Silver

28. Hero

What he said made me take a step back, so it's really not him?

"So, it's not really you?" I asked him looking away.

If it's not him, then who? Who saved me that day? Who's that silver eyed person?

I was thinking about who could it be, that i didn't notice that he already left the room. I walked towards the dagger on the floor and held it to my chest. I did my best not to, but i can't stop myself from crying.

I was devastated by what happened that i made father emperor and mother empress to worry. It took me some time to go back to normal, but i'm still sad. If my hero is not him, i don't know who my hero is.

I was talking about my thoughts to my handmaiden when she told me something that i forgot. She told me that there is another child with silver eyes in the whole empire, and i remembered about it only that day. I believed with certainty that sir Howard is my hero, so i never looked for the other one with silver eyes. How can i forget about that important detail?

When i remembered it, i immediately ordered my maids to look for the other  person with silver eyes, but she's already gone. When they came to her house, there's no one there already. The news made me even more sad, i thought that i will never see my savior again.

But here she is, another silver eyed person in front of me. She looked at me as if she knows everything about me.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you," she said while smiling at me.

When i heard her voice, i instantly knew that it was her. This time i am certain that she's my savior, why did i even not notice sir Howard's voice, it's so different from hers. His voice is rough and always loud, while the voice of my savior is gentle and caring.

"It's you." I said while looking at her with recognition.

"Yes it's me, remember? Are you alright now?" She asked as she sincerely looked at me with worry. It was really her, i still remember how she looked at me that day, it was like this.

I can feel my eyes watering as i look at her longer. A tear fell on my right cheek, and i immediately looked away and wiped it.

"Are you alright Your Highness?" Lady Monica asked, looking concerned.

"So embarassing, how can i cry in front of other people?"

"I'm alright, Lady Monica, don't worry" i smiled at her and looked at the person beside her. She's looking at me with furrowed brows, she's probably confused.

"You know each other?" Lady Victoria asked while looking between me and Lady Silver.

"We do, i met her two years ago." I answered her question while smiling my practiced smile. "She saved me from danger that time," i added.

"You saved Her Highness, sister? How?" Lady Monica asked her sister.

I don't recall that the duchal family of Cross has a family member named Silver. But she's got the signature silver eyes of the family, so i don't doubt her identity.

"Well... she was taken by a bad guy to the forest and i followed the carriage she was in, that's how i saved her." She said, while smiling amusedly at her sister.

I never knew that she followed us that day, i only thought that she's at the place by chance. Now i can say that she's a hero even more in my eyes.

"Wow, you're like a knight in shining armor sister. Saving a princess, with your mighty sword." Lady Monica said, dreamily.

"Not really, i didn't know she was a princess, until i heard her telling the bad guy. As a matter of fact, i was almost ran over by the very carriage she was in. I also don't have a mighty sword, but rather, just a wooden sword." After saying those things, she chuckled as she pinched Lady Monica's cheek.

"But wait, if your friends are here, why did you ask me to drink tea, inside?" She squinted her eyes at the smiling lady Monica.

"Because i want to see your mag- i just want to play with you sister." She answered, hugging her sister's arm.

"Hmm, if you say so," she said with a knowing look on her face, and chuckled.

I can't help but to chuckle too, but i felt a little bad when i realized that she almost got hurt because of my carriage.

"I'm sorry about that, i will tell the coachmen to be more careful in the future." I apologized while smiling awkwardly at her. It was common for imperial servants to be haughty and not think about others whenever they are with the imperial family members, because they'll always get forgiven.

"It's alright, that was a long time ago, it's not a big deal." She said while smiling at me. She pat my head smiling even more, but her hand went stiff and she immediately removed it from my head, when everyone in the shop gasped.

I couldn't blame them, holding an imperial family member is taboo. Some would even get their necks cut off, if the imperial family member got offended. But her touch did not offend me at all, as a matter of fact it made me calm, this is the tender touch that i missed. How she cared for me that time, the first one to look at me with care aside from my parents.

"I'm sorry about that, Your Highness." She said, now with a serious face.

Being called Your Highness is something that i'm used too, but being called that by her made me a little sad. It sounded so formal and distant, i don't like it.

"So you know her, even before you know me?" Lady Victoria asked with a sad voice, she was quiet the entire time. I don't know who she was asking, so i decided to stay silent.

"Don't be sad Lady Victoria, i may have known Her Highness even before i know you, but i still have more bond with you." She tried to appease Lady Victoria. I don't understand why she's sad though. She knows my savior more, while i wasted time with somebody else i thought was her.

She huffed and crossed her arms with a pout. Lady Gertrude, my etiquette teacher, said that a lady should never act childish. Crossing your arms and pouting is unbecoming of a lady. Whoever sees that will reprimand you and people will talk about you. How can Lady Victoria, who's a daughter of a duke, not know that?

I was waiting for my hero to scold her because of her childish behavior, like how everyone scolds me whenever i do, but it didn't happen, on the contrary, Silver chuckled while patting her head, talking with a consoling tone.

"How about i go visit you sometime so you'll not be sad anymore." Lady Silver tried to make her feel better.

It was surprising for me to see that, if i do that I'm sure everyone will look at me as if i am a disappointment. An imperial descendant should always be perfect and noble.

I looked down on the table, feeling a little sad, because nobody coaxes me. I wish we become friends too.

"Alright, but you have to sleep over too," Lady Victoria demanded.

"Alright, alright, i will," she compromised. What she said made Lady Victoria cheerful once again.

"So, now that we all know each other, can we eat the parfait?" Lady Monica asked, making all of us laugh, but the truth is, i feel a little envious.