I woke up.

Everything is still standing still. While breathing heavily, I glance around my semi-darkened chamber. The surrounding looks fine.

So, why I'm awoken from sleep?

Huff.. As a tiny puff of air I exhaled, a tiny voice of my head told me the truth; You never sleep to begin with.

I hung my head, feeling defeated. It has been four days. Four nights of losing sleep. It is, because, of that man.

The brown jacket. The boyish smile. The carefree manner.

I sighed again. Helpless, I arise, left the bed and went out.

****

After having a glass of water at the royal kitchen, I went for a walk. Hopefully, the late night fresh air could help clearing up my thoughts. As I strolled along the decorated pass trying to enjoy the view, out of sudden I feel uneasy. Sensing that something is creeping up behind me, I had my fists balled up, ready to fight the whatever it is.

"There's something on your mind, Your Highness?"

Gah!

I SQUAWKED, (R.I.P my reputation) while terrifiedly spins around to be presented with an appearance of a Night Guard, who's in a red sweater, looking shocked as I am. What a shocking moment we're having.

But at a glance, he looks nice. And handsome-

Ah- what I am rambling about?

"Are you alright, Your Highness? Ahh.." He cover his face for a moment shyly, "I'm sorry if I spook you out T_T I'm just trying to confirm if is it really you who dress in white, walking alone late at night.."

I looked down to my dress. It's a full length, white, flowy night gown. Whoa. I don't realise that I'm actively scaring others too.

"I'm sorry. I don't realise it would look like that,"

"It's okay. Knowing that it's you that assured me." The Night Guard smiled reassuringly. I just noticed that he had a corner lip-ring. How odd. Usually the guards at the palace all have a plain look. "So, what's keeping you up, Your Highness?"

"I.." I hesitated. I shouldn't be talking about this to someone I just met.

"Is it because the man in brown jacket that you met four days ago?"

Gotcha! Instantly my eyes shoot up, really wide at him. How- How did he know? HOW IN EARTH HE KNOW THAT?!?

"The day you pulled him up back at that balcony, I saw him too."

"You.. do?" I stared even now with such a wonder. Gosh, this man is really a peculiar presence.

"Yeah," He nodded nonchalantly. " I was across there," He points at a distance, "At the other side. That's why I've been waiting to meet Your Highness, if could- privately to discuss about this matter. And tonight it's being such an opportunity to stumble upon you here."

"What's the matter you want to discuss?"

"I'm firstly wondering.. do you know him?"

I shoot a lost look. "No, not at all. That day was the first time I met him."

"Hmm..that really do wonders. Even it was an Open Day that day, I'm still puzzled on how he could move past the patrolling guards and be in a prohibited area, and for you to know, from the records of Camera Room, he wasn't seen on any cameras too."

I, if could be seen from another view, had my mouth agape.

My memory instantly rewinds back to That Day.

**

Just after a corner, I saw that man.

He's standing at the balcony, fiddling with his camera. He had a boyish look, a young, good looking man, maybe same age as me. As I am approaching him to question his business here, suddenly, he's inclined to the outer side of the balcony, and almost vanished;

If I hadn't move in an unmeasurable speed to catch him.

Strenuously pulling him back, he then lay on the guard rail, breathing nervously. As I'm little bit panting of exhaustion.

"You," I'm catching up a little more breath in between, "..alright?"

He nodded, still eyes wide of fright. Then he clears his throat, and pushes himself up a little bit. " You..okay?"

"Yeah." I nodded

"Thanks.. for saving me."

"You're welcome. You're so lucky not falling into the rose bushes under there."

He went silence. Looking down at himself then, looks back up at me. I can see maybe a faint bit of smile formed on his face. "You mean, falling in love, with you?"

Eh? I shot him a puzzled look. Just a moment ago this fellow almost died and now he's up trying the market?

You can never fully fathom the possibility of randomness in humans, I guess.

"I mean, hehe;" This strange man dared to smile brightly in the midst of the confusion," Those beautiful red roses down there, symbol of love. But if things had been south, I will, regretfully, feels so bad for unexpectedly dragging you with me down there. I'm very sorry, again."

I just nodded.

