「A couple of hours earlier 」

“Master, may I?” Aiden’s voice was heard behind the door.

“Come in,” Bradley was in his study room, standing in front of the large bookshelf that held the knowledge of his ancestors, “Make it quick.”

His beautiful emerald eyes were focused on an old book that held the story of the kingdom and its noble families, particularly Dukes and Marquesses. He had been researching more on Ophelia’s background since it was clear that he wouldn’t be able to capture her heart as easily as the other nobles.

“We have received a letter,” at his servant’s words, Bradley’s attention shifts completely, disregarding whatever was in his mind some moments ago.

‘Finally!’ he had been waiting for this moment for several days. He knew that placing a spy within the Wharton’s estate was a high risk but the rewards were far too great.

Bradley needed to know Ophelia’s plans and whereabouts in order to create “accidental” meetings while being in control of the situation. He couldn’t allow a repetition of what had happened until now.

“Bring it to me,” Aiden approaches and places the simple yet professional letter in his master’s hands. The letter was small and had no sender but, in a couple of seconds, his master’s eyes became filled with hatred, “Ah...!”

Seeing the contents of the letter, Bradley crunched it within his fingers as anger began to overpower his logic. His servant slowly walked away, understanding this could become a troublesome scenario.

“That filthy man dared to...!?” he opens the letter again, rereading it before clicking his tongue and calming his nerves. He knew he needed to remain cool-headed, “I will teach him... Lower life forms should know their place.”

‘What could have happened...?’ Aiden’s eyes were averting his master’s since he didn’t want to be the recipient of his rage but, even then, he couldn’t help but find himself curious as to the words that had been written.

“Leave! I need to think...!” Bradley quietly turns around, facing the large window of his mansion. On the entrance was Duke Trace, his father, talking with one of his subordinates.

Aiden obeys the established order but questions continued to cloud his mind. Deep down he knew that Ophelia Criswell was becoming an obstacle for the Trace’s, particularly to Bradley.

It seemed as if his judgment was lost whenever that girl appeared or was even talked about. He couldn’t allow his facade to fall because of a simple noble girl, Bradley had much more to achieve and Aiden knew it.

‘If it wasn’t for him I would’ve already...!’ the door behind him is closed, leaving the lustful Bradley to his own thoughts.

Nothing was going according to his plans. When he tried to annul the marriage with Amanda his father prevent him from doing so.

‘It shouldn’t matter who I marry as long as it’s a Criswell... Then why...!?’ the paper sheet begins to crumble again within the grasp of his fist.

It was clear that Alvin, Ophelia’s father, had made a meticulous plan to allow his power to increase. Terrel was nothing more than a scumbag but he sent her there either way. That rotten man never cared for anything else than himself.

‘And now he ran with the tail between his legs...’ he places his hand on the warm glass that had been heated by the sun.

According to Aiden, the Duke had left with Amanda into a secluded villa to recover from his sudden illness. Of course, this was nothing more than a pure lie, orchestrated by that man. Bradley was sure he was doing his utmost to annul the engagement while trying to come up with a backup plan.

“It is only futile...” he grins while mumbling, “You’re already in check, old man.”

“Master, his grace is calling for you,” Vera suddenly appears, “The tailor is here to take your measures.”

‘The tailor uh...’ Bradley realized he had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn’t even hear the maid knock on the door or even enter.

“I will be right there,” he places the crunched letter on his desk before suddenly grinning.

‘Interesting...!’ in small letters there was a simple sentence stating that the queen had personally invited Ophelia to the ball. This was one of the chances he had waited for, ‘This time, you won’t be able to run little rabbit...’

“She will regret ever fucking with me,” he pushes his hair backward and heads out the door, anxiously waiting for the event.

✽✼✽✼✽✼✽

「Back to the Present 」

After entering I notice the bad state of the house. The floor was made out of dirt and the walls were filled with holes, allowing nature to enter and leave as it pleased. Food was scarce but, even then, some rats and bugs decided to claim this place as their own.

