"Mother, what does Love means?" a young girl curiously ask sitting on the chair next to a bed, the woman who was laying on the bed smiled at her and stroke her head.
"..."
The woman was silent for a while and suddenly smiled at the young girl.
"When the times come, your highness will know what love really means." the woman smiled as she kiss the young girl's forehead.
Time flies by and a year have passed.
The young girl that had as bright as the sun's expression, have matched the gloomy rainy day.
Her eyes that was full of life had change and became lifeless, with that dark under-eyes looking like she was tired of life.
The rain was continually falling, along with her tears. Stating at the tombstone of the person who she have care about the most.
'Mother...'
'Why?'
A boy standing behind the tree and worriedly staring at the young girl from a far holding a black parasol.
'I, I don't have anymore reason to continue leaving.'
The boy's eyes widens by surprise, he run towards the girl without thinking twice and left his parasol behind.
"My lady, get a hold of your self!" the young man shouted as he grab the young girl's wrist and she the dagger fall on the wet muddy ground.
"Hahaha!!" she broke into a fit of laughter, the man was furious by her words and slap her not so hard.
"You, all of you is just using me."
"As if I was I thing, just like my mother you will used me and throw away when you want."
"Whahahaha!" she again broke into a fit of laughter, and then slowly and slowly as she speak this words, "It hurt, but, but none of you cares about me!!"
"Not a single one of you know how hard we live our life!!" she said while her head lowered.
The boy was staring at her, with eyes wondering how to comport the young girl.
"I..." the boy paused as she stared at him.
She was astonish as his smooth lips landed on hers, she flinched as he step back and avoided her stare.
"You...!" the young girl was astonished and could not believe what just happened.
"My apologies my lady, I don't know how to express it but..." he pause seeing her blushing and embarrassed and head lowered.
'How absurd!' she thought.
"Lady, I like you!" he shouted.
The girl stared at him, astonished, she kick his left knee really hard that made him fall to the ground.
"How absurd!" she furiously said, clenched her teeth in anger.
A woman who was in deep thought, staring at the beautiful garden view while sipping her red tea.
A wide smile printed on her face, the knight and servant behind her smiles seeing such a radiant smile from a person who rarely gets happy, just when facing the Grand Duchess of Askart.
'It's been ages but that scene still remains as if it happened yesterday.' the woman thought.
Her smile fades and she looked at the red tea in the tea cup, with a sad expression.
The people behind her was looking at her with eyes full of worries and pity.
"Analie, my empress!" someone shouted.
She turned around as she hear a familiar voice calling her, she smiled in frustration.
A man came running with a wide smile on his face, behind him a old man seriously chasing after him.
"This jerk..." she mumbled, secretly smiled and felt happy.
"Your majesty, please don't run!" the servant shouted worriedly, "Your Majesty, my Emperor!!" the old man shouted, but he did not stop and run shamelessly happy to Analie Loer Reinhardt, the Empress of the Empire of Reinhardt.
'To fall for this stupid man is really stupid but, it was worth it.' the empress thought.
She raised her hand and pointed the man whose running, the emperor had stopped and the old man finally caught him.
She snapped her finger, "Traitor!" he shouted and pout.
The emperor was betrayed by his loyal wife and her wife just smiled at him.
"You majesty, thank you!" the old man bows.
The emperor who was running away from his work was finally caught by his secretary by the help of the beautiful empress.
And a the emperor was locked on his office for a day, without playing with his son and his best friend's daughter.
"Should I burn the whole empire?" the emperor speaks his thought.
"Shut that mouth of yours and please continue your work!" the empress said while smiling.
~
Today is a day, Ehrlich and I will spend the whole afternoon playing with uncle Denrik and ruby the bunny by Luis gave me.
The four of us is having picnic in the estate of the Grand Duke of Askart, and I'm still wondering why the two illegitimate child of my father hasn't arrived yet.
"Does the princess hate the cookies?" A kind smile and a gentle voice, uncle asked me.
Uncle Denrik and Luis look's identical but Luis' characteristic, his attitude is less than alike. Uncle is a really nice person inside and out, I wonder how he end up with a person like my aunt who is wild and doesn't even care about the empire's most important stupid emperor.
"Uncle baked this cookies with Luis." he said, and smiled.
Uncle is an example of a perfect ideal husband, he can pledge in his name to protect you with his life, he can cook delicious savory food than the Imperial chef, he will never betray you and will accept all your imperfections all of that are written in the novel.
That was stated in the novel that my aunt, Marchioness Larissa Suleira have the most perfect ideal husband in the empire while father have the most beautiful and kind wife.
"Delishoes." I said and smiled at uncle.
I can't still speak the words correct that's why I don't want to open my mouth. Despite my every night practice with mother and sometimes with Rel.
Uncle smiles brightly by my words, his cookies are very delicious far from aunt's.
I remember before, my aunt once baked cookies for me, it looks perfect but it taste like mud.
"Princess, do you know not just your looks like his grace but also your expression when his grace was young." Uncle said while smiling and stroking my head.
"How did the Marquess fall in love with Marchioness?" Ehrlich asked suddenly.
Ehrlich was sitting besides uncle with Ruby on his lap while I'm sitting in front of the two, Ehrlich was eating strawberry short cake that was also baked by uncle. He even make fresh orangeade and strawberry juice for Ehrlich.
"P-pardon?" uncle look at Ehrlich in wonders.
Ehrlich somewhat looks really serious about his question. Sometimes he made me think if his really a child, it is said the the Imperial family bloodline was blessed by the Gods with intelligence, mana and sword skills.
"Mother told me before, 'Son falling in love is the best thing happened in my life next to you and your brother.'"
Is she perhaps pointing at that stupid emperor?
I remember that the empress only fallen in love once, and huh...
That emperor...?
"Pardon me for a moment," uncle took a deep breath and sigh heavily. After that he face Ehrlich and stroke his head and suddenly smiles, in deep thought about something.
Uncle open his mouth and said, "Larissa and I met about 12 years ago."
Uncle suddenly smile, he look happy. "When I met her, she still was his majesty's fiancée, she and I wasn't in a good term." he added.
I couldn't imagine uncle falling for such a wild type lady like aunt I guess love is really blind.
"My wife and I have three years gap, she was free spirited, bold and have too much confidence. Far from the other lady her age, my wife and his majesty were enemy they always fought and hated each other." uncle chuckled.
My uncle look really happy, and he keep saying 'My wife' instead of aunt's name.
"Greetings, your highness." Rel formally greeted Ehrlich.
"Sir Suleira, pardon for a moment." Rel said and whispered something to uncle.
Uncle flinched and suddenly got angry, after seeing me looking at him he smiled.
"Your highness, my lady please excuse me for a while." uncle said, smiling.
He stand up and walk to the state, he was clenching his fists in anger.
Just what did Rel whispered to my uncle that made him so furious?
~
Inside a room, a woman holding back her anger, bitting her lower lip, the room that was tainted with fresh human blood.
A young boy who was trembling and scared, looking at the woman with those beautiful yet dangerous green eyes looking piercingly at the old woman with sword peirced through her heart.
"A~aunt." the boy silently cried.