___

"Drink well, my prince."

I already had a hunch that the Count and his daughters are very unusual. I thought it was all due to being nervous around my presence. But I guess I was wrong.

Are they planning something?

It would be weird if I try to stir the cup with the silver teaspoon. He might recognize that I'm suspicious of him. But if I don't do it, I won't be able to check if the tea contains poison.

This isn't the plan!

Taking a deep breath, I decided to play for a while. My hand reached the teacup as I slowly raised it near my lips, then I paused. I noticed him flinch when I stopped midway from drinking it.

The Count smiled. "Did you smell it, your highness?"

I nodded. "It indeed have a unique fragrance." My comment made him smile wider, making me mentally frown. "It smells like that certain thing."

"Certain thing?" Confusion is now evident on his face. "Oh, maybe the young prince already had a taste of this precious tea before! Now what are you waiting for?" His eyes stared down at me. "Please drink it."

I mentally frowned. How dare he tell me what to do? In all honesty, I can just dismiss the tea, but what other tricks would he even have up his sleeves if I don't give in?

My silver eyes glowed as I controlled my hand holding the teacup from trembling. I took it up slowly as I pray to the heavens for some miracle to appear.

Before I can even take a sip, the door opened and a gust of wind hurled inside.

"What do you think you're doing?" Eldest stood behind me as her hand held the cup of tea that I was about to drink.

Ofcourse, there have been changes after those 4 years. I grew taller, and so she did. But her hair color suddenly became golden blonde, which is also the same to her eye color.

She told me it was her real hair color, and I didn't bother asking why she dyed it light purple before. Maybe that's a trend these days, right?

But one thing for sure, something didn't change in her. And that's her personality.

"I've been waiting for you. What took you so long?" I asked her with a smile. She clicked her tongue before grabbing the teacup from my hand and examined it.

The Count stood up from his seat, probably surprised with her presence. "Young lady, how dare you grab the tea I brewed for the young prince?"

She glanced at him, then back to the cup as she sniffed at it. "Smells like shit."

I frowned. "Language, Eldest."

His jaw dropped upon hearing a 10 year old girl curse like it was natural to say. She rolled her eyes before she did the unexpected, making me flinch at the sight.

"H-hey!" I tried to stop her from drinking the tea, even the Count stiffened on his spot. The moment she finished it all, I managed to grab the cup back.

His daughters glanced away as I put down the cup of tea without even taking a sip. Eldest wiped her lips before glaring at the Count. "You said it was unique for its fragrance and taste? Total bullshit."

"It could be poisoned, so why did you drink it?" I hissed at her, worried that she might end up dead in one second.

She glanced at me, her irritated expression then turned into a playful one. "Is the crown prince worried about me?"

An irk mark probably appeared on my forehead. "Ofcourse!" I replied with no hesitation. "Why wouldn't I be? We're friends, remember?"

The young ladies gasped, horror dawned on their faces. I looked at them confused, before looking back to Eldest whose skin already turned pale, lips turned blue as veins started popping from her neck.

"W-what in the world—" I managed to calm down when I saw her looking calm as well. Indeed, she already looks poisoned, but how come she acts like it was only natural?

"H-how....how are you still alive?!" Count Benedict almost stumbled down to his chair if it weren't for his daughters who went by to his side. "Impossible! That is the strongest poison alive! It was even hard to get my hands on it to kill this bastard! And you just had to show up and drink it without dying!?"

"Haaaa." I sighed as I brushed my bangs up. There we go. Real intentions has already been delivered. Looking behind, there I saw Jamie with the knights behind her.

Eldest scoffed as she held her neck. "I've got tolerance from poison, and I have to admit that you have the guts to try to poison the crown prince at his tender age, and even here in the palace." Taking a step forward, her fingers brushed through the silver utensils laid on the table.

"People like you must have had feces inside your head rather than a brain." Her insult made the Count look enraged.

I signaled the knights behind me. "Capture him. Take him to the dungeons."

"You little shit! Not a chance!" His daughters screamed in fear as their father grabbed the table knife, before aiming to stab me.

Before I can even try to escape, the sound of two silver utensils clashing at each others echoed inside the audience room. Eldest was fast enough to grab a silver fork to block the knife, making it trapped in between the fork.

It was so fast that it actually turned out to be a blur of action in my sight.

She grinned triumphantly. "I never knew a fork is much better than a knife."

