'One step?'

Ryan pulled Charlotte out of the corner.

"What happened?"

Since Ryan covered her eyes, Charlotte couldn't see who was gathered at the stairs.

"Let's get you to bed."

Ryan couldn't look at Charlotte's innocent eyes.

'What would she think of Lady Olivia?'

He decided to keep it to himself as well. Nothing good would come out of telling anyone of their relationship. Plus, they might not even believe him because he was still a young boy.

They may just assume he wanted to see some lesbian action between two ladies as beautiful as Olivia and Sadith. As is traditional with nobles, they make their sons experience their first sexual experience when they turn 12.

He still didn't understand how it works since he only let his maid lead him.

'I mustn't tarnish the mind of the princess!'

She was still too young for things like that!

After many turns, Ryan and Charlotte finally arrived at her room.

"Hm?"

He noticed the door was open.

Voices also came from inside.

-Why did you call me here?

It was Belle's voice that Charlotte heard when she was about to enter.

–W-well, shouldn't we wait for her highness first?

'Pina?'

Charlotte hurriedly opened the door.

"Pina!"

"Ah? Princess!?"

Charlotte leaped into Pina's arms and hugged her.

"Please stay with me tonight! Please! Please!"

She jumped up and down.

"E-Err… Um…"

"What are you doing here? Get out."

Belle coldly pushed Ryan out of the room.

She shut the door and turned towards the two of them.

"Since her highness has arrived. Please tell us what you want to inform us off."

Charlotte ran to her closet and started putting on her favourite sleepwear. It had bunny ears and a bushy tail at the back.

Although she was sad about her mother, by being in her sister's arms tonight she thought she'd be able to bare the nights ahead. There wasn't a day that she went without being with Pina and her mother.

The candle light lit all of their figures inside the room.

Whoosh

The wind blew the curtains and brought in a cool breeze. The light of the candle flickered every few seconds.

Pina cleared her throat.

She put a small bottle on the nightstand.

Belle and Charlotte curiously gazed at the bottle.

"Before I tell you, may I know the status of her majesty?"

"Well, she peed blood when I tried taking her to the bathroom earlier. Whenever I try and speak with her, she would repeat her words as if forgetting what she said." Belle's eyes were trying its hardest not to water. "…And when I tried to wipe her body since sweat was accumulating I saw that her skin came off…."

Pina lowered her head. Her heart was beating so loud in her chest that she heard a ringing sound in her ears.

"The doctors told me that she'll need to be fed through a tube for the first few months. She also can't seem to control her bowels. I couldn't check her condition again since her highness was inside the room earlier. All of that happened in just a few hours…"

The time was already past midnight in the morning. Maids were going back and forth to see if Melodia's condition worsened. Even if the king wanted to stay but he still had to investigate and find out who the culprit was.

"…I see…"

Pina's voice was quiet.

She clutched her dress and looked directly into Belle's eyes. She raised both her hands and put them together.

"It was me."

…

…

Silence loomed in the room as the temperature seemed to drop.

"…Pardon?"

Belle couldn't understand what she just heard.

"It was you…?"

Pina bit her lips and nodded her head.

"I-I was the one who poisoned her majesty's drink… T-They said that since I was trusted by the entire royal family I could pull it off."

"Pina."

"If I-I didn't do it then they would've hurt the princess and my family."

"Pina."

"Argh!"

When she tried to speak further, a pale hand of a woman gripped her throat.

It was Belle.

Her eyes glowed red as she took off her glasses.

"Pina. The queen of this kingdom was almost murdered if she continued drinking that wine. And you claim to be the one who poisoned her? Who are these people you speak of? If you're lying…"

"Kuh!! I'm not!"

Her hand was being filled with even more strength.

She didn't mishear anything.

Charlotte stood blankly as she stared at Pina.

I was the one who poisoned her majesty.

"Pina? No… No… It couldn't be, right?"

"…"

Belle silently let go of her throat. Pina fell down to the ground and coughed violently.

"It can't be, right?"

Why would her maid, the one she called her sister do something like try to kill the light in her life? Her mother?

"…"

Pina bit her lips as Charlotte gazed at her with hollowed eyes. Her lips trembled and her breathing quickened. Charlotte had a weak heart since she was born prematurely. She felt like fainting right when she heard Pina's words.

"…"

Pina nodded as tears streamed down her eyes.

Charlotte's arms fell weakly to the side.

"…Your highness?"

Belle tried touching Charlotte's shoulder.

"Belle."

"Y-Yes?"

Belle was startled by Charlotte's sudden cold voice.

"…!"

When Charlotte looked at her, all she saw was a sad smile.

"Pina must be lying… right? She would never do something like–"

"I just told you that it was me! What else do you want to hear!?"

Pina screamed at the top of her lungs.

"…sob…"

Charlotte fell on the floor as the tears streamed down.

A ten year old girl just heard the most devastating news she could ever hear in her life.

"Take her to the dungeon, Belle. Take Pina and lock her up… I don't want to see her right now…"

Charlotte silently climbed into bed.

She turned her back towards them.

"Will you be coming after me?"

Belle asked carefully.

"Go, Belle."

She didn't deny or confirm it.

Belle silently picked up Pina who wasn't resisting at all.

It was like she had no other hope left in her life.

"Y-Your highness…"

Before they left the room, Pina called out to Charlotte.

"I-I'm truly sorry for not being able to tell you who it is… I had no choice. There is a seal on my mouth that will cause my head to blow up if I say the name…. If you order me then I will reveal–"

"Get out!"

Charlotte threw a lamp at the wall.

"…"

Pina obediently left with Belle.

The good thing was that they managed to find the culprit a day after. The bad thing was that culprit was the one who raised her.

There was hesitation in her heart. Maybe someone forced Pina to say that.

"I don't know! I don't know!"

Charlotte hit the wall with her fist and shouted as she pulled on her hair.

The smart thing to do was tell Pina to reveal who ordered her.

But the price for that was the death of her sister.

The ten year old girl laid in bed and looked up at the moon through her window. The night sky was peaceful unlike her chaotic mind.

It wasn't something a girl her age should even be going through.