"Um, is there anything you want to say Duke?" I asked.
"It's Richard." He smiled.
'He's like the crown prince.'
"Ri- Richard."
"....It was nothing. I just wanted to check your well-being. Am I not allowed to?" He said.
"It's fine." I replied.
It's been a long time since I saw the duke. I only saw him in the tea party last time.
I stared at him with a confused look for a while.
"I've been sent to the east to resolve some matters. There were many sorcerer-bandits that possessed dark magic. And I was assigned by the emperor to take care of it." He explained.
"Oh, I see."
'Seems like I didn't need to ask.'
"Told be truth, I came here to apologize." He added.
"Pardon?"
"I figured that you probably misunderstood me last time at the tea party. I actually agree with your principles."
'I only did what I thought seemed right.'
"Ah, to think you actually remembered that. I'm flattered." I embarrassedly replied.
"You're a unique woman." He smiled at me.
'Wow. That's one killer smile.'
"I should probably get going first. Please recover well. I'll see you soon Anna." He took my hand and kissed it.
"Uhm, take care as well." I replied.
He went out and closed the door.
"Hahh." I sighed as I lied on the bed.
'What do I do now?'
I wonder who's the person who wants to kill me.
Last time when I was kidnapped, it was totally a woman's voice. A voice that seemed completely familiar.
I think I've met her.
There are many ladies in this empire but I just can't figure out who she is.
One who wants what I have. One who doesn't possess what I have. And one who hates my existence.
Who the heck is she?
*Creak*
"Anna?"
I turned my sight to the door and saw the prince entering.
"Yes, your- Leo?"
He walked towards my bed and sat in the chair.
"I passed by Duke Sormeset outside. Did you talk to him.?" He said.
".....Yes."
"Hmm." He hummed.
"Anna." He suddenly shifted into a serious tone.
"Hm?"
"Have we met before?" Like, way before childhood." He asked.
'...Did Moriana meet a child before?....Wait, then that dream last time was a real memory? Is the crown prince perhaps the boy in that memory?'
"....I don't know. But I had a dream- no, I remembered some fragments in my memory where I met a boy and I comforted him about something."
"I even recall that I adviced him to act like a perfect noble to find out people's intention." I laughed while talking.
'I think Moriana was a really good child.' I thought.
I looked at him and saw a surprised expression.
"It was you." He mumbled.
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. I just confirmed something very precious." He said.
"Oh, haha I see." I replied.
He suddenly offered his hand and he smiled at me.
"Shall we take a walk?"
"It's a pleasure...Leo." I accepted his hand and smiled at him.
He helped me get up and we walked outside.
When the two of us walked out from the door, we encountered someone.
"Shasha? And Lady Sabrina?" I said.
"Greetings your highness." Sabrina bowed at Leo.
"Anna, I noticed that you were still talking to the prince so I just waited here outside. It was so tiring to stand!" Shasha turned to me and pouted.
"Haha, you should've went inside then." I chuckled.
"Nope, it would be rude to interrupt your talk. By the way, where are you going?"
She then eyed our holding hands and grinned at me with an 'oh, I see' face.
"I should get going first Anna and your highness. Please enjoy your time." She bowed then left after.
'I think she got the wrong idea.'
"I wanted to visit you Lady Moriana. But it seems like I came at the wrong time. I shall get going first." She said with a gloomy expression.
She then left after bidding farewell.
"..."
"We should continue our walk." Leo said.
"Yes."
He toured me around the palace and it was truly wonderful.
We stopped at a certain flower field and I admired the view for quite a while.
"Wow. This place is gorgeous."
The field had different, numberless flowers.
The colors were mostly white and yellow. It was soothing to watch.
I glanced around the place for a while and suddenly recognized the place.
It was the place where Moriana talked with that boy.
"This is..."
"This is where we met for the first time." Leo said.
I looked at him and he had a relaxed face.
"Do you remember now?" He asked.
"...."
'I see. He was the boy I comforted.'
"I never knew that you were that boy from long time ago. You face was very blurry in my memories that I couldn't recognize you." I chuckled after.
"Yes. I didn't know it was you until I had a headache some time ago that caused me to remember you." He added.
"Pft- hahaha-" I laughed.
This was too great to be a coincidence.
"This is too funny! Hahaha-"
Suddenly two warm hands cupped my face and lips covered mine causing me to stop my hysterical laugher.
He continued to deepen the kiss and I was left breathless.
'This! This is my first kiss!'
He stopped after a moment later and I felt my face getting hot.
I covered my face in embarrassment.
"Anna." He whispered.
"I- I should go rest first! Bye Leo!"
I quickly ran to the clinic and went inside my room.
I jumped in the bed and covered myself in the blankets.
'....His lips were soft.'
I didn't realized that a smile crept up in my lips.
'No!' I was feeling embarrassed of myself.
'Arghhh how could he do this to me....'
***
-Unknown POV-
"Damn it! Damn you Moriana! How could you take him away from me?!You dare kiss him?!?!Why didn't you die!? Do I have to kill you myself?!"
"My- my lady, please calm yourself down." Her maid stuttered.
"Shut up Pia. Tomorrow, I'm going to kill her myself. And this time, it's going to succeed. Hahahaha" She muttered.
"My lady..."
'My lady....how did you become like this?'
Her maid was fully aware that her ladyship already lost her mind.