Cassie's POV

"Friends..."

I heard her say that word, almost as if it was her first time saying it, as if she were testing it out. The word rolled off her tongue slowly and softly. A word had never sounded more beautiful. It was no longer a simple word, but more of a bewitching spell.

For once, her voice did not sound like it was imported from Antarctica, her gaze no longer made polar bears shiver and her face didn't look like a frozen sculpture. I had a feeling that if miracles were to happen, it would be now.

Then it really did happened. Just like my brilliant sixth sense had predicted. While everyone else was too busy gawking and having their minds blown, I swiped out my handphone, tapped the camera icon and captured that moment faster than I've done anything in my life.

Although I had accomplished a feat that would probably grant me the Nobel Peace Awards, I had also simultaneously ruined the moment. When the sudden flash swept her face, she erased her former expression to stare questioningly at me.

Those sinfully distracting silver eyes were staring at me and slowly ruining my life as I tried to get my brain to function again.

"I was, um, taking a...a..selfie," I explained, "But I forgot to turn the camera over..oops!"

Yeah, I would totally slap myself if I could. I bet even a five year old could make up an excuse better than that.

She obviously did not believe my lie, but she did not question it any further either. It was as if she was telling me it was okay if I chose to keep it a secret because she never really cared about the answer anyway.

I wouldn't lie, I was rather disappointed at her reaction. Relieved as I may be for not being busted, her utter lack of interest made me feel that the progress accomplished today, was far from satisfying.

It wasn't a minuscular progress, to say the least. In fact, it was a mighty great leap, if you'd ask me. It just....just wasn't enough. Or maybe I was getting greedier by the moment.

And maybe it wasn't just me.

The boys, now awakened from their temporary state of blankness, were staring at me like a miserly poor thief would stare at a diamond necklace. Or a starving lion staring at a fat sheep. Same difference really.

I nodded discreetly at them, hoping they would cool down and act normally for the time being. Thankfully, they got the hint.

"So, um, I'll just go pay off the bill," Vince said, smiling as he usually did. Only this time it seemed that his smile would literally split his face into two if it were even an inch wider. He took care of it real quick, and just as we were about to leave, the waitress from before scuttled over to hand us each a lucky charm.

"What did I say? Told you there was a lucky charm for relationships!" I exclaimed proudly, holding up the shiny golden object in my hand.

I saw Blacky observe the golden star shaped locket which was identical to what everyone received. I would bet good money that right now she was inspecting the chipped areas of the gold coating and thinking that it was nothing special, hardly effective and very much the utter blasphemy that only fools would put their trust in.

Not that it was surprising. However the fact that none of the boys were making any dubious or criticising comments about it was quite a miracle already.

That moment was still affecting their minds, still fresh in their hearts.

"It's pretty cool. And it would look even cooler once I'm wearing it," Vince broke the silence, providing us with his usual confident and slightly arrogant, pardon me, very much arrogant input.

"Well, I'm not wearing it. I'll use it as a keychain, I guess," Keith decided, putting his safely into a pocket.

Leon was very quiet but no one missed his action of slipping the little star onto his handphone strap.

Come to think of it, he had a handphone strap? Could he get any cuter?

"I'll put it on my charm bracelet!" I was almost skipping around at the prospect of it.

Blacky was still staring at the star, now a little perplexed. I had an urge to roll my eyes. I swear she could do anything in this world but when it came to little things like this she was no different than a five year old.

"You know, Blacky, you don't have to think too much about it. I have another bracelet, I'll give it you. Then we'll match," I said.

"But a bracelet would obstru---"

"Nah nah nah nah uh ah lalala la. Not listening!" I yelled covering my ears, "You're gonna wear it! You're gonna wear it!"

Blacky looked as if she were at a loss for words. I smiled at my own accomplishment. This was valid reason to be proud of oneself. How many people in this world could say they managed to make Blacky Henderson be at loss for words?

"Now that everything's settled, I suggest we don't spend the rest of the day dilly dallying in the middle of the road," Vince interrupted with barely concealed impatience. "C'mon kiddos, get in the car!"