He then gracefully stands up, and took a last glance from the view below. "Nice view." Fixing his clothes and took back the camera from the floor, he smiles again, a dashing smile. "What a lesson to not look at it VERY closely, huh. It has been enough. I'll take my way from here."

I chuckled. "All right, gentleman."

"Thank you very much, and see you soon." He walked past me just a second before he turns back and went, "Ah, I forgot to ask your na.." I heard a gasp. "You're the Princess!"

Ahaha.

"Obviously, the dress, the face, I should have realised!" He had a look of ultimate disbelief, maybe frustrated, on I don't know what, but for me, to be recognised as a princess all the time are not my concern much. I'm still a human, titled or not.

"I'm so sorry, Your Highness for not recognizing you earlier."

"It's okay."

"I'm afraid if I had hurt you in any way," He really had a worried look. Ah. It looks so cute.

"No, no. I'm okay. It's you that I'm concerned about. Are you sure you're really okay, now?"

"I'm alright. Fine fine."

A smile felt across my face. I felt something. This man..

"I, really gotta go. I take my leave then, Princess?"

Why, it began to feel like he's singing while pronouncing my title?

What, if he pronounce my name?

As I stand like in a trance, he's gone. I just remembered the last thing seen; the flutters of his brown jacket.

"Your Highness."

I snapped back, to the existence of the red Night Guard in front of me.

"Are you remembering back what's more in your mysterious encounter?" The Guard asked suspiciously.

"Y-yeah. Yeah!" I sounds flustered. Good. "I don't know if we can find out about him after these period of time."

"I have something to show you."

He slides out something from his back pocket, and holds it out to me. It's a picture.

I took it with a sheer curiosity.

It's a picture of a room, with a comfy high chair near a fireplace. Next to it there's a table, and on it there's a stalk of rose. Meanwhile on the chair there's a pigeon with a bowl of corns(?).

"This is the place he have had for his three days stay. After he left the Palace ground, I followed him. I was actually curious after I saw Your Highness successfully pulled him up, then you both talked a bit. He wasn't supposed to be there. At the first thought I thought he was your friend, but first I need confirmation from you for that." He spoke matter of fact-ly, with dedication on matters that happened around here.

"Then I followed him for three days. "

"Uh. It sounds like a stalker?"

"I'm investigating, Your Highness. I'm not just following like a a crazy, obsessed fan. Things had happened or have been there when it shouldn't."

I gave him a sided look.

"Plus we shouldn't ignoring the facts that we never know who he is, from where he comes from, how did he evade those professionally trained guards and how he never appeared on the the cctv cameras, and, most of all, he was there near YOU out of all sudden?"

My heart skipped a beat on that part. "You have seen all the cameras?"

"I have viewed.. ALL of them."

Ugh. This called for a different measure. "But make sure you never stepped out of the line."

"I am. I know my dignity."

I'm contemplating the outcomes of my decision when he continues the topic.

"In this picture, too, there's places where he left some things."

"Things?" I perked up at this new information. "Where? What things?"

"Some letters. Strangely, it's all partially hidden. Looks like he intended it to be found? It includes some pictures, and he also referencing some tunes too."

"Where is it now?"

He clipped his mouth, his lip ring moves accordingly. "For this I had to ask you for some price."

"Oh." I should had expect where it has been going. "What's the price?"

The young guard exhales. "I'll tell you when I bring the letters."

Tsch. This man.

"But I assure you, it's not more than BB5 (equal to RM5)."

That cheap? I thought he's going to ask like hundreds or thousands, but just, like that?

"Are you for real?"

He nodded sheepishly. "Per letter. It's for my efforts of putting it together to be presented to you. And a bit of spirit refresher after some time I spent looking through the room."

He went more. "And if I ever asked more than that, are you willing to pay for it, then?"

I smirked. "Let's see where we're going with that."

He smiled smugly too. "I'll leave it to you, then. "

Before we apart, he promised,"The letters will be presented to you for your choices." Then he left.

I was alone.

Why I am being like this?

Still standing against the rail, taking in the whole view, I inhale a deep breath.

Where am I going with this?

And it can be felt from a distance, that a cold winter air, is approaching.

I still can't sleep.

*OST :