“well.. this doesn’t make sense to me either.”

“of course it doesn’t. Why would a 11 year old kid have the white lycoris? And why of all the people.. you?”

“I.. don’t know.”

“You might be from this bloodline, but there is also a chance that you are from a bloodline from one of the three other Empires.”

“Well.. then.. are you planning on to investigate my past?”

“Of course. But i’m not going to do it alone.”

“My past.. i’ve been wanting to know who i am.. i can finally get the answers..?”

“Yes, but there are consequences. If you are not from this bloodline, of course.” He smiled.

“...i figured.. what are these consequences?”

“Well it doesn’t really matter if you are from the Sluxiston Empire or Akeotretus Empire. We would just make it a secret and nobody would even know that you come from a another Empire. But.. if you come from the Everereal Empire then.. it would be a little different.”

“..little? I kind of doubt that..”

“You see.. It depends in how the Emperor reacts and his decisions. But one thing for sure is that he might still let you stay here. Or even worse, if you ever want to try to kill one of us or want to get out of here then.. we would have to make you stay on the dungeons and torture you.”

“…” ‘This isn’t little..’

“Of course we would be careful about your little health, don’t worry. We won’t let you die.”

“Nice things to say to a kid…”

“Well, it doesn’t really matter. I treat everyone the same. If i have to kill them, even a toddler, i would.”

“Okay.. so i can’t get out from this place even if i wanted to?”

“Yep. You want to get out?”

“This place makes me uncomfortable..”

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll get use to it.”

“Could you please assure me one thing?”

“No promises.”

“I just want Mister Exios to be here.”

“oh, miss him already?”

“...i feel much comfortable with him being here so.. please..”

“…” He looked at me while his smile slowly fading away.

“Fine.”

“..Thank you..”

“Now, i have much to do. I have a busy schedule. Rest for today, tomorrow i will be assigning you a few things. You will need to work hard, starting from tomorrow morning.”

‘Working hard? I guess they need to test my abilities..’

“...okay..”

“You don’t seem to have any questions regarding for today’s little story or to the works you’ll have to do tomorrow. Except, of course, about Mister Exios.”

“I don’t know.. i guess i’m just tired. I don’t feel like asking any questions.”

“Well, i don’t want you to die on your first day so.. rest up kid.”

Sighs ‘For some reason.. it feels i know what i’m going to do tomorrow. That’s why i didn’t ask any questions regards it. I just thought that i’ll just do this so that i won’t be causing any trouble…

and that maybe i can finally get to see mister Exios. It feels like i’m already being controlled over.’

---------------------------------------

The lady-in-waitings accompanied me to my room and left me alone, since i asked them to leave me alone for a bit.

Creek

They closed the door behind me and…

drip.. drip.. tears started to fall down. I couldn’t stop crying.

‘Oh.. i guess.. i’m scared...’ I thought to myself. After listening to what Duke Denver said about the Empires.. bloodline..my past.. and me having the white lycoris was.. too much for me.

When he started talking about the white Lycoris my chest started to hurt a bit. I wanted to cry in that moment, but i stopped myself from doing it.

‘Why did it have to be me?’

That’s right. Why did it have to be me? I couldn’t understand. I was scared of dying, i guess. I was scared.. of everything that might happen from now on, i guess. I just couldn’t stop crying.

‘I’m still a kid.’ I thought to myself. Maybe that’s why i couldn’t stop crying.

“don’t worry.. you’ll be fine.. Liliana..” i reassured myself.

I slowly walked towards the bed., while rubbing my eyes.

As soon as i got to the bed i layed down and hugged a pillow.

‘I’m tired..’ I decided to sleep for a bit.

--------------------------------------

I slowly opened my eyes, as the sunlight was on my face. It was a bit bothersome.

“L-Lady Liliana! Good Morning!”

I was startled, since she said it so loudly. I sat up and looked who was talking to me. It was miss Phoebe.

“Oh, goodmorning.” I smiled.

“S-she seems to be in a g-good mood, Lady Liliana.” She said it, stuttering a bit.

‘As far as i know Phoebe didn’t talk to me at all yesterday, she only smiled and greeted me.’

“Are you okay, Miss Phoebe?” ‘She might be nervous..? She’s stuttering a bit..’

“O-of course!”

“Well.. okay then..” ‘I don’t get why she’s stuttering.. but she’s very pretty.’

“U-uhm.. D-duke Denver s-said to g-get read-dy.”

‘Right! I totally forgot about today!’

“What time is it?”

“I-it’s current-tly 14:43 p.m. D-duke D-Denver s-said to g-get ready by 1-15:30 p.m.”

“Ah.. i overslept again. Is the Duke angry?”

“N-no, h-he said that h-he knows y-your sleep rout-tine.”