Everyone, with an exception of Blacky, was well aware of what Vince was so impatient about. It would be a lie to say we weren't impatient too. Without another word, I scrambled after the others as they made their way to the car in extraordinarily long strides. But we were soon forced to turn back as we heard Keith suddenly let out a yell.

Keith was holding Blacky by the shoulders as she nearly stumbled forward.

The impossibility of Blacky stumbling, the graceful, elegant, perfectionist Blacky actually stumbling, made the scene I just witnessed to be hard to comprehend.

I would have smacked myself, I really would have, just to check if this was not a dream, but at that moment I found rushing over to Keith and making sure Blacky did not catch some kind of terminal illness to be a more pressing matter.

"Blacky? Blacky! Are you alright?" I asked frantically as we all stared closely at her.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed a few things that I should have noticed far before. Something that made me feel like kicking myself in the face for not noticing it before. Concealed under the shadows of her insufferably long lashes were dark circles. Dark circles that marked her pale skin, which was even paler than I remembered it to be. There was a slight red in the whites of her eyes as if she had been battling to keep them open for a very long time.

At least it was comfort to know that it wasn't a terminal illness. Just a normal case of being severely sleep deprived.

However, in consideration that the person involved is far from from normal, I would say it was a not-so-normal case.

"Blacky, when was the last time you had a good night's sleep?" Vince asked sternly, he too probably realised the seriousness of the situation.

"It's been quite a few days, I suppose," she mumbled a vague reply, her half lidded eyes trying and failing to open fully, "But I'm fine. It's just that having some warm food and drinks in me made me relaxed, letting go of the tension I've built up. That's why the need to rest attacked without my control."

"Quite a few days?!" Leon exclaimed, his mouth agape.

Vince sighed, utterly exasperated. Even I felt the extreme need to slam my face against a wall or something. This was just ridiculous.

"What keeps you so busy at night that even sleep has to be sacrificed?" I asked randomly, not knowing whether I even wanted to hear the answer or not.

She kept silent for a while, but chose to answer me nevertheless. "Monitoring the Cavarone's movements, matching them up with Stevey's reports, keeping track of the data on the Duras, comparing them with your progress records, thinking up various plans, calculating the risk factor of each scenario, finding ways to increase our possibilities of succeeding, attending to my own physical training...."

"And I have also gone out a few times to take care of a few scattered men of the Cavarone family," she finished, looking as expressionless and innocent as ever. Meanwhile, the rest of us almost died of exhaustion from just hearing her speak.

"Has it ever occurred to you that we could be of some help?!" Vince asked, exasperation written all over his face.

"You're doing quite enough for me as it is," she replied, her voice sharper, "What more could I ask of you? It is for the best that I left you to increase your battle strength, for your own safety more than anything else."

"Sometimes, I swear you sound like some old gramps who's possessing the body of a teenage girl," Leon muttered.

"My thoughts exactly," Keith mused.

There was unexplainable feeling growing in my chest. It wasn't exactly pleasant, nor was it unpleasant for that matter. Like having someone cut their arm off for you which you feel guilty and helpless about, but also pleased to know that they care enough to do that.

I strode over to her, gently covering her eyes with the palm of my hand.

"Sleep."

By the time I took away my hand, she was already dead to the world as Keith moved her into the car. For a moment, we just stared as she was seated there, her breath falling silently as she slept soundly.

"Well," Keith began, clearing his throat, "I admit that this is not a sight you see everyday, but I think we should stop staring now,. Even I'm getting the goosebumps."

Before I could nod in agreement, a camera light fell upon her face and we all turned towards the source.

"What? I learned it from the best," Vince defended, throwing a wink at me.

"Speaking of which..." he began but didn't continue. Everyone knew what he meant, and they gathered around me like a pack of wolves.

"Alright, alright. Sheesh, you guys have no patience," I smirked. Though, I was no different. Without further ado, I opened my gallery, and right at the top was the most recent picture taken which I put into full screen.

