At the Imperial Palace...
Gabriel just woke up and he beheld himself inside his room.
"Huh?"
It felt like he forgot something.
'What happened? Wasn't I visiting Eurielle? How did I end up here?'
Gabriel felt weird this morning. He couldn't remember what happened after he visited Eurielle yesterday.
*Cough*
As he coughed, sticky blood spilt on his palm then his chest suddenly felt painful.
"Ahck-"
'What's going on?'
"Good morning your highness!" Abigail's voice echoed inside his room.
Abigail walked inside his huge room and she saw Gabriel spitting blood.
"Abigail."
*Gasp!* "What happened?! There's blood! Help!" Abigail ran out of the room and screamed.
*Cough*
Gabriel's chest felt like it got squeezed or something. He touched his chest and it seemed like he broke a few ribs but it wasn't also the case.
His cheek and jaw also felt numb for some reason.
He couldn't understand it.
'Just what happened yesterday?'
All that happened yesterday remained a mystery to him.
...
At the Deidamus Estate...
*Click*
*Clank*
In the dining area, the father and daughter duo just quietly ate their dinner together.
The Grand Duke glanced at his daughter and noticed the bandage on her left cheek.
Just thinking about what he saw yesterday made his blood boil again.
*Crash*
"Father? Are you alright?" Eurielle asked in a monotonic voice.
She wondered why her father suddenly broke the wine glass he just held.
"It's nothing. Did you put ointment on your cheek?" Her father replied, wiping his hand with a napkin.
"Yes, Nathalia helped."
"Good."
"Also, I need you to sign something." Eurielle opened up about the annulment of the engagement.
It's already been a week or two since the emperor suddenly declared their engagement.
"Sign what?"
Eurielle looked at Nathalia and Nathalia immediately got the message. She went to get the papers and brought it to the Grand Duke.
"For an annulment to be valid, I need your signature."
"What the f'ck is this?" Her father growled.
"The emperor declared my engagement with the prince not long ago. But the prince was adamant in accepting it that's why he gave this to me." Eurielle explained as she continued to eat.
Eurielle cut the steak with ease as the knife was sharp.
She suddenly remembered the similar meal she ate before she cut her neck with a sharp knife.
'How mesmerizing.'
*Rip* *Rip*
The sound of shedding a paper was heard and Eurielle found out later that it was her father tearing up the annulment.
"???"
"I don't need to sign this since there was no engagement in the first place. Continue eating. I still have some business with the emperor."
"Oh, okay."
"I'll get going now."
George Deidamus left the dining area with a heavy presence.
*Clack*
As the door closed, Eurielle was also almost finished eating.
"My lady, a letter was addressed to you." Nathalia handed the letter to her.
"Who is it from?"
"It's from a friend of Lady Brown. Her name is Madison Chatham, daughter of Duke Chatham."
Eurielle quietly opened the envelope and read the letter.
*Sigh*
"...." Nathalia just remained quiet. She already knew what the content of the letter was after Eurielle sighed.
"I don't understand. Is a tea party that fun?" Eurielle murmured.
Nathalia just bowed in response, for she too doesn't know why nobles regard tea parties as a fun thing.
Eurielle stood up from her seat, leaving the letter behind.
"Shall I write a reply?" Nathalia asked.
"Please." Eurielle answered, feeling a bit tired.
After the conversation, Eurielle just walked back to her room to rest.
...
Inside her room, she was all alone.
She didn't know what to do since everything just seemed meaningless and boring.
"Rion." Eurielle uttered.
"Yes, my lady." Asterion appeared in a flash.
"...." Eurielle found it quite unbelievable that Asterion was this quick in responding her.
"You know magic right?"
"Yes, my lady."
Eurielle stared at Asterion's blonde hair, fascinated. His hair was like strands of gold.
It was pleasing to look at.
"Is it possible to make your hair longer?" She asked.
Asterion found her question cute. He didn't know if she was asking it in curiosity or is asking a favor. Maybe it was both.
*Snap*
With a snap of his finger, his short, blonde hair was now long enough til it reached his thighs.
"Wow." Eurielle clapped her hands when she saw this scene. "Can I play with it?"
"As you wish."
Asterion walked towards her bed and knelt on the floor.
With this, Eurielle was free to do anything she wants with his hair.
Meanwhile, Eurielle felt bright in playing with his hair. She braided his hair in two sections til the end.
"It's pretty." She praised.
Asterion glanced at the bandage on her right cheek and gritted his teeth.
He couldn't believe that he let his guard down on that brainless pig.
He wasn't in the area yesterday since things were quite hectic at the tower. He only saw her cheek after he returned to see her.
"My lady, how is your cheek?"
"It feels numb. Turn around." She ordered.
Asterion turned around and his back faced Eurielle, thus letting her play with his hair a bit more.
"Why did the prince slap you?" He asked, holding his rage.
"I don't know. I only said that I was tired of his two-facedness then he slapped me."
"Oh, and Nathalia said that he's mental. I kinda pity his highness. I didn't know that he was in such state."
"...."
"I'm done playing. You can return your hair in its original form."
"Good night, my lady."
"Mhm."
...
11:42 pm
Outside the rose garden, Asterion stilly followed Eurielle in her sleepwalk.
This was the one thing that Asterion was curious about.
She only started acting like this ever since she changed. Ever since she stopped bothering Abigail.
Eurielle was barefooted as usual and her eyes were slightly opened, as if she looked awake.
Asterion strode towards her and held her hand. But she didn't faint even though physical touch was performed.
As per his observation these days, he came to a conclusion that Eurielle only faints after five minutes of sleep walking.
"Let me out." Eurielle muttered.
After that, she fainted in his arms and went back to sleep.
*Sigh*
Asterion sighed. Before beating that prince into a pulp, he wanted to solve Eurielle's inner conflict first.
"What are you hiding?"