“Oh.. okay..” ‘I guess he talked to Doctor Erfen? And.. why does she keep stuttering? Is she that nervous?’

------------------------------------

After that Miss Phoebe and Miss Inanna dressed me up, but they also told me something that happened yesterday night while i was sleeping.

“Lady Liliana next time that you are going to sleep.. please call us so that we can get you dressed up in your sleeping clothes..” Said Inanna.

“Ah.. i’m sorry i was a bit tired since it was a tough day yesterday.”

“G-good thing L-lady Vesta s-said that s-she will l-let it pass.”

“Was Miss Vesta Angry?”

“No she wasn’t… as we entered into Lady Liliana’s room……”

----------------------------------

creek

“Oh.. Lady Liliana is already sleeping..” Said Inanna.

“S-should w-we wake h-her up?”

Vesta got closer to Liliana.

tick tack tick tack

“I-i guess L-lady Vesta w-will wake her u-up..”

Vesta gets the blanket and covers her shoulders.

“No, she must be tired and shocked about what the situation. Let her rest for this night. Let’s go now.”

----------------------------------

“Oh, okay.” ‘That was kind of her.’

I then started going to where Duke Denver assigned me to.

I wasn’t in a dress, like yesterday, but instead in a white suit. A very comfortable one. I also had my hair tied up.

“W-we a-are here.”

As they opened the door…

Cling! Clang!

“ huff huff “ Said the man fighting with a sword with a another man.

“What.. is this.. place..” i was speechless. I thought it was a room indoor, but it was outdoor. It’s a very big open area. It seemed like an arena. It had many swords, many weapons and many benches.

“Lady Liliana we are at the training ground, Duke Denver said that you will be training 2 hours a day and will have a 30 minute break.” Said Inanna.

“”2-2 hours?! Me?!” ‘I mean.. how can i train-’

“Yes.. b-but! Don’t worry Lady Liliana. We will be by her side.. watching- And! If she needs anything! Haha…” Said Inanna.

“i.. i will be.. training.. every..day?”

“Y-yes..”

“Why.. is that?”

“Duke Denver told us that.. she should be training at a young age so that.. you will be capable at being a good.. sword master.”

“I mean.. it’s just my second day and.. i’m already-”

Cling!

The man was pointing his sword at the man laying on the ground. It seemed like he won. He noticed me. He had medium long bluish hair with violet eyes.

He then puts his sword in place and walked towards me.

‘He seems like a.. girl and a boy at the same time..his hair are sparkling and it suits with his violet eyes.’

I then realized what i was saying and shook my head. ‘This isn’t the time for thinking things like this.. i need to be careful..i mean.. he seems very serious and scary with that look on his face.’

Everyone who were by my side bowed in front of the man.

“Greetings from the Ephamour Empire. Good Afternoon, Princess Iris Achlys.”

‘Ooh.. so “he’s” a girl.’

She then looked at me with an emotionless face, just like Miss Vesta.

“Good..afternoon..” I bowed too.

Silence…

“Please stand up.” She said.

I stood up, but kept my head down.

“What’s your name?”

“My name is L-Liliana Einar.”

“Liliana..”

‘She has a soft voice.. but her face is a bit scary..’

“Welcome, Liliana. Shall we start?”

I looked at her, and unexpectedly, she was smiling. I thought, for a moment, that she would be severe and tell me that i was too young and incompetent to fight.

“Y-yes..”

‘But.. i guess.. it’s fine.’

She started walking towards the weapons so i followed her.

“G-good luck w-with your tra-training Lady L-Liliana.” Said Phoebe.

“thanks.. ahah..” ‘once she will see how i’m incompetent at swordfighting she will be very… dissapointed and angry..’

“Mhm..”

She started picking up weapons with different sizes. Then she picked up a sword that was a bit smaller.

“This is a bit light and perfect for you, here.” She smiled.

“A-Oh- thanks.” I took the sword and it was indeed light.

“Okay now.. let’s get started.”

“Okay..” ‘She keeps smiling at me.. it’s suppose to be a good sign, but i’m nervous.’

Miss Iris steps back and puts her hands behind her back.

“Now.. put the sword down.”

As i put the sword down she sat down.

“Now.. sit down.”

“Okay..”

I sat down with the sword laying down in front of me.

“Copy what i do, okay?” She said smiling.

“Okay..”

She closes her eyes and took a deep breathe. She then started doing some weird gestures with her hands. I was confused.

Even so i tried copying what miss Iris was doing.

She kept on going and i kept on copying her. After that.. It went on for about 1 hour? She kept on making gestures and i was a bit.. tired

‘Is this.. suppose to be.. sword fighting? My arms feels heavy..’

And then she finally stopped and placed her hands on her knees, it seemed like they were resting.

