The moon was hanging solemnly in the sky as peace and tranquillity covered the whole Richmond Ranch. The night was deep but the Little Misus' bedroom was still lit up as Xhemin seated in her desk, a little hesitant of typing the words she was about to type down on her email. She was tapping the keyboard mercilessly trying to come up with the right words to write, only to end up deleting entirely the things she had already put up into and phrasing it again.

She was trying to invite the beast in her birthday but then, his presence might only create some trouble. However she thought, the party will not be complete without him. She wanted to see him on that day, which was actually her ultimate birthday wish although she knew, with the current circumstances that they were into, it was kind of impossible to make the beast attend without stirring up some hype. ​​

His grandpa don't like elites and inviting Darryl in will only make her break her grandfather's rule and would certainly worry the old doctor. That fact right there, will only lead to disaster.

But of course, despite such, there was a part of her that wished fervently that the beast will be there.

Spending too much time contemplating on what to write to her email for the beast, she settled out finally with these words:

"Grandfather and the boys will be throwing me a party on Saturday. It's my seventeenth birthday. I wished I could invite you without stirring trouble in my household and yours but we both knew that trouble will likely happen if you do come. However, I can't go on with the party without telling you so I'm writing this email."

She typed in a couple of sentences more, telling off how the Dugmoch and Montarini household surprised the three of them the night they came home and some other further stories she had especially kept for his ears only.

Few minutes more and she was rereading everything she had chattered down her email and before she can decide to erase it again, she hit on sent right away and breathe deep.

Wew! How does sending an email became this exhausting?

Xhemin jumped face down in her bed after that, slightly regretting the things she had sent in her message and wishing she could rephrase them all again.

Cruel world! Why does everything that involved the beast needed to be thought of carefully?

It's just a f*cking email!

Why was she even feeling a little distraught about it?

She crawled to her bed and reached out for Cryzer then stared at her bedroom's ceiling wishing as if it was transparent and that she could see through the stars. She thought of all the things that happened in Woodbridge, the beast kisses, their dance and even just the way he makes fun of her—those were one of the treasured moments she kept inside her. However, a little guilty feeling came with every of those happy memories with the beast for she knew, his grandfather will surely not approved it.

Darryl is the Lagdameo heir and no matter how famous and powerful the title sounds, it wouldn't come as an attractive bargain with her grandfather. He doesn't like elites, especially the influential and powerful ones—like the elites that belonged to the L Empire.

Xhemin's thoughts pulled her to a deep slumber afterwards and the night sunk into more deepness than the past few hours.

***

"Shall we leave the day after tomorrow?" Dian asked his brother as the girl was enjoying her delightful breakfast. They were still in the forest mansion but since everything had turned out well with the horses and the opening of the annual equestrian competition, their presence especially Darryl's presence was no longer needed there.

"Dannah left again" Darryl announced. Early this morning, the valet informed him that the third young miss had left a word for him about her needing to leave immediately.

"Nothing new and nothing to worry about" Dian replied, trying to make a sip of her morning tea. She was accustomed to her sister's sudden disappearance and knowing that Dannah was happy about whatsoever that kept her busy and occupied, then Dian doesn't mind her absence at all.

"Do you know where she went to this time?" Darryl confronted. Sometimes Darryl thought Dannah and Dian were each other's accomplice, and seeing how relaxed Dian always despite Dannah's constant escape, he was kind of suspicious.

"Oh don't give me that look, Dee" Dian dismissed Darryl's suspicious thoughts "I know that look, and trust me I don't know where she went and what she was up to"

"You sure?" He attempted to dig in again.

Dian nodded in confirmation.

"Do you know that Dannah regularly visits Uncle Franco?" Darryl questioned her sister once more hoping she knew something.

"Nope" Dian settled innocently "And if she does, then I think there's nothing wrong with that. His our uncle anyway and he don't have children to entertain him. Perhaps Dannah was just trying to check on him—he's not getting younger you know"

Dian was right with her words. Truth be told, Darryl shouldn't be mad about Dannah visiting their uncle pretty often. However, seeing the bruises around Dannah's body the last time around, Darryl had become a little bit weary with the fact. Where did Dannah get those bruises and how?

She wasn't training under their uncle right?

She wasn't one of them.

Is she?

"Just don't worry about Dannah, she can take care of herself completely " She told shortly and tried to shift the topic off by coming back to their previous conversation "So when are we leaving?"

"You can leave first if things round here is boring you" Darryl suggested "I had to attend to something first before I leave the south"

"Something?" Dian repeated. She put down her cup of tea and glared at her brother shadily "or someone?"

Darryl just shook his head at Dian's face that was flustering a questioning and playful look. He didn't give her an answer; instead he shifted his focus into the schedule file that was laid neatly on the breakfast table. He had to finish a couple of things more before leaving the South because for sure, he wouldn't be back here soon.

As Darryl dug to his scheduled file, his hazel eyes landed on his fully loaded Saturday schedule and at the same time thought of Xhemin's email he received last night.

'happy birthday milady' he thought while running his fingers down the lines of ink scribbled to his schedule file. Even his schedule was full on that day, seemed that fate wasn't as merciful with them as the last time around.

Her email brought with it an implied expression of how his woman wanted to see him on her birthday and how disappointed she was on how the things between them have turned out to. They sure like each other's company, yet many things were against their way—he can't even come on her birthday without stirring up suspicions, gossips and of course trouble.

The Lagdameo woman was on every paper now, almost everyone was trying to get any information about her and how she looked so it would sure be not healthy if Darryl would show up in her birthday unexpectedly, everyone will be suspicious about it and such might result to huge misunderstandings.

But can he miss her birthday?

Can he refuse himself not to go and see Xhemin especially with the fact that her email sounds like she was kind of expecting his presence?

Darryl didn't answer Xhemin's email yet because as much as he doesn't want her to expect his attendance on there, he himself wasn't sure if he can suppress himself not to come. He needed to think things through.

But one more thing, how can he squeeze her birthday celebration on his tight Saturday schedule?