I knocked on the huge double door before entering, "Father, "

Father doesn't look up from the papers and said, "Son, what brings you here?"

I can tell by his tone that he is busy so I get straight to the point.

"I don't want an Empress."

I get no reaction from him, not that I was expecting anything. I tell him I lost a leg and he still wouldn't bother looking up from his papers.

"Too bad you're getting one anyway." He replied simply and signs another document.

"Father, " I said sternly, making him look up at me, "I'll manage both, my own as well as the Empress' paperwork on my own, you don't need to help, if that's what you are worried about. But I don't want an Empress right now."

He sighed and looked back to the papers in his hand, "Do you have someone in your mind?" He asked.

I hesitated for a second before answering, "No."

"So that's a yes." Father said signing another document, "If that's the case, then I'll give you two months after your 19th birthday to announce your fiancee and the future Empress of this Empire. But if you fail, I'll choose the Empress myself and you'll have to deal with it."

"Thank you, father." I said and left.

This much time will be enough.

I was mentally prepared all year to get married to the person who will win the contest. That's how Emperors in Obelia without a lover gets their Empress. But now, I can't do that.

Not when I know I love another girl.

I met Mari just outside the door, "I bought what you told me to." He said as I took the papers he handed me down.

I felt a pang of disappointment when I read what she wrote, 'I don't want to be the Empress'.

"Do you really think we have time for all this shit? Why do you care what she does?" Mari grumbled as he checked his pocket watch.

I sighed and started walking towards my study to complete the reports I had stacked up on the table, regarding international guests who were visiting the Empire next week.

"She is Rose, isn't she?"

I froze and looked at Mari, completely shocked.

Then Mari's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Wait, Really? Damn! My guess was correct."

"You knew?" I asked Mari.

"Oh well, you were really restless after the last time we met Rose and since you loved her, I-", " You knew that too?!" I cut him off. I never told Mari anything about me liking Rose. When I left that night to confess, I just told him that I had something confidential to talk to her.

That obviously outed me.

"Huh? Were you trying to hide it?" Mari asked and then snorted, "Well, you did a terrible job. I could see hearts in your eyes every time you looked at her." I felt heat creeping up to my face.

Or maybe not....his smartass knew everything from the start.

"Anyway, what were you saying?" I quickly tried to divert the topic.

"Ah- I was saying that you were restless after we met Rose last time. Then you stopped going to the Academy altogether and started avoiding Adailia, which was strange since you guys were on good terms the last time I checked."

"That still doesn't explain how you would think Rose is Adailia?" I asked.

"Well, I found a wig lying next to you on the ground when you passed out so I figured out that Rose was wearing a disguise and then your restless behaviour meant that you knew who she was. And then suddenly you start avoiding Adailia, it all just adds up, you know." Mari explained.

I looked at him for a second before asking him the question which has been playing on my mind for a week, "Do you think she planned this? Approaching me in a different way?"

"No." He replied instantly, "As far as I remember, we were the ones who approached her first. I even saw her hiding her face once."

"Then why do you think she kept silent about it?" I asked.

"Isn't it obvious? She was wearing a disguise. Meaning she didn't want to get caught. Besides, we hated Adailia at the time we met Rose, she probably thought we'd snitch on her, which we would've done." He said.

That's true.

"Adailia seemed pretty normal after getting caught though." He added, "She's acting all natural even though she knows you know her real identity."

"Actually, " I mumbled, "she doesn't."

His eyes widened, "Wait....that means you know who she is but she doesn't know that you know?"

"Ah yes."

"How is that even possible?" He asked.

"She passed out and her wig slipped right after that." I said, trying not let my mind wander to that night.

"Wait...how can her wig slip after she passed out? Were you pulling her hair or something?" He asked, frowning.

"No, why would I even do that?!" I said defensively, "Her hair just got tangled with my fingers while we were -" I quickly stopped myself from speaking any further as my face burned at the thought.

"Oh.." Mari understood what I didn't want him to know anyway, "Wow, Baby Raashid's all grown up." He said smirking.

I glared at him before smirking back and replying, "And Baby Mari is still a baby. Didn't even grow a single inch since age ten."

He glared at me. I knew he hated it when we talked about his short height but he was the one who started it.

He muttered something under his breath and I quickly moved from my spot, just as a water balloon burst where I was previously standing.

I smirked, "Your cheap ass tricks are too easy to figure out." I looked at the blue water puddle and said, "Clean that up now."

"Why? It would be fun to watch people slip on it." He replied, before snickering.

"Well, the first person to slip on it would probably be the emperor. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out why there is a blue water puddle in the middle of a white-tiled hallway." I said. The only difference between normal water and the water created by Mari's mana is its colour, it's blue all the time.

He sighed and muttered something as the blue puddle disappeared.

"So what are you going to do now?" He asked.

"I don't know." I mumble. I know Adailia probably didn't know that her wig slipped but what about all the other things that happened before she passed out? She acted like nothing happened between us that night. Like we didn't....

