[A flashback of what happened before Eliam transmigrated into Pier's body]

The clouds were rumbling in the night sky.

"Asherrr!" Pier whined as he followed Asher inside the Palace Halls while carrying a box of cookies he personally made for the prince.

"Please accept these, I made them extra sweet for you!" He smiled brightly. His dark hair swayed along as he stood beside Asher. However, the prince did not mind even bother answering him.

"Hello, Uhm, can you bring this to Asher's study?" He asked when he passed by a knight who was guarding the entrance of the halls.

The knight turned to look at him and Pier cowered for a second at the knight's scary gaze.

"I... Uhm... please?" He pleaded but the knight did not move and instead looked away.

"I'm in my duty right now, young master. Please do not disturb me" The knight replied before completely ignoring Pier.

"Oh... haha... okay," Pier said, feeling embarrassed by the words the knight had just said to him.

He did not want to cause any more trouble so he simply went back and followed Asher.

It was the Kingdom's Festival in celebration of the Sun god's blessing for the royal family. People were roaming around the streets and a huge feast was laid by the king for everyone to enjoy.

Streets were filled with small lanterns that contained light orbs and food stalls were placed side by side as people gathered in the capital. Nobles and commoners alike were given the chance to freely converse and talk with each other as a sign of peace within the entire kingdom.

Pier followed Asher who did not stop walking when he went to persuade the knight in placing the cookies he had made for Asher.

"Asher!" He called and followed him. His green and pink suit was an eye-catcher for everyone who saw him.

People started whispering when they saw the young master from the Belmiunde Household. He was wearing the same color street performers and entertainers would wear when they do something funny.

Pier turned to look at the people who were whispering. He was nervous.

'Am I doing good? Is it enough for people to like me for Asher?' He had a glint of hope on his face.

He was nervous because it was a difficult standard that he should reach in order to become a match for the Crown Prince.

'There goes the young master again'

'What a bad color combination'

'Imagine the shame the tailor would get because the young master ordered a suit like that'

'Disgusting'

Asher heard each and every single one of them. The whispers reached his ears and made his stomach churn in an unpleasant way. He wanted to get away from Pier. He did not want to involve himself in such a disgraceful matter.

"Asherrr!" Pier whined again. His fragile and weak body could not keep up in walking with the prince because Asher's long and wide strides were too much for him.

However, the prince did not stop. He walked further and further until Pier could no longer reach him. His figure became smaller as the distance widened.

Pier stopped for a moment to catch his breath. The cookies inside the cookie box rattled as he came to an abrupt halt.

He placed his hands on his knees and he breathed in a couple more times.

Huff... Huff...

"A-Asher walks really fast... huff" Pier commented as he took deep breaths again. His heart was racing as he continued to huff breaths out.

People passed by the young master and did not care about greeting nor helping the obviously tired noble.

Pier soon got up after a couple more minutes of rest and he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

He took the handkerchief out from his chest pocket and removed the sweat from his entire face. His heart was still beating fast.

He started walking again in the direction where he had seen the Crown Prince go.

Step

Step

Step

He took small steps because he was tired. His footsteps also made light sounds as he trudged outside the palace halls and into the streets where the stalls could be seen.

Pier continued to walk for a few more minutes.

'H-Hello, have you seen Asher?" Pier asked a man who was butchering meat in his stall.

"Hmmm?" The man asked in a grumpy manner. He did not look at Pier and continued chopping meat off his chopping board.

"A-Ah, the Crown Prince. Have you seen him?" He asked and the man turned to look at him.

"Listen here, kid. I have not seen the Crown Prince. Scram!" The man said as he angrily chopped on a piece of meat and blood splashed around.

Ack!

Pier flinched when some of the blood from the meat got on his precious clothes.

"H-Hey! My clothes-"

"And what? Are you going to tell your daddy your clothes were ruined?" The man mocked in a childish voice. Pier puffed his cheeks at the meat vendor.

He wanted to yell at the man

'He looks scary,' He thought as he took a step back. He clenched his hand at the gruesome scent of blood in his clothes but he did not bother retaliating because Asher might get angry at him.

The handkerchief getting wrinkled at his clenched fists.

"I-I'm sorry," He said as he bowed down and started walking away from the meat vendor's stall.

"I wonder where Asher went," He said as he tried to clean some of the blood from his green and pink suit yet only a small amount went on his handkerchief and most of it seeped in his clothes.

He pouted as his suit had now small, red patches of blood on it.

"Let's just deal with it later, I need to give Asher the cookies I made!" He gleamed brightly. It was also a tradition during the Festival for the Sun God to give the person they fancy food they personally made as a sign of affection, and possibly admission of feelings.

