"You... You don't belong here... Right?"
The beautiful boy visibly froze at Adira's question.
Knew it! I would remember him if he was from around here!
"Yes. I was just umm... planning to visit a... friend." He answered and almost whispered the last word, barely audible.
Adira continued to stare at his appearance. It was incredibly, superbly, magnificently, very pleasing to the eyes! She could stare at him all day and she would still not have enough of it.
Feeling the pretty little girl's stare on him, he shifted on his spot uncomfortably while his arm was gradually getting weary from still staying on its awkward position.
Finally noticing the little boy's weariness, Adira jolted and hurriedly grabbed the little arm—not to seem too eager, great—before he could even retract it.
"Th-Thank you, ummm.."
"Oh. I'm Casi—" he left an awkward hanging tone. Like there should've been something else there but he forcefully stopped?
Whatever. He's handsome so I'll overlook it.
"Thank you, Casey*. I'm A-"
"My Lady!!"
"Oh my God! My Lady!!"
"The Lady's over here!"
"My Lady! What sort of clothes are you wearing?!"
Adira didn't get to introduce herself properly when the servants, who were also dispatched—or more like begged to be dispatched as well—finally found her and immediately crowded over her. Checking her for injuries or anything out of the ordinary.
In this life, it wasn't only Lyfa anymore who fussed over her. She successfully gained a horde of worrywarts as her entourage.
"I-I'm fine." She answered as she scanned everyone's worried faces that seemed to age faster.
This little stunt was not a good idea at all.
"My Lady! You need to hurry home! The Master and Mistress' are dying from extreme perturbation! Please hurry home!"
They all pleaded her in behalf of their Master and Mistress, who had to remain back at the castle. If the Duke's state of mind could only be trusted then they would not dare stop him from searching for the lady, himself. He is her father, after all, and they were aware of how much the Duke doted on and loved his only daughter.
But they feared that the Duke, himself, would also be in danger instead of only the lady and then the Duchess wouldn't be able to take it. Then they'd worry to death for this troublesome family of three! What will become of the Sylveris' territories?
"O-Okay. I am very sorry." Adira quickly apologized before remembering the forgotten beautiful boy and turned to him, planning to thank him again and apologize, when he was not in his spot anymore.
He's gone. The large crowd must've scared him. Ahh. This day is too unfortunate.
She sighed before following the servants back to the carriage and to the manor.
She was trembling so bad with every step she took towards the lounge where her parents were waiting for her return.
What do I do? Should I fall down to my knees and beg for forgiveness immediately before they can even scold me? Will that work? Maybe Father... But I doubt it'd work on Mother.
Then should I wait and weather the storm? It'll only last a couple of hours at most, right? Ha... Haha... Ha. Agh! Goddamit Adira!
Oh Gods and Goddesses, whoever can hear me, please save me.
Adira ranted inside her head while pursing her lips awfully tight she was turning pale. She felt like she was being escorted to the guillotine to serve her sentence.
As soon as the double doors opened and she stepped in, the Duke and Duchess immediately flew to her side and caught her in a tight bear hug.
"My daughter! My sweet, sweet baby. Where were you?" Her mother's shivering voice managed to speak first.
And as if being urged on by his wife's voice, the Duke followed with, "Baby angel, dear, are you hurt? What happened? Where were you? Did someone take you? Tell daddy, okay? Daddy won't get mad. Daddy will punish the bad person for you."
"I..." Shocked with the complete opposite of what she expected, Adira's words trailed off. She looked at her parents' anxious and worried eyes looking down at her, waiting for her to continue, before she forced her voice to answer, "I... I went out on my own."
Surprised, the Duke and Duchess stiffened for awhile before asking, "Why, baby?"
She looked down to her fingers twisting each other as she fidgeted with guilt. "I... I simply wanted to go out. I'm sorry for not telling you before doing it. I didn't know it would cause such a huge mess. I am very sorry. I will accept whatever punishment."
