Chapter 7

Nervously, Revely stepped into the kitchen, her heart racing. Mandong Yuha had also begun to teach the Princess about kitchen tasks.

"You are quite skilled, Prin----," Mandong Yuha began, but he paused and smiled at the Princess. "What should I call you?" he whispered respectfully to Revely.

Revely pondered for a moment. How about. 'Amore'? The outsiders weren't familiar with Princess Miamore anyway, so that should be alright.

"Amore?" she answered with a questioning tone. She didn't want to be called Revely either. Perhaps this was the beginning of her new life – not as a melancholic Revely, but as a strong-willed, unyielding Princess!

"Hmmmf," the Princess inhaled the scents of the dishes in the kitchen, and a few cooks smiled at her.

"Mandong Yuha, I like it here," Revely said happily. Mandong Yuha's smile disappeared.

"But your duty is..." They fell silent. Princess Miamore nodded and followed Mandong Yuha out.

Goodbye, Kitchen!

They encountered various things along the way. There were also guards and women having a good time. Could they be princesses too?

Expensive items surrounded them, and...Wow! She was amazed by the paintings in a doorless room. She would visit them later! Hihihi, she craned her neck to admire the paintings. Who could have painted them? It was so beautiful that it brought tears to her eyes. How exciting!

Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the palace was enormous. It was probably larger than their own palace.

"Amore, we're here." Even without the "Princess" in Mandong Yuha's address, he remained polite.

They stood before a door. Revely smiled at him. Revely waited to Mandong Yuha to enter first, and then she will follow.

"Please forgive me. My duty ends here," Mandong Yuha bowed. The nervousness Princess had felt earlier returned. She was alone now. She was living independently.

"G-got it," Revely stammered, managing a smile despite her nervousness.

"It's alright. Thank you," she thought she might have a friend or companion here in the palace, but Mandong Yuha left without saying anything. It wasn't Mandong Yuha's duty to accompany Revely until the end.

Revely turned around and looked at the door. What could be behind it? She was about to knock, but someone spoke behind her.

"Miss?"

Princess turned, surprised to see a man.

He held a violin on his right arm, wearing a tuxedo, his hair swept to the side. His skin was smooth, he was tall, and his eyes were blue. Princess Miamore couldn't help but blink in surprise.

He's so handsome!

"A-ahhh hehehehe Uhm, I-I'm new here. Ahh hehehe," Revely struggled to speak, flustered. She was stumbling over her words; how embarrassing!

The man chuckled.

"I'm Saphen," he offered his hand in front of Princess Miamore. "But you can call me Sahen."

Revely just stared at his hand.

Saphen was a knight, holding a high rank. He was part of the group with Joseph, Mark, and Henry. They were not ordinary knights. They were the protectors of the prince, friends with Prince Inigo, the second and youngest child of the beloved king and queen of Armetys.

Saphen was the quietest of them all, a lover of instruments. The four of them had no powers and no right to possess them, as such things were reserved for the palace. Saphen was a talented young man. While his life might not be perfect, he found happiness in serving the prince. His friend.

"A-ahh, h-hello. I'm Re---Amore," Amore managed an awkward smile before shaking Sahen's hand.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Amore," she bit her lip. Why was she feeling something different? Oh my!

"What's that you're holding? A violin? Do you play it?" Revely asked as they walked through the palace. She seemed to forget that she was headed to a room.

"Ah, yes. Would you like to hear?" Amore's eyes lit up. He seemed genuinely excited.

Sahen giggled at her. They walked toward the Music room, where Sahen then demonstrated his skill, playing a beautiful and romantic tune.

Sahen wasn't discouraged by Amore's reaction. His heart felt a chill.

Meanwhile, in the room Amore was supposed to enter, the Prince awaited.

Prince Inigo. Who would soon be her master.

"Where is the new Prince 's guard they sent for me?" Prince Inigo inquired.

"A-ahh, she's c-coming soon, Your Highness," a trembling slave knelt before the Prince, who was engrossed in a book, visibly angry.

"I won't wait any longer. I'm leaving the palace without my guard! There's nothing more you can do," Prince Inigo slammed shut the book he had been reading, gathered his belongings, and left for his retreat or resting place.

"B-but, Your Highness! The king will have me k-killed—"

"I'll be the one to inform the king."

The Prince slammed the door and left.

His initial plan was to leave for his retreat in Bulgohe, where he could rest for a few days or weeks. However, he halted his plan when he heard he would be accompanied by a guard. He didn't want that. He might end up killing the annoying guard who would treat him like a child or make him obey orders. It was infuriating! The Prince was irritated. His time was wasted.

While walking inside the palace, he heard the sound of an instrument.

"Sahen?" he questioned to himself. He paused at the door where he heard the sound. He was about to open it when he realized it was a mistake. He didn't want his friends to see him depressed about what was happening. It would be a betrayal to his friends, but he didn't want them to worry about his state. He left and hurried to his destination.

He was angry at everything. It seemed like everyone was rejecting him. Even his older brother who was the Crown Prince. They were the only siblings left in this kingdom, but they were still angry at each other. He didn't know why.

He placed both of his hands behind his head in Bulgohe, his place of rest.

Fresh air.

Quiet surroundings.

The singing birds.

These were just a few things that Bulgohe offered. There were many plants, and you could truly relax here.

