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It felt so comfortable that I fell asleep on his chest! He's sound asleep, one arm covering his eyes. I move stealthily away and halt halfway when I see the cats playing on the bed. They have one job during the night! With my lips pouted, I gradually lower my face to Haris while glancing at the cats yet they aren't reacting. I ended up twisting my lips in disappointment, and petrified when I met Haris' scowling gaze. 

"... the hell are you doin'?" 

"I… was just testing the cats."

"..." I felt his heavy sigh, and because this man is an expert of surprises, he pulled my nape down and suddenly our lips bumped. He didn't move so did I… but the softness of it… tempts me to savor it. 'Twas when I didn't need the cats to attack yet they did. Now both of Haris' ears have scratches!

He's holding tight on it while I panic. "Why you!? I-I mean I-I'm the one above—"

"They won't hurt you. They are all males," he said like a proud father to his boys.

2 weeks past, their investigation is still ongoing, the spell is still unresolved. Compared to their investigation, there's progress. Haris is setting up a hologram projector and his laptop which contains all the evidence they've gathered on the center table while we're both seated on the couch. I've been sticking my nose on this but only the two of them can understand one another.

"Harrison Larkspur… Was he the one you're talking about when you said that my name reminds you of someone?" 

"Uhuh."

"So how is your fiancé?" 

I caress Pisces on my lap while dreamingly explaining, "He's every woman would drool for, not me since I have Prince Almidoron in mind. He's considerate, a gentleman, understands my principles and perspective, he knows what I want and what pleases me, has a provider-mindset and assurance. Above all, handsome."

He chuckles. "Only an idiot will run away from him."

"You—!"

Venji came slamming the door of the penthouse, fixing his uniform, and hurriedly informing us that "The Lady's fiancé is persistent." He sat on the couch in front of us. "He has been released on bail and now he's here to turn the table. He wants to file an abduction crime against us."

"What!?"

"And he's not alone, he's with policemen outside this department." 

"I really should go talk to him! This is serious!" 

"No," Haris counters. "What exactly are you going to explain to him, that you ran away to confess to a prince?" 

"Well—!" He's got a point. 

"Don't be bothered, Lady Ashlene. We're not bothered either," Venji said, all smile again. "Leave the talking to us. It's part of our job."

Haris pulls out a furry hat scarf on my small pocket and he wears it on me. "A prosecutor is free to cover their face for security measures." He covers my face with it. He shows me his empty hand and when he flips his finger, a shades appears there. He wears it on me as well. "Just sit here and relax, and let us do the rest."

"What are you going to do?" 

"To expose the threat to mankind." Majestically holding his cane, he stamped it and the sound echoed, in a snap, we swapped location somewhere else. The table and couch—and Pisces the cat remained, however we're in the middle of a great hall under a ribbed vault and the slight dimness of the place. The first floor. 

My shoulder flinched when the door slammed and a group of policemen surrounded us. "Haris Savante, you are under arrest for kidnapping a prominent individual." 

Venji rants, "What about me?" 

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law—"

"How much did the plaintiff pay you?" Haris asked nonchalantly—and it scared me for him!

"... Submit to the authorities as peacefully as possible and I will disregard a Disorderly Conduct charge against you." 

I squeeze myself beside Haris.

"Hold on!" It's Venji, he stands in front of the officer. "I heard it's Harrison Larkspur who's charging my brother but he's not a freeman despite the fact that he bailed out of jail. His rights should be limited such as this."

"They are not restricted from their rights. Everyone knows that."

"Yes but the specifics of a case can vary depending on the legal system. The criminal is in the same place where he committed the crime—an evident abuse of his probation, whereas this negligence may cause another assault to public peace and was therefore executed by the law in this school. Most importantly, the government is under the influence of this academia and a real police officer knows that system."

Things intensified between him and some of the officers as they touched their guns from its holster, while some of the policemen were confused. 

"The plaintiff's action is legibly illegal, sir. Your tolerance for crime makes your authority to charge against the alleged kidnapper invalid."

A voice of a man crawls the chill in me. "Release the princess of Von Luxengarde," he finally made an entrance, "and I will withdraw the case." He laid a sight on me and I suddenly wanted to bury myself under the surface of this shiny floor! "I do not tolerate discord as well but I cannot remain silent when my property was maltreated." There's meekness in his eyes.

Suggestive thoughts flow in my mind all of a sudden; did I make him worry? Did he travel all the way here just to find me and make sure I'm safe? Is my family worried sick too? What if Tikka has been shedding tears these past days? Then I realized, this commotion is all my fault.