If a golden light were to shine upon us with some random choir of young kids singing in the background, I would not even bat an eye, it would be quite fitting after all. It was just one of those moments that makes you feel anything was possible.

Blacky was, and had always been a very emotionally closed off person. She had never shown any expressions, except the occasional indications to express a point which were always done knowingly with intention. She was a person of control who calculated every move so that none of her actions were excessive and unnecessary. And so far, only the man named Claus could sway her, not in a good way either. But the point remained that thus far the only person etched deep enough in her frozen heart was that man, for whatever he had done to make it so, was beyond my imagination.

However now, now, we finally got the chance to have our own little triumph.

A small curving of the corners of the lips, so delicately moved that it was barely noticeable for those who did not know where to look, yet so glaringly obvious for those who had accustomed themselves to the unmoving face like that of a sculptured ice.

"She....she is smiling, right?" Vince mumbled out a question, more to himself than anything.

"It has got to be a smile," Keith replied, but not with much conviction.

"But would anyone call that a smile?" Leon asked, a crease unfolding on his forehead.

"Oh god, you guys are talking about it like it's a freaking painting of Mona Lisa!" I said, stopping their ridiculous conversation, "This is the closest we got to a smile, and it's just brilliant. So shut up and appreciate it."

Thankfully, that was exactly what they did. The more intently we observed, the more radiant and alive the photo became. At that moment, it was like we could finally see her for what she really was, a young girl. Her face was softer, her eyes were warmer, her posture was relaxed, and the simplicity of them all was so powerfully contradictory with what she had always portrayed herself to be. This was the closest that joy had ever came to her. The closest that her true innocence as the little girl whom she was surfaced for us to see. The closest to where a pleasant feeling was shown on her face. It was so close.....yet why do I feel it slipping away from me?

"I thought we were supposed to shut up and appreciate it, not cry over it," Vince commented, reaching out to thumb away a stray tear that I barely noticed upon my cheek.

"Sorry," I hastily wiped my face, but there were more tears gathering in my eyes anyway.

"Do you often cry when you see others smile?" Leon asked, seriously.

I let out a shaky laugh, "No, of course not. It's just that, it hurts to think that we would never get to see this face again. Just when we got so close, so very close, and now it feels like it's just a matter of time before everything crumbles apart and we are back at square one."

"Why would you say that?" Keith demanded, "What makes you think that she will never smile again? That's absurd! Nothing is for sure!"

"Yeah, nothing is for sure. So I really hope I'm wrong, I really do," I whispered, my heart wrenching as the words left me, "But she's heading straight towards the heart of all her troubles right now, and it's driving her so far off the edge already that I can't possibly imagine any good outcome from it."

Keith simply crossed his arms over his chest in a stubborn manner and looked at me as if I started speaking in Latin. "I don't understand a thing you're saying!"

"Then get a new head, will ya!" I yelled, suddenly feeling a surge of anger coursing through me, "What do you think will happen, eh? That we just waltz in there, help her put a bullet through Claus Cavarone's head then go back home like we just went for a picnic?! There is definitely more to this whole setup than we care to admit! The clues might be staring at us right in the face but we will never know! All we can do is follow her lead, even if her lead was towards her own destruction! Tell me that doesn't frustrate any of you!"

"That isn't even the worst part," I continued, the things I've been keeping hidden in my heart spilling out like I was driven by some uncontrollable ranting spree, "What if whatever that happens there changes her? Changes our value in her life? Changes her goals? Do you know what happens to people she can't keep beside her? Just think about Beleth! She's known him far longer than any of us! But now it's like he never even existed for her! She can cut ties with people as easily as if she were cutting tomatoes! How's that even possible? I don't think I could ever forget her in this lifetime but she can! In a blinking second!"

I stopped there. I had to. It was useless saying anything else. Sometimes I wonder if this was what people suffering from unrequited love felt. Well, it's not quite the same but the fundamental point is similar. To care for someone who doesn't quite care for you on the same level.