"Oh, sweetie." Her mother once again took her into her arms. "Did you get bored inside the castle?"
"We're sorry, sweet angel. We just don't want you to get hurt. The outside world is dangerous. We do not know the dark elements hiding in every corner waiting to pounce at us the moment we let our guard down.
I hope you'll understand father and mother. We do not mean to trap you within the castle walls."
The Duke tried to patiently let his words sink in his baby daughter's mind while also gently coaxing her. It must've frightened her when she saw the knights and servants dispatched to look for her.
It may seem too much but I cannot be lax about it. Adira's still young so I understand that she's just curious about the world, but once she is introduced to society, she'll likely be targeted at every turn.
The Duke thought and shivered at the dark and gruesome thoughts that gnawed at him.
He was willing to do anything to protect his family. No matter what it took. Even if it meant caging his own daughter in so she doesn't fly too far—to a place where they cannot reach.
Still wallowing in her guilt, Adira softly nodded her head. She didn't really mean to worry them that much. She only wanted to take a good look at their demesne.
To know the people she ignored and pushed to their deaths while blindly pursuing love.
She wanted to see how they went about their everyday life. She wanted her own eyes to see the people she should've protected with all her might.
...
On an inconspicuous carriage travelling across provinces back to the capital, a certain silvery-almost-white-haired boy leaned against the window. His mind returning back to a few hours ago when he met a certain young lady.
If his guess was right—and it always was—that little girl was the Lady Sylveris. Adira Sylveris.
What was she doing outside? In commoner's clothes even.
He thought to himself and tried to think a plausible reason from various viewpoints but none suited the lady's character at all. He was, after all, a good judge of character. One look was all it took him to know a person's character and categorize him as a person that harbored ill will or a trusted aide.
However, this particular lady seems too unique for her own good. She was... Interesting.
A small smile quietly made way into his cold and indifferent face. A genuine one. If only his guard/aide would dare turn to him, he'd have witnessed a rare miracle.
They probably didn't know she went out judging from their extreme reaction. How cute. She doesn't know how to be discreet at all.
Althroughout the ride back to the capital, all he thought about was Adira. It may have been an accident, but at least he fulfilled his purpose of visiting the Sylveris' territory.
He was sent there to see the little lady herself. Since the Duke Sylveris hurriedly went home a week ago, when they received word that there was an emergency back at their castle—that something happened to the little lady.
His father, a good friend of the duke, sent him to greet them and wish the Sylveris family good health while also investigating about this emergency and why the duke was neglecting his job for so long.
However, when he arrived, the place was swarming with the Silver Crescent Moon Knight order as the place was turned upside down. All because the Lady Sylveris was missing from early morning.
He proceeded to the duke's castle yet decided against it at the last minute due to the current state of the fief. Surely, even the duke, himself, would not be able to properly receive him with the current state of affairs.
He turned and was about to retreat for awhile and return a few days later, when things calmed down, when a figure suddenly popped out of an alley and crashed into him.
The person was smaller than him and considerably weaker as she fell down hard with a cute little yelp and the hood flew off revealing a dark ash-like hair with slight waves.
The little girl's groan snapped him out of being astounded with her stunning appearance and immediately offered his hand for assistance.
She then opened her cute and lovely eyes, with her butterfly-like eyelashes adorably batting at him, and stared at him for a long time.
He didn't know if it was on purpose or was she just naturally adorable?
"Are you okay? I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."
No, it should've been her who wasn't looking properly, right? And running around so haphazardly! Of course, she'll bump into someone! Lucky, it's only me.
What? Lucky?
"Your highness, Prince Casimir. We have arrived."
He was snapped out of his reverie before nodding his head and quickly changed his aura. He was now the Prince Casimir. The cold and black-hearted first prince of the Versaillus Empire.
Hmm.. I would love to see her again someday.
Notes:
*the Casey here is because Adira only heard the 1st two syllables of Casimir's name.