“Uh.. is it.. time to fight sword?” I felt relief since my arms were finally resting. I kept on touching my arms and massaging them.

“No, you still have to do what i’m doing right now. Relax kid, relax your mind for a bit and listen.. to the wind.” She kept on smiling with her eyes closed.

“I don’t understand.. i thought i was going to practice sword fighting? All we did was.. uh.. do some weird gestures.”

Even tho i sat for about 1 hour on doing some weird gestures.. i really felt tired. My legs felt numb and my arms were hurting.

“You are, right now. Chuckles.”

“I am? How-”

“Well.. you are not practicing it fisically, but mentally. We first need to make you learn on clearing your mind. It’s fundemental when we are fighting. We need you to concentrate well during the practices and duels, otherwise it might go on the wrong way.”

“Oh.. is that so..?”

“It can help you at being quick at thinking about your next moves or plans while you are fighting. In some moments of crisis it’s important to not panick and not make any regrettable decisions. Also.. it can help you concentrate during the fight. It might also.. foresee the movements about the enemy.

So, for a bit, we will not have to practice physically, but mentally. Okay?”

“Okay.. even so.. my legs are quite numb..” ‘i got this…’

“Also.. Liliana.”

I looked at her.

“Don’t be nervouse around me.”

“Ah.. you noticed..”

“Yes chuckles I noticed that you constantly keep on fidgeting. Don’t worry, it’s okay. I get what you are going through right now. It’s hard and it happened all very quickly. As i heard what happened to you and who you are, i thought that you were going to have a trauma because.. of your age.

It must be hard being a little kid going all throught this, isn’t it?”

‘Ah.. it is.. hard. I.. still.. don’t get why..and how.. this happened.’ I stared at her.

“You are scared and is afraid to be left alone. I’m sorry. But i’ll be here to help you and make you stronger. And hopefully.. i hope that this practice, and the future ones, will help you take off your mind a bit of what’s happening.”

“why.. are you.. doing this? You only know me.. for about 1 hour.”

“Well.. you are still a kid.. a kid that needs help. Even if i don’t know you, Liliana, that doesn’t mean i mustn’t help you. chuckles.”

“Thank you.. i guess, no one has said anything like this since i got here..“ At that moment i thought at mr. Exios. I think that.. i missed the house and the people that were around me, even if i stayed here for only 2 days..

“Would you like to eat some dessert after this? I still have time haha.”

“I- i don’t think i can.. walk.. my legs feel.. numb..”

“ chuckles don’t worry, you’ll be fine”

–

As Liliana was at the training area with Iris. A person was watching from a window, of one of the rooms from the 2 floor.

creek

“Prince. We need to go now. Your training will start in 10 minutes.” Said a man behind him.

“ …“

“Prince K-”

“Let’s go.”

–

We finished the training and i was kind of exhausted. The sun was setting.

I was trembling a bit, since i couldn’t feel my legs.. but it was okay.

“Lady! Are you sure you are okay?” Asked Inanna.

“Yes, i’m fine.” ‘I hope.’

“L-lady we s-still need t-to do some t-trainings.”

“Eh?”

“Trainings as in: Reading, writing, knowledge, education and how to act in front of different types of people.” Said Inanna.

“Ah.. that training..” I sighed.

“Do-don’t worry L-lady L-Liliana. We a-are going t-to do some k-knowledge for today.”

“If that’s it then i’m fine with it.” I said while following Inanna.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine Lady Liliana.” Said Inanna smiling at me.

------------------------------------------

After that it was already midnight. I finally got to my bed. I was laying down, very tired of the trainings that i did today.

I looked to the window, where the moon light was shining down to the trees and the stars were so visible. At that moment a thought suddenly slipped through my mind. It is of what Princess Iris said to me today.

------------------------------------------

“….I get what you are going through right now. It’s hard and it happened all very quickly. As i heard what happened to you and who you are, i thought that you were going to have a trauma because.. of your age.

It must be hard being a little kid going all throught this, isn’t it?”

“You are scared and is afraid to be left alone. I’m sorry. But i’ll be here to help you and make you stronger….” - Iris

------------------------------------------

‘That’s right. I am scared. There is no way that i am not scared about what is going to happen to me and about who i am. I am not fine at all. I really-’

Tears started to fall through my cheeks as i covered my face with the bed sheet’s blanket. I wanted to scream. I wanted people to know that i am not fine with this and that i am not prepared about what is going to happen.

I am just a little girl after all. An unfortunate little girl with an unfortunate fate.

I keep asking to myself why i’m here and why am i the one with the white lycoris. I was so scared to death. I didn’t show it, because i managed to keep my personal feelings locked inside.

But.. it was so hard. It’s been only 3 days and i keep wheeping alone. By myself.

‘Am i even going to make it?’

Am i?..