I ended up waking in the middle of the night, I turn to my left and see Raphael sleeping while using his arms as a pillow, his face just a feet away. Even if its dark, the moonlight passing through the curtains shines down on Raphael's face.
'I have seen this face each time I wake up, and I can't get used to it'.
While thinking that, she just notice she has been in this world for maybe a day or so, yet so much has happened.
'Man... just what type of luck I haven', she sighs and kept looking at Raphael's face.
'He looks so different now, he has such an innocent image with that relaxed and unkempt hair".
She turns to her side, facing him and slowly moves her hand to his face, she lightly touches it, only for him to quickly move and grab her wrist, and his eyes piercing her. She quickly gulped a yelp, his eyes focused and he quickly let her wrist go.
"Your highness?! Are you hurt, I didn't think, I apologize for-".
"Ish ok, not hurth"
I noticed my words were still slurred, yet they seem to be correcting itself, just bit by bit though.
"Whth yu here? No slepth room?" Seems that when I cut my words, it becomes easier to say them.
'Hmm, looks like I'll go with this approach till I learn not to slur my sentence.'
"I'm staying to watch over you, your highness, your last maids were fired and thrown out, so different decisions have been made to take care of you".
"Take caru?".
"Yes, your highness, so do not worry and sleep well, I'll be watching over you tonight."
"Wherth sleepth?"
I look at Raphael and noticed he is just sitting in the chair beside me, I turn to look around and see no other place he can sleep in.
"Your highness, there's no need to worry, I just need a bit of rest, so that's why I do not need a place to rest."
When I heard that, I made a decision, I moved the bed covers and scooted a bit to the right, then sat straight and patted the spot I was on a few moments ago.
"Sleepth, no chur".
"... Ah?'
"Sleepth bed".
It took Raphael a while to understand what I said but when he did, he became a bit flustered and tried to reject me by shacking his head and trying to tell me he cannot since he was just a butler.
Seeing him reject so, I decided to use my childish looks to convince him, even if it means to throw away a bit of my pride away.
I turn to look up at him, I tried to make my face look like a kicked puppy, and added a small tilt of the head,
"hate me?".
Raphael clenched his chest and fell to his knees, he quickly recovered and held her hand in his own.
"I would never hate her highness, I will do anything you ask of me, forgive my moment of haze, as long as you ask, I would even kill!"
He looked her in the eyes with resolution and doesn't look like he was joking.
'Ah... this may have added points to her being a bit of a wild character in the game.'
"Sleep hearth then?"
I patted the spot next to me again. Seeing him waiver a bit he then made a resoluted face and nodded, he stands and begins to remove his suit jacket, then he beging to uncuff his dress shirt and folds then, revealing his surprisingly toned arms, then unbutton two buttons on the shirt.
I watched the whole procedure in a daze and I quickly snapped out of it, when he begins to get on the bed I started to feel a bit awkward.
But then I began to shake my head, 'why the heck are you acting shy now? Your only a 3 year old now, don't worry so much'.
"Your highness, maybe it's best if I don't after all", he says that after just sitting in the edge with the covers in his hand.
"No! Pine, I'm fine, sleep. Tired", I ended up cutting my words to pronounce them better. I pull his arm to lay next to me, he comply and lays down. It was silent after that. I don't know if he was asleep or not, but next to him, I start to remember when I was a kid.
My family weren't really well off, so I had to share a bed with my brothers, all of us squeezed in it, yet I felt safe because they were always there when I had nightmares, I even got that horrible habit of asking them if I can sleep next to them when I had nightmares that went on the extreme as a teen.
'But they never rejected me, even if we annoyed each other so much, they never turned their back on me... I wonder how they're gonna take my death, and I just moved 2 months ago to live alone..."
I can only sigh at the luck I have.
"Princess, Let me sleep in the chair, ok? You need to sleep and it seems you won't with me here"
Raphael leans away to try and get up, but I held his arm tighter.
"Scarth alone. No. Go. Stay," I'm not gonna lie, I'm actually a bit scared since I can now start to comprehend my situation in life,
'I'm in a game, one where all the routes I will always die in a sad or tragic way.'
I held him tighter when I thought that.
Raphael notices and lays close and pats my back, as if to reassure and lull a child to sleep.
'Man, I'm mentally in my 20s and I'm being treated as a child.... well... it isn't that bad.' thinking that I felt myself relax and let out a yawn, I snuggle close to him and start to doze off.
"Gothnigh.... luv y..ou"
In my hazy mind, I thought I was at my own home and saying goodnight to my brothers.
".... Goodnight Sakura, love you too" I felt a gentle warmth pressed on my forehead, and was surrounded by a protective warmth, that night I didn't worry about anything and just slept well.
The next day, Raphael woke and had a stewards bring him some clothes to change in, he luckily or unluckily changed in the bathroom connection to my room. I held back from going to see since he left the door wide open just incase he has to run back to protect me.
'I had to use all my willpower to stop myself, I will never allow myself to be called a peeping Tom or a perv.'
I still haven't realized that I'm already heading for that in the near future.
While he finished taking a quick shower and a change of close, I just lazily laid in the bed and started to roll around it.
