a boy sleeping under the covers unaware of his little sister''s ninja-like movements. He also had skin as white as snow and hair as black as raven''s feathers. When she was already close enough to the bedside, she leapt up on the bed and jumped up and down. "Merry Christmas, Onii-chan!" Yuzan groaned. His head was still swimming with so much business information. He had lessons about the stock market until ten in the evening despite it being Christmas Eve already. "What time is it, Mia-chan?" Yuzan said, rubbing his eyes. "It''s . . . Christmas . . . time . . . Onii-chan!" Mia said in between jumps. "Mia-chan, stop jumping. I''m getting dizzy," Yuzan said. Mia stopped jumping and gasped for breath. "That was tiring," Mia declared. "Yes, it was. Come here, Mia-chan," Yuzan said and gently pulled the little girl into his arms. She snuggled to his chest, rubbing her nose at his neck. "Is it midnight, Mia-chan?" Yuzan asked. "Yes, it''s Christmas, Onii-chan," Mia said happily. "Is it all right if I give you my gift in the morning? Onii-chan wants to sleep more," Yuzan said while caressing Mia''s head. "Okay but I''ll give you my gift now!" Mia said and sat up. She handed him a handmade card. Yuzan felt his chest tighten with emotion. The card had a drawing on the cover. The drawing was a mess but he guessed that the black-haired doodle of a boy and the small black-haired doodle of a girl were the two of them. "That''s you, Onii-chan. I even drew your eye bags!" Mia pointed at the dark circles under the eyes of drawing version of himself. Yuzan chucked. "That is very accurate. Thank you, Mia-chan." Yuzan opened the card. There was a letter inside. Yuzan squinted his eyes at the messy handwriting but the power of his sister complex would enable him to deciper even if Mia used hieroglyphs. "Dearest Onii-chan, My wish is for you to be happy always and if okay with you, please be with Mia always. Thank you for caring for Mia. I love you, Onii-chan. Huuuuuugs!" Yuzan squeezed Mia and buried his face in her hair. "Thank you, Mia-chan. Onii-chan will always be with you. I love you too," Yuzan said. "Can''t breathe!" Mia removed his arms around her. "Onii-chan, you didn''t look at my other drawing!" Mia fumed. "Your other drawing?" Yuzan asked in confusion and looked at the card again. At the left side was the letter and at the right side there was indeed another drawing that he failed to notice. The drawing was of a boy with brown hair, brown skin, and green eyes. "It''s your favorite character! Suzaku!" *** For those who haven''t watched Code Geass (Spoiler alert!): Suzaku was the best friend of Lelouch (Mia''s favorite male character) but they became enemies afterwards because Lelouch accidentally killed Euphemia when his power went haywire (Mia''s favorite female character). *** Yuzan''s eyes widened and laughed. "Oh! Sorry I was just distracted by the colors. You''re really good at coloring. I see, you really got the color of his eyes right and his skin looks the same. You''re so talented, Mia-chan!" Yuzan said, trying to hide the fact that he didn''t recognize the drawing at all. Mia grinned at him proudly. "I know that Suzaku is your favorite character, Onii-chan. Now you can take him with you always," Mia said. "Ah, yes. How thoughtful of you, Mia-chan," Yuzan said. He wanted to have it framed instead and preserved eternally. He didn''t want to accidentally throw it away thinking it''s one of his lecture notes. "Onii-chan, why is Suzaku your favorite character?" Mia asked. "He looks fine as hell," Yuzan said then his eyes widened in realization of what he just said. Mia cocked her head to the side. "What does that mean?" "I mean he looks nice, Mia-chan. His eyes look kind and his skin looks like chocolate. I mean, his skin is quite different from ours and I like it," Yuzan said. Why did he feel like he was digging a hole for himself? "Suzaku is like chocolate?" Mia asked, still not understanding what her brother was saying. "Um, you''ll understand when you grow up, Mia-chan. Anyway, I also like how he''s protective of Euphemia," Yuzan said. "She''s my favorite female character!" Mia said. "Yes, I know, and your favorite male character is Lelouch," Yuzan said. *** For those who haven''t watched Code Geass (Spoiler alert!): Lelouch is the main character of the anime, Code Geass. He gets a power to control people when giving them a command. He takes on the role of a villain for the greater good. *** Mia nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you for your gift, Mia-chan. I will treasure it well," Yuzan said and hugged Mia. "Are you going to sleep now, Onii-chan?" Mia asked. "Yes, can you stay here, Mia-chan?" Yuzan asked and laid down, his arm still around Mia. "Okay. Let me get your pillow, Onii-chan," Mia said. "No need. Mia-chan can be my pillow," Yuzan said and hugged her. "Mia is not a pillow," Mia pouted. "Good night, Mia-chan. Thank you for your gift," Yuzan said and kissed the top of her head. "Good night, Onii-chan," Mia said and closed her eyes. * * * Mia''s eyes fluttered open. She felt something placed on her ears. They were headphones but she didn''t know that yet as she was still half-asleep. "Good morning, Mia-chan." The voice did not belong to her brother. Mia was sure of that. The voice was like velvet, smooth and regal. "It''s Lelouch." Mia''s eyes widened. She was now wide awake. "Look into my eyes, Mia-chan." Yuzan turned on the television in front of his bed and it showed the face of Mia''s favorite anime character. He had black hair and a very handsome face with an air of regality. Not of a Prince Charming but more of a very alluring evil prince. Mia stared at the screen dumbstruck. "Lelouch vi Britannia commands you: LIVE A HAPPY LIFE!" Mia''s jaw dropped open. "Merry Christmas, Mia-chan." The handsome character in the television smiled then the video ended. "Um, Mia-chan, are you okay?" Yuzan asked, a bit worried at his little sister who looked frozen in shock. "Was that real? Was that a dream?" Mia mumbled and pinched her arm. "Ouch. Not a dream," Mia said then turned to her brother. "Onii-chan! Lelouch! He greeted me!" Mia screamed. Yuzan laughed. "Yes, he did. That is my Christmas gift to you. Do you like it?" Mia jumped up and hugged Yuzan. "I like it so much! Can I watch it again?" Mia asked. "As much as you want," Yuzan said with a gentle expression on his face. * * * The recording was short but Yuzan went through hell to get that gift for Mia. He had to use his family connections to contact the voice actor. He also had to persuade their parents to let him get that recording for his sister. He blackmailed them by threatening that he would not study and also begged them because they were really hard to threaten. In the end, their parents agreed in the condition that he would still study even on Christmas Eve. It was worth it just to see Mia shine with happiness. He would willingly go through it again to see her smile like that. They ate breakfast together. Their parents were nowhere to be seen as usual. They were probably at a Christmas party for wealthy people, mingling but with business still in their minds. There was a mountain of gifts under their very luxurious tree which were prepared by their parents. Yuzan and Mia barely looked at them. Their parents did not know and did not care for their interests so they just asked their assistants to buy the most popular and most expensive gifts for them. Mia would gladly give those away to unfortunate children. She was already happy with Yuzan''s gift. She was going to replay the recording over and over again. Yuzan would give away their parents'' gifts to less fortunate children too. Mia''s hand-written letter was a treasure he would keep forever. He thought about how he should make it into an heirloom. "Are we going to watch something today, Onii-chan?" Mia asked. "Yes, I''m free for today. Let''s finish watching Cardcaptor Sakura," Yuzan said. "Yay!" Mia squealed. Yuzan was not actually free. He would have to cram his calculus assignments late at night but for now, he was going to focus in spending time with his little sister. They went inside the movie room. The movie room looked like a mini theater with leather seats and a big screen on the wall with a projector hanging from the ceiling. Mia plopped down the leather seat and Yuzan sat down beside her. A maid went in and gave them bowls of popcorn. The maid quietly went away. The room smelled of butter and popcorn. The opening song of the anime started and Mia sang along with it. "Onii-chan, I know who''s your favorite," Mia said while her cheeks were filled with popcorn inside. Yuzan chuckled, thinking she looked like a chipmunk. "Who do you think is my favorite, Mia-chan?" Yuzan asked. "It''s Touya, right?" Mia asked. *** For those who haven''t watched Cardcaptor Sakura (Spoiler alert!): Touya is the name of Sakura''s older brother. He likes teasing Sakura but he''s actually an overprotective brother. He has a male best friend named Yukito and he gave up his magic power for Yukito''s sake. *** Yuzan was surprised. "How did you know?" Yuzan asked. "He has dark skin too. Like chocolate," Mia said. Yuzan laughed. "Yes, you''re right. Hmm . . . I do like his looks but I think he''s more of a role model, I guess. I think I should learn some pointers from him," Yuzan said as he watched at a scene where Touya had his male best friend, Yukito, cornered at a wall and their faces were really, really, close. "What about you, Mia-chan? Who''s your favorite?" Yuzan asked. "It''s Eriol," Mia said while blushing. Yuzan frowned. "Isn''t that kid kinda shady? He looks bad, Mia-chan. He''s a sweet talker but I think he''s a villain." *** For those who haven''t watched Cardcaptor Sakura (Spoiler alert!): Eriol is a black-haired good-looking elegant boy in the anime. He took on a role of a villain for the greater good. *** "Handsome villains are the best!" Mia said. Yuzan laughed. "I do worry for your taste but I''m not one to preach. I do have a . . . preference of my own too." "Chocolate guys!" Yuzan''s cheeks reddened. "Shush, Mia-chan." Mia laughed. "Well, as your big brother I have to protect you from any handsome villains you might fall for. I wouldn''t want you to fall for the wrong kind," Yuzan said. "Hmm . . . He should be as kind as Onii-chan," Mia said. "I will have to check if he really is but that is a discussion for another time," Yuzan said. "Onii-chan''s chocolate should be kind to you too. If not, I will eat him!" Mia said with her arms crossed. Yuzan smirked. "You can''t do that. Only Onii-chan is allowed to do that." It was a very happy Christmas for the siblings. Nothing else and no one else was needed. They had each other and that was enough. Chapter 37 - Evening Promises Hansel had heard a lot of shocking things in his life. Like the time he was chosen from the orphanage to train as a servant in the Imperial Palace. Or the time he was assigned as the Duke''s personal servant. Or the time the Duke suddenly got a fianc¨¦e - a willing one! Very shocking. But this one was the most shocking of all and he could only stare at the beautiful red-headed lady in front of him. "I just mean you can stay here. You can sleep here in my room and leave in the morning," Rubiella said. Oh. So that''s what she meant. But still . . . "I''m afraid that would not be proper of me to do, My Lady," Hansel said. Rubiella looked irritated. "Always a proper gentleman." Hansel was not sure what to make of Rubiella Summers. She was an enigma. Why was she making it hard for him to leave? Why did she treat him so nicely? "My Lady, do you not want me to be a proper gentleman to you?" Hansel asked. "I just . . . Tsk! You''re being so difficult!" Rubiella fumed at him. "My Lady, if someone learns of this, you will be hard-pressed to find a noble man who will marry you," Hansel said. "You will have to take responsibility then!" Rubiella said and suddenly pulled him by his tie. She leaned in close to his face. "And who said I wanted to marry a noble man?" She whispered. Hansel''s eyes widened. Rubiella Summers was a force he could not win against and to be honest, he didn''t enjoy pushing her away. "My Lady, you are such a delight." Hansel began taking off his coat. * * * Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. He was taking it off. Well, just his coat. But still! He was undressing! Rubiella bit her lower lip as she watched Hansel take off his coat. He began to take off his tie too. Oh dear. Her heart was not prepared. He took off his eyeglasses and she was now staring at his vibrant emerald green eyes. Her heart. Breathe! He stopped undressing. Whew. "Can I sleep here on the floor beside you, My Lady? I can just lie down on my coat," Hansel said. Rubiella had a feeling he did not mean his offer. He was looking at her so intensely. "No, the floor is hard. My bed is big you can just sleep here with me," Rubiella said. "Yes, it is hard, My Lady," Hansel said with a strange expression. Rubiella was sure she was going to have a hard time sleeping. Hansel sat beside her. He took off his shoes. Rubiella''s heart was beating so fast. She had never done something so impulsive. Well, maybe she had. She was prone to escape the mansion to eat out secretly but this was different! This handsome proper gentleman was actually on her bed! "My Lady, are you all right?" His hand touched her face. Her eyes widened. His hand was touching her face. "You''re quite warm, My Lady. Are you feeling under the weather? Should I get your maid?" Hansel asked with a worried look. "N-no! I''m fine. Of course, I''m warm!" Rubiella said. She felt her face heat up again. She sounded so silly! He removed his hand from her face and laid down beside her. "Will you lie down too, My Lady? It''s past your bedtime, I believe." Rubiella nodded and laid down beside him, her body facing his. Hansel pulled on the blanket and both of them were under it. He was still looking at her with such intensity. "You look so . . . focused. Why can''t you relax?" Rubiella asked. "I''m trying my best, My Lady." "Trying your best at what?" "Not to touch you." "You already did that earlier when you touched my face." "Not like that." Oh. They looked at each other silently for a while. "My Lady, can I ask you a question?" "You already did. Go on." "Why are you being like this to me? I am merely a butler." "I don''t think of you as merely a butler. You''re you. I see you as just you," Rubiella said. Hansel smiled. "I have a confession to make, My Lady." A confession. A confession?! Oh. My. "Y-yes?" "The first time I saw you, I really wanted to run my fingers through your hair," Hansel said. Oh. A boring confession. "Do you want to do that now?" Rubiella asked. Did she brush her hair earlier? She would die of embarrassment if his fingers would get stuck from the unruly tangles. "Yes, and more," Hansel said. Rubiella gulped. "Then touch me. I mean, my hair. Touch my hair," Rubiella said, blushing. "Perhaps next time. You can give that to me as a reward," Hansel said. "A reward? For what?" Rubiella asked. This man was so difficult! "For saving the Duke from ruining his engagement. I feel that I cannot allow myself to enjoy while His Grace is suffering," Hansel said with an apologetic look. Rubiella sighed. "I see. All right, once this is over come and get your reward. Don''t forget!" Hansel grinned. "Thank you, My Lady. It''s a promise." "Cross your heart and hope to die. I mean, don''t die. Just keep your promise!" Rubiella said while pretending to look strict. Hansel chuckled. "I promise to touch My Lady once this is over." Rubiella''s eyes went wide. "Your hair, My Lady." "Yes, of course." "Good night, Hansel," Rubiella said and closed her eyes. "Good night, My Lady." * * * Rubiella did not expect that she would fall asleep so fast. Perhaps it was because there was so much excitement the night before or maybe because it was really late already. Or maybe because Hansel was beside her and she felt so protected. Hansel was no longer beside her when she woke up. At first, she thought maybe she had just dreamed of it. She got up to her vanity table to brush her hair and saw that her usually blank notepad was no longer blank. "Thank you for last night, My Lady." Rubiella blushed at what he had written. She carefully ripped off the note from the notepad and placed it inside her jewelry box which had a lock and key. There was a knock. "Come in," Rubiella said. "My Lady, you''re awake!" Annie exclaimed. "Um, yes, I am, Annie. Good morning to you too," Rubiella said. Annie chuckled. "Good morning, My Lady. I just found it surprising that you''re awake already after your very eventful evening." Annie wiggled her eyebrows. Rubiella blushed. "No events like that happened, Annie," Rubiella said, her eyes narrowed at Annie. "My Lady, you do not need to keep it from me. I shall wash the sheets now. Best not to leave evidence. I''ve also heated some towels. I am sure your lower back must be aching," Annie said cheerfully. "There''s nothing like that I said!" Rubiella said. Annie chuckled, her eyes looking for something on the sheets. "My Lady, nothing truly happened?" Annie asked with a disappointed look. Rubiella sighed. "I wish! Hansel was a proper gentleman until the end." "I suppose you have to hook Lord Hansel in using the traditional way. You have to make him ask your hand from your father, My Lady," Annie said. "My hand?!" Rubiella squealed. "Were you thinking of not tying the knot with Lord Hansel, My Lady? Surely you are not just going to give him your first night and let him go on his merry way?" Annie said with a disapproving look. "I mean, it''s just too early. I didn''t say I was not going to marry him. We haven''t even k-ki . . ." Rubiella was too flustered to continue. "Also, he can''t exactly just ask for my hand in marriage," Rubiella said. "Well, for engagement then or courtship! Or is Lord Hansel already married? I should clobber him then!" Annie fumed. "No! He''s not married! He''s just not . . . a lord. He''s a butler, Annie," Rubiella said. "Oh." "It''s not because I don''t like him being a butler. I think Father would not like it if he finds out Hansel is a butler," Rubiella said. "Are you quite certain, My Lady? I''ve never seen a butler look like that and he talks so well!" Annie said. "Yes, I''m sure. He''s the head butler of House Ashburn and also the Duke''s personal aide," Rubiella said. "Hmm . . ." "I get nervous when you look like you''re thinking, Annie." "Not to worry, My Lady. I shall help you elope with Lord Hansel then. I mean, Hansel. Just tell me the date and I''ll pack your things in secret," Annie said cheerfully. Rubiella laughed. "Thank you, Annie, but I''m not eloping yet. I have something to take care of first. My friend, Euphee, is being held captive by that prick of a prince." "Euphee? I don''t think I''ve heard of that name, My Lady." "She''s the Saintess and she''s too good for the prince," Rubiella said. "Annie, is Father in his study?" "Yes, My Lady." "Good. Could you bring out the most childish innocent-looking dress you can find?" Rubiella asked. "May I ask what for, My Lady?" "I need to ask a favour from Father and I should look like a little girl as much as possible. Maybe he won''t be too angry when I ask him. Oh, and tie my hair please so he won''t notice my red hair too much. You know how much he hates it." Oh, Hansel. The things she was willing to do for him. Chapter 38 - Secrets Of The Past The golden eyes blinked at Lucien from the darkness. He was right. There really was someone with him. Or something. "Who are you?" Lucien asked. "I asked first, boy," the voice said. "Why?" "Because she''s my fianc¨¦e and she''s in danger right now. I need to get out so I can save her!" Lucien said. "Why do you need to save her?" the voice asked. "I already told you! Please let me out of here!" Lucien said. "I am not the one imprisoning you, boy, but depending if I''m satisfied I might help you," the voice said. "So, tell me, why do you need to save her?" "She''s . . . precious to me. She''s very important to me," Lucien said. The voice remained silent for while. "As precious as your mother, boy?" "Do you know my mother?" Lucien asked. The voice did not answer. Instead, a brilliant light broke out from the darkness. It was so bright, Lucien had to squint his eyes. The light slowly vanished and in its place was a huge mansion. "Our . . .old house," Lucien muttered in disbelief. "Feel free to go in, boy. Unless you wish to stay in the dark," the voice said. Lucien proceeded to go inside the mansion. He looked around in amazement. It was the same house he had lived in during his childhood. Each and every detail was the same. From every color, furniture, to every nook and cranny. It was like being transported to the past. A maid and a man with a chef apron were coming from the opposite direction where Lucien was standing. Lucien panicked and looked around to see where he could hide. "They cannot see you, boy," the voice said. "Oh, thanks," Lucien said looking a bit embarrassed. "Have you seen the tomatoes today?" The maid said. "Yes, they look ripe already! I can make tomato soup for Her Grace," The cook said. "Lady Cathryn is so lovely. It''s such a pity His Grace is always not here." The maid said, shaking her head. "Do you think it''s true?" "What are you talking about?" The cook asked. "About the Duke! They say he has a mistress who he always visits and that is why he is always not here!" The maid said in a frustrated tone. "Shush! The walls have ears," the cook in a hushed tone. Lucien had heard those kind of rumors his whole life. That his father had a mistress he was keeping somewhere. It felt like that and for a time, he also believed in those rumors until he learned the truth. Lucien went to his mother''s room. He passed through the door like a ghost. He could see his mother''s back. She was standing over the balacony. Lucien walked closer to his mother. A turmoil of emotions flooded him. He was close to crying. He wanted her to hug him and pat his head. He wanted to ask her why she hurt him. He wanted to ask her why she killed herself. "Mother..." Cathryn had a tender expression on her face. He couldn''t remember his mother ever having that expression. Her gaze looked on fondly to the babe she was cradling in her arms. Her lips were curved in a smile. "The resemblance is uncanny," the voice said almost in admiration. It was like looking at a painting. A young woman with a peaceful expression. A face that time had not etched its marks upon yet. She had long white hair that almost seemed translucent from the light, like a spider''s delicate web. Lady Cathryn Ashburn looked more believable as a faerie than a mortal with her ivory skin, hair as white as a swan''s feathers, and vibrant emerald green eyes. It was a wonder why the Duke, Lucien''s father, would always leave her side. "Yes, fate can be so cruel," Lucien said with a pained expression. Why did fate have to make his mother look like HER?! "Why are you showing me this?" Lucien asked. "Your mother is precious to you, is she not? What if you could avenge her?" the voice asked. "Avenge? She took her own life! What are you talking about?!" Lucien shouted. There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Cathryn said. "Apologies for the intrusion. His Grace has arrived earlier than expected. Would you like help in getting ready, Your Grace?" a maid said. Her eyes seemed to light up. "No, it''s fine! I can get ready by myself. Could you please hold my dear Luci for a while? If he cries, come and find me." "As you wish, Your Grace," the maid said with a slight bow and received the baby Lucien carefully. Cathryn brushed her hair then began braiding it, weaving in tiny blue jewels in her hair. The jewels were shaped like teardrops but on her hair, it was as if rain had become suspended in time in a snowy day. She dabbed a bit of rouge on her cheeks and lips and a bit of shimmering blue powder on her eyelids, like the night sky on her eyes. She then sprayed perfume on her neck. Lucien knew that perfume. It was a fragrance he remembered well from his childhood. Snowdrops. The Duke would always gift his wife with a perfume made of snowdrops, flowers that bloom during the winter. Its scent was very light, as if a snowy breeze carried a few petals in its midst. Cathryn treasured the perfume, thinking that the Duke chose it for her because of her snowy appearance. Lucien would find out years later that the scent of snowdrop was HER scent. Living in snowy mountains with winter flowers had made HER smell of snowdrops and the Duke just wanted Cathryn to smell like HER. It was twisted and disgusting and Lucien wanted to hurl the blasted perfume on the wall and see it shatter to pieces. How dare he make his mother a substitute for HER?! His mother was a living being. She was not a doll to be molded for his sick fantasy! Lucien watched his mother helplessly as she tied a white lacy veil around her head, covering her emerald green eyes. "Such a shame, Your Grace. Your eyes are so beautiful to look at," the maid said in a dismayed tone. Cathryn merely smiled. "It''s fine. His Grace just prefers not to see my eyes. It''s a matter of preference among gentlemen, I assume. Some men just have preferred taste over their women and it could be worse." "Can you still see clearly, Your Grace? Would you like for me to call someone to guide you while walking?" "The lace is light. It''s just like a fog covering my vision a bit but it is no bother. I think I have gotten used to it if I must say so myself," Cathryn said. Lucien''s mother went to the hallway, her steps small, her hand lightly touching the wall. A few servants saw her and quietly watched over her. They were ready to run towards her and catch her if she would ever trip but she didn''t. She reached the study room. The Duke would always go straight to his study than to his wife and Cathryn knew that. "My dear Raynold, is that you?" Cathryn asked as she entered the study. "You could not wait," the Duke said, not looking up as he continued writing in his journal. Lucien knew that journal. After his death, he would find that journal and learn about HER. About the places he had been to just to find HER. About the woman that his father tried to make his mother into. "I''m sorry. I just missed you a lot, my dear. How have you been?" Cathryn asked. "Same. Busy as always managing the business so you''ll have food to eat everyday," Raynold said. "Y-yes, of course. I um . . . can I sit here, my dear?" Cathryn asked, pointing to an empty seat in front of his desk. The Duke finally looked at her. "No, come here. Let me see you," he said. Cathryn walked towards his side. He stood up. He resembled the King a lot. They were brothers, after all. Raynold just looked like the faded version of the King with his hay-like blonde hair and pale blue eyes. He wasn''t as charismatic as the King. He had a terrifying aura as if he was trying to restrain his temper all the time. He tipped up her chin, his expression unchanging as he breathed in the scent of snowdrops on her skin. "My dear," Cathryn murmured. His hand tightened on her chin. "Silence. I have no need of your voice." He turned her over, and pulled the lace that was covering her eyes. "Don''t turn your head. Do not let me see your eyes," Raynold said in a harsh tone. Cathryn nodded. He tied her hands behind her back with the lacy fabric and pushed her head down. Her nose almost touching the bookshelf of his study. "Please, my dear, not like this. Let''s go to the bedroom," Cathryn pleaded. Lucien was horrified at what he was witnessing. It was not the intimacy that made him want to run away. It was the look on his mother''s face as she begged his father. "Quiet, woman! Did you not come meet me to be taken?" Raynold said. "N-no, I just wished to see you after such a long time. Please, my dear. The walls of your study are thin. Let''s go to the bedroom," Cathryn pleaded. "You are in no position to command me. Now, be silent. If I hear your voice again, I will punish your bastard child," Raynold said. Tears were now flowing down her cheeks. "He''s your child," she whispered. Lucien knew that his mother''s original hair color was not white. It was a known fact in society that Lady Cathryn used to have black hair but due to an unknown incident before she became a married woman had turned her hair to white overnight. Her family had become hard-pressed to look for a man willing to marry her after that incident. When the Duke learned of Lady Cathryn having white hair, he married her within a week even though they had never spoken to each other before. Everyone thought it was love at first sight but Lucien knew the truth now. The Duke was obsessed with someone else who had beautiful snowy white hair and he was just using Lady Cathryn as a substitute. Chapter 39 - A Forgotten Past Raynold lifted up Cathryn''s skirts. Lucien turned away. "I do not want to see this," Lucien said and began walking back to his mother''s bedroom. He could hear his mother''s muffled screams echoing in the hallway. "A wise choice," the voice said, following him. "The brothers are alike in that aspect. Savage men to the women they are married to. I hope that trait has not been passed on to your blood, boy," the voice said. Lucien''s face darkened. "I will not do that to Euphee." "The name of the lady you wish to save, I presume. But you are so lacking. How can you save someone else when you are so weak? You are still just like the crying child years ago," the voice said. "No, I am not!" Lucien shouted angrily. A wave of darkness engulfed Lucien. It dissipated and he was no longer in his mother''s bedroom. The scene of roses filled his nose. He was in the garden and his mother was taking a strolling with someone who was not his father. The King. A few years must have passed from that disturbing scene he had just witnessed a while ago. Time had finally etched its worry lines on Cathryn''s face but she was still as beautiful and ethereal as she was before. "The sun is not that bright today, Your Highness. I do not need to be shielded by a parasol," Cathryn said. "Your skin is too pale. If the sunlight hits you, I fear your skin will go ablaze! And why do you keep me addressing me like that? I told you that you can call me Raegan. You are not a stranger to me, Cathryn," the King said, smiling in a way Lucien had never seen before. "But you are the king now. People will say nasty things if they hear me calling you without your title, Your Highness," Cathryn said firmly. "I will have their heads flying if they say nasty things about you. Now, stop calling me with my title, Cathryn. Do I need to command you to do that?" Raegan said trying to smile but looking exasperated at the same time. A small smile formed on Cathryn''s lips. "Perhaps." Raegan sighed. "Duchess Cathryn Ashburn, I command you to call me by first name when we are alone. Will that suffice?" Cathryn chuckled. "As you wish, Raegan." "There! That''s better. Actually, it might be better if you call me with a nickname. I should give you another command," Raegan said. Cathryn frowned. "That would not be proper. We are siblings-in-law, Raegan. Nothing more." Raegan stopped walking and Cathryn stopped too. "If I had met you first, we could have been more, Cathryn," Raegan said, his voice tinged with regret. Lucien stood frozen in shock. King Raegan had been kind to him ever since he could remember. He thought it was because Raegan simply wanted to take care of his brother''s son. He never imagined that the King had feelings for his mother. If the King had been married to his mother instead, would she still be alive now? Cathryn stepped away under the parasol''s shade. "Your Highness, I think I am feeling under the weather at the moment. I shall withdraw to my room now. It is best that you leave also," Cathryn said, avoiding his eyes. Raegan looked like he wanted to protest but he nodded and handed her the parasol. "I see. Take care, Cathryn. Until we meet again." "May your Light continue to shine upon our Empire." Cathryn curtsied and walked away, leaving the King alone, watching her with forlorn eyes. "I never knew," Lucien said. "You do not know a lot of things, boy," the voice said. A wave of darkness engulfed Lucien again then it dissipated. A different day. A different scene. His mother had company again in the garden. This time it was the Queen. Queen Celestinia was sitting across the Duchess from the table with tea and biscuits laid out in front of them. It looked like an innocent afternoon tea time between two ladies but the air seemed to crackle between them with tension. The Queen looked as beautiful as ever. Sparkling diamonds decorated her long golden hair reflecting off the sunlight. Her dress was in a youthful shade of peach decorated with gold embellishments and precious stones. On her head was a tiara with rare light blue gems that matched her icy blue eyes. "Cathryn. I can call you Cathryn, right? Or would you prefer Duchess?" Celestinia asked coolly. "Cathryn is fine, Your Highness," Cathryn said. "Cathryn, I''ve heard that my husband had been visiting here quite a lot," Celestinia said. "Yes, that is true, Your Highness," Cathryn said with a guarded look. "I just wonder why he visits the Ashburn Residence when the Duke is not here anyway or it because the Duke is away which is why he visits?" Celestinia asked. "His Highness is my brother-in-law and he just visits for friendly conversation," Cathryn said firmly. Celestinia narrowed her eyes. "Friendly. My husband used to be like that with me too then he got tired of our friendly conversations when we got married. You must be his new plaything then," Celestinia said with an icy smile. "I am not His Highness''s plaything I assure you, Your Highness. I am loyal to my husband and my time is much too occupied taking care of our son than becoming someone''s plaything," Cathryn said in a dignified tone. Celestinia seemed amused. "I think I can see why my husband has taken fancy on you." "If you could forbid His Highness to visit here when my husband is away, I would greatly appreciate it, Your Highness," Cathryn said. "My Reagan has a will of his own but you, perhaps I can impose mine on you," Celestinia said with a strange gleam in her eyes. Lucien had a sinking feeling of what was going to happen. "Mother! Twea time ish ower!" Cathryn turned her head. A small boy with emerald green eyes and a gap in his tiny teeth came running towards her. When he finally reached her, he lifted his head and grinned wide. "Mother! You said you will pway with me after twea!" "Oh, my dear Luci, I still have a guest. I''m so dearly sorry," Cathryn said, her expression softening. Lucien was bewildered. He could not remember the time his mother had spoken so gently to him. He must have been too young to retain the memory but it was still a shock to him to see his mother talking so sweetly to him when he was a child. "So that''s your son I presume?" The Queen asked. "Yes, Your Highness. This is Lucien, my adorable son. I do apologize for this interruption. I hope you forgive my son. He is too young to know of etiquette," Cathryn said, looking worried. "Perhaps if you introduce me to your son I can forgive him for his lack of etiquette, Cathryn," Celestinia said. "Yes, of course, Your Highness," Cathryn said and turned to the young Lucien. "Luci, my dear, this is Her Highness, Light to the Sun''s Empire. What did I teach you about greeting royalty, Luci?" Cathryn urged. The young Lucien nodded and faced the Queen with a serious look on his small face. "Pwaise be, Light to the Sun''s Emwire!" The small Lucien said and bowed. Cathryn clapped. "Great job, my dear Luci! Come here and sit on Mother''s lap!" "The Light shines upon you," Celestinia replied dryly. "I think I am taking up your play time with your son. I shall take my leave for now. Let us continue this conversation another time. Also, I think I will bring something just for you, Cathryn," Celestinia said, standing up. "That is not necessary, Your Highness, but I shall not decline your offer. Let me walk you out," Cathryn said. "No need. Just enjoy the time that you have with your son, Cathryn. It is a precious time that will run out sooner than you expect it to," Celestinia said. Cathryn smiled and hugged the young Lucien tightly. "Yes, a child does grow up so fast." Celestinia left and the young Lucien was alone with his mother. "My dear Luci, I hope you don''t grow up so fast," Cathryn said, patting his head. "Why, Mother? I want to gwow us fast so I can cawwy you!" Cathryn chuckled. "You don''t need to carry me. Mother can walk on her own. It''s just that I fear you will forget me when you grow up. You will be a duke just like your father and you will be so busy. You might not have time anymore for your mother just like your father." The young Lucien looked angry. "I will not be like Father! I will not leave Mother awone!" "That is sweet of you, my dear Luci, but you will find a different lady you would not wish to leave when you grow up. I think you are too young to understand but Mother will be content just for you to visit whenever you are free," Cathryn said. "I don''t want a different wady!" The young Lucien insisted. "You say that now but I am sure you will. You are bound to catch so many ladies'' hearts," Cathryn said, smiling and ruffling his fluffy black hair. "Mother, are you weaving me? Are you giving me away to a wady?" The young Lucien asked, close to tears. "Oh, my dear Luci, I am not leaving you. You are my treasure. Mother will always be with you until you tire of me," Cathryn said and planted a kiss on the top of his head. Chapter 40 - Scars Of The Past Darkness engulfed Lucien then it dissipated. He was back in his childhood bedroom. It was a moonless night. You would not know where the shadows began and ended. A small black-haired boy was sleeping peacefully. This was the young Lucien. He was holding a stuffed toy horse in his arms, a gift for his seventh birthday from his mother. It would be the last gift he would receive from her. The door opened with a creak as if giving off an ominous warning. Run. Run before the monsters find you. There were no monsters. It was just his mother who was in a strange sense of distaught. Her long white hair was in a mess. As if a storm had whisked her away and she had just been released from it but her mind had not been left unscathed. Her green eyes which would shine like a cat''s brilliant green eyes even in the darkness did not shine. They seemed . . .foggy. A thin veil of fog seemed to cover her vibrant green eyes. Lucien watched tensely as his mother walked towards the young Lucien''s bed. Her steps were silent. Her long white night dress swayed with her delicate movements. Her ethereal beauty was lost in the night. She looked more of a wraith who had just stepped over the mortal side. Her hand was holding something long and snake-like. It slithered on the floor, creating a sound that made Lucien''s hairs stand on end. He knew the sound well. Cathryn''s empty gaze fell upon her sleeping son. As if sensing his mother''s presence, the young boy''s eyes opened. "Mother?" She suddenly grabbed the young Lucien by the scruff of his neck and dragged him off the bed. THUD! The young Lucien winced in pain. He looked at his mother fearfully from the floor, not understanding why his mother seemed so angry at him. "M-mother? Did I do something wrong?" Cathryn did not answer. She brought up the long snake-like thing to his cheek. Her eyes seemed not to see him, the fog on her emerald green eyes thickening. The young Lucien''s eyes widened. She was holding a whip. He whimpered as she rubbed the whip on his face. "If you get hurt, your father might pay attention to us," Cathryn said in a voice devoid of emotion. "M-mother, please . . ." "Will you be a good boy and do this for your mother?" Cathryn asked. The young Lucien''s eyes were filled with tears. He shook his head. "Shush now. I''ll make it quick," Cathryn whispered. Before the young Lucien could even react, Cathryn brought down the whip on him. KE-CHRACK!!! The sound of the whip rang out in the room. It was a terrible sound. Like the wind being cracked by force. The whip split his skin and blood was gushing out of his arm. The little boy screamed. Cathryn brought down the whip again on her son. Again. And again. After a while, the young boy was only a bloody lump on the floor. No longer moving and just barely breathing. Cathryn wordlessly left the room without looking at her son. "Your Grace, we head a noice from the bedroom! Is everything all right?" The head butler asked. "Just clean up the mess in the bedroom. Lucien hurt himself," Cathryn said. "Oh no! I shall get some bandages first, Your Grace," the butler said with great worry. "Also, tell my husband that his son is hurt and he should come home," Cathryn said. "Yes, Your Grace," the butler said with a bow then looked like he just remembered something. "Your Grace, may I ask how the young master got hurt?" "He was helping his mother," Cathryn said and walked away. "I do not understand why you are showing me this. Are you just here to torture me?" Lucien asked the mysterious voice. "If that is what you think so, then you shall remain in the darkness, boy. The truth is not as clear as daylight. Sometimes, it is merely being hidden by a . . . fog," the voice said. Light filled up everything. The scenes of the past vanished in an instant. Did he finally get out?! He could see his bedroom in the Ashburn Residence. His body began to move. He was not out. His body was just awake and it was making its next move. * * * Rubiella was wearing a white dress with a big white bow and white ruffles. She was wearing white shoes and white stockings. Her long curly red hair was tied in a bun and hidden inside a white ruffled bonnet with the ribbon tied beneath her chin. She looked ridiculous. Rubiella wanted to tear off the white ribbons and stomp on them to give them color. "My Lady, you look . . ." Annie trailer off. Rubiella sighed. Even Annie was having a hard time making up a compliment. "Where''s Father?" Rubiella asked. "He is in the study, My Lady," Annie said. Rubiella thanked her and went to her father''s study. She inhaled and exhaled slowly. To war. Rubiella knocked. There was no answer. Rubiella knocked again. "What is it?! I''m busy!" Lord Edward yelled. "It is I, your daughter. I wish to speak with you, Father dear," Rubiella said, cringing at her fake sweetness and her forced politeness. Silence. Then a grudging answer. "Come in now! No one is going to open that for you!" Rubiella went in and she could see that her father was surprised with her appearance. "Father dear, I hope I am not interrupting too much. I would just like to speak to you about my childhood engagement with His Highness, Prince Vincent," Rubiella said. "Sit, child. I see that you are finally taking interest in your rightful future. You are taking interest, right?" The viscount asked his daughter "Yes, Father dear. I fear we have become too complacent about it and perhaps it is the reason it has not been formalized for so long already even after our coming-of-age. It is my brazen suggestion that we go to the Imperial Palace and sit down with His Highness to talk about it properly," Rubiella said. Lord Edward''s eyes lit up. "I see! Wonderful! Wonderful! You are dressed appropriately already. Would you like to go to the Palace now, child?" Her father asked. Rubiella gulped. Just as planned, right? "Yes, Father dear. I would truly appreciate it if you accompany me. Your presence would help greatly in convincing His Highness," Rubiella said with fake enthusiasm. She then faked a worried look. "But I see that you are too busy, Father dear. I do apologize if I have landed this matter on you so abruptly." The viscount quickly stood up. "No, you are more important than work! I will accompany you to the Imperial Palace! Let me just get my coat to look presentable." * * * Euphemia''s mind was clear as day ever since that frightening night. She was healed. She could feel no trace of poison in her body. The door opened. It was the prince. He walked towards her bedside with a smug expression, expecting to see her writhing in pain. She looked at him calmly. "I am not going to heal you. You should release me now," Euphemia said. Vincent''s eyes widened. "How? You were . . ." "You must have forgotten that I''m a Saintess. A Saintess has healing magic. You really need to get your brain checked. You have memory gaps already," Euphemia bluffed. She couldn''t heal herself no matter how much she tried. It was the spooky woman who healed her but he didn''t need to know that. PLACK! Vincent slapped her. Hard. Euphemia could taste blood. She must have bitten the inside of her cheek. This darned pri*k of a prince. "I''ll just heal this too. Are you sure this is how you should be treating me? Your face already looked ugly before but now you''re just very hideous," Euphemia scoffed at him. "You impudent wench!" Vincent yelled at her almost shaking in fury. "Still not healing you," Euphemia said, rolling her eyes. Vincent looked like he wanted to throttle her but he was stopping himself. "I can''t keep on looking like this. You have to heal me!" He almost sounded like he was whining. "Maybe if you let me out," Euphemia said with an amused smile. "No!" Vincent screamed and went of the room, slamming the door behind him. Euphemia sighed. Her cheek was stinging from his slap. She just hoped the scary ghost would come and heal her again. * * * The viscount and his daughter, Rubiella Summers, arrived in the Imperial Palace. They were both wearing white as if a wedding was to take place that hot sunny afternoon. An old butler greeted them. He was actually trying to make them leave but they would not budge and insisted on calling for the prince to talk about the engagement. The old butler informed the prince about the unexpected guests which interrupted him from inflicting an unjust punishment on another innocent maid. "Would you like a hood or a hat, Your Highness? Perhaps a veil or a touch of powder?" The old butler suggested to the prince. The prince looked like he wanted to bite off the butler''s head. "No need. Let them look!" He snarled. He opened the door receiving room for guests with a loud force, announcing his presence and his terrible mood. Rubiella and her father looked shocked at his appearance. Instead of looking like he was attacked, he gave off an air about him that he was the attacker and his victim had just slashed at his face in defense. "Let''s talk about breaking off that ridiculous engagement that I haven''t agreed to, shall we?" Chapter 41 - A Spark Ignites Euphemia was greeted by the two palace maids warmly after her recovery. They were really worried for her when she suddenly fell ill. They did not know that she was actually poisoned and not ill. "It''s quite lonely to eat alone. Can I please eat with you?" Euphemia asked, her expression sad. The maids looked at each other unsure. "Lady Euphemia, we are merely maids. A Saintess should not be dining with us," one of the maids said. Euphemia pretended to look sadder. "I don''t think of you merely as maids. Can''t I be closer to you just because I''m a Saintess?" The maids looked at each other. They were struggling not to agree with Euphemia''s strange request. "Please, I am not asking for you to let me out of the Palace. I just wish to eat with you. Can you please bring me to your dining hall?" Euphemia asked. One of the maids sighed but smiled afterwards. "If that is your wish, Lady Euphemia." "Oh, thank you!" Euphemia squealed. Euphemia looked like she remembered something. "But some of your friends might be uncomfortable too if they learn that I''m a Saintess. Will it be all right if you introduce me as a maid?" The maids looked astonished. "You are willing to look like a maid, Lady Euphemia?" "Yes, it''s fine. I think your maid uniforms are adorable. Perhaps you can introduce me as a new maid so I can eat with all of you," Euphemia said cheerfully. The maids nodded. "We shall look for an extra maid uniform, Lady Euphemia. I think we have some new ones in our storage." "But what shall we call you? We can''t call you by your name, Lady Euphemia." "Hmm . . . You can call me Mia," Euphemia said with a huge grin. * * * Euphemia wore the maid uniform. It was a simple black dress with a white ruffled apron. She also tied her hair in a bun to avoid drawing attention to the color of her hair and hid it inside a ruffled maid cap. "My Lady, I mean, Lady Mia, are you truly sure you wish to dine with us?" one of the maids asked. "Mia is fine. I am sure. I do sorely miss dining with others," Euphemia said. "Perhaps His Highness will be in a better mood if you ask him to dine with you," the other maid said. Euphemia tried to hide her annoyance. "No, His Highness is quite busy. I would not want to drag him away from his responsibilities just because I wish for some company." "Would you like to come with us for lunch or supper?" "Lunch. The sooner the better," Euphemia said with a cheerful smile. "Lunch is still an hour away. You may still rest for a while, Lady Euphe-, I mean, Mia," the maid said, obviously uncomfortable in addressing the Saintess without respect. "I''ll wait. See you later!" Euphemia said and the two maids went out of the room. Euphemia let a few minutes go by for a while. Silence filled the room but her body was on high alert. It must have been around fifteen minutes when she decided to move. She went out of the room quietly. * * * Lucien watched as his own body searched for the engagement contract in vain. He could feel Hansel''s presence observing his body from a distance warily. His body stopped moving. As if it had accepted the situation that it could not find the engagement contract. Hansel breathed a sigh of relief but then it started moving again. It was going to look for something else. His body moved on to the book shelves and began to peruse the books one by one. Lucien was also confused what his body was looking for. Then the body stopped moving again. Its fingers stopped on a sentence in a book. "An engagement is nullified if any of the engaged dies before marriage." * * * Prince Vincent was in a terrible mood. His face was a horror, the Saintess had just healed herself, and now this red-haired wench was trying to force him in marriage. Technically, in a formalized engagement. He looked at her with disdain. She was covered in white like a babe at a christening. She was wearing a cap and it almost covered all of her red hair. Did she think he would fall for her if she covered herself with white and hid her dreadful red hair? The impudence! The lot of them! All impudent! "Praise be, future Sun of the empire," the father and daughter said in unison. Vincent chose not to reply the customary greeting. His mother was not by his side to reprimand him for not minding his manners anyway. "I do not recall your name. I do recall our conversation outside the palace gates. You must have come here to be my concubine then," Vincent said looking at Rubiella in a menacing manner. Lord Edward looked like he almost fell on the floor while taking a sit. The lady in question was looking at him strangely. She almost looked like she was angry at him and she was controlling her temper. "My name is Rubiella Summers, Your Highness. Thank you for gracing us with your presence despite our abrupt visit. You are truly as merciful and kind as they say," she said. Was she that eloquent before? "Do you remember my wife, Your Highness? My Rosietta and your mother were the best of friends. Our families used to spend summers together. You were still very young so you may not remember but perhaps spending time with my daughter will refresh your memory. My daughter is well-educated and she is a pleasant conversation partner," Lord Edward said. Vincent frowned. Should he get his mother to drive them away? But she had become unreadable to him. He could not fathom her plans and why she was not crowning him as king despite his father''s death. He should not call for her. She might use it as an excuse that he could not handle even a small problem like this. "I have not agreed to an engagement with your daughter. You may leave now," Vincent said. "Your Highness, I implore you. Do you not remember our dance at the ball? It was magical and I am sure the problems of our kingdom have made you forget me. May I invite you for a dance again, Your Highness?" Rubiella asked. Why was everyone insulting his memory these days? He ran his fingers through his golden hair in frustration. "A dance, you say? I do not remem-" No, he should not say he could not remember again. He did not want rumors that he had memory loss to spread. "Ahem, you did say that I am merciful and kind thus I will abide with your wish. We have no music at the moment though," Vincent said. The viscount looked like he was about to burst with glee. "I shall look for a court musician, Your Highness! I will leave the two of you for now. Perhaps you could dance even without the music. They do say that the beating of hearts in love sound like music. I will take my leave for now, Your Highness!" Lord Edward said, bowed quickly, and fled the room in a rush. What the bloody hell? The viscount must be delusional! In love?! Far from it! "Your Highness," Rubiella said and let her hand hang in front of him to take. He sighed and bent down as customs dictated. "May I have the honor of dancing with you, My Lady?" Manners were hard to break despite his irritation of being swept away at their pace. She smiled. She looked pleased. She looked . . . almost pretty. He took her hand and started with a waltz. She followed his lead. Her movements like fluid. It was almost like dancing with air. She was matching his movements, his subtle changes in the tempo of his steps, and everything seemed to fade away. They danced in silence. This must be what being in a trance felt like. It almost seemed magical. There was no music but his body felt so light. The steps coming to him so naturally as he moved and she moved with him. He had the strangest urge to rip off her white cap and see her long red hair. Then all of a sudden, she began to slide from his grip. He could hear the floor squeaking. She must have slipped on the floor. He could feel himself falling. Everything was happening so fast. THUD! His body landed on the floor. His eye was hurting. She must have hit his eye while falling down. "I am so sorry, Your Highness! Are you all right? Oh no! Your eye! I must have hit you accidentally. I am so sorry! I beg for your forgiveness. I will look for a doctor, Your Highness!" Rubiella got up and left, leaving him stunned and confused. What just happened? * * * Rubiella ran. It was all part of the plan. Well, some of it. She needed an excuse to get inside the palace then get away from the prince to explore the palace. Rubiella shivered. The prince almost looked like he was besotted with her. How horrid! Now, time to look for Euphemia. Chapter 42 - A Fire Ablaze Rubiella had always been adept with dancing. After all, her father had her trained rigorously to be the perfect dancing partner for the prince ever since she started walking. Her dancing teachers gave her tips on the prince''s dancing style. The timing of his steps, how high he would hold his partner''s hand, his sway, and his other dancing nuances. She was so nervous years ago when they first danced so she wasn''t able to apply all the things taught to her about his dancing style. This time, she regarded him so low, she was able to focus on becoming the perfect dancing partner. It wasn''t for the prince''s enjoyment. It was for the favor that Hansel asked. And for Euphee''s sake too, of course. The only thing she had trouble was acting clumsy during the dance and faking the fall. She should have hit his eye harder for Euphee''s sake. "Excuse me, kind sir, I am the viscount of House Summers and my daughter and I are guests of the crown prince. I would just like to know where can I find the court musicians?" Oh no. Her father! Rubiella hid behind a pillar. "They must be in the music hall practicing. Go over there and . . ." Rubiella stuck out her head a bit to look. Her father was talking with an old butler. She looked around and saw another hallway. They were still busy talking so she just have to run now and risk being caught now or run now and risk being caught later. She ran. The ribbon of her cap began to unravel by itself from her running and it flew off, freeing her long red curls. "Ruby!" Rubiella froze then frowned. A nickname. There was only one person who called her with that nickname. Well, for now. Rubiella turned to see who it was. She was dressed in a maid uniform but there was no denying it. Skin as white as snow, raven black hair barely hidden under a maid cap, and autumn eyes. "Euphee!" Rubiella ran towards Euphemia and hugged her tight. "Euphee! I was looking for you!" Rubiella squealed. Euphemia smiled in relief. "I was looking for a way out. I''m so glad you''re here. How did you know?" Euphemia asked. "No time to explain. Let''s go!" Ruby insisted. "You''re going to take me with you?" Euphemia asked. "The carriage is just outside the palace gates. If anyone asks who you are, just tell them you''re a maid given to me by the prince as a gift," Rubiella said. Euphemia looked bewildered. "It''s a common thing here in Aderlan. Nobles can give away a servant as a gift or as punishment. Hurry. Go straight to the carriage. Now!" Rubiella said. Euphemia nodded and darted towards the direction Rubiella was pointing at. * * * Lucien''s body was giving orders. It was telling the servants to light up all of the candles and oil lamps in the Ashburn Residence. The servants were hesitant because they were given no explanation of why they had to light up all of those when the sun was still shining so brightly. Hansel tried to stop the commotion but the servants had to obey Lucien because he was the duke. "Your Grace, please stop this," Hansel said. "If you are going to obstruct my command, I will have to detain you, head butler," Lucien''s body said. "Your Grace, please tell me why you are doing this?" Hansel asked. He could not comprehend the reason behind all of the candles and oil lamps being lit up. What was the connection with the engagement contract? "Someone have the head butler confined in the wine cellar. No one shall let him out until I say so," Lucien''s body said. Two male servants began to drag off Hansel. Hansel was strong so the two male servants had a hard time restraining him. Two other male servants helped too. "Your Grace!" Hansel shouted but Lucien''s body only looked at him coolly Hansel was dragged off to the wine cellar which was located at the very bottom of the mansion where the stones were cold and sunlight never touched. When all the candles and lamps had already been lit and the inside of the mansion felt like a furnace, the servants waited for their next command. But the Lucien who was not really their master but only a slave of the Queen, gave no commands. It only knocked off one lit candle and watched with an expressionless face as the curtain caught fire. The servants scrambled in panic. They tried to put out the fire but it was too late. There were too many flames to be put out and they were no longer littles flames. They had become monstrous raging flames already. The servants gave up on saving the mansion and spread out to save themselves. They gave no regard for their master. They would be insane to try to save their master who had just started it all. The house creaked noisily as if the wood was being consumed by a raging beast. The wood cracked and burst. The smoke was filling up the house. Lucien''s body went to the study with no trace of panic despite the hot flames licking beside him. He opened the book he had just been reading. The one with the lines: "An engagement is nullified if any of the engaged dies before marriage." Then Lucien''s body closed its eyes. * * * The smoke must have filled up his lungs too much. He must have lost his consciousness. Hopefully, it was just that and he wasn''t dead already. Lucien was back in the scene of the past again, inside their old family mansion. "The fire begins again," the voice said. The fire blazed inside the mansion. The flames consumed the furniture with such ferocity. There were screams all around him. The servants of the mansion. The servants who all died because of his mother. Lucien was not there when it all happened. He was mercifully sent away by his mother to buy some white flowers. He did not know how she was able to do that. Perhaps it was the only thing she could tell him even after struggling with all her might. He looked around frantically. "MOTHER!" Lucien shouted. The flames burst around him but he felt none of the heat as he was merely a visitor inside a fragment of the past. "MOTHER!" Lucien went to her bedroom. She was not there. He went to his father''s study. She was not there either. There was only one place left he could think of. He went to his childhood bedroom. There she was. His mother was on the floor. She was crying. Her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. "Mother! You have to get out! Please!" Lucien shouted at her. But she could not hear him of course. This was only a scene in the past. The flames were getting closer to his bedroom. He could see the flames underneath the crack under the door. "Mother! Please! Get out of the house!" Lucien pleaded. It felt all so real. He never saw the fire happening when he was little but now it was happening right before his very eyes. His mother was going to die in front of him and he couldn''t even save her. "Mother! Please! Get out of here!" Lucien still screamed, tears streaming down his eyes. "My dear Luci," Cathryn whispered, clutching Lucien''s toy horse to her chest. Her eyes were no longer fogged as before. Instead, tears were falling from her emerald green eyes. "I am so sorry," Cathryn said softly. Lucien was filled with anguish. "Mother, why?" Lucien asked. "Why did you hurt me?" "I never wished to hurt you, my dear Luci. She made me. The Queen made me. She made me sign something and after that my body just started moving and I could not stop myself from hurting you. I wish I was stronger. I could not protect you when I''m living so maybe now . . ." Cathryn said in between tears. He crouched down on the ground with Lady Cathryn and put his arms around her. He could not feel her and she could not feel him but at that moment, it felt like they did. "It''s not your fault. I never really hated you, Mother. Perhaps deep down I knew there must be some kind of reason why you hurt me and why you made me leave the house before starting the fire," Lucien said. "I wish for you to find happiness, my dear Luci," Cathryn said, her voice beginning to weaken. "Why didn''t you just leave Father? He hurt you so much. Why did you let him?" Lucien asked. He knew she couldn''t possibly hear him but he still wanted to try to get answers from her. "I should have just taken you away with me. I already lost my first love when I was still young and when the Duke said he wanted to marry me, I thought he would cherish me. I just didn''t wish to be alone again. I''m so sorry, my dear Luci. You will now be alone but now that we''re gone perhaps you can start finding happiness," Cathryn said. The flames burned down the bedroon door and spread across the room. "I love you, my dear Luci," Cathryn whispered and shut her eyes. "I love you too, Mother," Lucien said. The flames reached her dress. Lucien shut his eyes and hugged his mother''s body. He could smell all sorts of burning things. Burning wood. Burning cloth. Snowdrops. His mother''s perfume. Her own subtle scent. Her tears. Then everything went quiet. * * * The raging fire was gone. Lucien opened his eyes. The scene must have fast forwarded to the morning after. Ash all around him. The mansion fallen, with no trace of its former grandeur. He looked down. His mother''s burned body was on the floor in front of him. Burned beyond recognition but he would be able to tell that it''s her with every fiber of his being. "Are you trying to make me get revenge?" Lucien asked. "Is that what you wish for?" The voice asked. He gazed at his mother sadly. "She would not want that," Lucien said. "What do you want, boy?" "For you to let me out," Lucien said in almost a growl. "Why?" "Because I command you so!" Lucien''s emerald green eyes seemed to flicker to a lighter shade. "Cease this game and let me out or I swear I will make your life a living hell whoever or whatever the hell you are. I have to save my woman," Lucien said. It was time to get out of the past. Chapter 43 - Eyes Like Flames "And take revenge for your mother, boy?" The voice asked. "That time will come but for now, I have to save the woman I love who is still living," Lucien said. "Will you accept the flames that will be with you until you breathe your last?" "For her, yes," Lucien said with determination. "Do you vow not to let the flames consume you?" the voice asked. "Yes, may the flames give me only warmth," Lucien answered. It was as if he knew what the lines he should say like a lyrics to an old song he only just remembered. "Do you vow to use the flames only to extinguish the darkness?" the voice asked. "Yes, may the flames burn down only those who do not walk down the path of light," Lucien answered. "The flames have accepted you," the voice said. WHOOSH!!! Golden flames burst out from the darkness and enveloped Lucien. They were not painful. It was like being enveloped with a warm blanket on a cold winter''s day. "Lucien Ashburn, I declare you the new heir to the power of the true kings! I will be your power. Wield me with might. Let us burn down the darkness, new king!" A brilliant golden light appeared. The Gold Dragon emerged from it. Great and majestic. Its golden body shimmered like the rays of the sun. Its huge golden eyes shimmered in brilliance. Lucien stared at the Gold Dragon in awe. He could feel its satisfaction towards Lucien for a reason he couldn''t explain. Lucien could feel the power coursing through him. He closed his eyes as the fire surrounded him then went inside his chest. He was not burned. The flame was only going to be with him from them on. Then the fire dissipated and Lucien opened his eyes. His golden eyes. * * * Euphemia went to Rubiella''s carriage. A palace guard was standing in front of it. "Good day, Sir. I have been given by His Highness to Lady Summers as a gift. Please allow me to get in," Euphemia said while keeping her head bowed, hoping that the guard would not recognize her. "Black hair, eh? You must be the maid that the prince assaulted this morning. Just yer luck that he''s giving you away. At least you won''t be taking a beating from him anymore. Best of luck to you, lass," the guard said and opened the carriage. Euphemia went in and as the carriage door closed, she let out the air she was holding. She was safe. For now. * * * Rubiella ran back to where she left the prince. The prince was conversing with her father and he seemed to be in a good mood. Strange. "Oh, my daughter! Where have you been? You''ve left His Highness all alone!" Lord Edward said. "I was looking for a doctor for His Highness. I accidentally hit his eye earlier while dancing. Despite my best efforts, I wasn''t able to find a doctor in the palace. I truly apologize," Rubiella said. The prince waved his hand in a dismissing manner. "It''s fine. My eye doesn''t hurt anymore. Your father wasn''t able to find a court musician either. But no matter. I shall reconsider the engagement in one condition." Rubiella bit her lip. Oh no. She didn''t want to be engaged to the prince. This was just a ploy to get Euphee out of the palace safely. "We shall remain engaged until I am not yet married to the Saintess. As you all know, it is customary for royalty to be engaged to the Saintess but the Saintess that we have now is breaking that tradition. If she will remain stubborn and not marry me, I can go ahead with marrying your daughter instead. Will you be satisfied with that, Lord Summers?" Prince Vincent said looking pleased at himself. Rubiella was horrified. He must have been impressed with her earlier! Argh! Curse her dancing lessons! She should have stomped on his feet a dozen times! "She will be honored! Isn''t that right, my daughter?" Lord Edward said, obviously delighted. "Or perhaps would your daughter like to be my royal concubine instead if I do end up marrying the Saintess?" Prince Vincent asked, leering at her. This was getting worse. "I am not worthy of your graciousness, Your Highness. Perhaps we can discuss this again over tea and biscuits. We have taken too much of your time," Rubiella said in a rush. Rubiella grabbed her father''s arm and began to pull him away from the prince. "My daughter! You are being rude!" Her father sputtered. "We are being rude for taking too much of His Highness''s time, my father! Let us depart," Rubiella said. The prince looked like he was going to stop them from leaving. "Thank you so much, Your Highness. We shall respect your wishes in pursuing the Saintess. Until then, I shall speak to no one about this. Praise be, future Sun of the Empire," Rubiella said as she pulled her father then shut the door behind them. "What was that all about, Rubiella?! Why did we leave?!" Lord Edward bristled. Rubiella was no longer pulling her father but the viscount would lose face if he would return to the prince so he walked unwillingly with his daughter. "Father dear, did you not see that His Highness was already exhausted? I danced with him and accidentally hit him too. Staying much longer would only anger him. We do not want to be at his bad side," Rubiella insisted. Lord Edward sighed. "I suppose you''re right. I am worried with the impression we left with His Highness but he must have been quite taken with you. You should just be a royal concubine then if he succeeds in marrying the Saintess, Rubiella." Rubiella forced herself not to grimace. "Father, I do not wish to be a royal concubine." "Oh, I see. Naturally, you wish to be His Highness''s wife. I completely understand," Lord Edward said. Rubiella sighed. "Father, I forgot to mention, His Highness gave me a maid. She is probably inside our carriage now," Rubiella said. "Oh, that is nice of His Highness. I do hope his face heals soon. Such a pity. I wonder who attacked His Highness," Lord Edward said. Rubiella kept quiet. She had a feeling only Euphee was the only one who had the guts to do that to the prince''s face. They went in the carriage. * * * "Good day, Lord Summers," a young woman in a maid uniform said. "Good day. What''s your name, girl?" Lord Edward asked. He tried to see more of her face but her head was bowed and her maid cap casted a shadow on half of her face. The young woman with skin as white as snow and hair as black as raven''s feathers smiled. "Mia. My name is Mia, Lord Summers." * * * The Ashburn Residence was burning. The servants looked at the montrosity unfolding in front of their very eyes in silence. They had abandoned their master in the fiery pit. If their master would miraculously survive the fire, they would be branded as traitors and they would be punished. The duke had royal blood in his veins as nephew of the king. They would most likely be executed. They looked at each other nervously. Their heads nodded. A silent understanding. They went off in different directions, praying that the duke would not emerge alive from the burning mansion. Meanwhile, Hansel was oblivious of the fire. The wine cellar was actually fire-proof. He could hear strange sounds from above like cracking wood. As if a monster was gnawing on the furnitures of the house. Hansel sighed. Was the Duke ordered to destroy the mansion? His hand went to his pocket and he pulled out a set of master keys. He was the head butler after all. He unlocked the gate holding him captive. There was no prison underneath the Ashburn Residence. It was just a gate to prevent thieves from stealing the most expensive of liquors. Hansel stepped out the gate and began to walk along the cold corridor of the wine cellar. He could still hear the strange sounds from above. It made him uneasy. He unlocked the door of the wine cellar and began to ascend the steps. Then he felt it. The heat. The undeniable rise of temperature. Then he saw it. The inside of the mansion was burning. He had to find Lucien. "YOUR GRACE!" Hansel shouted as everything burned around him. * * * Lucien felt like he was being bound by chains. The chains of the slave contract. He could almost feel it bending to his will but it was fighting back and every time, he lost control, he would be back in the void of darkness inside his mind. The fire. He could see the fire surrounding him. But this fire was different from the fire that surrounded him like a warm blanket. This was vicious. Wild and untamed. It irked him. How dare these flames try to hurt him? To even touch him? He tried to move his hand. A struggle. Like moving inside a quicksand. But he continued to urge his body to move. His golden eyes flared. His fingers twitched. His hand moved. He balled up his hand into a fist. The flames in front of him began to dissipate. They looked almost hesitant. He urged his mouth to move. His body to get even a little air just so he could produce a sound. The damn contract was making it hell for him but he had the power of the Gold Dragon within him. The dragon was not a mere servant of the flames but a wielder of the flames. "VANISH!" Lucien roared. Chapter 44 - Out Of The Fire Euphemia saw the smoke first. Even from the carriage, there was an unmistakable smell of burning in the air. Euphemia''s heart pounded. She had a bad feeling. Rubiella seemed to sense her discomfort. "Father dear, I would have to ask our driver to bring us to the Ashburn Residence first," Rubiella said. Her father looked irritated. "What''s your business there?" "It''s of utmost importance to the Saintess. Please, Father," Rubiella