"Then what do you suggest we do? Call it quits and go home?" Vince spoke after the longest while, "You know as well as we do, that whatever that has been set in motion here can't be stopped. And all your fears and worries might come true, worse than you imagined even. But it will be worth it, at least that's what I'd like to believe. It was worth it to meet the bunch of you, worth it to spend so much of our time and effort working towards a common goal, worth it to care for that lonely little girl whom you just couldn't leave on her own, worth it to see her smile, even if it was just for a moment. So we just keep doing what we always have, follow her, because it's worth it."

I rubbed my face for a good few seconds, until my facial muscles felt loose and relaxed enough to allow a light smile. "You bet it's worth it."

"She won't forget us," Keith interrupted suddenly, with an unusually somber face, "She never did forget, never has and never will. She might change, yes. But when she needs it the most, I hope these memories of us will save her....from herself."

A moment of stunned silence followed.

"Impossible," Leon gasped with a face of utmost incredulity, "He actually sounded wise!"

"Guys, are we absolutely sure that this is Keith? Does he have a secret twin?" I questioned, unable to help myself.

"It must be one of those rare moments every idiot experiences once in his lifetime. There has to be a perfectly logical explanation for it too," Vince reasoned, "Maybe he's a Seer like Professor Trewanley."

"Vince, how is it that your perfectly logical explanation involves a witch from a fictional book?" I asked, almost rolling my eyes at him.

Keith looked around at us like we were some brats trashing his backyard garden. "You guys are just plain mean."

"Aww, but you love us anyway," Vince cooed at him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder which was immediately swatted off.

"What choice do I have. Jerk friends are still friends."

"Correction: the best kind of friends."

With that statement paired with an overly exaggerated wink from Vince, we drove back to the manor in a light mood.

We will be fine. No matter what happens, this will last forever.

***

Today was a day full of surprises. A day where impossible feats were accomplished and rare sights were witnessed. The statement was further reinforced by the fact that we got to see Christopher's perfect butler face get blown into smithereens.

Normally nothing you did would make the guy even twitch an eyebrow. He would be all professional smiles, posh looks and "would you like me to take care of your brutally ripped and bloodied clothes, miss?" as if he was offering to hang your coat.

At the moment, however, he had his mouth agape and his eyes wide open. The turmoil going inside his head was all but transparent.

"Miss---Lady Blacky---how--why--" he spluttered like a mother goose which was a hilariously entertaining sight. I bet every single soul in this mansion would pay good money to see this. Too bad it was over before I could think of recording him.

"What happened?" Christopher finally managed to ask.

"Don't worry, Chrissy. She just fell asleep in the car," Keith answered cheerfully, not betraying a hint that something was wrong.

"She was carried like luggage all the way to the front door but did not even wake up and you expect me to believe anything less than the possibility that she might have been drugged?" Christopher persisted with his questions.

"Exactly," he replied with a straight face, that is until he received a delicate slap from moi.

"Apparently, she didn't get any sleep last night, that's why she fell asleep in the car. And she must be really tired to be sleeping so soundly. We didn't want to wake her up, if we could," I began, twisting the truth a teensy bit, "So we decided to just carry her to her bed."

"Oh, I see," Christopher nodded, but there was still some doubt lingering about in him. Thankfully, he didn't pester us for more answers. "In any case, it would be inappropriate for you, Mr Keith to enter a maiden's room without consent so I will arrange our maids to--"

"Don't have to," I interrupted, "I can take her to her room, no problem."

Keith looked down at me with disbelieving eyes. "Are you sure you can do it? You won't drop her half way through, would you?"

I turned very, very slowly towards him, making sure to display my sweetest smile on my face, which I was assured was sweet enough to poison fairies and flowers. Then, my elaborate movements turned lightning fast as I placed my fist strategically over his lower tummy to procure an impact that was guaranteed to make the poor sod double over in agony.

Not unexpectedly, he nearly let go off the person he was carrying. I took the opportunity to snatch away the said person so that he could embrace his hurting stomach in peace.

"Tsk, tsk. Look at you, dropping a delicate, unconscious little girl half way. Men are so useless these days. Better leave the job for capable young women like me."