Before I knew it he already came out with the new butler suit and his hair combed to perfection.
'I quite liked the messy bed hair, it was a bit sexy, especially when he said goodmorning, now that almost gave me a nosebleed'.
"Your highness, it's time to change, please come here so I can change you", Raphael hit me with that bomb that I just froze in mid roll, I mechanically turn to him and asked "ch-changth m-m-mth?"
My pronunciation being butchered by my moment of panic and embarrassment.
"Well yes your highness, you do not know how to change and you don't have any maids to help you, so I'll do so."
"N--Nu! Ith chinge aluth!"
I start to roll away from him because I was a bit too lazy to crawl away.
"Do not worry your highness, when you were just born till a year old, I was the one who changed you and bathed you".
When I heard that I covered my ears and tries to erase an image of Raphael changing my diapers and bathing me and dressing me.
'Nnooo!! I can feel my face burning from the shame of being changed by such a beautiful man!!!'
Before I can fully fall down the side of the bed, Raphael scooped me up with his arm and start to carry me to my closet, I wanted to fight him but knew there was nothing that can change this, so I just gave up and covered my face.
40 minutes later I feel my mind reach a new height of shamelessness,
'There is nothing in this world that can bring me anymore shame than this, I have now reached a new level of apathy.'
"Later tonight I'll bathe your highness, I just remember you haven't really bathed but only had the maids wipe you with a towel."
'I stand corrected, there is something that can actually bury me in shame more than this.'
While just giving up, I rested my head in his shoulder and noticed a table filled with food a child my age can eat.
They were soft food, like applesauce and croissants with jelly, there was even French toast with syrup and strawberry slices on it. Raphael sits me down and begins to feed me. I adapted well and just allowed myself to be fed,
'hey, I'm lazy, nothing can change that.'
While he sliced the French toast in small pieces, I grab the fork and reach it to him, he seemed a bit surprised, but knew what I meant.
"Your highness, this is for you, I will have my breakfast when I leave you with Uriel"
He smiled down to me to reassure me and tried to grab the fork to feed me the toast. I hmphed and moved the fork away from his hand.
"Eat, me. Full"
I wonder how I'm so bad with words, even when I was not even a real 3 year old, they normally don't slur this bad.
'now that I think about it, isn't she quite bad even when she's already 3 years old?'
Raphael noticed I won't lighten up about him eating, so he just sighs and eats the French toast, while watching him eat, he didn't open his mouth wide, nor chew loudly and had his mouth close, I can feel myself looking at a piece of art, but I shaked my daze away and pushed the plate to him.
'I wasn't kidding when I said I was full, there was so much that only 5 bites filled me.'
I began to just eat the applesauce while Raphael finished the rest for me, after he and I were done, he wiped my hands and face, then he carried me out of the room.
'Wah~ this is gonna be the first time I'm gonna be anywhere else other that the room as Sakura' feeling a bit excited, my eyes sparkled when I started to look around at the walls and the long corridors, there was so many paintings and portraits on the hallways, as well as expensive looking vases or objects filling the sides.
The most surprising thing was that this wasn't even the main building, but a side castle built for the princess and princes of the empire.
'You gotta be shitting me, how the fuck do they have enough money to build different buildings and even have enough space to build more if needed.'
Remembering how the emperor created a personal castle for the damn heroine since she always fought with Sakura.
'I start to seriously wondered how they have so much money, and they still have so much that they can burn it to warm up the empire if needed, and then still have so much saved up'
while wondering how,
'I still understand that he hasn't abused the empires people, none of the previous emperors of Eternity empire has, they all were loyal to their people, and their people were loyal to them.
While distracted by my thoughts, we already reached the main castle, where guest are welcomed and where the emperor resigns in.
It even looks more majestic and grand, there were more maids and stewards, even diffrent butlers filing the halls, but they all bowed down to Raphael when they see him.
'Wow, so that's the power the head butler has, he can be considered second in command in ordering the workers, and my father being first of course'.
I have noticed a few people glancing up at me, and when they noticed that I was staring back, they quickly look down and bow even more.
Only when Raphael walks away did they let out a breath of relief and continued working, but with the gossip of me appeared with him. Not surprising since they haven't ever seen the princess, but only heard of her from others, who had actually haven't even seen her either.
Truth be told, her personality was twisted in the gossips in such a way that people started to say the reason the emperor hasn't ever summoned to see her was because he was disappointed to have her, that she was either ugly, or so beautiful, but had a horrible personality.
The only reason Mihkael hasn't beheaded anyone for the rumors was because Seraph restrained him each time.
But after seeing Sakura for the first time, they saw how beautiful she was, so they thought maybe the rumors of her bad personality was true,yet in that moment of meeting, she seemed to be a calm child, she had her arms around Raphael and rested her chin in his shoulders, looking at them she waved an goodbye, causing the few workers to get a mini heart attack at how adorable it was.
Raphael arrives at a grand door that seems to be 20 feet high and 30 feet wide, two knights with red insignia on their armour as well as a scarlet cape, to indicate royal knights are guarding the door.