pleaded. Lord Edward sighed then nodded. Rubiella informed the carriage driver to bring them to the Ashburn Residence first. "I think the mansion is burning, daughter," Lord Edward said as if in awe. The smoke was getting thicker. "Lord Summers, shall I turn back? It''s too dangerous!" The carriage driver yelled from outside. Euphemia threw the carriage door wide open and leapt out of it. "Maid! Where are you going?!" Euphemia ran. She took off the maid cap and tied it to her nose instead like a mask. She took off the apron tied to her waist and tied it above her head like a hood. Lucien. Please. Please be alive. Then she saw the mansion. A raging inferno. The fire had almost fully consumed it. Only the bare bones of its structure was barely hanging. She had to get him. She had to get Lucien out of the mansion fast. Her eyes filled with tears. She wasn''t sure if it was because of the smoke or because she was afraid that Lucien was already burning in the fire. "LUCIEN!" Euphemia screamed. The smoke was starting to fill her lungs. It was getting hard to breathe. It was getting hard to see but she continued running towards the fire. "LUCIEN!" Please be alive. She didn''t care that he had abandoned her in the palace. There must be an explanation for that. It didn''t erase all the good things he did for her. All those times he took care of her. His sweet words. His sweet smile. His promise to protect her. This time she would protect him. She just needed him to be alive. "LUCIEN!" She could feel the heat of the fire. She braced herself to leap inside the burning mansion. WHOOSH! A gust of wind from within the mansion extinguished the fire in an instant. No flames remained. Not even a spark. What just happened? The mansion still looked burned, extremely so, but it was no longer burning. Euphemia was stunned in shock but then she quickly dismissed the ridiculous magical disappearance of the fire and resolved to look for Lucien inside. "LUCIEN! WHERE ARE YOU?" Euphemia called out. Her voice carried over to the burned down corridors. The mansion that used to look so elegantly decorated was charred black and broken. She went inside the study. For some reason, she had the feeling that he would be there. And there he was. He was just standing there unmoving. His eyes were burning in brilliant gold. "LUCIEN!" Euphemia ran towards him. He was expressionless. He was obviously alive but it was as if he had no soul. And his eyes, why where they gold? "Lucien, are you all right?" Euphemia asked, shaking him. There was no response. Perhaps he was hurt. Her senses were screaming at her that something was wrong with Lucien. She closed her eyes and imagined a warm golden light. As gold as his eyes. "Banish the pain with might! Bless thee with healing light!" Light burst out of her hands and enveloped Lucien then it slowly disappeared. Lucien''s eyes turned back to his original color of emerald green. Then he smiled at her. * * * Lucien pulled her into a hug. He inhaled her scent, burying his face in her hair. Euphee. He could finally hold her again. "I''m so sorry," he said, his voice muffled. She hugged him back. "It''s all right. Everything will be all right, Luci," she said, rubbing his back. That nickname. He released her a bit to look at her face. She was smiling. "That''s what Mother used to call me. I just . . . remembered," Lucien said. "Do you like it, Lu-ci?" Euphemia asked. Lucien nodded. "I love it." He hugged her again. He wanted to say more but he had the feeling that it was not yet time for those words to be said. Euphemia pulled away a bit and stared at him with a pondering look. "Your eyes. I could swear that those were gold earlier," she murmured. Lucien nodded, took her hand and kissed the back of it. "I''ll explain later. Let''s get out of here," Lucien said. He held her hand as they walked the burned corridor. "YOUR GRACE! YOUR GRACE!!!" They whirled around and saw Hansel running towards them. "Are you unharmed, Your Grace?" Hansel asked, inspecting him, dusting off the ash on him, and inspecting him again. "I''m fine, Hans. I apologize. I couldn''t stop the fire," Lucien said. "But you saved me. You made sure I wasn''t going to be caught up in the fire," Hansel said. Lucien smiled. It was true. It took all of his willpower to influence his enslaved self to have Hansel confined in the wine cellar where he knew the fire would not spread to. Fortunately, it worked. "Welcome back, Your Grace," Hansel said with a satisfied smile. "Yes, I have returned. Thank you for your help, Hans," Lucien said. He knew that Hansel must have something to do with Euphemia''s escape from the palace. Hansel placed his hand on his own chest and bowed his head. "As your head butler, and I think your only butler remaining, I would just like to say that it''s my honor to be of service to you," Hansel said. Lucien smiled. It felt good to be back. Hansel turned his attention to Euphemia. "Thank you for saving His Grace, Lady Euphemia. His Grace was not of sound mind for a while due to a slave magic imposed on him. Please do forgive him." "Slave magic?! You were enslaved?!" Euphemia said with a horrified look. Lucien nodded. "I''ll explain along the way. Let''s get of here first." * * * They emerged out of the burned mansion. "HANSEL!!" A flurry of red. Then the red thing jumped and clung to Hansel''s neck, hugging him tight. "Urk! C-choking. Too tight," Hansel sputtered out. It was Rubiella and she was crying. "I thought you were . . ." She loosened her hug and Hansel could breathe again. Hansel petted her head. "I''m perfectly fine, my lady." "You should have gotten out! Why were you still inside?!" Rubiella said angrily, hitting his chest lightly while tears streamed down her cheeks. "I was locked up inside the wine cellar, my lady," Hansel said with a wry smile directed at Lucien. Rubiella turned to Lucien fuming in rage. "How dare you lock up my Hansel in your burning mansion?! You don''t have the right! If someone is to lock him up, it should be me!" Rubiella screamed at Lucien. Euphemia struggled in holding her laughter and approached Rubiella. "It''s not Luci''s fault. He was under the influence of a slave contract and he locked up Hansel in the wine cellar so he can be safe," Rubiella said. "LUCI?! When did the two of you become that close?! I haven''t even called my Hansel with a nickname yet! And he still doesn''t call me with a nickname!" Rubiella said still in a fit of rage. "I''m truly sorry, Lady Summers. I have put your Hansel in danger," Lucien said, struggling to not laugh too. "Yes, you truly did! What if he died in there?! We haven''t even done things yet!" Rubiella screamed shrilly. Hansel hugged her from behind and leaned close to her ear. "My lady, nothing bad has happened to me. All my parts are intact and functioning," Hansel said then he lowered his voice to a whisper. "If my lady wishes, you can check." Rubiella reddened and glared at him then sighed. "I''m glad you''re all right. I was just really worried when I saw the mansion burning," Rubiella said, glaring at him. "We need to get to the Imperial Palace but I think I''ve lost all of my servants. I don''t think I even own a carriage right now," Lucien said, looking around at the empty field. "I''m still here but I can''t bring you to the Palace without a carriage, Your Grace," Hansel said. "Not to worry. The carriage should arrive now," Rubiella said with confidence. True to her words, a carriage did arrive. "I told my father to send a carriage here to pick me up but I can''t exactly go with you. I have a prince to avoid. Go ahead first and you can pick us up afterwards," Rubiella said. "Thank you so much, Ruby," Euphemia said warmly. Rubiella hugged her. "Go beat that prince''s arse, Euphee. The queen too if you can." Lucien and Euphemia got in the carriage while Rubiella and Hansel were left in front of the burned Ashburn Residence. Rubiella turned to Hansel. "You were saying something about letting me check if all your parts are intact. I wish to do that now. Is that all right, Hansel?" Rubiella asked with a mischievous smile. Hansel gulped. * * * Lucien pulled Euphemia into his arms again. A part of him almost believed that he would not be able to get out and see her again. "Thank you for saving me, Euphee," Lucien said. Euphemia smiled. "Thank you for coming back." He pulled back to look at her. She was wearing a maid uniform but she still looked so beautiful and elegant. "How were you in the Palace?" Lucien asked. Euphemia grimaced. "The prince poisoned me but I somehow survived." Lucien''s eyes glowed. "But I did manage to put an ugly scar on his face. He looks monstrous right now," Euphemia said and laughed. Lucien''s eyes turned back to green and he smiled at Euphemia warmly. He looked forward seeing the prince and the queen''s reactions when they see his golden eyes. Chapter 45 - The Heirs Decision "Do you know about the Gold Dragon?" Lucien asked. Euphemia thought for a moment. It felt like a long time since she had last read the webnovel before she died. "I don''t remember. I think there was no mention of that," Euphemia said. "The Gold Dragon is part of Aderlan''s legend. It is said that each king has the power of the Gold Dragon within him and it is passed on to his heir when he dies," Lucien said. Euphemia looked confused. "Did the legend come true or something? Does the prince have that power?" Lucien chuckled. "No, he doesn''t." Euphemia''s eyes widened. "Are you telling me that you . . . ?" Lucien smiled. "I have inherited the power of the Gold Dragon." Euphemia gasped. "How?! Did you always have that?" "No. When the slave contract was placed on me, I was trapped in a dark place within my mind. In there, I met the Gold Dragon. It did not reveal itself at first. I could only hear its voice and it showed me the past," Lucien said. Euphemia looked worried. "Are you all right?" Lucien nodded. "It was terrible but I''m grateful to the Gold Dragon. It showed me the truth. My mother truly loved me. It wasn''t her will that drove her to kill herself and all the servants." "Then whose will was it?" "The Queen. She must have been jealous because the King was attracted to my mother," Lucien said with a dark look. "I''m not much help against the Queen but I''m here for you, Luci," Euphemia said, squeezing his hand. "Thank you, Euphee," Lucien said, squeezing her hand back gently. * * * PLACK! Queen Celestinia slapped her son. His head turned to the side from the impact. "You''ve let the Saintess escape. How could you?!" Celestinia screamed shrilly at Vincent. Gone was the melodic intonation she usually had while talking. The prince rubbed his throbbing cheek. "I don''t know how she escaped but I''ll find her. She''s probably at the Duke''s residence by now." Celestinia glowered at him. "Such uselessness. I can''t fathom how you can be king with that attitude of yours! You''re a disgrace!" "My attitude?! I''ve been obedient to you, Mother! I''m doing everything you''ve told me yet you still won''t declare me king!" Vincent shouted. Celestinia looked disgusted. "Have you seen your eyes, son? They haven''t turned to gold yet, have they? You have the nerve to call me out yet you haven''t even been acknowledged as the heir. It''s your fault for not buttering up your father before his demise." "My fault?! It''s your fault for always fighting with Father! He doesn''t like me because he abhors you! He hates you so much he''d rather die than be with you!" Vincent shouted. Celestinia gritted her teeth in rage. She was about to slap him again when a guard suddenly arrived. "I beg your pardon for the interruption, Your Highnesses. Duke Ashburn and the Saintess have arrived. Shall we let them in?" The guard asked. "What?! That''s impossible! Unless . . . She must have healed him! Arghhh!" Celestinia screamed. Vincent looked weary. "Shall we let them in, Mother?" "Yes, let them in. Let them come to the throne room," Celestinia said, biting on her lip anxiously. "The Duke is probably no longer under your control, Mother. Your plan failed. Aren''t you the useless one now?" Vincent said. Celestinia glared at him. "If you weren''t my son, I would have had you beheaded ages ago." "If you weren''t my mother, Father might have declared me as his heir," Vincent said with a shrug. * * * Queen Celestinia and Prince Vincent arrived in the throne room. Celestinia tried not to shiver from Lucien''s intimidating gaze. He was looking at her like he was about to burn her alive. Before Celestinia could even begin to speak, Lucien''s eyes suddenly turned to bright gold, and flames erupted from the sides of the throne. WHOOSH!!! "Eeeeeekkkk!!!!!" "Aaaahhhhh!!!!!!" Celestinia and her son screamed. The flames vanished and only a black burn mark remained on the ground. "Y-you . . ." Celestinia stammered. Lucien smiled in amusement. "I would like to re-introduce myself. I am Lucien Ashburn. I hold the title of duke and I am also the true heir to the throne, the rightful king of Aderlan," Lucien said, his eyes glowing. "No way . . ." Vincent could only say. "This can''t be! Are you Reagan''s illegitimate child?!" Celestinia screamed. "No, but the royal blood runs through my veins. I am his nephew, after all," Lucien said. "But this has never happened before! The heir should be Vincent! The power of the Gold Dragon never skips!" Celestinia said. Lucien smiled darkly. "The Gold Dragon must have not taken a liking to your son and chose to go to me instead." "No! I don''t allow this! Give it back! Give it to Vincent!" Celestinia screamed. Lucien raised an eyebrow. WHOOOSH!!! Flames erupted beside Celestinia. "Eeeekkkk!!!" She screamed again. The flames vanished. "You do realize you cannot command me, right? Your disgusting slave power on me is gone and if people see my gold eyes, I''m sure you won''t be living here anymore," Lucien said. Celestinia and Vincent looked scared. "Luci, do you wish to be king?" Euphemia asked, looking worried. He was a legitimate heir of the throne. He did have the gold eyes as proof but did he actually want to be king? Lucien''s expression softened. "Do you want me to be king, Euphee?" "I''m not sure. There''s a lot to learn first on how to run a kingdom and you aren''t that trusted yet by the citizens," Euphemia said. Lucien nodded. That was true. He also felt that way. It wasn''t his time to be king yet. The citizens of Aderlan believed that he had something to do with how his mother died in the fire and because of the queen, they''re probably thinking that he''s mad for burning his own mansion. He would need to earn the trust of the people first. "I see. Then I won''t claim the throne yet," Lucien said. Celestinia and Vincent looked relieved. Lucien glared at them, his golden eyes flashed, and the two stiffened. "I propose a truce," Lucien said. "A truce?!" Celestinia said in disbelief. "You shall no longer try to harm us or persuade my fianc¨¦e to be your son''s wife. You shall leave us alone. In turn, I shall not yet claim the throne. For now, you shall declare King Reagan''s death and hold a funeral befitting him. If you break these conditions, if you try to take my fianc¨¦e again, or use your disgusting slave power over us or over our friends, I shall reveal myself as the true heir to the throne sooner than you think," Lucien said. "Mother, this is blackmail! You should not agree!" Vincent said. WHOOOSH!!! Flames appeared again, but this time, it surrounded the queen and her son. The flames were higher than before. It was like a cage made of fire. "Luci! Please don''t kill them!" Euphemia said. Lucien nodded. "Yes, this is blackmail, I suppose. You don''t have a choice but I am being generous already. If it weren''t for my fianc¨¦e, I would have liked to see the two of you burning. Especially you, Queen," Lucien said. He really wanted to see her burned to a crisp. He could still remember his mother''s burned corpse. A flick of his finger and he could burn this disgusting queen too. Euphemia squeezed his hand. He was her anchor. He shouldn''t stoop to her level. He shall have her punished when he claims his throne and when he already has the trust and respect of the people. If he punished her now, he would just be labeled as a rebel. "I agree! I agree so please make this fire go away!" Celestinia said, looking like she was about to cry. He narrowed his eyes at her. The flames began to lick the ends of her long golden hair. Celestinia screamed. The flames began to eat her hair going up and up until it reached her nape. Lucien snapped his fingers. The flames vanished. Celestinia''s long golden hair was gone, her shining glory, leaving only tendrils of hair that almost didn''t reach her nape. Her hair was so short now and it''s ends were burned to black. She sobbed. She could still feel the heat that traveled up her hair. She thought she was going to die. "You shall not interfere with our matters. If your son makes a move again on my fianc¨¦, I will make sure not only your hair is burned," Lucien said. "Yes, yes, we agree. Just please. Please don''t kill us," Celestinia pleaded. "And you, do you agree also?" Lucien asked with a steely gaze. Vincent nodded uneasily. "Yes, I''ll leave her alone." "Then the truce shall begin now," Lucien said. He was about to leave with Euphemia but then he remembered something. "Prepare a mansion for us. The most beautiful one you can find. Get it from one your corrupt nobles if you need to. It is your fault that I no longer have my own mansion, right? Or maybe I should just live here instead?" Lucien said. "No! I mean, yes! I shall give you the most beautiful mansion. I shall have it prepared right away. Thank you for your graciousness," Celestinia said in a panic. Lucien and Euphemia left, while the queen and her son were still reeling from shock. He did not get his revenge. Just as he said to the Gold Dragon. But he did get peace for himself and for Euphemia and for now, that was enough. His mother wanted him to find happiness and with Euphemia by his side, he knew he would. * * * "My lady, it''s not the proper place," Hansel said. Rubiella arched an eyebrow. "You''re making excuses and going back to your word." "I mean, we are exposed here in the field in front of the burned mansion and we can''t exactly do it here," Hansel said, his ears reddening. Rubiella sighed. "Fine, you shall visit my room later instead." "That''s not . . .," Hansel began. ". . . proper. Of course, it isn''t! But we won''t get anywhere with you being all talk and being stiff when I''m asking for it!" Rubiella said, pointing her finger at him angrily. Hansel sighed and took Rubiella''s hand. He began to walk and guided her behind the Ashburn mansion. The garden behind the mansion was miraculously untouched by the fire. Rubiella''s heart began to pound. Hansel was quiet and looked strangely determined. He guided her deeper in the garden where there were more trees. They arrived at an area where there was a marble bench under a tree. Hansel sat down and Rubiella sat beside him. "Um, why did you bring me here? What if Euphee and the Duke arrive and they can''t find us?" Rubiella asked. "My lady, here is a place you can properly inspect me," Hansel said. Rubiella''s eyes widened. She bit her lip. She raised her hands to remove his eyeglasses slowly. His emerald green eyes shone brilliantly. She looked at his expression if he was against it but Hansel did not stop her. She removed his hair clasp and his light brown hair spilled down his shoulders. She stared at him in awe for a while. He was so handsome. She wasn''t even sure where to begin. "Have you finished looking, my lady? I feel that you have already finished inspecting me with your eyes," Hansel said with a mischievous smile, his face getting closer to hers. Rubiella could not form an answer. What was she supposed to do again? His face was so close to hers. Her mind couldn''t form a coherent thought. "Can I inspect you too, my lady?" Hansel asked as he brought down his lips to hers. Chapter 46 - Hickey The kiss was nothing like the novels Rubiella had read for "research." It made her feel heady. Like her head was full of clouds and her mouth was being consumed by heat. She did not move at first. She couldn''t. She was shocked that Hansel was actually kissing her. Then she stopped thinking altogether and closed her eyes, and started to tentatively move her lips against his. Like this, right? She just had to copy him. She kissed his lips. They were so soft. She was starting to get the hang of it when Hansel suddenly licked her lips. Her mouth opened in surprise. He inserted his tongue and it blew her mind. He was tasting her now and she could taste him back. He had drawn her body closer to his. Rubiella could feel his hard chest. She looped her arms around his neck. She was starting to feel weak. Air. She needed air. She cut off the kiss and inhaled a big gulp of air. She had forgotten to breathe. She heard him chuckle. "My lady, I dare say we need more practice. I would feel terribly guilty if you were to faint from lack of air," Hansel said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Rubiella rolled her eyes. "How cheeky of you." "Perhaps I should have kissed you in other areas instead," Hansel murmured, his emerald green eyes glinting like a cat. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. Rubiella arched an eyebrow. "I don''t wish for that now," Rubiella said, feigning that she was unaffected by his kisses. "Here perhaps, my lady?" Hansel leaned closer to her and placed a kiss on her cheek. Rubiella thought it felt nice but she didn''t show it. "No, not there," Rubiella said. Hansel dipped his head lower and stopped at her neck. His lips grazed her neck. Rubiella''s breath hitched. He kissed her neck, planting small quick kisses on her neck. Then he stopped and with his lips still on her neck, he opened his mouth, and began to lick her neck slowly. She could feel his tongue, tasting that small part of the side of her neck. Rubiella closed her eyes. Then he began to suck on her neck. She couldn''t understand why but she felt something warm building inside her. His teeth grazed her neck. "Ah!" Rubiella gasped. Then he stopped. Hansel pulled back, concern etched on his face. "I apologize, my lady. I might have left a mark on you. Did that hurt?" Rubiella shook her head. To hell with marks. She can probably find a ruffled choker somewhere in her closet anyway. "I''m absolutely fine. You may continue," Rubiella said. Hansel smiled and pulled her into his arms. He stroked the top of her head. Rubiella''s pounding heart began to relax. "I have taken much liberty with you, my lady. Are you sure you are fine with me?" Hansel asked. "You should take responsibility then. You can''t just kiss a lady and go about with your day as if nothing has happened," Rubiella said. Hansel placed a kiss on top of her head. "I''m having difficulty in restraining myself but I will only allow myself up to this for now." "Hansel, did you hear me? I said you should take responsibility! If anyone knows of this, I will no longer be marriageable! No one would wish to marry a lady who has already been kissed!" Rubiella said. "My lady, not to worry. I would be very willing to save my lady from such scandal," Hansel said. Was she forcing it too much? Did that mean he was willing to take responsibility for their kiss? Was he hers now? Were they official? "I think they''ve come back now, my lady," Hansel said. Tsk. Bad timing. They should have arrived much later. Rubiella could also hear the sound of an approaching carriage. "Hansel, are we . . .?" What should she ask? Were they lovers now? Was he serious with her? Was he hers exclusively? "My lady, I hope I am not rushing you into this. Are you willing to accept me as your lover?" Hansel asked. Rubiella blushed. "Y-yes, of course! I mean, as long as you don''t have anyone else." "My lady is the only one for me. Please allow me some time so I may properly court you in public," Hansel said and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. Rubiella nodded. She didn''t really care that Hansel was a butler. If he asked, she would gladly run away but with him but it seemed Hansel had some sort of plan. * * * Rubiella and Hans went out of the garden then in front of the burned mansion where Euphemia and Lucien were waiting. "Euphee, how was it? Did everything go well?" Rubiella asked. "Yes, I think the Queen and the prince will not bother us for now. They said they''ll provide us with a mansion where we can move to but it''s not yet prepared. We would have to stay in an inn for a week perhaps," Euphemia said. "Hans, we would need to recruit new servants. I think I have frightened off our old servants when I set the mansion on fire," Lucien said. "As you wish, Your Grace," Hansel said. "Ruby, did an insect bite you? Your neck looks really red. Come here, let me heal you," Euphemia said, looking concerned. Rubiella reddened. "N-no, you don''t need to! I''m perfectly fine! This is nothing!" "Nothing?" Hansel repeated with a raised eyebrow. Rubiella panicked even more. "No, it''s not nothing! I mean, Euphee, you don''t need to use your healing powers for this." "Are you sure? It might have been a big insect. It''s really red," Euphemia said. It was really red. Like something big sucked on her neck. "Yes, I''m sure. No need to trouble yourself with this. Let us depart now. I can have you dropped off at an inn first before I go home," Rubiella said in a rush and dragged Euphemia towards the carriage. * * * They dropped off Rubiella first in her residence and then they started to look for an inn to stay at. It was already night time and they still haven''t found an inn with vacant rooms. The inns were fully-booked with people who were taking a vacation in Aderlan. It was still spring in Aderlan and the flowers were in full bloom everywhere which is why a lot of people had traveled to Aderlan. They found a simple-looking inn and decided to try their luck there. It didn''t look fancy at all. No chandeliers or servants but it wasn''t dirty. It was made of wood and decorated with colored lanterns. It had a homey feeling to it. The innkeeper was a middle-aged woman with a friendly aura. She smiled at the three warmly. "Your Grace, I''m not mistaken, am I?" The innkeeper asked Lucien. "Yes, have we met before, Ma''am?" Lucien asked. "I have seen you and the Holy Saintess when I was visiting my son. He was one of the craftsmen you have employed when you were creating the play," the innkeeper said. "How is he? I haven''t been able to make another play because of certain issues that we had," Euphemia said. "Oh, he''s mighty fine. The pay that he got from working for you helped him in setting up a little store in town. I do offer my gracious thanks to you, Your Grace and Holy Saintess," the innkeeper said. "That''s good news. You''re welcome but you may call me just Lady Euphemia if you wish. Ma''am, do you have three rooms available here?" Euphemia asked. She was feeling exhausted already and she hoped this would be the last inn they would ask for a vacancy for the night. "We only have two rooms available and they''re kind of small," the innkeeper said. "Is it all right with you for us to share, Euphee?" Lucien asked. "I suppose so," Euphemia said. She was too tired already and she didn''t want to look for another inn. It was fine, right? The two of them had slept together on the same bed in the past anyway. "I will have warm water prepared for you. Would you like dinner to be sent to your room?" the innkeeper asked. "No need to prepare dinner for me, Ma''am," Hansel said. Lucien eyed Hansel suspiciously. "I have dinner plans with . . . my lady, Your Grace," Hansel said. Lucien nodded. "Just be back in the morning." * * * The room looked cramped. There was one single bed for Lucien and Euphemia to share. They did sleep on a same bed before but the bed in the Ashburn Residence was bigger. Two basins with warm water were delivered to them. "Do you wish to wash up first, Euphee? I can stand guard outside the room," Lucien said. Euphemia nodded. Lucien went out and Euphemia was left alone to herself. She took off her dress and began wiping down her body. Her skin was flushed from the heat but also from the thought of spending the night with Lucien in a cramped room in an inn. There was a knock on the door. "Euphee, Hans was able to buy a nightgown for you from the inn''s store. It''s not that good but we can buy better ones tomorrow," Lucien said. Euphemia opened the door a bit to get the nightdown. "Thank you." She changed into the nightgown. It was a very simple dress in beige and it was really sheer. "Oh no," Euphemia muttered. "Euphee, are you done changing?" Lucien asked. "No! Don''t go in!" "Is there something wrong, Euphee?" Lucien asked. Euphemia quickly went under tbe covers and raised the blanket up to her shoulders. "You can go in now," Euphemia said. Lucien went in the room and looked at her curiously. "I''m going to wash up now, Euphee. Should I go to Hansel''s room instead?" Lucien asked. Euphemia realized that she would not be able to get out with the nightgown she was wearing. "Yes, please. I''m sorry. I''m just really tired now," Euphemia said. "It''s all right. Just get some rest," Lucien said and went out of the room with his basin of warm water. A few minutes later, Lucien came back wearing a dark maroon robe, carrying a tray with two meals. Why did men get to wear a dark robe and wonen had to wear a nightgown that looked almost transparent?! "Oh! Chicken! That looks delicious!" Euphemia exclaimed, getting up from the bed. Lucien looked surprised too but he wasn''t looking at the chicken. Euphemia looked at where his eyes were staring and her cheeks reddened. The blanket had fallen down on the floor and her sheer nightgown was showing what she was trying to hide. Chapter 47 - Evening Date Euphemia gasped then she screamed. "DON''T LOOK!" Lucien turned his head away but his cheeks and ears were still red. "I apologize, Euphee. I . . . did not see anything," Lucien said probably just to spare her the embarrassment. "Then why are your ears red?!" Euphemia asked while glaring at him. "It is probably just the heat getting to me. I''ll put down our food now, Euphee," Lucien said and placed down their food on the table. Euphemia had already tied down the blanket around her to cover her chest while Lucien was looking away. "It''s fine now," Euphemia said. Euphemia and Lucien began eating. Lucien was still looking guilty and really red at the same time. "Luci, it''s fine. I know it was unintentional," Euphemia said, feeling a bit bad for him. "I''m a man of honor. I will take responsibility for your virtue, Euphee," Lucien said looking at her earnestly. Euphemia couldn''t help but crack a smile. "You don''t need to say that but thank you," Euphemia said. "Normally, a gentleman should ask for the hand of the lady from her father," Lucien said. "We''re already engaged, Luci," Euphemia said. Lucien still looked troubled. "And it''s not like we''re going to get married in the end, right?" Euphemia said. Lucien looked startled. "Our contract states that we have a year together. After that, I''ll go away and your life will be back to normal," Euphemia said. "I . . ." Euphemia got up. "That was a good dinner. Thanks, Luci." Lucien got up and grabbed her wrist. "Euphee . . ." "What''s wrong? Does your stomach hurt?" "No. It''s my . . . heart." Lucien looked like he was struggling to get out whatever he was trying to say. "Why? Did the flame magic cause that?" "No, what I mean is that . . ." Lucien walked closer to her. Their faces inches away. His emerald eyes were looking at Euphemia earnestly. "What I mean is that I feel like my heart is getting crushed whenever you say that you will be leaving," Lucien said with a pained look. Euphemia was lost for words. "Euphee, please don''t leave me," Lucien said and pulled her into a hug. * * * "Rubiella! Where have you been?! I don''t understand what''s happening!" Lord Edward said angrily as soon as she came home. "Father dear, I am the friend of the Saintess. The Duke''s mansion was destroyed by Her Highness and I simply lent them our carriage so they can go back to Her Highness and give her a proper scolding. After that, I dropped them off to an inn because the Queen said she still had to prepare a mansion for them," Rubiella said, the words flowing out of her mouth faster than her father could comprehend. "What?! I don''t understand! You''re not making sense!" Lord Edward exclaimed, extremely bewildered. "Just stay calm, Father. The crown doesn''t know I helped the Saintess escape from the palace so we''re safe!" Rubiella said cheerfully. "Escape?! Rubiella! What have you gotten yourself into?" Lord Edward asked, looking paler and paler with her every answer. "Lots of stuff, Father, and I don''t have the time to explain. I must be off to my room now," Rubiella said. "You don''t have the time? What are you up to this time?!" Lord Edward asked. Rubiella put on an innocent look. "Nothing, Father. I''m simply going to retire for the night. It''s been an eventful evening after all. I presume you are not going to let me have my dinner as punishment for my odd behavior this day so I shall go now. Have a good night, Father!" * * * Rubiella took a bath to look fresh before Hansel arrives. Annie helped her with drying her hair with a thick towel, and brushing her long curly red hair. Now, Rubiella''s only problem was deciding what to wear. She was pondering whether she should wear a sexy nightgown to welcome Hansel or a dress for a dinner date. "What do you think, Annie? Should I go with the dress or this?" Rubiella asked Annie for what must have been the tenth time already. "I advise to go with the dress, My Lady. You haven''t had dinner yet and it will be an unpleasant experience if you are famished while you are conducting your nightly activities," Annie said. "But what if he decides to ravage me for the night instead and I will not be able to leave my room until morning?" Rubiella said, still eyeing the black lacy see-through nightgown. "My Lady, I believe Lord Hansel is a gentleman and he will allow you to eat first. Let me help you with the dress. He might arrive any minute now," Annie said. "Alright but after dinner how do I take this off? I can''t really reach the ribbons at the back and I want to change into the nightgown," Rubiella said. "My Lady, I am sure Lord Hansel will be willing to help you out of this dress," Annie said. "Oh." Rubiella put on a dark green dress which contrasted nicely with her vibrant red hair. "How do I look?" Rubiella asked. "You look lovely, My Lady," Annie said. * * * The moon was hanging up from the sky like a lanter lighting up a young man''s road. The young man was in a good mood. He even had the urge to whistle a tune while walking. He touched his lips and smile, remembering their kiss. He was in a really good mood. "Good evening, Lord Hansel. The Lady is expecting you," Annie said with a pleased smile. "Thank you," Hansel said then remembered something. "I''m not a lord, miss. You can just call me Hansel." "Nonsense. You''re My Lady''s lover therefore you are worthy of respect. But do take care. If you make her cry, I will make sure to destroy you," Annie said. "You''re a good friend," Hansel said. Hansel knocked on Rubiella''s door. * * * "You are beautiful, my lady," Hansel said in awe. Rubiella blushed. "Thank you. Have you had dinner already?" "If you haven''t, I haven''t had dinner too, my lady," Hansel said. Rubiella chuckled. "What if I said I had dinner already?" "Then I''ll say my stomach is full too, my lady," Hansel said. "Let''s go. Father reprimanded me earlier so I confined myself in the room without dinner," Rubiella said. "Lord Edward reprimanded you?" Hansel asked looking concerned. "It''s fine. I''m used to it," Rubiella said. Hansel still looked concerned but he remained quiet. The two went out to a nice restaurant with a lovely ambience. There was a bard singing a relaxing song at the stage, there was a candle in the middle of their table, and the food was exquisite. "This place looks expensive," Rubiella said. "Don''t worry. I have enough savings to last for years. I''ve never spent my earnings ever since I''ve started working," Hansel said. "Why? Are you saving up for something?" Rubiella asked. "No. I just didn''t have anything to spend on. The food is free in the mansion and His Grace gives me clothes. I still have a closet full of clothes I haven''t even worn yet. But now, I have something worth spending on. No, not something. Someone really precious," Hansel said, gazing at Rubiella fondly. Rubiella blushed. "Hansel, am I rushing you too much? I''ve been really pushy to you and you''re a gentleman so perhaps you''re just taking responsibility for my scandalous actions," Rubiella said. "My Lady, I may be a gentleman but I wouldn''t pretend to be lovers with someone I don''t like. I truly like you, My Lady," Hansel said. "I truly like you too, Hansel," Rubiella said. The two had an enjoyable dinner talking about anything and everything. Hansel still called her "my lady" but the way he said it felt more like an endearment than etiquette. He was attentive to her stories. To her stories of her bad relationship with ber father, to her few memories of her mother, and to her night escapades. Rubiella felt herself being listened to. Finally truly being listened to. Like someone was truly seeing her. Not as the viscount''s daughter but as Rubiella Summers herself. The two walked under the moonlight with less conversation but with smiles on their faces. No words were needed to fill the gap which did not exist. It was as if the two were simply contented with the presence of the other. They eventually reached Rubiella''s house and Hansel accompanied her to her room. "Hansel, will you sleep with me again?" Rubiella asked with a hopeful look. Hansel took her hand and kissed the back of it. "My Lady, I''m afraid I might take too much liberty with you by my side and knowing that your feelings are the same with mine. I hope you will allow me to take things slow," Hansel said. "Oh," Rubiella said looking a bit disappointed. Her sexy nightgown would have to wait then. "My Lady, let me treasure you more. I might become too greedy and just take you tonight if you let me sleep here," Hansel said. Rubiella blushed but she tried to look unaffected by his charms. "I''m not a treasure. I''m a person and this person is allowing you to stay here. Why can''t you be greedy?" Rubiella insisted. Hansel''s emerald green eyes seemed to shimmer in the darkness. His aura felt different. It was like being cornered by a beast. He closed the distance between them. Then he began to kiss her. Chapter 48 - A Dark Summoning ***Semi-steamy scene alert! Some of you may find this uncomfortable. You can skip the scene and go to the next three asterisks ***. Some of you may not like the scene and I hope you keep an open mind because the characters like it and you don''t necessarily need to like it too. We all have our preferences, kinky or not. So please refrain from saying rude stuff about the scene. You are free to skip the said scene and you won''t lose anything in the story. *** Rubiella started walking backwards and he continued kissing her with such intensity it was a wonder how she was able to breathe. Her legs were now against the bedside. He was still kissing her and her legs were losing strength from the kiss. THUD! She toppled down on top of the bed. Hansel was still kissing her. He was now on top of her. She pushed him gently and gasped for breath. He looked amused. She glared at him. "I just needed to catch my breath. You may now continue," Rubiella said. Hansel chuckled and went to her neck again. He planted soft kisses on her neck that made her sigh. It felt so relaxing and splendid and pleasurable at the same time. His lips went to her ear. Was he going to whisper something? She couldn''t be more wrong. He sucked on her earlobe. Her eyes opened in surprise. Then he moved from her earlobe to the inside of her ear. He inserted his tongue inside and started licking her there. Rubiella gasped. He continued to lick the inside of her ear. "Ah . . ." A moan escaped from her mouth. Hansel stopped to look at her. He looked hungry . . . for her. "Such a nice sound, My Lady," Hansel murmured in her ear. He started licking her again. Her whole body tingled from the sensation of his tongue going in and out of her ear to his body leaning down on hers as he ravished her. Rubiella couldn''t stop the soft moans escaping from her mouth. He placed two of his fingers on her lips then he inserted them inside her mouth. His tongue was going in and out of her ear while his fingers did the same to her mouth, exploring then going in and out. It was so strange yet so erotic. He stopped and licked his two fingers which were wet from her saliva. Rubiella felt like she was melting. Or had melted already. Or bodiless. She felt like a flute. Her legs quivered in anticipation at being played with his mouth and his fingers. He kissed her again on the lips. This time, gently. Slowly. As if he was savoring her taste to his memory. He stopped and looked at her with such fondness. The moonlight from her window seemed to make him more of a magical being than a human. Bright emerald eyes, long light brown hair, and an aura of bookish elegance yet a hint of a beast if pushed to anger or to passion. "Are you all right, My Lady?" Hansel asked. Rubiella nodded. Her mind was completely shocked and her body was on fire but she was all right. He did not hurt her. Everything he did felt so wonderful. * * * Hansel got up from the bed and straightened his coat. "My Lady, I will take my leave now. My greedy side has taken over me and I have done too much to you this day," Hansel said. What the -?! Rubiella sat up and gripped his coat. "No, you didn''t! Get back here!" Rubiella insisted. "Let''s have an enjoyable night again next time, My Lady," Hansel said who had already finished straightening his coat and tying his hair. She really should have worn the black nightgown perhaps it would have made him stay longer. Argh!!! "You''re really going to leave?" Rubiella asked, pouting. "It''s our first day as lovers, My Lady. We have thousands of days more. Good night, My Lady," Hansel bent down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. Rubiella pouted but nodded. "Good night, Hansel." Hansel left and Rubiella left alone. She thought she was going to be lonely as soon as he was gone but the wonderful feeling he gave her was still inside her. She felt giddy and happy. He''s right. There were still thousands of days more for them to enjoy each other''s company. * * * Meanwhile, in Aderlan''s temple, a very evil plan was being carried out by the most powerful holy man of the kingdom - High Priest Anthony. Rituals were usually carried out when the sun was high up in the sky but when a ritual is a dark one, it must be carried out when the sky is at its darkest when the gods of light cannot see the mischief of men. The temple doors were shut and only the High Priest, the lower priests, the queen, and the prince was inside. The priests began painting a magic circle with a suspicious-looking red liquid. They carried metal pails of red liquid as they painted the temple floor. "Are you sure this is going to work?" Celestinia asked the High Priest. Celestinia was not wearing one of her usual gold and violet dazzling dresses. She was wearing a dark maroon dress underneath her black hooded cloak. She wore dark colors to avoid being spotted by the public. She glanced at the red liquid being painted on the floor. It was a good thing she wore dark colors. She didn''t want that red liquid to stand out on her dress if it accidentally spilled on her. "Your Highness, I have done my research on the summoning extensively and if my theory is correct, the summoning will work again. No one else has tried to summon another Saintess in the past because there was no need to but I understand that the circumstances are different now," Anthony said with a confident look. His long silver hair gave him a wise aura despite bearing a young man''s face. Celestinia frowned. "Yes, circumstances are different now from the last time Aderlan had a Saintess. The new Saintess is proving to be a nuisance to our plans." "Mother, what if this doesn''t work? Will the duke just take my throne one day?" Vincent asked looking wild-eyed and terrified. "I''ll make sure that will not happen. I''ve endured too much for that to be taken away by a mere nephew of the king," Celestinia said. The magic circle was finished. The priests put away their pails of red liquid and joined hands. Then they started. They began chanting in a language that the two royals could not understand. It was a dead language. It was a language that was said to have been used by the gods but then the mortals learned of it and the gods decided to never speak it again. Their chanting was loud. Then it became defeaning. Their eyes were shut, beads of sweat dripped from their foreheads, and their faces etched with concentration. Desperation. As if the gods had enough, a sudden wind blew out the candles in the temple. WHOOSH!!! Everyone was engulfed with darkness but the priests continued their mad chanting. Then a flame appeared at the center of the magic circle. The priests opened their eyes to see the flame and their jaws dropped in shocked. Blue. The flame was blue! That has never happened before in a Saintess summoning. The blue flame began to grow larger and larger. The priests switched from chanting to a hymn. They looked nervous but they still kept singing the hymn. The flame grew and grew. Everyone felt tense. Why was the flame blue? No Saintess ever had a magic with that color. Were they summoning a Saintess or something that should not have been summoned? The blue flame slowly dissipated and in its place looked like the figure of a young woman. It was too dark to actually make out her features. "Open the doors!" Celestinia commanded. Several priests scrambled to open the temple doors while the other priests lit up the candles. The High Priest approached the young woman. His face remained impassive while the other priests looked astonished at her features. The young woman''s hair color was like a blend of honey and caramel. Her hair was styled into a bob cut with straight bangs. The ends of her hair were curled beneath her chin and the longest tendrils only reached her neck. The priests gulped. Then she opened her eyes. The priests gasped. Light blue eyes like the sky in a beautiful day. Her nose was small but pointed. Her lips were like petals - pinkish and soft-looking. She was wearing a white gown which showed her collarbones and the dip of her cleavage. Even her shoulders were bare. It would have looked utterly scandalous if not for the innocence her face exuded. The gown she was wearing was like a princess ball gown with an off-shoulder with white feathers, tight at the waist, and a full skirt decorated with white feathers and white pearls. She looked like an angel. The High Priest extended his hand warily. He could still remember Euphemia ignoring his hand. To his surprise, the new Saintess took his hand without hesitation and got up with his help. She looked around. The temple was illuminated only by the candles and the moonlight coming from outside the temple doors but it was still impressive even in darkness. The new Saintess looked fascinated. She didn''t look scared or angry. "We welcome you, Saintess from another world. My name is Anthony. I am the High Priest of this temple. May we know your name, Holy Saintess?" Anthony asked. The new Saintess smiled brightly. "My name is Hikari Miyu. But you can call me Miyu desu!" She blushed and giggled. "Sorry. It''s Miyu''s habit to say ''desu.'' Miyu is delighted to be here. Thank you so much for summoning me." The new Saintess was so radiant. It was as if there was no darkness surrounding her. But where there is light, there is also shadow. Chapter 49 - Miyus Story Back in the Saintesses'' original world, years ago . . . "Halfling! Go back to your country!" A young boy shouted at a young girl with hair like honey and caramel. The young girl had no expression on her face. She simply picked up her ripped up notebooks and put them inside her bag. She sat down and paid no attention to the boy who had just destroyed her notes. "Aren''t you being too mean?" A classmate asked the bully. "Huh? She''s so creepy and gloomy! A foreigner shouldn''t be allowed here!" The young boy said. "Yeah, now the teachers are making us learn more English words! It''s all her fault!" Another classmate chimed in. "Yeah! She should just get out of our school! We don''t need a foreigner!" "Hey, she said she''s not a foreigner. Only her dad is the foreigner. She''s a halfling. A halfling!" "I heard that her dad left. Maybe her dad got grossed out by her gloominess too. She looks like that scary English doll in my grandmother''s house." Miyu gripped her skirt and bit her lower lip. She wasn''t going to cry. She wouldn''t cry for them. What did she do to deserve this treatment? She didn''t want to look like a foreigner! Did they think she chose her appearance? She felt so angry at them. They were so stu*id! Why did she have to be chosen as the class victim? The victim that they would bully just because they wanted to. Why did someone have to be the victim? Why couldn''t they just go on with their lives and ignore her if they don''t like her?! The teacher entered and began teaching. "Hikari Miyu! Why aren''t you taking notes? Do you think my class is easy because it''s English? Your scores are already dropping!" The teacher shouted while the students around her snickered. Miyu took out her ripped out notebook from her bag and put it on top of her desk. The teacher frowned. "You should take better care of your things," the teacher said and went back to teaching. Miyu sighed and looked out the window. The sky was blue just like her eyes. She didn''t long for the father she had never met. She simply wondered if someone was up in the sky who could notice her. * * * Miyu went home but there was no one to welcome her home. She went to her mother''s room. As usual, her mother was inside the covers asleep. Her skin was pale and her breathing sounded ragged. "Mother, I''m home," Miyu said. Her mother woke up and smiled. "Welcome home. Did you have a good day?" Miyu nodded. "That''s nice. There''s food in the refrigerator if you''re hungry," her mother said. "Come eat with me, Mother," Miyu said. "I ate already," her mother said. Miyu frowned. Her mother had less and less appetite as the days went by. She was ill but they had no money to have her checked up in the hospital. "Mother, why did Father leave us?" Miyu asked. Her mother smiled sadly. "He found another woman. A very cute one." "But Mother is so beautiful!" Miyu insisted. Her mother was an elegant Japanese beauty and only her illness had weathered away her beauty bit by bit. Miyu saw a picture when her mother was younger and it was like looking at a classic painting of a Nadeshiko - the ideal Japanese woman. Long straight black hair, pale skin, and a slender body like a crane. "Men wish for cute girls these days. They don''t want a beautiful woman," her mother said. "I don''t understand," Miyu said. "They want a cute girl who''s cheerful and clumsy. A girl who smiles and laughs easily. A girl they can protect and they can be the Prince Charming. The cute girl does not have pride. She forgives easily and loves easily. Your mother is not like that and that''s why your Father left," her mother said. "That''s so dumb," Miyu said, crying. Her mother hugged her. "Yes, it is so dumb." A month later, Miyu''s mother died. * * * Miyu''s father arrived to take care of the funeral but he did not comfort her. He simply watched as she cried and cried in front of her mother''s picture. Miyu had her father''s blonde hair and blue eyes but he was a stranger to her. They were merely strangers to each other who just so happened to share their genetic traits. "You resemble her," her father said days after the funeral while driving. She did not understand at first then she remembered her mother''s words. She wasn''t cute. She was strong and her father did not like that. She had to survive. That was all she could think of. Her mother was no longer with her. School was no comfort. She had no other relatives. Her father looked like he wanted to disappear any moment soon. She stilled her nerves. She must empty her mind. Swallow her pride. A smile. Her mother said they liked girls who smile easily. A smile. She needed to smile. She breathed in and relaxed. She could do this. She turned to her father and tried to look as wide-eyed and innocent as she could. "I think I resemble Papa more," Miyu said and smiled as brightly as she could. Her father looked stunned. It was as if the skies had opened up. On that day, her father did not drop her off to a distant relative as he initially planned. He brought her home to his house and introduced Miyu to his new wife. On that day, Miyu learned how to be a cute girl to survive. * * * Years later, her father died from a car accident with his new wife. Some said it was because they were arguing while driving. Some said the car was sabotaged. Miyu did not care for their rumours. Miyu shed no tears. She simply held close her mother''s picture to her chest and whispered, "You can rest now." Miyu wasn''t sure what to do next. She hadn''t given much thought about her future. "Please try on our wedding dresses! We''re a new wedding shop! Please try our dresses!" A woman handling flyers saw her looking and approached her. "You''re so cute! You would look so good in a wedding dress! Would you like to try some?" Miyu was dragged inside a shop selling wedding dresses. The woman made her try on a wedding dress with lots of layers and lace. "Wow! You''re so adorable! You look like a princess! Would you like to be our shop''s model?" Miyu became the wedding shop''s model and the shop became so famous because of her pictures. That became her first modeling job. After that, she had more and more offers. Money was coming in steadily. She was adored. She was the cute Japanese girl who looked like an English doll. People would flock together to get her attention. "She''s so cute! Miyu-chan! Your autograph please!" "Miyu-chan! A smile please!" "Miyu-chan, I''m a fan! Sign please!" Miyu would smile brightly like the sun. Dazzling and warm. "Miyu is so happy desu! Thank you for being Miyu''s fan." Miyu was living the life under the camera lights and under her fans'' generous attention. She should be happy. She should be happy but when she''s alone, there would be no trace of smile on her face. She was like a beautiful empty shell. "Miyu-chan, would you like to try acting?" Miyu''s manager, Hanako, asked. She met Hanako when she was still starting out at modeling. Hanako was an average-looking woman but she was hardworking and she never pushed Miyu to do things she didn''t like. "Acting, huh? Why? Are you getting tired of my pictures, Hanako?" Miyu teased. Hanako was the only one who knew of Miyu''s true nature. Miyu was not really as nice as she portrayed herself in front of the public. She used curse words and she had a blunt personality. She wasn''t bad. She was just . . . a normal person who wanted to be liked by people and pretending to be happy on the outside but was feeling nothing inside. "No, it''s just that you might be the one who''s getting bored already. Wouldn''t you like to work with more people?" Hanako asked. "I''ll consider it just because you said so," Miyu said. "Thank you, Miyu-chan. Actually, I got an offer from Tomohiro Ren''s manager. He wants to act with you in his movie," Hanako said. "Tomohiro Ren, isn''t that the actor you have a huge crush on?" Miyu asked. Hanako blushed. "I just admire his acting skills. It''s nothing like that." "Okay, I''ll do it. I might even get his number just for you," Miyu said. "Thank you, Miyu-chan!" Hanako said, hugging Miyu. Miyu proceeded to do the shooting with Ren. Ren was tall, nice, and good-looking. He had an easy-going attitude and he always greeted everyone with a smile. He had blonde hair and a handsome face. He was like a modern Prince Charming. "Miyu-chan, here''s a melon bread," Ren said after one of their shootings. "Sorry! Miyu already ate before the shooting," Miyu said in a cute apologetic manner. She felt that she should avoid getting close to him for Hanako''s sake. "That''s okay. I''m glad you already ate. Miyu-chan, can you tell me your favorite snacks?" Ren asked. Miyu''s eyes widened. "Why?" "I want to know Miyu-chan more," Ren said. "But Miyu is not a very interesting person. Ah! I still need to change clothes for the next scene. Bye, Ren!" Miyu wasn''t sure if her heart was pounding because she was running away from him or because of something else. Ren continued to be persistent even though Miyu tried to avoid him as much as she could. Just like ice, the longer it''s under heat, the more it melts. Miyu''s icy heart began to melt away. Chapter 50 - Miyus Heart "Miyu-chan, here''s your mango juice," Ren said. "Thank you," Miyu said, a bit embarrassed. Ren already knew her favorite snacks and drinks. "How do you think of my acting this day?" Ren asked. "Miyu thinks Ren is really talented in acting," Miyu said. It was true. When Ren was acting, Miyu could not see a trace of the actor. She could only see the character that Ren was portraying. Ren chuckled. "I feel that Miyu-chan is even better than I am in acting." "That''s not true. Miyu is just new in acting. It''s because of Ren''s help that Miyu is able to act comfortably. Thank you for the juice. I''ll get going now," Miyu said, getting up to leave. "Wait, Miyu-chan!" Miyu ignored him and went to her room in the resort the movie crew has rented for the movie. Hanako was already inside Miyu''s room, organizing her clothes for the shooting the next day. "Miyu-chan, I''m not sure if I''m just imagining it but is Ren-san flirting with you?" Hanako asked. "I don''t know and I don''t care. I''m not interested in dating," Miyu said, shrugging. Hanako looked worried. "I know you aren''t but Ren-san is a really good catch. I think you''ll fall for him soon." "Don''t worry, I won''t. I''ll just ignore him like all the other guys who tried," Miyu said. Hanako sighed. "If you say so." That was what Miyu said but the heart was not something one can control. * * * On the last day of their shooting, Ren requested for Miyu to go at the seaside cliff which was a few minutes walk away from their shooting location. Miyu wore a sleeveless pink dress and a beach hat. She didn''t dress up for him she told herself. She just wanted to look cute as always she told her pounding heart. Ren was already there when Miyu arrived. He was holding a bouquet of yellow dandelions. Ren looked good as always. The sunlight was shining behind him and his blonde hair seemed to appear more radiant as usual. He smiled when he saw her. "Miyu-chan, I''m glad you came," Ren said. Miyu tried to look unflustered. "It''s because Ren-san requested for me to come. Is there something you want to say?" Ren handed her the bouquet of dandelions. "Miyu-chan, you''re just like these dandelions. You shine so brightly. You look so dazzling to look at. I even wonder sometimes if I''ve done something good in my past life to be rewarded with your presence." Miyu laughed. "What''s with that? Miyu is also lucky to be working with Ren-san." "No, I''m the one who''s lucky. Don''t you think it''s fate that we''ve met?" Ren asked. "I don''t know. Ren-san, thank you for these flowers. Let''s go back now. They must be looking for us," Miyu said. "Miyu-chan, I like you. I really like you. Will you allow me to date you?" Ren asked. Miyu was startled. Her heart was pounding and for some strange reason, she felt something akin to happiness. He was like a Prince Charming. "Miyu-chan? Ah, you can have more time to think about it. You don''t need to reply now," Ren said. "N-no, it''s not that. It''s just that Miyu has never dated so Miyu doesn''t know what to do," Miyu said. Ren looked incredibly happy. "Does that mean you''re considering it?" Miyu nodded. "Miyu-chan, do you dislike me?" Ren asked with a gentle smile. Miyu shook her head. "No, Miyu thinks Ren-san is very kind." "I really like you but I won''t force you. What do you think of us going out so we can get to know each other more? You can reject me anytime if you think you wouldn''t be happy with me as your boyfriend," Ren said. "Well . . ." "I really like you. Miyu-chan is really cute. I just can''t help but fall for you," Ren said. Miyu nodded, her face blushing. "Are you saying yes, Miyu-chan?" Ren asked. Miyu nodded again, hiding her blushing face with her hair. Ren hugged Miyu. "I''m so happy! Thank you, Miyu-chan! I promise I''ll make you happy always. I''ll be a really good boyfriend to you. I''ll never leave you, Miyu-chan. I promise!" Miyu felt like she was floating. She had never planned on dating someone but Ren was so earnest, she found herself wanting to trust him. Miyu hugged him back. Her very own Prince Charming. Perhaps she can find the happiness her mother wasn''t able to find. * * * They eventually went back to where the others were. "Where were you? We should have been traveling half an hour ago!" The director scolded them. "Sorry, director. I just had something to talk about with Miyu-chan," Ren said. "What''s that? Flowers? Why do you have flowers with you?" The director asked. "Director, I''ve asked Miyu-chan to be my girlfriend," Ren said proudly. Everyone gasped. The director looked surprised too. "And? Did you accept?" Miyu nodded. Everyone cheered and applauded. "Wow! Congratulations, Ren!" "We''re happy for you!" "You look good together!" Ren laughed while Miyu remained quiet because she was too embarrassed, she didn''t even know what to say. They boarded the bus. Hanako was already there. Miyu sat beside her. She must not have heard Ren''s announcement if Hanako was already inside the bus at that time. "Dandelions. Who gave them to you?" Hanako asked. "It was Ren-san," Miyu said. "I told you, didn''t I? Ren-san likes you," Hanako said. "I know now," Miyu said. "Did he confess to you?" Hanako asked, looking mildly disturbed. Miyu nodded and smelled the dandelions. They smelled like ordinary flowers but she smiled. She remembered Ren''s words. The dandelions did look really bright. Did she appear like that to his eyes? "I see. I wish you the best," Hanako said. She was obviously hurt but Miyu did not notice. "Thank you, Hanako. I knew you would understand," Miyu said. "Miyu-chan, does Ren know about your true personality?" Hanako asked. Miyu laughed. "Of course, he doesn''t. But it feels like it''s easier to act cute when I''m in front of him." "But you would always have to act. You will surely get tired of that," Hanako said. "Don''t worry, Hanako. I''ve been acting for years already in the real world and not just under the camera lights. I''m used to this," Miyu said. "But Miyu-chan if he really likes you, I''m sure he''ll be willing to accept you for who you are," Hanako insisted. "Huh? That''s what Mother thought and Father left her! Hanako, just let me be. I can handle this," Miyu said firmly. Hanako nodded but she still looked worried. * * * Miyu thought those blissful days would last forever. Miyu and Ren would go on dates together while in disguise so the public won''t recognize them. They would go to the park, eat sundae at a family restaurant, go to the movies, and they had lots of fun together. Miyu was enjoying Ren''s company so much, she didn''t even mind that she had to always speak in a cute way. It almost felt natural. "Ren-san, Miyu is going to be away for a while. The shooting location is far away from here so would have to stay there for two weeks," Miyu said with a sad expression. Ren put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "It''s okay. I''ll wait for you to come back." Miyu hugged him back. "Miyu is so happy." She truly was. * * * The next day, Miyu and Hanako arrived at the city where they were going to shoot a movie. As usual, Hanako began preparing Miyu''s room while Miyu rested on the bed. She put Miyu''s clothes inside the wardrobe, organized Miyu''s skincare and makeup products on the vanity table, and called for room service. "Miyu, how have you been?" Hanako asked. "I''m fine. Ren is really making me happy," Miyu said with a genuine smile. "He is? The two of you are still going out?" Hanako asked, surprised. "Of course! Why? Did you think I would break up with him?" Miyu asked, starting to get irritated. "N-no, it''s just that I thought you would have a hard time acting while you''re dating. Does he know already?" Hanako asked. Miyu was looking more irritated. "Of course not! And besides, it''s not a big deal! Even if he finds out, what''s wrong with my way of speaking now?!" The real Miyu was short tempered, had a blunt way of speaking, and not cute and innocent at all like what she showed to the public. Hanako couldn''t tell that to Miyu. "N-no, nothing is wrong. I''ll go to my room now. Have a good rest. We''ll start shooting tomorrow," Hanako said while backing away. "Tch. Useless manager. Why does she always look displeased with my relationship with Ren?" Miyu grumbled to herself. * * * That night, someone went inside Miyu''s room. Miyu was sound asleep and the camera had no sounds or flash so Miyu did not stir awake at all when the stranger took off her blanket and began taking pictures of her. There should have been no major problem. Pictures of sleeping people would just usually consist of a drooling face, a funny sleeping posture, or messy hair. But Miyu''s sleeping habit was a bit unusual. She liked sleeping naked. Chapter 51 - Miyus Downfall ***R-19 warning! Very mature themes in this chapter. Some of you might find this disturbing. Proceed with caution and with an open mind. Lastly, this should not be taken as an example of what''s okay to do in the real world. It''s not. *** Miyu''s morning usually began with the chirping of birds outside her window where she had a huge tree in front of her house. If she was at a shooting location, her morning would usually start from the scent of coffee prepared by Hanako. Miyu''s mornings had become pleasant ever since she became famous. It was a far cry from her mornings during her childhood which had the scent of medicine, and the sobbing of her mother. On that morning, there was no scent of the usual coffee made by Hanako. "MIYU! MIYU! WAKE UP! ARE YOU OKAY? DID SOMEONE TOUCH YOU?!" Miyu frowned and rubbed her eyes groggily. What nonsense is Hanako saying? Miyu thought. "Get up! No, wait! Put on something for now! Sheesh! You really should wear clothes while sleeping!" Hanako scolded. "YOU''RE NOISY! HANAKO YOU''RE SO FREAKING NOISY! