Cookies
Today, the weather was not forgiving at all. A wave of heat seeped through Ailen's bones once he set foot on the asphalt. The boy groaned in agony, itching to find a shade and take off his black cloak. Unfortunately, the last wish couldn't happen since it'll defeat the purpose of him wearing a cloak. He's currently in disguise, with Irma and Meredith accompanied him. They got off the carriage in unison, and the two maids seemed thrilled to be in the capital after being locked in the palace to take care of Ailen for three years. On the other hand, Ailen already regretted his decision and couldn't wait to go back home to his cold room.
Nevertheless, he tried to focus on his main goal to distract himself from the ruthless heat. When he met El, his attire wasn't like other nobles during his magic assessment party. The young man didn't wear any family crest, didn't wear fancy laces or robes. The chances of him meeting El in the capital will be 20/100, but Ailen needed to try.
Ailen had guessed that locating El will be difficult, but roaming around the huge crowded capital when the sun was scorching hot made it tougher.
"We should rest," Irma said, noticing how Ailen was drenched in sweat. The cloak sticking onto his damp skin. "Your High— um, Young Master, should we go to that little café over there?" she pointed at an aesthetically-looking café huddled in between two tall buildings.
Ailen sighed and nodded his head in defeat. Irma, Meredith, and Ailen stepped into the café. The silver-haired boy breathed in relief, feeling his exhaustion deliberately evaporated once he entered. A pungent smell of sweet cinnamon and vanilla coated his sense of smell.
The three of them were seated far from the crowd. They're on the second floor, where wooden barriers were decorated with fake ivy, fully covered Ailen's figure from everyone's eyes.
"Finally, I can breathe," Ailen groaned as he took off the head of the cloak. Meredith giggled as she wiped the sweat from Ailen's face with a clean napkin. Irma placed a teacup and a plate of cookies in front of Ailen.
"We've been exploring for quite a while, Your Highness. Are you satisfied now?" Meredith asked curiously.
Ailen told Meredith and Irma that he wanted to explore the capital for leisure, not meeting El. Ailen shook his head. Tiredly grabbed a chocolate cookie.
"No, I'm not,"
"But you looked like you can't wait to go back," Irma pointed out blatantly.
Ailen sighed. "Yeah, but— I just need to explore a little bit more,"
Irma and Meredith looked at each other without saying a single word.
"This is so good," Ailen mumbled after he took a bite of the cookie. "Can I have several more of these to go?"
"Certainly," Irma nodded. Meredith smiled brightly and nodded. The too of them slipped through the barriers to order.
Ailen enjoyed the brief silence of tranquility while eating the cookies. His eyes traveled outside the window to see commoners and nobles doing their own thing in the streets. Soon, the little boy's mind wandered elsewhere. He never got the chance to think about how bizarre this is. He woke up in someone else's body, in a foreign world where magic existed, and his father wanted him dead. A part of him wished El could answer all of his questions.
"You seemed to be deep in your thoughts, little Prince,"
Talk of the devil.
Ailen didn't even flinch this time. El popping out of nowhere was so like him. Ailen looked up, seeing El slipping through the barrier casually, and took a seat across from Ailen. A small smirk decorated his handsome features.
"Are you a ghost?" Ailen deadpanned.
"Is that what you wanted to know from me?" El smirked mischievously, one of his eyebrows quirked up in amusement.
Ailen rolled his eyes. "Obviously not. Are you going to disappear again once you answered one of my questions?"
"Depends," El shrugged. He casually reclined onto the chair, legs crossed underneath the table with his hands clasped together. His feline-like eyes gazed at Ailen's scrutinizingly. "If you give me something in return, I might consider answering your questions,"
"Money?" Ailen raised one of his eyebrows.
El chuckled softly. "My information is far more valuable than that. Sure, money is essential for daily necessities— and several other necessities, but I want something more than that,"
Something more valuable than money? Ailen pondered, looking at his cup of tea with furrowed eyebrows. He glanced at the plate of cookies beside the teacup. There are two cookies left. Although Irma and Meredith already ordered more cookies for him, he felt a little tug in his heart not to offer the cookies because he wanted to eat them.
It's a selfish, childish thought.
"Do you— want these?" Ailen, half-heartedly, pushed the plate of cookies onto El's way. El grinned widely. He took the two remaining cookies.
"Exactly what I wanted,"
"You wanted to annoy me in purpose,"
"I never said that,"
"But that's your intentions,"
El only shrugged silently, biting and chewing the cookie with a smug. Ailen narrowed his eyes in annoyance.
One thing he learned about El today; El was the type of person that took delight in snatching away people's treasured belongings. Noted.
"Your questions?" El asked once he finished eating one cookie.
"Right. I wanted to ask you about—" Ailen abruptly stopped. He might as well ask the most important matter first. He was about to ask who were his other enemies besides The Emperor. Then he remembered El's words that he met Ailen a couple of times before. Maybe he should ask about soul-switching?
Ailen frowned. El chuckled, plopping another cookie inside his mouth. "Ask something that mattered first,"
"Ah," Ailen muttered. He sighed and nodded his head. "Then, I wanted to ask if you know anything about the old imperial family's history books,"
"You didn't ask His Majesty The Emperor?"
"He said those books were long gone. But I don't trust that man,"
"As you should," El nodded. "He lied. He kept them in a place where you won't be able to reach in your current situation,"
Ailen was about to ask how and where El knew about that information. But he kept quiet.
"However, I don't think those books would do you any help," El continued.
"What? why?"
"You wanted to learn more about how to use the bond, am I correct?" Curse El and his accuracy. Ailen pouted and nodded his head. "Then those books won't be helpful for you,"
"Then what should I do? I know a clue on how to trigger it, but it never happened. What else am I missing?" Ailen sounded desperate, eyes pleading.
El hummed, faintly tilted his head to the side. "You know the answer, but not the meaning of the answer,"
Ailen glared. "Would you stop talking in riddles?"
El smiled in triumph. "But it was one of my charms,"
Again, the silver-haired boy sighed and rolled his eyes. "One more question,"
"I see no cookies left, though,"
"Please?" Ailen bit his bottom lip, pouting. El stared briefly before sighing in defeat. Ailen beamed. "Are my other enemies the Duke family?"
"Yes, and no,"
"What?" Ailen widened his eyes.
El smiled mysteriously. "Yes, and no," he repeated.
Before Ailen could ask anything else, he was startled at the sound of Irma and Meredith walking through the barriers with boxes of cookies in their hands.
"Your Highness, who were you talking to?" Meredith asked. Ailen whipped his head to the other seat.
It was empty.
"Not again," He muttered under his breath irritatedly.