Protect Your Smile

The door creaked open a little.

Through the opening, Aria put her head inside. The twins were in their room, sitting on the soft rug in the middle of the room.

"Don't color outside the circle, Jeeha."

Her mother said from beside her, and leaned down to hold her little hand in hers.

"Here, you do it like this."

Jeeha grinned.

"I got it, mama!"

"Look, mama, look! I have drawn Puffy!"

Abed lifted his drawing paper which had something resembling a brown slime drawn on it. The duchess grinned, and grabbed his master piece.

"What a great drawing!"

She patted his head, and a bright smile instantly lit up his chubby face.

"Haha! It looks like Salina's mango pudding!"

Jeeha giggled.

"No, it's not! It's Puffy!"

Abed pouted angrily. Their mother laughed at their meaningless, but endearing quarrel.

"Mama! Jeeha's being mean!"

They looked so happy in their own little world. Aria pursed her lip.

She had decided to break off her engagement.

'But mama and papa had done a lot looking for a suitable partner for me.'

The thought made her uneasy.

So, she stepped back, and quietly closed the door.

"Now's not a good time."

She whispered to herself, and let go of the door knob. She turned around, and walked down the hallway towards the dining hall. The dinner was about to be served.

'Maybe I should tell them after dinner?'

Two young maids turned around the corner. In their hands were freshly washed, folded bedsheets. They bowed their heads as they approached Aria, but she walked right past them, muttering something to herself.

They stopped, and looked at each other. Their greetings were not replied by her usual kind smile.

There was something disturbing their lady.

"Hah! I'm exhausted!"

Mona's voice came from the end of the hallway. Aria blinked, and stopped in her tracks. She looked over her shoulder, and realized that she had walked right past the dining hall's doors.

Mona turned the corner, and with her were the Duke and Alen. They were still in their uniforms.

'The inspection must have taken longer than they had expected.'

Aria thought.

"You could have saved some of the energy by not being so enthusiastic," the Duke said.

"Yes, you insisted on going after the escaping man yourself."

Alen added from the other side of the Duke.

"What's the fun in that, Alen? If Haeyet family has sworn to purge all evil, it's all the more reason for me, Mona Haeyet..."

She raised her first.

"To be the one to grab those traitors by their necks!"

She had a smirk on her face, those eyes glistening with firm determination.

That look. That very look made Alen's heart beat when he had met her 2 years ago.

He felt that she could do anything. Achieve anything that she desired.

'I will protect your smile.'

He made a promise as firm as her determination.

'Till the day I die.'

"Oh, Aria! Is the dinner ready? I'm starving!"

Mona reached her in two strides, and Aria forced a small smile to greet her.

"Yes, it is. Hard day?"

She shook her head, entwining her arm with her sister's. She gently pulled her towards the hall.

"I heard that Salina made mango pudding for dessert. Let's go!"

Aria heard her father chuckle behind her, and she let out a sigh.

'Perhaps, now's not the time as well.'

Aria stood outside the study room. Twice, she had raised her hand to knock at its door, and twice, she had retreated.

"It's not going to open by itself."

She looked over her shoulder, and found Zoey standing behind her. She was in her night gown, her long hair tied back in a ponytail.

"The door. You need to open it yourself, sister."

She took a spoonful of pudding from the bowl that she was holding in her hands.

Aria sighed, and stepped away from the door to lean against the wall beside it.

"That's your 4th sigh this evening."

Zoey came to stand beside her. Aria looked down at her.

"Zoey? Isn't it your time to go to bed?"

Zoey lifted her spoon to Aria's mouth.

"Say 'Aah'!"

She fed her the pudding.

"Sweet, isn't it?"

Aria nodded.

"Did you let yourself enjoy its taste?"

"Huh? Of course."

Zoey poked her forehead.

"Then, why are you still lost? I know that you have something to tell mama and papa."

Aria slid down the wall, and knelt down on the floor.

"Of course, you would figure it out. You are Zoey, but I-"

She pursed her lips.

'I'm stupid and ruin everything.'

She hid her face behind her palms. Zoey looked at her, and then at the study's door.

'Can I not help her?'

She knelt down beside her, and placed the bowl down.

"Yes, I'm Zoey."

Aria heard her say.

"I'm your sister. Why don't you lean on me?"

Aria lowered her hands, and saw Zoey patting her little shoulder.

"Lean on me, sister."

Aria smiled.