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Miyu shouted angrily. It was a unpleasant awakening and she was instantly in an irritated mood. Who would want to be woken up in that way? She looked quite lovely if she wasn''t so foul-mothed. She was sitting up, her short honey gold hair was ruffled, her sky blue eyes looked angry but doll-like. The blanket had fallen over her lap and she was naked, her porcelain-like skin exposed. She looked almost erotic but her doll-like features gave her an innocent aura like that of a fairy. Hanako sighed. She was used to seeing Miyu''s naked form. "Miyu, look at this," Hanako said. Hanako gave her smartphone to Miyu. Miyu looked irritated but took the phone and began reading. Her eyes widened at the picture. She looked horrified and scared. Then she read the article. She was livid. Hanako quickly took the phone from her hand before Miyu could throw her phone at the wall. "WHO THE FU*K TOOK THAT PICTURE?! WHO THE FU*K?!!!! WHO WROTE THAT?! WHO?!!!" Miyu screamed. The article contained Miyu''s naked pictures while sleeping. The pictures were in various angles. Some showed her full naked form while the other pictures were taken very closely at her private parts. Used cond*ms were on the bed. They looked used because the cond*ms were wet with white liquid. The article said Miyu was sound asleep after an o*gy with several men. The anonymous writer wrote that it was forbidden to share the picture of Miyu naked but he just couldn''t help it. He thought the world deserved to see her naked beauty. He said that Miyu had a secret group of male clients that she liked to have s*x with. Miyu was not the innocent angel that everyone thought she was. The writer said Miyu deserved to be in adult films instead because of her true nature. "Miyu, are you okay? Did someone harm you last night? Were you . . . ?" Hanako asked Miyu seriously looking concerned. "Nothing happened to me! I was just sleeping last night! Someone must have come in my room and took those pictures! Hanako, you have to find him. You have to find him and when you do, I will kill him!" Miyu said angrily. Someone knocked on Miyu''s door. "Miyu, put on some clothes," Hanako said and hurriedly grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe and gave them to Miyu. "Go inside the bathroom and dress up. Don''t go out for now. I''m sure everyone in the team has seen the article," Hanako said. Miyu looked like she wanted to protest but nodded and went inside the bathroom. Hanako went out the room. * * * "Hanako-san, you have to understand. We can''t work with Miyu anymore," the director said. "But it''s not true! The article is not true! Someone went inside her room, took pictures of her, and made those all up! We should call the police!" Hanako insisted. The director sighed. "We don''t have evidence that she''s innocent either. We rented guesthouses. Not hotel rooms so there''s no CCTV. For all we know, she could really have invited men inside her room last night!" "That''s ridiculous! Miyu is not like that! We should release a statement that Miyu is innocent!" Hanako said. "No, I don''t want to involve my movie in this scandal. Look, I''m letting her off easy. I''ll release Miyu from the contract with no penalties as long as she promises not to tell anyone what movie she was working on when this scandal happened," the director said. "The nerve of you! I won''t let you get away with this!" Hanako screamed. The movie staff looked at Hanako in amazement. "Wow, isn''t that Miyu''s manager?" "Yeah, she''s really determined to protect Miyu." "But it''s really hard to prove Miyu''s innocence. I mean, why else would she be naked?" "You''re right. She must have really been sleeping with several men." "Gross. It''s a good thing someone shared that picture then. She''s been deceiving all of us." * * * "Ren, please pick up. Please pick up," Miyu said shakily as she rang Ren''s number over and over in vain. She got fed up and threw her phone on the bed. Miyu sat down on the floor and placed her head on her knees. It was a disaster. Why? What did she do to deserve this? Was she fated to never be happy? Everything was going so well. Did God decide that Miyu already had enough happiness to last her for a lifetime? "Miyu, we need to go," Hanako said, looking tired. "Why? We still haven''t finished shooting my scenes. Is the director firing me?!" Miyu asked. "The director doesn''t want to work with you anymore. He said you won''t have to pay a penalty. I''ll prepare your things," Hanako said. "No! I''m not accepting this! I''m innocent! I''m going to talk to him myself!" Miyu screamed. "No, Miyu. Please, let''s just go. Don''t make a scene," Hanako pleaded and grabbed her arms. Miyu shrugged off Hanako. "Don''t stop me." Miyu went to the director fuming. "Hey!" The director looked surprised. "I heard that you''re firing me. Why? Do you believe that article? It''s not true. I was sleeping the whole time and someone took pictures of me and wrote that article," Miyu said. The director looked at Miyu with disdain. "It''s doesn''t matter if it''s true or not. Casting you is going to ruin this movie. We can''t have an actress with naked pictures in the Internet portraying an innocent character. It''s going to turn to a fuc*ing mockery. Do you understand, Miyu-san?" "Fine. Fire me but I want you to find out who the fu*k took those pictures," Miyu said angrily. "Miyu-san, we have more than 200 crew members in the set. I can''t afford to have an investigation delaying our schedule. We still have to find another actress. You''ve caused us enough trouble. If you would like an investigation conducted, do it when the movie is over. If you don''t do as I say, I''ll make sure your career is completely destroyed," the director said. Miyu screamed obscenities at the director. Hanako arrived and dragged off Miyu. The crew members took videos of the Miyu in rage. Miyu''s reputation plummeted again. * * * "Miyu, we''re here. Make sure to eat, okay? I''ll visit you again tomorrow," Hanako said. Miyu remained quiet but got off the taxi. Her eyes looked empty. She had been trying to contact Ren all day but her calls were unanswered and by night time, she was drained of all energy already. Hanako got off at her own apartment. It was a simple one but she was proud of it because she worked hard to be able to afford it. Miyu was a difficult actress to work with. She had a short temper and had a rude way of speaking. But Miyu was talented and it was from Miyu that she was able to profit the most out of her years for being a manager. Hanako yawned. She went inside her room to sleep. She still had to help Miyu get back to her feet for days to come. * * * "Ren!" Miyu shouted as she saw Ren in a news report in her social media feed. "Ren-san, there are rumours that you have been dating the actress Hikari Miyu who has been involved in a scandal. Are the rumours true, Ren-san?" The reporter asked. I''m sure he''s going to protect me! He was just busy so he couldn''t answer my calls, Miyu thought. "The rumours are not true. I''ve only met Hikari-san professionally during the shooting of our movie. We do not have a romantic relationship," Ren said. No. "Would you like to say anything to her if she''s watching? There were people who said that you looked close. You must have been friends, at least," the reporter said. "Well, we were just acquaintances and I''m not sure if I''m the right person to console her," Ren said. No. "Words of advice perhaps to a fellow acting partner?" The reporter asked. "Hikari-san, I''ve seen your talent in acting and I have respect for you regarding that. In our world, there is a lot of temptation to go to the dark side and it''s such a shame for a talented actress like you to fall into that. Pull yourself together. Your fans and your fellow actors and actresses will be waiting for your return. Until then, take care of yourself," Ren said. NO! "How could you?!" Miyu screamed. "Such touching words. Thank you, Ren-san," the reporter said. "You fuc*ing liar!" Miyu threw her phone on the wall. The door opened. It was Hanako. "Miyu! You''re going to hurt yourself!" Miyu was throwing her things around, shattering vases, glasses, and anything she could grab ahold of. "Miyu, stop it. Miyu!" Hanako hugged her tight to restrain her arms while Miyu struggled and cried. Miyu slumped down on the floor and cried. Her heart felt like it was being torn to pieces. "Did you really love Ren-san?" Hanako asked. "I was going to find out but now he''s . . . gone," Miyu said as her tears continue to fall. Chapter 52 - Miyus Wedding *** Reader alert: Adult themes "Miyu, are you ready?" Hanako asked. Miyu nodded quietly. It''s been almost a year since the scandal and Miyu was still busy as ever. The job offers to cast her as an actress did not slow down. In fact, they even increased. The downside was that they all wanted to cast her in adult movies. Miyu was a rarity in the showbiz industry. Her innocent face and cute way of talking was not sexy but there was something seductive about seeing a cute innocent-looking girl doing adult scenes. Miyu was not short of admirers but she did not entertain them. There was a really wealthy man named Matsuya Hiro who wanted to marry her but his parents were against it. Miyu did not care for him. He was delusional and she heard that he already had a fianc¨¦e so why the hell was he pursuing her? He must have watched her movies and imagined that they were already dating and thought they just needed to get married. Ridiculous. If she was going to get married, it would be with Ren. She understood why Ren denied their relationship. Ren''s career was something he had worked hard for and even if he had tried to protect her, his reputation would only be destroyed. Miyu had decided to just let herself be destroyed. She no longer felt disgusted with the adult scenes she had to do. It was easier to just stop feeling anything. "Miyu, here''s your dress. Do you need help in putting it on?" Hanako asked. Miyu shook her head and quietly took the almost sheer white dress she needed to wear for the scene. "Hey, have you heard the news?" "Yeah! Of course!" "No one even knew those two were dating!" "And she''s even pregnant!" "They look good together though. How lucky for her!" Hanako went over to the two assistants out of curiosity. "What''s that? What are you talking about?" Hanako asked. "Hanako-san, don''t you watch the news anymore?" the assistant asked. Hanako rarely watched the news ever since Miyu''s scandal happened. The scandal that was never cleared up. "No, what''s it about?" "Do you know Ren-san? He''s getting married to Fumiyo!" The assistant said excitedly. "Ren-san as in . . . ?" Hanako looked at the picture. It was the same Ren who was Miyu''s ex-boyfriend. He had a picture with a famous female actress who had an innocent image just like Miyu had before. "Ren is getting married?" It was Miyu. She had finished putting on the ridiculous skimpy outfit and she had overheard them. "No, Miyu. It''s a different one," Hanako said while panicking. "No, let me see!" Miyu said and grabbed the assistant''s phone to see the news article. Miyu''s eyes widened. Ren. Her Ren. Ren who had promised to never leave her. Miyu threw the phone on the floor. The assistant screamed. "My phone!" "Hanako, we''re leaving," Miyu said, her eyes filled with resolute. "What?!" Hanako said in shock. Miyu stripped hastily, not minding the people around. She put on her jeans and shirt then grabbed Hanako''s hand. "Let''s go!" Miyu said. "No! What are you thinking?! You''re schedule for a shoot now! You''re going to be on camera in 5 minutes! You can''t leave, Miyu!" Hanako said angrily. "Do you think I care about that? Do you really think I won''t mind walking out of this hell hole, Hanako?" Miyu asked with a smirk. "You can''t leave, Miyu!" Hanako said. "Fine. Don''t come with me," Miyu said and began to walk out of the set. "Miyu!" Hanako shouted. Miyu ran. She got inside her car and drove away leaving Hanako without looking back. Miyu did not see Hanako''s eyes burning with anger. * * * Miyu had already memorized the location of the wedding. She would be able to get there in less than an hour. Her heart was pounding. Ren. His kind smile. The dandelions he gave her. His promise to never leave her. She thought she was already over him but she was only holding back her feelings the past few months. "Mother, I''m not going to be like you. I''m not going to let go of the man I want. I''m not going to let him leave me," she whispered. There was a traffic jam. She can''t be late. She looked around to look for an alternate route then she saw it. Her mouth opened in surprise then she smiled. Miyu parked her car to a sidewalk and went inside a wedding dress shop. "Welcome! How may I assist you, Madam?" A friendly-looking assistant asked then her eyes widened upon recognizing Miyu. "A wedding dress for me. I need one fast. Can you do that?" Miyu asked, not bothering to talk in a cute manner anymore. She was in a hurry. She had to get to Ren before he says his wedding vows. "Of course! Please come in! I''ll just get the dresses that match your size!" The assistant said enthusiastically. After a few minutes, Miyu emerged out of the shop wearing a beautiful wedding dress. It was an off-shoulder dress that showed off her shoulders, slender arms, collarbone, and the dip of her cleavage. It was decorated with white feathers and pearls which made her innocent aura more pronounced. The people at the sidewalk and the people who were stuck in traffic stared at her in awe. She looked like an angel who was about to be wed. She was a perfect picture of purity, innocence, and loveliness. Her short honey gold hair glistened under the sunlight. Miyu remembered the veil and secured it on top of her head. Miyu got inside her car and began driving again. Ren, your true bride is coming. * * * "Where''s Miyu? Why the fu*k didn''t you stop her?! Arent you her fuc*king manager?!" The director shouted. "Yes, I tried but there''s just an emergency and Miyu had to leave immediately," Hanako said. The assistants who were gossiping laughed. "Emergency? Ren-san''s wedding must be the emergency." "She looked like Ren-san was going to die and she had to save him as soon as she heard about the wedding." The director looked angrier than before. "Is that true, Hanako? Miyu left because of Ren-san''s wedding?! So what do we do now? We have no actress or are you volunteering to be the actress, Hanako?!" "N-no. She''ll be back but the shooting needs to be rescheduled," Hanako said. "Fu*k it. Tell her she''s fired and she has to pay the penalties," the director said. "No, please. Miyu will be back. We can have the shooting tomorrow instead please," Hanako pleaded. "Fu*k off. You should have controlled your client better, Hanako," the director said. * * * Miyu arrived at the venue. She got out of the car and began walking towards the entrance. "Oh, the bride! Fumiyo-san, are you okay now? You said you''ll be running late because you''re feeling nauseous. You changed your wedding dress! You still look lovely as always. The groom is already there. Let''s go!" A chatty middle-aged woman said. She must be the wedding organizer and because Miyu was wearing the veil, the woman did not notice that she was not talking to the real bride. Miyu was dragged towards the entrance. "Everyone, the bride is here! We can begin now!" Miyu was given a bouquet of flowers. Dandelions. She smiled. It must be a sign. The wedding music started and Miyu began walking. Ren. She could see him standing across the room. He was smiling brightly. He looked so handsome in his white suit. Miyu could finally breathe. Yes, this was where she belonged. Mother, I''m going to get married to my Prince Charming. I made it happen. I hope you can see me now. "You look beautiful, my love," Ren said. Miyu smiled. "STOP! STOP THE WEDDING! SHE''S A FAKE!" Everyone turned to see who had screamed so frantically. It was Fumiyo. Her usual calm and pure demeanor was nowhere to be seen. She was filled with fury. Fumiyo marched towards Ren and Miyu. She was wearing her wedding dress and now there were two brides. The people were shocked. The reporters were snapping pictures of them. Ren realized the situation. He ripped off the veil from Miyu''s head. "It''s not yet time to kiss the bride, Ren-san," Miyu said playfully. "You . . . ," Ren said looking horrified. "Who are you?! How dare you pretend to be the bride?!" Fumiyo screamed. Miyu smiled. "My name is Hikari Miyu but you can call me Miyu desu!" "Miyu,you shouldn''t be here," Ren said. "But you promised to never leave me and you left so I came to you instead! You even prepared these dandelions for me!" Miyu said. "Miyu-san, it must be true then. You''re his ex-girlfriend," Fumiyo said wearily. "I''m not his ex. There were certain circumstances and we needed to separate but now Ren is ready to marry so I have to come back to him," Miyu said. "Ren, talk to her. We can reschedule the wedding," Fumiyo said. "No, we can just let her leave and we can continue the wedding!" Ren said. "No, Ren. I think she deserves an explanation. You owe her that. Don''t you pity her?" Fumiyo said. "Ren, why should you pity me? What is she talking about?" Miyu asked. Ren sighed. "Fine. Let''s talk." Chapter 53 - Miyus Decision ***Reader trigger alert: Self-harm. This chapter contains disturbing contents. Please proceed with caution and remember that this should not serve as an example for you. *** "Ren, why did you stop the wedding? Ah, it''s because of that woman, right? Let''s have another wedding ceremony, Ren," Miyu insisted. "No, it''s not because of her. It''s because of you!" Ren shouted. Ren shook her by the shoulders. "How dare you barge in my wedding?!" "W-wait, Ren. That hurts!" Miyu said. "You''re just a dirty po*n actress now. Don''t drag me into your problems," Ren said, his grasp on her shoulders tightening. "Ouch! Ren, stop it!" Miyu cried. "Don''t show your face in front of me again. If I ever see you again, I''ll destroy you," Ren said and shoved her. "Ren, didn''t you ever love me? Why are you being so cruel?" Miyu asked. "Huh? Love? I just took an interest in you because you''re cute. We would have dated longer if your image didn''t get ruined," Ren said. "But it''s not true! I didn''t sleep with several men! Someone took that image and posted a malicious article about me! You shouldn''t believe that!" Miyu insisted. "It doesn''t matter if it''s true or not. You''re damaged goods now. I can''t be seen with you when everyone has already seen your body," Ren said. "What about Fumiyo-san? Do you love her?!" Miyu asked. "She''s pregnant and she said she''ll ruin me if I don''t marry her. That''s all," Ren said. Miyu glared at him. "You''re trash." Ren laughed. "What about you? You just turned psycho for me." How could she have ever thought that he was her Prince Charming? "You should call your manager now to pick you up. I''m going back to my wedding," Ren said. "It''s not fair. How could you just play with my feelings? It''s so painful and you don''t even feel it," Miyu said. "It''s your fault for being so naive. By the way, as my last gift to you, don''t trust your manager too much," Ren said. "Huh? Are you talking about Hanako?" Miyu asked. "Who else? Shouldn''t you have wondered who knows that you have the habit of sleeping naked?" Ren asked. "You know that I sleep naked?" Miyu asked bewildered. "Your manager told me a few days before your scandal," Ren said. "You were talking with Hanako?" Miyu asked. Ren sighed looking frustrated. "Your manager tried to break us up. She said that you don''t deserve me and you aren''t really as nice as you appear to be. Looks like she''s right." "But how did she tell you about my habit?" Miyu asked. "When she failed to break us up, I think she wanted me to ruin you. She sent me pictures of you sleeping naked. She would say that you''re waiting for me to come to your room but I''m not that dumb to believe her. I''ll just end up destroying my career and get labeled as a rapist," Ren said with a shrug. "Hanako wouldn''t do that," Miyu said slowly. Ren took out his phone and looked like he was searching something. "Ah found it. Here''s my gift to you. Farewell, Miyu." Ren left and Miyu felt that he left with a part of her too. Miyu''s phone vibrated. A message from Ren. She opened it. It was another picture of her sleeping naked. This time, it was at her bedroom. It was a screenshot. The sender was Hanako. If one''s world could truly crumble, Miyu felt it at that moment. Miyu''s knees gave away and she collapsed on the ground. * * * It was too bright. That was the first thing she noticed. Was she dead already? Was she going to meet her mother again? Those were the thoughts that raced inside her mind. "Miyu, are you awake now?" She knew that voice well. Hanako. Miyu''s eyes adjusted to the light as she fluttered her eyes. White sheets, white curtains, and white walls. She must be in a hospital. She was still wearing her wedding dress. "Miyu, how do you feel?" Hanako asked in a worried tone. "Hanako, is it true?" Miyu asked. "What''s true?" Hanako asked. "You''re the one who took that photograph of me. You''re the one who wrote that article," Miyu said, her face expressionless. "What?! Of course not! I would never do that to you!" Hanako said. "Hanako, I saw the message you sent to Ren," Miyu said. Hanako looked shocked then her expression changed to a twisted smirk. "It''s me. You made it so easy. You always gave me access to your bedroom and you just had to have the habit of sleeping naked. All I had to do was put some cond*ms beside you and fake sem*n while you slept like a baby. So? Are you firing me?" Hanako asked with eyes full of hate. "Naturally. I just want to know why you did that," Miyu said. Hanako laughed. Her laugh sounded insane. Miyu just stared at her expressionless. "Isn''t it obvious? You don''t deserve Ren! You''re not even showing your true self to him! All he knows is your sickening cute version and it drove me crazy! I did the world a favor! Now, no one will believe you''re as innocent as you look! All they''ll see is your slu*ty self!" Hanako screamed shrilly. "Get out," Miyu said steely. * * * ***Reader trigger warning: Suicide*** A few minutes later, the showbiz world was buzzing once again with news about Hikari Miyu. Hikari Miyu had committed suicide. She had leaped from the hospital balcony still wearing her wedding dress. A hospital nurse had heard about Miyu''s conversation with her manager and was able to record it. The nurse said she wasn''t able to release the recording instantly because she became busy with her shift. The recording was released late in the evening, a few minutes after Miyu had already taken her life. Miyu never knew that her name would be cleared. She could not stand to live in the same world the people who betrayed her were living in. Hanako was imprisoned for defamation. Ren was put under criticism too for denying his relationship with Miyu. His career was ruined for sure. Miyu was lamented by the masses. She was the angel that became a victim to the people she trusted the most. Her funeral was like a national event. Her fans cried for her. Actors and actresses spoke highly of her despite never talking to her. The wedding shop owner who first discovered Miyu was even interviewed. "The first time I saw her, I thought she looked like an angel. She was so cute and innocent-looking. Miyu was really nice so I never thought that the scandal was real. Miyu, wherever you are, I hope you find peace." Did it really matter if her name got cleared? Would Miyu have been happy if she knew of it? Would she have not taken her life if the recording was released before she took the leap that would end her life? No one knows and the person herself did not know too. * * * When Miyu was still a little girl, and her mother was too sick to get up from bed, Miyu tried to bake. She saw a cookbook inside her Mom''s drawer and decided to bake some cookies for her sick Mom. She didn''t have all of the ingredients. She didn''t have baking powder or baking soda. There were no chocolate chips. The butter that they had was no bigger than a thumb but Miyu decided she would do her best and it would turn out all right. Miyu watched as the cookies turned to a darker shade. She didn''t get them out of the oven even when they turned black already. She only opened the oven when its timer chimed. She was obedient to the instructions of the cookbook but it still turned out burnt. Right now, Miyu felt like those burning cookies. "Is this hell?" Miyu whispered to herself. She was in a very dark expanse and the only light source that she had were the blue flames at the ground. The blue flames seemed to float a few inches off the ground but she wasn''t entirely sure because the ground itself was black too. "Hello? Is there no person here with me?" Miyu called out to the dark. Was hell actually a self-isolation prison designed to make you mad? Miyu thought. The blue flames seemed to shake. As if a large invisible thing had arrived. Then the dark answered. Its voice low and hiss-like. Like a whisper made for forbidden secrets. Like the sounds in the darkest corner of the woods that do not belong to any beast known to man. "No person . . . person . . . no person here . . . here . . ." Miyu turned to see who spoke but she was only met with darkness. The blue flames only showing her fear and none of its source. "Hello? Who are you? Tell me, is this not Hell?" Miyu asked. The flames surrounding her were hot but not as much as before. They almost seemed a comfort in the vast dark place. Hell was supposed to be a torture area, right? Perhaps she was in Purgatory, she thought. "Not Hell . . . Hell . . . ," the voice echoed. Miyu squinted into the darkness but she still could not find any shape or form. There was only the voice, whispering to her so clearly as if it was just near her ear. She turned again. Finding nothing but the blue flames and the vast darkness. "Show yourself!" Miyu shouted, feeling like she was being played at. She was dead anyway so what was left to fear? Chapter 54 - Saintess Of The Dark The voice did not answer. Miyu sighed. "Who are you?" "Who . . . who . . . who?" The voice echoed like a child taunting. "Wrong question. My gut says you''re not a person. So? What the fu*k are you?" Miyu asked in a "no holds barred" tone. Something in the dark surrounded her, grazed her leg, brushed against her like a cat. Miyu let out a string of curses. It laughed and she could feel it rumbling against her skin. "Stop repeating my words! Speak clearly, you fuc*ing creep!" Miyu shouted. "It''s been . . . a long . . . a very long time . . . since I''ve been called . . . since I''ve used human . . . words," the voice answered, its intonation all wrong, like a being not used to stringing sentences together and speaking it out loud. "I didn''t call you. I''m sure of that. You must have made a mistake in coming here wherever here is," Miyu said. "The call . . . was not from you . . . Was for you . . . But did not need to be you . . . But it became you . . . Had to be you," the voice said, its intonation improving but still sounding like a broken instrument. Miyu frowned and rubbed her temples. She was stuck in a dark place with an invisible being that did not make sense and here she thought, she wouldn''t have any problems to think of after death. "So? Why are you here? Do you have something to say to me?" Miyu asked. "They prayed oh so long and hard. They prayed with blood to demand our attention. They prayed once and Light answered. They prayed again and I answered," the voice said, more clearly, almost as if with pride. Miyu swallowed. "Are you . . . a god?" "What do you think, girl?" The voice in the dark answered. "Shouldn''t a god be . . . I dunno . . . More holy-looking? Shouldn''t this place filled with light instead?" Miyu asked. "Where there is Light . . . there is Darkness," the voice whispered. Miyu shivered. An evil god. A dark god. Whatever this is, this god wasn''t the good one. Figures. She wasn''t exactly good when she was alive. But still, she felt she wasn''t that high-ranking in the sinner list so why was this god even talking to her? "You said they prayed to you. What did they pray for? Who prayed to you?" Miyu asked. "They prayed for a girl not of their world. A girl with power they do not have. You shall meet them soon," the voice answered. "I don''t have any powers! I''m just an ordinary person! I don''t want to help those strangers who called you!" Miyu said. "Then . . . don''t," the voice answered with a laugh that echoed in the darkness. "Are you going to send me back to my world? I think you have the wrong girl. I don''t have powers, okay?" Miyu said. "You have already died in your world. For the power you do not have, I shall be the one to bestow it to you," the voice said. "I don''t have a choice, do I? I really need to go to that other world?" Miyu asked. "Wouldn''t you like another chance in living, girl?" The voice asked back. Miyu sighed. "I''m not sure. I''m still heartbroken at the moment. I don''t trust people enough to think they won''t hurt me again." "You don''t need to trust. You can just ensure that they will not hurt you," the voice said. "That''s not possible," Miyu said with a scoff. "If you get hurt, you get hurt. That''s the law of living." "Not if you have me," the voice said, sounding like it was grinning. "You''re going to make sure I don''t get hurt?" Miyu asked in confusion. "Not me but I''ll give you that power. Tell me. What is it that you truly desire?" the voice asked in a seductive tone. "I . . . " Miyu trailed off, her eyes distant as if in a trance. "Yes, tell me. What is it that you truly desire?" The voice said in its velvet tone, with no trace of its raspy whisper it had before. "I . . . don''t want to get hurt again and if I do get hurt, I want that person to feel the pain! I want the person who hurt me feel how much pain I''m feeling!" Miyu cried out. "Done." The blue flames floating above ground suddenly started to pull together like storm clouds. They surrounded her like a tornado, swirling and circling around her. They felt warm. For some reason, she remembered her mother''s warm embrace. It was a pleasant feeling. Then the blue flames dispersed and they were on the ground again but Miyu could still their warmth on her . . . in her. "What did you do?" Miyu asked. "I granted your wish, girl. Now, you''re no longer just a girl. They will call you Saintess," the voice said. "I don''t want to be a Saintess! I don''t want to help those who called for you! I thought you understood me!" Miyu screamed. "Yes, and that''s why I granted your wish. They may call you Saintess but the blessing that you received is not that of a Saintess but that of the dark," the voice said. "I don''t want this," Miyu mumbled as what seemed like a bright doorway emerged from the darkness. "None of them did," the voice said and Miyu was sucked inside the doorway and there was a flash of blinding light. * * * She was teleported to a place that looked like a temple. It actually looked impressive, and Miyu felt like a tourist in a new place. She looked around. There were men in white robes and approaching her was another man in a white robe but with more embellishments. Maybe he''s the Pope in this place, Miyu thought. She was in a new place, no scratch that. She was in a new world and she had no idea what these people wanted from her. Oh, right. They want a Saintess. Crap, she''s not a Saintess. Oh no. What will they do if they find out she was sent by that dark god? Okay, calm down. Acting 101. Pretend no eyes are on you. Breathe slowly to calm your nerves but not in a way they''ll notice. Don''t look nervous. Let them stare at you but act as if you don''t know they''re staring at you. She looked around. There were strange red markings on the floor. Oh, god. Blood. That dark god mentioned that. They prayed with blood to demand the attention of the gods. These were twisted priests. Were they even priests? What if she was summoned by a cult?! Crap, the Pope man is extending his hand. The Pope looked like he could be an actor in a fantasy movie. He looked like he came out from Lord of the Rings with his long silver hair and young man''s face. Miyu took his hand without hesitation and got up with his help. She actually needed the help. She was still wearing the wedding gown and it was heavy. Miyu thought that if she got on their wrong side, she might just be the next blood splattered on the ground so it was better to try to make friends with them. "We welcome you, Saintess from another world. My name is Anthony. I am the High Priest of this temple. May we know your name, Holy Saintess?" The silver-haired man asked. Miyu''s survival instincts kicked in. Her instincts that allowed her to survive even without her mother. The thing that made her famous and adored by all. Miyu smiled. She smiled as brightly as she can. She smiled like the sun just opened up, parting the dark clouds away. Her cute mode was now switched on. Praying to the dark god that it would also work with these people in another world. "My name is Hikari Miyu. But you can call me Miyu desu!" Desu. Crap. They don''t know what that means. She doesn''t want to be called "Miyu Desu" by everyone. She blushed and giggled. "Sorry. It''s Miyu''s habit to say ''desu.'' Miyu is delighted to be here. Thank you so much for summoning me." Did that work? The priests looked . . . surprised. Then they smiled. There. The magic of moe. Cuteness, innocence, and feminity. "It''s nice to meet you, Miyu. We are honored to be in your presence. We would like to introduce you to the Light of our Empire, Her Highness, Queen Celestinia, and the future Sun of our Empire, His Highness, Prince Vincent," the High Priest said. Miyu felt her stomach doing cartwheels but she was a skilled actress. She was still able to look relaxed despite the nervousness brewing inside her. Miyu did her best to curtsy or what she thought looked like a curtsy. She raised the skirts of her gown slightly, bent her knees, and bowed her head. "You may rise," the queen said in a beautiful voice. The queen looked so regal and stunning. She looked like a Greek goddess with her short golden hair, icy beautiful eyes, and a captivating appearance. She had jewels on her head, around her neck, her wrists, and on her gown. She was a dazzling sight to behold. Miyu turned her eyes to the prince and her eyes widened. Oh. My. Gosh. No freaking way. That hair, those blue eyes, those kissable lips. It''s him. In the flesh. Her ideal Prince Charming. Chapter 55 - Why Is The Queen Afraid? The prince walked towards her. She could swear that everything must have happened in slow-motion. His golden hair shone even in the night. His sky blue eyes looked like they were opening up a new world for her. His gentle smile, welcoming her, almost as if he''s excited to see her. She was captivated but at the same time she was nervous. Prince Charming did not exist. Ren taught her that. This was just another handsome blonde man who happened to be a prince. Be still my heart, she told herself. He had a scar over his face. Not an old scar but a new one. It looked like it was still in the process of healing. He was still handsome though. Just like a very fancy vase with a bit of a crack but still beautiful. "It''s an honor to meet you, Lady Miyu. My name is Vincent, prince of Aderlan. I do apologize that my father can''t make it. He would have been delighted to meet our new Saintess," the prince said. Strange. The perfect words. The perfect smile yet Miyu felt that there was something wrong. She just couldn''t put her finger on it. "Miyu is delighted to meet His Highness and Her Highness! You are absolutely beautiful, my queen," Miyu gushed. The queen smiled at her, in satisfaction, she guessed. It looked like compliments worked anywhere even in another world. "We would like to give you a proper welcome but it''s already late. You may stay at our castle. We can prepare you a meal and a room. The finest for you, of course," the queen said. Whoa. A castle. She''s going to stay in a freaking castle! She was about to scream "Sure!" but fortunately, she remembered she was speaking to royalty. "It would be an honor. Miyu is very happy desu!" Miyu said. "May I, My Lady?" The prince asked, offering his arm. She nodded and smiled brightly. She linked arms with the prince and off they went. * * * Vincent was sure of it. This time was different. The Saintess was absolutely adorable. She didn''t even flinch when she saw his scarred face. In fact, she kind of looked like she was taken with him. Perfect. He had a feeling he would like her immensely. She was easy in the eyes and her manner of speaking was not rude at all unlike the previous Saintess who embarrassed him in public. The three of them boarded the carriage together - Miyu, Celestinia, and Vincent. He could feel his mother coolly assessing the new Saintess. The new Saintess was busy staring out of the carriage window in awe. "Lady Miyu, I find it odd that you''re calm despite being summoned here to our world. Why is that?" Celestinia asked. Miyu turned her attention to his mother. "It''s because God spoke to Miyu before coming here!" Miyu answered cheerfully. Their eyes widened in shock. God?! "God told Miyu that your kingdom needs Miyu''s help and he''s going to send me to you. Miyu doesn''t know how to help you but Miyu will try her best!" Miyu said with a bright smile. "I see . . . What else did the God tell you?" Celestinia asked with a bead of sweat under her brow. "Hmm . . ." Miyu said looking deep in thought. "Nothing much, really. He just told me not to be scared because I''ll meet really nice people here and I''ll have nothing to worry about. Actually, Miyu thinks she doesn''t deserve to be here. Miyu really hopes she can help you," Miyu said. It was an odd way of speaking but it fitted her perfectly. She looked like an innocent-looking squirrel. "That dress you''re wearing . . . It looks like a wedding dress, My Lady," Vincent said in an inquiring tone. Miyu looked embarrassed. "God made this for Miyu. God said Miyu will be a bride when Miyu arrives here. Sorry. Miyu didn''t mention it because Miyu doesn''t know who she''ll be marrying here." A bride. His bride? His mother looked stunned as well. Was this the time to propose to her? He wasn''t sure. He wasn''t sure of a lot of things ever since that first Saintess continuously rejected him. "Whoever that is will be a lucky man indeed, My Lady," Vincent said. The Saintess smiled at him brightly. He could almost forget the terrifying blue flames he witnessed when she was summoned. * * * "Wow! The castle is huge!" Miyu gushed. She didn''t need to pretend much. She was astounded. The castle towered over her majestically as she gaped at it in awe. This was even better than going to an amusement park. She was going to live in a freaking castle! "Lady Miyu." The queen was calling her. Oops. She ran to catch up with them. "Are you sure, Your Highness? I can really live here in the palace? It''s so beautiful!" Miyu said. Miyu was like a tourist trying to catch a glimpse of everything and anything. It was like being inside a Victorian castle without the filth but only its glory only told in novels. "Of course. You are the Holy Saintess and you only deserve the best, Lady Miyu. We have prepared a room for you. You can just stay in your room for this evening and we''ll have dinner served to you. Maids shall be assigned to you also," the queen replied. "Thank you so much, Your Highness!" Miyu could almost squeal in delight. A palace official approached the queen and whispered something to her. The queen looked disturbed. Almost terrified. "It would appear that your rest would be delayed for a while, Lady Miyu. We have a guest and he has requested to see you," Celestinia said. The prince looked confused. "Mother dear, who else did you tell about the summoning?" Celestinia looked weary. "He doesn''t need to be told. He just knows. Let''s make haste." Miyu wasn''t sure what to say so she just kept quiet and followed them. They went inside a room with a round table at the center. At the end of the table where the highest authority should be seated was the most beautiful man Miyu had ever seen. He had long light green hair that flowed down his waist, enchanting green eyes, and a face like that of a male elf. He was wearing a long white coat with intricate gold embroideries at the ends, his black inner vest was low-cut which exposed his toned chest. On his right shoulder, was a dark blue side cape with gold branch-like designs which was draped over his right arm. His pants were fitting and it was obvious to see that his body was toned all in the right places. His clothes were not in fashion in Aderlan. His chest was exposed and it would look scandalous if someone wore it in Aderlan but the way he carried himself exuded sexiness and it would be a shame to cover him up with conservative clothes. He had an amused expression as if there was something laughable going on. His eyes were closed and he was grinning. "Ah, Celes. You look older now. How long has it been?" The handsome man said in an overly friendly manner. He extended his arms as if to hug her but he neither approached her nor did she. "It''s been a while, Sir Jade. I believe you haven''t met my son yet. This is Vincent," the queen said stiffly, looking uncomfortable. The man was still grinning. He opened his eyes slightly. A hint of green. "Hello there, Vincent. Hm . . . your eyes. They aren''t gold. I assume Rhaegan must have not liked you a lot." "H-how shameless! How dare you insult me, the crown prince?!" Vincent shouted. He turned to his mother. "Mother, who is this rude man?!" The green-haired man chuckled. "Yes, Celes. Who am I? You haven''t given a proper introduction." Celestinia gulped. "He''s the . . . royal advisor. He''s been guiding the royal family for a long time already and you should . . . respect him properly." "Huh?! We''ve never had a royal advisor!" Vincent retorted. The mysterious man turned his gaze towards her. He had a lazy smile on his face but his eyes . . . they looked almost calculating. His eyes were green too but they weren''t like sparkling emeralds. They were like jade which fitted his name perfectly. Like fresh green leaves, an air of elegance, and timelessness. "You''re making the lady uncomfortable, boy," he scolded the prince then turned his attention to Miyu. "Hello there. I am Glenn Jade. You must be the Saintess. Incredibly pleased to be here. You are utterly pretty, I must say. What is your name?" He extended his hand to ask for hers. Miyu felt herself blushing. He was more handsome up close. She gave him her right hand and he kissed the back of her hand. "My name is Hikari Miyu. It''s nice to meet you too desu," Miyu said, a bit embarrassed to put on her cute act in front of him. "Pfft!" Glenn looked amused for real this time. Miyu felt like she was being laughed at. Her cheeks felt warm. "Celes, I''m not sure if you''ll be pleased to hear this and frankly I don''t really care if you''re not, but I''ve decided to extend my stay here this time," Glenn said. Celestinia looked worried. "What do you mean? You''ve never stayed long. Or do you mean for a week or two perhaps, Sir Jade?" He waves his hand as a sign of dismissal. "No, no. I''m going to stay here until I . . . get bored and I don''t think I''ll be getting bored so soon here with your new Saintess around," Glenn said and winked at Miyu mischievously. "You''re being shameless! I don''t care if you''re the royal advisor before! We don''t need you!" Vincent said. Glenn''s eyes fixated on Vincent with such intensity, Vincent felt he was being suffocated by something he couldn''t see. He approached the prince slowly like a snake slithering to his prey. He leaned close to the prince and whispered. "Boy, you should learn to respect those who are more powerful than you." Chapter 56 - The Royal Advisor The prince paled. Miyu couldn''t hear what Glenn whispered to the prince but she had a feeling it was a threat. He felt dangerous despite his smile. The prince looked like he couldn''t move. Like he had turned to stone. His eyes wide and his mouth wide agape. Glenn laughed out loud. "Why do you look so stiff, boy? We''re all friends here, aren''t we? Loosen up a bit, boy," Glenn said. The prince did look like he was no longer frozen in his place but he looked wary at Glenn. He glanced at his mother for help but Celestinia was avoiding looking at her son. She looked terrified of the mysterious royal advisor too. "So, when will the funeral parade be held?" Glenn asked with still an easy-going smile on his face. "Funeral?" Miyu repeated. "Ah, yes. I see that they haven''t told you. Tsk tsk. The king is dead," Glenn said. Celestinia and Vincent shivered. They absolutely looked terrified now. How did he know? Miyu''s eyes widened. Didn''t the prince say his father was just unable to make it? She assumed he was just busy or something. Not dead! "You are going to hold a funeral parade for him, right? If not, one might think that you''ve been concealing the king''s death, Celes," Glenn said with a dangerous glint in his jade eyes. "O-of course. It''s just that we''ve been in private mourning and we wanted to mourn for the king first before we declared his death to the public," Celestinia said nervously. "Mourning, huh? Is wearing such lavish attire the trend in mourning now? Last I''ve heard, the relatives should be in all black but I see that the two of you do not even have an inch of black on you," Glenn pointed out while smiling with his eyes closed. "S-such insolence," Vincent muttered. "What''s that, boy?" Glenn asked with a scary look on his face. "N-nothing, S-Sir Jade," Vincent stammered. "I expect the funeral parade to be held tomorrow, Celes. You''ve put it off far too long. The declaration of your newly summoned Saintess shall come after. As for me, I expect for a room to be prepared for me. You can do that, Celes?" Glen said in a manner that was more of a command than a question. "Yes, Sir Jade. As you wish," Celestinia said. Miyu was confused. Why was the queen being ordered around by this so-called royal advisor? Why was the royal advisor not addressing the queen and the prince with respect? Shouldn''t the queen have higher authority than an advisor? And what is this bad feeling Miyu was having? The king was dead and the queen was hiding it from the public? This was getting stranger and stranger. "I''ll take it upon myself to be the lady''s private tutor. She will need lessons. Royal etiquette, Aderlan''s history, and her duty as a Saintess. I can teach all of that and you don''t even need to persuade me," Glenn said looking pleased at himself. "Y-You?! I mean, you don''t need to bother yourself in teaching, Sir Jade. We can employ private tutors for the Saintess," Celestinia said. "No, no, I insist," Glenn said grinning with his eyes closed. "Truly, you don''t need to be her teacher. It''s such a trivial task and you''re too important for that, Sir Jade," Celestinia said in a half-pleading and half-flattering manner. "I insist," Glenn said still smiling, his jade eyes now open. His stance unbending. "As you wish. Lady Miyu, please treat Sir Jade with the utmost respect," Celestinia said hesitantly. "Yes, Your Highness," Miyu replied. "I''ve kept you for too long. You must be tired. You just died and now you''re here in the palace," Glenn said. Miyu flinched. "N-no, Miyu is fine." "I look forwards to our lessons together, Lady Hikari or shall I call you Lady Miyu?" Glenn asked. "Miyu is fine, Sir Jade," Miyu said demurely. Glenn smiled. "Glenn is fine with me too, Miyu." * * * Miyu ate dinner in her room and she was bathed and dressed by the maids. Her wedding gown was taken away. The maids said it would be preserved in a glass case as the dress of the Saintess from her original world. She wanted to tell them she would rather have it burned but it would destroy her cute innocent image so she held her tongue. "The moon is still the same," Miyu whispered. Miyu was standing outside her room balcony. It didn''t look like she was in anothee planet because the moon still looked the same. Somehow, the familiarity comforted her a bit. She was wearing a long light pink nightgown. She didn''t want to sleep naked ever again. After what happened to her back in her original world, she wouldn''t risk doing that ever again. The nightgown was made of a soft material anyway, so she could live with it. She looked down the balcony. If she took her life again, would she be transported in another world again? Why was she even the one summoned here? She didn''t even want to live. "Don''t do it!" A figure suddenly jumped on the balcony and landed beside her. Long green hair. Elegant jade eyes. "Glenn!" Miyu exclaimed. "You shouldn''t take your life! If you don''t want to live here, I can help you escape. Just don''t kill yourself!" Glenn said with a look of desperation as he held her shoulders. Miyu blinked. "Take my life? I wasn''t." "You looked like you were going to jump," Glenn said worriedly. "No, I wasn''t. I was just thinking of it but I wasn''t going to jump," Miyu said. Glenn breathed a sigh of relief and ran his hand over his hair. "Why were you even thinking of jumping? You have a new life now. Are you that suicidal?!" Glenn asked with irritation now. Miyu frowned. "No, I''m not suicidal now. I just wondered if I would go to another world if I jump again." "Again?" Glenn repeated with shock. "Ah yes, that''s how I died in my original world. It was from the hospital balcony. I thought it would be quick but it actually hurt like hell before I finally died. It wasn''t pleasant," Miyu said. Glenn was quiet. "By the way, how did you get here? This is the second floor! Are you an acrobat or something? Half-monkey?" Miyu asked. A smile curved up on Glenn''s lips. "No, not monkey. It''s just one of my many talents," Glenn said then winked at her. Miyu chuckled. "Well, I''m not that surprised anymore. If I got surprised by every magical thing here, I think I might get a quick death." Glenn looked at her with disgust. "Sheesh. For a Saintess, you''re quite the grim one." Miyu laughed. "Well, I have you to teach me how to be the proper Saintess, don''t I?" "That''s a lie. I just wanted to spend time with you," Glenn said with a serious face. Miyu burst out laughing. "You liar," Miyu said. "You''re a liar too," Glenn grinned. Miyu''s eyes widened. Sh*t. She forgot to do the cute act. "You were quite different earlier," Glenn said, pointing it out. "I''m just tired now," Miyu said scrambling her mind to think of an excuse. "I don''t mind. This sounds more natural of you," Glenn said. It was nice to have someone she didn''t need to act cutely anyway. "Thank you. For a green-haired man, you''re actually fun to talk to," Miyu teased. "For a green-haired man?! Don''t tell me you actually prefer that blonde prince!" Glenn said with a disbelieving laugh. Miyu raised an eyebrow. "Why shouldn''t I? He''s Prince Charming in the flesh. Well, he does have a scar but I''m sure that''ll go away in time. He''s rich and I have this feeling that I might just be the next queen if he falls for me." "As the royal advisor, I can say that you are right. The Saintess is actually the prince''s fianc¨¦e. I''m actually surprised that no one has told you of that," Glenn said. "Oh," Miyu replied. "Is that a good ''oh'' or a bad one?" Glenn asked "I''m just . . . stunned. I mean who marries someone they just met? That''s just ridiculous. What if he got an ugly Saintess? Or what if the Saintess won''t like him?" Miyu said. "That''s what happened to the last one," Glenn said. "The last one?" Miyu repeated. "Yes, the last one. Oh. They didn''t tell you. You''re not the first Saintess they summoned this century," Glenn said. "What?! Then where is she? I haven''t met her!" Miyu said. "She''s living with Duke Ashburn. She chose a duke over the crown prince," Glenn said. "You can do that?" Miyu asked in disbelief. "Well, no, but they kind of forced it. They became attached to each other. The queen and the prince tried to pry them off each other but they''re inseparable so they gave up and summoned you," Glenn said. Miyu rubbed her temples. "Oh god. What a mess." "Right on that. Aren''t you grateful you have a royal advisor by your side?" Glenn asked with a cheeky grin. Miyu raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "And what''s your use to me? A tutorial to this world?" "Something like that. A confidante. Teacher. Maybe a friend even if you''re into that," Glenn said wiggling his eyebrows. Miyu laughed. "I''m not sure. We just met and you''re highly suspicious," Miyu said. "Well, yeah but you''re the one who''s ready to marry a prince you just met," Glenn said with a raised eyebrow. "Good point but I wasn''t really serious about that so that doesn''t count," Miyu said with a shrug. "You''re not serious about marrying the prince?" Glenn asked. "Good grief. I just met him and I''m not even sure if I like him. Before coming here, I had just stormed in my ex-boyfriend''s wedding," Miyu said. "You what?!" Glenn exclaimed. "I was rejected which just makes sense now but before it didn''t. I''m actually glad I didn''t marry that lying basta*d. After that, I found out that my friend was the one who took nude pictures of me and created my scandal. Then I killed myself off," Miyu said. Glenn looked disturbed. "So you see, I''m not exactly in the right sense of mind right now. I was just suddenly transported here and I don''t have any idea about how things run here. About marrying the prince, I might just do that if that''s what I have to do to survive but you just told me the Saintess that came before me didn''t have to marry the prince," Miyu said. "So, what''s your plan?" Glenn asked. "I''m not sure. I might need the help of a green-haired royal advisor. Do you have any idea where I can find one?" Miyu asked. Glenn grinned. Miyu grinned back. It felt like her new life would be fun . . . especially with this handsome green-haired man by her side. Chapter 57 - Question The King''s funeral parade wasn''t held the next day as said by the royal advisor. There were too much things to be prepared because the queen never started the preparation beforehand at all. It was like she never intended for a funeral to happen. But because the royal advisor told her to get on with her husband''s funeral, she was forced to organize it and after a week, it was finally going to happen. "Mother, will you please tell me who that royal advisor really is? You''ve told me nothing about me and you''ve avoided me for a week! Why did you just let him order us around?!" Vincent asked. Celestinia''s long black dress dragged on the floor as she whirled around to see if anyone else was listening. "Shush yourself. You''re too loud. This is your Father''s funeral, Vincent," Celestinia said sternly. "So, are you going to answer me Mother dear?" Vincent asked. "You can''t avoid me now. You''re going to be stuck with me all throughout the ceremony." The prince was dressed in a black top and pants mixed with purple embroideries. His scar had almost healed but it was still obvious like a crack on a painting. Celestinia looked like the part of a mourning queen. She was wearing a black gown with black lace flowers and small dark purple gems, lacy black long sleeves, a beautiful necklace with black gems, and a three-pointed tiara with huge black gems. "Help me with the veil," Celestinia said. Vincent sighed but proceeded in putting on a beautiful black veil on top of his mother''s head. "Mother dear, please tell me who that royal advisor is before he arrives and makes a fool out of us again," Vincent said in a pleading tone. Celestinia looked at her son with a weary expression but Vincent didn''t notice because the veil was covering her face. "Fine, but let us not speak of this again," Celestinia said. Vincent nodded. "As you wish." "I have met him even before you were born. Your father introduced him as Aderlan''s royal advisor. I didn''t think much of him then as he would usually not be in the palace for months. But then I started noticing. Your father''s accomplishments were heavily influenced by Sir Jade. Conquering a kingdom, defending the kingdom. All those things I suspect were achieved through Sir Jade''s advices," Celestinia said. "That''s good then! He can help me in establishing my reputation as king of the empire," Vincent said eagerly. "Yes, I suppose that''s the good part but he has a strange power that I could feel. I am certain you felt it too yesterday. I think he has magic inside him," Celestinia said. "Magic? He''s a mage? Perhaps he''s from Feylantis," Vincent said. "No, it''s different. He''s different. He . . .," Celestinia trailed off. "Yes, Mother?" Vincent prompted. "He . . . doesn''t age," Celestinia said in a whisper. Vincent looked confused. "That''s the way he has been ever since I''ve seen him even before you were born. He has not aged at all, Vincent. I think he''s . . . immortal," Celestinia said sounding terrified at her own words. Vincent looked disturbed now. "Why do we have an immortal royal advisor?! What the hell does he want?!" Vincent asked. "I do not know, Vincent. He did not harm your father and only helped him in making the kingdom prosper but I do wish for you to be careful and never to cross him. We do not know what he is truly capable to do. Let''s just take whatever help he has to offer and stay out of his way," Celestinia said. "You said that he helped Father with the kingdom but he only wished to help the new Saintess and be her tutor. Shouldn''t he be helping the new king?" Vincent said with an irritated expression. "You''re not yet the king, son." Celestinia whirled around and off she went to the funeral ceremony leaving her son with a stunned expression. * * * "Euphee, you look so beautiful!" Euphemia was wearing a black v-neck off-shoulder long sleeve dress that was only below her knees. It was a dress she usually saw in Korean dramas and she tried her best to draw it to have it made. It was simple. No flowers, no frills, and no ruffles. But it emphasized her figure - her slim wrists, her slender waist, and her exposed collarbones. She looked elegant and different. Like a modern girl from another world. Euphemia grinned at Lucien. "You look nice too, Luci," Euphemia said. Euphemia had helped design Lucien''s attire. No tie. Just a black buttoned top, black blazer, and tight black pants. No frills. No embroideries. But only elegance. There was something seductive about him in a modern suit. "Shall we?" Lucien asked, offering his hand. Euphemia nodded and they held hands as they walked out of the room. The mansion was owned by the family of Lucien''s mother years ago. After Lady Cathryn died, her family just left Aderlan and never came back. The king had the mansion taken care of in case Lady Cathryn''s parents would come back to Aderlan but they never did and now Lucien was the one living in it. Lucien had never been inside his mother''s childhood home. His mother had never talked about her parents, which was quite strange now that he thought about it, thus he had never been curious about them. The mansion was smaller than the Ashburn residence but it was still grand in its own way. They walked along the corridor, passing by several paintings. Lucien stopped when he saw his mother''s painting. It was from the time when she still had black hair. She was an ethereal beauty with emerald green eyes. She was smiling in the painting. Lucien smiled softly. "I''m going now, Mother," Lucien said to his mother''s painting. Euphemia squeezed Lucien hand in a comforting gesture. The two exited the mansion. Hansel was waiting for them in front of the carriage. They still had no other servants but Hansel had already started the interviews and surprisingly, there were lots of people who wanted to be servants of the Duke. Most of them were people who were related to the members of Euphemia''s play or people who Euphemia have healed in the past. "Ready to depart, Your Grace?" Hansel asked. "Yes, to the Imperial Palace, Hans," Lucien said. "Need a hand, Lady Euphemia?" Hansel asked. "No need. I can help her," Lucien said and helped Euphemia get on the carriage. "Thanks," Euphemia said. The two sat across from each other. Euphemia had not yet given a reply to Lucien''s request back when they were still at the inn. He had asked her to stay even after their agreement to part ways after a year. "Luci, when the first snow falls, we have to go somewhere," Euphemia said. "Are you proposing a vacation, Euphee?" Lucien asked, looking mildly surprised. Euphemia smiled. "Well, not really. More of an exploration. When the first snow falls, I know where Sylvia would be and I know that you wish to meet her again." "Then we should travel even before the first snow falls," Lucien said excitedly. "You''re right. I am unfamiliar with your seasons though. Do you know when the first snow will fall this year?" Euphemia asked. "It is a month away, Euphee. We still have time to prepare for our journey," Lucien grinned. "What does she like? I think I should prepare a gift for her," Euphemia said. "Just bring yourself. I have a feeling she will like you," Lucien said. "Nonsense. A woman would always be delighted with a gift," Euphemia said. "Well . . ." Lucien said with a bit of hesitation in his tone. "My father, he would always bring several pastries with him when he went on his journey to look for her. I think she likes sweet stuff. I remember that she would eat a whole cake for lunch and it would just make me sick looking at her," Lucien said. Euphemia laughed. "I see. There''s a problem though. I don''t know how to cook but I suppose I would just have to learn within a month. I would just have to be careful not to burn our new home," Euphemia said. "Our new home," Lucien repeated softly. Euphemia blushed. "Anyway, I was trying to look for the emerald necklace you gave me but I think it got burned down with the old house," Euphemia said. "I''ll give you a new one. Something more beautiful," Lucien said. "I wasn''t asking for a new one. It''s just a pity that it got burned down. It matched your.. . eyes. If I had worn it with me that day, it wouldn''t have been destroyed. I am so sorry," Euphemia said. "No need to apologize, Euphee. The fire was not your fault. If anyone is in fault, it would be me because I started the fire," Lucien said. "No, it''s not your fault. It was the queen''s fault. Sorry, I shouldn''t have brought it up," Euphemia said. "No, it''s okay. I''ll shower you with gifts and you''ll forget that one measly necklace," Lucien said. Euphemia rolled her eyes but smiled. "I didn''t ask for gifts." "Well, you''re the one who said that a woman would always be delighted with a gift and I just wish to make my woman happy," Lucien said. Euphemia''s eyebrows shot up. Lucien''s ears reddened but he maintained a serious face. "If that''s okay with you," Lucien said with a hint of nervousness in his voice. Euphemia chuckled. Her heart was beating so fast, she hoped Lucien would not hear it. "What exactly are you asking, Luci?" Euphemia asked. "I''m asking if you would be my . . ." Chapter 58 - The Kings Funeral There was a knock on the carriage door. "Your Grace, Lady Euphemia, we have arrived." Euphemia couldn''t help but give a comforting pat on Lucien''s shoulder. "We''ll have more time to talk later, Luci. I think you have something important you wish to say and now is just not the right time," Euphemia said. "Yes, you''re right. I''m sorry," Lucien said. Euphemia was right. They were going to a funeral and it couldn''t be a worse timing for what he was going to tell her. "Your Grace, you can kiss Lady Euphemia later. You have a funeral to go to," Hansel teased from outside the carriage. Lucien''s ears reddened while Euphemia let out a laugh. They went out of the carriage together . . . holding hands. * * * As customary in Aderlan, when a member of the royal family dies, a funeral procession is held starting from the palace and ending in the Sanctuary Gardens. The Sanctuary Gardens is the cemetery of the royal family. A tranquil place where their royal bones are laid down to rest. Leading the procession was the High Priest and his holy priests. The holy priests carefully pushed a black coffin with wooden wheels at the bottom. Behind the priests were the queen and the prince. Queen Celestinia was wearing a black mourning veil so no one was sure if she was actually in mourning. The prince had a serious expression and a scar on his face as if he just came home from a battle far away. Walking behind them were different noble families all in black. Lucien and Euphemia were at the very end of the procession. Not because they were late but just because they didn''t bother going to their designated place which was behind the queen and the prince and in front of the other nobles. "It''s nice to not see those two," Euphemia said. "Yes, it is," Lucien agreed. "Are you all right, Luci?" Euphemia asked. Lucien gave her a sad smile. "I''m not certain." Euphemia squeezed his hand and Lucien squeezed her hand back gently. "Do you miss the king?" Euphemia asked. "I . . . am grateful that he took care of me when the late Duke and my mother passed away but I think the king also caused my mother''s passing," Lucien said. Euphemia nodded in understanding. "If he had not made the queen jealous, perhaps my mother would still be alive today," Lucien said with grief in his eyes. "I''m here for you," Euphemia said. "I''m thankful for that," Lucien said. * * * They soon arrived at the Sanctuary Gardens. At the center of the garden was a huge golden statue of a dragon. "The Gold Dragon," Lucien murmured. It was smaller than the Gold Dragon he saw when he was still inside the darkness but the golden statue looked majestic too. "We gather here today to send off the Sun of our Empire, King Raegan. His Majesty was a great king who ruled over Aderlan wisely. He conquered several lands to expand our territory and defended our kingdom from outside forces. He was blessed with the golden flames of the Gold Dragon as proof of his legitimacy of the throne," the High Priest said. "As tradition, when the Sun of our Empire passes on, the future Sun must send him off with his golden flames. I now call for His Highness, future Sun of our Empire, Prince Vincent!" the High Priest announced. The nobles clapped politely and waited for the prince to step up on the podium. "M-mother! You never told me about this! I don''t have golden flames!" Vincent said, panicking. "I never heard of this too! That foolish High Priest! He should have told me!" Celestinia said, fuming. "Your Highness, please come forward and light up the Gold Dragon as a sign of farewell to the Sun of our Empire," the High Priest said. "Raegan was already a king when I met him. I didn''t know about this tradition!" Celestinia said. "We should ask the Duke to help us. He can secretly light up the Gold Dragon. Where the hell is he?" Vincent said. They looked behind them but Lucien and Euphemia where nowhere to be found. "They should be just behind us. Perhaps they''re somewhere with the other nobles," Celestinia said. The people were starting to wonder why the prince was not going to the High Priest. "You should go. Make haste now," Celestinia said. "And do what?! I can''t just make flames appear out of nowhere!" Vincent said. "Just go! Do something! Say something! You''re going to be king of this empire and you can''t just expect me to solve all your problems all the time," Celestinia said. Vincent looked extremely displeased but he had no choice. He went to where the High Priest was which was beside the huge statue of the Gold Dragon. He was sweating a lot. Cold sweat. What should he do? Should he tell the High Priest that he doesn''t have the golden flames? But what if the High Priest is only loyal to true heirs of the throne? "Your Highness, please put your hand on the statue and let out your golden flames," Anthony said. "I c-can''t," Vincent whispered. Anthony sighed. "The statue is clean, Your Highness." "No, it''s not that. I just c-can''t," Vincent whispered. "And why is that, Your Highness?" Anthony asked. "I don''t . . ." * * * "Looks like the prince is in trouble," Euphemia said, amused. "Yes, I think you''re right," Lucien said. "Shouldn''t you help him then?" Lucien and Euphemia turned to see who it was. "Hello there. You must be the Duke. Lucien, isn''t it? And the lady must be the Saintess then. Is it Euphemia? Or Euphee? Or is it . . . Mia?" The stranger with long green hair asked. Euphemia''s eyes widened. How did he know all the variety of her names??? "Who are you?" Lucien said angrily. "I''m the royal advisor, Glenn Jade. Pleased to meet you. I just arrived a few days ago and I see that a lot have changed here in Aderlan. I do apologize for missing your arrival, Lady Euphemia," Glenn said. "It''s fine," Euphemia murmured, still feeling confused. It felt like this strange man knew a lot and was teasing them on purpose. Glenn was wearing a black robe that shimmered under the sunlight. Draped over his arms was a green shawl with a gold reptilian scales design. Perched on his left ear, was a small gold dragon earring with a jade at its tail dangling at his earlobe. It complemented his light green eyes. "You must have come from a distant land," Lucien said, surprised at his clothes. Glenn grinned. "Yes, and I came back just in time." "Will you help the prince light up the statue?" Glenn asked. Lucien looked at him suspiciously. "No, he should light it up himself as he is the prince," Lucien said. "But one cannot light up something if there''s not even a spark," Glenn said, still smiling but his words obviously loaded. "How do you . . . ?" "I suppose you do not have interest in the throne yet, boy," Glenn said. "Are you . . . ?" "I should go rescue the prince now. It was nice to meet you. Send my regards, boy," Glenn said and went off to the front of the procession. Lucien and Euphemia were completely bewildered. "Who was that?" Euphemia asked. "He said his name is Glenn Jade," Lucien said. "Yes, but there''s something . . . different about him," Euphemia said. "There''s something familiar about him," Lucien murmured. * * * Glenn stepped up on the podium beside the High Priest and the panicking prince. "Greetings to all of you, esteemed ladies and gentlemen. I am the royal advisor, Glenn Jade. I''m sorry for interrupting this ceremony but I think it''s the right time to announce this. The Sun of the Empire, King Raegan, has indeed passed on but he has left behind something great that has never happened before." The nobles looked around murmuring to each other. Under the black mourning veil, Celestinia was pale as a sheet. "If he tells them that the prince doesn''t have the golden flames, I shall have him executed. No matter what," Celestinia said to herself silently. "We have . . ." A young woman wearing a white dress and a white veil stepped up the stage. The royal advisor removed the veil. ". . . another Saintess!" Glenn declared. Everyone gasped in shock. * * * "No . . . it can''t be," Euphemia said. "Euphee, what''s wrong?" Lucien asked. Euphemia looked horrified and pale. "She''s . . ." The young woman in white smiled brightly. Her honey blonde hair gleamed like caramel. Her light blue eyes looked as pleasant as a good day with clear skies. "I have been summoned here in Aderlan as your Saintess. My name is Hikari Miyu." Everyone was in awe. A second Saintess in the same century had never happened before. "Lady Miyu''s arrival marks the beginning of a new era in Aderlan. The Sun has passed on but a new light has arrived in our empire. Now, all of us, let us say our farewell to a great king! Farewell, Your Majesty," Glenn said. "Farewell, Your Majesty," the crowd repeated back. * * * "Whew! You really put me on the spot, Glenn!" Miyu said. Miyu and Glenn were in the same carriage going back to the palace. "I knew you would do well perfectly," Glenn said smiling with his eyes closed. "Fu*k you," Miyu said. "You look pretty in that dress," Glenn said, still smiling. "Thank you but still, fu*k you," Miyu said. "I''d like to say that back to you but we just met and as a gentleman I think that should be done after a few days of conversation and a few glasses of wine," Glenn said and winked at Miyu mischievously. Miyu burst out laughing and Glenn laughed with her. Chapter 59 - Purple Hyacinths "Euphee, what''s the matter?" Lucien asked worriedly. "That new Saintess. I . . . knew her," Euphemia said, her shoulders shaking. The two of them were still at the Sanctuary Gardens. All the other nobles had already left a while ago. Lucien held her shoulders. "Euphee . . . did you know her personally?" "S-she was that actress, the girl Hiro wanted to marry," Euphemia said. "Hiro?" Lucien repeated. "He was my . . . fianc¨¦," Euphemia said. She was still shaking. Lucien put his arms around her and patted her head. "You''re okay, Euphee. You''re okay," Lucien murmured. "But I don''t understand why she''s here. She must have died. Did Hiro kill her too?" Euphemia said to herself. "Do you wish to talk to her? We can request an audience with her and the two of you can talk in private," Lucien said. Euphemia was quiet for a while. "No. I''m not ready yet," Euphemia said. After a while, Euphemia calmed down and she was no longer shaking. "Let''s go home?" Lucien asked, still hugging her. Euphemia nodded. "Yes, let''s go home." * * * A day after the King''s funeral in the Imperial Palace . . . "Glenn, I''m so sick of wearing white. I don''t want to wear white forever! Why does a freaking Saintess need to wear white always? This is so fuc*ed up!" Miyu said, wearing a frilly white dress. Miyu still had a habit of cursing and she only used curse words with Glenn. Glenn snickered. "It''s because you''re the Saintess. You''re expected to be pure and holy therefore white is suitable for you. Black will make you look evil, oh Holy Saintess." Miyu glared and threw a pillow at him from the sofa. Glenn blocked it and laughed. The two of them were at a study room in the Imperial Palace. It was decorated nicely with shelves filled with books of various subjects, an overlooking wide window, sofas, and a table. "You''re a bad student, Holy Saintess. I should punish you," Glenn said, adjusting his eyeglasses. "Really? Well, you haven''t done any teaching, Sensei. You do look the part though," Miyu said in an amused tone. Glenn had tied his long green hair with a metal golden leaf scrunchie. He was wearing rectangular unrimmed eyeglasses and a formal coat, tie, and pants instead of his usual robes. Glenn smirked and lowered his glasses a bit. "Like what you see?" Glenn asked in a husky tone. Miyu''s cheeks reddened and threw another sofa pillow at him. "Hey, if you''re not going to teach anything let''s get out of the palace. I want to look around the kingdom," Miyu said. "I want you to show me something first," Glenn said in a serious tone. "What?" "Your power. Show me your power then let''s get out. I''ll show you around," Glenn said. "Oh." Miyu chewed on her lip. "Is there a problem?" Glenn asked. "Well, I don''t know how to use my power," Miyu said looking embarrassed. "I see. I haven''t been fair anyway. You don''t have anything to use it on. The Saintess has healing magic so you need something to heal," Glenn said, smiling. He stood up and walked around the room looking for something. "The God didn''t mention that to me. I''m not sure I have that type of power," Miyu said. "Well, there''s only one way to find out," Glenn said. "Should we go to a hospital? Look for injured people? Not my preferred way to spend the day though but at least I can get out of this palace," Miyu said. "Ah! Found it!" Glenn said and picked up a fountain pen that was under the table. Miyu watched him curiously. "There''s a quicker way. Let''s get this over with and then we can go out," Glenn said, smiling with his eyes closed. Miyu was starting to feel worried even though she wasn''t sure why. "Glenn, what do you mean?" Miyu asked. "I mean this," Glenn said and put his hand on the table and stabbed his hand with the fountain pen. Blood oozed out of his hand. "I think you should try healing me now, Miyu," Glenn said, still smiling. * * * The blood. It was now dripping down the table. Miyu put her hand over mouth. She felt nauseous. "Miyu?" Glenn called for her. "You crazy fu*k!" Miyu screamed. "I don''t think that''s the right healing words. Come on, just try to imagine healing me. Close your eyes. Maybe it can help you concentrate," Glenn said. Miyu closed her eyes. "Heal!" Miyu said out loud. She needed to heal him. Heal! But there was nothing but darkness. "I can''t," Miyu said, opening her eyes. "I''m losing a lot of blood now. Come on, try for me please. You''re a Saintess. You should be able to heal," Glenn insisted. Miyu placed her hands on top of his bloody hand. Oh God. The blood. Heal. Heal. Heal. Please! "Heal!" Miyu screamed. Nothing but darkness. She couldn''t feel an ounce of healing magic in her. Tears started to leak out of her eyes. "I''m so sorry, Glenn. I c-can''t heal. I''m useless. I''m a fraud," Miyu sobbed. Glenn looked surprised but not angry. "I see. You must have a different gift then as the second Saintess. Sorry for startling you," Glenn said. "I''ll tie up your wound. Let me remove that pen for you. Oh, wait, I think you shouldn''t remove it. Oh, Glenn, what do I do? Should I call for a doctor? Is there even a doctor here?" Miyu babbled on while crying and panicking at the same time. "Shush, I''m alright. This will be our little secret, okay?" Glenn said and winked. Miyu looked confused. Glenn removed the pen and placed his fine hand over his bloody hand. Green light with sparks of gold appeared over his wound. The blood returned inside his hand and the wound closed. "There! I''m okay now," Glenn said, flashing his easygoing smile. "What the fu-" "Aw, you cried. Did you worry about me? Look, my hand is okay now. No need to cry, my non-healing Saintess," Glenn said and wiggled his fingers in front of her. Miyu glared at him angrily. "Are you angry? Sorry, I had to make you panic so you would be able to draw out your healing power more easily but if there''s no healing power, I can''t do anything about that. Aren''t you glad we didn''t go to a hospital? All those injured people would have been so disappointed and you would be greatly embarrassed," Glenn said. Miyu continued glaring at him. "We can go now. Where do you want to go? The market? Shops? Scenery?" Glenn asked while smiling. He even looked excited. Miyu couldn''t take it anymore. She stepped closer to him, only a few inches away from his face. Glenn looked surprised. "Miyu?" Glenn asked in an unsure tone. Miyu placed her hands on his shoulders. "I''m really alright now, Miyu. Are you still worried? Oh, you must have been shocked. Shall I hug you?" Glenn asked. Miyu kneed him in the groin as hard as she could. Glenn screamed in pain. "AAAARRGHHHH!!!!" He collapsed on the ground, writhing in pain. "That''s for fu*king with me, Glenn. Fu*k with me again and I''ll do that to you again," Miyu said. "I''m sorry . . ." Glenn said in between gasps of pain. "Take me out to town tomorrow. I want to shop dresses not in white," Miyu said and left. * * * Miyu did not see the crown prince that day either. He had not bothered to show himself and she did not bother to look for him either. She was just content staying at the palace . . . for now. Where would she go anyway? The moon was bright again that night. It illuminated her balcony and she felt like she had a street light post stationed just outside at her room. She was in a bad mood. It felt terrible to be tricked like that and she was even starting to like him. How dare he?! And the blood! Why the hell did she feel nauseated when she saw the blood? She killed herself already. Shouldn''t she be immune to those kind of things? "I''m sorry." Miyu already knew that voice even without turning. A figure stepped forward from the balcony. "Go away," Miyu muttered, turning over so she won''t have to face him. "I have flowers for you," Glenn said, sitting beside her on the bed. "Argh, now I''m going to sneeze all night because of you," Miyu said. "Oh. I''ll throw this now!" Glenn said and he was about to get up from the bed when Miyu suddenly pulled on his sleeve. "Just kidding. Let me see them," Miyu said with an amused smile. Glenn smiled in relief and handed her a bouquet of purple flowers tied with a light blue ribbon. "What are they called?" Miyu asked, sniffing the flowers. "Hyacinths," Glenn said. "Why the hyacinths? Usually men give roses to women. I haven''t heard of this one," Miyu said. "The purple hyacinths in flower language mean ''I''m sorry. Please forgive me'' and that''s why I chose them," Glenn said. "I see. I forgive you," Miyu said, her gaze fixated on the flowers. It was nice of him to apologize and she knew it was quick of her to say that she forgave him, but she felt his sincerity. "Truly?" Glenn asked. "Maybe," Miyu said. "How can I change that to truly?" Glenn asked. Miyu turned her gaze towards him. He was no longer wearing the eyeglasses and the scrunchie. His