With those last words, a satisfied smirk and a graceful flip of my long, straight, whip-like hair, which hopefully smacked him in the face, I sauntered up the stairs in a manner that exuded confidence and ease.

Sometimes, I tend to amaze myself. I could almost get intoxicated with this feeling of supreme satisfaction. It couldn't be helped after all, just a few months ago I wouldn't have trusted myself to knock over fly. Now I was throwing punches at big strong men like Keith.

By the time I made it to Blacky's room, my confidence had reasonably diminished quite a bit as my aching muscles hinted that I wasn't quite as strong as I thought myself to be.

No. Screw that. I was perfectly strong enough, it was just that this damn place was too big and so the fatigue was clearly because of the great distance I went through.

Thankfully, the door to Blacky's room was left ajar, so I was saved from shifting my hands about to try and find the doorknob. Without thinking much about it, I simply barreled in through the door and rushed to the giant bed in the middle.

I gently and slowly lowered the girl in my hands onto the bed like the attentive, patient person I was.

Fine, so might have just dumped her on the bed to relieve my hands. And she might have bounced on the bed twice due to the force.

Minor details really.

I finally raised my head to really look around her room. There were not many things I expected to see in her room, after all, this was Blacky's room. I couldn't really imagine her hanging up posters or collecting random stuff like me. At most she would just have a few books by her bed.

What I didn't expect to see were bright golden eyes glaring at me from across the bed.

A pair of eyes that faintly reminded me of Beleth, but much fiercer than his. The owner of the eyes was a young girl not much older than Blacky, with honey blonde hair and slightly darker skin tone which was a customary trait of Zeraphians.

The thought that I might have walked into the wrong room was instantly dismissed as I realised with growing dread that the girl before fit the description of a certain member of the Duras---

Amy.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Every word of that question was pronounced in a manner that sent chills down my back. As if she were were barely restraining herself from ripping me to shreds.

I opened my mouth, but no sound could escape it, only cold fear clung onto me.

"I'm asking you why she is unconscious, you damn servant!" she spat at me.

Did I say fear? You must have heard wrong. I meant boiling rage.

"I'm not a servant, dear little Amy. I'm her friend," I said sweetly, even managing a sarcastic smile, "It's understandable that you didn't figure it out. You never had the chance to be her friend, after all."

She narrowed her fiery golden eyes at me. Then with a few quick long strides, she was already backing me onto a wall, her eyes now glaring at me from a distance too close for comfort.

The previous act I managed simply dissipated into thin air, all I could do was hold my breath and hope she couldn't hear the frantic beating of my poor heart.

"Dont you dare think that you're ever worthy of her," she growled in a low voice, "Someone as weak and pathetic as you wouldn't even be qualified to lift her shoes."

"I-I.." Once again I felt my voice failing me.

"And you dare to put on airs in front of me? You who barely even know the first thing about the person whom you so arrogantly call your friend?"

In that instance, the only thing in my mind was the image of Blacky, as she smiled unknowingly at the thought of having friends. And I knew, that everything this girl was sprouting in front of me was but utter nonsense.

"So what if I don't know about her past?" I yelled, pushing her back with newfound strength, "Unlike you, I'm not her obsessive stalker, I'm her friend." I put a heavy emphasis on the word so that she could see how clearly I was ignoring her threats.

No one could deny the facts I have stated.

Probably.

At least, now was not the time to have a mental debate with myself concerning the topic of whether I was or was not an obsessive stalker.

"Unlike you, she choose me! Not just me, but Vince, Keith and Leon too! We are the ones who are going be fighting alongside her, not you, not your stinking Duras, but us! And that in itself says something. Something like, oh I don't know, GET YOUR FACE OUT OF HER LIFE?"

For a second I had the satisfaction of seeing her face contort into a mask of fury. Somehow, she forced it away and replaced it with a smile which was more of a ferocious baring of teeth commonly seen to be done by rabid dogs.

