(#36) Lindon

While, I was running away, I caught a glimpse of her sitting happily, chatting with her brothers and sons.

The one who killed Lindon's mother.

The traitor who killed Lindon's mother.

She is...

None other than...

The Empress. Velianna Elen Asi Barrel.

Anger boiled through me.

She had to understand the fact that love cannot be bargained.

But even after she went through all those difficulties, she still couldn't get the Emperor's heart.

I scoffed.

How can she? After all, love is not materialistic. It is an emotional feeling. And a very deep one at that.

"Lady Aesther!" I heard the Empress calling me.

Plastering a smile on my face, I turned.

"Yes, Your Highness." I said and bowed courteously.

"Oh, I don't want any formalities in between us. Be natural, dear." She said smiling.

If I am being natural, I wonder if you will be able to tolerate.

"Your Highness, The Empress, I was a born in the House of Aesther. I am afraid, that I do not know the meaning of uncourteous." I said.

"You are from House Aesther alright. Otherwise, how can you have such a smooth tongue?" The Empress said.

Considering the fact that she is an aristocrat, but complimenting an Imperialist, she deserves a round of applause.

I bowed. "I humbly thank Your Highness for your praise." I said.

"Oh dear, stop it." The Empress said laughing.

Even I laughed along with her.

The only thing was that, we both were laughing for different reasons.

She was laughing because I maintained my etiquette, and I laughed looking at the bitter face of Sir Barrel.

"I always find the laughing of women quite entertaining." The Queen said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. The laughing sound of women is quite a pleasant sound to hear." She said.

"What about crying?" I asked.

She looked at me with a horror face. Even Count Barrel was shocked.

"You don't?" I asked, changing my tactics suddenly.

"I personally think that when a women cries, it will have the sound of a mouse squeaking. I mean, that is unless, she wails out." I said and smiled.

I reassured sigh was shown when I said that.

"That is true too." The Queen said, smiling weirdly.

I then looked upwards, at the sky.

"It looks like it will become noon soon. I have to return home." I said and bowed.

"Oh, it looks like we made you become late." The Queen said.

"Oh, never." I said.

"Hush dear. Don't mind it. I will personally send a carriage to send you back to Aesther Household." The Empress said.

"If it was anyone else, I would have refused. But it is the almighty Empress herself. If word goes out, I might become the most gossiped women in the capital tomorrow." I said.

"After all, some things can be sacrificed for reputation. To be frank, some things, need to be sacrificed." I said.

The Empress's face gleamed with joy. Obviously, presently she thinks that she found someone with the same motive as hers.

"Exactly. I totally agree with you." The Queen said and turned to her brother.

"See girls nowadays are so much bright and intelligent. Before and all, the only way the poor climbed up ranks was when their children become all intelligent and save their parents.

Nowadays, the wealth belongs to the upper cast, the brains belong to the upper cast. What to do?" She asked, shaking her head.

I didn't know whether to be happy with her complimenting or whether to be sad because of her insulting.

Because, if she is complimenting, she is complimenting herself of how cunning and sly she was.

And if she was insulting, she would be insulting Maylene, who was starting to deteriorating her level in front of her Highness.

Well, since I am in the middle, I might as well as be neutral. I simply smiled.

"Whatever the King says is the rule. And you are person, who have his Highness affection and love." I said and bowed.

She coughed. "Yes." She replied.

I smiled to myself.

Both of us ladies are acting like what I said is true, while we both are making sure that the lie is not exposed.

"Then I shall take my leave." I said, bowing.

"Sure, sure. It is almost lunch time. You can't hang around empty stomach during this time, mainly a lady." The Queen said.

"You are indeed very wise, Empress." I said and bowed again. "Yes, yes. Please." She said and I bowed again before exiting.

Once I got outside, I laughed for quite a while.

"What is the great and hearty matter that makes the Young Lady of House Aesther laugh like this?" I heard someone ask.

"Oh, nothing of that importance. It is just that-" Then only did I take a look at that man's face.

"Lindon?" I asked, without holding myself back.

I then closed my mouth shut with my both hands. "I am sorry." I whispered.

"It is alright. I am quite relieved to know that you are natural with me." He said, smiling.

"Oh, um... shall we talk while walking?" I asked. "Sure." He agreed.

"Is it just me, or do you look a bit sad when you saw me?" Lindon asked.

"Oh, it is nothing like that. I just thought that you look prettier in your, prince outfit." I said.

"Well, I guess it is a good thing that you find me good in my real outfit." He said and I smiled.

"And, one more thing." He said. "What is it?" I asked.

"It is not very nice to say that a man is pretty. You can use words like handsome, hot and et cetera. But you just cannot use pretty. Pretty please?" He asked.

I laughed. "Sure." I said and bowed. "As you say, Young Master." I said and smiled.

"Come on. You still didn't tell me the reason behind why you were laughing." The Prince said and we started walking.

I then explained the whole thing to Lindon.

He then laughed out. "Goodness, I haven't laughed like this in ages. All thanks to you, Young Lady Aesther." He said and bowed to me.