long green hair moved slightly from the breeze coming from her balcony. Even in the dark, she could see his jade green eyes looking at her with such intensity. "Promise you won''t hurt yourself again. No stabbing yourself with a freaking fountain pen again or anything else," Miyu said, frowning at him. Glenn smiled. "I promise. Aren''t you going to ask about my healing power?" "I will. Maybe. I''m just not in the mood to ask now though," Miyu said nonchalantly. Glenn chuckled and got up. "See you tomorrow, Miyu?" Miyu nodded. "Go away now. I need my beauty sleep." Glenn laughed and leaped down from the balcony and he was gone. Miyu fell asleep hugging the purple hyacinths. Chapter 60 - Actress In Another World "Oh, the flowers are so pretty!" "The prince must have picked them out personally!" The maids gushed on and on about the flowers and about Miyu''s beauty while they helped her wear another white dress. Miyu was having a hard time trying to keep up her false cheery smile as the maids babbled on. Miyu breathed a sigh of relief when they were finally gone. There was a knock on the door. Was it Glenn? She smiled. "Come in," Miyu said. It was one of the butlers, the oldest one. "Greetings, Holy Saintess. His Highness has asked for you to dine with him this morning," the butler said. "Oh," Miyu said. Sh*t. What about her outing with Glenn? The butler raised an eyebrow. "Did you have other plans this morning, My Lady?" "No. Miyu is just surprised," Miyu said. "Please tell His Highness Miyu will join him shortly. Miyu just needs to change into a different outfit." "No need, My Lady. You look beautiful already. I shall escort you personally," the butler said. Argh. "Um, Miyu just needs to fix her hair for a bit. Please wait!" Miyu said and closed the door in a hurry before the butler could eveb reply. Miyu grabbed a pen from the table and quickly wrote a note that said, "Breakfast with the prince. Get me." Miyu took the vase containing the purple hyacinths and placed it on the balcony. She then placed the note under the vase. "My Lady? Is there something wrong?" The butler asked from the other side of the door. Miyu hurriedly grabbed a ribbon from the dresser and tied it as a headband. Just as an excuse to why she took so long. "Coming!" Miyu said and went out of the room. * * * The prince looked like he came out of a painting, despite the scar on his face which had mostly faded already. His golden blonde hair was shiny, his smile was dazzling as soon as she arrived in the dining room, and his blue eyes were inviting. "Good morning, My Lady," Vincent said. Miyu attempted a curtsy and almost tripped. Curses. She should ask Glenn to teach her how to curtsy properly instead of teaching her flower language. "Good morning, Your Highness," Miyu said. "How is your stay so far? I do apologize for not showing myself. I''ve been busy with the state of the kingdom ever since my dear father passed away," Vincent said. "Miyu has been treated generously. The kingdom is important and Miyu does not dare take your time away, Your Highness," Miyu said. Miyu tried to eat but she felt like a specimen being studied by the prince. Was she chewing too loud? Did she take a bite too big? Was there a crumb on her? "I confess I was taken aback with the royal advisor''s announcement during the funeral. What was that about?" Vincent asked. Miyu almost choked but she swallowed the food by force. "Sir Jade advised for Miyu''s presence to be known during the funeral so as to uplift the spirits of the people," Miyu said. Was that the wrong move? She must have done something wrong. Argh. She didn''t want to be in the prince''s bad side. She had a feeling that he was scary when angry. "I see. I do request that my mother and I be informed next time before taking any actions like that," Vincent said. The prince was smiling but Miyu felt nervous. "Of course, Your Highness," Miyu replied smoothly. "So, what are your plans for the day? Lessons?" Vincent asked. The door of the dining room suddenly opened. "Good morning!" Glenn said cheerfully while the prince glared at him. "What brings you here, Sir Jade?" Vincent asked. "My student was missing and I see that you have taken her without telling me. Seriously, boy. Do you have the habit of stealing ladies?" Glenn said. Miyu felt terrified being in the middle of the two men. "I don''t need to tell you anything, royal advisor," Vincent said, barely concealing his irritation. "And I need my student now, boy. It''s way past time breakfast and you''re interrupting the schedule I''ve made," Glenn said. "Fine," Vincent said and turned to Miyu. "You can go." Miyu quickly got up and attempted a curtsy again. "Have a good day, Your Highness," Miyu said. "By the way, I''ll be having her wear dresses that aren''t white. She looks like a ghost haunting the palace corridors," Glenn said. "You don''t have the right. That''s the standard color for the Saintess," Vincent said. "Really? I just saw the other Saintess wearing black to your father''s funeral. Look now, boy, try not to restrict this one too much," Glenn said then lowered his voice to a whisper. "You might just lose this one too." Vincent looked like he wanted to murder Glenn right there and then. "Fine but nothing scandalous. She''s still a Saintess." "Naturally," Glenn said and ushered Miyu out the dining room. * * * "Thank you for saving me," Miyu said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Let''s go to your room first. I have a present for you," Glenn said. "Really? A second one? No one told me I got a new birthday," Miyu said. They went to Miyu''s room and on top of her bed were two boxes. Miyu opened a wide flat box and gasped. It was a beautiful red dress with black ribbons. "Whoa! Omigosh this is so pretty!" Miyu said. "I wasn''t sure what color to get but I''m glad you like it," Glenn said. "Anything but another darned white dress," Miyu said and stared at the red dress in awe. "Open the other one," Glenn said. Miyu excitedly opened the other box. It was a pair of red shoes with black roses at the sides. The shoes were flat and soft. "We''re going to be walking a lot today so I chose the flat ones. I''ll give you heels next time," Glenn said. Miyu laughed. "How did you even know my foot size?" "I asked your maids," Glenn said. "Yeah right. Creep," Miyu said while laughing. "I''m not," Glenn said. "Thank you, my creepy teacher," Miyu said. "I''m not a creepy teacher. I''m the royal advisor," Glenn said, lowering his eyeglasses and trying to look at her sternly. Miyu laughed. "Wait outside. I''ll just change my dress," Miyu said. After a few minute, Miyu emerged out of the room wearing the red dress with black ribbons and the red shoes. "So, how do I look?" Miyu asked while making a model pose. "You look like the Saintess I was talking to earlier. She was wearing a white dress. Do you know where I can find her?" Glenn said pretending to look around. Miyu rolled her eyes. "You''re beautiful," Glenn said. Miyu beamed at him then grabbed his arm. "Let''s go?" Miyu asked. "Let''s go," Glenn said, looping her arm with his arm properly. * * * The sun was bright and warm on Miyu''s skin but she didn''t mind. She had been cooped up in the palace far too long for her taste. "Good day, Sir. Necklace for your lady?" "This brooch looks lovely to your lady, Sir!" "Young couple, we have couple rings here!" Miyu felt her cheeks getting warm. "Glenn, um, we''re giving them the wrong idea," Miyu said and tried to remove her arm from his but he held her hand. "Are we?" Glenn asked brightly. Miyu glared at him and pinched his hand. "Ouch!" Miyu continued walking beside him. "You know that I can still feel pain, right? My healing power doesn''t give me immunity to pain," Glenn said, frowning. "That''s too bad," Miyu said. "But really, what do you want to buy? I''ll buy for you," Glenn said. Miyu raised an eyebrow. "Really? You''re going to be my personal credit card for the day?" "Your what?" Glenn asked, bewildered. "My credit card," Miyu said. "And what is a credit card?" Glenn asked. "Something you use to buy things you can''t afford," Miyu said, staring intently at a dress from a shop window. "I see. Well, that is what I am for you today. Your personal credit card at your service," Glenn said. "Good. Come on, let''s go there," Miyu said and pulled on his arm, dragging him to a dress shop. * * * "Oh, a foreigner! You must have come from that faraway kingdom. Please take a long look around my shop," a middle-aged woman with white hair and a friendly smile said. "Thank you," Miyu said and they began looking around the dress shop. "A foreigner? Is it because of your green hair?" Miyu asked. "I think so. They only have boring hair colors here in Aderlan," Glenn said looking proud of himself. Miyu raised an eyebrow. "And there''s a kingdom that has crazy hair colors like yours?" "Yes. It''s far away though. It''s a beautiful kingdom filled with magic. It''s called Feylantis," Glenn said. "What kind of magic?" Miyu asked. "Controlling the elements. Playing with fire, making water move, invisibility, and other types of magic that will take me months to tell you all about," Glenn said. "Wow! I get that I''m in a different world now but that place you''re describing sounds like the world I can only watch in movies," Miyu said. "Movies? What''s that?" Glenn asked. "Hmm . . . It''s like a play but everything looks real. The backgrounds look like the real thing, there''s music and sound effects, and they do things to make magic look real. Do you have plays here? Before movies, there were plays. Have I told you that I was an actress before?" Miyu asked. "Um, sorry to interrupt but I heard your conversation," a girl from behind them said. The girl was pretty. She had light blonde hair and light blue eyes. "My name is Ayla and there''s going to be a play again in two weeks but I can''t be the main actress anymore. I already have morning sickness and my husband would just worry if I exert myself too much," the girl said, rubbing her pregnant belly. It was still small but the bump was noticeable. "Would you like to be the Moonlight Princess?" Chapter 61 - Saintess Meets Saintess "The what?" Miyu asked. "The Moonlight Princess. You''re really pretty and I heard you telling him that you were an actress before. I think you''ll suit the role really well," Ayla said. "Oh, um, sure. I think that sounds better than taking my lessons," Miyu said. "Bad student," whispered Glenn. "Punish me, Sensei," Miyu whispered back mischievously. "Thank you! I''m sure Lady Euphemia would hire you on the spot once she sees you," Ayla said excitedly. "Well, this is getting interesting," murmured Glenn. "Huh? What are you talking about?" Miyu whispered. "Just turn at the corner over there. Go straight ahead and when you see the largest house, you''re in the right place. Just tell her that Ayla chose you. I do hope she''ll hire you. She takes good care of her staff. She''s even paying me even though I''m pregnant and I''m doing nothing now!" Ayla said. "Dear, are you done looking?" A man asked, entering the store. "Walter, meet the new Moonlight Princess!" Ayla said to the man. "Oh, I''m sorry. I haven''t asked for your name," Ayla said. "Hikari Miyu. Nice to meet you," Miyu said. "Such a unique name. You must have come from a far away land," Ayla said. "Yes, I have," Miyu grinned. "Come now, let''s go. You should be resting," Walter said. "Alright. You worry too much," Ayla said, grinning at her husband. "Oh, please give my regards to His Grace too. Bye!" Ayla said. * * * "I was just going to shop for clothes but now I have a job offer. Wow. This reminds me of the time I got my first job offer as a model," Miyu said, still looking shocked. "What''s a model?" Glenn asked. "It''s a person paid to pose and look pretty," Miyu said. "I see. I''m sure you were a popular model," Glenn said. Miyu grinned. "Yes, I was. Everyone knew who I was." "So, are you taking the offer? Are you going to be an actress again?" Glenn asked. "I''m not sure. I''d like to see the script first and the director. I don''t want to be cast again in a sexy film," Miyu said, frowning. Glenn''s eyes furrowed. "Were you an actress in an inappropriate play?" Miyu sighed. "Yes, but not because I wanted to. A friend betrayed me and made a scandal that destroyed my reputation. After that, no one wanted to cast me in a decent movie. The only movie offers that I had were the lewd ones." Glenn looked angry. "If anyone tries to do that to you here, I''ll make sure they won''t breathe again." Miyu smiled. "That''s something a good friend would say." "I won''t betray you," Glenn said. "That''s nice to hear," Miyu said. Glenn frowned. "You don''t believe me." "I want to but I have trust issues now. Nothing personal," Miyu said. Glenn nodded. "I understand. I''ll just prove myself worthy of your trust." "Are you trying to not be my personal credit card anymore? Is that it?" Miyu narrowed her eyes at him. "No, I''m still your personal credit card. Just one worthy of your trust," Glenn said. "We''ll see. If you do betray me, I might just jump from my balcony and go to the next world. If there''s still a next one," Miyu said. Glenn looked concerned. "Please don''t do that." "Sorry. Bad joke. I won''t," Miyu said. "Now, can we please shop for clothes? My mood is really messed up now." Glenn grinned. "Sure. Is there a color that you don''t like?" "White. I''ve got loads of that in the castle. Other than that, anything is okay," Miyu said. "Noted on that," Glenn said approached the shop owner. "I''ll take all the dresses that you have in her size that is not white. Have it delivered to the palace," Glenn said and handed the shop owner a pouch full of gold coins. * * * "I wanted to choose!" Miyu said lightly punching Glenn on the arm. The two of them were walking at the streets. "It would take us the whole day. It''s better to just buy everything then you can just choose freely in your room," Glenn said. Miyu grimaced. "But what about the clothes that I don''t like?" "They''re yours. You can do anything you want with them," Glenn said. "Argh. Fine, I''ll just give them to the maids. I don''t want to return the clothes to the shop. It would be so embarrassing," Miyu said. "The maids would absolutely worship you," Glenn said. Miyu sighed. "You''re too rich for your own good. I''ve never bought that many of clothes in a day." "That''s what a rich man is for," Glenn grinned. Miyu punched him again lightly. "You''re going to abuse my healing powers," Glenn said, rubbing his arm. "Ah, here''s the house, right?" Miyu asked. The mansion was big and the garden looked like it had no end. Miyu pulled on the old-fashioned door bell. "So the boss must be a noble. Should I curtsy? Wait, you haven''t even taught me how to curtsy properly. I feel like I''m doing it wrong," Miyu said, trying to do it and looking like she''s out of balance. Glenn snickered. "Yes, you are." "Then you should have taught me instead of stabbing yourself with a fountain pen!" Miyu said. Glenn laughed. "But your curtsy is already as funny as it is." "It shouldn''t be funny. It should be correct so I don''t embarrass myself!" Miyu said. "But where''s the fun in that?" Glenn asked while holding his sides in laughter. Miyu stepped on his foot. "Ouch! That hurt!" Glenn said. "That''s good to hear," Miyu said. "Now, teach me how to curtsy. Hurry!" "I can''t. I can''t feel my foot," Glenn said, wincing in pain. "Of course you can! You just said that it hurt!" Miyu said. "Hurry, teach me before the Lady Euphemia comes." "Yes, it did hurt but now I can''t feel my foot. I think you just killed it. You''d have to help me walk later," Glenn said, trying to look sad. Miyu glared at him. "You useless sensei!" "What''s a sensei anyway? You keep calling me that," Glenn said. "A teacher! And you''re not teaching me anything!" Miyu said. "I taught you what purple hyacinths mean in the language of flowers," Glenn said. "Pardon me for interrupting but are you a visitor?" Miyu turned to see the source of the voice. The man looked like a butler. He had light brown hair that was tied behind and he was wearing eyeglasses. "Ah yes. I''ve come to see Lady Euphemia. Ayla told me to come here. She said that I can be the new Moonlight Princess," Miyu said. "I see. Yes, please come in. And you are?" The butler directed his question to Glenn. "I''m her personal credit card," Glenn said with a straight face. Miyu elbowed him at his ribs. "Ouch! I''m her teacher. I''ve accompanied her because she''s just arrived to this kingdom," Glenn said, rubbing his side. "Please wait for Lady Euphemia. I shall notify her of your arrival," the butler said and led them to a room that looked like a receiving area for guests which had sofas and a table at the center. * * * "Lady Euphemia, guests have arrived for you," Hansel said. Euphemia and Lucien were at the study. They were busy planning for the next play which would be performed before their trip. "I didn''t know that I have guests arriving," Euphemia said. "She said that Ayla recommended her to be the Moonlight Princess," Hansel said. "Oh, that''s wonderful! I''ll meet her," Euphemia said. "Shall I come with you?" Lucien asked. Euphemia smiled. "No, it''s okay. I can handle the interview myself." Lucien nodded. "Call me if you need anything." * * * Euphemia opened the door to the room where her two guests were waiting. "Lady Euphemia, it''s so nice to meet you," Miyu said. Euphemia stood still in shock. "Lady Euphemia? Oh, sorry. I should have curtsied," Miyu said and curtsied in a completely wrong way. The man beside her was the strange royal advisor. He looked amused at the scene he was watching unfold before him. "My name is Hikari Miyu. I''m not sure if you were there at the funeral when the royal advisor announced me. I''m actually the Saintess. Well, the second Saintess. But not to worry! My duties as the Saintess won''t keep me from acting. I mean I''m not even sure what the duties are but I was an actress before I di-, ahem, before I came here. I hope you can give me the opportunity to be an actress again," Miyu said cheerfully. "How dare you show yourself before me," Euphemia said in a low voice. "Um, sorry. Should I come at another time?" Miyu asked. Euphemia stepped closer at Miyu. "Do you not know me?" Euphemia asked in disbelief. "Uh . . . Ayla said you''re Lady Euphemia and I really don''t know you. I just arrived here a few days ago," Miyu said. "Do you remember Matsuya Hiro?" Euphemia asked. Miyu frowned then looked like she remembered something. "I''m not sure. Wait . . . That''s . . . Omigosh! How do you know that name?! He was one of my really active fans! He used to come to all my signing events!" "I''m the fianc¨¦e that he murdered because of you," Euphemia said. Chapter 62 - Hold Hands? "What? What are you . . . talking about?" Miyu asked, her face pale. Euphemia gazed at her icily and stepped closer. "I died because my fianc¨¦ wanted to marry you and when he couldn''t, he decided to kill me instead," Euphemia said. "N-no, I have no idea what you''re talking about," Miyu said. "Matsuya Hiro killed me because of you," Euphemia said, her eyes burning with rage but her voice running icy cold. "Miyu, I think we should go," Glenn said. "You died because of me?" Miyu asked, her eyes wide and horrified. "That''s right. Your crazy fan killed someone and that someone is me! Would you like me to repeat it for you again?" Euphemia asked. "N-no," Miyu said weakly. "I died because of you and you have the audacity to show yourself in front of me! I died because of you!" Euphemia screamed. Glenn stood up from the sofa and went behind Miyu. He held her shoulders from behind. "Miyu, let''s go," Glenn said softly. "I''m s-so-" "You murderer," Euphemia said. "Shush, it''s not your fault," Glenn whispered. "Get out," Euphemia said. "I didn''t mean to . . ." "GET OUT!" Euphemia screamed. Glenn put his arm around Miyu and pulled her alongside him. The two went out of the room, leaving Euphemia alone. "Euphee? I heard you screaming! Are you okay?" Lucien asked, looking like he had hurried over. Euphemia turned to look at him then her face scrunched up and tears fell from her eyes. She rushed to him and hugged him tight, burying her face on his chest. Lucien patted her head gently with his right hand and hugged her with his left hand. "Did they do something to you? Do you want me to burn them?" Lucien asked, his eyes flickering into gold. Euphemia shook her head while still buried on his chest. "Do you want to talk about it?" Lucien asked. Euphemia shook her head and just hugged him as if her life depended on it. * * * "Miyu, pull yourself together!" Glenn said. The two were outside the gates of the new Ashburn mansion. "S-she died because of me," Miyu mumbled. Glenn shook her by the shoulders. "That wasn''t your fault!" Glenn shouted. Miyu turned her anguished gaze towards Glenn. "But she was killed by one of my fans!" Miyu said. "You''re not the one who killer her! Her death is not your fault! Or did you have a relationship with her fianc¨¦?" Glenn said. "No! I just knew him because he would always try to talk to me during fan events. I was in love with another man! The man I killed myself over!" Miyu said. "And do you blame him for that?" Glenn asked. "At first, yes. I blamed him and Hanako. They betrayed me but ultimately, it was my decision to end my life. I just didn''t want to be in the same world where they still were," Miyu said sadly. Glenn patted her head with a concerned look. "It''s the same with her, Miyu. Her death wasn''t your fault. Her murderer may be your fan but you yourself had nothing to do with his decision kill her." "But . . ." Miyu said, still looking unconvinced. "Did you encourage that man? Did you tell that him that you wanted to marry him?" Glenn asked. "No, of course not. I had no interest in that person at all," Miyu said. "Then it''s not your fault. He was obsessed with you and must have deluded himself that you were going to be his bride and when that didn''t happen, he killed her," Glenn said. "I still feel terrible for her death," Miyu said. "It was terrible of her to blame you when you had nothing to do with it," Glenn said. "Maybe she didn''t know I had nothing to do with it. Maybe she thought her fianc¨¦ and I were having an affair," Miyu said. "Do you want to explain to her?" Glenn asked. "Yes . . . but I have a feeling she''s just going to scream at me again," Miyu said. "Then let it pass first. We don''t need to do everything in a day," Glenn said. Miyu nodded. "I guess so." Glenn put his arm around her shoulder. "So, where do you want to go?" Glenn asked. "Huh? Aren''t we going back to the palace?" Miyu asked. "You look like you''ve just lost your pet. I can''t bring you back looking like that," Glenn smirked. Miyu raised an eyebrow. "Do you still have money?" Glenn wagged his eyebrows and smiled confidently. "Lots and lots of it." "Then, treat me. I want to eat comfort food," Miyu said with a grin. "Oh, nice! You finally smiled! What''s comfort food though?" Glenn asked. The two started walking while Glenn''s arm was still over Miyu''s shoulder. "It''s food you eat to feel good when you''re down," Miyu said. "But you''re smiling already. You don''t need comfort food anymore. We can go to the palace now," Glenn said. Miyu stomped his foot. "Ouch!" "Food?" "Yes, food for the lady who keeps hurting me," Glenn said. Miyu elbowed his rib. "Ouch!" Miyu laughed. "Are you a sadist? Shouldn''t a Saintess be pure and nice? Why do you keep injuring me?" Glenn asked, pretending to look pitiful. "Yeah, right. Then they should have just summoned one from a convent and not a girl who just killed herself," Miyu shrugged. "The summoning must have been really random for it to get you as the Saintess," Glenn said while casting healing magic over his foot and ribs. "Why? Do you want a different Saintess?" Miyu asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "Maybe someone with . . . bigger breasts?" Glenn said. Miyu grabbed his arm that was around her shoulder and twisted it. "Aaaaarrrrghhh!!!!" "You pervert!" "No, I was just kidding!" "So, do you still want a different Saintess?" "No! I don''t need a different Saintess! All I need is you!" "Really? Just me?" "Yes! Please let go! It''s going to come off! Aarrggghh!" Miyu released his arm. Glenn rubbed his shoulder. "You''re a sadist," Glenn said, looking like a sad puppy. "No, you''re just fun to mess with. It''s a good thing you can heal yourself," Miyu said. Glenn sucked in air inside his cheeks. Miyu put her hands at his cheeks and pushed, releasing the air. "Come on, you still have to feed me, my personal credit card," Miyu said. Glenn sighed and smiled wryly. "Hold hands?" Glenn asked. "Why?" Miyu asked, raising an eyebrow. Glenn pouted and placed his hand inside his back pocket. "Fine, it''s okay." Miyu snickered and put her hand inside his back pocket. Glenn''s eyes widened. "You''re touching my butt," Glenn said, looking shocked. Miyu glared at him. "I''m touching your hand! Now, get it out of your pocket!" Glenn got his hand out of his back pocket. The two walked the streets while holding hands. "Pervert," Glenn whispered. "You''re the pervert," Miyu answered back. "You touched my butt," Glenn said. "You like big breasts," Miyu said. "In my defense, I think yours are perfectly fine already," Glenn said. Miyu gave him a disgusted look. "I knew you were a creep," Miyu said. "Now, I''m not?" Glenn asked with a grin. "Now, you''re a pervert," Miyu said. "Do you want underwear for your next gift?" Glenn asked with an excited look. "If you''re prepared to have the thing you''re wearing underwear over to be brutally injured then go ahead," Miyu said. Glenn paled. Miyu laughed. * * * "We''re here. I do hope there are still tables available," Glenn said. It looked like the medieval equivalent of a restaurant bar. This was a restaurant pub with wooden walls and floors. "Come in! We still have a table!" A staff said and ushered them inside. "Table for a couple!" The staff said. "Over here!" Another staff answered. "Please, sit over there, Ma''am and Sir," the staff said. "This restaurant gives couples a discount," Glenn said. Miyu gave him a horrified look. "Is that why you wanted to hold hands?!" Glenn laughed. "No way. You believed that? I thought you had trust issues, Miyu." Miyu tugged his long green hair. "Ouch! Not my hair please!" "So, why did you want to hold hands?" Miyu asked. "Can you let go of my hair first?" Glenn pleaded. Miyu tugged his hair again. "Nope. Answer me first." "Here''s our menu. Just call us if you''ve already decided," a staff said. "Miyu, let''s order first. Aren''t you hungry?" Glenn asked with a pleading look. "Fine," Miyu said and let go of his hair. Glenn breathed a sigh of relief. The menu had painted pictures of the food which were done in great detail. "The fried chicken looks delicious," Miyu said, staring intently at the mini painting of a fried chicken on the menu. "Ready to order?" Glenn asked. Miyu nodded. Glenn called over a staff. "One order of fried chicken, golden stag steak, and a jug of fairy rose ale," Glenn said. "Oh, and rice too please!" Miyu added. The staff repeated the order and left. "Golden stag steak? Fairy rose ale? What the hell are those?" Miyu asked. "Golden stags are found in the Cindersnap Forest. They''re stags with gold hide and are really evasive creatures. Their meat is really delicious though. As for fairy rose, it can only be found in the Vyridian Woods. They change colors every season and glow during the night. They''re really expensive but again, really delicious. Lucky for you, the man you''re with has lots of gold," Glenn said with a proud grin. "I see. Now, tell me why you wanted to hold hands," Miyu said. Chapter 63 - Kiss Kiss Fall In Love! "It was just a whim," Glenn said, his jade eyes twinkling mischievously. "I see. So that''s your expression when you''re lying," Miyu said nodding to herself. "I''m not lying! What about you? Why did you touch my butt?!" Glenn asked. Heads turned and stared at Miyu. "Shush yourself!" Miyu placed her hands over Glenn''s mouth. "Um that''s not what happened, everyone! I just touched his hand. This guy is just a natural-born liar," Miyu said out loud awkwardly. "Pfft," Glenn laughed. Miyu glared at him and removed her hands over his mouth. "So, why did you hold my hand?" Glenn asked with a cheeky grin. "Just a whim," Miyu said. Glenn chuckled and Miyu rolled her eyes at him. * * * Their food arrived a few minutes later. "Your food looks delicious!" Miyu said while eating her chicken and staring at Glenn''s steak. "Um, yes it is," Glenn said while he ate his steak. "You''re not going to offer me a bite?" Miyu asked. "Why? Don''t you like your chicken?" Glenn asked. "I like it but I want to taste yours too," Miyu said. Glenn sighed. "Has anyone told you that being greedy is bad?" "Has anyone told you that food should be shared?" Miyu asked. "Fine," Glenn said and sliced her a portion of his steak. "Yey!" Miyu clapped her hands. "Oh! Gosh, it''s so soft! It''s melting in my mouth! Oh my God. Mmmm . . ." Miyu said, closing her eyes while enjoying the taste. "Glad you like my steak," Glenn said dryly. "Here. You can have my chicken," Miyu said and pushed her chicken towards Glenn. "But this is yours!" Glenn protested. Miyu pulled the plate of golden stag steak towards her. "It''s yours now. Don''t worry. I''ve only taken a bite out of that. Gosh, this steak is so soft! It just melts in my mouth! Oh God it''s so juicy," Miyu said. Glenn narrowed his eyes at her but proceeded to eat the chicken quietly while Miyu raved about the steak. Glenn raised his jug to his lips and sipped the fairy rose ale. Miyu stared intently at Glenn as he drank. "Wow, the beer is shimmering!" Miyu said. Glenn let out a satisfied sound. "What does it taste like?" Miyu asked. "Like a sweet dream," Glenn smirked. "What?" Miyu frowned. "Here. Have a taste. You''ll understand," Glenn said. Miyu stared at the swirling shimmering golden liquid. "It''s sweet then dreamy," Glenn said. "Do you mean creamy?" Miyu asked. Glen shrugged. "You won''t know unless you try it." "Fine," Miyu said and sipped the fairy rose ale. Miyu''s eyes widened. She let out a surprised but satisfied sound. "Wow! It was sweet then it was like floating in a dream in a magical woods then it felt like I was floating," Miyu said. "See? A sweet dream, right?" Glenn said. Miyu nodded and grabbed the jug again, gulping down the fairy rose ale. "Whoa! Slow down! You''re drinking too much!" Glenn said. Miyu put down the jug. Only half of it remained. Her eyes were hazy and she had a dreamy look on her face. "Glenn, did you plan this? You wanted to get me drunk, didn''t you? You pervert," Miyu said in a drunken tone and pointing at Glenn while wobbling. Glenn sighed. "You''re drunk." "No, I''m Miyu. I''m not Durank," Miyu said, swaying. Glenn took the jug from her and gulped it down. "No fair! Why''d you finish it all?! Meanie!" Miyu pouted. Glenn laughed. "You''re cute when you''re drunk." "And when I''m not?!" Miyu looked offended and punched him on the arm. "Ouch! And still violent as ever," Glenn winced. "Come on, Miyu. Let''s go," Glenn said, while helping her get up. "No! I want more fairy rose beer!" Miyu whined. Glenn gently helped her up. "No more for you. Your alcohol tolerance is non-existent." Miyu glared at him, her cheeks red from the alcohol. "I can drink! Your beer is just too strong!" Miyu said. Glenn placed Miyu''s right arm on his shoulder and put his left arm around her waist so he can support her while walking. They went out of the restaurant and began walking in the street. "It''s not beer. It''s fairy rose ale and it''s strong which is why I did not order one for you," Glenn explained patiently while he walked slowly and supported Miyu''s walking at the same time. Miyu shook her head, her short hair flapped around. "No, you just wanted it for yourself!" Glenn sighed. "You know, you should be more careful next time. What if you went drinking with a man who had an ulterior motive?" Glenn said. Miyu gazed at him in confusion. "Ulterior motive? Is someone going to kill me?" "No, I mean, yes, maybe with the wrong person," Glenn said. "You''re not making sense. You''re drunk," Miyu said as she staggered while walking and Glenn helping her not to fall on the ground. "I just mean what if someone takes advantage of you while you''re drunk! You''re lucky I won''t do that!" Glenn said. Miyu stopped walking and narrowed her eyes at him. "Miyu?" Glenn asked, his hand still on her back. "Why won''t you?" Miyu asked, with a hint of irritation in her tone. "It''s not proper and I''m actually a gentleman despite my roguish looks," Glenn grinned. Miyu raised an eyebrow. "Well, I''m no proper lady," Miyu said. With her right hand, she pushed Glenn''s head down to hers. She tiptoed and placed her left hand over his right shoulder. Then she kissed him. She parted her lips and tasted his lips. He tasted like a sweet dream. * * * "Are you feeling better now?" Lucien asked gently. Lucien and Euphemia were inside Euphemia''s bedroom. The two of them were sitting on Euphemia''s bed. Euphemia nodded. "Thank you," Euphemia said. "I do not think I was much help but I''m glad you''re no longer crying," Lucien said. "I''m sorry you had to see that," Euphemia said, feeling embarrassed. "It''s alright. I understand why you were upset with her," Lucien said. "Actually, it''s not really her fault. She wasn''t the one who poisoned me. I just couldn''t help but lash out to her. All the ugly feelings I didn''t know I still kept inside me just exploded when I saw her," Euphemia said, looking guilty. Lucien patted her hand. Euphemia''s eyes widened. "Wait . . . if she''s here, then that means she''s dead over there too," Euphemia said, horrified. "Oh no! What if Hiro killed her too?! He must have killed her too! Maybe it didn''t work out with them when he got her after killing me. And I even shouted at her!" Euphemia said. Lucien gently pulled Euphemia into his arms. He rubbed Euphemia''s hair, then her back, then her hair again to calm her down. "It''s alright, Euphee. Everything is going to be fine," Lucien said to her in a soothing tone. "I''m terrible," Euphemia muttered. "No, you aren''t. If anyone is terrible, it''s that basta*d who murdered you," Lucien said. "I should apologize to her," Euphemia said. "You can do that when you''re ready. No need to force yourself, Euphee," Lucien said. Euphemia pulled away a bit from Lucien''s embrace to look him in the eyes. "You''re so kind to me," Euphemia said. "It''s because you''re precious to me," Lucien said. "You were going to ask me something. What was it?" Euphemia asked. "I . . . haven''t prepared anything. I''ll ask you properly next time," Lucien said, looking embarrassed. "You don''t need to prepare anything. All I need is you," Euphemia said. The two looked into each other''s eyes. "All I need is you too, Euphee," Lucien said, his eyes fearful as if he thought she would suddenly disappear. "So, your question? What is it?" Euphemia asked. "Euphee . . . will you be . . ." As if there was an invisible string pulling them together, the two were slowly closing the gap between them. ". . . my lover?" Euphemia smiled in amusement. "Lover? Aren''t we engaged already?" "Yes, but that''s only because of our contract. I know I''m doing this backwards and I wish to do it right. I wish to do this right with you. I would like us to be engaged because we''re lovers and not because of a contract. Euphee, will you be my lover?" Lucien asked earnestly. Lover must be what they use as a term for boyfriend or girlfriend in this world and Lucien was asking her to be his girlfriend. In the darkness and the slight illumination from the crescent moon outside, Lucien still looked absolutely handsome. His dark raven black hair, his emerald green eyes that looked like they could only see her, and his soft-looking lips that were so close to her, she could almost feel his breathe. She felt a thrill ran down her body. This kind and handsome man was asking her to be his lover. "Why? Why do you want me to be your lover?" Euphemia asked. She wanted him to speak the words she didn''t know she was waiting to hear from him until now. "Will you not leave if I tell you?" Lucien asked in a worried tone. "It depends on what you''ll tell me," Euphemia said with a smile. "I have fallen for you, Euphee. I do not wish for you to leave me after a year. I will protect you and care for you," Lucien said. Lucien touched her cheek and caressed her face slowly. "I am in love with you," Lucien said. Euphemia was quiet. "Euphee?" Lucien was getting worried that she was going to turn him down. Euphemia closed in the distance between them. She kissed his lips. He was startled at first, unable to move, then he realized that he was not dreaming and began to kiss her back. Lucien was surprised when she pulled away from their kiss but his worries were quickly wiped out when she smiled and said the words he was wishing for. "Yes, I''ll be your lover." Chapter 64 - Guy Talk Her lips were soft against his. He longed for more. To feel her more. He deepened the kiss. Lucien licked her lips tentatively. She parted her lips, allowing him to taste her more. She let out a soft moan that made his heart beat faster. Lucien broke the kiss. His breathing was ragged but so was hers. They were breathing hard. They forgot to breathe properly while kissing. Euphemia smiled at Lucien. Lucien grabbed her arm and hugged Euphemia, her face on his chest, and his hand against her back. "I''m so happy," Lucien said. "Really? Then why did we stop?" Euphemia teased. "I . . . am finding it hard to control myself," Lucien said, stroking her hair. "What do you mean?" Euphemia asked. Lucien stood up from Euphemia''s bed. He still had a dazed look in his eyes. He touched his lips slowly, still in disbelief that they had actually kissed just a few moments ago. "Luci?" Euphemia asked. "I will have to bid you good night, Euphee," Lucien said with a pained look. "What?! Why? Oh no. Was my kissing that awful? I''m so sorry," Euphemia said, dismayed. "No! It''s perfect! You''re perfect!" Lucien said, panicking because he gave her the wrong idea. Euphemia smiled. "So, why are you leaving?" "It''s just that . . . I fear I might not be able to stop myself from . . .," Lucien trailed off. His ears and cheeks were si red. Euphemia looked confused for a moment then realization dawned on her. "Oh," Euphemia said Lucien looked like he wanted to bury himself in the ground. "I will excuse myself, Euphee," Lucien said, slowly backing away. Euphemia nodded. "Good night, Euphee," Lucien said. Euphemia gave him an amused smile. "Good night, Luci," Euphemia said. Lucien went out of Euphemia''s room and closed the door behind him. He dropped down on the floor, clutching his chest, his face and ears red, and his breathing ragged. * * * He was still reeling from the night''s events. They kissed! SHE KISSED HIM! His hand flew to his lips, tracing his lips, remembering how her lips felt like on his. He breathed out, relaxing a bit but still in a daze. "Your Grace?" Lucien looked up. It was Hansel. Hansel looked alarmed at his state. "Your Grace! Are you alright?! Are you sick?! Should I carry you?!" Hansel said, panicking. Lucien frowned at him and stood up. "I''m perfectly fine, Hans," Lucien said and began walking to his room. Hansel followed behind him. "But you were just sitting there on the floor! Were you feeling dizzy? Your face is red. You must have caught a fever. Should I call for a doctor? It''s late already but I''m sure any doctor will come if I bring a bag of gold coins with me," Hansel said. "Shush, I''m fine, Hans. Stop worrying," Lucien said, feeling embarrassed now for being seen. "Truly? Then what were you doing there on the floor, Your Grace?" Hansel asked, still panicking. "I was . . . I was with Euphee," Lucien said. "Yes, I know that. So? Did something happen? Oh no . . . Did she get tired of you? Is she breaking up with you, Your Grace?" Hansel asked. Lucien whirled around and faced Hansel. "She''s not! Argh! She has agreed to be my lover! That''s what happened, Hans!" Lucien said. Hansel raised an eyebrow, looking disappointed. "Oh, is that all?" Hansel asked. Lucien let out an exasperated sound. "It''s a big thing, Hans! Why is your reaction like that?" Lucien said. "Well, aren''t the two of you engaged already," Hansel said with a shrug. "Yes, but that''s different! That was because we agreed to do that and we even had a contract. This time, she actually agreed to be my lover!" Lucien said, a smile breaking out his face despite being frustrated at Hansel. Hansel patted his shoulder. "Congratulations, Your Grace," Hansel said in a monotone voice and deadpan face. "Argh! Why aren''t you impressed?!" Lucien asked. Hansel snickered. "Pfft!" "Your Grace, were you on the floor outside her room just because she agreed to be your lover?" Hansel asked. Lucien reddened. "N-no! That''s not all! That is not the only reason!" Lucien said. Hansel raised an eyebrow. "So, what else?" "We . . ." "Go on." "We . . ." "Breathe and speak, Your Grace." "WE DID SOMETHING!" Lucien shouted with his eyes closed. Hansel was quiet. Lucien opened his eyes. Hansel looked shock. "Oh, I did not expect that," Hansel said, looking and sounding shocked. Lucien grinned. "Congratulations on losing your virginity, Your Grace," Hansel said. Lucien''s eyes widened. "W-what?!" "But Your Grace, I don''t think the lady would be pleased to awake without you by her side. Go back to her bed and strip down again," Hansel said. "N-no!" Lucien said. Hansel gave him a disapproving look. "You spent a night with the lady and you don''t want to spend the morning with her? I did not know you would be so shameless, Your Grace! I should educate you in proper bed manners," Hansel said. "We didn''t do that!" Lucien shouted, still red as a tomato. Hansel frowned at him. "So what the bloody hell did the two of you do, Your Grace?" "WE KISSED!" Lucien shouted. Hansel sighed. "Stop yelling, Your Grace. Everyone in our street is going to hear of your inexperience," Hansel said, looking tired. "We kissed! That''s what we did!" Lucien said. "I see. Keep walking, Your Grace. It''s late already and you should get proper sleep," Hansel said and turned Lucien around and forced him to keep walking. "But Hansel, I don''t understand why you''re not even happy for me," Lucien said while walking and being pushed by Hansel from behind. Hansel sighed, feeling old. "Your Grace, where exactly did you kiss?" Hansel asked. "That''s improper to discuss!" Lucien protested. "I need to know so I may give you the proper reaction," Hansel said. "On the . . ." "Yes? Go on. We''re both men here." "On the . . . lips." Hansel narrowed his eyes at him. "I see. Good for you," Hansel said. "What?! Should I be kissing her anywhere else?!" Lucien asked, confused. Hansel covered his face with his hand. "Your Grace, I have this bad feeling that I need to give you a certain kind of education," Hansel said. "I do not understand. I am not lacking in education, Hans," Lucien said "Your Grace, it''s not that kind of education that you receive from professors. Kindly invite me in your room," Hansel said with a sigh. Lucien looked horrified and blocked the door to his room. "I don''t want to. Not with you." Hansel gave him a disgusted look. "I''m going to educate you, Your Grace," Hansel said. Lucien shook his head. "I don''t need your help!" "So, you already know what foreplay is?" Hansel asked. Lucien had a blank expression. "How to tease a woman? How to get a woman to moan and call out your name?" Hansel asked. Lucien looked confused. "Do you even know how to consummate, Your Grace?!" Hansel asked, looking very frustrated. "Yes, I''ve read about how reproduction works, Hans. I''m not dumb," Lucien huffed. Hansel was starting to feel a headache coming. "So you know how to kiss on the lips and only there. You know how to consummate but you don''t know foreplay. Oh ghad," Hansel said rubbing his temples. "You''re worrying too much, Hans. I''m not in the mood to play anything. Now, go away. I''m going to sleep now," Lucien said. Hansel narrowed his eyed at Lucien. "Let me in and educate you or else you''ll be divorced right after your wedding night," Hansel said. Lucien wanted to protest but Hansel was glaring at him so intensely, he started to worry that Hansel might be right about him not knowing important things. "Fine, but make it quick," Lucien said and the two of them entered his room. There was a small receiving area with chairs in his bedroom and the two men sat across each other with a table between them. "Your Grace, have you ever looked at erotic picture books before?" Hansel asked. Lucien frowned, looking disturbed. "I''ll take that as a ''no'' then. What about erotic novels?" Hansel asked. "No, never. That is not what a proper gentleman does," Lucien said. Hansel gave him a tired look. "So you have no idea how making love to a woman works," Hansel said, rubbing his temples. His head was killing him. No, it was Lucien''s annoying innocence that was killing him. "Your Grace, you can''t just kiss a woman then consummate immediately afterwards. Well, you actually can but that''s only if you don''t wish for that woman to stay with you for longer than a night," Hansel said. "So, what should I do?" Lucien asked. "Tell me, when you see Lady Euphemia, where do you wish to kiss her?" Hansel asked. Lucien reddened. "Well?" "The back of her hand and her lips," Lucien said, blushing at the memory of their kiss. "Those are correct but you can actually kiss at more spots," Hansel said. Lucien''s eyes widened. "Her ears, her neck, her collarbone, her shoulders, and then you go down . . .," Hansel said. "How do you know so much of this?! I never knew of this!" Lucien exclaimed, cutting him off. Hansel grinned. "And the lady will be pleased?" Lucien asked. "Well, mine was," Hansel said proudly. Lucien''s jaw dropped. "We have much to discuss, Your Grace. Now, for the next part, this is one of the most important ones. You will need not only your mouth but also your hands . . ." Chapter 65 - Why Did You Kiss Me? Miyu''s head was pounding. It was like someone was trying to crack open her skull and why the hell was the sun too fuc*ing bright?! Miyu moaned in pain. "Good morning. I see that you''re in a bad condition. I wonder why," a familiar voice said, dripping with amusement. "Go away, Glenn," Miyu muttered, covering herself with the comforter. "Get up. I have something for you," Glenn said. "No. I''m not in the mood for another dress. Just leave me alone. My head is killing me," Miyu said. "Are you sure? Alright. Quite a shame though. I even brought a vial of slime essence," Glenn said. "That sounds gross, Glenn. Can you go away now?" Miyu said. "Oh, and have I mentioned that it''s the cure for hangovers?" Glenn asked. "Wait what?!" Miyu sat up. "But you want me to go away so I shall leave now. Have a nice morning, Miyu," Glenn said, walking towards the balcony, preparing to jump down from it. "WAIT!" Miyu shouted and grabbed on Glenn''s sleeve. Glenn was wearing one of his robes which looked like a very loose yukata that showed his chest. It was dark blue with white and red flowers. His long light green hair shone brilliantly against the dark blue. Miyu . . . accidentally pulled on his sleeve too hard and his robe slipped off, exposing his bare right shoulder. "Oh," Glenn said. Miyu stood frozen for a while, staring at his bare right shoulder. Smooth skin and sculpted arm. Those muscles. Yum. "Um, Miyu. It''s too early for this kind of action," Glenn said, covering his face with his hand, pretending to be embarrassed. "S-sorry! I didn''t mean to!" Miyu said, stepping back. "Really? You were staring so hard, I thought you were going to touch me. Perhaps you wanted a continuation of last night," Glenn said, his jade eyes glinted playfully like a cat about to pounce on its prey. "No! Who said anything about touching you?! I just wanted that hangover medicine. Put back on your robe," Miyu said, trying to look serious but still looking at his bare shoulder and arm. Gosh. She wanted to run her fingers over those muscles. Glenn adjusted his robe back on his shoulder. "Here. Drink it all and your head will be clear as day in less than a minute," Glenn said. He handed her a small vial with silver liquid inside. Miyu opened it and gulped down its contents. She made a disgusted face afterwards. "Ewww. That tasted so bad! If my hangover isn''t gone after a minute, I''m going to strangle you," Miyu said, her face scrunched up. Glenn laughed. He sat on the bed and patted the space beside him. Miyu sat beside him, rubbing her temples. "I think it''s working," Miyu said. "It is. Just give it a few seconds," Glenn said. "What do slimes even look like?" Miyu asked. "They''re small almost transparent blobs. They live in the Vyridian Woods. They''re harmless creatures but they''re a rare commodity," Glenn said. "Why are they rare? These should be sold everywhere!" Miyu said, smiling, her headache had almost faded totally. "Well, those woods are dangerous. You won''t get hurt from the slimes but the creatures there are incredibly deadly. There are beasts there larger than a house," Glenn said. "Oh. That sounds scary. So, how did you get this?" Miyu asked, looking at the small vial curiously. Glenn smiled. "I have my ways." Miyu raised an eyebrow at him. "So, how is your head?" Glenn asked. "I''m fine now! Clear as day just like you said. Thank you," Miyu said with a genuinely bright smile. Glenn leaned close to her ear. "So, are you ready to discuss what you did to me last night?" Glenn whispered. Miyu gave him a confused look. "Huh? Did I do something to you last night?" Miyu asked. * * * Last night . . . Glenn wasn''t sure what was happening at first. He felt her lips on his. His mind blanked out. It felt strangely pleasant. A kiss. Oh, right. That''s what it''s called. Wait what?! She''s kissing him???? He''s being kissed!!!! Glenn broke the kiss, holding her shoulders. He was blushing. She gave him a confused look. "W-why''d you do that?!" Glenn stuttered. Miyu smiled. "Because . . ." Then she started to fall. "Miyu!" Glenn caught her just in time before her body could even hit the floor. "Miyu! What''s wrong?!" Glenn asked, terrified. He saw her expression. Her sleeping expression. She was fast asleep with a silly smile on her face. Glenn wanted to face palm but he was holding Miyu''s body. "You sly girl," Glenn murmured. He adjusted her position and carried her properly. Princess style carry. It was a strange thing for anyone to witness. A person would see a very handsome man with long green hair carrying a sleeping lady in a red and black dress. It was like a scene plucked out from a fairy tale. He leapt over the palace wall like a cat and landed on the ground gracefully. He walked past the palace gardens, the scent of flowers enveloping them every scent of the way. He gazed at her sleeping face and chuckled. After all these years, he didn''t expect to still be caught by surprise. He looked up in front of him. He was now below Miyu''s balcony which he always used to get to her room He leapt up, for a moment it looked like he was flying. The tail of his coat fluttered behind him as if they were wings. He landed on the balcony gracefully without a sound. Glenn carried her over to the bed and covered her with the comforter. "Sweet dreams, Miyu," Glenn murmured as he gazed at her tenderly. He left the room by leaping down the balcony and his figure disappeared into the night. * * * Back to present day . . . "I . . . K-KISSED YOU?!" Miyu shrieked. "You need not look so horrified, right?" Glenn said, pretending to look hurt. Miyu grimaced, still looking horrified. "Well? Why did you steal my precious lips last night?" Glenn asked, grinning like a cat. "I don''t even remember doing that! It must be the beer!" Miyu said. Glenn pretended to look disappointed. "You stole a kiss and you''re just going to blame the alcohol? I did not expect you to be so shameless, Miyu," Glenn said. "Oh. I''m sorry. That has never happened before and I just . . . Sorry. Forgive me?" Miyu said, worried that Glenn was actually angry at her. "Hmm . . . what if I say no?" Glenn asked. "Then I will be so devastated and I just might jump down from the balcony now," Miyu said with a deadpan face. "Sheesh. No need to be that dramatic, you morbid Saintess. Fine. I forgive you. Ah but with two conditions," Glenn said while grinning. "Two?! Didn''t I just kiss you once?" Miyu asked, raising an eyebrow. "My lips are precious and also because I was your personal credit card yesterday," Glenn said. "Fine," Miyu said, rolling her eyes. "When you get sick of living here in the palace, tell me and I''ll whisk you away," Glenn said with a gentle smile. "Really? I thought it was going to be a punishment but you''re offering something nice instead," Miyu said. Glenn just quietly smiled at her. Miyu frowned at him. "Wait . . . isn''t the kingdom going to be in danger or something if the Saintess goes missing? I mean I don''t have all the details because you haven''t told me anything but I think I''m kind of important here? I mean they did give me a room in the palace." "Yes, you are important but the first Saintess is here in Aderlan anyway," Glenn said. "And I assume she''s not cooperating with the queen and the prince so they summoned me," Miyu said. "Why? Are you going to cooperate with them?" Glenn asked. "I don''t know. I don''t even have healing powers so I think I''ll be useless for then. You haven''t told them, right?" Miyu asked. "Your secret is safe with me," Glenn said. "Good. But if they do find out, I think they''ll drive me out the palace and I''ll really need your help," Miyu said. "Do you like it that much living here?" Glenn asked. Miyu shrugged. "It''s comfortable. Fancy. I suppose. I think it''s my reward for working so hard in my past life." "But what if you still get to live in a fancy place? Just not in the palace," Glenn said. Miyu grinned. "Why? Do you have a jacuzzi in your place or something?" "A jacuzzi?" Glenn repeated. "Um it''s like a big bath tub filled with water that bubbles," Miyu said, now feeling embarrassed for even mentioning it. "Oh . . . Well, I do not have a jacuzzi but I do have a lake," Glenn said. "What?!" Miyu exclaimed. "And a cave full of gems but you like living here in the palace more so you''ll never get to see it and I understand," Glenn said. "No. I want to see it," Miyu said. "Only when you''re ready to escape your palace life. And when you say yes to my offer, you might never return here in the palace," Glenn said. "Fine. I''ll tell you when I''m sick of palace life already and when I''m ready for cave life with full of gems. So, what''s the other condition?" Miyu asked. He leaned close to her. His eyes were half-closed. "This," he whispered. Then he kissed her. Chapter 66 - Education His movements were gentle. Tentative, even. As if she was a fragile flower that would be crushed by his lips. She sat there frozen for a while. Then she realized what he was doing but even before she could respond to or push away his kiss, it was already over. He pulled back and just gazed at her with a smile. Miyu''s cheeks felt hot. She was blushing. "W-what the - YOU!!!" Miyu shrieked. Glenn chuckled. "Just a small payback. A kiss for a kiss," Glenn said, smiling like a very pleased cat with his eyes closed. Miyu glared at him, still blushing. "Well, I''ll go now. I think the maids will come knocking at your door around this time. Let''s meet later after at the palace library after you eat," Glenn said. "Why? So you can get me alone and kiss me again?!" Miyu said, glaring and blushing at the same time. Glenn laughed. "No, I''m going to teach you some things. I am your teacher, after all or did you forget that just because of a kiss?" Glenn asked with a cheeky smile. "It wasn''t that good," Miyu said, pretending to look unaffected but her red cheeks betrayed her. Glenn leaned close to her. "Really? I should do it again then," Glenn said. "No! Go away!" Miyu said. Glenn laughed and walked towards the balcony and leapt down from it. Miyu was left alone on her bed still blushing bright red. * * * Meanwhile, in the Ashburn residence . . . Euphemia was slicing her toasted bread quietly. She looked at the door. Lucien was late. After a while, Lucien arrived. He had dark circles under his eyes. "Luci, good morning!" Euphemia greeted cheerfully. "Good morning, Euphee," Lucien said as he sat down beside her. "Did you have trouble sleeping?" Euphemia asked in concern. "It''s because of Hans," Lucien said with a groan, rubbing his temples. "Hansel? Why? Was there an important business you had to talk about last night?" Euphemia asked. "No, he was teaching me how to make lo-" "Laundry!" Hansel interrupted, bringing in Lucien''s food. "Laundry?" Euphemia repeated in confusion. "Your Grace, I was teaching you how to do laundry, right?" Hansel asked with a tight smile. Lucien realized what he almost told Euphemia. "Y-yes! Laundry! He was teaching me why it''s important for the lord of the house to know laundry," Lucien said, a tiny sweat dripped from his brow. Euphemia narrowed at her eyes at him. "Really? So, do you know how to wash clothes now, Luci?" Euphemia asked. "Well yes, Hans thoroughly drilled the information to my head. I''m not yet an expert but I''m sure I can do it when the right timing comes," Lucien said. "I am sure you still need to study more, Your Grace. We can''t have you unprepared when ''that'' time comes, right?" Hansel said, raising an eyebrow. "No, I think the lesson last night was enough, Hans. I know what to do already," Lucien said firmly. "No, Your Grace. I insist. You still lack knowledge in a lot of areas in the said . . . topic," Hansel said. "And we''re still talking about laundry?" Euphemia asked, slicing her toasted bread with force, making the plate produce a screeching sound. "Yes!" Hansel said. "No!" Lucien said. Euphemia gave Lucien a dry look. "Luci, I know that I just agreed last night but it goes to say that lovers don''t keep secrets. That is if you still want me to be your lover," Euphemia said with a smile but her tone was icy. Lucien gulped and glared at Hansel. Hansel shrugged as if to say it was Lucien''s fault for slipping. "Euphee . . . I uhhh . . . can''t tell you," Lucien said. "And that''s what the husband said before getting divorced," Euphemia said and stood up. "Divorce?!" Lucien exclaimed. "I''m going to my room and don''t come in until you''re ready to share what exactly the two of you were talking about last night," Euphemia said and left the dining room. "Argh! This is your fault, Hans!" Lucien said. "Your Grace, I''ve never seen someone so inadept in lying," Hansel said. "What do I do?!" Lucien asked, holding his head. Hansel raised an eyebrow. "Well, why don''t you show Lady Euphemia what you''ve learned last night." * * * "Dear Miyu, I apologize for snapping at you the last time we met. I''ve reflected upon my actions and it was wrong of me to blame you for my death. It wasn''t you who murdered me. I understand that now. I''m truly sorry. I hope to hear of your circumstances too. May I request to meet again with you? Sincerely, Mia." Euphemia inserted the letter in an envelope. She rang the bell and Helen, her personal maid arrived. Helen had escaped from the fire when Lucien was still under the Queen''s control. A lot of servants dared not to show their faces to Lucien again because of shame and guilt for abandoning Lucien during the fire but Helen had came back, wanting to serve Euphemia again. "Please seal it and have it delivered to the palace. Tell them it''s for Miyu," Euphemia said. "As you wish," Helen said. She bowed and went out of the room with the letter. Euphemia was alone. She was irritated. She knew it was probably something trivial but she still felt uncomfortable that Lucien was hiding something from her. * * * There was a knock on the door "Who is it?" Euphemia asked. "It''s me." Lucien. Euphemia chewed on her lip. "Euphee, can I talk to you?" Lucien asked from behind the door. "Come in," Euphemia said. Lucien went inside. He looked worried and strangely embarrassed. "Can I sit?" Lucien asked, pointing to the chair across Euphemia. Euphemia nodded. She had crossed her arms in front of her chest and she looked at him coldly. "Euphee, I apologize," Lucien said earnestly. He looked like a black cat that wanted to be petted by his owner. Euphemia resisted the temptation to pet his head. "For what?" Euphemia asked. "For . . .hiding something from you," Lucien said. "I''ll accept the apology if you tell me what that is exactly," Euphemia said. Lucien looked nervous. Did she push him too much? Maybe she should just let him keep this secret of his. But then it would make her overthink what that secret actually was. "It''s true that Hans was teaching me something last night. But it wasn''t laundry," Lucien said. "Yes, I figured," Euphemia said dryly. "He was teaching me how to make . . ." Lucien was slowly reddening. Euphemia almost laughed. He was a meter with a red bar going up. "He was teaching me how to make love!" Lucien finally blurted out. Euphemia blinked. Lucien was now fully red. "He what? Wait what? WHAT?!" Euphemia exclaimed. "He told me that my knowledge in the area was lacking and at first, I thought that was not true until he told me things I never knew before," Lucien said. "Like what kind of things?" Euphemia asked. "He um . . . told me there are several areas I can um . . . kiss you," Lucien said. It looked like Lucien was telling the truth but Euphemia wanted to tease him. "Really? Show me," Euphemia said. "Y-your ears," Lucien said. "Show me. Come closer," Euphemia said softly, walking towards the bed. Lucien''s eyes widened. "Oh. Lock the door first," Euphemia said. * * * Lucien gulped. He stood up and locked the door. Euphemia sat on the bed and motioned for him to sit beside her. Lucien sat beside her and they looked into each other''s eyes. "Are you not mad anymore?" Lucien asked. Euphemia smiled. "No. Just because you''re so adorable," Euphemia said. "I''m not sure what part of me looks adorable," Lucien said. "Well? Let me see what you''ve learned," Euphemia said. Lucien leaned close to her then stopped. "May I kiss you?" Lucien asked. Euphemia nodded and closed her eyes. She felt his breathe close to her lips but she was surprised when he did not kiss her there. She felt his lips on her neck. Her pulse quickened. His lips were soft on her skin. It was as if he was caressing her not with his hands but with his lips. She threw her head back to give him more access. He continued to kiss her neck. As if was starting to find his groove, he became bolder. She felt his tongue on her neck. Tasting her. Then the gentle graze of his teeth on her skin. He nibbled her neck. It didn''t hurt but it was surely going to leave a mark. She hugged him as he continued to kiss her neck. He went down slowly. Tracing her collarbone with his lips, licking her, and nibbling on her skin playfully. The dress she was wearing made it easy for Lucien. It had no collars or buttons. It was low cut-and showed off her cleavage. Euphemia chose to wear it because she found it more comfortable instead of wearing a dress with a stiff corset. The ruffled ends were garterized and one can just easily put it on . . . or take it off. He looked up at her. "May I?" Euphemia nodded. He lowered his head and pulled down the top of her dress. Chapter 67 - NSFW - Luciens Learnings *R-19 scenes warning! If you''re uncomfortable with smut go straight to the three asterisks **** to skip it. -------- Euphemia felt heady. As if she had gulped down two glasses of wine in an hour. He was looking at her chemise. It was made of silk with a bit of lace at the edges. To support her breasts, it had a thicker fabric underneath the chest. It was like a silk dress with a comfortable built-in bra. Euphemia liked it a lot because it was more comfortable than the moderns bras from her original world. Then he licked her. Euphemia''s mind snapped back to what Lucien was doing - which was her. He was doing her. He licked the top part of her breasts. Her eyes squeezed shut. "Euphee," he whispered. "Yes?" Euphemia asked breathily. "Lie down please," Lucien whispered. Euphemia did and Lucien was on top of her. She pulled him towards her and he kissed her. She felt that she was getting devoured by him. He inserted his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her. Her legs squeezed shut . . . for some reason. He pulled back, his lips and hers still open, and a thin string of saliva connecting their tongues. He kissed her again. Her body arched up wanting to taste him more. To kiss him more. Then she felt his hand on her left breast. She would have gasped if she could but his mouth was still on hers. The thin fabric of her chemise separated her skin from his hand. He gently massaged her breast. The silk fabric rubbed against her skin and she could feel the gentle pressure of his hand on her breast. He broke the kiss and went to her neck again. There would be another mark for sure. He sucked on her neck as his hand massaged her breast. Kneading it softly. She moaned softly. Lucien''s eyes widened. The moan. The moan that Hansel told him about. He wanted to hear her moan more. His lips traced down the dip of her cleavage then he pulled down her chemise with his teeth. He placed kisses on her right breast. Then he rubbed her nipple gently. She moaned again. He rubbed her nipple again between his fingers. Her legs squirmed underneath him. He teased her nipple while he continued to massage her breast with his other hand. Then he opened his mouth and sucked. She sucked in air too. Surprised and shocked with the sensation. He twirled his tongue on her right nipple, gently tugging it, and then sucking it. "Ah... L-Luci!" Euphemia said, her hands burying in his hair, pulling him closer to her. He stopped sucking on her right nipple and went to her left nipple. "Ah!" He sucked her right nipple while he massaged her left breast. His teeth gently tugged on her nipple while his fingers rubbed her other nipple. "A-ah! L-luci that feels . . . Ah!" She made soft moaning sounds like a cat mewling. Then he used both of his hands to massage her breasts and kissed her again on the mouth. Euphemia felt like she was drowning in pleasure. His head dipped down to her breast again and teased her nipple, licking it and sucking it. "A-ah! N-no more, L-Luci . . . ," Euphemia pleaded. He planted a kiss on her nipple and pulled back, gazing at her. His emerald eyes seemed to burn for her. * * * His head dipped to her side and he whispered to her ear, "Shall we continue tonight?" Euphemia couldn''t even answer, feeling too embarrassed, she just hugged him tight. When she finally calmed down, Lucien helped her put on her chemise and her dress on her shoulders again. He kissed her cheek. "Sorry, was that too much?" Lucien asked. Euphemia smiled at him. "Can you give Hansel a reward?" Lucien chuckled. "Consider it done." Euphemia pretended to glare at him. "It''s still bright outside and you . . . !" "I apologize. I couldn''t wait for evening to go see you," Lucien said. "Well, I did not expect this at all. Why did Hansel even teach you? You did umm . . . great already," Euphemia said. "No, without his lessons, I wouldn''t even know what to do and you would have hated me," Lucien said. Euphemia laughed. "Well, if you didn''t have his lessons, I could have helped you," Euphemia said. "You know all about it? About making love? What comes before it and what do while doing it?" Lucien asked. Euphemia blushed. "No, well only a bit from books but I was thinking we could figure it out together," Euphemia said. Lucien smiled and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Then her stomach rumbled. "I''m hungry," Euphemia said, blushing. "I shall tell them to prepare the food as hastily as they can," Lucien said and got up. "I''ll um stay here first. I''m going to change my dress," Euphemia said. "Why? You look lovely as you are already, Euphee," Lucien said. "It''s because you made it we- Ahem, wrinkle. You wrinkled the dress," Euphemia said. "Oh, I see. Then I shall see you at the dining room?" Lucien asked. Euphemia nodded. "Yes. I''ll go out as soon as I''ve changed." Lucien went out of the room and Euphemia was now alone. She buried her face on her pillow. Oh gosh. She still couldn''t belive it. It was so amazing. He was so good. * * * Yuzan shivered. "Are you cold? Do you want my cape?" Azmir asked. Yuzan shook his head. "No, I just had a bad feeling," Yuzan said. "You think something bad will happen to us?" Azmir asked. "No. I think something I don''t like just happened to my sister. What if someone molested her and I wasn''t there to save her?! My poor little sister! She is so cute she''s surely attracting creeps all around her!" Yuzan said. Azmir sighed. "Your sister complex still amazes me after all this time. If anyone else is hearing you right now, they''ll think you''re the creep." Yuzan scratched his head in frustration. "I''m still angry at the god who sent me so far away from my sister," Yuzan said. "There there. See that white mountain over there? We just need to cross that mountain and then we''ll be at Aderlan! You''ll soon meet your sister!" Azmir said. Yuzan sighed. "Do you have an extra hair tie?" Yuzan asked. Azmir nodded and took a hair tie from his magical belt pouch. Azmir had braided the ends of his long dark blue hair because it was getting in the way whenever they needed to run. Yuzan would tell him they don''t need to run away from beasts because he can just poison them all anyway but Azmir didn''t want to leave a trail of dead bodies behind them. He didn''t want to be cursed by the god of the forest if there was one. Yuzan tired his raven black hair into a small man bun. It had gotten longer since their journey started. He was still as pale as snow and still annoyingly handsome. Annoying because everywhere they went, the women went crazy over him and tried to make him stay longer than they should. He had a dangerous aura about him that attracted attention. Not to mention his face was elegantly handsome and his body was toned. Azmir stared at Yuzan''s biceps. They were so well-sculpted. "Mir, you''re staring," Yuzan said. "N-no, I''m not!" Azmir said. Yuzan raised an eyebrow at him. He had a smug smile on his face. The two of them had been on a journey for three months already. A month ago, he thought he would be a goner already in the Vyridian Woods but Yuzan used his power to save the two of them. * * * A month ago at the cliff behind Vyridian Woods . . . "Mir, can you get out our water bottles?" Yuzan asked. "What?! Now?! They''re going to kill us!" Azmir said. The three guards laughed creepily as they came nearer and nearer to them. "Hurry! Just do it!" Yuzan said. Azmir quickly grabbed the water bottles from his magical belt pouch. "You told me you can control water. Is that true?" Yuzan asked. "Yes, but the water we have isn''t enough for me to even push them away!" Azmir said. "Are you going to give us a bath, water mage?" Yaz asked, laughing with a cruel smile on his ugly face. "Mir, do you trust me?" Yuzan asked. Azmir could not see his face as he was behind Yuzan. He looked and sounded confident. Strangely enough, his gut was telling hin to trust this adventurer. "Yes, I trust you," Azmir said firmly. "Good. I want you to make the water pass through my hands then pour it all over them. NOW!" Yuzan shouted as the three guards suddenly charged right at them. Azmir did an upwards motion with his right arm to get out the water from the water bottles, he swayed his arm and pointed to Yuzan. The water passed through Yuzan''s hands which he had stretched out in front of him. Azmir swayed his arm again and pointed up then down to the three guards. SPLASH!!! The three guards stood frozen in shock. They were throughly drenched from head to toe. "That''s all? Well, thanks for the bath, water ma-" The three guards collapsed on the ground. They looked unconscious and they weren''t moving. "D-did you kill them?!" Azmir asked shakily. Chapter 68 - The Village "Of course not. They''re merely poisoned," Yuzan said while getting the water bottles from the ground. "Poison kills, Yuzan!" Azmir yelled. "Ah well, it''s just a poison that will make them feel like hell and regret that they''ve ever lived but they''ll live. Unfortunately," Yuzan said and handed the water bottles to Azmir. "What kind of poison did you give them?! What even happened?!" Azmir asked. "Sheesh. Stop squawking," Yuzan said. Azmir just stared at him hard. "Fine. I''ll talk. Come on, I''ll tell you along the way," Yuzan said. The two of them proceeded in getting down the cliff carefully. "When the water passed through my hands, I poisoned the water. I wasn''t sure it would work but I''m glad it did," Yuzan said. "And the poison? What kind is it?" Azmir asked. Yuzan offered his hand to Azmir because Azmir was having a hard time getting down from a steep rock. Azmir took his hand and slid down cautiously. "Well, it''s a mix of sorts. The first one is they''ll be unconscious instantly. When they wake up, they''ll have very, very, painful diarrhea," Yuzan said. "Diarrhea?" Azmir shrieked. "Yes, it''s either they''ll die from taking a sh*t in the woods and a beast eats them or die from embarrassment," Yuzan said, his body shaking with laughter he''s trying to hold in. "They''ll probably get to the town then. In a day or two?" Azmir asked. "Maybe but we''ll get there first and we''ll tell the villagers to capture those three thieves who will surely smell of sh*t. If they even get out of the woods," Yuzan said and laughed out loud. "I wonder if your little sister knows how much of a sadist you are," Azmir said. "I''m a good older brother," Yuzan said, grinning. "But a terrible human being?" Azmir asked, raising an eyebrow. Yuzan just smiled back. * * * The town was a far off image from the incredible