My face burned up at the thought.

"Stop thinking perverted stuff while walking beside me, it makes me wanna throw up." Mari grumbled and I started counting prime numbers to calm my burning cheeks.

After a minute of silence, he again said, "You should talk to her, you know."

"About what?" I asked.

"About being your Empress."

I froze for a second before walking again, "No. You read what she wrote. She is no longer interested in me and I was fine with that. But then she -", "-Just had to be Rose, I know." Mari cut me off and sighed, "That's why you need to make a move on her."

"No. That'd be so weird." I said. She was literally all over me half a year ago and I hated that. And now that she has lost interest in me, I suddenly want her?

No. I wanted Rose. And she just happens to be Adailia.

Something is wrong with me. Out of all the girls in the Empire, I just had to fall for Rose. And my luck's even ten times shittier since Rose, the only person I ever loved, happens to be Adailia, my former enemy.

Well, she is my friend now so it's fine.

"Raashid," Mari sighed, "Look, I know you didn't like Adailia very much, but she has changed. Even I can see that. Give her a chance. I have a hunch it'll turn out good."

He is right. Everybody deserves a second chance.

I sighed again, "I need to talk to her."

Mari smiled, "Cool. She is near the crystal lake field. I heard they were supposed to hold an outdoor Empress test today."

"Okay good. Take me there." I said and he quickly teleported both of us.

We were near the crystal lake field by the edge of the forest. All the female mages were trying to create magic circles, or that's what it looked like, while the noblewomen were giving a speech on something in front of the judges.

As we were walking, I couldn't find Adailia anywhere.

Where is she?

"Hey, I don't -" I suddenly tripped on something and looked down to see a pink heel lying on the ground.

I frowned. Why would someone just leave a single heel here in the forest?

"Isn't that Adailia's?" Mari asked, frowning.

"How do you know?" I asked and he pointed at the emblem inside the heel.

A leopard print.

It's the symbol of Perinius family.

"Something's wrong." I muttered and just then I noticed a cloth lying somewhere in the bushes.

I picked it up before bringing it up to sniff before prying it away from me.

"It's Enbril." I muttered. The medicine used by common people to treat the patient having insomnia.

I looked around frantically and saw a few houses on the other edge of the field. Then it instantly clicked me. Something happened to Adailia, I should probably ask the people if they saw or heard something.

"Mari, take me to the other edge of the field. Now." I ordered and he obliged.

As soon as we teleported I asked the first man I saw, "Did you see a pink-haired girl?"

He shook his head and I asked another person. Mari was smart enough to get what I was doing and started asking people the same question.

"Is someone asking about a pink-haired girl?" A man with white hair and red eyes asked, he looked familiar for some reason, "I think I saw her being carried away by a man near the lake."

My eyes widened as I dashed towards the lake which was just around the corner.

As I was nearing the lake I heard a loud scream.

I looked around the lake but my eyes widened when I saw a scarf floating on its surface.

Without a second thought, I jumped in.

"Raashid what are you- RAASHID!"

The cold water pierced through my skin and my eyes burned as I started swimming deeper.

I looked around to see if I could find those pink hair but I saw nothing, until a golden light started flashing down below in the water.

I swam in the direction of the light and then came in view Adailia.

The ring on her finger was shining brightly. Her eyes were closed and her arms and feet were tied.

Was I too late?

I grabbed her by her waist and started swimming upwards.

Soon I could see the blue sky and I reached my hand forward and out of the water followed by my head and I gasped for air.

"Raashid! What were you- OH MY GOD!" Mari shouted as soon as he saw me and Adailia. He quickly took Adailia out of the water and settled her down on the ground as I got out of the water.

"Adailia!" I said and patted her on her cheek, "Wake up!"

But her head just lulled on her side.

I checked her pulse and then pumped her chest while Mari rubbed her feet.

We were taught mouth to mouth resurrection as knights in case of an emergency but I've never had to do that before.

I tried it but didn't work.

We continued this for a few minutes before Mari said, "It's not working."

"But we have to try!" I yelled at him.

"Stop panicking Raashid, you're making me panic too!" Mari yelled back but I just ignored him.

"Adailia." I said tapping her cheek again just to make her head lull to the other side.

"Mari....What if she..." I looked at her pale face, "....never gets up again?" The words made my heart ache.

"Move aside. I think I'll try a spell. It's risky but it will have to do." Mari said and I obeyed, my eyes never leaving Adailia's face.

Mari raised his hands and his face scrunched in concentration and then in a second, all the water left Adailia body and collected above her in tiny droplets. Mari then combined the droplets and it formed a huge water ball which he tossed back in the lake.

Mari sighed in relief as I stared at Adailia's now dry face, "Thank God it worked. It was really complicated. I've removed all the lake water from her lungs, clothes, hair, everything."

"She is still not getting up." I muttered and knelt down beside tapping her cheek lightly while shaking her shoulder, "Adailia, wake up."

"Please"