He gazed at the sky. With his brown eyes, it felt like he was having a conversation with nature. Suddenly, there was a loud thunderclap and lightning, causing Sahen's violin playing to stop.

"Such loud thunder!" Revely exclaimed, startled.

Arghh! She jumped in surprise, not because of the thunder and lightning, but because...

"Oh right! Huhuhu, I forgot something!" she muttered. Shock! How could I forget that?

Sahen chuckled as Revely hurriedly left, not even able to properly bid him goodbye due to her nervousness. It was only now that she remembered she had responsibilities to fulfill in the palace. She got distracted by Sahen's music, so it wasn't entirely her fault!

"Prince Inigo," Sahen whispered as Revely left. He furrowed his brows. Why was that?

He went out to search for his other friends.

Revely looked for the door where she had faced Sahen earlier, but it wasn't easy. She encountered people she could ask, but they just gave her unfriendly looks. Sigh, was asking not allowed anymore? Huhuhu.

But after a few minutes, she finally found the door. She knocked and pressed her ear against it.

"Oh no, why isn't anyone speaking? Can I come in now?"

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

She turned the knob and upon opening it, she found herself facing people in lavish attire, now looking at her.

A man and a woman, both of age, were dressed extravagantly, with bowing attendants.

"Ahh-hehehe he-hello—" Revely bowed and then hesitated. She raised her gaze. "I'm s-sorry for my r-rudeness!" Revely exclaimed and then knelt. She shut her eyes. Why didn't she immediately notice the king and queen? Their attire.

"F-forgive me!" Revely kept repeating her apology.

"Hmmm," the king sighed deeply.

"Are you the one sent to guard the Prince?"

"Y-yes?" Revely looked up. It seemed like she regretted it immediately because some of the people there gave her disapproving looks. She lowered her head again. She was just asking because she wasn't aware.

"Y-yes," Revely could only answer. What else could she do? What if she said no? Huhuhu, she didn't know what to do or say, and she didn't know she was going to guard a Prince!

Maybe the Prince was just a child, and she could handle it. She had forgotten the stories her friends or the guards in their Zhceryality palace had told her.

"Y-you should be punished, Your Majesty! Because of your severe negligence, the Prince left!" One of the guards sounded almost pleading. Revely furrowed her brows. Nervousness crept in.

"I-I'm sorry, please don't k-kill me, huhuhu," Revely began to feel nervous.

"Hmmm. Because of that, I order you to find the Prince. In three days, you must bring him back here."

"WHAT?" Revely exclaimed, not with respect, which earned her more disdainful looks. "A-ahh, ehh, y-yes! I will obey!" She bowed again while kneeling. She waited for the king and queen to leave before standing up.

"You're in trouble!" one of the guards muttered angrily. Revely furrowed her brows and became still when she was left alone in the room. She sat down again and her whole body trembled. She swallowed hard, and tears began to fall.

"W-why..." Why did it always end up like this? It was infuriating! And that Prince, he was even more infuriating! A spoiled brat! My brother in the palace isn't that shallow. I mean...Princess's brother. Princess Miamore's. Well, whatever! I'm here now. I'm inside. I am Princess Miamore.

She left the room and began searching. But where would she find him? Wait...does Sahen know him?

She looked for Sahen, and her first stop was the Music room. But he wasn't there. She searched around next.

"HAHAHA."

"Don't joke like that, it's not funny."

She spotted Sahen with some other guys. She approached him.

"Sahen!" as she got closer, she couldn't help but notice how charming and handsome Sahen was.

"Ahm..."

"Amore."

"H-hi!" Amore couldn't contain himself. He was supposed to ask a question, not greet. Oh well.

"H-hi? What's that?" Revely furrowed her brows.

"Hi? AHHHH, it's a greeting. Hi!!! Then your reply should be 'Hello.'"

"Who's she?" one of Sahen's companions asked.

"Amore. My new friend," Sahen introduced. Was she blushing? Good thing she had a friend now.

"I'm Joseph!"

"Henry."

"I'm Mark." Revely smiled at them but turned her attention back to Sahen to ask the question she needed to and to find out why she was looking for him.

"Have you seen the Prince?"

"Prince?"

"Hmm hmm," Revely nodded. Suddenly, the atmosphere grew serious among the four.

"There are two Princes in the palace. The Crown Prince or the second Prince?" Even Amore was confused. Who was it? They didn't mention the Crown Prince.

"The second Prince."

"Why? What do you need from the Prince?" Joseph asked.

"Ahmm, I-I'm his new guard. The King has tasked me to find him, and I need to bring him back here as soon as possible." Amore was puzzled by their sudden silence.

"H-hey?"

"Let us be the ones to find him, Amore. We surely know where he is." Amore's eyes glistened.

"R-really?" They nodded.

"Yeah, and...we're Prince Inigo's friends."

Prince Inigo...

So, that's the name of the Prince? Wow! The spoiled brat has friends?

"AHHH, alright, thank you so much!" Then she hugged each of them one by one. They were surprised and seemed to freeze in their tracks. She ended up hugging Sahen last. It looked like Revely was the one who got flustered by her own actions, HAHAHAHAHA.

"Thank you so much. From now on, you're my friends." Afterward, she left to help in the search for the spoiled brat Prince who had gone missing. How small could he be? Or how old? Maybe around 12 years old?