kingdom of Feylantis overflowing with magic everywhere. This was a small town with few houses made of bricks and wood. There were no cobblestones to thread on but only dirt and sand. The air despite being near the woods smelled not of trees but of dust. It was like being in an Old West village. There were a few villagers outside their houses. Several were pushing wagons of dried goods - fish, fruits, and things that shouldn''t be considered food anymore as they were already being eaten by God knows how many flies. The villagers looked more dead than living. They were bony, and they walked slowly. None of them spoke to each other and the silence was startling. Their faces were ashen and their eyes had a disturbing distant look about them. Their grim stares followed the two strangers as they walked past them. None tried to sell their strange dried wares. No one spoke. They just stared. "Mir, I don''t think we can get a room here in this town or even report those thieves. I don''t think anyone even has the motivation to do anything here," Yuzan said. "Let''s just find an inn. I''m sure they can spare a room for us," Azmir said. "A room, huh? I see you like my company," Yuzan said, grinning smugly. Azmir glared at him. Azmir approached a woman with dried mangoes laid out at her feet. She must be a vendor but she wasn''t even trying to get buyers. "Pardon me, madam, may I know where the inn is?" Azmir asked, flashing his ultra friendly merchant smile. The woman just opened her mouth but no words came out. It was a disturbing sight. Azmir grimaced. "Maybe they speak a different language," Azmir said even though he didn''t belive that. Yuzan frowned and crouched in front of the woman sitting on the ground. Her eyes moved and focused on Yuzan but still, no voice came out. Dark circles hung around her eyes and her skin was more gray than pale. Yuzan took her bony wrist and placed his palm on her. He closed his eyes. "Purify," he whispered. Color flooded back to the woman''s skin. Gray became a resemblance of human skin. From her wrist, color flooded throughout her body. A flush of color bloomed on her cheeks. Her ashen lips slowly got a touch of pink. Then her eyes seemed to brighten up. "Whoa. What the h-" Azmir said, his eyes widening at the transformation. The woman gasped. She looked as shocked as Azmir. "Y-you . . . My savior!" The woman exclaimed. "What did you do?" Azmir asked utterly amazed. Yuzan stood up, patting away the dust from his clothing. "I removed the poison from her body. I assume all of the villagers here are poisoned like her," Yuzan said. "My savior . . . my savior . . . my savior . . ." The woman kept repeating while bowing with her whole body, her head touching the ground. "Yuzan, I think this village needs you," Azmir said. Yuzan looked horrified. "No," Yuzan said. "I haven''t even asked," Azmir said. "I know what you''re going to ask and my answer is ''no.'' We''ll just stay here for a while. If there''s no inn, we can just sleep on the ground just like what we did when we were in the forest. I am NOT going to heal everyone here," Yuzan said. "But you''re an adventurer!" Azmir said. "I am not! I haven''t consented to becoming an adventurer," Yuzan said. Yuzan began walking and looking around, trying to look for something resembling an inn. "You were brought to this world!" Azmir said. Yuzan just kept silently walking. "It must be because it''s your destiny to purify these people from the poison in their village!" Azmir insisted. Yuzan stopped walking. He looked fed up. "It''s not my destiny. God asked me what skill I wanted to have and I said I wanted something to protect against poison. My sister was poisoned, Azmir, and I just want to protect her. If that god said I can only heal my sister, I would have accepted. I do not care if these villagers die. I''m going to find my sister," Yuzan said. Azmir sighed and Yuzan turned his back and began walking again. "WAIT! PLEASE! WAIT!" The woman Yuzan just healed was trying to catch up with them. She eventually did, out of breathe and gasping for air. "P-please. Help my little sister. Before you go. Please. She''s in a very bad state and she''s going to die if no one helps her," the woman said with tears in her eyes. Azmir raised an eyebrow at Yuzan, curious on what he''s going to do. Yuzan looked annoyed but he was obviously conflicted. "Please! I''ll give you everything we have! Just save my sister. Please!" The woman cried. Yuzan sighed. "Do you have a spare room?" Yuzan asked. "Y-yes," the woman answered. "Fine. I''ll heal your sister," Yuzan said. Azmir smiled. * * * The house was as run-down as the others. Made of wood and filthy with dust but Yuzan didn''t say any complaints. "Your sister. Where is she?" Yuzan asked. "She''s in the bedroom. She''s been in such a terrible state that she can''t even get out of bed now," the woman said with a sob. Yuzan followed the woman inside the bedroom. A little girl who looked like she was only made of skin and bones laid on top of a small shabby bed. She looked more dead than alive. Yuzan placed his hand on top of her dark brown hair and closed his eyes. Like a black and white picture being converted to a colored version, color slowly filled her skin. Her breathing which was ragged changed to a relaxed pace and her cheeks were flushed in color. The little girl blinked and stared at the man with unique snow white skin and raven black hair. "Grace! Oh, Grace! You''re okay now! He saved you! Thanks this man for saving you, Gracie," the older sister said, hugging her little sister close to her. "Thank you, Mister," the little girl said. Yuzan nodded quietly. It was a strange feeling. Saving someone else''s little sister. If only he had this ability before. Perhaps he could have saved his own younger sister and they would be living happily in their original world. * * * "Why does your village only sells dried goods?" Azmir asked. "Well . . . it''s because we can''t sell fresh ones. The soldiers from Faresh have been trying to extort us with higher taxes but when we refused, they placed a curse on us. I don''t know how exactly it was done but after that day, we just suddenly became incredibly weak and we were unable to step inside the woods. We can only gather fruits growing from the outer parts of the woods," the woman answered. "I''ll get the two of you something to eat and drink. You must be tired from your journey," the woman said and left the room. "Faresh, huh? That''s the small kingdom at the right side. A military kingdom if I recall correctly. I don''t think they know how to make curse magic. Strange," Azmir said. Yuzan narrowed his eyes at Azmir. "I hope you''re not thinking what I think you''re thinking," Yuzan said in a warning tone. "Come on, Yuzan. Don''t you want to be a hero? Save this village from whatever is poisoning them and teach those guys in Faresh a lesson!" Azmir said, grinning. Yuzan grimaced. "I''m not a hero, Mir. I''m just an older brother who wants to find his little sister," Yuzan said. "Nothing you''ll say will convince me." "Really? Just think. What will your little sister think if she learns that her older brother is a hero? Her older brother saved a village and fought the evil guys. How do you think she''ll react?" Azmir asked gleefully. Yuzan glared at Azmir. Azmir smiled, already knowing he had won. "Fine," Yuzan said grudgingly. Chapter 69 - Not A Hero (side Story # 2) Years ago, in the other world . . . It was quiet in the Hajime residence when Yuzan came home. No one was there to welcome him home as usual. The mansion they lived in was huge and extravagant. Paintings that should be hung in a museum decorated their walls. Porcelain that have existed since the old dynasty filled their hallways. Yet none of those things made their home feel more welcoming. Mia was not home yet. He remembered her telling him about being in a class play and they had to rehearse after class hours. He took off his uniform and stepped in the shower. The water dripped on his snowy white skin while he washed himself quietly. He was tall and slender. He had an elegant aura about him even though he was just a highschooler. He was a good catch and everyone knew that. He had excellent grades, a very wealthy background, and a handsome face. Despite his cold demeanor, several girls still pursued him. They would give him baked goods, leave him love letters, or even send him very inappropriate pictures of themselves. He ignored all of those. He had no interest in becoming an accessory of any girl. The only girl who could make him smile was his sister - Mia. Yuzan wore a dark red violet bathrobe and rubbed his hair with a towel. He opened his closet, one of his several closets, and selected a soft black shirt and a gray jersey. The jersey costed more than a salary man''s annual income. He heard the main door open. Mia! * * * He got up from the bed and ran out of his room. "I''m home," Mia said out loud. "Mia! Welcome home!" Yuzan said and crouched down to give her a hug. Yuzan''s heart swelled at her super bright smile. "How was your day?" Yuzan asked, while taking her backpack from her small shoulders. Something passed over her face. A fleeting worry. Then she smiled. "It was fine, Onii-chan," Mia said but her smile didn''t quite reach her eyes. Yuzan held her shoulders, his usual cold face etched with worry. "What happened? You can tell your Onii-chan," Yuzan said. "No, nothing happened," Mia insisted, trying to shake away his hold. Yuzan''s gaze fell on her knees. Blood. Her kness were scraped with blood. "Y-you''re hurt!" Yuzan sputtered. He picked up Mia, carrying her princess style. "Onii-chan, I''m okay!" Mia said. "Put me down!" "No. You''re not okay. You''re hurt," Yuzan said. He made her sit on the sofa as he looked for the first-aid kit. "Mia, you don''t need to hide it from your Onii-chan if you''re hurt. Your Onii-chan will make it all go away," Yuzan said, smiling. Mia frowned at her brother. He was smiling but she could feel that he was upset. He disinfected her scrapes and put on some band-aids on her knees. "So, can you tell me what happened?" Yuzan asked. "I fell," Mia said. "Yes, quite awfully too. Where was it? I shall have your school put a Persian carpet there," Yuzan said. Mia frowned at him obviously uncomfortable with what her brother was planning. "No, you don''t need to do that," Mia said. "Then tell me who pushed you," Yuzan said. Mia''s eyes widened. "How did you know?" Mia asked. "Your Onii-chan has good senses. Especially if it''s something concerning you. You''re not the clumsy type and it''s strange that you wanted to hide this so you must be trying to protect the one who pushed you. Why?" Yuzan asked. "It''s because you''ll get angry," Mia said. "I will never get angry at you, Mia," Yuzan said, surprised that she would even think like that. "I know. I meant you''d get angry at them," Mia said. "Them?" Yuzan asked, struggling to control his temper and put on a smile at the same time. Mia nodded. "Mia, bad-doers need to be punished. If you let them get away with their bad deeds, they''ll keep on doing it and there''ll be more girls with scrapes like yours or worse," Yuzan said. He was using his gentle tone, his calm voice that was so persuasive even a beggar would give up his slippers to him. He almost never used that tone because he hated asking anyone for something but for Mia, he can be the kindest version of himself . . . or the opposite of that. Mia chewed on her lip. "But if you punish them won''t you become bad too?" Mia asked with a worried face. Yuzan patted her head. "Remember your favorite character?" Yuzan asked. Mia nodded enthusiastically. "Lelouch!" "I''m willing to be your Lelouch. I''ll be the villain for you, Mia. So let me destroy anyone who hurts you," Yuzan said. "Not fair," Mia said, pouting. Yuzan chuckled. "You don''t have anything to worry about. As long as your Onii-chan is by your side, you will have a villain at your disposal," Yuzan said. "Not a knight in shining armour?" Mia asked. Yuzan raised an eyebrow. "You don''t like that. Why would I be a knight?" Mia smiled darkly. "Then Onii-chan, can you remember their names or do I need to write them for you?" Mia asked. "Just tell me. Your Onii-chan has a high-level memory," Yuzan said. He was not bluffing. He was a genius who could memorize a book just by reading it once and repeat a speech he had just heard once. Mia told him the names and Yuzan got to work. * * * Mia was enrolled in a prestigious school for the elite. Ideally, there should be no bullying there because all of the students there came from wealthy families. That was far from the truth. Because they all came from wealthy families, the competition was even worse than a normal school. Students competed in academics, art, sports, and several contests to prove their worth. While striving to be the best in school-related activities, connections were being made among the children of wealthy families. One would have to pick which son or daughter to befriend. Background checks were made before greetings were exchanged. Every interaction was a calculated move. Connect and evaluate. Evaluate then use. It was a hostile environment hidden behind smiles and children''s merry-sounding conversation. Mia was not good at that. She was quite blunt with her words. If she disliked something, she would say so. If she disliked a person, she would say that to the person''s face. This made her a very unpopular kid. She wasn''t playing the game they were all playing. The game that all the children there have been honed by their parents. Most of them had been commanded by their parents to make a connection with the daughter of the Hajime family but Hajime Mia was not cooperating. She didn''t want to connect. She would rather be alone than talk with people who wanted to use her. They did try the friendly way. Girls would greet Mia and tell her that they found a cute store and would ask her if she wanted to join them. She would decline, of course. She would rather watch anime with her Onii-chan at home. Boys found her cute despite her chilly personality which she had in common with her brother. They would give her limited-edition teddy bears and even jewelry. She would decline all of those, of course. She didn''t like their insincere eyes. The way they looked at her like a prized toy. Eventually, her schoolmates found her presence annoying. They would purposely exclude her from activities. Some would destroy her work before it even got to the teacher. While others went physical. Someone would secretly push her while she''s going down the stairs. Sometimes, the lights would go out while she''s in the bathroom cubicle and a mop would be blocking the door. She held it all in though. Despite her blunt personality, she was not the type to show that she was hurting. It was useless to tell her parents. She had gotten tired of their disinterest and she didn''t want to worry her brother. She knew that her brother was tremendously busy with his training as heir of the Hajime business. On that day, their teacher said they would have a class play. Everyone was to participate even the social outcast - Mia. She liked plays. A lot. But she dreaded being part of a play with classmates who hated her. She had no choice though. Just as she dreaded, as soon as the teacher left, her classmates began the bullying. A girl started taunting her, trying to get even a word out of her but she remained quiet, not giving them the satisfaction of crying. Then they suddenly decided to play. A pushing game they said but the only thing being pushed was her. She tried to run but there were too many of them. She eventually reached the grounds outside but they caught up with her. A teacher found them and shouted at the students to get back in the classroom. She was relieved to see that she wasn''t badly hurt that much. Only her knees were scraped when she fell on the ground. Her brother coaxed out the names of her bullies. She was scared of what he would do but he told her he would take care of it and she would not get in any trouble. In a single week, like flies dropping dead one by one, Mia''s classmates started to get fewer and fewer. The teacher said they had family emergencies or a sudden illness or they had to go abroad so they needed to drop out of the school. Mia knew that wasn''t really the case. She eventually became the only student remaining from her class section so she had to be moved to a different section. No one tried to hurt her but no one tried to talk to her either. They were scared of her and she didn''t know why. Mia didn''t know but all of the bullies'' families were destroyed in a single week by Yuzan. He hacked their computers, dug up their dirt, and exposed them for all the world to see. He brought down their stocks drastically with their reputations, making it irreparable for them to step again on wealthy grounds. Not one family could even afford to pay for their kid''s expensive school after his attack. Yuzan was not Mia''s hero. He was her very own villain. Chapter 70 - Sleeping Together "I''m sorry I can only offer this type of food to you. We only have this at the moment," the woman said while putting down dried fruits on the table. Yuzan and Azmir sat down across the table facing the woman and her little sister, Grace. "We haven''t introduce ourselves yet. We sincerely apologize. We should have done this before you served as supper," Azmir said with an apologetic smile. Yuzan looked at him curiously. Azmir was a good people person. The kind of man you''d expect to have lots of connections. He was a natural at it. If Azmir was in Yuzan''s world, he would be well-suited to be a politician. "No, you have nothing to apologize for, Sir. It''s alright. Grace is now fine because of your kindness and serving you this kind of food is the least that I should do for you. If only I can offer you money but we do not have that too," the woman said sadly. "It''s fine. I have a little sister too and she just reminded me of mine. I''m Yuzan and this blue bird here is Mir," Yuzan said ruffling Azmir''s hair. "Don''t call me that! I''m not your blue bird!" Azmir said shooing away Yuzan''s hand on his head. "My name is Ruth. Are you a healer, Sir Yuzan? We don''t usually get healers in our village," Ruth said. Yuzan peered closely at the cup of water suspiciously. He dipped his finger in it. His eyes widened. "Poison," he murmured. "W-what?!" Yuzan sputtered out the water already in his mouth. Yuzan turned to Azmir and placed his hands on Azmir''s cheeks. "You drank it?" Yuzan asked. "I t-think so. A bit," Azmir said, looking pale. "Shush. I''m going to purify you," Yuzan said, staring intently at him, firmly holding Azmir''s face. "Y-you''re too close!" Azmir said. "Shush..." Yuzan''s face got closer to Azmir''s face. Azmir could only stare back wide-eyed. "W-what are you doing?!" Azmir asked. Yuzan closed his eyes. Azmir shut his eyes too. "THERE''S A KID WATCHING. WE SHOULDN''T BE DOING THIS HERE!" Azmir shouted. "And done," Yuzan said and let go of Azmir. Ruth chuckled softly. "Sis, were they going to kiss and make babies?" Grace asked innocently. "No! Guys can''t make babies!" Azmir said, his face had turned bright red. Yuzan raised an eyebrow. "I was just purifying you. You didn''t tell me that''s what you wanted. Sorry. I didn''t ask God for that ability." Azmir glared at Yuzan and Yuzan just smiled at him mischievously. Yuzan turned to Ruth. "I''m not a healer. I''m a poisoner and I can only purify poison. I can''t heal injuries or illnesses. Can you show me where you get your water?" Yuzan asked. "Yes, of course. I can show you tomorrow. It has gotten late already and it would be too dark outside," Ruth said. Yuzan nodded. Yuzan purified their food and water and they had dinner which only consisted of dried fruits. "I''m going to get us meat tomorrow," Yuzan said, chewing on a dried mango with an unsatisfied expression. "But you don''t know how to hunt," Azmir said. "I can poison though. You saw what I did with the snake," Yuzan said. "But what if it''s a wild boar? You might get attacked by the boar before you can even poison it," Azmir said Yuzan scratched his head in frustration. "Um, if I may interrupt, we used to have hunters in this village but ever since the curse, they became too weak to hunt. If you could help them, they''d be able to supply us with meat," Ruth said. Yuzan sighed. "I take it that you dont like helping others," Azmir said and took a bite on a dried pineapple. "The only one I like helping is . . ." Yuzan was saying before Azmir interrupted him. ". . . your sister," Azmir finished. "Is your sister as small as Gracie here?" Ruth asked and patted the little girl''s head. "She used to be. I was separated from her. I haven''t seen her in person for . . . a very long time," Yuzan said in a pained expression. "Don''t worry. You''ll meet her soon. I''ll make sure of it," Azmir said with a confident grin. "Really? What makes you so sure of that?" Yuzan asked. "I have to meet her too and tell her that her brother has a huge sister complex and he''s been talking about her for hundreds of times ever since our journey began," Azmir said. "That''s fine. Praise me all you want," Yuzan said with a shrug. Azmir rolled his eyes at him. "That wasn''t a compliment." "Oh, were you trying to offend me, water mage? Because I wasn''t offended at all, water mage," Yuzan said emphasizing his tone on ''water mage.'' "Argh! When you say it like that it''s like an insult!" Azmir said. Yuzan smirked. Azmir groaned in dismay. Ruth chuckled. "The two of you look so adorable. You make a lovely couple," Ruth said, smiling. Azmir''s jaw dropped. "W-we''re not a couple!" Azmir protested. Ruth looked surprised. "Oh. I was sure the two of you were lovers with the way the two of you were bantering. Well, best friends then?" Ruth asked but looked unconvinced. "No! We just met about a month ago!" Azmir said. "Shush, my little blue bird. Stop denying it," Yuzan said patting Azmir''s hand. Azmir wiped his hand on his pants looking horrified. "Don''t call me that!" Azmir said with an aghast expression. "I''m sorry. I thought you were a couple and that there wouldn''t be a problem. We only have one extra bed," Ruth said apologetically. Azmir was horrified. * * * "Don''t remove your clothes!" Azmir yelled, shutting his eyes. Yuzan frowned at him and continued on removing his shirt. "What are you fussing about? We''ve been sleeping together for a month already," Yuzan said. "You make it sound so weird!" Azmir said, his eyes still shut. Yuzan titled his head sideways. "Stop acting so weird then," Yuzan said. Azmir sighed. His ears red. What the hell was wrong with him? The two of them were both guys and they were just going to sleep in the same room. What could possibly happen, right? "Come on. Take off your clothes and get up from the bed. You''ll get all the dirt on it," Yuzan said. "It''s dirty anyway," Azmir mumbled. He turned his back and took off his shirt. Yuzan whistled. Azmir could feel a vein throbbing in his head. "Yuzan, stop looking. I can feel you staring," Azmir said. "Why? It''s a shame if I''m not going to look. Your skin is a rare thing to look at," Yuzan said. "And what''s that supposed to mean? You like skin that''s pale as yours?" Azmir said, irritated, pulling out a fresh shirt from his magical pouch. "Didn''t say that. I like yours actually," Yuzan said. "Here. Change to that," Azmir said and tossed a fresh shirt to Yuzan. "We should change pants too," Yuzan said. "Fine," Azmir said and pulled out pants for the both of them from his magical pouch. "Here," Azmir said and tossed the pants to Yuzan backwards. A sound of zipper going down. Ruffling of clothes. A sound of zipper going up. "You aren''t changing. Go on," Yuzan said. "Turn around. You''re going to look again!" Azmir said. "Come on. What''s the harm. Just change already so we can go to sleep," Yuzan said and sat on the bed. His eyes still gazing at Azmir''s back. "Argh. Just don''t whistle," Azmir said and began taking off his pants. Yuzan was quiet. The pants came off. His eyes stared at Azmir''s butt covered in a boxers type of underwear made of thin-looking soft white cloth. Even with the boxers, Yuzan could see that his butt was a perfectly round shape. He licked his lips. Azmir put on the fresh pants hurriedly and turned around afterwards. "You were staring!" Azmir said. "Just waiting for you to finish. Sheesh. You''re too noisy, my blue bird," Yuzan said. Azmir glared at him. "Come on. Lie down here," Yuzan said and patted the small space beside him. "I don''t need to. I still have the sleeping bag we used in the forest," Azmir said proudly. Yuzan looked at it with disgust. "That''s dirty already. What''s the use of fresh clothes then? Come on. Don''t you miss lying down on a bed?" Yuzan said. Azmir hesitated. "I do but it''s not much of a bed anyway. I''ll be fine with the sleeping bag." Yuzan sighed. "Fine. I''ll take the sleeping bag. You take the bed." "No, it''s okay! You don''t need to. I''m fine with the sleeping bag," Azmir protested. "Just take the bed. You''re a water mage and I can take sleeping on the floor better than you," Yuzan said. "What does that have to do with me being a water mage?!" Azmir said. Yuzan pulled Azmir towards the bed but Azmir stumbled on a loose plank on the wooden floor and fell on top of Yuzan''s chest. Thud! Yuzan''s eyes seemed to darken. "S-stop moving!" Azmir squeaked. Yuzan smiled lazily and slowly traced a line on Azmir''s back. Azmir shivered. "You should have just told me that you wanted us to sleep together," Yuzan whispered. Chapter 71 - Hand-cuffed "W-what the hell are you talking about?!" Azmir yelled. He tried to get up but Yuzan held him by his arm firmly. Yuzan''s eyes widened. His heartbeat quickened. Yuzan smiled in amusement. "I was kidding. You can take the bed. I''ll sleep on the floor," Yuzan said and rolled Azmir off him. Yuzan went inside the sleeping bag. "Good night, Mir," Yuzan said, his eyes already closed. Azmir mumbled a reply he couldn''t even remember. He must have said "Good night" too. He wasn''t sure. His heart was beating too loudly in his ears. He had trouble sleeping that night. * * * Yuzan really didn''t care whether the whole village died out or not. But Azmir said he would be a hero and his dear sister would be impressed with his good deeds. It was the only thing motivating him to stay another day in the depressing village. Ruth led Yuzan and Azmir to the well. He couldn''t see the bottom and there were no stairs inside the well. "Mir, how strong is your magic?" Yuzan asked. Azmir crossed his arms looking proud. "I was the best in class and I have perfect control of my water magic. I can even shape it to anything I want." "Good. Lift all the water up to my level so I can touch it," Yuzan said. Azmir blinked. "W-what? You want me to carry up all of the water in the well with my power?!" Azmir asked. Yuzan tilted his head to the side. "Why? You can''t do it, my little blue bird?" "Urgh. Fine. Stand back!" Azmir said with a determined look. It was like looking at a conductor while an orchestra is playing. Azmir''s arms were outstretched in front of him. His hands were open, and he was raising his arms slowly as if he was drawing out something from the air up to the skies. His brows were furrowed in concentration. He would repeat his arm movements. From down to bottom. Then swiftly going down again as if catching something in the air and going up again slowly. WHOOSH! A huge body of water emerged out of the well. Azmir made various movements again as if he was holding a dough, folding it inside itself, making it rounder and rounder. The body of water became circular and circular until it turned into a huge ball of water bigger than a house. "P-purify it! Now!" Azmir shouted, his hands shaking, feeling the weight of the water being suspended by his magic. Yuzan inhaled deepy and closed his mouth. He stepped inside the huge ball of water. Azmir''s eyes widened in shock but he kept his hold on the water. Yuzan was inside the body of water, his eyes were closed in concentration. Azmir gritted his teeth, waiting for a sign that he had finished with the purification. Then his eyes opened. He was looking straight at him. He nodded. "AAAARGHHHH!!!" Azmir moved his arms as if he was carrying something heavy from the ground. He raised his arms, hurling something invisible up into the air. The huge ball of water went flying upwards and Yuzan breathed in relief, sputtering out water and inhaling fresh air. Azmir motioned the water downwards, into the well, the water speedily went inside the well like a living creature, going back to its home. THUD! Azmir fell back on his back in exhaustion. He was breathing hard. All energy drained out of him. * * * Yuzan approached him, still dripping wet. He had a smile on his face. "Good job, water mage," Yuzan said. "Is the water safe now?" Azmir asked still breathing heavily as if he had just finished running a marathon. "Yes. I hope they don''t mind it tasting Japanese though," Yuzan said, chuckling. "What?" Azmir asked in confusion. "Nothing. I wasn''t sure if I could purify it with just my hands so I stepped inside the water and hoped that my whole being would purify the whole water," Yuzan said. "Did you? Did it work?" Azmir asked. Yuzan sat down beside him, peering at his face. "Yes. So, I''m a hero now, right? Can we go now?" Yuzan asked. "Will those who are already poisoned get purified if they drink the water?" Azmir asked. "No. It just means they won''t get poisoned again. I think after a month too, the poison will wear off them naturally anyway," Yuzan said. Azmir sat up. "No! We can''t let them suffer for a month or two!" "We can''t?" Yuzan asked, frowning. "You have to purify them all then!" Azmir said. "No! Why the hell would I do that?! No!" Yuzan said looking horrified. "You can just purify as much as you can everyday and it would be over before you know it. It''s a small village. I think we can finish in a week," Azmir said. "A week?! You want to stay here for a week in this village that only serves dries fruits?! My little sister is all alone here in this world and you want me to stay here for a week?! No!" Yuzan said and got up from the ground. Azmir got up too. "Come on. If you do this, you''ll really be a hero." "I. AM. NOT. A. HERO!" Yuzan enunciated each word loudly. "If I''m going to be a hero, the only one I''m going to save is my sister. You can''t force me. I''m leaving," Yuzan said, walking away. "You can''t go alone. You don''t know how to get to Aderlan," Azmir said, following him. "I''ll manage. Stay here if you want," Yuzan said, still walking. Azmir grasped his hand. Yuzan glared at him. "Let go," Yuzan said. "No! You''re not leaving until you help this village," Azmir said. Yuzan raised an eyebrow. "Try me." Azmir quickly took something from his magic pouch and placed it on Yuzan''s wrist. CLACK! Yuzan''s jaw dropped. A handcuff. This water mage just placed a freaking handcuff on him and the other end was cuffed on Azmir''s wrist. "Now you can''t leave," Azmir said, grinning. * * * It was an uncomfortable way to sleep. The two of them couldn''t fit on the bed so they had to sleep in sleeping bags again while they were still cuffed together. "I don''t like you very much right now," Yuzan muttered sleepily. "You''ll get over it. Let''s start your purification tomorrow, okay?" Azmir said cheerfully. "As if I have a choice," Yuzan said grudgingly. Azmir smiled. "You do, actually. You can poison my hand and let it rot off and you''d be free to go." Yuzan remained quiet. "But you won''t do that, right? Deep down, you''re actually nice," Azmir said. "I''m only nice to my sister," Yuzan said. Azmir chuckled. "Don''t you want to see other people smile because of you?" Azmir asked. "I have no need of their smiles. I have no need of them. All I want is to meet my sister and see that she is alive and well here in this world!" Yuzan yelled. Azmir chewed his lip feeling a bit guilty. "Sorry," Azmir said. Yuzan sighed. "Let''s just get this over quickly. I don''t want to stay here any longer than a week," Yuzan said. "Good night, Yuzan." "Good night, Mir." * * * The next morning, Ruth guided the villagers to Ruth''s house where Yuzan and Azmir would be waiting for them. They were still hand-cuffed together and no one paid any notice because the villagers were too weak to even speak. Yuzan looked like a bored doctor. He didn''t greet them or explain to them what he was going to do or why they''ve been feeling lethargic. He just took their wrists, purified them, and dismissed them. By noon, Ruth didn''t even need to get the villagers. Several villagers went back with their friends and relatives. The ones who had been purified brought in more and the cycle went on. They had to stop when evening came. Yuzan was not complaining but his complexion didn''t look good which Azmir observed. He must be feeling drained already for using his power all day. Azmir took off the handcuff and Yuzan was just quiet. He had his eyes closed, still sitting outside the house where his mini purification clinic had been set-up. Azmir went inside for a while and came out holding a cup. "Here," Azmir said and lowered down a cup of mysterious liquid on the table in front of Yuzan. Yuzan leaned close to the cup and inhaled its scent. "That smells nice," Yuzan said. "It''s for you. Drink it," Azmir said, sitting at the chair across him. Yuzan tilted his head to the side. "What is it?" Yuzan asked. "Come on. Just try it," Azmir urged him, grinning. Yuzan shrugged, too tired to protest, and began to sip. His eyes widened. Azmir laughed. "It tastes good?" Azmir asked. Yuzan nodded, still sipping the drink. He exhaled loudly, letting out a satisfied sound when he finished. "What was that?!" Yuzan asked. "I got it some of the ingredients when we were still in the woods. Shadow berries, pixie sugar dust, nightsky flowers, and wyvern milk which I personally own. So, do you like it?" Azmir asked. "It''s even better than milk tea. I can get addicted to this," Yuzan said, still marveled at the drink. It tasted rich and creamy then sweet and then it smelled fresh and flowery but not in an overwhelming way. It was as if he was walking barefoot in a meadow while the moon is shining above and he could imagine himself falling down the grass and sleeping out with the stars above his head. "I''m glad you like it," Azmir said, grinning. "Thanks," Yuzan said. "Good job today. I didn''t expect you to continue until night time," Azmir said. "The more I purify, the sooner we get out of this village," Yuzan said. They had meat that night. There were some hunters who were purified by Yuzan and they gave them lots of meat as expression of their gratitude. Yuzan was exhausted. The drink helped a bit in making his mind relax but he felt really, really drained. He collapsed right on top of the sleeping bag. When Azmir went in the room, Yuzan was already sleeping. Azmir smiled. He sat down beside the sleeping Yuzan and patted his head gently. "Good night, Yuzan." Chapter 72 - Poisoners Rage After a week, the village had become noticeably livelier. The sounds of people talking, laughing, and calling out for customers filled the air instead of dust. The items being sold were fresh. Colorful fruits in so many shapes and sizes. Hunters were bringing in meat by the wagons. Red boar meat, wild rabbit meat, and other delectable types of meat that can only be found in the Viridian Woods. The smell of meat being roasted, fried, and boiled filled the streets from pubs and inns that have opened again. It absolutely smelled wonderful. The village was alive and it was all because of Yuzan. One would think that Yuzan would be amazed at the sight of the flourishing village which was all his doing. But no, he remained stubborn, saying that he wanted to get out of the village and go see his sister already. "Sir Yuzan, you can stay a few more days here. You haven''t tasted the roasted firebird yet or the moonshine liquor or even the smoked silverfish with wonder mushroon sauce! You really need to stay longer so you can enjoy all the food we have here. You can''t get those anywhere else!" A young woman with long chestnut brown hair wearing a green dress with a ruffled white apron said. Yuzan sighed. This was the village chief''s granddaughter, Feila. Yuzan and Azmir were staying at the village chief''s house ever since Yuzan healed the village chief''s family. The village chief was a small old man with a smile that brings out all the lines at the corners of his eyes. His son died from a wild beast in the woods. His son was actually a good hunter but he had already taken in the poison so his body was too slow to avoid the beast''s attacks. The village chief''s daughter-in-law soon died too a few days after. She was overcome with grief and refused to eat. She only consumed water which she didn''t know was filled with poison. "Feila, we shouldn''t force Sir Yuzan to stay if he doesn''t want too. Then again, perhaps Sir Yuzan is not looking for food. Something else I could offer perhaps?" A woman with short brown hair wearing a low-cut violet dress that concealed only half of her breasts said while she touched Yuzan''s arm with her finger slowly. Yuzan sighed again. This was Reika, Feila''s older sister. Feila exuded an innocent refreshing charm which most men would find cute while Reika exuded a seductive mischievous aura. Yuzan stood up. "Where are you going?!" Reika asked. She wasn''t used to being ignored. "Out," Yuzan simply said without sparing them a glance and went out of the village chief''s house. * * * Villagers greeted him as he walked passed by them. Several wanted to give him free stuff. Free food, free meat, free night service . . . Yuzan ignored all of those and continued walking wordlessly. Azmir was in the woods. He told Yuzan that he would just get some rare supplies fron the woods that they can use for bartering in Aderlan and they could get out of the village at dawn. Yuzan began ascending up the ladder attached to the cliff going to the woods. The villagers had placed several ladders made of sturdy vines on the cliff to make it easier for them to go to the woods. "Urgh," Yuzan grunted. He could feel the burn in his arms as he climbed up the ladder. Several times he regretted not asking for more skills fron the god he met after dying. He didn''t expect it to be a difficult world to live in. The god said he would be sent to a world full of magic but he left out the part where Feylantis is the only kingdom filled with magic. There were no cars, no communication device, no social media to use to broadcast to everyone that he''s looking for his dear little sister. If he only knew that there was no technology in this world, perhaps he should have wished to bring technology that would work here. Maybe a helicopter so he can go to his sister instantly. THUD! Yuzan was lying down on his back. He finally reached the top of the cliff. Blue skies and wispy white clouds. Was Mia looking at the same sky he was looking at right now? His heart ached. He still couldn''t erase the image of his sister''s tomb stone back in his mind. That drab gray slab of stone where his sister''s body was buried underneath. He had to see her. He had to hold her and see for himself that she was alive and well. "LET GO! THAT''S MINE!" A voice ripped him off from his dark thoughts. Azmir. Yuzan got up. He ran inside the woods and looked around. "NO! STOP IT!" He was becoming frantic. Where the hell was he?! "HELP! PLEASE! SOMEBODY! HEEELPP!!!" There! He parted a huge bunch of vines hanging from a tree then he saw him. His teary eyes. His bruised mouth. His ripped shirt. His bare shoulder. Yuzan''s eyes darkened. There were three men surrounding Azmir. They haven''t noticed him yet. They were chuckling among themselves. He walked slowly behind them, trying to get closer as quiet as possible. They were wearing leather breastplates and they had sheated swords attached to their belts. Soldiers. "We''re just taking your pouch. What''s the harm in that, aye?" A soldier said, laughing harshly. "Are you sure yer a lad? Ain''t find anyone so pretty as you in our camp. Fancy a roll in a hay?" Another soldier asked, leering at Azmir, touching his blue hair. "Come on now. Don''t be stubborn and come with us. We don''t want to beat up that pretty face of yours," the third soldier said, caressing Azmir''s cheek. Yuzan had enough. He pulled off a thick long vine hanging above his head and before the soldiers could even react, he swung the vine towards them, hitting the back of their heads. Azmir looked at him in surprise. The soldiers turned around and unsheated their swords. Yuzan spun the vine in a circular motion. He looked like a lion tamer with a whip in his hand. One of the soldiers charged right at him. Yuzan side stepped, dodging perfectly, and going behind him. He placed the vine right over the solider''s head and pulled. He was now strangling the soldier from behind. The soldier made choking sounds. Yuzan remained expressionless even when he loosened his hold on the vine and the soldier collapsed on the ground. The soldier''s mouth was foaming and his eyes were white. The two soliders began to back away in fright. "Are you from Faresh?" Yuzan asked, walking towards the two soldiers. He remembered Azmir mentioning of a military kingdom near the village. "W-we''ll leave! Please! Spare us!" "We have swords! Don''t come near us!" Yuzan flung the vine at them, hitting them right at their faces. Then they collapsed. Their mouths foaming and their eyes white. Yuzan took Azmir''s magical pouch from the unconscious soldier and handed it to Azmir. He also took the soldier''s sword and tied it around his own waist. Not that he knew how to use it but it could still be useful. "Let''s go," Yuzan said, grabbing his hand. "Why are you here?" Azmir asked, bewildered. "I got tired listening to the two sisters and I had nothing else to do," Yuzan said, still pulling Azmir by his hand. They eventually reached the cliff and they began their descent using the vine ladders. "So? Why weren''t you fighting back?" Yuzan asked when they got down the cliff. "I did. Well, I tried but I had no water with me and my fists are not of much use," Azmir said. "They ripped your shirt," Yuzan said, frowning. He should have stabbed those damn soldiers. Azmir looked down his shirt and shrugged. "Must have gotten damaged when my pouch was snatched from me." "I doubt that. I think they wanted to do bad things to you. If I didn''t come, they could have. . . " Yuzan trailed off. "Well, you got revenge for me. I presume you poisoned them with the whip. What kind of poison was that? You knocked them down so fast!" Azmir said. "Something they deserve," Yuzan said. "Thank you," Azmir said. Yuzan nodded. "That''s not the way to the village," Azmir said. "I know," Yuzan said. Realization dawned on Azmir. "No way. Are you going to Faresh?!" Azmir asked. Yuzan nodded. "Why?! It''s a military kingdom! I''m not even sure if you can even call it a kingdom! It''s a military camp!" Azmir said, yelling, but still following Yuzan. "I don''t care," Yuzan said. "Why? You don''t need to get revenge for the villagers. You already saved them from the poison. You said we''re leaving tomorrow anyway!" Azmir said. "They shouldn''t have done that," Yuzan muttered to himself. "Done what? Poison the villagers?" Azmir asked. Yuzan looked at Azmir. "They shouldn''t have touched you," Yuzan said. * * * After almost an hour of walking, Yuzan knew they had reached Faresh. There were tents everywhere. The soldiers saw them and just curiously observed them. Yuzan had a strange air of authority about him. He walked with confidence as if he knew where he was going. Azmir looked around them nervously. "Yuzan, please. Let''s go back. It''s too dangerous here," Azmir pleaded. Yuzan ignored him. He saw a large man who had more armor on him than the others but he didn''t look like the highest authority among them. "Take me to your leader," Yuzan said. "And why should I?" the large man asked with a smirk. Yuzan placed his palm on the large man''s face and quickly removed his hand. "AAAAAAARRGGHHHHHH! IT''S BURNING! MY FACE! ARRRGHH!!!" "Take me to your leader or else that face of yours is going to come off," Yuzan said. Chapter 73 - Military Princess "What''s with all the noise?!" A woman clad in armor emerged out of the tent. She had her long dark brown hair plaited in a fishtail braid. She was obviously high-ranking. Her outfit was a mix of metal and leather. The chainmail she was wearing fitted her perfectly, showing off her muscular figure. She was also wearing a crimson cape with a lion painted in gold on her back. "HELP! IT BURNS! PLEASE!" the large man shouted, pointing at the woman while clutching at his face in agony. Yuzan touched the man''s face for a second then removed his finger. The man collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, relieved from the excruciating pain. "Who are you?" the woman asked. She pointed her rapier to Yuzan''s throat. He didn''t even notice her pulling it out. She was good. Better than those three men in the woods. Azmir wanted to run away already but Yuzan was standing his ground. "Are you the leader of this troop?" Yuzan asked. The woman narrowed her eyes at him. A soldier who was listening to their conversation approached them. "You are in the presence of the commander of this kingdom, Princess Sua. Bow down," the soldier said in a disapproving look. Azmir was about to bow down but Yuzan stopped him. "We are not here to pay respects to you. We are here because your soldiers have poisoned a whole village and three of those even had the guts to dare violate my friend," Yuzan said. The princess looked confused. "A village? I''ve never . . . Come. Let us discuss this further," Sua said. Yuzan and Azmir followed the princess to a huge tent that looked more like a conference room than a tent. It had a round table with elegant chairs decorated with gems around it. The three of them sat down. "So, tell me. Who are you?" Sua asked. She had none of the feminity and fragile aura that princesses usually have. Princess Sua looked like she was made of steel. "My name is Mir. I am a traveling merchant and this is my companion, Yuzan. He is an adventurer who appeared in Feylantis," Azmir said. "And what made an adventurer attack my soldier? A poisoned village, you say? I''ve never commanded anything like that," Sua said. "If what you say is true then you should know that your soldiers, well, perhaps not all of them but I am not sure, have tried to extort the village outside Vyridian Woods. The villagers could not give their demands and after that, their well had been poisoned. I think you can connect the dots yourself," Yuzan said. The princess frowned but remained silent. "If not for Yuzan, all of the villagers might have already perished after a month. They were just skin and bones when we first arrived. They were really weak and were only surviving from rotten fruits. We believe the poison came from here in Faresh," Azmir said. "That is a huge accusation against us and what of the other thing you said? You were violated?" Sua said to Azmir. Azmir blushed. "Almost. I stopped the three soldiers who tried to do something to him. They also stole his purse but I got it back for him," Yuzan said. "I see but you do not have any proof and I can have your heads chopped off if you are merely spouting lies," Sua said. Thud! Yuzan placed the sword that he took from the soldier on the table in front of the princess. She inspected it for a while. Her fingers traced the lion engraved on the sword''s hilt. "Yes, this belongs to Faresh. Where are the soldiers who attacked your friend?" Sua asked. "I''ve left them in the woods. They should still be alive albeit suffering fron a poison I gave them," Yuzan said. "I see. I shall have them retrieved if they haven''t been eaten by the beasts of the woods yet and when they come back, they will be punished accordingly," Sua said. Yuzan had a feeling if those three were still alive, they would be dead once they reach Faresh. "And about the poisoning in the village, do you have proof of that too?" Sua asked. "No, but I trust you can investigate that yourself," Yuzan said with a shrug. Sua nodded. "Yes but I do need something to start with. Can you tell me what poison was used?" "Corpse seed," Yuzan said. There was no such thing in his original world but he knew all the types of poison and its strange names ever since the god gave him his poisoning ability. Sua clenched her fist. "I know where that''s from," Sua said. Each platoon in Faresh had their own deadly set of weapons and one team in particular was in charge of the corpse seeds. The corpse seeds were only to be used in war in case they needed to weaken an enemy first before subduing it. Using it to innocent villagers and using a rare commodity for a disgusting reason such as extortion was punishable by death. Sua was going to make sure those responsible will die a painful death and those who knew but remained silent will follow them in the underworld too. "I''ll take responsibility in ensuring that those soldiers are punished and I shall compensate the village. I apologize for what those soldiers have done," Sua said. "If you''re going to apologize it should be to the villagers and to Mir. The only fault that you had was you failed to keep your soldiers in line. I trust that you won''t make the same mistake twice," Yuzan said. Azmir felt that Yuzan was speaking like an authority figure. He must be an important person back in his original world. Someone who had the authority to give commands and not bow down to others. "Yes. You are right," Sua said and turned to Azmir. "I apologize for the behavior of my men. Would you like to be treated here first before you leave? I see that you have a bruise there," Sua said. "It''s fine. It doesn''t hu-" "Yes, he''ll take the treatment," Yuzan interrupted. Azmir gave Yuzan a dismayed look. He didn''t want to stay another minute in a camp full of trained soldiers who can easily kill them. * * * Sua sent a medic to apply ointment on Azmir''s bruise. He was also given a chest full of gems which Azmir tried to refuse but Sua didn''t want to take it back. It had gotten too dark already to go back to the village. Yuzan and Azmir were given their own tents to sleep in. Azmir was scared but Sua said she had told her soldiers to treat them as very important guests. Their tents were filled with plush pillows and silk blankets. It was so comfortable, they couldn''t even feel the hard ground under them. Yuzan was about to fall asleep when he heard a rustling from outside his tent. He was prepared to touch anyone who would go in his tent and poison him instantly when he heard her voice. "Sir Yuzan, it''s me. Are you still awake?" The princess. Yuzan rubbed his head. He was already feeling exhausted but he should invite her in as he was being treated as a guest. "Yes, Princess? What can I do for you?" Yuzan asked. "May I go in?" Sua asked. Yuzan lit the lamp in his tent then opened the flap of his tent. She had let down her long brown hair and she was wearing a gray nightdress. She still had a warrior''s gait, straight and determined, but the night seemed to have lessen the harshness of her look. She almost looked like an ordinary woman instead of a commander of an army. "What brings you here, Princess?" Yuzan asked. The two of them sat on the pillows facing each other. "I would like to converse with you as you have come from a far away land and I have never met an adventurer," Sua said. Yuzan was tired already but the princess treated them really well despite what he did to her soldiers. "What would you like to know?" Yuzan asked. "Why did you help the villagers? It''s not a well-known village and if your goal is to be a hero, no one would know of what you''ve done except for the villagers themselves," Sua said. "There was a little girl," Yuzan said. Sua waited for him to continue. Yuzan sighed. "She reminded me of my little sister so I healed her. After that, I was just persuaded by my friend to heal the rest of the villagers," Yuzan said. "That must have been difficult," Sua said, impressed. "Yes but Mir said my sister would like it if she knew that I healed a whole village," Yuzan said. "And your sister? Where is she?" Sua asked. "I''m looking for her. We . . . were separated and she might be in Aderlan," Yuzan said. Sua nodded sympathetically. "I see. I apologize. You must be feeling tired already and here I am interrupting your rest. It''s just been a long time since I''ve conversed with someone who doesn''t treat me like a commander," Sua said. "What about your family members?" Yuzan asked. "My parents have retired from duty. They''re residing in a peaceful village away from here. I''m just keeping everything in place as my duty to the people of Faresh," Sua said. "Would you leave if you could?" Yuzan asked. Sua smiled sadly. Chapter 74 - Meeting HER "I do not have the liberty to think of leaving. My people need a leader," Sua said. Yuzan remembered the burden he had as the heir to the Hajime business. He had to be perfect. He had to forget himself and even leave his sister. It was a painful responsibility. "Are you happy?" Yuzan asked. Sua shrugged. "I''m alive. My people are alive." "Yes, but are you happy?" Yuzan asked. "I . . . dont know," Sua said. "I think I used to be like you. I was born in a wealthy family and I was the heir. It''s heavy, isn''t it?" Yuzan asked. Sua nodded. "After you get your sister, can you . . . visit here?" Sua asked. Yuzan tilted his head. "Why?" Yuzan asked. Sua looked away. "Just to talk and I want to meet your sister," Sua said. She looked quite small at that moment. Even lonely. "It depends on her. If she wants to visit here then yes," Yuzan said. Sua smiled. The two talked until the wee hours of the night. Sua was interested in how Yuzan lived in his original world and Sua shared bits of her life too. Sua enjoyed it a lot. It was like finding someone who was very similar to you. Sua had power because of her parents but because of that power, she also had the burden to lead her people. She couldn''t have a normal life even if she wanted to. Yuzan yawned. "Oh, I''m so sorry. I should let you sleep. I''ll give you and your companion horses for your journey," Sua said. Sua left the tent. Yuzan was about to close his eyes when he heard the tent flap open again. Argh. He didn''t want to talk with the princess anymore. Couldn''t she wait until morning? "Yuzan, are you awake?" Oh. It was Azmir. "Yes, why?" Yuzan asked. He didn''t bother getting up anymore. It felt too comfortable inside the silk sleeping bed. "I can''t sleep. I think there are bugs in the sleeping bag in my tent," Azmir said. Yuzan patted the space beside him. "Come here," Yuzan muttered. Azmir sat on the space. "Can I sleep here?" Azmir asked. "You''re already here. Let''s just go to sleep," Yuzan muttered. Azmir laid down beside him. "I heard the two of you talking," Azmir said. Yuzan just groaned sleepily. "What were the two of you talking about?" Azmir asked. Yuzan groaned. "You aren''t going to tell me?" Azmir asked. Yuzan opened his eyes and glared at Azmir. He was so d*mn sleepy already. Why won''t people just let him sleep in peace??? Yuzan placed his forefinger on Azmir''s lips. Azmir''s eyes widened. "Shush. Tomorrow. I''ll tell you. For now, let''s just sleep. Please," Yuzan said. Azmir nodded and Yuzan took off his forefinger from Azmir''s lips. "Good night, Yuzan." "Good night, Mir." The two slept together side by side. * * * Morning made its way on the fields of Faresh, casting its light on the tents slowly, until all of them were no longer under the shadows of dawn. In one particular tent, two young men were entwined with each other. Their arms laid over on top of each other''s waist. Their legs hooked to one another. The young man with raven black hair and skin as white snow stirred awake first. His eyes fluttered slowly, revealing autumn eyes. His gaze fell on the young man beside him whose arm was around him. He reached for his head and ruffled his companion''s indigo blue hair gently. "Mir, I can''t get up," Yuzan said. Azmir groaned and snuggled closer to his shoulder. "Mir, we need to get up," Yuzan said. Azmir ignored him. Yuzan chuckled. "You can hug me later at night again but now, we need to leave so we can continue traveling," Yuzan said. "Pillow . . . noisy," Azmir muttered sleepily. "I''m going to do something to you if you don''t get up, Mir," Yuzan warned. Azmir was still dozing off. Yuzan was able to sit up a bit but Azmir''s arm was still on his waist. POOF!!! Yuzan blew on Azmir''s ear. "Ahh!!" Azmir sat up, his eyes wide open. "W-what was that? What did you do?!" Azmir asked. Yuzan laughed. "Come on now. Let''s go. You weren''t letting me get up. I know you like hugging me that much but we have to keep moving," Yuzan said. "W-who likes hugging who?! I don''t know what you''re talking about," Azmir said. Yuzan ruffled his indigo blue hair. "Good morning, Mir," Yuzan said with a refreshing smile. Azmir narrowed his eyes at him. "Good morning." Azmir wanted to bury himself in the ground. Why did he have to mistake Yuzan for a pillow??? Argh!!! * * * The two were served a sumptuous breakfast and true to her word, Sua gave the two of them horses for their travel. The princess went with them in going back to the village. She also had a few soldiers with them whose tasks were to carry crates full of her compensation for the village. The villagers were stunned to see the princess of the military kingdom come personally to their village to apologize for what her wayward soldiers did to them. She had the crates distributed. They contained fresh fruits, meat, and even luxurious goods the villagers could trade for like gems and precious metals. The princess with her most trusted soldiers also talked with the villagers to get descriptions of the soldiers who tried to extort the village. After getting a thorough description from them, she was sure the perpetrators behind the well poisoning belonged to the platoon who was in charge of holding on the corpse seeds. She had some of her trusted soldiers go back to Faresh to inflict punishment on the said platoon. By the time she was back in Faresh, those corrupt soldiers of the platoon would be half-dead by then. * * * "We''re going to leave now. We''re truly grateful for your hospitality," Azmir said to the village chief and to his two granddaughters. Feila and Reika were looking at Yuzan teary-eyed. Even Sua looked sad too. Azmir was kind of offended. Why was no one unaffected by his leaving? They were all looking at Yuzan like he was the only male around! "Sir Yuzan, can you not stay for a few more days?" Feila asked. "We really don''t mind if you stay longer. Actually, we would be happier if you stay," Reika said. "Perhaps you would like to stay a few more nights in our camp instead?" Sua asked. Yuzan shook his head and got on his black horse smoothly. "Thank you for the offer but I need to find my sister," Yuzan said. The three women told Yuzan that he could back anytime with his sister and they would be treated as very distinguished guests. Yuzan and Azmir were finally able to leave the village. * * * "So, how do we exactly get pass that mointain?" Yuzan asked. "I think there''s a village below the mountain. We can ask for a guide to help us," Azmir said. "Another village," Yuzan muttered and sighed. It got colder and colder the nearer they got to the white mountain. After getting past this mountain, he''ll finally be in Aderlan where her sister is. It was years since they''ve last seen each other. Would she even recognize him? He imagined calling out to her and hugging her tight, and he would finally stop dreaming about her cold gravestone. They had to make a stop to put on fur capes and fur coats which fortunately, Azmir had inside his magical pouch. They also put fur warmers on the horses. Then they continued again. The land around them was covered in snow. It was a strange sight to see. Like someone had just dumped white paint over the whole landscape. Just a few hours ago, they were in a very warm village and now it was like they had entered a winter wonderland. The land was called White Peaks. It was a place under perpetual winter. After almost a whole day of traveling by horse, they eventually found structures of houses on the white snowy land. They found a structure that looked like an inn, judging by the half-buried sign outside. The inn was warm inside. A middle-aged woman wearing fur clothes helped them shake off the snow on them. There was a tavern inside the inn and some villagers were there too, looking at them curiously. Yuzan and Azmir were given huge mugs of hot cocoa with marshmallows on top. They sipped their drink, still shivering from the cold. A stocky short man with a long beard and bushy eyebrows joined their table. "Adventurers?" The man asked. "Only him. I''m a merchant," Azmir said, still too cold to explain. "Yer going to cross the mountain, aye?" The man asked in a heavy accent. "Yes, but we need a guide. Are you volunteering yourself?" Azmir asked. "No. I''m only a miner here. The name is Sammy. But I can introduce you to one if she likes the two of you. She''s a frequent climber. Every year without fail. No one is as good as she. If ye can persuade her, then you''re good to go," the man said. "Where is she?" Azmir asked. Sammy pointed to a woman sitting by the bar stool. As if she heard them, she turned to look at them. She was a young woman with ethereal beauty. She had long white hair as pure as snow that gave off a silvery shimmer. She had brilliant violet eyes. Something about her made it look like she was an ice sculpture, sculpted into perfection. She had an impassive gaze, an icy aura, and otherwordly beauty. Anyone would think she was a snow goddess if she declared so. She titled her head at them. Her long white hair brushing her waist. Azmir got up to talk to her. Yuzan remained in his seat, sipping his hot chocolate. Azmir was the people person and Yuzan was content in his role as the poisoner. "Greetings. My name is Azmir and that one there is my companion, Yuzan. We''ve been told by Sammy that you''re a frequent climber of the mountain. If it''s not too much trouble for you, we would like to have you as our guide. We''re going to Aderlan and we really just need to cross that mountain. We''ll compensate you, of course," Azmir said. The young woman just stared at him with her violet eyes quietly. "May I know your name?" Azmir asked. She didn''t speak for a while. As though it''s been a long time since she had last spoken. Then she did, and it was like hearing the cold winds whisper. "Sylvia." Chapter 75 - NSFW - Milk Wont Come Out There ***R-19! This chapter contains smut content. You can read below paragraphs safely and you''ll see a warning sign again where the smut scene begins. *** They didn''t continue that night as Lucien suggested. He bidded her "good night" in a sweet way, kissing her cheek, and smiling sweetly, and Euphemia was left inside her room trying to make her mind fall asleep. Tossing and turning on her bed, still feeling Lucien''s carresses and kisses, she was filled with something she had never experienced before. It was like he had placed a fire inside her. No. Perhaps the fire was there all along but no one had ever tried to stir it awake. She didn''t know she would ever long someone so much. She wanted to hold him. She wanted to be held by him. Argh! She got up. Still wearing her white nightgown, she went out of her room and stood in front of Lucien''s room. What if he''s asleep already? Maybe she should just go back. Try to count sheep or something. CREEEAK! Lucien''s door opened, snapping her out of her thoughts. He was wearing a long black robe. He looked startled to see her but then he smiled, looking happy to see her. "Did you need something, Euphee?" Lucien asked. "Oh, um, no, not exactly. I just . . . couldn''t fall asleep," Euphemia said, suddenly feeling shy all of a sudden. Lucien smiled and chuckled. "Me too. Would you like to join me for a glass of warm milk?" Euphemia nodded. The corridor was dark and all the servants were nowhere in sight. It was like they had the whole place to themselves. "May I hold your hand, Euphee?" Lucien asked. Euphemia nodded. They held hands as they walked down the dark corridor with Lucien leading the way. * * * Lucien expected the queen to give them a grand mansion but she gave him his mother''s childhood home instead. He didn''t know where his grandparents where or if they were still in Aderlan at all. He liked the place though. It felt like home and with Euphee by his side, he really felt he was finally home. They arrived at the kitchen. Like the corridor, it was also very dark. Using his fire magic, Lucien lighted up a candle hanging from the wall . It gave off a nice warm light around them. Lucien found the milk jar and Euphemia found two glasses for them to use. Lucien warmed up the milk with his fire magic, making it just warm enough but not too hot. "This is nice," Euphemia said. Lucien nodded. "Yes, it is," Lucien said, smiling at her contently. He sipped on the warm milk. He wondered whether his mother had given him warm milk before when she still had her free will. He couldn''t remember. Perhaps it was the house making him feel nostalgic, making him try to remember the memories he had forgotten. Pieces of his past with his mother. The good days he had forgotten. Days his young mind had buried. Lucien put his head on Euphemia''s shoulder. She was warm. He closed his eyes. Euphemia put her arm around Lucien and smiled fondly. He was acting like a kid and he looked adorable. He was cuddling up to her while sipping warm milk. "Euphee," Lucien said softly. "Yes?" Euphemia asked. Lucien looked up and smiled. "Oh, you have milk on your . . ." Euphemia wiped her lip. "No, not there. Here, let me . . ." Lucien sat up straight and leaned close to Euphemia. He touched the side of her lip where the milk was. As if on instinct, his head dove down and licked the milk on the side of her lips. * * * *** WARNING! R-19 scene below!!! If you''re not comfortable with smut, skip this scene below! Check first if no one is peeking over your shoulder. NSFW! You''ve been warned. *** Euphemia was startled at first. Then Lucien''s lips was on hers and she stopped thinking altogether. He was kissing her and it stirred the flame inside her once again. She kissed him back. The two of them kissed each other slowly as if they were savoring the moment together. Euphemia pulled away gently. "You were going to say something?" Euphemia asked. "You''re so precious to me. Being with you is like being home. Please. Don''t leave me," Lucien said. Euphemia felt a bit guilty. Lucien was still worried that she was going to leave him. "I''m not going to leave you. Not if you want me to stay," Euphemia said, caressing his cheek. "Stay with me. Always," Lucien said with a pleading look. Then he kissed her again more passionately this time. His tongue urged her lips to part and she did, and he entered her mouth, his tongue entwining with hers. He hugged her and stood up. Carrying her in his arms as they continued to kiss. He placed her back on the wall. He put himself between her legs, carrying her by her thighs. He dove down to her neck and she made a sound that made the fire inside him even burn more. "L-Luci . . . ," Euphemia said softly, sounding breathless. He planted kissed on her collarbone then down to her cleavage. "Let me down," Euphemia said. She was getting self-conscious with her weight. She was still being carried by Lucien. Lucien hugged her tight, kissing her on the lips again, and began to carry her to the kitchen counter. Euphemia was smaller than Lucien so sitting on the kitchen counter, she was at the perfect height for kissing. "Euphee, can you spread your legs?" Lucien said. Euphemia blushed. She felt like she had just melted with what he said and with that dark promise in his voice. Euphemia did and Lucien positioned himself between her thighs. She could feel his hardness against her and it made her feel something she had never felt before. Like an aching. An emptiness that wanted to be filled. Her nightgown had rode up on her knees already. Lucien planted his hands on her thighs as he kissed her lips. With one hand, he lowered the strap of her nightgown from her shoulder. He kissed her shoulder, grazing his teeth a bit on her skin. He lowered the other strap of her nightgown too and paused for a few seconds to look at her under the warm light of his fire. "You''re beautiful," Lucien said with awe in his voice. Euphemia blushed. "Come back here," Euphemia said, wanting to cover up her body with his. His hand went to the lower part of her back, pulling him closer to her and his other hand groped her breast, massaging it. He teased the nipple with his fingers then he dove down and licked it. "Ah..." Euphemia moaned. He sucked on her breast. His other hand went to her other breast and began to massage it. "L-Luci, nothing''s going to come out. A-ah! You''re sucking too much. Ah! There''s no milk there. Ah! That feels good. Luci . . .," Euphemia said, her mind whirling already in pleasure. Euphemia pushed him away gently. "No fair. I''m the only one with my top off. You should strip off too," Euphemia said. Lucien titled his head in amusement. "I''m only wearing a robe though. Are you sure?" Lucien asked, his emerald green eyes seemed to glint in the dark. * * * "Oh, um I . . ." Lucien began to loosen the belt of his robe. Euphemia''s eyes widened. He let the robe fall off his shoulders. Euphemia could see his muscular biceps, his firm chest, then a thin line of hair running down from his navel to his . . . Oh. My. It''s going to be fall. Omigo- He tightened the belt of his robe again, tying it securely. Only the top part of himself was exposed. Euphemia tentatively touched his bare chest. Lucien closed his eyes. She ran her fingers over his nipple. His breath hitched. She rubbed it gently. Lucien gritted his teeth. She rubbed the other one too. "Enough," Lucien said. He held her wrists and kissed her, inserting his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her, devouring her. She moaned and looped her arms around his neck, resting them on his shoulders. He pressed himself on her. She gasped. She could feel his hardness against her, rubbing against her. Only a few pieces of cloth were separating them yet she could feel him. He was hard for her. He pressed himself on her again. Very much so. "Ah!" This time, harder. She could feel moisture pooling up in her. Her nightgown had now ridden up to her thighs. He placed his hands on her waist. "Euphee, I burn for you," Lucien said. The flame from the candle seemed to jump up, making the light bigger, illuminating them more. He thrusted his hard member against her. She gasped. She felt his member despite being separated by her panties and his robe. He thrusted again. "Ah!" She flung her head back in pleasure. He began to thrust more rhythmically, thrusting his hard member against her panties. "L-Luci . . . Ah! Ah . . . Ah . . . T-too fast . . . Ah! Mmm . . . Mmm . . . Ah!!" She moaned. She screamed his name. It was so embarrassing but she couldn''t stop moaning and calling out his name. It felt so good. His mouth went to her shoulder, his arms clung around her back, as his hips moved against her again and again. She could feel his hard member thrusting into that softness between her thighs. She lost herself in the pleasure. The friction. His hardness against her wetness. She wanted to feel more. It was like she knew she would feel full if he was closer to her. She needed to be closer. She began to move her hips too. Thrusting back against him. With his every thrust, she moved too, meeting him in between and it was more intense than before. Lucien bit her shoulder, muffling his moans of pleasure. Euphemia moaned louder and louder as their thrusting became faster and faster. As they lost themselves in the pleasure of it all. Lucien covered her mouth with his, muffling both of their moans. At the same time, they both reached the pinnacle. Euphemia shivered, her back arching, her feet stiffening. Lucien closed his eyes and shivered. They were climaxing. Reaching the peak of pleasure at the same time. Their breathing slowed. Their body began to relax. They hugged each other. Resting their heads on the other''s shoulder. Listening to each other''s breathing and just enjoying the after-effect of being together. Chapter 76 - Daylilies Miyu got Euphemia''s letter while eating her breakfast. An apology. That was nice. No one ever apologized to her back then. Maybe Mia was actually a decent human being. Miyu pitied Mia. Mia didn''t choose to end her life unlike Miyu so maybe she missed things she liked there or people she loved from her previous life. Miyu wrote a letter to Euphemia. "Hi! Thank you for your apology. I''m sorry that you died because of my crazy fan. I would really like to talk to you again. Not just because I''d like to be an actress again (although that would really make me happy if you agreed) but because we''re both not from this world and I''d like to be friends with you. If you agree, let''s meet at the cake shop on the Seventh Street tomorrow at 3PM. Hoping to meet you again! Miyu desu!" Miyu gave the letter to a maid to have it sent out to the Ashburn Residence. Miyu saw a cute-looking cake shop the last time she was outside and she guessed it was something girls did together. Eat sweet things and chit-chat, right? Oh, wait. Should she have offered for them to shop together? But Glenn just bought her a bunch of dresses she hadn''t even had time to browse to yet. Argh. She didn''t know what girls did together. She was too focused in her career back then and her manager was not really a friend but more of her servant. Now that she thought about it. A servant who freaking betrayed her and destroyed her reputation. Glenn had told her that