"You!"

Before he can even try to do something else, the knights immediately apprehended him as they dragged him away. His daughters cried as they stood close to one another.

"You'll pay for this! not done with yet!" The Count yelled, anger evident on his face. "This is just the you bastard prince!"

Looking back to his daughters, I waved a hand to the other knights. "Have them be interrogated. They can be witnesses for their father's schemes when this is taken to the court."

The knights nodded before escorting the young ladies as well. Jamie went to hug me, her hands were trembling. "Are you alright, your highness? I'm sorry it took us long enough to arrive."

"It's okay, Eldest saved me." I reassured her, patting her back. "Thank you for worrying, nanny."

As soon as she backed away from the hug, I quickly looked back to Eldest who looks like a walking corpse due to the poison's effect.

She raised a brow at me. "What?"

I smiled. "Thank you."

"It's nothing." She casually replied as she pulled out a syringe. I gave her a questioning look, in which she responded. "An antidote. This poison may not kill me, but it's annoying."

Well, what do I even expect? She really is always prepared.

Other maids went in as they cleaned the mess. I ordered Jamie to take the teacup that contained the poison moments ago and the sachet as evidence before leaving the audience room.

Eldest then went with me towards the Empress' office. It was a silent walk in the hallway. Glancing beside me, there I saw her looking normal again.

I focused infront again, only to meet someone familiar.

"Brother." Klydeur called out, with his tutor, the princess of Florida, Ashley, standing beside him. As usual, she still looks annoying even if she grew a bit taller.

The only change between me and Klydeur as well is that we don't call ourselves in the 3rd pov, but instead use the word "I" now.

I gave him a nod to acknowledge him back. "It's been a while. Where are you headed to?"

He glanced at the direction where I am headed to, before looking at me. He smiled. "I'm headed to the main library. Are you perhaps heading to the Empress' office?"

"Yes." I replied back.

"As expected of the prince Klydeur, he sure is smart to know that." Ashley decided to butt in to compliment my brother. "I thought the crown prince would have also known where we are headed to. It's a shame, really."

I maintained my cool, not minding her harsh comment.

But then again, I have Eldest here who looks more offended than I do. "A shame for a foreign princess to leech around the Empire's prince in hopes of climbing up the social ladder."

With Eldest's remark, the princess, Ashley, glared at her. "Speak for yourself. You chose the other rope because of his position as crown prince. You're the greedy one!"

She shrugged. "Why do I have to be greedy when I'm already wealthy enough?"

"And also, I'm sure I picked the right rope, unlike someone who leeched into the rotting rope." She deadpanned, making Ashley lose her composure.

"You dare insult the prince?"

"I was merely speaking the truth," Eldest waved a hand. "Small advice, don't try to climb any higher. It will be more painful when you fall."

I sighed. "Enough." The two stopped trading barbs as I massaged my temple. "It would be better if you stop your nonsense arguments all the time."

Klydeur chuckled. "Yes, brother is right. We are a family here. There is no need to fight about it."

Ashley managed to make a 180° degree turn of expression, from annoyed to beaming a smile. "Ofcourse, my prince. As expected, you're one to preach peace."

"And you're that one bitch drowning at the beach." I nudged Eldest by the elbow when I heard her remark. Luckily, neither of the two heard her.

I sighed. "I shall go now. Let's talk some other time." With a wave of a hand, I started walking past through them, with Eldest behind me.

"Ofcourse. See you, brother." I heard Klydeur say before he also left with Ashley.

The moment we reached our destination, the guards outside the Empress' office acknowledged me with the same greeting. They opened the door for me and there I saw the Empress sitting on her chair.

She glanced up to see me. "Clydeur."

I smiled, bowing down to her. "Good afternoon, your majesty."

Eldest scoffed. "There's no good in the afternoon."

"Why so?" The Empress asked as she set aside the documents that she's been busy signing for a whole lot of hours.

Eldest and I glanced at each others, mentally asking who will tell her what happened earlier.

A chuckle so deep made me whirl my head towards a man with cyan-colored hair. He seems to be around his late 20's. His smile didn't waver as he bowed down. "Pardon me, I haven't introduced myself."

Standing up, he greeted me with a kind smile. "I am Lord Aquabelium, a simple nobleman from the country side whose devoted to help the Empire's majesty, the Empress."

____