Then, with absolutely no warning, she lunged herself at me. She didn't even say "prepare to die" or "here I come". How rude. Even movie villains were more civilised than her.

Though taken aback by her actions, I found myself responding to the attack in a practised manner by pushing myself forward, then to the side to dodge her. However, she was fast, faster than I imagined. Just as I spiraled out of her way, she simply twisted her body around in a manner one wouldn't have thought possible with one leg raised high to land a kick on me. She should really join a circus, acrobatic talents like that were rare, after all.

I leapt back immediately, so that her leg narrowly missed my face. But just as I thought I was safe, she twisted around again in lightning speed and used her other leg to deliver me onto the floor.

Damn her acrobatics.

I tried to get up, but her foot was firmly planted on my chest. I tried to punch her leg, but who knew that the punches you throw while laying on the floor was so uselessly weak?

I resorted to pinching, which regretted immediately as she used her other foot to crush one of my hands. I stayed still after that, realising that no matter how I struggled, right now I was completely under her mercy.

Five minutes into a fight and I was already defeated. I nearly cried out in frustration. Why? Why? Why was I so useless? She was on a completely different level than me!

"Weak," she scorned, "So weak. The only thing you've got is baseless arrogance and perhaps the ignorance of a newborn infant. Do you honestly bear the delusion that you could fight on equal grounds with the Duras? You are not even worthy of mentioning that name!"

She stared down at me as if she was observing a cockroach she stepped on.

"How many years do you think we have trained for? How many lives do you think we have taken? We are fear that haunts the night, the nightmare that people have at night, the reapers whom people despair upon seeing. As for you? You who have yet to be baptised with blood? It would be a miracle if you didn't faint on spot. I see you as nothing but sacrifices sent up to stall time."

I gritted my teeth, trying with all might to push my body up, but it was like her damn foot was made out of granite.

"She won't let us die. She said so herself, that she would do everything in her power to ensure our safety," I gritted out, "You can ramble on here all you want, but she will never go back to you. Ever."

She lifted her foot that was on my chest, and just as I felt the pressure go away, her foot came back with a brutal kick to the side of my stomach which send me crashing into the wall.

For a moment, I felt all the air get knocked out of me. Then, the pain started to kick in. I had to fight the urge to curl up into a ball and instead pushed myself up into a sitting position with one hand pressing down on my stomach to ease the pain. The last thing I wanted was to make this infernal girl feel more victorious than she already was.

"You see, that's another thing you're wrong about," she said as she sauntered towards the bed,"Blacky just hasn't realised this for herself yet, that she belongs with us, but she will soon enough. She will most definitely return to us."

"Keep dreaming," I spat at her.

She simply ignored me as she went to sit on the side of the bed. She reached out on hand to lightly caress Blacky's cheek with an almost loving look on her face.

Although I said loving, it was more of a look that gave one the creeps.

"Have you ever seen her kill? The way her blades dance? The way she lets blood splatter on her face? The way her cold silver eyes gazes upon the dead with utter tranquility? That is true beauty. Nothing could be called beautiful before that." As if recalling the scene she shivered in a delightful way, even going as far as to let out a pleased sigh.

Pervert! She was a pervert! Good heaven's, what should I do if she started molesting Blacky?

Thankfully, she retracted her hand and simply stared at Blacky like she was a national treasure. After a long moment, she placed an envelope under Blacky's hand then stood up, as if preparing to leave.

She turned to give me a final, disdainful look. "I wont deal with you and your group of amateurs yet. I want you to witness with your own eyes the moment she turns her back on you. That moment when she finds her true self, and surrender to her fate. Keep it in your head that she was born for a life of slaughter. The smell of blood never leaves, the trail of blood never ends. Don't tell me that I didn't warn you."

A second later, she disappeared out of my sight. The curtains covering the balcony fluttered along with the wind, but there was no other sign to suggest that an intruder was here just moments ago.

I heaved a sigh of relief, then slumped back onto the wall with my eyes closed. The words of that girl kept replaying in my head.

Again and again, raising conflict in my heart.