morning that he was going to start teaching her lessons so Miyu went to the palace library. Miyu pushed open the large central wooden door of the library. It creaked loudly as if announcing the grandeur that was kept inside. "Oh wow," Miyu said softly, gazing in awe at her surroundings. The library had a cathedral ceiling. It was like gazing at the sky. It was so wide and high. The walls were made up of bookshelves that reached the ceiling. There were aisles and aisles of bookshelves. The books were everywhere. The spines were of multitude of colors. It was like walking in a flower garden, surrounded with colors everywhere she went. She spun around and marveled at the books surrounding her. The library was enormous. She could easily get lost in it and she liked the feeling. Miyu ran her fingers over the books, amazed at how there were so many books in one place. She wasn''t much of a reader before. She did read scripts and memorized them to heart but books had not made their way in her lifestyle back then. Miyu walked into an area where there was a wide space at the center with tables and chairs. This must be the reading area, she presumed. "Good morning! You''re late. If you weren''t my only student, I would have dismissed you," Glenn said, pretending to be distressed, shaking his head. He was wearing rectangular unrimmed eyeglasses. They were merely for decorative purposes and it suited him well. His long green hair was tied with a dark blue ribbon and he was wearing a dark blue blazer, white buttoned shirt inside, and white slacks. He looked like a professor. He lowered his eyeglasses and his light green jade eyes shone brilliantly. A really hot professor. Miyu blushed, remembering his kiss. "Sorry, Sensei. It''s your fault for being early," Miyu said cheekily, pretending to not notice his hotness. Glenn laughed. "Come here. I''ll teach you how to curtsy so you''ll finally stop injuring me," Glenn said. Despite Miyu''s doubts over Glenn''s teaching skills, Glenn properly taught her how to curtsy. He also taught her to which people she should only curtsy, how low it should be depending on who she was greeting, and even how to walk properly like a lady. It was like a beauty pageant class. Turn your head slightly. Smile slowly until it reaches your eyes. Make it reach your eyes. Bow slightly. Walk with your head held up high as though you''re walking in your own world. It was immensely fun. Glenn was a good teacher but at the same time, he made her laugh a lot and there was nothing boring about it at all. She eventually got the gist of it. She was a fast learner and Glenn praised her for that. "Time to rest. Sit here for a bit. I''ll get us some snacks," Glenn said. Miyu nodded and Glenn left. She looked around again. She felt so relaxed. She never expected to find her peace in another world. "Excuse me, My Lady." Miyu turned her head to see who it was. An unfamiliar maid was holding a bouquet of orange flowers wrapped in violet flower wrapping paper. "For you, My Lady," the maid said. "Oh! Wow! So pretty! What are these called?" Miyu asked marveling at the orange flowers. "Daylilies, My Lady," the maid said. The maid was about to leave but Miyu had another question. "Who is it from?" Miyu asked while sniffing the flowers. "Him, My Lady," the maid said and hurriedly scurried away. Weird. She had not done anything to scare off the maid but it felt like the maid was really scared. Maybe the maid was scared of Glenn but that would be even weirder. Glenn was so nice! What could be the reason for the maid''s frightened behavior? She looked at the flowers with a smile. The flowers'' petals were dark yellow from the pollens to the center then orange from the center to the ends. The color kind of resembled her own hair which was like a mix of honey and caramel. Glenn was so adorable. Did he go away just to not see her reaction when she receives the flowers? She giggled to herself. "Who gave you those?" It was Glenn. He was holding a silver tray filled with slices of different cake flavors, biscuits, milk, and tea. Miyu smiled. "You did. You asked the maid to give these flowers to me, didn''t you?" Miyu asked with a teasing smile. Glenn frowned. He set the tray on the table and looked at the flowers with disdain. "Those came from that boy," Glenn said. His expression dark. Miyu titled her head. "That boy? Wait . . . Are you referring to the prince?!" Glenn nodded. "Oh," Miyu said and put down the bouquet on the table. "Daylilies. It means eternal devotion to his mother. He can''t even hide his true feelings," Glenn said in disgust. "Ew. Shouldn''t he be giving me roses instead? Sheesh. But maybe he doesn''t know the meaning and just chose it because of the color of my hair?" Miyu asked. "Then he''s either dumb or a creep with blind loyalty to his mother. I say both," Glenn said. Miyu got up and touched the space between Glenn''s eyebrows. "Don''t frown. It''s ruining your handsome face," Miyu said, smiling. Glenn turned his head away. "I''ll give you better-looking flowers than those," Glenn said. "You don''t need to and besides, flowers die anyway," Miyu said. Glenn looked at her. "Do you like it if they don''t die?" Glenn asked. Miyu shrugged. "Depends on what it is. I mean if it''s something precious or someone precious gave it to me, it would be really sad to see it die." Glenn was quiet for a while. Miyu gave him an encouraging smile. "Come on, stop looking so serious. Those flowers aren''t important to me. They''re not from you." "I''ll give you something that won''t die," Glenn said softly. "Oh? What''s that? No, not another dress. You gave me too much of those already," Miyu said trying to lighten up his mood. Glenn touched her cheek softly. "If you accept, it will be yours and it will be with you forever, never dying," Glenn said. "What is it?" Miyu asked. Glenn smiled. "It''s a secret," Glenn said, his playful tone back. "Eh?! You tell me that dramatic description and you won''t even tell me?!" Miyu said. Glenn chuckled. "You''re not ready yet," Glenn said. "Sheesh. You''re just bluffing. There isn''t really anything, is there?" Miyu said. "There is but I can''t give it to you yet," Glenn said. "Why?!" Miyu asked. "Because just as I said . . . you''re not ready yet," Glenn said, pinching Miyu''s nose playfully. Miyu glared at him. "Fine. I''ll just put these flowers in my room then," Miyu said but when she turned to look at the flowers on the table, they weren''t there anymore. "What the heck! Where is it?!" Miyu exclaimed. "The wind must have carried it out," Glenn said with a shrug. "Wind?! There''s no freaking wind here! Where did you put them?!" Miyu asked. "The two of us were talking. How could I have thrown away those flowers without you knowing?" Glenn asked. Miyu narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously but she couldn''t explain it either. "You said you didn''t care for those flowers anyway or did you lie?" Glenn asked. "I didn''t lie. It''s just really strange," Miyu said. She couldn''t even see a window in the library. How did the flowers suddenly disappear? The two ate the snacks Glenn brought in and they chattered away happily, having much fun bantering with each other. In the furthest, darkest corner of the library, a bouquet of daylilies laid on the floor hidden from sight. Chapter 77 - Girls Just Want To Have Fun Euphemia woke up first. The first thing that she noticed was that her head was on Lucien''s shoulder. She carefully sat up, not wanting to wake him up. She looked at him in wonder. His sleeping face was also very handsome. She looked at his long dark lashes. His silky black hair. He was like a black cat sleeping on her bed. Did she really deserve this happiness? She carressed his head. It was really like stroking the head of a cat. She smiled. Then his hand caught her wrist. His eyes fluttered then focused on her. "Good morning, Euphee," Lucien said, smiling sleepily. "Good morning," Euphemia said, smiling back. He kissed the back of her hand. "Shall we have breakfast?" Lucien asked. Euphemia nodded. "Yes. I need to get ready," Euphemia said. Lucien embraced her. "We can just have breakfast here," Lucien said, cuddling up to her. Euphemia blushed, remembering the feeling of his body against her the night before. "No, we''re going to end up lazy. Come on now. Get up," Euphemia said. She almost had to drag Lucien out of the bed. He was so cute but Euphemia wanted to take a bath, dress up, and have a proper breakfast. "I''ll see you in the dining room," Lucien said, pouting a bit. Euphemia held her laughter but she smiled. "Yes, I''ll join you in a bit," Euphemia said. She rang the bell and Helen entered her room. She assisted Euphemia with her bath and afterwards, helped her in getting dressed up. She chose a white ruffled blouse with a red ribbon, a high-waisted red skirt with a built-in corset with black lace and black ruffles, and red shoes with black onyx gems. She twirled around and smiled in satisfaction. The dress didn''t look like she was going to a ball or to a fight with the queen. It was a casual dress to wear for meeting with another girl who might be a potential friend. She was looking forward to her meeting with Miyu. * * * "Glenn, pick one. Hurry!" Miyu said. Behind her was a display of more than thirty dresses which Glenn had bought for her. Glenn tried to hide his discomfort by smiling. There were too many dresses and his mind was already spinning from all the colors. Miyu was right. He should have only bought a few. "Gleeeenn! Pick already! Fine, pick three and I''ll pick one from those. Gleeeenn," Miyu said, shaking his shoulders. His body swayed as Miyu shook him. "You''ll look pretty in any dress you choose. I think you should be the one to choose for yourself," Glenn said. Miyu glared at him. "Tch. Fine." Miyu grabbed a light orange dress with yellow and pink flowers, a ruffled collar, and a ribbon on the waist. She changed inside the bathroom and emerged out of it wearing the dress. She twirled around in front of Glenn. "What do you think?" Miyu asked excitedly. Glenn covered his face with his hands. "What?! Is it too much? Do I look ugly?!" Miyu asked, looking horrified. Glenn lowered his hands a bit but still covering his face. "No, you just look too cute," Glenn said. Miyu side-kicked his leg. "Ouch!" Glenn exclaimed. Miyu tried to look like she wasn''t happy with his compliment. "Let''s go," Miyu said going to the door. "Do you want to try something new?" Glenn asked, his eyes closed while smiling. It was his mischievous smiling face. "I''m not sure," Miyu said staring at him suspiciously. "It''s more enjoyable this way. Trust me," Glenn said. He offered her his hand. Miyu was still narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously but she took his hand anyway. Then he suddenly pulled her into a hug. Her eyes widened. Then before she knew what was happening, she was being carried out of her balcony princess style on his arms. "Eeeeeeeekkk!!!!" Glenn jumped down from the balcony and landed on the ground with Miyu gripping his collar tightly from fright. Glenn smiled in amusement. "It''s okay now," Glenn said. Miyu stood up shakily and her eyes teary while she glared at him. "Y-you . . . " Miyu stuttered, still shocked from being carried over the balcony and falling down from it. Glenn shrugged. "It''s not your first time. I carried you over the balcony when I brought you home when you were drunk and didn''t you jump from one before?" Miyu stomped on his foot with force. "Yeah, and I died! I like my life now so I''m really going to hate you if I don''t get to enjoy it because of your balcony stunt," Miyu said. "Sorry," Glenn said looking apologetic. Miyu sighed. "Should we get a carriage?" Miyu asked. "The weather is good though. We can just walk," Glenn said. Miyu nodded. "Hold hands?" Glenn asked offering his hand again. Miyu looked like she was going to attack him again. "No jumping. Just holding," Glenn said. "Fine. Just no sudden movements," Miyu said, taking his hand. "Yes, Ma''am!" "I hate you." "No, you don''t." STOMP "Ouch!" * * * "That''s the cake shop. I can go alone from here," Miyu said, letting go of Glenn''s hand. "You''re not taking me with you?" Glenn asked, pretending to look pitiful. "It''s going to be a ''girls only'' conversation. I can''t take you with me," Miyu said. "But what if she lashes out at you again? You need me so I can get you out of there even before her slap reaches your cheek," Glenn said. "I don''t think that will happen. She apologized to me, after all. I can take care of myself," Miyu said. "Alright. If you need help, just whistle. I''ll hear it from the wind," Glenn said. Miyu laughed. She tiptoed and ruffled his light green hair. "I''ll be okay. Don''t worry too much," Miyu said. Miyu left and went inside the cake shop. "I see that you and the new Saintess have a friendly relationship." Glenn turned and he wasn''t even surprised to see who it was. "Hello there, boy," Glenn said. "I think we need to talk," Lucien said. * * * Euphemia arrived early in the cake shop. She looked around curiously. There were several cute cakes on display. A cake covered in white frosting with strawberries on top, chocolate cake with chocolate balls on top, and several other cakes with fruits she wasn''t even familiar with. They must be fruits that could only be seen in this world. "A table for how many, Miss?" "Two please." Euphemia was directed to a table with two plush pink chairs. Around her were the lively chatters of young ladies, hanging out together while eating cake. Besides Ruby, she had not made another friend in Aderlan. She wasn''t really sure either how to hang out with Ruby who was a young lady from an aristocratic household. She knew that Ruby didn''t care much about social status but Euphemia still felt self-conscious about her actions. She didn''t want to embarrass Ruby in public or accidentally do something improper. She felt anxious and excited at the same time. If Miyu would become her friend, she''d be able to talk to Miyu normally because they came from the same world. Lucien was worried for their meeting so he tried to accompany her but she said she wanted to do this alone. Lucien was probably waiting for her outside in a coffee shop somewhere. JING! The cake shop''s door opened, and the sound of the bell attached to the door sounded. Euphemia looked up and saw that it was Miyu. She looked really cute. Miyu saw her and waved. "I''m with her," Miyu said to the waitress and went over to where Euphemia was sitting. "Hi! Sorry I''m late. It''s Glenn''s fault," Miyu said while taking a sit. "Glenn? Oh. Glenn Jade, right? The royal advisor?" Euphemia asked, remembering the strange green-haired man. "Yeah, he wasn''t helping me with my dress," Miyu said. Euphemia''s eyes widened. "Oh." Miyu''s eyes widened in realization. "Oh! I didn''t mean it in that way. He just bought me these bunch of dresses and he won''t help me choose which one to wear. That''s all." Euphemia nodded but looked unconvinced. "So, did you order already?" Miyu asked. "Oh, um not yet," Euphemia said. "I''ll order for us. Any allergies? Stuff you hate?" Miyu asked, getting up. "Um, no bitter stuff. That''s all," Euphemia said. "Got it. Be right back!" Miyu said and went to the cale display. Euphemia exhaled. She wasn''t used to this. Back in her original world, she didn''t have female friends because women considered her a rival for Matsuya Hiro''s affections. Euphemia wondered if Miyu had a lot of friends. She looked like she was comfortable in this kind of scenario. * * * Oh cr*p. Oh cra*p. Oh cr*p. Was she doing okay? Should she have offered to buy them cake? What if she gets the wrong flavor? Will the cake end up on her face? Miyu was freaking out. She never had a female friend. A real female friend. She didn''t want to mess this up. "Um, excuse me, dear customer, have you finished picking a cake? There are other customers behind you," a shop assistant said. It was no use thinking about this. She didn''t know her taste and she didn''t even know what the strange-looking fruits were. She was going to do this the Glenn way. "Give me one slice of every flavor you have that isn''t bitter," Miyu said. Chapter 78 - Mia And Miyu While they were waiting for the cake slices to be served to them . . . "Miyu, I want to apologize again. I''m really sorry for being so rude to you when we first met. I shouldn''t have screamed at you. I''m really sorry," Euphemia said. "Oh, it''s okay. I understand. I''m . . . sorry too. I must have made him misunderstand for being too nice. I''ll all part of the act though. Acting nice, talking in a cute way, and sometimes a certain fan would think you''re being extra nice to him which isn''t true at all. Still, I''m sorry for your death because of my fan," Miyu said. "What was Hiro like with you?" Euphemia asked. "Well, I didn''t really know him that well. I just remember his name because he''d go to all my fan events and he''d give me expensive gifts which I just give to Hanako," Miyu said. "Hanako?" Euphemia repeated. "She was my manager. I didn''t like the jewelries he gave and I didn''t want to wear a fan''s gift because I didn''t want rumors of me dating a fan to spread so I just gave them to Hanako. That ungrateful bit*h," Miyu said. Euphemia''s eyes widened in surprise. "Oops sorry. I think you were already here when my scandal happened. Hanako spread nude pictures of me and totally ruined my reputation so she''s a bit*h," Miyu said. "Omigosh," Euphemia gasped. Miyu shrugged. "I''m glad I''m here in Aderlan. It''s better than being dead." "If it''s okay with you, may I know how you died? Did Hiro murder you too?" Euphemia asked. "No. I killed myself. I was pretty much ruined anyway. I was starring in lewd movies which I really hated but I was too depressed to protest, my ex-boyfriend was getting married, I chased my ex-boyfriend and learned that he never really loved me, and then I learned of Hanako''s betrayal. It was just fuc*ing madness and I didn''t want to be in the same fuc*ing world they were in," Miyu said. "Oh," Euphemia could only say. "Sorry, am I cursing too much? This is the real me. I think you deserve to get the real me. Not the showbiz Miyu that you must have seen back in our world and also the persona I''m using here also so people won''t hate me," Miyu said. "I don''t think people will hate you for knowing the real you," Euphemia said. "No one likes a celebrity who curses too much," Miyu said. "Sometimes they do. Like Gordon Ramsay," Euphemia said, smiling. Miyu''s lips curved into a smile. "I''ll think about it. I''m still testing the waters here," Miyu said. "I think you''ll be just fine," Euphemia said warmly. "Um . . . do you miss our old world or are you happy here?" Miyu asked. "I''m happy. I like it better here actually. Back in our world, I was just a tool for my parents'' business transactions. I couldn''t break off my engagement with Hiro even though he was being violent with me because I would have nowhere to go or maybe that''s what just I thought. I must have become used to the abuse and I thought I couldn''t escape him even if I tried," Euphemia said. "He was violent with you?!" Miyu asked. Euphemia nodded. "That fuc*er!" Miyu said. "I became stronger when I got here. I decided that I would live the way I want and I won''t be forced by anyone anymore. I think this place gives us the opportunity to become the better version of ourselves," Euphemia said. "I heard from Glenn that you chose to be with a Duke rather than the prince. How''s the Duke treating you?" Miyu asked. Euphemia smiled and blushed, remembering what they just did at the kitchen. "He''s treating me really well. He''s been very kind. We''re . . . dating now, actually. Well, we started from a contract engagement but we''re umm . . . officially lovers now," Euphemia said, her cheeks still blushing. "Wow! Good for you! I''m so glad. If he does anything bad to you I''ll hit him for you. Oh, wait. I think those are our cakes. Oh. No. Oh. No. Wait. All of those?!" Miyu said her voice rising. * * * Euphemia didn''t know what kind of face she was making right now as a cake tower with different flavors was being assembled in front of her right now. Several curious customers were staring in awe too at the spectacle. It was like a cake exhibition. There were now six floors of cake slices on the table and her head felt woozy because it looked like there were going to be more cake levels. Euphemia looked at Miyu for help but Miyu was looking down with her eyes squeezed shut as if she was willing herself to disappear at that moment. Euphemia wanted to disappear too. "U-um, are there more cakes?" Euphemia asked, stopping a staff from putting another cake on the table. "Yes, Miss. Twenty more, I believe or was it thirty. I will have to check," the staff said. "No! You don''t need to! Just um, wrap up everything you haven''t put here yet and perhaps you could take the half of these too please? If you would be so kind. I''m afraid I almost can''t see my friend with this cake tower blocking our view," Euphemia said. "Of course, Miss," the staff said, sighing a bit because she had to painstakingly remove the cakes she had already placed on the table. After a while, they were left with a dozen cake slices on the table. "So, can you tell me what that was all about? I didn''t know that we were going to have a cake exhibit," Euphemia said smiling in amusement. "I''m so sorry!" Miyu said. "Maybe they made a mistake. How many did you order?" Euphemia asked. "I thought there were only seven cake flavors. I didn''t know they had like dozens of cakes in their storage. I''m really sorry!" Miyu said. "It''s fine. I''m sure it must be a mistake. You surely must not have told the staff to give you all of the flavors in the store, right?" Euphemia said, chuckling. Miyu paled. "Oh." "It''s Glenn''s fault. He''s a real big spender and I thought it was cool when he did it so I tried it too and now I''m regretting it a lot." Miyu looked so apologetic, Euphemia felt she was being too hard on her. "It''s alright. If you want, we can have it distributed to the crew," Euphemia said. "Crew? What crew?" Miyu asked. "The crew members who are part of my play and if you''re still interested, the crew that you will be a member of too," Euphemia said. Miyu''s eyes lit up. "Omigosh. Are you offering me a spot?" Miyu asked. Euphemia nodded smiling. "I brought the script with me. Tell me if you''re still interested after reading it or if you want some changes in your role," Euphemia said, handing her the script. Miyu was so delighted, her eyes quickly ran over the script, trying to speed read already. Euphemia started eating what looked like a peach mango cake. She closed her eyes, enjoying the delicious flavor. "I''ll take it," Miyu said suddenly. "Take what? Oh, do you want this cake too? Here, I''ll give you a slice," Euphemia said. "No, I mean the role. I''ll take it. I want to be the Moonlight Princess," Miyu said, grinning. Euphemia looked like she was in deep thought and stared at Miyu for a while. "If the spot is still available please," Miyu said. "Yes, it is but I would like to make some changes. What do you think of being the main character instead?" Euphemia said. "Isn''t the Moonlight Princess the main character here already?" Miyu asked. "Well, her screentime is really short. She''s more of an extra actually to make the Sun King learn about love. But what about the Moonlight Princess'' story? All we know is that she went missing and at the end, she''s getting married to a farmer. I think it''s time for her story to be told and you''re perfect for the role," Euphemia said. Miyu was surprised. "Are you sure? I mean, you don''t need to do this for me just because of umm . . . when you shouted at me. I really don''t mind now," Miyu said. "I''m not doing this to make amends. I believe that you''re a great actress and I would like everyone to see that," Euphemia said. It was true. She had watched Miyu''s films back when she was still in their original world and she could see why she had so many fans. Including her own fianc¨¦ who became crazy enough to kill her when he felt frustrated because he couldn''t marry Miyu. "Thank you. I''ll do my best!" Miyu said happily. "I''m sure you will. I''ll send you the new script once our writer finishes making it," Euphemia said. "Yes, please. Thank you," Miyu said. "I''m sorry. This became like a business transaction. I''m not used to this. I don''t usually hang out with girls my age even back in our world," Euphemia said feeling quite embarrassed. "It''s okay. Me too. What do girls usually talk about, anyway?" Miyu asked while taking a bite on a cake. "Um . . . boys, tv shows, makeup?" Euphemia said looking unsure. "So what''s your hobby?" Miyu asked. "Watching anime and imagining that I was going to make my own in the future. There''s no anime here so I''m stuck with making a play but I like it," Euphemia said. "We''re back to talking about work. We should talk about boys. So, tell me about yours. Why did you choose the Duke instead of the prince?" Miyu asked eagerly. Chapter 79 - Wait, Theyre Evil?! Euphemia smiled like she was remembering something nostalgic. "Well, first all of all, the prince isn''t my type. I''m not into blonde haired princes. I''m more into dashing black-haired villains," Euphemia said. Miyu laughed. "Secondly, I felt sad for Lucien when I read his story in the webnovel. I just had this feeling that he wouldn''t kill his own mother and I didn''t want to stay with the prince. The Saintess in the webnovel died in the story even though she was with the prince, so why should I choose him? He must not have protected her enough. I didn''t want to have the same fate as the Saintess in the story so I chose a different route. I went with the villain and he isn''t really a villain. He''s the kindest person I''ve ever met," Euphemia said. "Wait . . . You read about him from a webnovel? I think I''m missing something here," Miyu said, confused. "Are you saying you haven''t read Taming the Saintess?" Euphemia asked. "No. I''ve never even heard of that," Miyu said. "You got reincarnated here but you weren''t even a reader?!" Euphemia exclaimed. "What? I don''t understand. What are you talking about?" Miyu asked. "I read about this world before coming here from a webnovel. It was called Taming the Saintess and the characters'' names are similar with the people here," Euphemia said. "Really? So, it''s like you read the cheat sheet already. So, who''s Glenn? Is he really just a royal advisor?" Miyu asked curiously. Euphemia sighed. "It wasn''t really reliable. In the webnovel, Lucien was the villain in the story and the prince was the main lead. But everything is in reverse here. Lucien isn''t a villain. He didn''t kill his mother. It was the queen who did that. The prince is an as*hole who held me captive in the palace and he was even forcing me to marry him," Euphemia said. "He what?!" Miyu exclaimed. "Oh. I should have warned you. The prince and his mother are insane. Never ever sign something here in Aderlan. They might try to enslave you and you''ll be married off to that pri*k of a prince," Euphemia said. "Insane? Enslave?! Wait, they''re evil?!" Miyu was shocked. Euphemia nodded. "The queen has the power to enslave someone with something you have signed your name with. I''m not sure if it''s the paper or if she does something evil with your signature but be careful. I actually want to advise you to get out of the palace as soon as you can but it''s your decision. I can''t stop you if you like living in the palace," Euphemia said. "I . . . see. I''ll take your words into account. Thank you for telling me," Miyu said feeling overwhelmed. Euphemia smiled warmly then remembered something and her smile vanished. "Has the Queen forced you into healing someone?" Euphemia asked. Glenn tried to do that but she couldn''t heal him and it was fortunate that Glenn could heal himself. "No, the Queen didn''t try to force me to heal anyone. Why?" Miyu asked. "She did that to me and well . . . when I heal someone, the pain transfers to me. You haven''t tried it yet, have you?" Euphemia asked. "I . . . did. Glenn injured himse- ahem. I mean, Glenn was injured but it didn''t work. I''m not sure if I''m even a Saintess at all. I don''t have healing powers like you do. I might just be a normal person," Miyu said. Euphemia cocked her head sideways. "I doubt that you don''t have any powers. It must be something different then. I advise for you not to tell anyone else of that. You might be in grave danger. Who else knows?" Euphemia asked. "Just Glenn. He''s the only one who knows I can''t heal," Miyu said. "Is he trustworthy?" Euphemia asked. * * * Meanwhile, in a coffee shop just across the street from where the two ladies were conversing . . . "You look worried, boy. I''m not going to bite," Glenn said, smirking in amusement. Lucien narrowed his eyes at him. A flicker of gold. A warning? Or perhaps a brewing temper that he wasn''t able to control for a second. Curious eyes were upon them. From female onlookers walking by the window and waitresses who had the rare moment to sight two handsome men together in the same table. Despite Lucien''s intimidating aura and his usual black attire, one could see his obvious handsomeness. His silky black hair, his ivory skin, his perfectly sculpted jawline, those broad shoulders, and that intense stare with his emerald green eyes. He was like a dangerous black cat that was out in display. Out in the wild. The other gentleman was also handsome in his own way with none of the scary aura that Lucien had. He had an easy air about him. It was like strolling in the middle of the woods and admiring the beauty while in it. He had long green hair that reached his waist, he had light green eyes, and a smile on his lips that always seemed to be amused on something. "So, who are you?" Lucien asked. "You forget easily. I''ve introduced myself to you. My name is Glenn Jade," Glenn said, obviously enjoying teasing the very serious Duke. "No, not your name. Who are you? Why are you with the new Saintess? Are you using her? No. Don''t tell me. I don''t really care about that. I want to know if you''re a threat to Euphemia," Lucien said. For some reason, he didn''t mention her nickname. He felt that he didn''t want this man to hear the nickname he calls her with. Glenn looked like he was about to laugh but he only grinned wider. "Of course, you only care about your Saintess. You have no care for the throne, for your reputation, or anyone else for the matter. All you care about is your lady. Am I right?" Glenn asked. Lucien was starting to lose his patience. "How do you know about the throne? I presume that hareful prince and that mother of hers didn''t tell you about that. They won''t breathe a soul about this if that would make them stay longer in that accursed palace of theirs. So, tell me. Who the hell are you?" Lucien asked. Glenn shrugged. "Will you not even take a guess? Where''s the fun in that?" Lucien gritted his teeth. "Are you a threat?" Lucien asked. Glenn tilted his head to the side. "It depends. You really should phrase your questions more specifically, boy," Glenn said. "Fine. Are you a threat to Euphemia?" Lucien asked. "No. I have no interest in her. If I had, I would have appeared in front of her the very first day she appeared in that temple," Glenn said. "Then why the interest on the new Saintess?" Lucien asked. Glenn raised an eyebrow. "I can''t give away all my secrets to you when we''re not even friends, boy," Glenn said. "The way you talk . . . No, the way you call me you sound like . . ." Lucien trailed off. Glenn snickered then he looked outside the window. "The ladies are going outside. They must have finished talking," Glenn said, getting up. "Hold on. You haven''t answered my questions," Lucien said. "I told you that I''m not a threat to your Saintess. That''s enough, isn''t it? I don''t think it will benefit either of us if I tell you my secrets so no, I won''t tell you," Glenn said. * * * "Lady Euphemia, I trust that you have treated Miyu well," Glenn said, smiling and putting his arm around Miyu''s shoulder. Miyu chuckled in amusement. "It was actually Miyu who treated me well. She bought all of the cakes in the store. She said she got that idea from you," Euphemia said. Miyu''s eyes widened in shock then turned to Glenn. "I''m sorry. I didn''t kno-" "Good job! That''s the right way to spend money. No need to worry. I hope you left some cake for me too," Glenn said, ruffling Miyu''s hair. Miyu nodded. "They''re going to have all the cakes delivered. I reserved some cakes for you. We can eat it in my room," Miyu said. "Good girl," Glenn grinned. Euphemia couldn''t help but smile at the two of them. They looked so cute together. "We shall be off then," Lucien said, holding Euphemia''s hand. "It was so nice to meet you. Let''s hang out again next time, okay? Oh, wait. What should I call you? Do you prefer Lady Euphemia?" Miyu asked. "Mia is fine," Euphemia said. Miyu was the only one she had a connection with from her old world in Aderlan anyway. "Thank you so much for the role. I''m so excited for the play!" Miyu said. "I''ll reach you again when I have the new script," Euphemia said. They said their goodbyes and went on their separate ways. * * * While walking back to the palace . . . "So, what did you think of the other Saintess?" Glenn asked. "Hmm . . . She''s prim and proper," Miyu said with her finger under her chin in a thinking manner. "Heh . . . unlike you, huh?" Glenn asked with a grin. STOMP! "Ouch!" "I''m prim and proper too," Miyu said. "Right . . . " Glenn said with an unconvinced face while he casted healing magic on his foot. "She told me some things about the prince and the queen," Miyu said. Chapter 80 - Affection "Do tell me," Glenn said. "She said that the prince tried to force her to marry him and the queen has the power to enslave someone if you sign something she gave," Miyu said. "You sound skeptical," Glenn said. "No, I''m just not sure what to do," Miyu said. "You said you wanted to be an actress again," Glenn said. "Yes, but I mean should I leave the palace now? They haven''t been mean to me yet. Not that I''m waiting for them to be mean but then where do I go? I don''t have any relatives here. I don''t want to live with Mia. We''re not that close yet and she didn''t actually offer to let me stay with her in case I move out of the palace," Miyu said. "I offered," Glenn said. Miyu smiled a bit. "Yeah but I don''t want to impose on you that much. You can''t exactly just let a girl stay in your house and expect for nothing to change. People would talk about you and you''d never get a girlfriend if you keep on spoiling me rotten," Miyu said. "What''s a girlfriend?" Glenn asked. "Oh. You don''t use that term here? Well um . . . a lover! I think that''s the term Mia used. A girlfriend is someone you spend your time with because you like her a lot and someone you do romantic things with like kissing. So, if you let me stay in your place, all the girls will think you''re taken already and they won''t try to approach you! Well, the good ones won''t. Anyway, your bachelor image will be ruined," Miyu said with a serious face. Glenn laughed. Miyu frowned at him. "I don''t have a bachelor image. Only few people even know who I am and what they know of me might only be just my name and what I say I am. I don''t need to uphold any reputation. I don''t want any other ladies approaching me either and about the ''girlfriend'' worry that you have, aren''t you the definition of that already?" Glenn said grinning at her. Miyu blushed. "It doesn''t work that way. I''m not your girlfriend," Miyu muttered. "Then you should teach me. I do not know how it works in your world," Glenn said. "You should be the one teaching me," Miyu said. Glenn shrugged. "We can teach other. Anyway, you don''t have to decide now. My offer still stands," Glenn said. "But what if they do try something on me like Mia warned and I end up regretting it because I should have escaped when I could," Miyu said looking troubled. Glenn put his arm around her shoulder. "You have me. They can''t do anything to you. If you want to stay in the palace for now, stay. Enjoy your palace life and when you get sick of it or if they do try to harm you, I can whisk you away to my lair," Glenn said. Miyu laughed. "Do you prefer the palace gates or the wall?" Glenn asked. The two of them had now reached the palace walls after walking for a while. "I . . . usually prefer to enter the premises in a normal way but your way is faster and the cakes might already be there in my room," Miyu said. "Hold on tight," Glenn said. Glenn carried her princess-style again with Miyu''s arms looped around his neck and her face buried on his shoulder. Glenn leaped up the palace wall. Miyu''s breathing hitched as she felt that they were on air already. Then she felt him descending and she buried her face even more on his shoulder. She smelled the scent of flowers. They must be in the palace garden now which was just outside her window. She opened her eyes and admired the garden surrounding her then she looked up and . . . admired Glenn''s face. "I''m going to jump again," Glenn said. Miyu nodded and buried her face on Glenn''s shoulder again. Glenn leapt. Miyu opened her eyes slowly. It was like he was flying. Then he landed gracefully inside her balcony. There were cakes already inside Miyu''s room and they sat on the chairs with a round table between them. "Didn''t you eat cakes already earlier?" Glenn asked, eyeing Miyu in amusement as she gobbled up a strawberry cheesecake. "Nah. We talked more than we ate. Here. Try some of this," Miyu said and raised her fork to Glenn. Glenn was momentarily surprised but he leaned in and ate the slice on her fork. "Mmm . . . That''s good," Glenn said. "So what did you boys talk about?" Miyu asked. "Nothing much. Well, the boy obviously mistrusts me but his only concern was if I''m a threat to his beloved Saintess," Glenn said. "And are you?" Miyu asked in between chewing. "No. I don''t have any interest in her at all," Glenn said with a shrug. "And you only have interest in the second Saintess?" Miyu asked, still chewing. "Exactly," Glenn said and winked at her. "So what do you get for being so nice to me?" Miyu asked, tilting her head to the side. "Your company," Glenn said smiling. Miyu raised an eyebrow. "You must be a masochist then. I''m not into that," Miyu said. "That''s what you say," Glenn said and winked. Miyu glared at him. "See this fork?" Glenn chuckled. "You can''t expect me to never be curious. You know, Mia even asked me if you''re trustworthy," Miyu said. "What did you say?" Glenn asked. "I told her that''s for you to prove," Miyu said. "Yes, you''re right about that," Glenn said and offered a cake piece to Miyu with his fork. Miyu opened her mouth and ate the cake from his fork. "If you ever hurt me, you''re never going to see me again," Miyu said with a finality in her tone. "I won''t ever hurt you. I''ve been waiting for you for a long . . . long . . . time," Glenn said softly. * * * Hansel had been extremely busy in preparing for his master''s winter expedition to find Sylvia. He ordered non-perishable food stock, camping items, winter clothes, and he personally looked for strong horses that would be able to withstand the icy cold winds of White Peaks. Hansel was the only servant going with Lucien and Euphemia as the whereabouts of Sylvia must be kept a secret. He had never met Sylvia himself but he knew who she was to Lucien. "Here, Sir. Is this satisfactory for you?" A thin old man with a long gray goatee wearing a simple black and white suit asked. Hansel inspected the item for a while. Turning it over in his fingers and even raising it up a bit to see how it looked when it''s against the light. The shop owner waited nervously. Hansel smiled. "Yes, it''s good. Here''s my payment," Hansel said. The shop owner smiled widely as he received a pouch full of gold coins. "Sir, I believe this is too much. You have overpaid. Let me give you the excess," the shop owner said. "No, it''s fine. You did a great job. Keep all of that," Hansel said. The shop owner looked at Hansel with utter gratefulness. "I thought you were busy but you''re just shopping." Hansel turned, already knowing who it was. "My lady," Hansel said. Rubiella glared at him. "You haven''t even written me a letter at all or visited me! I''ve heard from shopkeepers that you''re going on an expedition this winter and you haven''t even told me!" Rubiella said, her voice rising. The shop owner looked at the two of them nervously. "My lady, I apologize. Let me explain. Let''s go outside first," Hansel said. "No! You cannot tell me what to do after ignoring me for days. After what you did to me! Shame on you!" Rubiella said angrily. Hansel had a pained expression on his face. She was right though. He had not contacted her for days and he had thrown himself in his work. "I''m sorry. Please. Can we talk first? Privately?" Hansel asked. Rubiella glared at him. Hansel looked at her earnestly. Rubiella gritted her teeth. "Please, my lady?" Hansel pleaded. "Fine," Rubiella said and whirled around angrily. She couldn''t resist his face. Argh. Even with those eyeglasses and his hair tied up, he was still so freaking handsome. * * * Rubiella and Hansel went to a nearby park. They found a bench with no other people around which was under a tree shade. "Begin talking," Rubiella said, still angry. "There is no excuse for my poor actions. I was incredibly busy with preparing and I know it shouldn''t be an excuse. I should have wrote you or met with you again. I do apologize and I hope you still believe my affection for you is true," Hansel said. "Affection?" Rubiella repeated. "Yes, you are very precious to me. You have my heart, my lady," Hansel said. Rubiella blushed at the cheesy lines he was saying. "And if you do this again?" Rubiella asked, raising an eyebrow. "Feel free to stab my heart," Hansel said. Rubiella laughed. "Are you no longer angry, my lady?" Hansel asked with a hoping look. "Not anymore. You do have to make it up to me though. Could you bring me back a gift from your expedition?" Rubiella asked. "Certainly, my lady. But would you like to accept one now?" Hansel asked. Hansel pulled out a small black box from his coat pocket. Chapter 81 - A Peeping Lady Rubiella''s heart pounded loudly. She could her own heart beating in her ears. Hansel gave her a gentle smile and opened the small black box. Oh. Rubiella''s eyes opened wide in surprise. It wasn''t a ring which she had expected. But it was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen in her life. The pendant was shaped into a heart with gold and in its center were two gems - an emerald and a ruby. Rubiella smiled. The emerald was a vivid dark green just like his eyes and the ruby obviously symbolized her. At the bottom of the two gems was a small diamond. Diamonds were very expensive because the closest diamond mine was five kingdoms away thus making it a very expensive and rare commodity. "You have my heart, my lady," Hansel said. Rubiella couldn''t help but smile widely. "This is so beautiful. How much does this cost?!" Rubiella exclaimed. "A gentleman never tells," Hansel said. "It''s not my birthday. What''s the special occasion?" Rubiella asked. "I just want to show you how special you are to me. I hope you may think of this as my heart that is always with you even when I am away," Hansel said. "I''ve been planning to be mad at you for a longer time but you just had to give me something like this," Rubiella said. Hansel chuckled. "May I put it on you?" Hansel asked. Rubiella nodded. Hansel took out the necklace from the box. The gold chain was thin and delicate-looking which Hansel picked out on purpose so as to draw more attention to the pendant. Hansel put on the necklace on Rubiella and looked at her with fondness afterwards. It suited her perfectly. Her red hair contrasted nicely against the ruby and emerald pendant. "This must have costed you so much," Rubiella said, touching the pendant. "It was well worth it to see your smile, my lady," Hansel said. Rubiella blushed. "Thank you. I love it," Rubiella said. Hansel leaned forward and whispered to her ear, "And I love you." Rubiella gasped. Her hands flew to cover her mouth in shock. "Are you that horrified, my lady?" Hansel asked in a joking tone but there was a fraction of a worry on his face. "No, no. How could I be horrified? I mean, are you perfectly sure? You love me?" Rubiella asked. "Yes, I do. I love you, my lady," Hansel said. "You really do? I know that you like me and I do like you too but do you really love me?" Rubiella asked. "I love you just as much as I know that the sun would rise again the next morning. I would love to wake up every morning with you by my side," Hansel said. Rubiella touched his cheek. "Last question. Are you perfectly sure that you love me?" Rubiella asked. "I am perfectly sure, my lady. I have fallen with the most beautiful woman in the world and that is you," Hansel said. "No taking that back," Rubiella whispered, her face close to his. "I would not dare," Hansel said. "If you break my heart, Annie will hunt you down and feed you to the dogs," Rubiella said. "You have dogs, my lady?" Hansel asked. "No, but I''ll buy some rabid dogs and have them eat you piece by piece per every piece of my broken heart," Rubiella said. "Your heart shall not be broken. I will make sure of that, my lady. You have my word," Hansel said. "And I have you?" Rubiella asked. "Yes. You have me," Hansel said. Rubiella took off his eyeglasses, revealing his vibrant emerald green eyes. She slowly removed the metal clasp wrapped around his hair. His light brown hair cascaded down his shoulders. "I love you. I think I must have fallen for you the day you saved me. I didn''t know who you were but when you left, you took my heart with you. You''ve had it. Ever since that day," Rubiella said. "I do not deserve you but I cannot stop my feelings for you," Hansel said. Rubiella tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear. "No, that''s not true. I think we suit each other really well," Rubiella said. "Will you wait for me, my lady?" Hansel asked. Rubiella titled her head to the side. "Will you wait for me to be worthy of you?" Hansel asked with an earnest expression. Rubiella smiled. "You already are but take as much time as you need. I have a feeling that you''re preparing something." Hansel smiled in relief. "Yes, I am," Hansel said. Rubiella hugged Hansel, burying her face on the crook of his neck. Hansel put his arms around her and planted a kiss on top of her head. * * * Meanwhile, a curious onlooker had been observing them for a while now. Her name was Vyen Sallow. She was a daughter of a minor baron and she knew Rubiella''s mother, Rosietta. Vyen was by no means Rosietta''s friend. In fact, Vyen hated Rosietta with a passion. Rosietta had flaming red hair which her daughter inherited. But despite the color of her hair, she was confident and comfortable with her looks. She was really beautiful and friendly. Even Celestinia, who they didn''t know would be the future queen back then, even became Rosietta''s best friend. Vyen hated Rosietta''s easy-going personality. The effortless way she was able to get people to like her irked Vyen. And she must have known that Celestinia was going to be the future queen of Aderlan! She must have somehow planned to befriend her and then set up the marriage of their children! Vyen insisted that was the case but no one believed her. Vyen gritted her teeth at the sight of Rosietta''s daughter with an unknown man hugging in the park. The horror! Well, they were in quite a secluded area and there were no other people passing by. She actually got lost in the park so it was by pure chance that she saw the intimacy between the two. But still! They''re in broad daylight! A proper lady shouldn''t even touch hands with a gentleman without gloves in public but Rosietta''s daughter is hugging this . . . handsome stranger in the park! Vyen was a very rigid woman whose life was structured within society''s rules and she lived for those rules. Everything about her was proper. Her dress was sensible with no ounce of personality, her gloves were up to her elbows, and her hair was tied in an up do which was as tight as her personality. Who was that man anyway? She peered behind a tree, hiding herself from their view. He was well-dressed. Obviously, a noble but how rich? She looked at the necklace Rubiella was wearing. Oh my! Even in the distance she could clearly see the gems shining brilliantly under the sunlight. A ruby, an emerald, and is that a diamond?! This must be a very wealthy gentleman! The two were talking pleasantly and laughing together. The young man''s face smiled fondly at Rubiella. What a very handsome man! A proper gentleman must not have hair at that length but my, my, my, one must make an exception for this young man. It would be such a waste to cut off that beautiful hair of his. And those eyes! How curious. They''re so vividly green. Such a rare color. She was almost positive it was identical to that infamous Duke of Ashburn''s eyes but that would be preposterous. The young man suddenly directed his gaze at her sharply. She almost gasped from surprise. He looked at her with a steely gaze and then got up. "Hansel? Where are you going?" Rubiella asked. "Please wait here, my lady. I think I saw a vermin behind this tree," Hansel said. "Leave it! That''s disgusting," Rubiella said. Vyen''s palms sweated as her heart pounded nervously. "Let me just shoo it away, my lady. We wouldn''t want it to follow us back," Hansel said with a pleasant tone but his cold gaze was still directed at her. "Hello there, Madam. May I know why you were spying on us? Your life might depend on your answer," Hansel said while still smiling like he was just making a friendly greeting. "I w-wasn''t spying! I just got um lost, I mean, I was taking a walk here and I just happened to see the young lady. I knew her mother and I was wondering if I should greet her or not but I saw that the two of you were busy. It''s best that I leave now," Vyen said uneasily. "No, no, Madam. You may greet my lady now," Hansel insisted. He took ahold of her gloved elbow and pulled her out behind the tree. His grip didn''t hurt but she wasn''t able to get out of his grip either. "My lady, do you know this madam?" Hansel asked, presenting Vyen in front of Rubiella who was still sitting on the bench. Rubiella cocked her head to the side. "No, I don''t think so. Who are you?" Rubiella asked. "I . . . I was your mother''s friend!" Vyen said in a panic. For some reason, she felt scared of this mysterious handsome man. She just couldn''t figure out why. Chapter 82 - Caught By Her Father?! "Oh! It''s so nice to meet you. I''m sorry I don''t remember seeing you before. May I know your name?" Rubiella asked. She was delighted because she had always wanted to know more about her mother. Her father never talked about her and she couldn''t just ask the queen about her mother. "My name is Lady Vyen Sallow. Could you please tell your lover to unhand me?" "Oh. I don''t think she''s dangerous. You can let go of her," Rubiella said to Hansel. "As you wish, my lady," Hansel said and abruptly let go of Vyen which made her almost lose her balance. "S-such rudeness! Who is this man?! I am sure your mother would not have approved of this kind of treatment to an innocent lady like me," Vyen said. That was a lie. Vyen was far from innocent and Rubiella''s mother was a very kind person. Rubiella frowned at her. "You wouldn''t know that. She isn''t here to tell us her opinion so I do not think you should put words in her mouth," Rubiella said, glaring at Vyen. Vyen crossed her arms and turned to Hansel. "Who are you? I haven''t seen you in any of the society balls," Vyen said with an unapproving tone. "Let''s leave. You don''t need to answer her," Rubiella said and got up to leave. Rubiella sensed that this woman wasn''t really her mother''s friend. She was probably just looking for something to gossip about. How unpleasant. This was why she wasn''t fond of going around social circles. "Wait! Does your father know about this? Your status is low in society but you are still a noble. You shouldn''t let his looks delude you into thinking that you are free to do anything you want. Young people these days. Tsk. Tsk. So improper," Vyen said. Rubiella gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. "Hansel, can you shut her up for me? Scare her a bit?" Rubiella whispered. Their backs were turned to Vyen and they were already leaving but the unpleasant woman was still babbling about proper decorum and social status. "Gladly, my lady," Hansel said. Hansel took a butter knife from his coat coat pocket and tossed it in the air backwards. "What th- Eeeeeekkk!" The knife landed on Vyen''s hair up do and tore off the ribbon supporting it. Vyen''s unremarkable blonde hair spilled down her shoulders in a dissaray. "I recommend that you no longer associate yourself with us, Madam," Hansel said with a smile. Rubiella and Hansel left the park, leaving a very shocked woman with messy hair. * * * Vyen Sallow went on to tell everyone she knew, even people she didn''t particularly like, or people who didn''t like her back about Rubiella''s secret lover. The viscount''s only daughter having a lurid affair with a stranger in the park. The horror, isn''t it?! People weren''t really that horrified. Most of them didn''t know Rubiella anyway. They knew her mother, Lady Rosietta. But the daughter did not inherit her mother''s confidence and she wasn''t active in society. She didn''t attend tea parties or balls for the coming-of-age parties of ladies her age. She was in fact, a recluse of society. The people talked anyway. People did that. No matter how trivial the matter is if one could make it sound shocking, it would be the talk of the town for a day or two. "Who was Rosietta''s daughter?" "She is called Rubiella I heard. Red-haired with long ridiculous curls Lady Vyen said" "Never heard of her." "Me too. She must look like her mother then. You know, the same hair." "Lady Vyen said Rubiella''s lover attacked her." "Good gracious! Lady Vyen must be right then. He must be a commoner! A noble would not attack a lady out of nowhere." "Perhaps Rubiella was just taken hostage by that commoner?" "No, I heard they were doing the dirty in the park. Scandalous, isn''t it?!" "Oh my. Is Lord Summers going to have a grandchild that was conceived in the park? How absolutely mortifying!" Such things were the talk of the ton and such as with the nature of gossip, it twisted into the most ridiculous of tales that one wouldn''t even be able to fathom what the truth was anymore. * * * "RU-BI-E-LAAAAAAAAA!" Lord Edward bellowed. His angry voice carried out of the study and reached Rubiella from her room. "Father. He''s angry," Rubiella said. "I believe so too, My Lady," Annie said. The two of them were arranging Rubiella''s dresses in the order of purest to most seductive. Why arrange by color when you can arrange by the type of girl you want to be for the day instead? "Should I escape from the window?" Rubiella asked, sorely tempted to make her usual escape out of the mansion. "RUBIELLA! COME DOWN THIS INSTANT!" "I advise not to, My Lady. I think he''s mighty angry right now and it might be better if you try to hear him out first," Annie said. "Right. Could you prepare an evening dress for me then? I have a feeling I won''t be served dinner in this house and I might have to go to out this evening," Rubiella said. "As you wish, My Lady. The green dress, is it? The one with the plunging neckline. To show off your gorgeous necklace, of course," Annie asked. "THE NEXT TIME I SHOUT, I''LL DISOWN YOU!" "Yes, the green one. Thanks, Annie, you''re a gem," Rubiella said and ran down the stairs to go to her angry father''s study. "Father! I see that you are well," Rubiella said. "No, I am not! Do you see what I have here?" Lord Edward said, scrunching up a newspaper in his fists. "I''m not quite sure but judging from the grayness of the paper, I think it''s a newspaper. Shall I dispose of that for you, Father?" Rubiella asked trying to sound cheerful and helpful at the same time. "You shall not! What I''m holding here is trash. A tabloid! Do you know why I am reading this trash, Rubiella?" Her father yelled. "There must be something of interest written in the tabloid that caught your attention?" Rubiella guessed. "Right, you are. Such cleverness yet such hell of a foolishness you displayed for everyone to know. Read it!" Lord Edward said. Rubiella unfolded the scrunched up tabloid carefully and began to read. "Summer Heiress Has a Secret Affair With A Criminal Commoner," Rubiella read out loud. "Keep reading," her father said. "An anonymous source reported that Lady Red (the alias we have given for the Summer Heiress) was engaged in a very scandalous act in a park. Lady Red''s lover saw our anonymous source and interrogated her in the most improper way. Lady Red''s lover is of mysterious origin as his face has not been seen in social circles therefore he must be a commoner. With Lady Red''s command, her commoner lover attacked our anonymous source with a knife. It is only with God''s grace that our anonymous source escaped with her life and lived to tell the tale," Rubiella finished reading. "Well?" Her father prompted. "This is ridiculous! Father, this is utter nonsense! You are right. This is trash. I shall dispose of this for you and I shall tell the servants to not give you another tabloid again," Rubiella said. "Answer me first! Do you have a lover?" Lord Edward asked, fuming with rage. Rubiella tensed up. Should she lie? But she didn''t want to keep seeing Hansel secretly. "Yes, Father but the rest of the article is nonsense," Rubiella said. "Which part exactly is nonsense? The part where it said you were behaving in an unacceptable manner in the park? Or is it the part where you had your commoner lover attack the one who witnessed you?" Lord Edward asked. "All of those. Now, if you will excuse me, Father. I shall speak with the liar who spread this ridiculous story," Rubiella said. Lord Edward sighed. He suddenly felt old and weary. "Tell me. Is he a commoner?" Her father asked. Rubiella bit on her upper lip and gulped. Her father was never going to approve of their relationship if she tells him that he''s a butler. A little white lie won''t do much harm, right? They can cross the river when they get there. "He''s a noble, Father. It''s true that he doesn''t show himself to the social circles but it''s because he doesn''t like all the attention," Rubiella said. Her father narrowed his eyes at her. "His family line. What is it called?" Lord Edward asked. Rubeilla could feel her cold sweat running down her back. "Griffin, Father. May I please take my leave now? I believe he must be truly distressed right now with this news full of lies," Rubiella said. Her father nodded. Rubiella was about to leave the room when he suddenly spoke. "That necklace. Did he give that to you?" Lord Edward asked. Rubiella smiled. "Yes, Father. It''s so beautiful, isn''t it? See the gems? A ruby, an emerald, and a diamond. I''ve never seen anything like it," Rubiella said. Her father nodded. His face deep in thought. "Bring that lad to me as soon as possible. I want to meet him and see for myself if he is worthy of you," Lord Edward said. "Yes, Father," Rubiella said. Rubiella went back to her room. Her green dress was splayed out on her bed already ready for her to wear. Now, how would she tell Hansel that she needed him to act as a noble to gain her father''s approval? Chapter 83 - Noble Rubiella wore the green dress. It made her think of his emerald eyes that he was hiding behind his eyeglasses. It also had that dipping neckline which was perfect for her necklace and also for . . . other purposes. There was a knock on her door. "My lady, it''s me." Hansel! She looked at the mirror again and ran her fingers over her curls. A tangle. Another tangle. "My lady?" Argh! To hell with it. "Hansel! Come in" Rubiella said, beaming at him. "You look like a fairy queen, my lady," Hansel said. Rubiella chuckled. He was so romantic with his words. Not that she didn''t like it. She liked it a lot actually. "Then you must be the nobleman who got lost in the woods and accidentally met the fairy queen," Rubiella said. He did look like a noble man. His light brown hair was let down on his shoulders and his suit was impeccable too. He was wearing an inner white buttoned shirt, a gray buttoned vest, a dark green tie, a black coat, and black pants. No one would mistake him for a butler. She remembered her conversation with her father. He should be able to pull it off, right? Pretend to be a noble man, get his approval to continue seeing her, and if all else fails, she would just elope with Hansel. Simple, right? "You''re wearing it," Hansel said, obviously pleased. He touched her pendant, his fingers touching her skin lightly. Then he let go. Tsk. He wanted to feel his touch more. "Shall we be off then, my lady?" Hansel asked. "Where are we going?" Rubiella asked. "I . . . actually have something different planned for our dinner tonight. I . . . hope my lady is pleased with it," Hansel said, adjusting his tie nervously. "Oh. I am sure I would like it. I''m with you after all," Rubiella said. Hansel gave her a nervous smile. Rubiella felt excited. He must have planned a surprise for her. * * * The two hailed a carriage and arrived in front of a house. She was unfamiliar with the place. Well, she was unfamiliar with a lot of places anyway because she never got out much and the only house she had visited was the house Euphemia was living in with the Duke. It wasn''t a small house but it wasn''t a mansion either. Lanterns had been laid out on the lawn and she could see that it was a nice-looking house even in the darkness. It had several flowers planted in front, trees, and the house itself was painted in white mixed with red wood. "Are we visiting someone?" Rubiella asked. Hansel just smiled at her and opened the gate. Rubiella looked around curiously. There were no servants to greet them. How strange. Hansel opened the door without even knocking first. Rubiella quietly followed him inside. The place was well-lit. The chandelier above them illuminated their surroundings and Rubiella could see that the inside of the house looked nice as well. There were no luxurious paintings but there were vases full of fresh roses. It made the hallway smell of flowers. "Where are we, Hansel?" Rubiella asked. "I think you should sit first," Hansel said. Hansel led her to the dining room. There were no owners of the house waiting for them there. There were only dishes covered with metal covers on the table. Hansel removed them one-by-one and Rubiella was surprised to see her favorite dishes on the table. "Hansel, what is this?" Rubiella asked, utterly confused. He pulled out a chair for her and she sat down. Hansel sat down on the chair beside her. "My lady, welcome to my house," Hansel said. * * * "Oh!" Rubiella exclaimed. She looked around. Taking in her surroundings with fresh eyes. The red roses, her favorite dishes, and the simple elegance of it all. "I didn''t know that you have your own . . . This looks amazing, Hansel!" Rubiella said. Hansel chuckled. "I hope it is to your liking, my lady," Hansel said. "It is! I should have known. The roses must be a clue and I didn''t figure it out. This is amazing! You have your own house!" Rubiella said. It was really rare for a commoner to have his own house. Even those who had enough savings could only afford to rent. "It was the king who gave me this house when he took me from the orphanage. He said this is his payment for my loyalty to Master Lucien but I never saw the need to tend to this house. I was going to just sell it but it slipped my mind all this time," Hansel said. "It looks really nice. It doesn''t look like it slipped your mind at all," Rubiella said in marvel. "It''s just recently that I have been going here to have it fixed and cleaned up," Hansel said looking a bit shy. Rubiella titled her head. "Why? What motivated you to have it fixed?" Rubiella asked. "You, my lady," Hansel said. "Oh," Rubiella said. He leaned close to her and tucked in a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You make me wish to be a better man so I can be worthy of you," Hansel said. "You are. You are already enough for me," Rubiella said. She closed her eyes . . . waiting for the feeling of his lips on her but then . . . GUUUURRRR Rubiella''s eyes flew open. Her cheeks were aflame. Her stomach just made a ridiculously loud sound and ruined the moment. Hansel chuckled. "Let''s eat, my lady?" Hansel asked. Rubiella nodded. The meals were delicious and Rubiella enjoyed it a lot. Hansel must have been so busy in preparing his house so he could show it to her. He even cooked for her. What else could a girl ask for? Oh. Right. Her father''s approval. "Um, Hansel. I . . . have something to ask of you," Rubiella said and wiped her lips with a napkin as she had already finished eating. "Yes, my lady?" Hansel asked. "Um . . . well, my father, he heard of the rumors of me seeing a commoner . . ." "Ah. That tabloid. Tsk. I should have disposed of that writer instead of letting him off with a warning," Hansel muttered. "What?!" "Nothing, my lady. Please continue with what you were saying," Hansel beamed at her. Rubiella narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously but she continued. "He wishes to meet you and I told him that you''re . . ." Rubiella trailed off. "A butler?" "A noble." "Oh. I see," Hansel said nodding slowly. "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have lied but I just said it in the heat of the moment because I was protecting your honor. I didn''t want him believing those things he read in the tabloid," Rubiella said. "It''s alright, my lady. You do not need to apologize," Hansel said. "He wishes to meet you. You would have to pretend to be a noble. A reclusive noble who hasn''t shown himself to society which is why no one knows of you and you happen to be the Duke''s friend and I''m Euphemia''s friend and that is how we met," Rubiella said. "I see that you have it all figured out, my lady," Hansel said looking quite amused. "No. Far from it. I don''t know how this will work out. If he learns of our ruse, I shall run away with you instead," Rubiella said firmly. "I see. I admire your resolve, my lady, but there is a simpler way to approach this situation," Hansel said. "What is it?" Rubiella asked eagerly. "What do you think of having a nouveau riche as your lover?" Hansel asked. * * * A nouveau riche is a person who became a noble because of wealth he has acquired. He is able to buy a noble title for himself which in default would that be of a baron, the lowest noble title in the hierarchy. The nouveau riche usually have a business of their own or have worked industruouly throughout the years and has saved enough to buy a noble title for himself. Even though they should be admired for their hard work, they are still looked down upon by those with old money, the nobles who got their title through their bloodline and not with hard work. "Are you saying . . . ?" "Yes, my lady. I''m a baron now. I bought a noble title for myself. Is that alright with you?" Hansel asked. Rubiella leapt up from her seat and hugged Hansel tight. "My lady?" "Congratulations on becoming a noble, Hansel!" Rubiella said feeling proud of him. Hansel hugged her back. "I cannot change my lineage or the lack of one but I can change the status I have now. I hope with this, I can openly be seen with you in public," Hansel said. "I was going to ask you if you could pretend to be a noble and now you are," Rubiella said with relief in her voice. She pulled back a bit from hugging him to look at his face and caressed his cheek. "I love you, Hansel," Rubiella said. "I love you too, my lady," Hansel said, placing a kiss on the palm of her hand. "Would you like to stay here for the night, my lady?" Hansel asked. Chapter 84 - NSFW - House Warming ***R-19 warning! This chapter will have a steamy scene. You can read below paragraphs safely and there''ll be a warning again before the steamy scene starts. If you don''t like smut, stop reading once you reach the warning. If you''re okay with smut, get yourself comfortable, put on a nice sexy playlist, and read privately.*** * * * Rubiella blushed. They''ve spent the night together before but for some reason this kind of felt different. Perhaps it was because this was his own house. Then there''s the fact that he prepared this because of her. Then there''s also him becoming a noble just for her even though she had not even asked him yet. He was so perfect and she felt that she wasn''t giving him enough. What underwear was she wearing tonight? She couldn''t remember. Wait. Did she sweat earlier? Did she smell of sweat? Could she ask to borrow his bathroom first so she could freshen up her body first and touch up her appearance? "I um . . . " "I can prepare a bath for you if you wish to bathe before sleeping. I have also prepared a night dress you can change into," Hansel said. He was so efficient. Rubiella wondered what the Duke would do without Hansel by his side. Oh, she had not yet asked him what his plans were. If he was going to resign from being the Duke''s butler and if he is, what would he do now with his free time? Also, how much did all of this cost? Did he use up all of his savings? Was he in debt? Perhaps she should help him financially? *Kiss* Rubiella was brought back to reality. He grinned at her. Hansel had just kissed her cheek. "You looked so far away, my lady. Have I brought you back?" Hansel asked. "Oh, um, yes. Sorry. I shall gratefully take up your offer," Rubiella said. "Wonderful. I shall show you to your room, my lady," Hansel said. They walked in the corridor filled with vases full of roses. "What about Annie? She might worry if I don''t come home tonight," Rubiella said. "Not to worry, my lady. I have already informed her that you might not come home tonight," Hansel said. Oh. My. He was thoroughly prepared. What about her? Now that it''s happening, she felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest and run away. "Are you feeling alright, my lady?" Hansel asked in a worried tone. He touched his forehead on her forehead and closed his eyes. "You''re a bit warm, my lady. Perhaps I should escort you to your residence instead," Hansel said. "No. I''m fine. Is this my room?" Rubiella asked. The door had a rose engraving on its wood unlike the other doors so she assumed that Hansel had made it for her. The room looked nice and elegant. It had a bed with white sheets and pillows, a vanity table with a mirror, a vase of red roses, and a chair, and a round table with two chairs for dining inside the room. Hansel must have made sure that her stay in his house would be comfortable. "The bathroom is over there, my lady. If you need anything, please ring the bell and I''ll come over," Hansel said. Rubiella entered the bathroom. The tub was already filled with warm water and there were rose petals in them too. She smiled. He must really like the color red. She had a nice soak in the tub and brushed her teeth then changed to a night dress that was inside the bathroom. It was a light pink night dress with some ruffles and small ribbons. She didn''t look seductive at all and she worried that she might look too young with the girlish night dress she was wearing. Tsk. Hansel didn''t even react at her green dress. Maybe he wasn''t in the mood for it tonight? Maybe he was too tired because he was busy preparing with the expedition and he was also preparing his house for her arrival. She remembered something that Annie had placed in her dress pocket. A woman''s weapon. She took it and went to work. * * * She stepped out of the bathroom and looked for Hansel but he wasn''t in the room waiting for her. She remembered what he said and rang the bell. CREEEAK. The door opened. "My lady, you called?" Hansel asked. Then he noticed her lips. Her red lips. She had applied rouge on her lips and it contrasted nicely against her ivory skin, pale night dress, and made her red hair looked more flaming than usual. He gazed at her. Mesmerized. His hand went to her lips. Touching her lightly. "Do you like it?" Rubiella asked. Hansel didn''t answer. Instead, his hand went behind her head, burying his fingers in her hair, and he kissed her. Passionately. * * * ***R-19 warning! If you''re uncomfortable with smut, skip below scene. A bit of bondage play here. You''ve been warned.