"You literally meant that."

She rested her head on her small shoulder.

"Yes. What else can I do? I'm only a little girl."

Aria felt her chuckles vibrating her body.

Just then, the two maids from earlier turned around the corner. Zoey waved at them, and they bowed their heads.

Aria gave them a smile.

"My lady..."

One of them had whispered, and the other one grabbed her wrist.

They were relieved.

Whatever it was that had been bothering their princess, it was going to be fine as long as she had Zoey and the others with her.

"I have made a mess, Zoey."

Aria whispered against her shoulder.

"How big of a mess are we talking about?"

"Big enough for mama to not talk to me for a day or two. Ugh! Zoey! What do I do?"

She whined.

"Was it your fault entirely?"

"No, it was that basta- buffoon's fault?"

Zoey gave her a side eye.

"Alfred?"

Aria's head sprang up from her shoulder.

"I swear to God! Zoey, you are too scary sometimes!"

"I shall take that as a compliment. Thank you, sister. Besides, the only person in your social life is your fiance."

Aria frowned, and Zoey tilted her head back.

"Or maybe he was your fiance. You have broken off your engagement, haven't you?"

Aria hugged her knees.

"Disloyalty can not be forgiven, Zoey."

She whispered.

"You don't have to forgive then."

Zoey stood up, and extended her hand towards her.

"Let me escort you to your room, my dear lady."

She gave Aria a soft smile.

"But I must tell them."

Zoey grabbed her wrist.

"No, you don't have to. Tell them tomorrow. I'll help you."

"In what way?"

Aria got up from the floor, and Zoey grinned, offering Aria her elbow to hold.

"I can curse that buffoon for you. I read about one nasty curse in a book yesterday."

Aria entwined her arm around hers, and rested her hand on the inside of her elbow.

"Oh, how very reassuring!"

She chuckled.

'Well, it will have to wait till tomorrow.'

The night wind was calming.

It blew away all of her fatigue. Aria stood on her balcony, dressed in her white silk gown. She leaned on the balcony's stone wall that came up to her waist. She had let her hair loose, and they had fallen around her shoulders.

A lot had happened that day, but a lot more was about to happen the next day.

She looked up at the stars that littered the night sky.

'Maybe I should have tolerated it? Bear with his cheating a little. Maybe he would have come to resent his deeds?'

She gulped.

'Alfred. Was I the only one happy in this relationship?'

She blinked, and realized that her eyes had gotten wet.

"How stupid..."

She stepped away, and turned around, her gown swirling around her delicate frame.

The doors of the balcony were closed, and watching them from the garden was a pair of golden brown eyes.

Fresh blood stained his fingers, and the cuffs of his white shirt.

A whimper came from beside his feet, and he looked down at the man who was kneeling down on the grass.

"Don't...kill me."

The man begged, blood oozing from the cut that Noah had made across his face.

He was trembling as his hands gripping his trousers tightly. Noah leaned down, and gripped him by his hair. He pulled his head up, and the man winced in pain.

"Kill you?"

He smirked, and lifted the knife up to the man's neck.

"I don't kill innocent people, Tim Hawkins."

The blade grazed his bare skin, leaving behind a shallow cut.

"Stop..."

He whimpered. Tears ran down his sweaty face, snot dripping from his nose. Noah tilted his head back, his earring swinging a little. He laughed out loud.

A heartless laugh that made Tim's skin crawl.

He didn't know what that mad man wanted from him. He was a mere servant in the Duke's manor, working all day to earn a few coins.

He had an old mother at home to look after.

"Please...I'll do as you say."

The laughter ceased as abruptly as it had started.

"Then disappear."

"Huh?"

Tim hiccuped.

"Don't come to work unless I tell you to."

He lifted the knife, its blade glistening under the moonlight.

"If you show your face in the capital without my permission, I'll kill you."

Blood drained from Tim's face. That man wasn't joking around.

"If you tell a single soul about this, I'll kill you."

"Y-yes!"

Tim got up, his legs shaking terribly, but he had to get away from that man. No. He was not a man.

He was devil himself.

Noah watched him flee with his tail between his legs. He took out a napkin from his pocket, and wiped the blood off from his knife. He threw it over his shoulder, and into the lake behind him.

His hair fluttered in the wind that blew past him. He looked at the closed doors of the princess's balcony.

"Who dared to make you that sad, sweetheart?"

He muttered.