POV: Eunice/Roanne

We sat opposite to each other on the floral-pattern couches of the lounge room. The clinking of dinnerware soon turned into an awkward silence as the maids finished serving us and left the room.

The buttons and braiding of his jacket were gleaming along with his blonde coloured hair. His posture was straight as he sat on the couch with his leg crossed on top of the other. His pinkie would protrude as he held the handle of the ornamental teacup and sipped at the mint tea. Everything that he did was graceful.

I hadn't realised it but the aroma of the mint leaves was really calming and pleasurable to my sense of smell. With the silence and the aroma combined, my eyelids began to feel heavy. I didn't get enough sleep the night before because I got worked up with reading and writing my bucket list of things that I'd do in Valbara.

"Roanne?"

I jolted and forced my eyelids back open. "Yes?"

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I-I'm okay."

It felt like his piercing purple eyes were staring into my soul. If my sister was here instead of me, she would scream at him like a fangirl maniac at such fierce eye contact.

I took a sip of the tea and placed it back on the plate. My foot instinctively tapped on the floor.

"You're really quiet today."

"It's... It's because I'm exhausted," I chuckled guiltily, " I didn't get any sleep last night, your highness."

For a second, I caught him glowering at me and my soul was about to jump out as my entire body jerked.

"Didn't you want something from me?" He asked, and I kept silent.

What?! What is it?! Just say it already!

I thought long and hard about what was recorded on the 16th of December in the house journal. What was in the journal stated that Roanne was screaming at the prince, shouting the words, 'Give it back!'

And then I thought about the web comic. The web comic said nothing about the meeting on the 16th!

Give what back? What did she want back?!

"Uh... Let's... Let's take a walk outside!"

"What?"

"I'll... I'll ask of it once we've taken a walk together," I gulped.

The meeting with Aesar wasn't going as well as I thought. He was deliberately putting me on a tough spot. I had to distract him a little longer until I figured out what it was that Roanne had asked for.

We stepped out of the manor house and strolled on the dirt road outside of the estate. I was matching my pace with Aesar's, whilst his royal guard followed us from behind.

At that moment, I gasped and awed at what I saw in front of us. It was a gorgeous country scenery of prairies and hills with several growing trees of spruce and cedar, and a meadow of red and yellow daisies. The fresh breeze blew from my right side, and the hems of my red and white dress fluttered along with it. The sun's yellow rays of light shown above us with a comfortable warmth to my skin.

I ran towards a patch of clear grass on top of a hill and held my arms up in the air. Before I knew it, such a beautiful place whisked me away. It felt like I was on my annual leave from work and spending a holiday in France's countryside.

I laid my head on the green grass and closed my eyes. If only this was a dream that was too good to be true.

If I opened my eyes now, would I be back in Rydney working my usual ass off as an officer?

"Ah... I wish Bernie was here. That old geezer would've loved to have seen this place during his leave."

"Who's Bernie?" I opened my eyes to see Aesar's curious face appearing above mines as he sat beside me, blocking the view of the clouds.

"No one!" I exclaimed, realising that I blurted out Winston's name and was running my mouth off in front of him.

"I apologise if I’m being absurd, your highness," I said bashfully and sat up from the grass.

"I can't deny that you are acting odd. You're even saying honorifics to me for once."

I peered away from him and questioned my choice of words. Was it wrong that I said 'your highness'?

My eye caught the shine of Aesar's silver signet ring with the crest of a griffin carved on it.

And then it hit me! What was the item that acted as a dowry and would be given to a woman on her engagement?

"An engagement ring," I murmured.

"That took you long enough to ask."

He grabbed a small blue box from the pocket of his trousers. There was a hint of sadness on his face as he handed the box to me. I opened it and saw a dazzling ruby ring. It must have been worth over sixty times my old rental payment. I was honestly overwhelmed and grimaced at the thought of it.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"N-nothing! Nothing's wrong!"

He eyed me suspiciously. There was a long silence between us before I broke it with a question in mind.

"Did you ever love me?" I blatantly asked, and he was taken aback.

I was curious about it. I knew he hated Roanne for causing so much conflict towards the nobles and himself. And Roanne would only consider the engagement as something of a convenience for her by the second year of their relationship. But I also couldn't find the reason how he was able to stand by her for four years. Maybe it was because they were bound together when they were so young.

We both viewed the plains of flowers and green shrubbery where dragonflies and butterflies would roam above it.

"I did at the beginning," he mumbled, and I smiled.

I then looked to him and said with sincerity, "I'm sorry if I ever gave you a hard time and caused you pain."

At the same time, I wondered how long I would have to keep apologising on Roanne's behalf. As annoying as it was, I would have to do so until I'm faced with the guillotine above my head.

His eyes widened, and he gazed at me for a while.