"Well, it is not false after all. I am indeed, exceptionally, amazing." I said, smiling.

"Alright." He said. 'Hey!' I said.

"What?" He asked, still smiling.

"Why does your sound have an, if you say so, tone," I asked.

"Wow, nothing can escape the eyes of Young Lady Aesther." He said and I knocked on his head.

"Do you know that doing this, is also considered as treason?" Lindon asked.

"If that is so, then I am afraid, that I would have died a couple of times," I said.

"Very true," Lindon said.

"Come with me. I will send you back." He said. "It is alright. I am capable of protecting myself." I said.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yes." I said.

"Then, what will you do-" When he said that much, I kept a finger on his lips.

"I am a Dame under training." I said. "Really?" He asked, in a not very interested tone.

I raised my eyebrow. "What is it?" He asked. "Nothing. You are just suspicious." I said.

"Whoa. As a lady, how can you be so thick-skinned?" Lindon asked.

"As a Dame, I can be thick-skinned as much as I want." I said.

"I really pity the person who is going to marry you. How will he control you?" Lindon asked.

"Instead of telling that to me, you should go tell that to that brother of yours." I said.

His eyes widened.

I then looked straight and walked towards the entrance.

"Either way, I am coming." He said. "Suit yourself." I said and exited.

"Do you know that you are the first person to tell that to a prince?" Lindon asked.

I then got on the carriage. He followed me inside.

"Well, someone needs to show you what the Earth feels like, Crown. Prince. Lindon." I said.

He was about to open his mouth.

"Start the carriage. To the Aesther Household." I said.

"What did you just tell now?" Lindon asked. "I asked the coachman to start the carriage." I said, innocently.

"Before that?" He asked.

"Did I tell anything before that?" I asked, innocently.

"You-you. No wonder! No wonder that you are his daughter." Lindon said and I started laughing.

"I actually, want to ask you something." Lindon said.

"Ask away." I said and took a book from the rack I kept under the seat.

"You keep books in here?" Lindon asked.

"I don't want to waste time during travelling. Because I have already wasted enough." I said.

"Why are you reading Finance Management books? Aren't they supposed to be taught by some maids or someone like that?" Lindon asked.

"Well, to help a ruler rule the country, hand-down knowledge is not enough." I said.

"You-you, are really planning on marring Louis one day?" Lindon asked, wide-eyed. He then mumbled something.

What is he talking about-?

Oh Goodness.

Then only did I understand.

"No." I said. "No?" He became confused.

"You misunderstood." I said. "How come?" He asked.

"I simply plan on relieving some of my Father's burdens." I said.

His face changed from new moon night to full moon night. "Oh, so that is what you were planning." He said.

"Yes, what else. I really can't believe it though." I said. "What?" I asked.

"How come I agreed to marry someone who is not so different in age difference from me? Was I this stupid this whole time?" I asked, shaking my head.

"The Fire has burned out, Lady. Not concentrate on rebuilding." Lindon said.

"Very true. It was not at all very positive of me to dwell in the past." I said.

"But it is not same now. You have many people to support you and help you achieve your dream." Lindon said.

"Dream? For a woman? Sounds alien." I said.

"That it not something that should come out of your mouth, when you had a great mother like her." Lindon said.

"That is indeed, the truth." I said, smiling to myself.

I then opened the book again. Then I remembered it.

"Weren't you supposed to ask me, something?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. I forgot about it, when another subject got in the way." He said. I smiled.

"I actually..." He hesitated.

"It is alright. Don't hesitate." I said.

"It is about your face." He forced it to come out of his mouth.

"Oh... about my face. What do you want to know?" I asked.

"Do you really have a scar? Or have you been lying to everyone? Don't think that I am prying. I am just scared. If do not have a scar, it is a capital crime to lie to the Emperor." Lindon said.

I smiled.

"Lindon. I never talked about to lie." I said.

His eyes widened. He then smiled.

"Do you know how worried I was?" He asked.

"I guess it is indeed true when the elders said, it is quite a good feeling you get, when someone is worried about you." I said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You keep thinking about the good feeling you get, while I was working without sleeping trying to find one clause that will help you get out of this." He said.

I smiled. "Thank you. For all the sleepless nights you spend for me." I said.

"May I?" He asked. "What?" It was my turn to get confused.

"May I remove that veil?" He asked.

I was shocked. Then I quickly covered it.

"I don't see any fault in that." I said. He laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked.

"It is quite cute to see you trying to maintain your posture." He said and I slapped on his chest.

"Alright, alright." He said and moved closer to me.

He then removed he veil. I highly doubted if my heart had stopped beating for a nanosecond.

"You are... so beautiful." He said, breathless.

I then suddenly blushed. "And you look even more beautiful when you blushes." He said and I turned my head away from him.

He then leaned in.

As if being possessed, I moved in too.

"My Lady, we have reached." The Footman said.

"We have reached?! That is better then." I said and hurriedly stood up. And while doing that, my hit the ceiling of the carriage.

"You are still cute." He said and I ran out of the carriage.

"Remember, Ana. You are always within my grasp." He said.

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