‘So this is it...’ I think to myself as I begin to touch a small yet hard wooden table that was barely holding on its two feet.

“The irony...” part of me couldn’t understand how the discrepancy between factions could be so large: ones had golden walls and marble floors, others barely had a roof over their heads, “Is unbelievable.”

I was aware that Duke Criswell didn’t pay their servants a good amount of money, only when they needed to be silent but, even then, this was too much.

My body continues to wander around the small house and I notice that on top of the table were some dirty soup bowls. Surprisingly, the leftover contents were rather fresh, being only one or two days old.

‘Who would...?’ it was clear someone had been helping Charlie to survive.

A large groan is heard and my attention shifts to a bunch of hay on the floor, where a little brunette boy laid down. Millicia was beside him, shaking him back and forth in a panic.

Millicia was too ill to leave the mansion thus, I wasn’t able to bring back her brother or even help him in any way. I didn’t know where they lived after all. Honestly, I thought the kid had already passed on but it seems my reality had changed considerably. Charlie was a tough one and it was clear he wasn’t ready to move on just yet

‘Charlie...’ I promptly kneel beside them before placing my hand on the kid’s forehead, ‘He’s burning up...’

Tears of relief and fear were flowing out of her eyes. She didn’t know if she was happy to see him alive or if she was terrified of his upcoming death. The two future sceneries were nothing more but pure terror in her eyes.

“That won’t help,” softly, I place my hand on top of hers, “He won’t wake up unless we lower his fever.”

Millicia screams, frustrated and regretful. She wanted to help him, she wanted to be here sooner, she wanted to be able to tell him that he would be alright but, she would never be able to do so again.

“Try to lower his body temperature, I will buy him some medicine,” her eyes were red yet glimmering from the overwhelming flow of tears.

Even in the middle of this chaotic state, she ends up regaining her composure. She understood that sobbing about it wouldn’t help her brother, in fact, it could only make him die quicker. Finally, she gets up and grabs an empty wooden bucket before leaving to find a well.

“Hold on kid... If you survive, you will become very useful to me,” I whisper in his ear before heading out the door.

After traveling through the busy city, I finally managed to find a pharmacist and get some of the most wanted medicine. It was not an easy task since I am nowhere close familiar with the area.

‘Why did he take so long...’ I click my tongue frustrated.

I thought it would be easier but it seems that man had a strong moral compass. He didn’t believe that the money I used was mine and thus, he didn’t want to sell me his goods. I had to talk to him for a whole hour and, in the end, he was still extremely reluctant.

“Ah...! Whatever,” swiftly, I turn my feet and begin heading back towards Millicia’s house.

‘It’s late...’ the bright blue sky held the sun high as a kite, portraying its dominance in our daily lives. My stomach growled, letting me know it was time to eat something.

As I was daydreaming, an unexpected loud sound startles me.

“Who is there?” without a second thought, I turn back but see nothing more than an old, poor yet soulless street.

‘That’s strange...’ I frown understanding that something was out of place, ‘This place was packed before I left...’

My attention shifts towards the stores that were previously open. I approach them but they were completely empty since no sound could be heard from behind the locket doors. No people were wandering around and all the windows of the buildings and houses were closed shut.

I couldn’t quite understand what was happening but I knew I needed to get off the streets as fast as possible. This was a dangerous situation.

As I was trying to understand the reason behind this sudden lifelessness of the capital, I feel my body bump into something hard and the hood that was concealing my hair falls. Somehow I manage not to fall.

“Are you alright?” a male voice is heard as I scratch my nose in a pitiful attempt to ease the slight pain that had arisen.

‘Act normal...’ nerves were consuming me as an anxious feeling of ignorance overwhelmed me, ‘You are just a commoner...’

“Yes, I’m fine, I’m sorry for...” once my head straightens up I see a blonde man with eyes as deep as the ocean and gasp, “You!”

