Enthralling Lunatic

[ENG] ch. 3

The guard genuinely considered Alresca a friend, pouring out his heart regardless of the situation.

Alresca simply nodded, patting the guard's shoulder before sighing.

"I said I'm fine, please, get up. People are watching you cry."

The guard wiped his eyes and stood up. His pitiful expression looked even more sorrowful with his red nose and wet mustache.

Rarely had Alresca seen someone as sincere and unguarded as this guard. He could even cry in front of a stranger he had just met that morning. She realized that her simple help meant a lot to him.

Well, at least one person was grateful.

Alresca smiled.

"Here, Dry your tears with this and don't let other guards compare your puffy eyes to your muscular arms."

She handed him a handkerchief, causing the guard's eyes to light up, and he began to cry again. He was touched by the kindness of the young lady before him. Seeing how gentle-hearted the guard was, Alresca chuckled softly.

The guard smiled, bowed once again before taking the handkerchief from Alresca.

"By the way, I haven't had the chance to introduce myself," the guard said, wiping away his tears, "Thank you for helping me today, miss."

"My name is Garley. Garley Juventi, miss."

----

Alresca's circle of friends expanded.

Rurina, Faye, Demirin, and now Garley, the palace guard, also became her friend. She hadn't expected to make more friends in one month than the servants who had served her in Amburse. It was quite a number.

Alresca chuckled softly, thinking about her progress living in Valvhanra.

Watching Alresca smile as she practiced embroidering handkerchiefs, Rurina, the 18th concubine of the king, smiled. She was amazed by the presence of this young girl who accompanied her.

"Is there something interesting?"

The cloud of imagination that had surrounded Alresca's mind suddenly vanished. She snapped out of it. She had forgotten her current activity, which was accompanying Rurina in embroidering handkerchiefs.

Without further ado, Alresca reached for a new thread ball in a different color, intending to continue making leaves to complement the peony flower on her handkerchief.

"Forgive me, Your Highness."

Rurina shook her head, still smiling.

"I've told you to just call me Rurina. We're the same age, after all."

Alresca smiled casually again, nodding her head. "Technically, I am much younger than you, Your Highness."

"Why is that?" Rurina furrowed her brows. "Haven't you already reached the debutante age?"

Alresca nodded. "But my position is lower than yours, so as a village girl, I must respect the noble, the precious concubine of the king."

Rurina couldn't help but laugh. The grace of a woman was one of the qualities a king's consort should possess. Rurina's hand covered her neatly aligned teeth as her mouth opened and she laughed softly.

Rurina was almost the same age as Alresca, but the concubine was two years older. She came from a small town at the northern end of Valvhanra and had managed to become a concubine three years ago. Because of their close age, Alresca felt comfortable spending time and chatting with Rurina, just like close friends.

"Isn't it, Your Highness? Technically you've been living in the palace for more than three years, so you're three years older than me," Alresca added as she continued embroidering.

Rurina just smiled and shook her head.

"It's up to you, Alresca. But I want to be considered young, so let's agree to call me Rurina, okay?"

Alresca nodded. The two of them laughed, chatting away in the concubine pavilion.

As they chatted while embroidering, another concubine hurriedly entered the concubine pavilion from the front gate.

"His Highness Cadius is here!"

Immediately, Alresca and the other concubines in the hall stood up, ready to greet the imperial crown prince.

Cadius walked calmly but confidently. His chamberlain and personal guards walked beside him, one step behind. When his steps halted, his eyes caught sight of Alresca, who was also standing, her gaze lowered like the other concubines.

He flashed a small grin as he summoned his chamberlain, whispering something to him.

Curious, Alresca stole a quick glance at Cadius before returning her gaze to the floor.

"Miss Alresca," the chamberlain called.

"Yes?"

"His Majesty Cadius orders you to wait in his pavilion."

Alresca was momentarily taken aback, then shifted her gaze to Cadius, who remained standing next to the chamberlain with his arms crossed. He pretended to be preoccupied with something else while conversing with his guard, disregarding Alresca's presence when she's just ten feet away from him.

"The pavilion? ...The crown prince's pavilion?"

The chamberlain nodded, his expression flat with wrinkles around his eyes and sagging neck fat.

Reluctantly, Alresca sighed, feeling frustrated. Why had he bothered to come here and reveal himself if she was only going to be dispatched to his pavilion? And then asking her to wait as well.

As Cadius's personal guard allowed Alresca to depart from the harem, she complied, trailing behind Cadius's guard, leaving Cadius still in the concubine pavilion.

Once the sound of the girl's footsteps had faded, Cadius bid farewell to the concubines and followed Alresca to his pavilion.