"So this is where you live." You said as you gave the palace once over. It wasn't grand nor polished as you thought it would be but it was beautiful nevertheless.

And Claude lived here. It was the first time you visited here even though you lived so closed.

You snapped out of your trance when you saw you were left behind. You hurried after their distancing figures. "Hey, don't leave me!"

"Then try not to lag behind."

You puffed your cheeks, glaring at the pretty boy whose golden locks shined in the sunlight. You had an impulse to touch his hair but you resisted. Not wanting to agitate him further.

"You've freaking long legs. Mine is short!" You remarked, jogging up to them.

You threw a look at Felix's legs. "Especially Felix."

Felix jolted. "M-me?"

"Yeah, You're taller than any of us."

"I'm not short." Claude coldly replied offended. "The only person I see short is you."

"Hah! I'm still growing up, you know!" You said indignantly.

At his cold stare, you added. "And I never said you are. I'm just saying Felix has a few inches on you."

You tiptoed to Claude who paused and looked at you blankly.

"See I don't even reach to your chin." You said sadly. You were so close you couldn't help but admire his sapphire eyes that glowered with slight annoyance. You only reached below his chest, despite standing on your toes.

It must be the age difference but still, he was taller. And you could guess in the near future he'd even tower over you like right now.

Wahh! I'm such a midget! C'mon little me grow up faster!!

Next, you ran to Felix who was sweating and throwing a cautious look at Claude who had gone perfectly still.

"You're even taller than I thought." You exclaimed when you reached his chest just below Claude's. "Just like a gentle giant!"

Felix shrank back, cold sweats breaking on his forehead as Claude gave him a monotonous look, lips pressed together tightly.

"Let's just go."

He turned around with a cold face and marched off leaving behind you confused.

"What's gotten into him? So moody." You give his back a weird look.

Felix let out a nervous chuckle, internally screaming. He had a bad feeling that tomorrow's spar was going to be hell with him having broken bones. "D-don't worry about it."

You reached the palace with Claude still sulking secretly. Not that you could tell from his stoic face.

You walked in further, noticing the small cracks in the wall and ceilings. You huffed. They didn't even bother covering up just how much they hated Claude by showing discrimination against him. Compared to other palaces this place had significantly less grandeur.

You entered a room. Claude and Felix stepped in letting you admire the decoration.

You stepped in to find a single figure in the room. A brunette lady sat on the sofa, knitting something gracefully.

"You're back." She looks up and exclaimed happily seeing Claude and Felix. Her silver eyes brightened up.

"Annie bring in refreshments!" She ordered the maid nearby who scurried away to bid it

You sneaked a peek behind Claude. Jumped when you made eye contact with her.

"Oh my. Who is this cute little one?" Her silver eyes peered at me curiously as she smiled.

The maid came and put the refreshments consisting of cookies and pastries, fruits along with juices.

You shyly looked away from her smiling face, feeling your face burn. This was the first time someone looked at you with sincere warmth that glowed like a mother's. It made you freeze like an idiot.

Claude raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat amused. "What are you shy for? Where did your bold obnoxious self go?"

"I'm not obnoxious! And shut up." You grumbled under your breath, hiding behind him.

"She's his highness's new friend," Felix said when he saw both of you bickering with each other.

"Oh my. That's good news!" She said sweetly. "What's your name, little one?

"It's (Y/n), Miss." You snapped out of your bickering with Claude who stepped away from you and settled on the sofa with an irritated sigh.

"A lovely name. I'm glad his highness found a friend." She smiled as she went over to Claude fussing over him. Asking for injuries and such.

She paused in her fussing when she saw you awkwardly shift. "Go on, dear. Don't be shy, eat whatever you like."

You didn't need more encouragement. You plopped down between Claude and Felix and stretched your hand to grab a cookie and happily munched on it.

You observed how she worriedly asked Claude questions, fixing his attire all the while Claude assured her that he was fine.

She truly was a great nanny but...

Your eyes shifted to your left to see a stiff Felix looking down at his drink.

Wasn't she Felix's Mother? At least that's what Marie told you. So why wasn't she showing the same concern to Felix as well? You found that strange that she was worried about Claude more than her son. Her sense of duty was stronger than her mother's duty, huh...