*** * * * She moaned a bit. Caught in surprise and in the sudden pleasure. He pulled back and Rubiella grinned at her in amusement. "I take it that you like it then. Do you like me wearing this night dress instead of the green dress I was wearing earlier?" Rubiella asked. "It drove me mad," Hansel said huskily. "Really? I didn''t notice. You didn''t show any effect it had on you," Rubiella said. "I was stopping myself from ravaging you like a wild dog. I wanted to pull down your dress and make love to you right there and then but of course I have to treat you as a lady. And now, you''re in that thin dress I picked out myself and you''re wearing that rouge. You are positively driving me mad, my lady," Hansel said. Rubiella blushed. Hansel caressed her cheek. "That blush of yours. I wonder if you''re red in other places too," he whispered. Rubiella was going mad herself too. She felt bolder now with his reaction. She pulled him by his neck tie, gently leading him to the bed. She made him sit on the bed and she sat beside him. "You''re wearing too much," Rubiella said. She kissed him on the lips and he kissed her back. Her hands were busy unbottoning his vest. She finally got it off and threw it on the floor. He was no longer wearing his coat so all that was left was his white buttoned shirt and his pants. His lips went to her neck and she shivered in pleasure. She hurriedly removed his tie and she was about to throw it to the floor too when he suddenly held her hand. "Wait. Let me use that, my lady," Hansel said. He tied her wrists with his tie. "Do you trust me, my lady?" Hansel asked. "Yes, but what are you going to do?" Rubiella asked. "If you hate it, just tell me and I''ll stop," Hansel said. He laid her down on the bed and raised her arms above her head. He tied the necktie to the bed''s wooden headboard. Rubiella tried to tug on the tie but she couldn''t remove it. It didn''t hurt her skin and underneath her arms were a soft pillow so it wasn''t a difficult position. "May I proceed in pleasuring you, my lady?" Hansel asked. Rubiella smiled despite having no idea what Hansel was planning to do. "Go ahead," Rubiella said. He began to kiss her again on the lips. She felt his hands roam on the sides of her waist. Then going up to the underside of her breasts. His hands cupped her breasts. His emerald eyes seemed to darken as he pulled the ribbon of her dress by his teeth. He pulled the other ribbon too and as it unraveled, her night dress began to slip down from her shoulder, revealing her breasts. "Red," Hansel whispered. Rubiella blushed. He placed a kiss on her nipple. Rubiella gasped. He held it between his fingers and rubbed it. With his other hand, he began to massage her other breast. He went back to kissing her lips as his hands played with her breasts. Rubuella wanted to hold onto him but she was still tied on the headboard. "Why did you tie me?" Rubiella asked. "So you cannot stop me from pleasuring you," Hansel whispered to her ear. His tongue went inside her ear. "Ah! Ah! Hansel!" His fingers twisted her nipples gently pulling and rubbing as his tongue went in and out of her ear. "Ah! Hansel! Mmm!!!" Rubiella moaned. He stopped to look at her. Her long curly red hair was splayed out on the bed, and she laid there underneath his body for him to touch. "Beautiful," he murmured. He placed a finger on her lips. She looked at him knowingly. She licked his finger and he inhaled sharply. She twirled her tongue on his finger then before he could remove it from her lips, she enveloped his finger with her mouth and began to suck. He bit on his lower lip and watched as she sucked on his finger. He began to pull out his finger but the wetness of her mouth and her sucking made him put it back in again. He watched feverishly as his finger disappeared in and our of her pretty mouth. "It shouldn''t go there, my lady," Hansel said, finally pulling out his finger from her lips. She smiled at him mischievously. He licked his finger and because Rubiella was still tied up, she couldn''t see where his finger had gone. All she knew was that he had lowered it far from her view. Then she felt his finger. She gasped. "Are you ready, my lady?" Hansel asked. Chapter 85 - NSFW - Tied Up ***R-19 warning! This chapter is very smutty and might be too explicit for some readers. Do not read this if you''re uncomfortable with steamy scenes. If you still wish to proceed, make sure no one is looking over your shoulder, read privately, and enjoy. *** * * * "I''m ready," Rubiella said, despite not knowing what he was about to do. His finger touched her lightly at the damp spot on her underwear. Her lips parted in anticipation but he stopped touching her there and he was observing her reaction. He smiled. Rubiella glared at him. He was such a tease! "Hansel, why did you tie me up?" Rubiella asked, tugging at the tie in vain. "The better it will be for you," Hansel said. He kissed her shoulder. Then her collarbone. Then her cleavage. She wanted to cover up herself but she couldn''t move her arms and she was helpless under his touch. He kissed her stomach and blew softly on her navel. She shivered. He lowered her night dress that had been covering her thighs and pulled them down to her ankles and removing it completely. She blushed under his piercing gaze. "Hansel, I want to see you too. Can you remove your clothes too?" Rubiella asked. Hansel smiled. "As you wish, my lady," Hansel said. He began unbuttoning his shirt. Rubiella licked her lower lip. His shirt fell off his shoulders. He was so perfect. He had a nice body. She wanted to run her fingers down his abs but she was still tied up. Argh! He began to unbotton his pants. Rubiella parted her lips in anticipation. She could see his bulge in his pants. Then he stopped and tilted his head at her. His hair brushing his shoulder at the motion. "I''ll keep this on for now, my lady," Hansel said with a smile, obviously amused at her reaction. Rubiella was about to protest but he lowered himself down to her and began to kiss her again on the lips. She could feel his bare chest rubbing against her nipples. "My lady, may I take this off?" Hansel asked, touching the side of her underwear. "Why?" Rubiella asked. "So, you can feel more pleasure. Shall I begin, my lady?" Hansel asked. Rubiella turned her head to look away but she nodded. She was feeling embarrassed but she wanted him to touch her. She felt his hand touching her over her underwear. He began to caress her there gently and Rubiella felt a flood of sensations she had never felt before. His lips went to her breast and kissed her nipple. He licked her nipple and began to suck on it as he continued to carress her down there. "Mmm!!" Rubiella moaned. With his other hand, he toyed with her nipple. "Ngh!" She was getting wetter. Her moisture had already made her underwear wet. He continued to press his fingers over her underwear. She couldn''t control her body anymore. She began to raise her hips to feel more of his carress. She wanted more. She wanted to feel his skin over her skin. "Hansel please," Rubiella pleaded. "Yes, my lady? Is there something you wish for?" Hansel asked. He gently tugged on her nipple with his teeth and at the same time, he pressed his fingers harder on her soaked underwear. "Please! Haa... Ahn!... Please touch me down there!" Rubiella said, feeling like she was about to go crazy. "I already am, my lady," Hansel said. He raised his fingers for her to see. "See the moisture on my fingers, my lady? It came from you. Do you wish for my fingers to get wetter?" Hansel asked as his other hand massaged her breast. "Yes! Hansel, please! Just take it off and touch me!" Rubiella said. Hansel grinned at her. "Your wish is my command, my lady," Hansel said. * * * He tugged down her underwear. Rubiella raised her legs so he could remove it faster. Her head was turned to the side and her eyes were shut but he could see her blushing cheeks. So adorable. He wanted to just eat her up. He placed a finger over her clit. She was so wet. He dipped his finger in her moisture and rubbed upwards. "Hnn!" He rubbed her clit, using her own moisture to make it more slippery. "Haah... Haah..." Hansel watched her expression as she moaned while he rubbed her with his finger. He rubbed her faster now. *Squelch *Squelch The sound of her wetness filled the room as he fingered her. "Hansel . . . Ah!" Rubiella moaned. He kissed her and she parted his lips, letting his tongue enter her. She moaned against his lips. "Mmm! Mm! Nngh!" He used another finger to rub her. She was so wet. His fingers were soaked with her fluids. He could easily enter his finger in her if he wanted to. The thought of him entering her made him harder. He continued rubbing her. Faster and faster until her breathing became ragged and she looked like she was about to climax. "Hahh... Ah! Ah! Ahhh!" Rubiella screamed and her whole body spasmed as the pleasure ran through her body. He rubbed her slowly until her climax was done. She was so beautiful. He could do this all day. Do her. All day. He stopped rubbing her and placed a kiss on her forehead. Her breathing was starting to go back to normal. "Hansel, please untie me," Rubiella said. He untied her and placed kisses on her wrists. "Do your wrists hurt, my lady?" Hansel asked. Rubiella shook her head. She cuddled up against his chest and Hansel put his arm around her shoulder. "That was . . . I don''t know what that was," Rubiella said. "Was it to your liking, my lady?" Hansel asked. Rubiella nodded. "I haven''t done anything for you yet though," Rubiella said. "It''s alright, my lady. My goal for tonight was just to pleasure you," Hansel said Rubiella frowned. "No," Rubiella said and sat up. "My lady, are you . . . angry?" Hansel asked worriedly. "It''s unfair that I''m the only one who enjoyed tonight," Rubiella said. "I''m perfectly fine, my lady. I enjoyed giving you pleasure," Hansel said. "No, it''s not the same," Rubiella said. She took the necktie that was on the bed and began to tie Hansel''s wrists together. "My lady?" Hansel asked bewildered. * * * "Shush. I did not give you permission to speak," Rubiella said. Hansel''s eyes widened at her dominating tone. She tied him to the headboard and checked if it was tight enough so he couldn''t remove it himself. She stood up and walked towards the table. Hansel just gazed at her curiously . . . in anticipation. She took a rose from the vase and inspected it for a while. Hansel had made sure that all the roses had no thorns so Rubiella won''t get injured if she decided to hold one. Now, she was walking over back to the bed with a rose in her hand. She got up on top of him. He inhaled sharply at the sensation of her naked body on top of him. He was still wearing his pants but there was no mistaking the bulge that was standing right up in his pants. Rubiella leaned forward. Her nipples brushed against his chest. He was about to sit up so he could meet her kiss but she placed her palm on his chest and pushed him down. "Who''s your lady?" Rubiella asked. "You are," Hansel said. She leaned down and kissed his lips. He parted his lips and she inserted her tongue in his mouth. He wanted to hold her body close but it was impossible because he was tied up and he didn''t want to remove it by force because she looked like she had a plan for him. She stopped the kiss and gazed at him with a confident aura. It made his hard member even harder. If that was even possible. She was still holding the rose. She ran the rose over his neck. The soft petals running over his skin. She placed the rose over his nipple and he gritted his teeth to stop himself from making any sounds. She smiled in amusement. She placed her fingers over his nipple and rubbed it, just like how he rubbed hers earlier. "Urgh," Hansel grunted. She ran the rose over his abds, his flat stomach, and lowering it further to his navel. "You are torturing me, my lady. Please come back here and untie me," Hansel said. "No. I do not want to. You shall lie down there until I am satisfied," Rubiella said. "And when shall you be satisfied, my lady?" Hansel asked. Rubiella just smiled at him. Hansel gulped. She began to pull down his pants. She struggled a bit but he raised his hips so she could pull off his pants easier. She finally was able to remove it. "What''s this?" Rubiella asked in a teasing tone touching his bulging underwear with a finger Hansel''s ears turned red. "You need not stare at it too much, my lady," Hansel said. "But it looks like this one here wants my attention," Rubiella said, running her finger over his shaft. Hansel gritted his teeth. "Tell me what you want me to do, Hansel," Rubiella said. "I . . . " She began to take off his underwear, albeit a bit difficult because of his erect member but she was able to take it off anyway. She placed the palm of her hand on his shaft. "Tell me. What do you want me to do?" Rubiella asked. "P-please, move your hand, my lady." "Like this?" "Urgh. Yes. M-more." "Is that how you talk to your lady? Say please," Rubiella said teasingly. "Please! Please pleasure me, my lady!" Rubiella smiled. "Because you''re a good boy, your lady here will reward you." Chapter 86 - NSFW - Hansel At Her Mercy *** R-19 rating!!! This chapter is a continuation of the smutty chapter that we had before. I hope you''re not getting tired of the smut scenes. If you don''t like smut, you may skip the smut scene and go straight to the three vertical asterisks: ***. If you''re okay with smut, make sure no one is behind you reading over your shoulder, put on a sexy playlist, and enjoy privately. *** * * * Rubiella enclosed her hand around his erect member. She began to move her hand up . . . and then down. "My lady . . . " Hansel had his eyes closed and a thin bead of perspiration was sliding down from his forehead. He looked so hot tied up and under her mercy. She began to slide her hand over his member faster. Hansel''s hips thrusted upwards. His lips were parted and his breathing ragged. Rubiella picked up the rose with her free hand and trailed its petals over his abdomen. "Hahh..." Hansel breathed out loud. A bit of moisture had come out of his member and she used it lubricate her hand and it was easier to rub him. "Hansel, are you liking this?" Rubiella asked. "Y-yes, my lady," Hansel said. She stopped moving her hand. "I''m your lady but what about you? Are you mine?" Rubiella asked. He opened his eyes and looked at her pleasingly. "I''m yours, my lady," Hansel said. Rubiella tilted her head. "Even if I do this?" Rubiella asked. TCK! She hit his abdomen with the rose lightly. "Ngh!" "Are you mine?" Rubiella asked. "Yes, I am yours, my lady," Hansel said. TCK! "Ahn!" "Which part of you?" Rubiella asked. "All of me! All of me is yours, my lady!" Hansel cried out. Rubiella smiled. "Good boy," Rubiella murmured. She lowered her head down to his erect member. "Is this mine too?" Rubiella asked, licking his member. "Ah! Yes! Yes, my lady! It''s all yours!" Hansel said. "I see. Then I should pay attention to this one then," Rubiella said. Her mouth enclosed on his member and Hansel hissed in pleasure. Hansel wanted to see his member inside her mouth but he was tied up so he shut his eyes instead and focused on the pleasure of her warm mouth. She twirled her tongue around his member. It had a unique taste and unique scent. The taste and scent of a man. She took it out of her mouth slowly then took him in her mouth again. "My lady . . . Hahh . . ." She began to move faster. Her head bobbed up and down his member. His member going in and out of her mouth. *Shlup *Shlup "Ah! Ngh . . . M-my lady . . . Hahh . . . Y-yes . . ." Hansel was lost in the pleasure of it all. Her warm wet mouth enveloped his member and it took all of his willpower not to rip off the tie wrapped around his wrists and take her already. She stopped pleasuring him with her mouth and began to use her hand to finish him off. Her hand moved fast and her grip was tight. His member was wet from her saliva and he could feel the friction of her hand and the wetness. It was mind blowing and he could only gasp in pleasure. He was going to reach his climax. "M-my lady, you''ll get wet from my . . ." He came. His fluids gushed out of his member and spilled out of her hand. Her hand was still moving even while he was coming, still pleasuring him as he reached his climax. "Haah..." And he finished. "My lady . . ." Rubiella got up and took a spare towel from the bathroom. She returned to the bed and untied his wrists. "You were amazing. No, you are amazing, my lady," Hansel said. Rubiella chuckled. She began to wipe her wet hand with the towel. "You have some here. Let me help, my lady," Hansel said. Some of his fluids had also spilled out on her breasts. He wiped her breasts gently with the towel. "I love you, Hansel," Rubiella said. "I love you too, my lady," Hansel said. * * * "Where did you learn how to do that, my lady? You surprised me," Hansel said. Rubiella grinned at him and cuddled closer to his chest. "I did my research," Rubiella said. "Research? And pray tell what kind of research was that, my lady?" Hansel asked with a raised eyebrow. "Romance novels. Mind you, they were quite vague with the descriptions but seeing the real thing made me understand what they were talking about," Rubiella said. "The real thing, huh? And how do you like the real thing, my lady?" Hansel asked. Rubiella shrugged. "It was fine," Rubiella said. She didn''t have anything to compare it to anyway and women weren''t usually concerned with the size unlike men who thought that bigger was always better. "Fine?" Hansel repeated, looking offended. Rubiella laughed. "Just fine?? After you tortured me so and even used that rose on me," Hansel said and began to tickle her sides. "Kya! Hahaha! Stop it! Haha! Stop it!" Rubiella protested while laughing. "As your lady, I order you to stop!" Rubiella said while trying to avoid his tickling in vain. "As you wish . . . But a kiss first," Hansel said. "You''ve become quite cheeky," Rubiella said and kissed him on the lips. He grinned at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You''re so beautiful. I''m a lucky man to have you, my lady," Hansel said. "I haven''t asked yet. How were you able to buy a title? I know that isn''t cheap and does the Duke know about this?" Rubiella asked. "He does. I informed him on the day that Vyen lady saw us together. I predicted that she would be running her mouth about us. It has always been my plan to become a noble so I could be worthy of you and when that happened, I figured I could speed things up so I can protect you. I don''t want anyone saying bad things about you, my lady," Hansel said. "Thank you," Rubiella said. "And what of the Duke? Is he going to let you go?" "No. I''ll still be working for him. Not as a butler though but as a business partner. I''ve always helped him with his business affairs and now that I''m a noble too, I''ll be able to work on his business more closely," Hansel said. "He''ll be sad without you around," Rubiella said. "I think so too. I''ll pay him a visit from time to time and look for a replacement butler for him," Hansel said. "He probably hates me for taking you away from him," Rubiella said. "I am grateful for you taking me away from him. If I hadn''t met you, I would probably be old and gray but still a bachelor," Hansel said. Rubiella giggled. She didn''t tell him that even if he had not met her, he would probably be chased by several women if they discovered his handsomeness (and wildness) hiding behind his glasses. "Are you ready to meet my Father tomorrow?" Rubiella asked. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "As ready as I''ll ever be, my lady," Hansel said. The next morning, Hansel escorted Rubiella back to her room, secretly, of course as no one should know that she had spent the night outside. Rubiella was going to tell her father that he was going to meet her lover and Hansel was going to prepare himself in meeting his lady''s father. Hansel didn''t tell Rubiella because he didn''t want her to think that he was a coward but the truth was that . . . He was terrified as hell. * * * Lord Edward Summers was tapping on his teacup impatiently. His daughter had told him that she would be arriving with her lover and they would be having afternoon tea together. He didn''t like the idea. His daughter marrying a nobody. He may be a noble but what use is he if no one has ever heard of him? He didn''t like it one bit. He was waiting in the Summers Residence''s garden. It hadn''t been used much ever since his wife died. He closed his eyes and felt the warm sunlight on his skin. Rosietta. The pain of her passing never faded away no matter how hard he tried. He never fully accepted it. How could he? She was too young to die. She shouldn''t have died. Instead, he steeled his heart so that he would not feel the pain. He didn''t talk much about Rosietta to Rubiella. His daughter resembled her far too much and he didn''t like the way she made him remember his dead wife. Seeing her grow up looking like her mother just awakened the pain of losing Rosietta. He wanted Rubiella to get married to the prince because that was what his wife would have wanted. It was the promise his wife had with the queen. And now, his daughter had a secret lover. He was perplexed. His plan for his daughter didn''t involve her marrying someone else who was not the prince. Would Rosietta be disappointed at him for not keeping the promise between her and the queen? "Father." Lord Edward was snapped away from his thoughts and he squinted his eyes as the sun was too bright. The one who spoke was his daughter and she had her arm around a young man he had never seen before. She had her long curly red hair let down and she was wearing a red dress. She was smiling brightly and gazing at the young man with obvious adoration. His heart ached. What does a father do in this situation? Chapter 87 - Meet The Father ***Author''s note: There''s no NSFW scene here but a bit of explicit language only. You can skip it by going to the next 3 asterisks. *** * * * The morning before the afternoon teatime with Rubiella''s father . . . Rubiella was back in her room and Annie was helping her out of her green dress. "How was it, My Lady?" Annie asked. Rubiella chuckled, remembering Hansel tied up and him moaning under her touch. "Just perfect, Annie," Rubiella said. "Shall I prepare a dress fitting for you, My Lady? In a month or two perhaps?" Annie asked. "Dress fitting? What for?" Rubiella asked. "My Lady, a pregnant woman needs to have new dresses made for her. The ones you have now will certainly not fit once the babe inside you grows," Annie said. Rubiella''s jaw dropped. "I am most certainly not pregnant, Annie!" Rubiella said. "That''s what young ladies usually believe and a few months later their bellies are bigger and in nine months, a wee babe is out. My Lady, you must know that even doing it once there is a high chance that you will still get pregnant," Annie said. "I am not! And we didn''t!" Rubiella said. Annie frowned. "You didn''t? Again?! Is Lord Hansel a eunuch?" Annie asked with a horrified look. "No! He''s not a eunuch. That part of his is perfectly intact and working," Rubiella said. Annie raised an eyebrow. "And how are you sure of that, My Lady?" Annie asked. "I . . . touched it," Rubiella said, her cheeks reddening. Annie raised her eyebrow again. "And . . . Um . . . It works! That''s all I can say," Rubiella said. "And how can you say it works if you haven''t done it? For all we know, it may be standing but it ain''t sputtering out the good stuff," Annie said. Rubiella chewed on her lower lip. "The . . . good stuff is there and it sputtered out . . . perfectly," Rubiella said. "Really, now? And how did that happen?" Annie asked. "Do you really need to know all the details?" Rubiella asked feeling embarrassed. "Why, of course, My Lady! How else would I give you adequate advice?" Annie said. Rubiella sighed. "Fine but I shall only say this once and I won''t repeat telling you so listen well," Rubiella said. "Certainly, My Lady. Go ahead. What did you do to Lord Hansel?" Annie asked. "I . . . tied him up," Rubiella said. "My word. I was convinced that you were the vanilla type of girl but I see that I had it wrong. What else did you do?" Annie asked. Rubiella didn''t know what Annie meant by ''vanilla type of girl'' but she continued. "I hit him with a rose. Lightly and mind you, there were no thorns. A light thwacking only. The petals were soft so it didn''t hurt and I just couldn''t resist! His skin looked so perfect and his abs! His coats don''t do him justice. He''s so beautiful undressed," Rubiella said. "My, my. I must have left you the wrong kind of novels. I should have known when you said that your favorite series is called Lady Whip," Annie said. Lady Whip was a popular novel series among young ladies but it was very risqu¨¦ and only read privately. One must make sure that there''s no one reading behind her shoulder or else her reputation would be utterly damaged in society. Rubiella was an avid reader of romance novels and when she discovered Lady Whip, she made Annie buy the novels for her in secret without Annie knowing what they were about. "I didn''t whip him. Nothing to fuss about really. It was just a rose and a necktie," Rubiella said with a shrug. "And? What happened, My Lady?" Annie asked. "Well, I pleasured him with my hand and with my . . . mouth," Rubiella said blushing. "My word! And how did he react?" Annie asked. Rubiella grinned. "He liked it. A lot. He even begged. It was absolutely delightful," Rubiella said. "You must have felt so in control, My Lady," Annie said. "Yes, we didn''t do the deed yet but what he did to me and what I did to him was really pleasurable," Rubiella said. "I believe you. Amazing, My Lady. Would you like for me to procure the latest Lady Whip novel that just came out?" Annie asked. "Oh, there''s a new one?!" Rubiella exclaimed. "Yes, I believe it''s a different version of Little Red Riding Hood," Annie said. Rubiella''s eyes twinkled. "Interesting. Yes, get that for me please," Rubiella said. "It''s so nice to see you so confident, My Lady," Annie said. Rubiella smiled. "It''s all because of him," Rubiella said. * * * "What dress would you like me to take out, My Lady?" Annie asked. "Something red," Rubiella said. "Red? Are you quite sure, My Lady? Your father will not like it," Annie said. Red colors always put her father in a bad mood. "Yes, red it is. I do not wish to compromise. Could you help me with my hair?" Rubiella said. "Certainly. The usual updo and braid, isn''t it?" Annie asked. "No. I want it down but fix it a bit. Perhaps some braids and gems," Rubiella said. "Your father will not like it," Annie said. "I''m not aiming to please him," Rubiella said. "Then what is it that you are in the mood for, My Lady?" Annie asked. "War. We''re going to war. I''m going to have my man and I don''t want him to see me cowering like a little girl with a white dress and my hair tied up. I''m his lady and he''s going to see his lady beautiful than ever fighting for his worthiness," Rubiella said. "I see. The red dress it is then. If he''s going to get mad at you either way, why bother trying is it?" Annie said. Rubiella grinned. "Exactly." * * * Hansel knocked on the door. It was his first time to enter her house by the front door and he was terribly nervous. It wasn''t like the time he first met the king and he felt like he was going to be beheaded for saying the wrong word. It wasn''t like the time either when he first met Lucien and he was thinking if he was going to burn alive in the house. This was worse. One wrong word and he wouldn''t be able to get her father''s blessing. He won''t be able to marry Rubiella. "Lord Hansel." "Annie," Hansel greeted back. "Please come in," Annie said. Hansel followed Annie inside the Summers Residence. He gazed curiously at his surroundings, trying to see glimpses of her life in her home. "Hansel!" Red. She smiled widely as she ran towards him. Her long red hair swayed side to side as she ran. Her dress was a vibrant shade of red too. "You look amazing, my lady," Hansel said. Her hair had been decorated with small sparkling gems and she was wearing that red rouge that she wore the other night. She was so beautiful. He just wanted to whisk her away to his house and see her beautiful red lock splayed again on his bed. Rubiella laughed and hugged him. She looked up to beam at him. "You look dashing as well, Lord Hansel," Rubiella said. Hansel smiled at her, his nerves relaxing. "The color suits you, my lady," Hansel said. "Nobility suits you. You''ve always looked like a noble but now you even look more nobler than usual!" Rubiella praised. Hansel covered his lips to hide his embarrassed grin. He did take extra care this day to fix his appearance and Lucien was very generous in helping him with his clothes. Hansel was wearing a red cape with gold rose embroideries and a black suit with gold embellishments decorated with small red rubbies that sparkled brilliantly, a rose brooch made of gold and rubies. Heck, even his cuffs were decorated with gold and rubies. Rubiella chuckled, noticing the rubies all over him. "I see the inspiration of your outfit for today, Lord Hansel," Rubiella teased. "A beautiful red-haired lady has always been my mind and when I try to think of a color, red is all I could think of," Hansel said. Rubiella giggled. She joined her arm with his and smiled at him affectionately. Even proudly. "Thank you for your efforts for me, Hansel," Rubiella said. "Anything for you, my lady," Hansel said. * * * The two went to the mansion''s garden. Rubiella''s father was waiting for then and when he saw her he could see the turmoil of emotions in his face. Rubiella squeezed his arm lightly. Her silent support telling him that it''s going to be alright. She smiled at him. They approached the table where Rubiella''s father was seated. "Father," Rubuella said. Hansel bowed and Lord Edward just nodded. Rubiella and Hansel sat across Lord Edward. "Introduce us, Rubiella," Lord Edward said. "Father, this is my lover, Lord Hansel Griffin. Hansel, this is my father, Lord Edward Summers," Rubiella said. "It''s so nice to finally meet you, Lord Edward," Hansel said. "I cannot say the feeling is mutual. So, tell me the truth. Did my daughter hire you? I''ll double the amount for you to leave her," Lord Edward said. Chapter 88 - To Find Acceptance "Most certainly not. I am truly in love with your daughter, Lord Edward. I have come here to ask for your permission in continuing seeing her," Hansel said. "And what will you do if I do not give you permission?" Lord Edward asked. His glare was intimidating but Hansel was not about to back down. "I shall continue seeing her," Hansel said. "Even without her father''s permission?" Lord Edward asked. "It will be be truly unfortunate that you haven''t given us permission but it doesn''t mean I will stop seeing your daughter. I truly love her. I am sure your daughter would be happy to have her dear father see her in her wedding day," Hansel said. Rubiella gasped. Lord Edward''s frown deepened. "Wedding day? You are already planning to marry my daughter?" Lord Edward asked. "Yes, shouldn''t that be the goal of courtship in the end? I am in love with her and I wish to marry her," Hansel said. "And how can you support your married lifestyle? Rubiella is the daughter of a viscount and you, I do not even know who your parents are. I do not believe that you are a noble," Lord Edward said. "That is understandable. I haven''t been a noble for a long time yet. To be accurate, I am a nouveau riche," Hansel said with a smile. Rubiella paled. "My daughter here told me that you don''t like to be seen in social circles which is why I do not know of you. I see that she has made me believe that you are of noble birth but you are actually one who bought your nobility instead," Lord Edward said. "I''m sorry, Father. But really, there''s no problem anymore, right? He''s a noble now and we can tell the others what I''ve told you. No one has to know that he isn''t of noble birth," Rubiella said. "And you even wish to involve me in your charade," Lord Edward sighed in frustration. "I assure you, Lord Edward, that I can properly support your daughter financially. I am the business partner of Duke Ashburn and we have several businesses together," Hansel said. "Ashburn . . . Is that how you met this man, Rubiella? You told me that you''re friends with the Saintess," Lord Edward said. "Yes, Father. I met him there when I was visiting," Rubiella lied. No need to tell her father that she had slipped out of the house, almost got kidnapped by a bunch of ruffians, and saved by Hansel. He didn''t need to have a heart attack. "Do you know that my daughter is engaged to the prince since birth?" Lord Edward asked. Hansel raised his eyebrows in surprise. Oh no. She forgot to tell him about that annoying detail. "It''s not a formal engagement! There''s no contract and we have never agreed for its fruition! Our mothers used to be friends and they made that silly agreement on their own!" Rubiella said. "If His Highness is not to be wed to the Saintess as customary, he will be wedding my daughter. I do not see any benefits in giving you my daughter when I can have her wed to the prince as her mother would have wanted," Lord Edward said. "My wealth is nothing compared to the prince''s wealth but I do have something that he will not be able to provide to her," Hansel said. "And what is that?" Lord Edward asked. "My love. I love your daughter and I will cherish her and protect her. I cannot convince her mother but I think she would like to see her daughter be happy and be loved. Don''t all mothers wish for that? Your daughter may be well cared for in the palace if she ever ends up marrying him but do you think she would be happy?" Hansel said. Lord Edward was silent for a while and so were they. "Rubiella, are you certain of this man?" Lord Edward asked. "Yes, Father. I love him and I know that he is speaking the truth when he says that he loves me," Rubiella said. "Your mother would have wanted the best for you," Lord Edward said. "I just want the best for my happiness too, Father," Rubiella said. Lord Edward sighed. "I never expected for my daughter to be with a nouveau riche but if you are truly making her happy, then I suppose her mother will not be too displeased," Lord Edward said. Rubiella smiled eagerly. "Father, are you saying . . . ?" Rubiella asked. Lord Edward nodded. "I give you permission but I have three conditions," Lord Edward said. "One, you shall not bring disgrace to my daughter. I expect to have my grandchild only when she is married. Two, you will not lose your noble status. You are a baron right now but one wrong move, and you will be demoted back to a commoner. My daughter will face hardships from society if you lose your status so conduct yourself with dignity as a noble is expected to be. Lastly, cherish and protect my daughter. If she ever comes back to me crying, I will make sure that you will never step foot in Aderlan ever again," Lord Edward said. "I agree to all of those conditions. Thank you, Lord Edward," Hansel said. "Thank you, Father!" Rubiella said and got up from her seat to hug her father. Her father was startled. It''s been a long time since he had held his daughter. He smiled. Rosietta, are you seeing this? Our daughter has grown up so much. I''m sorry that I couldn''t keep your promise with the queen but look. She''s so happy now. I hope you are too wherever you are, my love. Lord Edward ruffled Rubiella''s hair. Rubiella was surprised but she didn''t back away. "You look nice like this, daughter. You resemble your mother a lot. You don''t need to tie this up always. Red suits you," Lord Edward said. "Father . . ." Tears of joy sprang up in Rubiella''s eyes. "Shall we have dinner together later? You can have Hansel join us if he is available," Lord Edward said. Years worth of distance had come between them ever since Rosietta passed away. Lord Edward had turned to business like a mad man trying to dull the pain of her death and he didn''t know how to treat Rubiella. She looked so much like her mother and it was so painful. He thought that the only thing he could do for her was keep the promise between Rosietta and the queen but now that he saw her so happy this day, he realized that what he was doing might not be for her happiness at all. Perhaps he could still mend his relationship with his daughter. Perhaps she would ask him to walk her down the isle on her wedding day. Just imagining it, his lips curved up into a smile. * * * Meanwhile, somewhere in Aderlan . . . "I wish to leave," Miyu said. She had a pained look on her face. Not of reluctance but of understanding the hardships that would befall her with her decision. Miyu was wearing an off-shoulder white dress with small blue gems sewn on it, reflecting the lights on her beautifully. She looked like a goddess. "You cannot! It is your duty to marry the Sun King," an older woman who looked like her mother figure said. "Duty . . . How ironic. The mortal beings we rule over have the freedom to marry whomever they wish but I, the Moonlight Princess, cannot even choose my own husband?! This is madness," Miyu said. "Look. See your wedding dress here. Isn''t it beautiful? You shall be the most beautiful bride of all the beings of existence. You will be wife to the Sun King! What could possibly be nobler than that?" The older woman said, holding an exquisite dress in front of Miyu. The dress was incredibly beautiful but Miyu looked at it with distaste. "Will that bring me happiness? I may be the noblest bride of all marrying the most powerful man of existence but my heart . . . doesn''t leap with joy! Instead, I feel trapped! That dress is merely a symbol of me being a prisoner to him throughout my existence!" Miyu cried. The older woman''s face crumpled up in sadness. "You truly wish to leave, child?" The older woman asked. "Yes. I do not wish to marry the Sun King and if I have to face his wrath then so be it," Miyu said firmly. The older woman held Miyu''s hand. "My child, I only wish for your happiness. I hope you can forgive this foolish mother of yours in trying to keep you here," the older woman said. Miyu smiled sadly. "I know but I have to do this. I''m sorry, Mother," Miyu said. The older woman had tears in her eyes. She embraced Miyu tightly. "May you find your own happiness, my child," the older woman said. Miyu embraced her back. "Thank you, Mother," Miyu said with her eyes misty with emotion. The two looked at each other with a sad smile. A smile of farewell hoping that the other will be well. Then they turned and faced in front and bowed. CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP "WOOO! That was great!" "Bravo!" "Amazing!" Miyu smiled widely and waved her hand at the audience. Chapter 89 - A New Journey Together "You were amazing, Lady Miyu," the woman beside her said. "No, it was because you were my partner. Thank you," Miyu said humbly. Euphemia came forward from the audience seat still clapping her hands. "That was amazing, Miyu! This isn''t even the real thing yet but you really did a great job! You''ll be great at the show. I''m sure of it," Euphemia said. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Mia," Miyu said. It wasn''t the real show yet. This was a dry run to rehearse for the play itself that will be held in the town plaza. Miyu had been busy in practicing for the play and they had lots of practice already but this was the first time that Euphemia had come to watch her. The other members of the play said they could do a dry run for the beginning part of the story. Euphemia had to leave soon for her trip so she could only watch for a short while. "I have to go now. Luci is waiting for me. Thank you for that marvelous performance. I know you''ll do great at the show," Euphemia said. Miyu thanked her again and bade her goodbye to Euphemia. "Will the princess accept a flower?" Miyu turned. "Glenn!" Miyu said smiling brightly. Glenn grinned at her and gave her a flower. "What is this?" Miyu murmured, receiving the flower. The flower didn''t look like any flowers she had seen before. It was long like a staff and it looked like it was composed more of glass and ice than petals and leaves. The petals were light blue and when Miyu touched them, she was surprised to find out that they were hard to touch. "Do you like them?" Glenn asked. "Yes, it''s beautiful! What is this? Is this a glass flower?" Miyu asked while marveling at the strange beauty of it. "No, it''s made with blue diamonds," Glenn said smiling with his eyes closed. "What?!" Miyu squeaked. "It won''t die so you don''t have to worry about it wilting," Glenn said "I''m more worried of this getting stolen," Miyu said. "They can try but they won''t get far," Glenn said. "Why? Do you have a tracker on these things?" Miyu asked. "No, I just know things," Glenn said with a mysterious smile. Miyu rolled her eyes at him. "It''s sturdy too because it''s made of diamonds. You can hit anyone with this if someone dares to insult you," Glenn said. "Ah I have something to hit you with now!" Miyu said. "Oh my. I didn''t know you had that kind of hobby," Glenn said. Miyu glared at him and Glenn laughed. "Thank you. It''s really pretty," Miyu said. "Nothing less for my girl," Glenn said and winked at her. Miyu blushed. "Did you watch my performance?" Miyu asked. "Of course. You truly looked like a goddess of the moon," Glenn said. "I hope I don''t mess up at the real play. I hate to embarrass Mia for picking me for the role," Miyu said. Glenn placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her seriously. "You''re perfect. You have nothing to worry about," Glenn said. Miyu smiled at him. "Thank you," Miyu said. "Is the Moonlight Princess craving for anything?" Glenn asked. "That ale you ordered before," Miyu said. Glenn gave her a disapproving look. "No, anything but that. You''ll accuse me of getting you drunk and you''ll kiss me again. Wait. That''s a good idea. Let''s go," Glenn said. Miyu pinched his arm. "Ouch!" "I''m craving for bacon. Do you have that here?" Miyu asked. "Yes, and I know just the place. They have different kinds of meals with bacon in them," Glenn said. Miyu''s eyes seemed to twinkle. "Let''s go there," Miyu said excitedly. Glenn chuckled. "May I hold your hand, my dear Moonlight Princess?" Glenn asked. Miyu laughed but gave her hand. Glenn smiled in satisfaction as he held her hand. Miyu quietly gazed at Glenn''s handsome face as they walked. She was falling. She knew she was and it made her feel like she was walking on clouds but one wrong step could end up to her end. Glenn sensed her gaze and turned to look at her. He grinned at her and she looked away blushing. She knew that she should make it clear with him what their relationship really was. She didn''t want to be getting the wrong idea and get hurt again. * * * Meanwhile, Euphemia had arrived back at the Ashburn Residence . . . "Euphee," Lucien greeted her. "Sorry. Did I take too long?" Euphemia asked. "No, it''s still early actually. How was the play?" Lucien asked. "She was amazing. Miyu is really talented," Euphemia said. "You have good instincts," Lucien said. "Have you brought everything that you''ll need?" "Yes, I think so. What about you? Have you finished checking your things?" Euphemia asked. "No. I trust Hans brought everything that I would need," Lucien said Euphemia gave him a wry smile. "Hansel is no longer your butler, Luci. He''s your business partner. He shouldn''t be doing butler things anymore," Euphemia said. Lucien sighed. "But he has always taken care of matters for me. I wouldn''t know what to do without him. We''ve been together for years!" Lucien said. Euphemia rolled her eyes. "Exactly and now, Hansel needs to take care of his own personal matters. He needs a life, Luci," Euphemia said putting her hand on his shoulder. "But he has me! He doesn''t need to leave," Lucien whined. "I thought you gave him your support when he told you that he was going to become a noble," Euphemia said. "Of course, I did but it doesn''t mean I want him to leave me," Lucien said. Euphemia shook her head at him in amusement. "You sound like a jilted lover. Just let him go and let him be happy with his love life," Euphemia said. "But I don''t have a butler anymore. Who do I order around then?" Lucien asked looking like a sad kid. "Did anyone call for me?" Euphemia and Lucien turned. "Hans!" "Hansel!" Hansel grinned at them. He was wearing his usual butler suit. "Your Grace, you hurt me. Were you going to leave for your trip without me? After all the preparations I made for you. Tsk. Tsk," Hansel said. "You said you weren''t going to be my butler anymore! Wait, have you changed your mind? Are you going to stay with me again?" Lucien asked excitedly. Euphemia bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. Lucien was now sounding like a clingy lover. "No, I haven''t changed my mind. We agreed to be business partners, didn''t we, Your Grace?" Hansel said. "So why are you here dressed up as my butler?" Lucien asked. "Because I haven''t found a replacement yet. I shall still be your butler until I have found a suitable replacement who will be able to serve you like I have," Hansel said. Lucien frowned, obviously not liking the idea of having a replacement butler. "He must at least be at par with your skills. I expect nothing less of your replacement," Lucien said. "Yes, Your Grace," Hansel said with a bow. "Luci will miss you but I do wish the best for you, Hansel. I am happy that you and Ruby are doing well together," Euphemia said. Hansel''s features softened at the mention of Rubiella. "Thank you. I appreciate it, Lady Euphemia," Hansel said. "Luci, you should congratulate him too," Euphemia said. Lucien was still sulking but he relented to Euphemia''s request. "Hans, my butler and oldest friend," Lucien began. "Your only friend, Your Grace," Hansel corrected. Lucien glared at Hansel. "Hans, do your best in this path that you''ve decided to take. Make your lady happy and may you have a happy family with her," Lucien said. "I wish the same to you too, Your Grace. Just call for me if you need further lessons on . . . a certain subject matter," Hansel said. "No! I don''t need more lessons on that!" Lucien said. Euphemia blushed, remembering their steamy night. Yup. Lucien didn''t need more lessons on that. "If you say so, Your Grace," Hansel said with a shrug. Lucien glared at him. "Hmph. Have you packed already? We are to depart this day," Lucien said. "Yes, my luggages were the first things loaded in the carriage. I believe yours have not even been loaded yet," Hansel said. "What?! Why?!" Lucien exclaimed. "Tsk. Tsk. Your Grace, it seems that you truly are too reliant on me. You haven''t even checked if your belongings are the ones inside the carriage. How would you ever survive without me?" Hansel said. "That''s why I need you!" Lucien said. "No matter. I shall train my replacement so that he can make up for all your shortcomings. You''ll be just fine, Your Grace," Hansel said. Euphemia covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing out loud. "Hans, get my things before I accidentally burn your hair. Accidentally setting things on fire might be one of my shortcomings," Lucien said. "I''ll be quick, Your Grace. Try not to burn our horses!" Hansel said and dashed off. Euphemia couldn''t hold it in anymore. She laughed out loud while Lucien had an exasperated look on his face. A few moments later, everything has been loaded in the carriage. "Euphee?" Lucien said, offering her a hand to get in the carriage. Euphemia took his hand and smiled. "Luci," Euphemia said and got in the carriage. "Your Grace, try not to shake the carriage too much," Hansel said wiggling his eyebrows with a knowing look. Lucien''s ears reddened. "Let us depart," Lucien said and went inside the carriage. "As you command, Your Grace," Hansel said. Hansel was outside the carriage seated at the driver''s seat while holding the reigns to beautiful two black horses. "Ha!" Hansel shouted and spurred the horses. It was their first ever journey outside Aderlan together. Everything felt right. They had no idea about the darkness that was to come in Aderlan. Chapter 90 - Forcing The Heart Days after Euphemia and Lucien''s departure from Aderlan . . . "Praise be, Light to the Empire''s Departed Sun," Anthony said. "The light shines upon you," Celestinia said dryly. She didn''t like the new greeting the people have been using ever since the king''s funeral. They made it sound like she was a remnant of the past. That she was just something the king left behind. "Did you bring it?" Celestinia asked impatiently. "Yes, Your Highness," Anthony said. The High Priest motioned the other priests behind him. Four priests scurried in front, carrying together a wooden box. They kneeled in front of Celestinia and presented to her the box. "Open it," Celestinia said. One of the priests carefully opened the box. Inside the box was a charcoal black rock bigger the size of a human''s fist. Some parts of it had shards of gold peeking out of the black and it gave off a mystical shimmer. "This does not look like anything I have told you to get. Are you trying to deceive me?" Celestinia said, her voice rising. "No, Your Highness. This is truly the thing you have asked for. We have been searching at the land where the final battle took place but we were completely wrong. It wasn''t there at all. Fortunately, we tried to look at the other areas nearby and it reacted to the mana we brought with us. It''s definitely what we have been looking for. This is the he-" Anthony said. "Shush! Someone may be listening. Do not even speak of what it is until we have confirmed it," Celestinia said. "Is it safe to touch?" "Yes, Your Highness," Anthony said. Celestinia picked up the rock-like thing carefully and turned it around in her hands. It just looked like a normal rock. Except for the flecks of gold peeking out of it. "And how shall we awaken this?" Celestinia asked. "Do you wish to see?" Anthony asked. Celestinia nodded and handed him back the rock-like thing. The priests brought in a wooden pail with a wooden lid. A priest opened the lid and dropped the rock-like thing inside the pail filled with dark red liquid. Nothing happened at first but then the dark red liquid started gurgling and bubbles appeared on top as if something was breathing underneath. Then the amount of dark red liquid in the pail started to go down . . . and down . . . until there was not a drop left. The high priest took the rock-like thing from the pail but it was no longer a rock-like thing. On his hand, laid something red and pulsing with a gold light coming from its most inner core. "Your Highness, I present to you . . . the heart of the Gold Dragon," Anthony said and knelt on the ground. The other priests knelt on the ground too and bowed their heads. Celestinia smiled in satisfaction. "Good work. Now, let''s feed that to the prince." * * * Glenn''s eyes suddenly opened revealing his brilliant light green eyes with flickers of gold-like embers in his irises. Curses. His fists tightened. He was in a desolate land filled with rubble and ash in the air under a perpetually red sky. It was a far cry from Aderlan''s colorful kingdom full of life. This land still reeked of death even after several hundreds of years. If he allowed himself, he could almost hear the clash of swords around him. Metal against metal. Blood against blood. The cries of rage. The cries of pain. The madness of it all. This was the land where the final battle took place. The only battle that really mattered. The only battle that should have been remembered but was only written down as a legend. Passed down as a bedtime story. Forgetting the sacrifices made, the blood spilled, and the darkness that had once almost destroyed everything. This was the land where everything almost ended. The Land of the Red Sun. He began moving fast, running with inhuman speed. He ran so fast, his legs looked like a blur. His light green eyes flared leaving a trail of light green light behind. There was no use staying in this place of history. They had set him up. That queen must have known that he was always listening and he led her to a decoy. He underestimated her. His years of existence had led him to become too complacent. Curses. This wasn''t where he was supposed to be. He was too late. He was fast. Inhumanly fast but it wasn''t enough. No. He didn''t want to transform. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He should do that only when it was the last thing he could only do. * * * Meanwhile, back in the Imperial Palace . . . Vincent was sleeping in his lush bed chamber unaware that his peaceful nights were to come to an end. SLAM! The door slammed open, banging loudly on the wall. The prince jolted awake. Intruders? Where was his sword? Argh. Right. He never had a sword by his side thinking that he would always be safe in the palace anyway. He would regret that. "Vincent dear." Oh. That voice. "Mother?" Vincent asked tentatively, his eyes still trying to adjust in the darkness. He was still so da*n sleepy. "What are you doing here?" Vincent asked. His mother came into view as she parted the curtains of his canopy bed. She was smiling. That wasn''t usually a good sign. "Vincent dear. Get up. I have something to show you," Celestinia said. Vincent frowned. "Can it wait until tomorrow morning? Or is it dawn now? Please, let the sun rise first before waking me up," Vincent said. Celestinia chuckled. That melodic chuckle of hers that made men weak in the knees and blind to the evil behind her loveliness. "It cannot wait. It is very important. Are you going to make your mother beg, my dear son?" Celestinia asked sweetly. He sensed that she was not going away no matter how stubborn he was going to be. With a sigh, he got up from his very soft bed. His frown deepened when he saw that they weren''t alone. The High Priest was behind her and four other priests who he didn''t know. "What are they doing here?" Vincent asked. "They are here to assist you. Vincent dear, do you still wish to be king? The rightful king of Aderlan?" Celestinia asked. "Of course, Mother. I am simply waiting for you to allow my coronation," Vincent said irritably. "The time has come for you to become the rightful king, Vincent," Celestinia said. Vincent was now wide awake. "Are you going to crown me king now, Mother?" Vincent asked eagerly. "Not yet. You must have the power of the Gold Dragon first," Celestinia said. "But doesn''t the Duke have that? Can we steal it from him?" Vincent asked. Celestinia smiled slyly. "No, you don''t need to. We have its heart," Celestinia said. She beckoned the High Priest and he stepped forward. He was carrying a silver box decorated with colorful gems. Vincent looked at curiously. It didn''t look ominous but for some reason, something felt wrong. He wasn''t sure why. Celestinia nodded and the High Priest opened the box. "What the f-" Vincent drew back, horrified at the sight of the pulsing heart. It was beating. Glowing. It was alive. "G-get that thing away from me!" Vincent shouted in disgust. Celestinia held him by his wrist. "Vincent dear, that thing is the key to your throne. It''s the heart of the Gold Dragon. Lucien may have the dragon''s blessing but we have its heart! It can''t possibly do anything but give you power, right? It won''t have any other choice!" Celestinia said gripping his wrist tightly. He shook her off. The look in his mother''s icy blue eyes frightened him. He couldn''t understand what she was saying. This was the Gold Dragon''s heart? This beating monstrous thing pulsing inside that box is the Gold Dragon''s heart and they were going to force it to give him power? "Mother, slow down. Could you properly explain to me what you plan to do to this . . . thing? How are we going to force it to give me its power?" Vincent asked. Celestinia tilted head and smiled. "Vincent dear. Do you trust your mother?" Celestinia asked. Vincent''s skin crawled. He couldn''t put his finger on it but something truly felt terribly wrong. He couldn''t exactly say he didn''t trust her. His mother was all that he had. He was certain that his mother only wanted the best for him. "Of course, Mother. I trust you," Vincent said. "You will be king after this," Celestinia said. After what? Celestinia turned to the High Priest and nodded. "Now," Anthony said. The four other priests suddenly went into motion and surrounded Vincent. They got out the long chain they have been hiding behind their backs and bounded him with it. "Unhand me! Mother! Tell them!" Vincent shouted, struggling to get the chain off him but his arms had been tied tight with the chain. They pulled him down to the ground and he was brought down to his knees. "W-what are you d-" Anthony took ahold of his jaw, forcing it open. Vincent''s eyes widened. "Long live the future Sun of the Empire," Anthony murmured. He shoved down the pulsing heart inside the prince''s mouth. Chapter 91 - Dragons Heart "Mmmmmph!!!!" Vincent tried to get it out of his mouth, gagging and pushing it with his tongue but the High Priest was using his hand to push the heart forcefully inside his mouth. The priests tightened the chain around his body and he screamed in pain. The heart went down to his throat. His eyes were tearing up. He wanted to shout but his throat felt so full and it hurt. It hurt!!! "Just swallow it all, Your Highness," Anthony said. He didn''t want to but the disgusting thing went down its throat. He didn''t know how. It was so big but it somehow slipped down his throat as thought it adjusted its size to fit inside his body. As though it wanted to replace his own heart. Then he screamed. * * * In the castle''s underground dungeon, where criminals have been tortured until they die, a person who should not be there at all was screaming like a wild animal in agonizing pain. Celestinia looked mildly disturbed from outside the prison bars. As if someone had just toppled over her tea. "Is this how he should be reacting? Perhaps a sedative might help with the transformation," Celestinia said coolly. "I advise not to, Your Highness. It has been said in scriptures that the dragon gives a test to the human to see if he is worthy but in this case, we are forcing the Gold Dragon''s heart to reside in His Highness. It will naturally reject him because he has not been declared as the heir," Anthony said. "He is the heir!" Celestinia snapped. "He should be! He''s the king''s son. We are just doing this to make things right. Now, tell me. How long is he going to be like that?" Anthony wiped a sweat from his brow. "No one knows, Your Highness. No one has ever attempted to place a dragon''s heart inside a man. I daresay it depends entirely on His Highness if he will be able to withstand the dragon''s heart." Celestinia glared at the high priest. She almost called him useless but she held her tongue and turned to leave instead. "Call for me when it''s over," Celestinia said. "Yes, Your Highness," Anthony said with a bow. "Even if it doesn''t end well. I need to know," Celestinia said and left her son still screaming in pain inside the dungeon. * * * Vincent was in pain. So much pain he just wanted to die. Someone just end it. Please. To hell with being the rightful heir to the throne. Someone just end this pain right now! Please! He was still screaming in pain but he didn''t even know that anymore. All he knew was that he was in pain. So much pain. Everything hurt. Please. Someone just end it! End me! End this pain! Someone just kill me! I don''t care about the da*n throne! Just stop this pain! Get this fu*king heart out of me! Get it o- * * * * * * Then a voice like thunder spoke. "Boy, stop screaming. You have roused me from my slumber." * * * Meanwhile, in White Peaks . . . Sylvia''s violet eyes widened. A shiver ran through her body. No. It can''t be. He shouldn''t be alive. They made sure of that! But this overwhelming power that she felt, there was no mistaking it. It was him! But how?! "Lady Sylvia?" Her thoughts were interrupted and she looked at the young man quietly. Who was this? Ah. Right. The boy who wanted to get her help to get across the mountain. He was dark skinned and his hair was a mix of dark indigo and blue. He must be from that kingdom full of magic. But he said that he''s a merchant. She observed his stance, his amicable smile, and his lack of sleazy aura that most merchants have. She was sure of it. This boy was not a merchant. So, why did he want to cross that mountain? He took the shortcut instead of the usual travel route. "Um . . . Lady Sylviaaa," Azmir said, trying to get her attention. She ignored him and directed her gaze at the young man''s companion, the one who was just sipping his mug of cocoa looking like he was in deep thought. He was just thinking of his younger sister as usual but Sylvia didn''t know that. Skin as white as fresh fallen snow, hair as black as a raven''s feather, and eyes like autumn. He was not of this world. An adventurer. He must have died and a fickle god had sent him to Feylantis. Most adventurers never left that kingdom because outside that kingdom, there was no magic. How strange. What could possibly be their goal in going to Aderlan? "Lady Sylviaaa," Azmir said, getting tired already for calling her name repeatedly and standing up in front of her. She turned back her attention to Azmir. "Sweets," Sylvia said. "Sweets?" Azmir repeated, his face blank in confusion. Sylvia nodded and turned her back. The conversation was finished. She had said what was needed. * * * Azmir was floored. He had never encountered someone who was so difficult to talk to. He went back to the table. "Sammy, I don''t understand. Did she accept to be a guide or not?" Azmir asked. "What did she say?" Sammy asked raising his bushy eyebrow. "She said ''sweets.'' That''s all!" Azmir said. "Ah, that''s the compensation she''s asking you, lad," Sammy said. "I see. Then that''s easy," Yuzan said. "No! It''s not! We don''t have sweets! It would have been easier if she had asked for gems but no! She had to ask for sweets which we don''t have!" Azmir said. Yuzan sighed. "You''re being too noisy, my blue bird," Yuzan said to Azmir then turned to Sammy. "Is she fond of sweets here in your village?" "No. She''s been coming here for years so she''s probably fed up with our sweets. Some travelers have tried that and she just ignored them. You don''t really have sweets with you? You must have bought some souvenirs from where you came from," Sammy said. "We really don''t. What should we do? Should we just try to climb the mountain by ourselves? We can''t just go back where we came from to buy her sweets," Azmir said. "I can make them," Yuzan said. "Eh?! You can?!" Azmir exclaimed. "Wait here. I''ll ask her first if she had ever eaten it before," Yuzan said. Yuzan got up and walked over to the bar counter where Sylvia was sitting. "Hey, have you ever eaten mochi ice cream before?" Yuzan asked. She tilted her head and looked at him quietly with her violent eyes. Yuzan sighed. "I can''t understand you if you don''t talk. Just say yes or no," Yuzan said. "No," Sylvia said. "And if I give you that, you''ll be our guide?" Yuzan asked. Sylvia cocked her head to the other side and just stared at him. Yuzan narrowed his eyes at her. "The mochi ice cream! It''s cold, sweet and squishy! I am sure you are going to like it so I''m asking you if you''re agreeing to take us to the mountain?" Yuzan asked. Azmir looked at them nervously. Yuzan wasn''t even trying to be polite. In his surprise, the strange young woman''s lips curved into a smile. Yuzan sighed. "I see. Of course, you want to taste it first. Fine. But don''t ask for seconds!" Yuzan said and walked back to the table where Azmir and Sammy where waiting. "You understood her?!" Azmir asked in amazement. "Somehow," Yuzan said then turned to Sammy. "Sammy, tell me if you have these ingredients." "Yes, Sir!" Sammy said. "Rice flour, condensed milk or sweetened milk, vanilla, sugar, and starch!" Yuzan said. "We have but I''ve never heard of those ingredients being combined together to make sweets," Sammy said. Yuzan grinned. "Just get them. I''m going to show her just how delicious Japanese sweets are," Yuzan said. How strange. Yuzan is fired up, Azmir thought. "Mir, we still have the fruits we got from the village, right? And those berries you got from the forest," Yuzan said. "Yes, which one of those do you want?" Azmir asked. Yuzan smirked. "All of them. It''s going to be a sweets buffet. I''m going to make sure that she takes us to the mountain," Yuzan said. "Hehh . . . You''re full of confidence. Did you always make sweets back in your world?" Azmir asked. "No," Yuzan said. "Eh?! Then, how are you so confident?!" Azmir asked. Yuzan smiled. "I used to make them years ago for my cute little sister," Yuzan said grinning proudly. Azmir shot him a worried look. "Years ago?! Are you sure you still remember how to make them?" Azmir asked. Yuzan chuckled. "Just who do you think I am? I remember everything connected to my little sister, " Yuzan said. Ah . . . His bad personality was coming out. Yuzan knew that but he was filled with excitement. He was going to meet his little sister soon. He didn''t want to have any more delays. He was going to make that woman eat his sweets and take them to the mountain. Mia, your Onii-chan is coming to meet you soon. Just bear with it a little longer. We''re going to reunite soon. Chapter 92 - Ice Cream Years ago in Mia and Yuzan''s original world . . . "Onii-chan! Onii-chan!" A small Mia with her black hair in pig tails burst in her big brother''s room. "Mia-chan," Yuzan said, his features softening into a smile. He closed his laptop and opened him arms wide. Mia smiled widely and ran then leaped in her brother''s arms. "Oof!" Yuzan exclaimed. "Mia-chan, what brought you here? Did you miss your Onii-chan?" Yuzan asked while rubbing his cheek on Mia''s cheek. "N-nya! Stop it, Onii-chan. You''re not a cat!" Mia protested placing her tiny hands on her big brother''s face. "Mia-chan is just so cute. So, what does my cute little sister want?" Yuzan asked. "Snow!" Mia said. "Snow?" Yuzan repeated. "There''s snow outside, Onii-chan!" Mia said. Yuzan looked out his window. She was right. Snow. It had piled up on the lawn outside. He had not noticed. Come to think of it, what time was it? It must be morning already because Mia was awake. Ah... He had forgotten to sleep again. "Onii-chan?" Mia squished her big brother''s cheeks. "Does my little sister want to go outside?" Yuzan asked. Mia nodded excitedly. "Let''s put on a jacket first, okay? Oh and boots too and a scarf! I don''t want you getting a cold," Yuzan said. Mia sucked in air in her cheeks. "Please, Mia-chan?" Yuzan asked. "Fiiiine," Mia said. A few minutes later, the Hajime siblings were all dressed up to go outside. Mia was wearing a pink fur jacket with bunny ears and matching furry pink boots. Yuzan was elegantly dressed in a black winter coat and black boots. "Onii-chan, snow!" Mia said gleefully running around the snow-filled lawn. "Yes, Mia-chan, snow," Yuzan said. Mia laid down on her back. "Snow angel!" Mia said while making a snow angel. Yuzan smiled. He wanted to preserve this memory. She looked so adorable. He wanted to always see her smiling and having fun. "Onii-chan, the snow looks like ice cream," Mia said eyeing the snow hungrily. "No! It''s not ice cream!" Yuzan said and squatted down beside her. "Mia wants ice cream," Mia said. "Even though it''s this cold?" Yuzan asked. Mia nodded. "Alright. Let''s get in first. I''ll get you ice cream," Yuzan said. "Yey!" Mia said. The Hajime siblings went back in their mansion. "Mia-chan, change out of your jacket first. You''ll catch a cold," Yuzan said. "Okaaay," Mia said and went to her room. Now, for the ice cream. His dear little sister''s request. Yuzan went to their refrigerator and searched for ice cream. No ice cream. Oh no. He could try ordering but the snow was getting heavy outside and it would take a long time for their order to arrive. He looked around their kitchen for snacks. He couldn''t find any snacks. Argh. Their parents must have forgotten to order snacks for them again. They should have ordered snacks because they have kids but no! They only ordered the "necessary" food for their nutrition. There were fruits in the kitchen but Mia was craving for ice cream. Not fruits. He looked for other ingredients. He found a pack of rice flour which was used in making mochi. He also found condensed milk which they use for their pancakes. "Onii-chan, where''s the ice cream?" Mia asked with her eyes wide looking around the kitchen. "Umm . . . It''s because of the snow outside . . ." Yuzan began to make an excuse and trailed off. Wait. Snow. Snow! "Mia-chan, can you help Onii-chan make your ice cream?" Yuzan asked. "Onii-chan is going to make ice cream?" Mia asked her eyes twinkling like he just said he could make it with magic. "Yes, but Onii-chan needs Mia-chan''s help," Yuzan said. Mia nodded enthusiastically. "Can you get the whitest and cleanest snow that you can find in the garden?" Yuzan asked. Mia agreed excitedly. Yuzan gave her a bowl and an ice cream scoop to serve as her shovel. Mia dashed off to the garden to gather some snow. Yuzan rolled his sleeves and crackled his knuckles. "Time to get to work," Yuzan said. He combined the rice flour, sugar, and water in a bowl then microwaved them for one minute. Meanwhile, he chopped some strawberries finely, placed them in a bowl and added sugar, vanilla extract, and milk to it. He went back the microwave, stirred the sticky mochi a bit and placed it back in the microwave to be heated for a minute again. He looked around in the kitchen and found a pink food dye. Ding! Yuzan took the mochi mixture and added a drop of pink food dye to it. He returned the bowl to the microwave to be heated for the last time for only 30 seconds. "Onii-chan! Is this enough?" Mia ran to Yuzan carrying the bowl filled with a mountain of ice. "Yes, you''re so amazing, Mia-chan. Can you watch an episode for now? Onii-chan is almost done," Yuzan said. Mia nodded and went to the television. A few seconds later, Yuzan could hear the opening song of the anime, Magic Knight Rayearth. Ah. He should give Mia her very own Mokona. Mokona is a cute bunny-like white creature in the anime. That was a good Christmas gift idea. He should get the voice actress to record her voice so that the stuffed toy would make sounds when Mia squeezes it. Yuzan washed the snow with cold water, ensuring that there wasn''t any dirt in it. He then mixed condensed milk and his strawberry mixture to it. He combined the ingredients until it became a creamy mixture that actually looked like strawberry ice cream. He flattened the mochi that he made and cut them into circles. He then placed an ice cream scoop on each mochi circle and afterwards, he wrapped the ice cream with the mochi. Mochi ice cream done! "Mia-chan, it''s ready," Yuzan said. "Yey!" Mia paused the anime episode she was watching and hopped off the sofa. "Ice cream! Uwaaaaa! Mochi?!" Mia said looking at the mochi ice cream balls that her big brother made. They were color pink and they looked so cute. "The snow ice cream is inside. Take a bite," Yuzan said. Mia nodded and took a mochi ball. She had an amazed look on her face. The mochi felt smooth and soft on her palm but also cold. She nuzzled the mochi with the tip of her nose. Yuzan chuckled. "Mia-chan, a bite. Not a nose to nose," Yuzan said. Mia giggled. She took a bite. Her eyes lit up. It was so delicious! It was creamy and sweet and she could taste the strawberries and the mochi wrapping was so soft! She gobbled up the mochi ice cream. Yuzan chuckled. "Do you like it?" Yuzan asked. Mia nodded enthusiastically. She wanted to eat another mochi ice cream. "Onii-chan is the best!" Mia said. Yuzan poked Mia''s chubby cheek. "Really? Do you like your Onii-chan?" Yuzan asked. Mia nodded again energetically. "I loooooove Onii-chan!" Mia said. "Onii-chan loves Mia-chan too," Yuzan said hugging her tight. "C-can''t breathe! Mia wants to eat more ice cream," Mia said. Yuzan laughed and let her go. "Sure. Let''s take this in front of the TV and eat while we watch, okay?" Yuzan said. "Yey!" Mia said. The two sat on the sofa in front of the television while they ate Yuzan''s homemade mochi ice cream made of snow. "Mia-chan, you know Onii-chan loves you a lot," Yuzan said. Mia was not listening. She was staring intently at the television entranced at the transformation scene of the sailor uniform changing into armor magically. "Onii-chan will do anything to protect you," Yuzan said. Mia did not hear him but Yuzan felt happy anyway seeing his little sister happy. It was a pleasant day. Their parents were nowhere to be seen as always but they had each other and it was enough. * * * At the present time in White Peaks . . . "Here. Eat this," Yuzan said. He was carrying a tray with a plate filled with his homemade mochi ice cream made with snow. Sylvia stared at it curiously. "You won''t know the taste until you eat it. Hurry up and eat it," Yuzan demanded. "Yuzan, you shouldn''t talk to her like that. What if she finds you offensive?" Azmir whispered. Sylvia poked it. Oh. It was soft and cold. How strange. It didn''t look like it was poisoned even though the boy was really rude. She took one and rolled it a bit on the palm of her hand. She wouldn''t die anyway even if it was poisoned. No harm in trying it then. She took a bite. Oh. Oh!!! Her violet eyes widened. Oh my! She chewed on it faster. It was so delicious! She loved how sweet and cold and soft it was at the same time. Ice? No. This was snow! Sweetened with milk? And there was some kind of berry added to it. Ah. She had finished it already. She looked at the tray and was about to get another one but Yuzan stepped back so she couldn''t reach it. "So, do you agree to be our guide? Promise to us first that you''ll help us get across the mountain and I''ll give you the rest of these," Yuzan said. Sylvia tilted her head and a small smile formed on her lips. How amusing. Perhaps she won''t be bored this time around. "I agree. Now, give that to me, boy," Sylvia said with her voice like the combination of a whisper and the icy winds. Chapter 93 - Freezing *Warning: Curse words* * * * Yuzan had fun memories of the snow with his younger sister. He treasured them and always reminisced those times when he was lonely but now, he detested it with a passion. FUUUUUUUUUUU********KKKKKKKK!!!! The cold winds blasted towards them as they trudged on the snow. Fu*k. Fu*k. Fuuuu*k!!! He was freezing. The cold had sank so deep in his bones he felt like he was no longer made of flesh and bones but ice and snow. This was too much! He wasn''t a newbie to snow but this kind of cold was ridiculous! It was a wonder he wasn''t a human popsicle yet. He turned his head to look at Azmir to see how he was doing. He was quiet. Maybe Azmir was doing better than him. Azmir was shivering and his eyes looked dead and miserable. Oh. He wasn''t doing well either. Meanwhile, their guide was effortlessly walking on the snow and was she hopping?! Is that a happy walk she''s doing?! How dare she?! No, how could she?! Sylvia, their