***

[Tsuijin Palace]

"Aly~ Aly~"

The lively young princess was always seen searching high and low for the young Lord of the Tsuijin house.

It had reached a point to where even the servants of the palace took pity upon their master and deliberately sought to steer the princess away from his true location. If he was in his room, they would point her towards the training field, if he was in the field they would point her towards the toilets. The princess, for all her childish behavior, was not necessarily naive. Soon, she knew better than to blindly follow their suggestions and roamed about in search for him herself.

Although 'roam' was too mild a word.

These days, the sight of the small princes zooming about the place, whizzing past people with tremendous speed as her long hair swept the floor was but a common scene.

Those who had the misfortune to appear in her line of sight when she was on the hunt, were usually forced to spill the truth. At the moment, the third Count of Zeshar, Schezei was such a victim.

Schezei just happened to be leaving after having a rather serious discussion of some future matters with the second Count, Kardij. Just as he opened the door of the study room, and walked outside, he bumped into, or more accurately, almost got knocked over by something that was whizzing along the corridor.

Stadying himself, he found two beady eyes staring at him. He very nearly cursed at his luck.

"Princess Shaeryl..."

"Oh good! I didn't expect to see you, Schezei. What a pleasant surprise!" she exclaimed with a smile that probably belonged to the devil.

"As it is to see you, princess," Schezei lied through his teeth, "I would have stayed to chat with you, princess, but I've got some urgent matters at hand so I'll be--"

"Ah, but before going, would you kindly tell me where Aly is? I'm sure you know, Schezei."

Knowing that this was going to happen, he sent a pleading look back at Kardij who was still sitting in the study room with his face burried inside a book, pretending as if he were not there.

Seeing that he was being ignored, Schezei decided a little payback was in need.

"Why, I think Kardij might know better than me. I saw them talking together this afternoon."

Kardij immediately snapped his head towards the two at the door with a glare aimed at Schezei's head. He dispelled the murderous look as soon as the princess turned her expectant gaze at him.

"Shinsui took him."

With that, he turned back to his book and ignored the world once again.

The princess was not fooled. She knew that Schezei was trying to get away exactly because he was trying to hide the truth. So she used her ultimate attack technique. Wrapping her arms and legs onto Schezei's waist, she clung onto him tightly.

"I won't let go until you tell me where he is!"

Schezei felt deeply amazed at how each and every time no matter how prepared he was, he would still fall for this move of hers.

How does one even defend himself against a koala bear attack when the koala bear must absolutely not be harmed or touched? It was truly an impossible feat.

"Princess! This is very inappropriate of you! Please, let go!"

No matter how he tried to peel her away, or even fling her away, she simply clung onto him like a true koala bear.

"Fine, I'll tell you! I'll tell you!"

There was no choice but to surrender. He was immediately greeted by a huge and disturbing smile on the otherwise cute, childlike face.

"He's in the guest room at the top floor," he informed in a dull voice, "Just...just do not tell him it was me who told you that."

"Okay~" she cheered then sprang away from him and raced towards the stairs.

The door to the said room was conveniently open. Suppressing her giggle, she slipped in stealthily, then walked towards the balcony where she was sure to find him.

The moment he was in her view, she found to her surprise that he was staring right her as if he already knew she was there. This made her scrunch her face up in dissatisfaction since she had hoped to surprise him.

"Who was it?" he asked calmly.

"Schezei!" she replied immediately, not thinking twice about selling out that poor man.

Muttering something incomprehensible under his breath, Beleth turned his back to the princess and continued to stare aimlessly at the sky.

The princess was not daunted by the slightest, in fact, she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she was deliberately being ignored. She continued to walk up towards him until she was right beside him, then tried imitating his action of staring into the nothingness of the cloudless sky.

She found it to be an utterly boring and uninteresting activity. Instead she turned her attention towards observing the face of her childhood friend.