“You are...!” our eyes widen in surprise at this sudden encounter.

The man I had previously seen was standing before me. Contrary to our previous meeting, he was now wearing a long golden cape with a hood and, below it, some loose pieces of armor and a uniform. I had been fooled into thinking he was nothing more but a noble from a low noble family at best but it seems that I was wrong. He works for the guards and his station is rather high due to the number of gold medals in his uniform.

‘It’s that creep...!’ memories come flooding into my brain as I remember the weird experience of the palace garden last Seedling.

Suddenly, I feel an extraordinary pressure take place right above me, making me almost unable to move. It was as if I had ten thousand eyes glaring at me, from all the possible angles, waiting for the perfect moment to strike me down.

‘What is this...? This intent to... Kill...!?’ fear was preventing me from looking up or even make a sound. A bird chirping happily passes through and the intensity of that man’s glare is lowered.

“Luck truly isn’t on my side today,” somehow, I find the strength within myself to speak up and the pressure disappears as quickly as it had lived.

A couple of footsteps are heard and my curiosity takes the best of me, making me look towards a man who was running at almost full speed.

“Your Highn...!” the man, whose face was becoming clearer by the second, is quickly interrupted at the beginning of his sentence.

“Aldrich!” the blonde man yells while stomping his foot in the ground strongly.

“Lady Ophelia?!” the aide sees me and ends up, unconsciously, showing his surprise.

‘What is Aldrich doing here?’ I couldn’t believe my eyes. The crown’s prince aide was standing before me, outside of the palace, in a shady street on the surroundings of the capital.

“Mister Aldrich, how have you been?” I smile politely while keeping my defenses up.

“Well, I’m quite alright but milady, what might you be doing here?” he approaches me, however, the blonde man blocks his path forcefully.

“Are you here alone?” the arrogant being questions while glaring down on me as if I was nothing more than an ant that needed to show subservience to this supreme being, otherwise I would be squashed to death.

“I’m afraid I wasn’t talking with you mister,” I swiftly reply making him narrow his eyes even further. He was not pleased with my remark but, even then, he remained quiet.

‘I hate people with this type of attitude,’ I was the daughter of a Duke and, no matter how someone saw it, he needed to treat me with respect.

“These streets are dangerous for a lady to wander alone,” Aldrich declares with a worried expression on his face. His eyes would avert to the man beside him, showing how unsure he was with his own words.

‘I need to leave,’ this pitiful display of chivalry was begging to become nothing more but unpleasant, however, that was not the main reason for this brand new desire, ‘I don’t like him...’

That blonde, arrogant man kept on glaring at me closely, inspecting every move I made, analyzing every word I spoke. It was almost as if I was being judged in a trial.

‘It’s the same feeling...’ I kept on thinking about this pressure, about this presence, ‘...As the crown prince.’

“Forget about it Aldrich, let this rude woman experience it for herself,” he finally speaks up in a provoking tone.

“Aren’t you quite the hypocrite?” I smile coldly at his remark, “You speak of rudeness, and yet you try to meddle in my affairs without a proper introduction, isn’t that quite rude?”

His ocean-deep blue eyes widen and, once again, he understood he had made a fool of himself. My eyes narrow at the sudden change in his personality.

“Ah...! It seems so my lady,” he chuckles, “I’m Daniel Weston, a general in his majesty’s army.”

‘Well, that explains it,’ I always considered his attitude conflicting but now that I know his worth, everything is clear, well, almost.

“I’m Ophelia Criswell, the second daughter of Duke Criswell,” I bow politely before looking at the sun’s position once again, “I have somewhere to be gentlemen, may we meet next time.”

‘This man smells like trouble,’ my mind was telling me to leave since I couldn’t figure out if he was a mere fool or a fooling joker, messing with my brain.

“You can’t possibly go alone milady, it’s too dangerous...!” Aldrich immediately speaks up but I just coldly smile and walk away.