The First Joyful

"A lady must not harm herself, as her body is her treasure." — That is the common sense of this world!

So in front of Lady Melany, a fine lady that stabbed herself and started crying in front of her. A locked door, and the case of being embarrassed in front of hundreds of people. I wonder who's gonna get blamed for all of this?

"You... you did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Lady Melany asked Lady Elise when she didn't respond back, Lady Elise just smiled back like she got a 3 point shot. Lady Elise started sobbing as the mob broke the door open.

"You tyrant, how dare you do this to a lady!"

"I didn't do—"

"Enough of your excuses! You've done too much Lady Melany!!"

The mob scolded the confused Lady Melany. She didn't know what to say but her face expressed that of a predator that lost its prey midway, the predator did not know where the prey went. The predator never expected, for the prey to fight back!

Lady Melany looked at Lady Elise, who was helped by the people that arrived recently. She looked closely at her to see that she was looking at Lady Melany with a smile on her face.

Lady Melany bursts into anger once again, running towards Lady Elise but she was prevented to do so by the mob that arrived.

"You fucking wench! You dare frame me!"

"Stop it, Lady Melany, you've done enough!"

"You wench!"

Her anger peaked as her and her family's prestige was expected to go down. She knew that if nothing is done, her family's reputation will get destroyed. The citizens will move, rejecting to live in a noble that stabs people whenever they want.

Lady Elise was carried away. Paled skin and dilated eyes, it was all the sign that she was about to pass out. Her shoulder still has a knife stuck to it, bleeding like a waterfall that it left a pool of blood where she laid down and screamed for help.

Her dress that was once a beautiful black and red turned half of the dress into pure crimson red. Her hands bathe in the color of blood as inside her, she was screaming for joy!

Not only did she see the spirit of Lady Melany going loose, but she was also able to hurt a virgin body like Lady Elise's. Although the scar of the wound will forever stay in her shoulder, it was still worth it for Lady Elise.

"Let go of me, she framed me! She stabbed herself! It wasn't me!"

Lady Melany shouted in desperation as the mob held her, holding her neck, to her arms, and to her waist. Her rage went berserk as saliva spat out shouting like a maniac. No one was gonna believe her, no one was gonna believe that a beauty like Lady Elise would ever harm herself.

Her anger only turned to tears as she cried shouting. She started to stutter thanks to her snot preventing her from breathing properly.

On that day, the crowd that gathered in that ball lined up in the hallway to witness the unladylike stature of Lady Melany.

"Let me go! S-She framed me!"

Her despair knew no bound. The pleasure of Lady Elise knew no bounds.

Lady Elise was hiddenly smiling when her sight suddenly blurred. Although she was carried by two people, she didn't have the strength to carry herself anymore.

"Damn, I forgot this isn't my body.."

Lady Elise muttered as the loss of blood was too much for the body to handle. A little more and she will go into shock, she needs to go to a hospital or she might die. She had to much fun that she actually got reckless.

It was only a matter of time, Lady Elise fainted. It wasn't an act this time, the loss of blood was too critical and she lost consciousness.

***

A boy was pushed in a corner, blood in his mouth, and a bruise on his cheek. Three silhouettes covered the injured boy as he laid down with no strength to fight back.

His eyes looked dead and the laugh that echoed through the place filled his ears.

"I don't like this... I don't like this... I don't like this... I don't like this..."

He muttered repeatedly as the laugh intensified, going insane inside his mind.

Suddenly, the boy stood on three corpses. Holding a knife in his hands, bathe in blood. His brown eyes shined and his smile grinned wide. The silhouettes and laughs disappeared only to be replaced by moving red and blue lights shouting in sirens.

"Lady Elise?"

A call echoed through the surroundings, beknowing who that Lady Elise is.

"Lady Elise?!"

...

Lady Elise slowly opened her eyes to see that she was back in her room. She tried to move but she felt a stinging sensation on her left shoulder. The wound from the knife still didn't heal completely. Nonetheless, she stood her upper body with the use of her right arm.

