A peaceful moment felt like the calm before a storm.
No matter what I did, a vague unease lingered, so I busied myself by making tea.
Normally, the palace chef would prepare my tea, but now I was using gathered tea leaves to brew it myself.
It was the perfect hobby to pass the time when I wasn’t practising swordsmanship.
Gelbart had left the estate and headed to the northwest, claiming there were troubling signs in that region.
He seemed anxious but didn’t share anything more with me.
The room, adorned with floral wallpaper, had a quaint and elegant charm.
The long curtains swayed gently by the windows, and a small tea table, crafted by an artisan, had beautifully curved legs that added to its charm.
The window, decorated with floral patterns, overlooked the garden and made me want to step outside.
I plucked several tea leaves, bundled them together, and set them aside.
When similar or complementary leaves were mixed, the resulting tea brewed into a pleasant flavour.
Yet today felt strangely dull.
It was an oddly tranquil day.
“Orzette, isn’t the weather lovely today?”
“Yes, Your Highness. It’s the perfect day for an outing.”
“Should I go out, then?”
“Or perhaps read a book instead?”
Orzette smiled warmly.
The gentle wrinkles around his eyes, now in the early years of middle age, left a lasting impression.
I chuckled and smiled back at him.
“Going outside would be far better.”
“If Prince Euphil hears of it, he’ll surely scold you, Your Highness.”
“Ha! Orzette, you know Euphil well… but he’s not here right now, is he?”
“He won’t stay at the academy forever, will he?”
“Who knows? Maybe he’ll stay there for good.”
Though I grumbled, I didn’t actually believe he would remain at the academy forever.
Rumours from outside suggested otherwise, and someone as brilliant as him wouldn’t fail to graduate.
The academy’s graduation requirements included completing the assignments given by each professor.
Some unlucky students never graduated and ended up stuck there indefinitely.
The king probably wished Euphil would meet that fate, but I knew he would never follow such a path.
“Who knows? Perhaps Prince Euphil is on his way back right now.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Orzette. The academy requires at least ten years. The earliest he could return is next year.”
“Well, that’s true…”
Why had I suddenly brought up Euphil?
Though it was a casual remark, the reason soon became clear.
Orzette’s teacup fell from his hand with a clatter as a maid burst into the room, breathless.
“The Third Prince has returned!”
The palace was thrown into chaos in an instant.
A guard dropped his spear, and Orzette didn’t even think to pick up the shattered teacup.
“Ten years? That means next year, doesn’t it?”
“What? He’s already back?”
Could it be that the king had granted him permission to return?
“That… can’t be…”
My fingertips trembled.
And as if to end all doubt, the long blare of a trumpet announcing the royal return echoed from outside.
The palace buzzed with urgency, the atmosphere so heavy that I didn’t need to look outside to know what was happening.
“Euphil… has returned?”
I stared blankly, my mind racing to confirm what I’d just heard.
Gripping my collar tightly, I shot up from my seat.
The table wobbled, and a few teacups fell to the ground, but I didn’t care.
I ran.
Out of the palace, across the garden, heading straight for Euphil.
***
‘Euphil, Euphil, Euphil.’
My mind could focus on nothing but that single name. The sound of the warning bell echoed in my ears.
Would he still be the same as before?
As I ran across the rose garden, everything before me blurred into white. The flowers brushed against me as I pushed forward, their faint rustle filling the air.
I was running through the sea of blossoms, gripping the fabric of my dress tightly. I could feel the texture of the cloth vividly, and the sound of the grass crunching underfoot was sharp in my ears.
Moments ago, a maid had told me:
Euphil had arrived at the palace.
I didn’t know how far or how long I had run.
But I knew I was crossing the garden that lay between my palace and Euphil’s.
The path took me past the old bridge Allenan had once spoken of, leading straight to Euphil’s quarters.
I veered off the path, cutting directly through the flower beds in an attempt to take the shortest route. The road ahead seemed impossibly long.
Yet, as I pushed through the thorny rose bushes, I was met with a sight that made me stop.
Euphil Raize was walking toward me, headed straight for my palace.
He had come to find me as soon as he arrived.
His golden hair, shimmering like sunlight, fluttered in the wind.
For a moment, the world seemed to freeze.
His ruby-red eyes were unfamiliar, yet their depth and otherworldly allure hadn’t changed.
He seemed taller now, much taller.
I wouldn’t even be able to touch his hair without standing on tiptoes. His broad shoulders, his surprised eyes as they took me in.
A perfectly sculpted nose, shapely lips, and a face so impossibly handsome that he looked less like a hero and more like a dark king.
He exuded a deep and weighty presence that was almost menacing.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
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