When they see Raphael the seem to have expected him, except their eyes widen when they saw me in his arms, but that was the only expression shown before they went serious again.
'Hoh~ They have been trained well to control their emotions that well'.
They opened the doors and allowed Raphael to enter with me, while entering the grand throne room, they closed the doors and Raphael begins to walk forward, I look around the room and noticed the walls were decorated with the portraits of the late emperors, and each one gave a different type of feel, yet were all majestic and proud.
'And all were so handsome, and a feast for the eyes'.
I can feel a bit of drool on the side of my face, but quickly wiped it away.
'How dare you simp over your ancestors! You have no shame, what? getting changed ruined your integrity or something!?'
While hitting myself with that attack I look back at the throne, I see my father sitting there, his leg crossed over the other, his elbow on the arm rest and his head resting in the back of his hand, his body leaning to that arm, like a lazy lion resting on his throne, yet majestic.
You can see the hidden power in his eyes that look down on you from the top of his throne.
'He is your father, do not get swayed by his devilish lo- I mean his good looking face'.
"Yo Raph, I hear you had a wonderful night with her highness, don't you think its a little too soon to sleep in the same bed as the princess?"
The wild wolf looking man said with a teasing grin in his face.
"Shut up you buffoon, hearing a dog barking in the very morning isn't how I thought I'll spend my morning"
The guy with the monocle glasses said with a scowl marring his face.
"Haha, it seems that you guys can't rest without a moment to argue."
The magician looking man said.
Then the serious man who looks like a cold statue just stand and watched this play. I look at each one and remember that they were in my room while I was having a moment with father.
Remembering that I borrowed my face in Raphaels suit and couldn't bring myself to look at them because of the embarrassment of being watched while I cried in my father's arms that moment.
'Seriously, I have gotten embarrassed so many times that I don't know how I can still even feel embarrassed'.
"Hello Ariel, Seraph, Gabriel, and Azrael, I see everyone is energetic today", Raphael ignored the guy Ariel teasing and greeted each one in order of who spoke first.
"Hello Mihkael, you seem a bit tired, haven't slept well again?" Raphael asked my father and did seem a bit worried when he saw him, only for my dad to glare daggers at him.
".... You shared a bed with Sakura... I haven't even done so..."
Everyone felt a sweat drop when they heard their emperors and old friends voice laced with envy and displeasure.
"The princess didn't seem to want to sleep alone, and since she went through so much this days, I decided to reassure her by sleeping next to her, right your highness?"
"Mhm" I let out a nod and a noise to agree with him, while looking up at my father. I noticed his eyes became a few degrees warmer when he looked at me, but then become hard and serious a second later.
'must be my imagination playing tricks on me'.
I haven't noticed their discussion, until the serious looking man walks toward Raphael and looks down at me, he seems to be a fee heads taller that Raphael, I look up at him
'this man... I think his name is Azrael??'
He goes on his knees and swears to put his out most to protect me and etc, etc.
'He really is the serious type'.
While he finished he stands back up and just stands there, leading a moment of awkward silence to fill the throne room. I can understand one think from this.
'... he's not used to kids...'
A normal child would have already started crying with him standing over them like that and just doing nothing but stare.
'.... Hey, Ariel or something, I noticed your shoulders shaking from you holding your laughter, just you wait when it's your turn to watch over me'.
While thinking so I only sighed and decided to reach out to Azrael, 'might as well initiate first, he seems to be the shy and inexperienced type with kids.'
The man notices Sakura's actions and began to rigidly, and awkwardly reach out and carry me. He almost dropped me but Raphael helped him with that and taught him how to carry me.
"Uriel will meet you in the training ground of the royal knights, after this you may go, understand?".
Azrael salutes my father and tells everyone else his goodbyes and walks away with me in his arms.
'I wonder if they even noticed how much of a disaster this would be if I was a normal kid.'
Understanding that normally kids wouldn't allow a stranger to hold them so easily and take them away from their most trusting people, example Raphael and Mihkael, they haven't noticed the changes or the differences I have to those 3 years old.
'I'm actually surprised 3 of them didn't say anything, I remember 2 of them have sons older than me, and one who should have recently been born?'.
But I gave up in such thoughts and let life just be.
Before leaving I wave goodbye to them all, especially to Raphael and my father, I then begin waving my arm back and forth to them.
"Goothbye Ralphy, and daddy!!".
Before I can notice, the emperor clutched his chest as if someone shot straight at his heart.
After the door shuts behind us he begins to walk away, while I wave a goodbye to the guards to, only to earn a shy wave back, I laughed and looked away.
Seeing as this guy turned out to be a type of general or commander who governs over the Scarlet knights, knights used to protect the inner palace and their emperor. He heads to the training grounds of theirs to meet Uriel.
'Hooh~ looks like I'm heading to witness their training, I bet I'll witness a very nice scene.'
I haven't noticed I was laughing a bit menacing when I thought of seeing the sweaty and maybe even shirtless knights practicing swords, the muscle bulging with each swing or block of a sword.
'.... how long till we get there?'.
Not noticing if anyone else saw my thoughts, they would think I'm a middle aged women who likes to peep on men.