ethereal sweets-lover guide, was walking on the snowy ground with a smile on her face like she was walking at a meadow on a sunny day. She caught him looking at her. She tilted her head in a questioning manner and he just glared at her. She didn''t even look like she was suffering from the cold! Hell, she wasn''t even bundled up as much as them! She was wearing a fur coat but it looked like it was made for a winter fashion show and not for a deadly climb to a snowy mountain. Their small group had began the climb to White Peaks that morning. Currently, they had not made any literal climbs yet as the slope was not that steep so it was more like a long walk that was slowly going upwards. The icy winds were really strong which made their journey a slow one. He wanted to get it over quickly but his body couldn''t go any faster despite how much he wanted to. Mia-chan, your Onii-chan might become a mochi ice cream at this rate. "L-lady S-S-Sylvia!" Azmir yelled with his teeth chattering. Sylvia stopped walking to look at him. "R-rest. We n-n-need to take a rest! Is t-there a shelt-t-ter here?" Azmir yelled over the icy winds. Sylvia nodded and they began walking again. A few moments later, they arrived at what looked like a huge boulder of snow which was bigger than them. Yuzan and Azmir stared at it cluelessly. Sylvia raised her leg and spun. Her foot landed on the huge boulder of snow. WOOOOOSH!!!!!!! The snow hollowed out in the center with great force that parted the snow like how Moses parted the Red Sea. What the hell? Maybe she''s a martial arts expert or something, Yuzan thought. The boulder wasn''t actually a huge piece of rock. It was a small cave. It was still cold inside but at least, they could rest from the feeling of the full blast of icy winds on their faces. Yuzan and Azmir sat on the ground. Azmir began took out dry branches and timber from his magic pouch and then began trying to make a spark out of them. CRUCK! A spark. Yuzan stared at it intently. FWOOSH! Yes! Fire! Yuzan and Azmir looked at each other grinning in delight. They crouched to the camp fire closer and warmed their hands close to it. He turned his head to see if Sylvia was going to sit with them but she didn''t. She was standing by the mouth of the cave looking like she was about to leave. What the hell?! Is she going to leave them in the middle of nowhere?! "Hey! Where are you going?!" Yuzan yelled. Sylvia raised her chin towards the mouth of the cave as if to say that she was obviously going outside. Yuzan was angry now. "Are you just going to leave us here to die?!" Yuzan said. Sylvia shook her head. "So, why are you going outside? Do you have a death wish, huh?!" Yuzan said. Sylvia sighed. She had the kind of expression that looked like she hated talking and it took way too much effort. "To hunt," Sylvia said. Yuzan frowned. "We brought food with us. You can''t possibly hunt anything out there? Nothing can survive out there!" Yuzan said. Sylvia raised an eyebrow as if to say there were animals there that Yuzan just didn''t know about. "You''re still going, aren''t you? Even if I try to stop you," Yuzan said. Sylvia nodded. Yuzan scratched his head in frustration. Was he really supposed to just believe that she was going outside to hunt? What if she leaves them here? They can''t make their way back to the village. They''ll just get lost in the white expanse and end up dying from the cold. "I''ll allow it but there''s a condition," Yuzan said firmly. She tiled her head in a questioning manner. "I''m going to poison you. It''s not going to do anything to you for an hour. No effects or anything but you have to come back here before an hour runs out so I can purify the poison from your body. If you don''t come back in a hour, your whole body will be in pain. You can still walk by then but it will be like hell for you. After another half an hour, you''ll just drop dead and die. If you don''t come back after an hour and a half, we''re getting out of this cave and we''re going to return to the village no matter what it takes. We might die too but we haven''t been acquainted for long so you might not care. It''s your choice. Stay here with us to rest for a bit then we continue our journey or you go out there with poison in your body," Yuzan said. He knew he was being cruel but he didn''t trust this woman. She didn''t feel like an ordinary person and he had the feeling that he should be cautious of her. She held out her wrist to him. "Do it," Sylvia said. Yuzan frowned. "Are you sure? You might be a really good hunter but you''ll have a time limit. I''m not kidding you. You''re going to die if you don''t come back after an hour and a half," Yuzan said. "Just do it, boy," Sylvia said. Yuzan took her wrist. He hated how she called him "boy." She didn''t use their names and the way she said it, it was like she was talking to a little boy. Yuzan poisoned her. He wasn''t lying about his time limit on her and the poison. "It''s done. You''re poisoned now. Get back in a hour before it takes effect," Yuzan said. Sylvia didn''t reply and just walked out of the cave. Her figure vanished in the white surroundings. * * * "Yuzan, where''s Sylvia?" Azmir asked as Yuzan sat down beside him. "She''s going out to hunt she said," Yuzan replied. "What?! To hunt?! In this weather?!" Azmir exclaimed. "My thoughts exactly. Don''t worry. I poisoned her," Yuzan said. "You killed off our guide?!" Azmir shouted. "Shush. She''s not dead. Yet. I just poisoned her. I told her to get back to us in a hour before it takes effect so I can purify the poison from her body," Yuzan said. Azmir looked even more horrified. "And how is that supposed to comfort me?! If she doesn''t make it back, we''re dead too!" Azmir said. "No, we''re not. We''ll go back to the village and look for another guide," Yuzan said. "I don''t think we can. We''ll get lost!" Azmir said. "It will be fine. We''ll just go straight down. Even if we get lost, as long we go straight down, I''m sure the weather will get warmer and we''ll end up reaching a part of the village," Yuzan said trying to sound optimistic. Azmir sighed. "I''m going to haunt you when I die," Azmir muttered. "You can''t do that. I''ll be dead too. We''re just going to be ghost buddies then," Yuzan said. Azmir looked like he was about to cry. "I don''t want to die," Azmir said. "I''m sorry for telling her to find a shelter. I was just so tired and freezing. I couldn''t walk any farther." "It''s fine. I needed to take a break too," Yuzan said. Yuzan placed his arm around Azmir''s shoulder. "We''re going to be fine. I''m sure she''ll come back. She looks like she belongs in this mountain. She doesn''t even look cold!" Yuzan said. "Yes. Perhaps she''s an ice mage. Although I''ve never seen one before in Feylantis," Azmir said. "Perhaps. No use worrying about it now. Let''s just wait for her and in the meanwhile, we can warm up our bodies before we go out again," Yuzan said. Azmir nodded. Yuzan squeezed Azmir''s shoulder and Azmir looked at him curiously. "What is it?" Azmir asked. "What do you think is the best way for our bodies to warm up?" Yuzan asked with a glint in his eye and a grin on his lips. "Uh . . . Fire? We can sit closer to it if you want," Azmir said. Yuzan chuckled. "I have a better idea," Yuzan said. He placed the tip of his finger under Azmir''s chin. "Mir, let''s get inside the sleeping bag." Chapter 94 - Action In The Cold Sylvia ran. Her long white hair swayed as she ran. She was like the icy wind. Her violet eyes were wide open and it was the only speck of color one would see from afar. A white figure with vivid violet eyes. She looked like a white wolf as she ran and leaped on the snowy rocks, running without gasping for air. Then she stopped. Not to take a rest but to look down on the snowy terrain. It was as if she could not feel the snow. She showed no signs of being cold. It was as if she was the snow. Hundreds of years ago, White Peaks was not under perpetual winter. Hundreds of years ago, The Land of the Red Sun was not under a perpetual red sky. Hundreds of years ago, White Peaks was also stained with blood. "Come out," Sylvia said in her raspy whispery voice. She stood still, waiting, her stance that of ready to fight. She had no weapon but just as King Raegan said, Sylvia would not be killed. Well, not easily. "No use in sneaking up on me. Come out now so we can end this quickly," Sylvia said. It wasn''t because she was in a rush to go back in fear of dying from Yuzan''s poison. In fact, she was not poisoned. He did place a poison in her but her body just purified itself. The boy did not need to know that. She could go back before the time limit he set on her anyway. Sylvia was surrounded by trees that had been covered with snow for God knows how long, yet they were still standing. Perhaps they had already been frozen in time. Sylvia was becoming impatient. She knew they were there. She could feel them. Then the shadows stretched. The shadows of the trees stretched out on the ground then upwards. It looked like black liquid or black smoke. It was darkness solidifying, taking form, and getting out the confines of the shadows. Sylvia''s lips curved up in anticipation. "Disgusting as always," Sylvia murmured. The shadows began to take on shapes. Human shapes. Or what used to be humans. Sylvia leaned down a bit and bent her knee a bit. She was ready to strike. The shadows took on a much solid form. They had human features now. Noses. Gaping holes for mouths. Pure black eyes with no trace of white. Pure black armors. In their heads, weapons made of shadow materialized. Swords, spears, and some even had shields. And they were complete. It was an infantry of a shadow army. There were fourteen of them. Pure black soldiers with human shapes but were no longer human. They had no shadows as they were made of shadows. Then their bowed heads looked up and all of them had their pure black eyes on Sylvia. Sylvia was now full on grinning. "Took you long enough. Now, it''s my turn," Sylvia said. She dashed towards the shadow army. A shadow soldier swung its black sword on her but she avoided its attack, bending her body to the side. It was about to attempt to strike her again but she attacked it first. With her fingers outstretched, her palm open, she struck its stomach, her arm going through it like a spear. "WRRRrrrrreeeeeeEEEEkkkkkkkrrrrrrr!!!!" The shadow soldier let out a monstrous scream. Its death cry. Sylvia swiftly moved her arm up, slashing it from the stomach up to its head. THUD. Its black head landed on the white snowy ground. PSSSSHHHHHH! The shadow head vanished like smoke. "RRREEeeekkkKk!!!" "WURReeekkkKK!!!" The other shadow soldiers seemed to have gotten angry at Sylvia. Sylvia raised an eyebrow at them. "What? You still haven''t gotten used to this? Or pertains you''ve forgotten this little yearly dance of ours? Tsk tsk. Let me remind you then!" Sylvia said. Ah . . . She shouldn''t be enjoying this. She charged towards the soldiers. She swung her right hand towards them, slashing them as she ran. They tried to hit her with their weapons but she avoided them elegantly. She truly looked like she was dancing. Bending her body, her silvery white hair swinging with the sway of her body like she was being swung around by a partner. Her feet light as she side stepped, ran, and slid on the snowy ground. More shadow soldiers collapsed and vanished but there were still some remaining and they all charged at her at the same time. She smirked. As if that would work. She slashed on the snowy ground, the force of her attack, made the snow leap from the ground as though a strong wind had cut it. The snow concealed her like a curtain but the shadow soldiers knew she was just there behind that snow. Their swords swung towards the snow but they pierced nothing. The snow fell on the ground and revealed that she was not there. The shadow soldiers looked around left and right in confusion. But she was nowehere to be seen in either direction. She was behind them. In mid air. She looked like an angel falling down from the sky. Her white coat was flapping wide open like wings and her silvery white hair gave her an ethereal otherworldly aura. She swung her leg downward in a slashing motion. WOOOOOOOOOOSH!!! She didn''t hit their heads with her foot but her movement, created a strong wind and that strong wind slashed the heads of the shadow soldiers and gave off a crunching sound as through their skills were cracking from the sheer force of her attack. She landed gracefully on the ground. Behind her, the shadows vanished like smoke. There were none left. At this part of the mountain anyway. *Rustle Her violet eyes darted towards the trees. There was a white boar. A snow boar with pure white fur. It was an animal that had become a winter beast when the perpetual winter began in White Peaks. Ah. Right. She had to feed the two boys in the cave. Without moving her feet from where she was standing, she simply raised her hand up in the sky then brought it down swiftly. The boar didn''t sense the danger. WOOOSH! A sudden gust of air hit the boar and instantly ended its life. There. Meal for the boys. She must have only been gone for less than an hour. She had left the two boys in a cave and they had a camp fire with them so they must not have freezed to death yet, right? * * * "W-why?" Azmir asked nervously. "So we can go inside. It will be warmer," Yuzan said. "I do not wish to. I''m contented with the warmth of the fire," Azmir said. "Mir, please," Yuzan said and squeezed Azmir''s shoulder. Azmir''s cheeks reddened. Well, it was going to be warmer in a sleeping bag. Yuzan was right. Azmir took out a sleeping bag from his magic pouch. He could feel Yuzan''s stare behind him, waiting for him. Azmir was about to take out another sleeping bag from his magic pouch but Yuzan''s hand touched his hand. "No need. We can share it," Yuzan said. Azmir''s eyes widened. "But we have our own sleeping bag. I can just take it out now," Azmir said. "Trust me. It will be warmer this way," Yuzan said. Azmir wetted his lower lip nervously. Why the hell was he feeling nervous anyway? It wasn''t like it was the first time they were going to sleep together. What was wrong with him? Yuzan got in the sleeping bag first. "Come here, Mir. You''ll be warmed up in no time," Yuzan said. Azmir nodded and quietly got in the sleeping bag too. It was warm. He closed his eyes and began to relax. Azmir''s back was facing Yuzan so he could not see Yuzan''s face. He wasn''t sure if Yuzan had his eyes closed too. Then Yuzan''s arm went around him, hugging him tight around the waist. "Y-Yuzan what are you d-" "Shush," Yuzan whispered close to his ear. Azmir could feel Yuzan''s warm breath on his nape. "I''m warming you up," Yuzan said. "I''m warm enough. I''m not cold," Azmir said. "No, you still are. Your skin is cold," Yuzan said. His lips nuzzled Azmir''s nape. "Cold," Yuzan murmured. "I-I''m not," Azmir said. Yuzan''s hand went under Azmir''s shirt. Azmir''s eyes widened. Yuzan touched Azmir''s stomach. "You''re cold here too," Yuzan said, caressing Azmir''s stomach. "Why are you doing this?" Azmir asked. "Skin to skin contact is the best way to warm up, Mir. Don''t you know that? Actually, the best way for this to work is both of us should be naked," Yuzan said. Azmir''s ears were red now too. "If we get naked, it''s going to be colder!" Azmir protested. "Not if our skins touch each other," Yuzan said with a grin. Before Azmir could retort, Yuzan sat up and took off his jacket then pulled off his shirt from his head, revealing his snow white skin and perfectly sculpted abs. Azmir stared at him in shock. Yuzan smiled at him. "Mir, I''m going to freeze if I''m the only one with my top off. Take off yours too," Yuzan said. Azmir couldn''t answer. "Ah you want me to take it off for you? Sure," Yuzan said and began to take off Azmir''s jacket. Chapter 95 - Wrong Dragon Sylvia wasn''t soaked with blood but she still felt stained. It was unpleasant. No matter how many times she had already done it. No matter how many she had killed them over and over again. It was still unpleasant. She slid down the snowy slope, snow flying off from her feet as she skid down with finesse. There were more of them in the mountain. She could feel their presence hiding in the shadows. No, not hiding. Waiting. She skid down again. She closed her eyes and inhaled. Ah. It still smelled of snowdrops. That was the only thing that didn''t change. She landed perfectly on her feet. Should she tell the boys about the dangers in the mountain? She couldn''t just stow them in a cave whenever she had to vanquish some shadow soldiers. Well, no matter. If they learn about the shadows then they shall. She reached the cave. Will the boys eat boar meat? She hoped they did or if not, she would like to at least roast it by the fire and eat it before they venture out of the cave. She entered the cave. The camp fire was still lit but where were the boys? Oh. THUD. She dropped the boar she was holding by the leg on the ground. She blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what she was seeing but she couldn''t so she tilted her head to the side and asked instead. "Is there a way for boys to make babies now?" Sylvia asked. * * * Azmir pushed off Yuzan who was leaning down on top of him. "N-no! We weren''t! It''s not what you''re thinking!" Azmir said his face bright red and his clothes disheveled. Yuzan frowned at Sylvia. "You came early," Yuzan said in a displeased tone. "Put on your shirt!" Azmir said to Yuzan still panicking. Yuzan sighed and put back on his shirt and jacket. "I apologize for interrupting. Shall I leave again?" Sylvia asked. "No!" Azmir squeaked. "Yes," Yuzan said. Azmir glared at Yuzan but Yuzan ignored him. "I suppose I should purify the poison from your body now," Yuzan said and got up. Sylvia''s expression remained impassive. "I don''t think it''s been an hour since you were gone but did you feel any discomfort?" Yuzan asked feeling a bit guilty that he poisoned their guide because he didn''t trust her to come back. "No," Sylvia simply said. "Give me your hand," Yuzan said. Sylvia did and Yuzan held her by the wrist. His eyebrows furrowed together. "Did you take an antidote?" Yuzan asked. "No," Sylvia said. "But this is impossible. I poisoned you!" Yuzan said. Sylvia was quiet. "You must have taken an antidote!" Yuzan said. "Yuzan, is there something wrong?" Azmir asked and walked over to where the two were standing. "She isn''t poisoned!" Yuzan said. "What do you mean?" Azmir asked. "Why did the poison not work on you? Are you immune to poison?" Yuzan asked. Sylvia''s lips tilted up a bit. Yuzan abruptly let go of her hand. "But you came back for us. Why?" Yuzan asked. She tilted her head to the side. "We had a deal," Sylvia said. Yuzan sighed in frustration. This strange woman was immune to his poison yet she still came back for them and what the hell did she bring back? Was that a dead boar? A boar in the middle of a snowy mountain? Well, it was white so maybe it was a special boar or something. "Yuzan, she must be tired. Let''s allow her to rest," Azmir said. Yuzan wordlessly went back to the camp fire. "Sorry about that. My companion mistrusts strangers because we were betrayed by our hired guards before. It''s nothing personal," Azmir said. Sylvia nodded. "Come in. Oh, what''s that? A white boar? Shall we cook that?" Azmir asked. Sylvia nodded. A few moments later, the aroma of roast meat wafted inside the cave. "That smells absolutely delicious! Thank you, Lady Sylvia!" Azmir said. Sylvia nodded. "How did you kill this? I noticed that the cut was very clean. What kind of weapon did you use?" Yuzan asked. "Something not poisoned," Sylvia said with a smile. Yuzan glared at her. "Don''t fight, the two of you. The meat is done. Let''s eat," Azmir said. They began eating the roasted snow boar. It was really soft and juicy. It was a good thing, Azmir had spices in his magic pouch so the meat was well seasoned. After eating, they went out of the cave and began their arduous journey up the mountain once again. * * * Glenn landed on the floor of the Imperial Palace without a sound. He came from the balcony as always but this time, he was not paying a visit to Miyu. In front of a vanity mirror, Celestinia was humming to herself as she applied fragrant oils on her neck. "I think I should just kill you now, Celes," Glenn said and positioned a dagger under her chin. Celestinia dropped her perfume in shock and in shattered to pieces on the floor, making the ends of her long light violet night dress wet. "S-Sir Jade! P-please, don''t kill me," Celestinia said. "Why shouldn''t I? Thousands of lives were lost from that thing you just awakened! Your measly life will be nothing compared to the lives that will be lost now," Glenn said angrily, bringing the blade of the dagger closer to her neck. "Sir Jade, please! Spare me. I just wanted my son to be a proper king! He wasn''t made the heir by the Gold Dragon so I merely forced its heart inside him. If you think that it''s a terrible idea, then you can still stop it," Celestinia said. She wasn''t really sure if Glenn could still stop it but she just said that so Glenn would go away already. Glenn gritted his teeth. "That thing can no longer be stopped," Glenn said. He couldn''t even if he wanted to and he was merely channeling his anger towards this human who made it happen. "That is not the heart of the Gold Dragon you forced inside your son," Glenn said. Celestinia''s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "But . . . there were gold flecks on it and what else would die there and look like that?" Celestinia asked. THUD! He stabbed the dagger on the table. He wasn''t in the mood to kill the foolish queen anymore. She may be cruel but it wasn''t intentional. She didn''t know. "The legend. Do you know of it?" Glenn asked. "I do not know any legends. I do not think they''re useful to me as a lady," Celestinia said. Glenn sighed. "I have nothing better to do anyway. I suppose I can tell you the story," Glenn said. "Shouldn''t you be stopping whatever is happening to my son first? He''s in the underground prison," Celestinia said. "I can''t. It''s alive already and my power is not enough to kill it. Even if I manage to kill your son, it will just latch on to the next human it will find. The heart is alive already so any body will do," Glenn said. Celestinia looked horrified. "What have I done?" Celestinia murmured to herself. "You were human. Terribly so. Selfish, greedy, and ignorant. You should have at least read the legends," Glenn said. "So we are merely waiting for the disaster to happen? Is that why you''re here with me instead of fighting that thing?" Celestinia asked. "Something like that. As I''ve said, I cannot defeat that thing," Glenn said. Celestinia exhaled heavily. "Then tell me. What is that thing exactly my priests have found?" Celestinia asked. "It''s the heart of the Gold Dragon''s twin brother," Glenn said. "Twin?!" Celestinia said. Glenn got up. "I should go. Miyu might be in danger," Glenn said. "Wait! You told me that you will tell me all about it!" Celestinia said. Glenn walked towards the balcony. "Just read the legend. It''s true. All of it," Glenn said and leaped down the balcony. * * * Miyu couldn''t sleep. Something was happening. There were whispers in the shadows she could hear and she couldn''t move. "Miyu." "Glenn!" Miyu said and hurriedly ran towards him. "Are you alright?" Glenn asked, noticing her pale face. "There''s something here! The shadows! They''re whispering!" Miyu said. Glenn couldn''t hear what she was hearing but he had a feeling that being a Saintess, Miyu was more sensitive to the darkness that was brewing in the Imperial Palace. "Miyu, you have to leave this place now. It''s too dangerous," Glenn said. "Why? What''s happening?" Miyu asked. "I''m sorry. I should have come sooner. I can''t explain now. We must go," Glenn said. Miyu quickly grabbed the diamond flower from her night stand to bring it with her. "I can''t pack up my dresses now, can I?" Miyu asked. Glenn shook his head. "I''ll buy you new ones." "Okay, let''s go," Miyu said. Glenn carried Miyu princess-style and leaped off from the balcony. "Miyu, hold on tight," Glenn said. Miyu nodded. Glenn ran with his inhuman speed. Miyu could feel the wind on her skin as Glenn ran. She shut her eyes and held on to Glenn tightly. Glenn leaped on the palace wall and landed perfectly on the ground. They were out of the palace but Glenn continued to run. He had to bring Miyu to a safe place. She should be far, far away from Aderlan for now. He could bring her back anyway once everything was over. If there was even still a kingdom to go back to. Chapter 96 - Hansels Parents Someone was following them. Hansel didn''t know who but he could feel the presence of someone lingering in the shadows and watching their movements. Who could it be? Someone who had a grudge towards Lucien? Perhaps a former servant or maybe a common thief who was attracted to their wealth and didn''t know who they were. Nevertheless, he would deal with him secretly so that his master would not be disturbed. "Your Grace, Lady Euphemia, I have some things to take care of this evening. May I take my leave?" Hansel asked. "Oh, sure! We''ve already settled in here anyway," Euphemia said. "Just be back in the morning," Lucien said. Lucien seemed to sense Hansel''s intentions but chose not to mention it so as to not worry Euphemia. "Yes, Your Grace," Hansel said. He bowed quickly and left. There''s that shadow again. Strange. It was following him instead of Lucien and Euphemia. Hansel smirked. Fine. Let him follow me. I''ll show you just how strong the butler of Duke Ashburn is. * * * The three of them were at White Edge. It was the village that would come before White Peaks. It wasn''t a big one. It was more of a traveler''s village which had more inns than houses and supplies stores than jewelry stores. Euphemia rubbed her arms. It was a little cold in the village. She knew that it would be colder after this but this was for Lucien''s sake and she did promise him. He agreed to be engaged to her because of this promise when they first met. "Euphee, wear this," Lucien said and put on his black fur cape around her shoulders. "Thank you," Euphee said, smiling at him. Lucien smiled back. "Won''t you be cold? Do you have another cape you can use?", Euphemia asked. "I won''t. I think it''s the power of the Gold Dragon. I''m not feeling cold. I''m actually feeling a bit warm," Lucien said. "Oh, that''s nice," Euphemia said. They were at the inn''s pub. No one paid them any attention. No one probably knew who they were here. They had been traveling for days already before they arrived at White Edge. It was a long way from Aderlan and most residents of Aderlan never visited White Edge because there was nothing to see there anyway. Euphemia and Lucien were both dressed simpler than usual to avoid getting unwanted attention from thieves. Lucien was wearing a long black trench coat with black fur sewed from the neck part to the chest. It had silver buttons that were grouped by two and were sewed from the chest part down to his thighs. It was the simplest coat that he had. Euphemia was wearing a blue skirt and a white blouse underneath a turquoise colored trench coat dress with buttons engraved with snowflake symbols, turquoise colored gloves, and now, Lucien''s black fur cape too. It was the simplest attire that she had. Actually, both of them had an air of nobility and even if they were wearing clothes that a normal commoner would wear, they would still stand out like a sore thumb. Their elegance was innate to them and it would just look like they''re cosplaying as commoners instead of being real commoners. "Luci, is meeting Sylvia again very important to you?" Euphemia asked. "Well . . ." Lucien looked like he was feeling nostalgic. "She''s very important to me and even if there was no particular reason, I would love to see her again." * * * Meanwhile, in a dark alley . . . "Agh!" Hansel pushed a hooded man on the brick wall roughly and held him by the shoulders. "Why are you following us?" Hansel asked threateningly. "I-I''m not a bad person," the hooded man said. "That''s what bad people always say," Hansel said. Hansel took off the hood from the man''s head. He was a bit taken by surprise. The man''s hair was that of the same color as him which was light brown. Light brown hair wasn''t especially rare but it was the exact same shade that his hair was. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. He was older than Hansel. He looked like he was in his late forties. He had a bushy mustache, a wrinkled forehead, lines around his eyes, and there was a scar under his left eye. "Who are you?" Hansel asked, not loosening his grip on the stranger. "I could say the same to you. Is there a chance we can talk about this like proper gentlemen?" The man asked. He didn''t give off a dangerous aura. He didn''t feel like a criminal. Hansel released him from his grip. The man sighed in relief. "You''re strong," the man praised. Hansel frowned at him. "Talk. Who are you? Why were you following us?" Hansel asked. The man gave an embarrassed smile which brought out the lines of his face. "No, I wasn''t following your companions. I was following you although that does make me sound suspicious too. Sorry, can I ask you a question before I waste your time more?" The man asked. Hansel sighed in frustration. The man didn''t want to tell him who he was unless Hansel answers his question. "Ask. After I answer, you have to answer my questions," Hansel said. The man smiled again and nodded. "Do you know of someone called Lady Cathryn? I do not know of her last name but she''s said to have beautiful green eyes like emeralds and she has black hair," the man said. Hansel knew of only one woman with the name of Cathryn who had green eyes and black hair. It could only be Lucien''s mother. He saw a painting of her in the mansion they were living in. Lady Cathryn used to have black hair before the unknown incident that turned her hair to white. "What if I say yes?" Hansel asked. The stranger''s eyes lit up. "How do you know of her?" The man asked. "She''s my employer''s mother. What is your business with her?" Hansel asked. The man looked like he was in deep thought for a while. "You are older than your employer, aren''t you? He''s the black haired young man that you were with earlier, isn''t he?" The man asked. Hansel exhaled impatiently. "Yes. I''m older than him for only a year but I don''t see how this is relevant. Why are you asking these intrusive questions?" Hansel asked. "And your father? Do you know who your father is?" The man asked. Hansel was getting irritated now. "I don''t. What? Do you want my life story? I''m an orphan. I do not know who my parents are. I do not know why I was abandoned in the orphanage. Why? Does my father have a debt he cannot pay to you? Is this why you''re asking me? Are you a lender?!" Hansel asked angrily. "No, nothing of that sort. If anyone has a debt, it would be me," the man said. "I don''t see why I''m wasting my time talking to you. Find someone else to bother," Hansel said and turned to leave. "I suppose there''s only one way to find out," the man murmured. The man suddenly grabbed Hansel''s wrist. "Come with me," the man said. * * * Hansel ended up coming with the mysterious man. He was irritated but curiously got the better of him. They passed by several dark narrow alleys. Wet cobble stones, boarded up windows, a cat or maybe a large rat scurrying past them, deeper and deeper into the alleys, colder and colder until Hansel could see a bit of snow on the ground. They must have gotten nearer to the mountains thus the colder temperature. What the hell had he gotten himself into? They reached an old building made of gray bricks. It didn''t have any sign outside so Hansel didn''t know what kind of establishment it was or if it was even an establishment at all. "If you plan to steal from me, hold me for ransom, or murder me, I advise against it. You will lose," Hansel said firmly. The man smiled warmly. "Yes, I know. Do not worry. You are in good company," the man said. Hansel entered the building following the mysterious man. It was dark inside and full of dust and cobwebs. They ascended an old wooden staircase. There were people sitting by the floor with a lantern in the center. Someone from the group turned. "Claude! You''re late! Sheila here just cooked stew! Don''t blame us for eating all the meat. Huh? Who''s that with you?" Hansel finished ascending the stairs. There was a gap in the wooden roof which let in the moonlight. Hansel stepped forward and his features were illuminated by the moonlight. The people gasped. Then they all stood up straight, placed their right fist on their chest, and bowed. "Your Highness!" They shouted in unison. * * * Hansel turned to the mysterious man. "What''s this? I''m not Your Highness! Why did you bring me here?!" Hansel asked. The man simply smiled. He walked towards the group. Someone handed him a lantern. He went towards the end ot the room and pulled on the cloth covering a huge painting on the wall. The man lifted his arm to shine the lantern on the painting. He was only able to pull off half of the cloth on the painting but Hansel could see why he was called "Your Highness." The painting revealed a man with long light brown hair wearing a white coat with gold embellishments. He was obviously royalty. He had gray eyes, an elegant poise, and a warm smile. He looked like Hansel. "I . . . don''t have gray eyes. These eyeglasses are just hiding the real color," Hansel said and removed the eyeglasses revealing his emerald green eyes. The people gasped again. The mysterious man looked even more satisfied. He tugged on the cloth again and the cloth finally fell off, revealing the whole painting. It was Hansel''s turn to be shocked. On the painting, the man who looked like Hansel was with a woman who Hansel would not mistake for anyone else. Lady Cathryn. Chapter 97 - Lady Cathryn Years ago, in the Imperial Palace . . . A black-haired beauty with emerald green eyes was standing by the wall contemplating if she was going to get a champagne or a cake. The champagne and the cake were in different ends of the ballroom and she didn''t want to make her way through the throng twice. In front of her, ladies wearing elegant ballgowns were dancing and twirling with their partners. The men wore suits of different colors and looked elegant as well. The chandeliers were sparkling, the music was on full swing, and everyone looked to be having a good time. Except for her. Lady Cathryn Quinn. Her mother had begged her to get a suitor this evening as if it was something one could just simply buy from a store. One suitor please. He must be rich, handsome, kind, and ready to marry a complete stranger. Yes, I know it''s expensive but my mother absolutely insisted I get one tonight. No, don''t wrap. I''ll just walk him home tonight. Keep the change. Cathryn smiled to herself. If it was as simple as that, she might have done that long ago. She didn''t have a suitor because she wasn''t unattractive. In fact, she was very attractive. She had wavy hair as black as midnight, ivory skin, long lashes framing her emerald green eyes, and that face! Her face was beautiful. She had full lips that would curve into a smile from time to time like there was something funny she was thinking of but not telling anyone. Her figure was not as slender as the other ladies in the ballroom. She didn''t have a hobby of starving like most ladies of her age. She would rather eat and be alone than starve and dance with a man who would just look at her breasts the whole time. Now, for that cake. She began to weave through the dancing throng, avoiding an elbow here, almost stepping on someone''s shoe there, and getting out of the way of a spinning lady. Whew! She finally got out of the dancing floor and she was now standing in front of a long table with must have been a hundred types of cake flavors. She cocked her head to the side contemplating which order should she taste them. But before she could even get one, she heard a shout from outdoors. She looked around. No one paid any attention to the noise she was hearing or even if they were, they weren''t curious enough to get out of the ballroom and see what the noise was all about. Cathryn was curious. She had nothing better to do anyway. If it proved to be just nothing, she could just go back to the cake buffet. She was confident that the cakes wouldn''t run out by the time she came back. Almost no one ate in balls anyway. Most people were too busy socializing and looking for potential marriage partners. Cathryn wasn''t like most people. She got out of the ballroom. The guards who stood by the doors looked at her curiously but they didn''t stop her. She heard the noise again. It was somewhere in the garden. The palace garden was well lit by lanterns. One could say that it''s a just a waste because people would usually just stay in the ballroom but then again, one could say the lanterns were placed there to discourage any couples from engaging in scandalous activities in the gardens. Oh dear. What if it was just a couple getting frisky in the gardens? What should she say? Apologies. I thought I heard someone shouting and well, in danger. I see now that you are not in danger and you must be well satisfied with your partner. Do continue. Please forgive my intrusion. I do recommend that you do it more quietly. I think the palace guards heard you too. Cathryn smiled to herself. Oh. It wasn''t a frisky couple. It was an arguing couple. "How dare you?! What gives you the right?! How dare you embarrass me?!" The lady screamed at the man in front of her. Cathryn walked closer quietly. Oh. She knew that lady. Lady Mirsebella Wales. She was a popular lady who always got several suitors but she would turn them down saying that she wanted a prince. Not just a random noble man. It looked like she finally found a man she wanted. Cathryn looked at the man. Oh, my, my, my. * * * She could see now why Lady Mirsabella had chosen this man. He was utterly handsome despite the troubled look on his face. He had long light brown hair that brushed on his shoulders. He was wearing a white suit with gold embellishments. She didn''t know who he was but he was handsome in a bookish kind of way. She could imagine him in a libary engrossed in a book and then tucking his long hair behind his ear. Oops. She shouldn''t imagine anything about him. This might be another hopelessly besotted suitor of Lady Mirsebella. "Lady . . .uhh . . . what was your name again? Ah. Lady Males. I just do not wish to dance with you. Please don''t embarrass yourself further and go back to the ballroom. I am sure there are other willing gentleman there who would like to dance with you," the mystery man said. Cathryn bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing. "It''s not Males! It''s Wales! Argh! You''ll regret this. I''ll just dance with one of your brothers then. I''m sure they have better taste in women than you do," Mirsebella said. "I hope you take rejection kindly. You shouldn''t shout at my brothers when they reject you. I hope you understand. They have fine taste in women. No offense," the man said. "Arghhh!" Mirsebella screamed and whirled around to go back to the ballroom. The man exhaled in relief then looked at the direction where Cathryn was hiding. "Is she your friend?" The man asked. Cathryn revealed herself and walked towards him smiling. "Heavens, no! She''s horrid. I see that you''re a rare kind of man. Most men would love to be asked by Lady Mirsebella to dance," Cathryn said. The man scrunched up his nose. "They must have not ears then or a brain for that matter. She''s a horrible woman. I don''t understand how men would find her attractive." "Well, she is beautiful," Cathryn said wistfully, thinking how Lady Mirsebella was so slender and how she herself was not. The man looked at Cathryn seriously. "Well, I think you''re the beautiful one," the man said. Cathryn laughed and the man smiled. "We haven''t met. My name is Cathryn Quinn. It''s nice to meet you," Cathryn said giving her hand to shake hands with him. The man took her hand, bowed down, and kissed the back of her hand. Then he smiled at her. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, My Lady. I am Yohann. Third son of the family governing the land of Terrasien," the man said. "Oh, you''re a visitor! I assure you not all ladies of Aderlan are like Lady Mirsebella," Cathryn said. Yohann chuckled. "If I did not meet you, I might have been led to that assumption. I must give my thanks to you in behalf of saving the reputation of the good ladies of Aderlan," Yohann said. Cathryn laughed. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn''t you be inside socializing with the good ladies of Aderlan?" Cathryn asked. "Well, I''m actually part of a society. A small group for like-minded people. I''m not sure if you''re familiar with it. It''s called the Wallflower Society," Yohann said. Cathryn grinned. This handsome man had just made her dull evening very entertaining. "Oh, really? What is it that you do there?" Cathryn asked teasingly. "Well, we attend parties then we arrive there, we pick out a wall we would like to stand in front of the whole evening," Yohann said. "So what are you doing here? Aren''t you breaking the rules of your group?" Cathryn asked. "A horrible woman tried to get me out of my position by the wall. I tried to escape by going here but she still ended up following me. It was very traumatizing," Yohann said. "How terrible! Fortunately, I''m also actually a member of that Wallflower Society myself. We just haven''t met before. Would you like to go back to the ballroom and go back to our positions by the wall?" Cathryn asked. "I''m not sure. I have the urge to break our dear group''s number one rule right now," Yohann said. "And what''s that?" Cathryn asked. "I might just ask a beautiful lady for a dance," Yohann said. Cathryn raised an eyebrow. "You will no longer be a wallflower then. Just an ordinary gentleman dancing with a lady in the ball," Cathryn said. "I am sorely tempted to be just that. Would you indulge me in breaking our Wallflower Society''s number one rule, My Lady?" Yohann asked. "Are you asking me for a dance, My Lord?" Cathryn asked. "Yes. I apologize. I''m not used to asking ladies for a dance. I''m not even sure what''s come over me when I haven''t even danced for years but I''m ready to make a fool out of myself if I can dance with you," Yohann said. Cathryn felt the blood rush to her cheeks. He looked so unsure about himself even though he was so handsome and he thought that she was beautiful. "I must accept then. Let us breath the rules together," Cathryn said. Yohann smiled in relief. "Thank you, My Lady," Yohann said and extended his hand for her to take. She took his hand and they both went back in the ballroom. Two wallflowers dancing with each other without a care for the world. *********** * * * * AUTHOR''S MESSAGE: To my dearest readers, With a heavy heart, I have decided to go on hiatus again. I''ve contemplated this for days and going on hiatus will mean losing some of my readers who can''t wait and also not getting paid by Webnovel (MGS). I''ve reached a state of burnt out right now. Don''t worry. I don''t have writer''s block. I still have lots of nefarious scenes and steamier scenes for our favorite characters planned out in the future but right now, I''m really, really exhausted. I''m juggling my day job, weekend classes, and publishing a chapter everyday. I know that there are several writers who can write and publish everyday and I have great respect for them. Unfortunately, it has taken a toll on me already. I''m sleep-deprived, tired, and I''m worried that if I keep on going at this rate, the quality might drop and I might just end up hating this webnovel. I started writing this webnovel not for money. I wrote this because I wished to share this story with everyone, fangirl with you readers, and read your comments which always make me smile and even laugh. I''m going back to that. I''m not going to write for money and push myself to exhaustion. I''m going to take a rest for now and when I come back, you''ll have more chapters to marathon again. I''ll try to come back within Fall 2021. Might not be at September but somewhere within Sept - Dec. Hopefully, I''ll be well rested by then and have loads of new chapters for you to read. If Season Three gets delayed, I''ll make another announcement. Thank you so much for reading this and for sticking with me for this long. I hope you can wait for Season Three. This author will now be taking a rest. Much love. P.S. If you can''t wait for Season Three, you can read the next two chapters now by unlocking them. You''ll be able to learn more about who Yohann is and what happened to him. Your author, Tanya Chapter 98 - Yohann "Announcing the future Sun of the Empire, His Royal Highness, Prince Reagan and His Highness''s light, Princess Celestinia!" Everyone stopped dancing and the music stopped playing to admire the royal couple and pay their respects. The people bowed and curtsied as the couple passed by them. Celestinia''s son was still a baby so he could not attend the ball yet. Despite just having given birth, she looked absolutely stunning. She wore a lavander tulle gown with light pink flowers sewn on it. Her long blonde hair was decorated with pink jewels shaped into flowers and on top of her head was a small rose gold tiara with violet and pink gems. She had her arm hooked around the king''s arm and she had a pleasant smile on her beautiful face but her icy blue eyes seem to contain no joy. Prince Raegan looked charming and regal as always. He had a strong charisma that could capture the attention of anyone instantly. He had inherited the genes of royal family, having the same golden hair and sky blue eyes. King Raul got up from his seat and smiled widely. Old age had not yet crept upon the king. There were a few lines and wrinkles on his face but his body was still obviously strong. He still wielded the power of the Gold Dragon so it meant the Gold Dragon still considered him worthy of its strength. "Raegan, you made it. I was worried that you won''t be attending another ball again," King Raul said then turned to Celestinia. "Are you feeling better now, Princess Celestinia?" King Raul asked. "Yes, Your Highness. It is in God''s grace that I am fee-" "You told me that you have an important announcement to make so I had to come. What is it, Father?" Raegan cut in. Celestinia had looked at her husband sullenly. "Yes, we should welcome them now," King Raul said then turned to the people. "Everyone, may I have your attention please?" King Raul asked loudly. Even if he didn''t ask, everyone was already paying attention to them. "We have important guests from another kingdom who have joined us in this joyful evening. Please join me, Prince Kael," King Raul said. A man with cropped light brown hair stepped forward and bowed. "This is the crown prince of Terrasien. He has come here to make an alliance with us. With this, Aderlan will be more powerful again. I give you my gratitude, Prince Kael," King Raul said. Cathryn frowned. Terrasien . . . Where did she hear that before? "No, I am the one who is grateful to you, Your Highness. Thank you for agreeing to have an alliance with us. May I call my brothers please? I would like to have an exhibition for you, Your Highness," Prince Kael said happily. "An exhibition?" Cathryn murmured. "Are you fond of that, My Lady?" Yohann asked. "Well, I''m not sure. Is it like the opera? If yes, then I might not like it. It''s terribly boring," Cathryn said. Yohann chuckled. "Then I shall do my best to entertain you, My Lady." Yohann stepped forward and went towards Prince Kael. Another man with light brown hair joined them too. Before Cathryn could even start to comprehend what was happening, Prince Kael spoke. "Your Highness, I present to you my two brothers," Prince Kael said. * * * The man who looked older than Yohann spoke first. "Your Highness, it is my honor to meet you. I am Prince Horen, second son of the the Terrasien royal family," he said and bowed. Prince Horen was unsmiling unlike his eldest brother, Prince Kael, who was smiling while he spoke. Prince Horen was expressionless and he had an aura of someone who was strict and authoritative. "Praise be, Sun of the Empire. I am Prince Yohann, youngest son of the Terrasien royal family," Yohann said. Cathryn''s hand flew to her mouth in shock. She just danced with a prince?! Yohann glanced at her and gave her a sheepish smile as if to apologize to her for not telling her that he was a prince. "It is a pleasure to meet you too. Well then, your older brother wants to have an exhibition. Will you indulge him? I, myself, would like to see what your older brother wants to present," King Raul said. The three brothers looked at each other and nodded. "We shall perform, Your Highness," Prince Horen said. "Proceed," King Raul said. The people moved back towards the walls to give space to the three brothers. "Chiara! I summon thee!" Prince Kael shouted with his arm raised above his head. A brilliant golden light appeared from the palm of his hand then it became bigger and bigger. WOOOOSH!!! The brilliant golden light slowly took shape. "Kaw!!!" Everyone gasped. The light became a huge bird that seemed to be made of golden light. Prince Kael smiled and caressed the bird fondly. "Kano! I summon thee!" Prince Horen shouted. A wave of water suddenly appeared under his feet and it became bigger and bigger then it slowly took shape. Everyone gasped again. It became a humongous turtle that was bigger than a person. "Ferus! I summon thee!" Yohann shouted. A gust of snow suddenly appeared behind him then it slowly took shape. This time, the crowd did not gasp. The snow turned to a white wolf. It was bigger than the average wolf but it wasn''t as impressive as the bird made of light or the giant turtle. Prince Kael nodded to his brothers signaling for them to begin. The exhibition started. The bird made of light flew above the ceiling and then it flapped its wings. Glowing feathers fell above their heads and the crowd watched mesmerized by it. It was like fire falling down from above. Most of the people tried to catch the feathers. The king caught one too and it still glowed brightly even though it was already in the palm of his hand. The giant turtle stomped its feet and the ballroom''s floor transformed into white sand. The giant turtle stomped its foot again and sea water flooded in, there were even waves. The water reached only up to their ankles and made the ladies'' dresses wet but the people were delighted. Then they looked at the wolf, anticipating what it was going to show next. The wolf became bigger than a human and . . . it just ran in circles. Cathryn glanced at Yohann. He was smiling but he looked uncomfortable. She had the urge to tell him that it was fine. He didn''t need to please everyone. He was already delightful as himself. The exhibition ended and the people clapped. The sand and water disappeared without a trace. The summoned creatures were gone too. King Raul clapped his hands. "Marvelous. That was amazing. I''ve heard rumors of the magic that Terrasien royals have but it''s my first time seeing it," King Raul said. * * * Cathryn went to the cake buffet and took a plate of strawberry cheesecake. She went to one of the balconies to get fresh air. Just her luck. She met a man who she enjoyed talking to but he had to be a prince. As if a prince would take her for his wife. She sighed. "Is it that bad?" She looked up. "My Lord. Oh, I mean, um, Your Highness," Cathryn said. She was about to curtsy but Yohann suddenly held her shoulder. He almost looked . . . sad. "No, don''t do that. You don''t need to do that to me and it''s alright. You don''t need to call me Your Highness. I don''t even look like a prince. It''s laughable, really," Yohann said. "I disagree. You look like a prince. Every inch of you," Cathryn said softly. There was a breeze. It lifted their hair a bit. Yohann smiled. "May I?" Yohann asked leaning down. Cathryn nodded. Yohann tucked in a stray strand of hair behind Cathryn''s ear. Cathryn smiled and lifted her hand to his ear. She tucked in a stray strand of hair behind his ear. Yohann chuckled. "I should have tied it up," Yohann said. "It''s okay. It suits you," Cathryn said. "So, how was the exhibition?" Yohann asked. "It was my first time seeing something like that. It was really amazing," Cathryn said. "And my wolf?" Yohann asked. "I think I know why you''re a member of the Wallflower Society," Cathryn said. "It''s because I''m not that impressive, right?" Yohann asked running his fingers through his hair. Cathryn shook her head. "It''s because you don''t believe in yourself. I think you''re really impressive. In fact, I actually like your wolf more than the bird and the turtle," Cathryn said. Yohann gave her a look of disbelief but he was smiling. "Why?" Yohann asked. "Because I think a wolf is like a dog and dogs are good best friends. They''re extremely loyal and your wolf can even become really big! I bet he''s really soft and it would be great to sleep on top of him," Cathryn said excitedly. Yohann looked shocked. Oops. Was that an insult to his magical wolf? Did she offend him? Then he laughed. "You want to use a summoned beast as a dog and a bed? Hahahahaha!" Cathryn relaxed and laughed along with him. "My Lady, if you allow me, I would like to spend more time with you. Will you allow me to meet with you again?" Yohann asked. Chapter 99 - Will You Marry Me? Two years later . . . "Cathryn! Stop running in the hallway!" Cathryn laughed and kept running, her black hair swaying behind her. Her mother made a disapproving sound while shaking her head. Lady Agatha Quinn was like most mothers in Aderlan. She valued etiquette, appearance, and most of all, the perfect marriage partner for her daughter. Prince Yohann was a surprise. It wasn''t a terrible match but it made her nervous. Well, he''s a prince for a start. That was well and good if he did end up marrying Cathryn but he''s a prince and he surely had several better marriage prospects. He may be in love with Cathryn but would he marry her? Lady Agatha did not forbid Cathryn to keep on seeing the prince but there was one condition, no one must know. Not until they were married. This is to keep Cathryn''s reputation as pure as snow in case the prince would not marry her. Cathryn''s chances of marrying would be ruined if the ton knew that she was seeing the prince and then abandoned afterwards. No one would want to marry a lady who had already been kissed. Prince Yohann was nice. Gentle, even, for a prince. He did not have the arrogance that most royalties have. In fact, he was really humble and treated Lady Agatha with respect. Lady Agatha was unsure if she was doing the right thing. All she wanted was for her daughter to have the best match. A love match would be even better. Her husband was not much help in these matters. Like most husbands in Aderlan, Lord Blake was not interested in romance. He was engrossed in business and bringing in money to the family. Household matters, his daughter''s upbringing, and his daughters future all fell into the hands of his wife. He didn''t even know that Cathryn was dating a prince of another kingdom and even if he did, he would most likely just ask Lady Agatha if that was a good thing and make the appropriate sound of approval or disapproval depending on what his wife would tell him. Lady Agatha sighed. Husbands thought that being the lady of the house was easy work but they didn''t know that dealing with the matters of the heart was a difficult task. She hoped that the prince would just propose to her daughter already and marry her so she could stop worrying already. What the hell was he waiting for anyway? * * * "Yohann!" Cathryn embraced Yohann tightly and Yohann put his arms around her too. Ah. She had missed him dearly. Yohann had been away for two months. He was busy in managing the business alliance between Terrasien and Aderlan. "My dear Cathryn, how have you been?" Yohann asked. "Well, now that you ask, I''ve been quite unwell lately. I''m not sure if it''s food poisoning or just a flu. But don''t worry, I don''t think you''ll get sick from me. All the other people in the household have been fine. So, don''t worry of catching it," Cathryn said. Yohann''s eyebrows furrowed. "I''m not worried of catching it. I''m more worried for you. Have you seen a doctor?" Yohann asked. "Um . . . not yet. I don''t think it''s that terrible for me to go to a doctor. I''m fine. Don''t worry," Cathryn said. "But I don''t want it to get worse. Please. Let''s see a doctor," Yohann said. Cathryn looked sad. "But I''ve been wanting to go out with you for so long. I don''t want our reunion to be with a doctor." Yohann took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Please, my dear? For me? Let''s have you checked up by a doctor and if he says that you''re well already then that''s great news," Yohann said. Cathryn was going to protest again but she couldn''t resist his handsome face. "Tch. You win. But only after our luncheon. I''ve made sandwiches for our picnic and I want us to have a great time first," Cathryn said. Yohann smiled and kissed Cathryn on the lips. Cathryn blushed. They have been a couple for two years already but everything that Yohann did to her still made her heart flutter. "I have something to show you," Yohann said. They went to the mansion where Yohann was staying whenever he was in Aderlan. A little girl was playing a ball in the front yard but then she saw Yohann and dropped her ball to run to Yohann happily. "Sheila! I didn''t know Hugo was going to bring you!" Yohann said lifting the little girl in his arms. The little girl giggled. "Papa said you''re going to be surwised," Sheila said. Cathryn smiled. The little girl had light brown hair too just like Yohann. It was a family trait of the Terrasien royals. Sheila was the daughter of Yohann''s cousin, Hugo, who was working as his assistant. "Where''s Claude?" Yohann asked. Claude was Sheila''s older brother who was training as a knight. "He''s with Papa. They went to the pawace," Sheila said. "I see. Thank you for taking care of the mansion while we were gone," Yohann said and gently put her down. The little girl grinned revealing a gap in her teeth. Then she dashed off to get her ball and play again. "You''re great with kids," Cathryn said. "I''m practicing," Yohann said grinning at her. Cathryn rolled her eyes at him but she was smiling. * * * Yohann led Cathryn to his bedroom and closed the door behind them. "I''ve missed you so much. I wanted to bring you with me whenever I went back to my kingdom. It was hell without you," Yohann said. "Then perhaps you should bring me next time then," Cathryn said. "You are right. My dear, I''ve kept you waiting," Yohann said and got down on one knee. Cathryn''s eyes widened. Yohann took a small black leather box from his coat pocket. "Cathryn, my dear, my heart, my love, it took me two years to get my father''s approval but I now have it and I''m not going to waste anymore time," Yohann began. Cathryn could feel a hitch in her throat and she could feel the tears were going to come out of her eyes. Yohann opened the box, revealing a stunning gold ring with an emerald stone set in the center. Surrounding the emerald were small flowers crafted with gold. "You''re the most beautiful wallflower I''ve ever met. You''re the emerald of my life, shining through the darkness and I can''t live my life without you. Lady Cathryn Quinn, will you marry me?" Yohann asked awaiting her answer eagerly. Cathryn was now crying. The emotions were getting the best of her. She had been waiting for his proposal for so long. She knew that her chances were slim as Yohann was a prince and she was simply a minor noble woman in Aderlan. "Yes . . . Yes, I''ll marry you!" Cathryn squealed and hugged Yohann. Yohann smiled in relief. He was nervous. He didn''t know how he would live his life if Cathryn had rejected him. She was his light. He was the third son and no one really paid any attention to him or thought that he was important. His summoning skill wasn''t that great either which made his insecurities even bigger. Cathryn thought that he was perfect as himself already and it made him believe in himself more. He had wanted to propose to her in less than a year of meeting her but being a prince, he had to go the formalities. He had to get his father''s approval, bring in more achievements as leverage, and persuade his father repeatedly until he gave in. It was all worth it. He embraced her tightly. "I love you. Thank you for accepting me," Yohann said. "No, thank you for choosing me. I love you, my sweet wallflower prince," Cathryn said. They kissed. Slow and gently. Savoring the moment like they wanted time to stop. "My princess," Yohann murmured against her neck. "My wife," Yohan whispered to her ear. Cathryn smiled. She loved the sound of that. His wife. He slipped the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand. Her ring finger. She grinned at him. He smiled at her fondly and kissed her again. He took off her dress slowly. She took off his coat and began unbuttoning his shirt. They had already slept together before but now, it felt different. They were going to get married. Husband and wife. They were going to be together now always. THUD THUD THUD! The couple looked at the door. Someone was knocking loudly. Yohann frowned. "We''re preoccupied at the moment. Come back later," Yohann said loudly. "Your Highness! It''s important! Please! You need to hear this!" It was the voice of Hugo, Yohann''s assistant. Yohann sighed. Cathryn squeezed his shoulder. "Go on. It must be something really important," Cathryn said. "But I don''t want to leave you," Yohann said looking like a sad puppy. Cathryn chuckled and patted his head. "Go. When we''re married we can be together always. You might even get sick of me," Cathryn said jokingly. "No, I''ll never get sick of you. Alright. I''ll be quick. Wait for me, my love," Yohann said and kissed her lips. He got dressed and went out of the room. Cathryn didn''t know that it would be their last kiss. * * * "What''s the matter?" Yohann asked. His assistant looked very troubled. Anguished, even. "Your Highness, your brothers . . . they . . ." "What is it? Did something happen to them?" "They were . . ." "Tell me." "They were murdered by Aderlan''s king." ********* NEW AUTHOR''S MESSAGE: Hi, everyone! I''m really sorry for the lack of updates. My godfather (my mom''s younger brother) just passed away from COVID. My family and I are still in the process of grieving. I''m having a hard time focusing on the things I used to do easily. Also, my city is under lockdown again. I''m in a bad place again mentally. Please bear with me. I''ll try to update my two webnovels from time to time when I am doing okay. Thank you for sticking with me for this long. P. S. Thank you, Mboucher, for buying me a coffee at my ko-fi page. I appreciate it so much. *You can also buy me a coffee and send me private message at https://ko-fi.com/tanya_winters Thank you! Your author, Tanya ****** OLD AUTHOR''S MESSAGE: (This was my hiatus message that I placed in the advanced chapter I released before. This is NOT a new hiatus message. Webnovel is preventing me from deleting it so just please disregard. Thanks.) Please disregard as you have read this already before. Webnovel is not allowing me to delete it. ******* To my dearest readers, With a heavy heart, I have decided to go on hiatus again. I''ve contemplated this for days and going on hiatus will mean losing some of my readers who can''t wait and also not getting paid by Webnovel (MGS). I''ve reached a state of burnt out right now. Don''t worry. I don''t have writer''s block. I still have lots of nefarious scenes and steamier scenes for our favorite characters planned out in the future but right now, I''m really, really exhausted. I''m juggling my day job, weekend classes, and publishing a chapter everyday. I know that there are several writers who can write and publish everyday and I have great respect for them. Unfortunately, it has taken a toll on me already. I''m sleep-deprived, tired, and I''m worried that if I keep on going at this rate, the quality might drop and I might just end up hating this webnovel. I started writing this webnovel not for money. I wrote this because I wished to share this story with everyone, fangirl with you readers, and read your comments which always make me smile and even laugh. I''m going back to that. I''m not going to write for money and push myself to exhaustion. I''m going to take a rest for now and when I come back, you''ll have more chapters to marathon again. I''ll try to come back within Fall 2021. Might not be at September but somewhere within Sept - Dec. Hopefully, I''ll be well rested by then and have loads of new chapters for you to read. If Season Three gets delayed, I''ll make another announcement. Thank you so much for reading this and for sticking with me for this long. I hope you can wait for Season Three. This author will now be taking a rest. Much love. Your author, Tanya Chapter 100 - Battle "Where''s Yohann?" Cathryn asked. She had been waiting for more than an hour already and had ended up eating some of the sandwiches she brought. She was too hungry to wait for him. She did leave some sandwiches for him if he wanted to eat too. "My Lady . . ." Hugo began but then his eyes fell on the ring on her finger. "Your Highness," Hugo corrected himself. Cathryn''s eyes raised in surprised. "His Highness must attend to some important matters right now. He will not be back this evening," Hugo said. "Oh. He could have told me. Why? Did something happen?" Cathryn asked. Hugo hesitated. "Is it confidential?" Cathryn asked. "No, it''s just disturbing news. It is fortunate that he has you to support him," Hugo said. "How will I support him if I don''t know what has happened? Hugo, please. What is it?" Cathryn asked. "His Highness''s brothers . . . were murdered," Hugo said. Cathryn''s hands flew to her mouth horrified. "They were killed by Aderlan''s king," Hugo said bitterly. The floor seemed to sway underneath her. "H-how are you so sure of that? It must be a mistake! There''s an alliance!" Cathryn said. "The alliance is gone. It was King Raul''s trick to destroy our kingdom," Hugo said. "No . . . That''s insane. But Yohann''s brothers have summoning magic. They must be alive! They must have defended themselves!" Cathryn said. "No . . . they were no match for the king''s flames. Their summoned beasts were burned alive and the princes . . . their bodies were burned in the flames. Only their heads remained and he displayed their heads in the plaza for all to see," Hugo said. The walls seemed to sway around her. "Y-Yohann. Where is he?!" Cathryn said. "His Highness is in the front lines leading our army," Hugo said. No. No. No. No. This wasn''t happening. This shouldn''t be happening. THUD. "Your Highness!" Blackness began to fill her vision. "Your Highness! Someone! Someone help! Her Highness has collapsed!" This must be a bad dream. When she wakes up, Yohann would be at her side, right? Then there was only darkness. * * * Cathryn woke up feeling nauseous. It must have been the sandwiches. Perhaps they got spoiled and she was too hungry too notice. She was in Yohann''s bedroom again. She sniffed the blanket. It had a faint scent of him. Almost gone. She missed him already. She rang the bell on the bedside. A maid arrived. "Your Highness," the maid said and curtsied. Word must have spread around already. She didn''t have the energy to correct the maid. To tell her that she wasn''t married yet. That she simply had the ring on her finger but she wasn''t a princess yet. She needed Yohann. "Yohann, where is he? Is he coming back tonight?" Cathryn asked even though she knew in her heart the answer already. "His Highness is still stopping the invasion. We think that it is best that you wait for him in your home for now, Your Highness," the maid said. The maid was right. It was ridiculous of Cathryn to think that Yohann would simoly be back in a few hours. He was at war. War. They were at war. Tears poured out of her eyes. She was terrified. What was she going to do if Yohann . . . ? No. She didn''t want to think of that. Yohann would return to her. He shall win the war and they shall get married. They''ll have a family in his kingdom and they would get old together. She didn''t want their story to end like this. It shouldn''t end. She got up. "Your Highness," the maid said, steadying Cathryn om her feet. She felt terrible. She didn''t know if it was her body feeling terrible or it was her emotions twisting up inside her that made her feel that she was dying inside. Then she threw up. * * * Hours later . . . A doctor had been summoned to the mansion. Cathryn knew what he was going to say even before the doctor confirmed it. "Your Highness, congratulations. You are pregnant," the doctor said. He was an old man with small spectacles on his nose. He smiled at her sympathetically trying to cheer up the future wife of the prince. "Are you sure?" Cathryn asked. "Yes, Your Highness. See this gem? It lit up meaning that a life is inside you," the doctor said. Magical devices were rare in Aderlan and if there were doctors using magic devices, they were the most expensive ones. The servants of Princr Yohann must have hired the most prestigious doctor they could find for her. They knew that their master would have wanted his future wife well taken care of. "Also, the light is blue, Your Highness. It means that you''re going to have a boy!" The old doctor said happily. She bit her lip. She didn''t feel happy at all. There was a sinking feeling inside her that told her that the worst was going to happen. "I see. Thank you for telling me, doctor," Cathryn said. The doctor left and Cathryn was left alone with a maid. "Your Highness, would you like to take a night stroll? Perhaps to keep your mind off things for a while?" The maid asked. Cathryn nodded. She wore a shawl around her shoulders and walked with the maid. "Actually, His Highness wanted to give you something. He told us to show it to you before he left," the maid said. The maid led her to a room with paintings of Terrasien''s royal family hung on the walls. There was a painting of the three brothers standing side by side. Prince Kael was smiling widely and confidently as usual. Prince Horen had a stoic look on his face. Cathryn touched the painting. Prince Yohann was smiling shyly, unsure of himself, but the painter successfully captured his gentle and elegant aura. Yohann. Please. You have to come back. You have a son now. He needs his father and I need you. "Your Highness, over here," the maid said. At the center wall, there was a huge painting covered with a cloth. The maid tugged it off and it fell down revealing the painting. It was a painting of them. Yohann was wearing the white suit with gold embellishments which he wore when they first met. Cathryn was wearing the green gown she wore on that night they met too. Behind them was the palace garden. "It is His Highness''s engagement gift for you," the maid said. Cathryn''s knees gave away and she sobbed on the floor. Yohann. You have to come back. * * * Flames were in front of them. Huge flames bigger than a person. He felt like he was in Hell. Yohann maintained his stance. He didn''t stand down. His soldiers were behind him. They wanted to be in front of him but as their commander, he wanted to lead them not be protected by them. A figure stepped forward from the flames. He didn''t burn. Yohann knew who he was even before he removed his helmet. "Young prince, we meet again," King Raul said grinning at him. "Why?" Yohann asked walking closer to Aderlan''s king. "Why did I kill your brothers? Why did I break the alliance? Or is it why am I going to destroy your little kingdom? Which is it, prince?" King Raul asked in a mocking tone. "Why did you do this?!" Yohann shouted. King Raul smirked. "Why shouldn''t I?" King Raul answered with a shrug. Yohann then realized that he was talking to a mad person. "You see, when you''re at this age already and when you''re this powerful, you get terribly bored. But one day, I''ve found something that entertained me!" King Raul said. "Claude, get back. Run off when I distract him," Yohann whispered to the young knight beside him. "No! I won''t leave you alone, Your Highness!" Claude protested. "I''ll hold him off. You have to escape and warn everyone in our kingdom," Yohann said. "Are you ignoring me? I''m still talking to you! Or do you want us to fight now?" King Raul asked. "No, tell me. I want to know the reason for this madness," Yohann said. "Well, there''s none. This is what entertains me. I''m going to make a collection of kingdoms and I have chosen yours to be a part of my collection! Aren''t you honored?" King Raul asked. "Claude, when I tell you to go, go. Leave me and escape with everyone. All of you have to survive," Yohann whispered. "No, Your Highness. Please. All of us have to escape. You still have to get back to Lady Cathryn," Claude pleaded. "I am honored. Let us be part of your collection then. You don''t need to kill us. Let us serve you," Yohann said. "Are you proposing a truce?" King Raul asked. "Yes, let us have a truce and end this bloodshed," Yohann said. King Raul frowned. "But where''s the fun in that?" King Raul said and flame manifested in the palm of his hand, it became bigger and bigger as he stepped closer and closer towards them. "THIS IS AN ORDER! LEAVE NOW!" Yohann shouted. The soldiers left. The youngest knight, Claude, didn''t want to leave but the other soldiers dragged him away. "Now, we''re alone," Yohann said. King Raun grinned. "FERUS! I SUMMON THEE!" Yohann shouted.