Pier wanted to give Asher the cookies he made because he wanted to tell Asher how much he loved him.

"Have you seen the Crown Prince?"

"I did! He was so handsome, oh to be Lady Elena and receive flowers from the Crown Prince!"

Pier's ears perked up at the gossips he heard while passing by a few stalls.

"Uhm, pardon... did you just say the Crown Prince?" He called the two ladies who were eating grilled food on a stick.

The two girls stopped and turned to look at Pier. His green and pink suit had patches of blood and his hair was disheveled from sweating too much after trying to keep up with Asher.

They all cringed in disgust and uncomfortableness at what they saw. It was a very unusual combination of colors for nobles like him.

"Uh, no. I haven't seen his highness"

"Me neither"

They both spoke before they marched away hurriedly. Pier was still a noble after all and commoners like them were afraid to talk with nobles.

But aside from being afraid, they were also disgusted by Pier's appearance.

Pier pouted as he gave his clothes a look.

"It doesn't look that bad." He grumbled as he wiped the stains from his clothes angrily but none of it even came off.

He sighed as he gave up after wiping it down after a few more minutes.

"Are you looking for his highness?" He turned around and saw an old woman a few steps away from him. She was guarding a small stall that sold old and broken items.

Pier immediately nodded as he approached the old lady.

"Yes! - no, I mean, yes, I am looking for the Crown Prince" He said as he cleared his throat at the obvious excitement.

The old lady chuckled at Pier's silly actions and she pointed in a direction.

"I saw his highness go in that direction. Towards the Capital's Center," She told Pier and the latter grinned widely.

"Thank you so much, Lady! Wait, let me pay you for telling me such good information," Pier said as his eyes twinkled at knowing Asher's whereabouts. He turned to look at his pockets for something that he could pay the lady for the information he got.

He took a gold coin out and handed it over to the lady.

"Here! Here's my payment!" He said as he handed the gold coin to the lady. The lady's eyes widened as she stared at the precious material on Pier's hands.

She was just a wandering nomad and it was her livelihood to sell for items she finds along the way as she wanders.

Seeing a gold coin upfront, she hesitated.

"No, that is too much, young child" She refused as she held her hands out as a sign of rejecting Pier's offer.

"It is?" Pier asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Then... I'll take this one too!" He said as he pointed at a rusty old pocket watch at the corner of the lady's stall.

The lady's eyes widened at the young master's choice.

"T-Then I won't refuse the payment. Please have this," She said as she gave the pocket watch to Pier and the noble handed her the golden coin.

Pier immediately left the stall, thanking the old lady for the information and the pocket watch he just bought. He carried the cookies in one hand while he was inserting the pocket watch into his pockets.

Oof!

He grunted as someone bumped into him while he was keeping the pocket watch.

The box of cookies fell on the ground and the contents gave a sound of being broken.

"NO!" He screamed as he hurriedly grabbed the fallen box of cookies on the ground.

He dusted the dirt off the cookie box and held it close to his chest.

He could not give Asher broken cookies!

He turned his head up to glare at the person who bumped into him but he saw that the person was not even staring at him. That's when he realized that there were many people standing side by side.

"Huh?" He wondered what was happening and why everyone was cheering as they stood side by side.

With his pretty much tall height, he was able to see easily through others and his eyes immediately widened when he saw what they were looking at.

In the Capital's Center, Elena and Asher stood in the middle and people were looking at them.

Elena was handing something to Asher. It was food in a box.

Surprised by what was going on, Pier immediately started to make his way through the crowd.

'No! I should be the one to give Asher food first!' He panicked in his mind as he forced his way through the crowd.

"Hey watch it!"

"Don't insert! That's our place!

"Sorry!" Pier apologized as people were complaining from left to right about how he forced his way through the thick wall of people.

"Asher! ASHER!" He called and screamed to the Crown Prince who had a smile on his face as he received Elena's gift for him.

When he was finally able to pave his way through the bystanders who were watching the interaction between the two, he immediately went towards Asher.

"Asher!" He called out as he neared the Crown Prince and Elena.

People immediately went silent when they saw the rugged-looking noble approach the two.

"A-Ah, young master!" Elena stuttered as she saw Pier show.

"I should be the one giving Asher the food first!" Pier whined as he pointed at Elena. The noblewoman took a step back at Pier's actions and Asher felt his blood boil at seeing Elena cower in front of Pier.

"Pier stop-"

"No! Asher, receive the cookies I made for you first before hers!" Pier said as he handed the slightly dusty cookie box at Asher. Asher stopped for a moment as he stared at the unpleasant-looking box.

