Rex is sitting alone on the bench in the middle of the maze of flowers at the Belial garden, he is staring at the crescent moon which is reaching its peak.
Dion and the drunk Knights have fallen into a deep slumber in their comfort bedrooms prepared by the Miss Belial herself.
"Mother..."
Rex murmured to himself, he recalled the warmth of his mother's touch and the beautiful smile that never lost it's light even in her last breath when fate decides to separate them.
As the prince of the strong nation, he shouldn't show any weakness to the other people, all of his sadness he swallowed by himself since the loss of his mother, he is gradually getting used to fake his emotions.
Crack!
"Who?!"
Rex shouted at the source of the voice, Grizel who pretended to accidentally step on a twig because she didn't know how to greet the melancholy prince started to reveal herself.
"Miss Belial?"
Grizel walk awkwardly towards the Prince, tonight she couldn't hunt the monsters in the forest of demise because of the guests, thus she decided to go for a little stroll in the flower garden before sleeping and found the Prince sitting on the bench.
"Your Highness, that's... Hmm, I am sorry"
Grizel mumbled while avoiding his gaze, even though she doesn't care and have no any emotional feeling towards the Archduchess, she loves her antique mother on Earth, she would be mad if someone involved her dead mother as the bait to sign a contract just like she did to the prince.
Moreover, she has to maintain a good relationship with the Prince for the sake of their alliances.
"Pfft..."
Grizel heard a chuckle and lift her head, the prince is laughing sweetly without any hint of fake as he covered his mouth with his loose fist.
Rex comes closer towards Grizel and cupped her soft reddish cheeks gently with his firm hands.
"What are you sorry for?"
He looks at her eyes and smiled, both of them keep staring at each other in silence for a second before Grizel hold the wrists of his hands which still cupping her cheeks then speak honestly.
"I am using the culprits of your Mother's death to lure you and your father"
The natural smile on Rex's face didn't waver by her confession because he was aware of her intention since the beginning.
"It should be me and my father who feel grateful for you to find the culprits, if you keep on silent we don't even aware of this assassination of our beloved one, Grizel..."
It's the first time for Rex to say her name, up until now he only called her Miss Belial, his gentle tone when saying her name could make other people drown in envious.
"...Thank you"
Rex's hands which still cupping her cheeks gently pull Grizel's head closer as his warm lips touch her forehead sweetly.
Grizel who mastered everything but has zero experience in romance stood there dumbfounded like a statue.
"Ha, hahaha"
The prince's laughter hit the dumbstruck Grizel.
"Your shocked face is killing me, hahaha"
Grizel's expression becomes sour as he laughed louder and keep teasing her.
"Who knows that my terrifying fiance is inexperienced in this field, Pfft... Hahahaha"
'Master, he got you. You better admit defeat and retreat in honor'
The mood-killer Athena added a comment to pour salt on Grizel's wound.
'No, I will never admit defeat nor retreat'
Grizel sighed.
"Your Highness..."
"Rex"
Rex cut her words abruptly.
"Call me Rex"
"But..."
"No buts"
Grizel sighed once again.
"Alright, alright, you win"
Rex smiled in satisfaction, it seems like he got his revenge since his first defeat in his life during the negotiations with Grizel earlier.
"As an apology, I will give you bonus information and an item"
A small wooden box appears on her palm as she gave it to him casually, then Grizel moved her right index finger as a beckoning sign, Rex bent down to put his ear at the same height as Grizel's as she started to whisper closely.
"Keep our talks and the contract between you, Dion, and the Emperor. beware of your surroundings, they are closer than you imagined, and..."
In the novel, Dion met his end while protecting his Prince, she knows that his loyalty towards Rex was real regardless of his reluctance to serve the evil prince.
The Prince who is warned by Grizel about his surroundings couldn't help but sigh helplessly at the betrayal of those who are close to him, but suddenly...
"...Good night, My dear Rex~"
Grizel whispered her last words sweetly, her melodious honey voice rang in Rex's ears flushed him even more, his wild heartbeat turned into a chaotic thump.
"Hahahaha"
Grizel laughs loudly as she ran away after throwing a lovely bomb as her revenge leaving the dumbfounded Prince in the middle of the flower garden.
-â¢-
"I will come back in 2 weeks, Grizel"
Rex said gently as if reluctant to be apart of his beautiful fiancee.
"Yes, Your Highness. I will be waiting for you"
As the response, Grizel replied sweetly like a maiden who faithfully waiting for her lover to come back.
They are in front of Belial's castle to bid farewell before the prince and his entourage heading back to the capital.
"I wish I could rush to you after getting the approval of the Emperor, but my duty as the crown Prince wouldn't allow me"
"It's alright, Your Highness. I won't go anywhere and waiting for you and the good news here"
Dion facepalmed at the drama king and queen in front of him, he knows these two are talking about the contract approval but the way they are talking is like...
'Are they purposely creating the misunderstanding among the workers and the Knights?'
Dion glanced at the Knights and the workers who witnessed the sickening acting between the two devils in admiration.
As expected, all of them were deceived by these two youths, their eyes look like the gazes of the fans who are cheering their best pairs.
'A new wave of rumors will shock the empire once again'
Dion sighed inwardly because he is aware of the bad rumors about Grizel caused by the greedy nobles, if the rumors about their lovey-dovey act spread, a lot of commotion will arise and the eyes of the nation will be directed to her.
'Is it intentional? Why? Aaaah, who cares about the devil's way of thinking! Only one thing that I am certain of, ...'
'That I am one step further from my peaceful happy life'
-â¢-
A few days after the Prince's visit when the atmosphere finally calmed, a woman sneaks out of the Belial castle when no one is looking.
"How was it?"
A man asking the hooded woman, she opened her stuffy long hood after locking the door, they are currently in a secret room at the small bar located in Belilal's capital city near the Lord's mansion.
"Everything is going as planned"
The woman in hood or Emma said proudly to the man who was sent by her Master to relay the report of her duty as the spy in the Belial household.
"But the rumors spread at the capital said otherwise"
"What do you mean?"
"A few days after the Crown Prince and his entourage back to the capital, the rumors about the prince and the miss Belial being a perfect couple become a hot topic, Master was furious because the people who openly support their engagement increased"
"Pfft, are you kidding me? That bratty Miss and the prodigious Prince are a perfect couple? What a joke!"
Emma said mockingly, her disdain for the Little Miss doesn't seem to fake at all, she then continues to speak.
"I see with my own eyes that brat acting all clingy like an attention whore to the prince who looks at her in disgust, hahaha"
"Are you sure?"
"You can confirm that with the other spies sent by the Master's allies"
"I have confirmed that and they said exactly the same as your report"
"See? I wouldn't dare to tell lies"
"It's strange, then how about those rumors?"
"It may be false rumors spread by people who support their engagement, after all, the Belial family still has a good reputation among their people"
"Make sense. Alright, keep on manipulating the Miss as her savior and her most trusted personal maid, our Master wants her reputation to drop at the lowest point and drag the Belilal family down along with her stupidity"
"Hah! Easy, leave it to me, those who blindly support their engagement will end up with a huge disappointment after seeing the real her, isn't it good that more people are paying attention to the worthless daughter of the Belial Family"
She laughed in lunacy before adding more vicious words about Grizel.
"Aaah I'm looking forward to the good show at her engagement party, I'll make sure to comfort the humiliated and embarrassed little Miss as her faithful servant, pfft"
Emma is snickering scornfully as she leaving the man inside the room and heading to Belial's mansion as a maid.
Little did she knows that her shadow beneath the sunlight moving strangely as if desperately holding a laugh.
To be continued...