He was strikingly handsome, his features seemed to scream perfection and even his figure was up to her taste, tall, lean and subtly muscled. But it was his maturity that attracted her the most. As a child, he was quiet and duty bound, always serious and lacking in fun. At first, she felt that he was too dull, not even suitable to be her friend. Then in a whim, she decided it was her mission to pull the miserable boy out of his dull life and show him how to have fun. His annoyance towards her was barely masked but he had always obediently let himself be dragged around by her. Somewhere along the way, she grew a liking for him.

"I never got to congratulate you for wining the duel and becoming the new Lord of the Tsuijin house."

"Mhm."

"The whole of Mizushin belongs to you now!"

"Mhm."

"You are the youngest daimyo in the history of Zeraphus~"

"Mhm."

"You're position is incredibly high. You're even a favourite candidate for the King's Quest!"

"Mhm."

"You're qualified to marry me now~"

"M----WHAT?"

Faced with Beleth's stern glare, she smiled gleefully as she had successfully managed to make his attention turn towards her instead of that blasted piece of sky.

"Why? Do you not want the honour of marrying the sole princess of Zeraphus?" she asked, twirling around him in a teasing manner.

"Not at all," he answered flatly, earning a pout from the princess.

"Then, I suppose you already have someone in your heart, for you to turn down this chance many would shed blood for?" she asked, half jokingly.

His eyes were once again gazing longingly at that damnable piece of sky as if that were his one true love.

"I do."

For a second, the princess truly thought he was indeed referring to the sky. She even had a fun time imagining the marriage between a man and a piece of sky.

"Is the target of your fancy a human?" Or simply that piece of sky? She wanted to add, but refrained from doing so.

"Of course she's human," he snapped, glancing at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Oh." There was unexplainable feeling of disappointment at that revelation, and some other feelings she could not put a finger to. Maybe she had really hoped that it was that piece of sky that he liked.

Fortunately, it was not in her nature to dwell on such feelings that could not be acted upon.

"Then why stand there flirting with that piece of sky when you could go find her and bring her over here? I imagine with your status, there is no woman, except the queen, whom you can't have!"

"There is one," he replied simply as he stood there like an immobile mountain rock.

"Then how fickle your feelings for her must be, if you dare not even openly woo her," the princess huffed, feeling quite irritated by his attitude.

"Fickle?" Beleth chuckled darkly, "I barely knew such a word even existed. How wonderful it would be if I was able to be 'fickle'. Then maybe I won't be thinking about her day and night. Maybe I wouldn't have to play the traitor in her eyes, and simply do as I wish. Maybe I would stop losing sleep, dreading the dangers she could be in while I am not there by her side. And maybe, just maybe, this insufferable feeling of emptiness would disappear."

The raw pain in his voice made the princess feel her heart clenching. She did not know much about love. She had seen lovers holding hands and smiling sweetly each other, engrossed in their bubble of joy. She had seen lovers quarrel with each other like cats and dogs then getting together with passionate kisses. But never had she seen someone talk about their love quite as painfully as he did. It was far from the wonderful feeling she had thought it to be.

"Why do you love her so?" If it were truly that painful, wouldn't it have been better to forget and move on? There was no need to persistently love that one girl, was there?

"You wouldn't understand," he mumbled softly, closing his eyes as if he were reminiscing the past, "Heck, even I don't understand. I just wanted to be her support. When did I become this greedy?"

The princess felt her heart soar out to his words. His love seemed so simple, yet beautifully so. She had never heard of anything like it, that boundless wave of emotions felt as if it could engulf the world in it. She even felt a twinge of envy towards the girl he spoke of. Who did not wish to be loved in such a manner? Who did not wish to be centre of someone's world? Yet, only a few had such a privilege.

"It's fine to be greedy. You're not even greedy enough," she sniffed.

Seeing that he was as responsive as a rock at the moment, she decided to leave him alone to his thoughts of that mysterious woman. A decision which had shocked the entire palace senseless.

The princess? Leaving the young master alone? Blasphemy!

The truth however, could not be denied for long, for indeed there was no longer a figure zooming and whizzing about the place. Nor were there any terrifying koala bears clinging onto people, much to Count Schezei's relief.