"Y-Young Master, I think you should change the cover of the box first-"

"NO! I MADE THIS FOR ASHER!" Pier shouted at Elena and Asher who saw the disrespectful action towards the lady he favors became angry in an instant.

"Pier, do not shout at the lady!" Asher seethed in anger as he saw Elena cower in front of Pier.

"Asher, I just want you to receive the-" Pier tried to give Asher the cookies but the Crown Prince swatted his hand away.

The box of cookies fell to the ground making the cover fly off and the contents spill on the ground.

Pier watched as the cookies he made became dirtied in an instant.

"Asher, I'm sorry-"

"You're disrespecting the lady, young master!" Asher gritted his teeth in anger. Pier immediately backed off after seeing the mad Crown Prince.

"I'm sorry, young master" Elena cried as she approached Pier. Pier felt awkward at the lady's actions.

"No... Uhm... it's okay..." He tried to console her but suddenly, Elena broke down in tears after Pier's words.

His eyes widened and nervousness crept up his face as he watched the Crown Prince tremble in anger.

"Asher-!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME, PIER! I DO NOT LIKE YOU AND I NEVER WILL!" He screamed at the noble.

Pier felt his heart break at the tone Asher used at him and he shivered. His body shook at the loud voice.

"he's too much!"

"He made the lady cry..."

"Maybe he was not taught with any manners?"

"Very shameful"

Pier's eyes watered at the comments that he heard from the bystanders who were watching them. He did not know how to explain what was happening but he wanted to cry.

He only wanted to give Asher the cookies he made.

"I'm sorry..."

"YOUR SORRY IS NOT ENOUGH, PIER! YOU MADE THE LADY CRY!" Asher screamed at the young master's face.

Pier cowered back as he fiddled his fingers and bowed his head. He looked like a child who was receiving a scolding from his parents.

"DO NOT APPROACH ME, DO NOT GET NEAR ME!" Asher said in an authoritative tone as he unleashed his power and the pressure Pier felt was extraordinary.

It was so much that he kneeled on the ground. His teardrops fell as he was forced to kneel in front of Asher.

"Apologize to the lady while you're kneeling!" Asher commanded and Pier cried.

"O...Okay," He sniffed as he turned his head to Elena.

"L-Lady Elena... I-I'm... sorry," Pier said as he trembled. His hand shook as the pressure from Asher's powers forced him to continue kneeling on the ground.

People only watched as the young master knelt and begged the lady for forgiveness.

"I-I understand and accept your apology, young master," Elena said softly as she offered her hand to Pier. The young master looked up at her and smiled.

"Thank you..." He said weakly as he felt the force disappear from his body. He was no longer being forced to kneel but his body was weak.

He was about to grab Elena's hand to stand up but Asher immediately took the lady's hand away.

Pier looked at the two who were starting to walk away.

"Your highness, the young master-" Elena said but Asher immediately responded.

"Leave him. He's disgusting to look at," He said and Pier felt his heart break again for the nth time that day.

The Crown Prince and the Lady left the young master kneeling on the ground and people started to disperse.

Soon, Pier was the only one left on the Capital's Center area where the commotion just happened.

"I... I'm so sorry..." He cried as he went to pick up the broken pieces of the cookies he made. Raindrops started to fall from the dim sky.

He picked the pieces up one by one and he placed them on the box he had ordered from expensive merchants.

"I'm sorry..."

----

Cough!

Pier coughed as he snuggled more into the sheets. He was having a hard time breathing as he coughed continuously.

It has been a week since he had confined himself in his room and he did not have any food at all.

'I wonder when the maids will bring the food...' He thought as he cannot speak properly because his throat was dry and his body was extremely weak.

Cough!

He coughed again but this time, his whole body shivered.

"W-Water..." he spoke as he tried to get up from his bed and walk outside the door. But as he took a step off his bed, he fell on his knees.

He tried standing up again but it was to no avail.

"I'm tired..." He said weakly.

"I don't want to die..." He spoke again but there was no one who was there to hear his plead.

"I... I don't want to die... I want to be with Asher..." He said as he cried. His tears streamed down his face as he wept.

"Please... please don't let me die yet..." He said between sobs and coughs.

However, Pier's body could not take it anymore. The tears he spilled were the last drops of water he could produce from his body.

He climbed back up at the bed again with the remaining strength he had.

"I miss Asher..." He whispered as he leaned his head back on the soft pillows.

It was then, Pier Alexander Belmiunde, the successor of the House of Masters, and the person who loved the Crown Prince with all his life took his last breath.