Poor Felix...

Looking over the duo, you felt a dull ache settle in your chest. You looked away from the warmth and munched on your cookies aggressively.

You sighed when Felix didn't touch any food.

"Hey, Felix. Have this! It's super tasty!"

He looked at you surprised as you handed him a donut. He smiled muttering a small thanks.

After her concern was satisfied she asked Felix if he was alright to which he gave one-word assurance.

She sighed in relief. "I have to go and check on something. So please excuse me." She curtsied before sternly adding. "But please finish your refreshments. You need energy for the rest of the hectic day."

With a warm smile, she left not before offering you to come here wherever you pleased.

The only sound was your obnoxious munching as you breathed in the cookies.

They watched with great incredulous as you inhaled the cookies one after another.

What? I'm hungry! Like super-duper hungry. So don't look at me like I'm some wild pig!!

To their credit, they didn't comment on your eating manner.

"I have to leave soon. I shouldn't be late or else Captain wouldn't like it." Felix said with a chuckle tightly at the memory of having to do double the training because he was tardy one time.

You blinked as you gnawed on a cookie. "You both have different schedules?"

"Yes. He's studying for future knighthood while I'm being prepared for.....future position."

You tilted your head at his vague explanation.

Felix said with a smile. "You're going to be busy too once you start your classes."

"Hmm." You munched on the cookie thoughtfully. Yummy!

"Even more busy in the future. The healer is always busy checking all the staff and knights. And providing medical help for seasonal sicknesses. The Palace is always packed with people so your future here will be really busy and hectic." Felix added wistfully.

Claude just took a bite of sliced apple, grimacing at the sweet taste.

"I don't plan to stay here in the near future. I only came here to finish my healer's education."

"Huh?" It was Claude who gave you a questioning look. "Then what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to travel around the world, of course. Go on an expedition exploring the wonders of the world." You said with a bright beam. Excitement brightens up cutely on your face.

Claude narrowed his eyes. "You want to give up a position more significant than anything to explore the world with practically nothing on you?"

"Yep!"

Felix looked a bit skeptical for the first time. "You could have a decent luxurious life if you continued to be a healer. Healers are rare to come by, as rare as a magician. You could have a position similar to a noble."

"Nope. I ain't interested." You shook your head.

"Why? You're going to give up that for your half-baked plan to travel the world. " Claude said with enough exasperation that even you started having second thoughts. He's showing so many emotions that were kinda unnerving. "You have to learn different languages to communicate with outside people. Learn the dynamics and diplomacy between empires. Treaties with empires, alliances, bad relationships, and situations within empires, find if it's safe to travel or not. Study the rules and regulations of citizenship so that you won't get executed for breaching any of the rules. Are you sure you're up to that?"

You could feel yourself slowly cracking and shattering like ice with each word as depressive lines formed on your forehead.

"Don't tear a girl's dream apart so brutally, you insensitive prick!!" You shouted.

Claude's lips twitched as he threw a cold glare to which you with a frightened squeak shrank into Felix who patted your head to console you.

"I'm right though. Have you planned everything? Isn't your course of healer for 3 years? Are you planning to jingle that along with learning the politics and policy of travelling around?" Claude with no regard to your depressed state stated nonchalantly.

You shrank further into the warmth of Felix with teary eyes. "Well, I didn't think it through. I was just..."

Felix patted your head in sympathy. "There, there...."

"You could place yourself in a higher position as a noble in the future. So continue being a healer unless you want to go through the endeavours of learning everything." Claude sighed looking at your melodramatic heartbroken state.

"But I don't want doom my life to be noble." You stubbornly stated.

"Why may I ask?" Claude asked sardonically.

"To be honest. I hate nobles. I hate the kingdom. I hate the whole king and subjects system I hate knights no matter how cool they are. Everything about the hierarchy. I despise it"

Claude and Felix jolted in surprise at your sincere words. You don't seem to be lying. Neither were the sentiments behind those statements false.

You didn't know where the words came from. It just sprouted out like a broken dam. You couldn't stop. It almost felt like you had personal resentments against the whole Kingdom.