She was still in a daze and she wasn't in her true self. Due to this, she didn't realize until later that someone was standing by the window and close to her desk. A man that is only visible from behind.

He has a great physique as Lady Elise can immediately know that thanks to his body build and stature. A man that serves the military, perhaps?

His black hair and v-shaped chin that was visible from the side. He turned around to notice that Lady Elise was already staying up and without notice, he immediately run with a worried face.

He instantly touched her face with her rough hands as she felt warmness from it.

"Are you okay?"

The man said as he gently sat down the bed. His face became more clear as his clean and thick eyebrow atop his golden eye reminded Lady Elise of someone. Although her mind was still hazy, she immediately knew who he was.

The only unique characteristics of the royal family, a golden eye. Meaning, this man in front of her is the one and only — Evron Le Leon.

Lady Elise's soon-to-be-husband and the Crowned Prince's younger brother.

Lady Elise expected the man to be emotionless. She never expected she would return from the war because his soon-to-be-wife was injured.

He was rumored to be the cruelest prince in history. Owning brothels and drug deals that not even the King can stop him from operating it. Yet, here he was, standing by the window, waiting for his maiden to awaken from her slumber.

"I-I'm okay, Your Highness..."

Lady Elise answered with a vulnerable expression. Her beautiful eyes that glistened from the light and her cherry lips that gave off a warm air.

Even though she was injured, she gave off nothing but absolute beauty. She will never try to let her guard down.

Evron slightly blushed as he stood up once more. He took something from the desk that looked like a tray. There were porridge and an orange juice in it as he placed it in front of Lady Elise.

"Didn't I tell you not to call me that?"

"Huh? But we are still not married."

"Call me Evron, if you'd like."

Sir Evron looked really vulnerable as Lady Elise ate the porridge diligently. She never knew that a madman would be this shy in front of a lady. How interesting, she just found a puzzle piece that doesn't fit in the puzzle.

She acted like a vulnerable girl as she tried to ask a question like she cared for Lady Melany's safety..

"What happened to Lady Melany?"

Sir Evron's expression changed. It felt like her name became taboo as his face turned sour like something happened after Lady Elise fainted which made it more worst.

"Lady Melany, sadly, has only been in house arrest. If you would've died, the whole family would've been executed. I wish I arrived earlier but it looked like they have some sort of connection to stop it and the only one that can stop a noble from getting arrested is from the King."

"That selfish wench. To injure a noble woman's body is a taboo, everyone knows that!" — Duke Evron continued.

Evron answered with a pitiful expression. He looked like he really regretted that he didn't arrive earlier, and he looks like he isn't stupid either. He noticed something weird too.

"The King?"

Lady Elise muttered as she started to bite her nails again. She knew exactly what helped the La Costre Family from getting executed. The only one present at the ballroom and the only oddball that stood out from the rest. She smirked

"The Crowned Prince..."

"What?"

"The Crowned Prince was there. He was at an Earl's party, strange is it not?"

Lady Elise muttered out loud for Evron to hear. She looked at Evron's expression to see that his eyes were wide open like he knew that if it was his brother, it would be possible.

"You know didn't you?"

Evron doubted at first as he bit his lips, but he eventually nodded. Looking at all the pieces together, Lady Elise can somewhat connect the entire situation here. The mystery behind The Crowned Prince's intention wasn't just one way... there's one more piece left missing.

"Then let me ask you. Were you framed by your brother—No, even the King?"

Evron's eye's completely widened as sweat started to appear out of his forehead. Lady Elise completely hits the bullseye as she simply smirked, a sheep just got caught in a trap.

"Then... do you want my help?"

"For what?"

Evron saw Lady Elise's smirk as she looked straight to him. Her grin reached up the side of her ears, and her eyes squinted that even her pupils looked like that of a goat.

Evron didn't see her soon-to-be-wife. He saw a devil giving him a deal.

"Revenge."