"I... I apologise as well. Perhaps, I didn't care for you enough during our betrothal."

"It's alright. I think you did your best. Just don't make the same mistake to Calisa, okay?" I warned him gently, and he nodded.

POV: Prince Aesar

Throughout the meeting, it surprised me that she spoke politely and didn't cuss at me at all. I was very dubious with how she treated me. And what really moved me was that she apologised first. She apologised for her actions. I've heard that people who have done you wrong will eventually come to their senses and, if you're lucky enough, they will apologise to you. However, I didn't think it was humanly possible for her to change drastically from our last meeting where she threw a fit at me and threw a cup at the maid!

I watched as she skipped her way back to the manor with her long, purple hair flowing up and down in the air.

What on earth happened to her?

I wasn't the only one who noticed her change of behaviour. Melvis had his eyebrows furrowed the whole time he watched us sitting at the top of the hill. It was too calm for both him and myself.

"Do you think the young lady hit her head, your highness?" Melvis whispered.

"Maybe."

Sylphia walked out of the doorway, struggling to carry a woven hamper that was the same size as her head. Roanne went over to help her carry it and they both exchanged a few words. She held her hand and approached me and Melvis.

“Sylphia has a gift for you,” Roanne beamed as she handed me the hamper. Inside it was a bunch of chocolate chip cookies.

Both Sylphia and Roanne gave me a childish smile. They were so similar as siblings.

“Thank you, Sylphia,” I nodded to her.

“You’re welcome, your highness!” the little girl giggled.

The sun was setting to our right in an hour. The sky was now purple and red.

“Roanne, there will be a New Year banquet at the palace. I’m currently preparing the invitations and I will be sending one to you,” I informed her.

“I will accept your invitation in advance, your highness,” she gave a small curtsy.

I was ready to enter the carriage again with Melvis. I looked back at Roanne who was waving goodbye to me.

Her maid then came by to her side and whispered something in her left ear. The smile that she had on her face quickly disappeared and it turned into a glare as she stared mindlessly at the ground, clenching her jaw. A menacing side and a cold aura that I had never witnessed before. She looked like a completely different person.

That look. I had seen it countless times in the battlefield. The same deadly look that reminded me of Stalo during bloodshed.

Why did she look like she wanted to kill someone?

I was curious at what the maid had spoken to her. Something ticked her off.

“There’s something going on with her that she’s not telling me,” I told Melvis as the coachman rode the carriage outside the estate and on to the dirt road.

“May I give you an advice, your highness?” Melvis asked.

“Yes, you may.”

“Whatever it is that she is hiding from you, I don’t think you have the right to interfere with her life anymore, because she is no longer your fiancé.”

His response irked me a little. I felt a hint of rebellion inside me but I tried to suppress it.

He was right. Even if it did hurt knowing it, I no longer had anything to do with her life.

POV: Eunice/Roanne

“There is a letter on your table,” the maid whispered in my ear, “It’s addressed from a person named Traiasce Eleger.”

Traiasce Eleger.

A secret nickname that was used for the Neborian king, King Quaiser. In the author’s note of the web comic, it was stated that ‘Eleger’ was a mirrored word for ‘Regele’, which meant ‘the king’ in Romanian. Traiasce Regele was translated as ‘Long live the king’.

I hurried back to my room and saw the envelope that was sealed with red candle wax. I finally grasped the idea that there are people in this household watching my every move. How else would they be able to put the envelope in the room without having it delivered by local messengers? The local messengers would only come by on Fridays. Today was Wednesday. It was too early to receive letters.

Was the maid that I had spoken to involved in this controversy? That maid with caramel-coloured hair… I’ll have to keep an eye her.

I grabbed the envelope and opened it with a paper knife. I read the cursive writing of the white paper.

‘Dear Lady Roanne Imrora,

Your next rendezvous will be on the 24th of December. A personal carriage will be waiting for you with your butler, Hursten. Your excuse will be that you are heading to a perfume shop in the capital of Alekos.

Burn this letter after you have read it.

Regards,

Traiasce Eleger.’

From the letter, there were two people that I had to hold suspicion for in the Imrora House. A maid named Cleo, and a butler named Hursten. I had to tread carefully if there were already associates of the king surrounding me in Roanne’s home.

I went to the room across mine, which was another lounge room, and threw the letter into the fireplace. I watched as the paper burned slowly into the red flames.

I then took out the small blue box from the pocket of my dress. I decided that the ring would be my insurance. Although I felt guilty towards Prince Aesar, I had no choice. The money that I can make with the ring was my main guarantee of safety for me and the Imrora family.

I laid on the couch with my feet on top of the armrest, holding the small ring as the ruby shimmered against the light of the flames.

“Sorry, Aesar. I’m gonna have to sell this in the future.”