You continued, the words forming on their own. "You have to be careful with your words. Wrong worded tend to be used against you. You can't show vulnerability or else it'll again be used against you. You've to watch injustice committed on innocents because you're powerless to do anything about it, the superiors having too much power to rebel against. You have to wear hundred different masks for hundreds of different people. You risk losing sight of who you are. And Royals tend to have lots of skeletons in their closest. Each one is darker than before. So yeah sorry if I don't desire the life of nobility. It'll be exhausting to keep up with the mind games and deceits."

Both were speechless. Stunned by your passionate display of pure hatred for the nobilities.

It's almost like something in the past happened that rooted your deep hatred for it.

You smiled brightly, determination flowing through your veins like fire. "There is no way in hell I'm becoming part of this corrupt system. So I'll do anything to get away from it. Be it running away and living a fugitive life or studying to bones to become an official traveller!"

The air cleared off from the earlier tenseness and filled with comical fire coming from you.

Felix chuckled at your mad enthusiasm. "I'm sure if you tried hard you don't have to live a life of a fugitive."

You beamed at his encouraging words.

You looked at Claude for his input because for some strange reason his opinion greatly mattered to you.

Claude's emotions were tightly concealed with a mask of indifference, not giving a glimpse of what he thought of your little speech.

".....Must be nice to have control over your future. To not be blind to it." His lips quirked into a bitter smile. "That is if you've any future."

Claude gazed at his reflection in the cup of tea. Icy blue eyes were vacant, swirling with indiscernible emotions. His voice was dull and empty.

The imperial family traditionally had only one child, the future heir to the throne. Second-borne children were rare. If there was such a rare occurrence, they were normally given the title of duke the highest position after a prince, with some fertile land and a portion of the region to look after.

But since he was the unfavored illegitimate child of low blood born, he wouldn't be given the same privilege. Thus his future was a stalemate. A complete blank. It wasn't a surprise as to why he was so anxious and bitter about his uncertain future.

You realized then despite his calm and cold demeanour, he was suffering. Suffering through the agony of being belittled by his so-called family. Being left behind by the people who were supposed to love him.

In his defiant jewelled eyes was silent pain. Suffered so mute and quiet that no one could hear it or see it unless they looked closely.

Your heart constricted along with your throat.

It made you shift with uneasiness as the air grew tight and tense. The awkwardness in the air was practically suffocating. With no one knowing what to say. It grated on your nerves.

You needed to dispel this thick silence or else the tears that you were trying to hold on to were going to burst out.

You grabbed a chocolate cookie, having quite a nasty idea.

"Claude, don't be so down. Here are some sweets to lift your spirits!"

Claude's body went rigid as he robotically turn to you with a blank stare.

"C'mon. Just a tiny bite."

"No." His reply was quick and rushed as he inched away from you. His cold sapphire eyes shot a dagger at you, threatening non-verbally.

You shivered, feeling fear shoot up your body. Damn, his glares were scary as hell but you were persistent. Ignoring his dangerous aura you inched close.

"Sweets. Tasty, tasty sweets." You grinned cheekily as you saw his face drain out of colour.

He looked green.

You were reminded of your first meeting. His reaction now was much more intense and fierce than before. Though he looked just as adorable as before. It made you internally swoon in glee.

"Say 'ahh'!" You got up close to his alarmingly nauseated green face with a maniac smile.

He threw a seething look at you. His piercing sapphire eyes glowed in disgust and anger.

"I said no."

Claude's jaw clenched, his face pale almost sick. He grabbed your nose swiftly and squeezed causing you to yelp. You dropped the cookie, prying the steel arms off your poor nose.

"I'm sorry." Your voice came out distorted and nasal sounding funny like a pig whining.

He wasn't done with you and your stupid idea of messing up with him. He didn't let go but instead squeezed harder. You squealed, wincing.

"Not so funny, is it?"

"Ahh! Sorry!"

Felix's troubled face switched between you and him as he tried to persuade Claude to let go.

Claude's nanny smiled as she was greeted by the scene once entering the room. "Oh my. They seem to be good friends."

Felix sweat-dropped. "They do?"

Feeling that it was enough punishment for you, he let go. Claude smirked at your red nose and disgruntled expression. Dismayed that you couldn't get him to eat sweets.

At least for the moment, he had forgotten his problems and woes. That made your sore nose worth it.