"Almost there. Almost..."

You stretched out your hand to your limit to grab the delicious plump-looking red apple.

It's your second day in the Imperial Palace. They have given you a whole week off to get used to the environment and since they haven't officially selected your teacher, so a delay.

Being cooped up in your tiny, room with only sufficient furniture was no fun. It was clear it was the maids' room. Since you haven't proven your skills, you were lower than the hardworking maids. No special treatment for you.

Such a shame that you came to the palace and still end up in the maid's quarters worse than your previous room.

The room with no personality whatsoever drained your energy. So you decided to explore the place, namely the garden.

And you weren't disappointed. The garden was grandiose and magnificent. With different hues of flowers scattered around and the warm shade of the looming trees, this made the garden an idle place to take nap.

You put that enchanting idea on hold when you saw an exotic apple tree. Purring like a cat you climbed the tree with no second thoughts.

Holding the branch to support your weight, you tried to grab the nearest apple.

You were quite hungry and they looked very delectable.

You giggled like a madman. Come here, my little snacks~~

"You are gonna get hurt badly if you fell from that height." A soft yet sharp monotonous voice reached your ears.

It sounded somewhat familiar.

You couldn't turn around and see the owner of the voice since you were clinging to the tree like an octopus. Afraid to put your focus anywhere else.

Man, you just had to go and say that. You sighed.

"Don't worry I'm professional when it comes to scaling up trees." You laughed it off. "I've been climbing trees for years, there's no way I'd fall."

You just jinxed it. No, it was definitely the owner of the voice who brought on such a bad omen.

The moment you finished the sentence, you lost your grip on the branch.

"Eek!"

And with a loud screech, you pummeled down.

You shut your eyes tight waiting for the ground to knock your breath out.

You did feel your breath get knocked out but it didn't hurt as much as you thought it would. You thought with a daze, a small relieved smile tugging your lips.

Oh, sweet heavens I thought I was a goner. And no bones of my seem broken. This is what you call a miracle. I'm a lucky person!!

"Are you planning on getting off me anytime soon? You're quite heavy."

The sharply spoken rude words snapped you out of your relief ramble. With a squeak, you rolled away.

Oh my God.

You sat up. "Are you alright?! Did I break your bones? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean---"

Your words died down when you took in the owner of the voice. Rich golden locks swaying gently with the breeze. Those unique sapphire eyes had you in trance.

A strong sense of deja vu hit you.

"Claude?!"

"Oh, it's you." His blank voice dwindled your excitement.

He seems different. Different from the little boy you met three years ago. The flustered look you came to associate with him was nowhere to be found. Instead, it was replaced with an aloof and cold expression. His sapphire eyes that looked hesitant and cautious were now cold, sharp, calculative glare. His dishevelled appearance was now composed and guarded. A completely different look than back then.

You didn't recognize him for a moment. What happened to him...?

"What's with the dry reply?" You said once you found your voice.

He cocked his head to the side. Sarcasm-dripping words came out of his lips in an aloof manner. "Did you expect me to greet you with open arms when you almost crushed me to death?"

You made a face. "It was a mistake. And I didn't crush you to your death. I'm not that heavy!"

"My muscles beg to differ." He replied blankly to your outburst. "Who was it saying she's a professional climber who's been scaling up trees for years?"

Embarrassed and annoyed you glared at him. "I'm sorry! Do you want me to get on my knees and beg?!"

"No, that would be quite pathetic." He blinked at your suggestion before once again retorting coldly.

"You?!" You shouted in disbelief.

He stared at your fuming figure. "I didn't expect to meet again in these circumstances. Observing you climb the tree like a monkey who ends up falling despite bragging."

You felt his verbal arrow stab straight into your heart.

You could only look at him gobsmacked. "Wow, you sure talk a lot compared to back then. And I don't know how I feel about it. Where did my precious, sweet cinnamon roll go? Are you an imposter?! You got to be an imposter!"

"I see. You are the same annoying bizarre girl I met back then, unfortunately." He calmly tilted his head, his face stoic and unreadable.

"Wow," You blinked in disbelief. "For a kid, your words sure are savage."

Claude immediately rebuked. "Who are you calling a kid? Have to see yourself?"

You stared at him blankly. "Do you have to talk back? It's good to see you're doing well but that hurts."

"...I suppose not. But I wasn't trying to hurt you. I was just stating a fact."

"That's even worse! Geez," You huffed.

Disbelief at the boy's coldness, you grabbed his shoulder. Claude went rigid and stunned as you brought your face ominously close to him.

"Why are you so mean? Did poverty hit you so hard to knock out all your cuteness? Or are you an imposter of the cute, flustered boy? Don't be afraid you can tell me." You said with a low creepy voice.

His cold eyes stared back at you, twitching and the next moment he pinched your nose, hard.

You immediately squealed in pain.

"Ow, Ow!" You tried to pry his hand off. "Let go! I'm sorry!"

Claude blinked and let go of your red nose seemingly at loss for words. He looked at his hand as if it was a foreign limb, not his own.

"Why did I do that...?" He muttered, surprise lacing in his monotonous voice. Like it was shocked at his actions.

You glared at him sullenly, rubbing your nose. "Yeah, why did you do that? It hurts you know. Ow, my poor nose."

He glared at you like it was your fault. Like you commanded his hands to commit the crime.

You deadpanned. "What?"

Claude looked away.

You stared at him.

Claude's eyebrows twitched. "Can you stop staring? It's unpleasant."

You smirked. "Heh, though I miss the old you, I like this version of you too. You learnt to bite and that's a good thing."

Claude blinked, his lips parting as a strange emotion flashed within his glaring eyes.

It disappeared just as quickly.

"Do you think I'm a dog?"

"Huh?" You frowned. "I never said that."

"You just implied that," Claude said with a small frown.

"No. I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No."

"Yes."

"Nope, your ears are ringing."

Claude frowned. "Are you really going to shamelessly deny words you spoke seconds ago?"

You pursued your lips. "On second thought, I like the old you. Scratch that, compared to you, I loved him. He was such a cutie. And you...haa."

Claude frowned harder and the tips of his ears turned red. "...What are you doing here?"