"..."

"..."

Silence wrapped around the room as Eurielle sipped on her tea gently.

Eurielle was currently in the imperial palace.

The crown prince called for her presence in order to declare one thing.

"I hope you're doing fine, Lady Eurielle." Red orbs glared at her.

"I'm not fine, your highness." Eurielle replied in an honest manner.

"???" The prince raised a brow at her remark.

"I just got poisoned few days ago and I'm still resting these days when suddenly, you called me out of nowhere to have this useless meeting with you. I want my rest." Eurielle murmured, then she continued to drink her tea once again.

Her expression remained indifferent throughout the whole conversation.

"I apologize. But be rest assured that the person who poisoned you already received their punishment." He replied.

'Though I don't know why that maid suddenly died when we came to check up on her.' Gabriel swallowed his thoughts.

"I see. Then can I go now?" Eurielle placed her cup on the table.

"Wait. We still need to talk about the engagement."

"Is your highness still bothered about it? Then, please rest assured that you have my full permission to annul it. Thank you." Eurielle stood up.

"Wait!" Gabriel grabbed her arm.

"Ow." Eurielle felt slight pain from her arm.

The prince held it too tight. It was like he was the gripping the life out of her.

Gabriel, realizing what he just did, impulsively let go of Eurielle.

"My apologies."

"...."

"In order to fully annul the engagement, I'll be needing your father's approval as well."

The emperor declared their marriage without any grounds. He announced it without proper consent from both parties just to have his own gain. He wanted the marriage to happen without Eurielle's father knowing about it.

But if the Grand Duke was to oppose it personally, the engagement would totally disappear from earth.

"Of course. Then, I'll be leaving now."

"Wait."

This is already the third time that the prince tried to stop Eurielle from leaving.

'I don't understand.' Eurielle was confused.

Suddenly, Gabriel offered his hand to her.

"??"

"I'll escort you outside." He muttered.

Eurielle couldn't quite get why he was acting like this.

Somewhere inside her chest, she didn't know that she was already feeling total displeasure. She was still oblivious of her own emotions.

Eurielle accepted his hand with a bit of hesitation then the prince held it tightly.

The two walked outside hand to hand, not realizing that there was a person watching this scene.

"Your highness!" A woman's voice echoed in the hallways.

"Abigail." The prince let go of Eurielle's hand and strode towards Abigail.

The two lovebirds then hugged like they haven't met for a thousand years.

"I missed you." Abigail mumbled as her sight landed on Eurielle.

Eurielle curtsied and raised her head only to receive the gaze from Abigail.

Abigail was staring daggers at her.

"??" Eurielle couldn't understand the meaning of her gaze so she just stood silent.

"How are you?" Suddenly, Abigail's expression changed when she faced the prince.

"I'm fine."

"What did you do earlier? Did you talk with Lady Eurielle earlier?" She asked with a lovely smile.

"Yes. We talked about the engagement." The prince responded.

"Engagement? Are you really going to get engaged with her? Are you leaving me?" Abigail pouted.

"No sweetheart, I'm not leaving you because of her. And I would never leave you just because of another woman."

[A/N: call 911 coz I'm about to commit murder :)]

"Really? I'm glad." Abigail hugged the prince once again and smirked at Eurielle.

Eurielle on the other hand was staring at a butterfly that was flying around her since earlier.

If the two lovebirds were in their own world, then Eurielle was in her own queendom.

"What do they call this again?" Eurielle muttered softly, still staring at the butterfly that landed on her finger.

The pattern of the butterfly was truly beautiful that she couldn't help but be mesmerized at it. She didn't even realize the the prince and Abigail were very lovey-dovey at the moment.

"Wow, Lady Eurielle is that a butterfly?" Abigail slowly approached her.

The moment Abigail walked closer towards her to see the butterfly, the insect flew away before she could observe it deeply.

"Ah, I heard beautiful things tend to walk away because of the ugly hearts that approached them." Eurielle articulated a line she read in a book before in a prudent manner.

She then looked at Abigail.

"Does my lady have an ugly heart?" Eurielle asked this out of pure curiosity without any hidden mockery nor evil intentions.

"Y-You-!"

"Lady Eurielle. Are you saying that Abigail has an ugly heart? If there's anyone that has an ugly heart here that would be you." Gabriel stood in defense.

Eurielle didn't feel anything about what the prince said.

"I wasn't implying that Lady Abigail has an ugly heart. In fact, I was just asking her if she has an ugly heart. Since you thought that I said that she has an ugly heart, does it mean that she does have an ugly heart?"

The couple couldn't believe what she just said. She was playing them through her words.

Eurielle was tired right now.

If there was a day to hate, this day would be the day that Eurielle hated the most.

It's because she talked too much this day. It was not in her field to say many words in a certain conversation.

But with the people in front of her, they make her talk like a parrot.

'My jaw hurts..'

"I took too much of your time already. I'll be leaving first." Eurielle bowed then walked past the two of them.

Alas, the couple got defeated in the wordplay greatly.

"...."

"Abigail, are you alright? Don't mind about what she said." Gabriel comforted her.

"I'm fine, your highness. Thank you for worrying about me." Abigail smiled innocently.

The prince couldn't resist to hug her and so he did.

Abigail hugged him back while pondering about few things.

'Eurielle...

I'll make you pay for the humiliation you gave me this day.'