"Lady Aliciel?"

"What is it?" Aliciel asked with a raised eyebrow with a crossed arms while looking at Nora.

Nora smiled brightly. "Let's go to this Lumiere Restaurant! It sells lots of sweets!" she cheered as Aliciel frown at the mention of 'sweets'

"I thought I said that I didn't like it." she said, making Nora remember again incase she forgot.

Nora's eyes widen in realisation. "I-I'm sorry! I forgot!" she apologised, panicked. "I-I really forgot about it."

"We don't have time for fooling around. We have to do our work." Aliciel sigh while looking at Nora.

"B-but at least, let us together have a little break."

"Nora." her usual cold and intimidating aura made Nora flinch. "I said we don't have for fooling around. If you don't understand that, then just go somewhere without me."

Nora's eyes widen. "....N-no! I-I'm terribly sorry." she bowed as her gaze directed downwards.

Aliciel sigh at her predictable attitude. "I'm serious. If you want to go somewhere, just go without me." she said as Nora raise her head and look at Aliciel.

"I-I just want to have some time with Lady Aliciel. I mean... I want us to get closer and become friends." she said while playing with her fingers.

"When the teacher said that my pair is Lady Aliciel, I feel like I want to jump out of excitement..." she trailed off. "..Uhh... I thought that the is a good chance to bond with Lady Aliciel... That's what I thought." she continue nerveously as Aliciel roll her eyes.

"Are you stupid?" she asked only to make Nora more worse. Aliciel sigh. "Then what are we?" she asked making Nora confused. "We always drink tea together and talk together. From the first time, aren't we friends already?" she asked with a raise eyebrow that make Nora's eyes sparkled in happiness.

"R-really!?" she asked, excited as happiness dwelled over her.

"So just shut up and let's go to Lumiere or whatever after we're done with our project." Aliciel said while looking at Nora.

Nora form a broad grin. "Yes!"

-

Aliciel turned her head to be greeted by a knight on his 30. But despite all of that, he still look handsome on his age but that doesn't matter.

"Greetings Milady. My name is Brandon, Royal Knights of the Eclat Empire. I will be your guard to the Lumiere." he explained as Nora nodded excitedly as Aliciel thank him.

"Did the Emperor chose you?" Aliciel asked curiously.

Brandon shakes his head. "I'm the one who want to do it." he smiled as Aliciel nodded at his statement.

"Why?" Nora asked while looking at him as Aliciel mentally facepalm.

"...because Lumiere reminded me of someone." he replied with a smile as Nora nodded. "Let's go, shall we?" he offered as Aliciel and Nora nodded.

-

"Whoa!" Nora said while looking around the restaurant and Aliciel amazed by the designs and the good smell.

They went their way to have a seat as Brandon only stand behind them. Aliciel turned her head towards him. "Sir Brandon, you can sit with us." she offered while looking at him.

Brandon smile and shakes his head. "It's a knight's duty to stand behind the one they serve."

"Then it's an order." Aliciel said as Brandon look taken aback by her statement but then, he made his way and sit among the two of them.

"Oh yes!" Nora exclaimed making the two of them startled. "Sir Brandon, can I ask you some questions again?" she asked while looking at Brandon.

"Yes. You may." he smiled while looking at Nora.

"Who is someone that reminded you of Lumiere?" she asked curiously.

"Nora!" Aliciel protested but Brandon reassure her it's alright.

"...It's the Empress of this Empire." Brandon answered making Aliciel and Nora's eyes widen in surprise, thinking that maybe it's a good time to note about the Empress for their project.

"You used to serve the Empress!?" Nora asked excitedly.

Brandon nodded. "Let's see... I started serving her from when she was 17. We're quite young back then." he chuckled as Aliciel and Nora nodded, signing him to continue.

"She used to go to this restaurant to buy sweets when she was young. She always said weird things that I don't really understand." he said with a laugh.

"What kind of weird things?" Aliciel asked curiously while looking at him.

"Well... like... I think she once said to me something like 'No Brandon, I'm the Villainess' or something like that in a funny way."

Aliciel's eyes widen. "Villainess!?" she thought with wide eyes. "Can you tell me what kind of weird things she said again!?"

"Hmmm... she once said something about being in a novel and the current Emperor is the male lead when we're young. But she stopped saying that though." he explained with a confused face.

"Don't tell me..." Aliciel's eyes widen in realisation. "The Empress is also reincarnated!?"

"When did the Empress passed away?" Nora asked while looking at Brandon.

"...I think when she's still 23? ....Or maybe 24." he said with a low voice, somehow still grieving for her presence.

"So.. she choose to stay in this world and get married... huh..." Aliciel thought with a sad smile plastered on her face.

"I'm sorry to ask you this things." Nora apologised sincerely as Brandon shakes his head.

"It's alright. She's in a better place now." he smiled while looking at Nora.

-

Nora sighed as she packed her things. "Sir Brandon's story is still in my head. It's such a sad story." she said while looking at Aliciel.

"But we learn two or three things from it, also we can note the Empress's story." Aliciel explained while sitting on the chair, looking on her book.

"I'm really glad that we came to Eclat Empire. It's more calming and refreshing unlike our own Empire." Nora said with a slight sad smile as Aliciel only nod in agreement.

"It's time to go back though."