"Where is she? Let her go."

"She's here," Venji says but he picks up a photo from the evidence, "One of the most wanted terrorists is here." When the police saw the woman in the picture, some of them looked suspiciously at me while holding their guns!

What does he think he's doing!?

"Why are you bringing this up?" the officer asked.

"Why not? Isn't she more of a threat than the kidnapper and the trespasser?" The windows and doors closed on their own and as the darkness blinded us, the hologram projector presented more photos of their investigation. "I am Detective Venji L'arc. It is my duty to hunt down the criminals through their traces… which is why I cannot overlook the foot itself after following its footsteps. Just doing my job too."

The photo of the wrecked spaceship was projected. "Harrison Larkspur, your citizenship in Stell was sudden about 8 years ago when you were introduced as an illegitimate child of a King. Your wealth and identity skyrocketed nobly. You've married women with great influences in political, military forces, entrepreneurship and currently aiming for a woman with great influence of technology. All these patterns to build your army and power to start another war."

An officer impatiently argues, "Just tell us where this terrorist you're talking about is." 

"I've been talking about her," Venji clarified. My eyes glued on Harrison. The photos of syringes are being projected. "The spaceship was used to travel to Stell. Within a few months, which was quite enough for Testosterone to take effect, you landed on Stell leaving the spaceship at Point Nemo because it's far from everyone's reach except for astronauts."

I'm trying to listen attentively but Haris—in the middle of a serious discussion—is squeezing Pisces with his teeth greeting, slapping the butt, lifting the poor cat and showering it with kisses, then aggressively putting Pisces' face to his open mouth. I slapped his arm like an angry mother at church and he stopped.

"You arrived on Stell as a man and took advantage of your gender. Eighteen children in total with your four wives but according to their statements, you used condoms during sex. Proofs were found on the trash and the condoms contained leftover sperms from different donors, some of them were inseminated without the women knowing. 

"It was because you cannot provide sperm naturally despite your surgeries and HRT although 8 years is enough for you to look manly. For the purpose of dissemblance, your plan is to be a trans man." 

The photo of the woman is being projected. My jaw meets the ground, the longer I gaze upon the photo and glance at Harrison, they look alike! Some of the policemen were flabbergasted as well, not knowing to whom they should point their guns. 

Finally, Harrison speaks, "Absurd. All fabricated. You are a scholar of this school? It's a shame that a legal process didn't cross your mind. All you did was brag about your intelligence knowing you are in advantage of defecating my profile. I shall summon my attorney regarding your charge and meet you at the court."

"I am a detective. My duty is to conclude who the criminal is, not to defend their rights."

"And 'Fabricated', you say?" Haris daringly in a firm voice. "If you are from Stell, how come you can walk?" Harrison was dumbfounded for a second. "For the past few weeks, you never made a single mistake that astronauts do, as if you're familiar with the Earth's gravity."

"..." Harrison's loud sigh reaches my ears. "Everything will be explained on the court. Make sure you can explain that chained woman and will not press you to the charge against you. This school is a total disappointment."

He's leaving, and the policemen are arresting Haris again. This may be their case but this is also my problem. I have to say something, I can't believe I obeyed these men when they told me to remain seated and silent— 

"What about this—" Venji presented an envelope but I collided with the timing. 

"Harrison!!" I struggled to stand alone, then removed my scarf and shades. My scream made him halt. "It was me! I was the one who came down here and paid these men to investigate you! This chain has nothing to do with kidnapping because I wasn't kidnapped in the first place! So if you have nothing to hide, you don't need to prepare for something in court and prove them wrong right here!" 

Not just him but all were dumbfounded. Only my voice cracks the silence. I keep my chin up, eyes lock on him. "Prove to me that they were wrong. Show us you don't have a double mastectomy scar. If you resist then I shall consider this evidence as true, no wedding will happen between us."

"..." His inhale is deep, veins are bulging on his temple. "Princess Ashlene… I know those words were extracted under duress."

"If ever I am, you have to do as I said to save me."

He gazed upon me for a long time and I didn't back down. I felt an involuntary gulp rise in my throat as he began removing his coat and unbuttoning his shirt. After the 3rd button, he turned on his smartwatch and tapped the screen 6x consecutively then when he's just about to remove his shirt, the officer fired his gun at me! 

Haris pulled me back beside me, covering me as the shootout occurred between the policemen, while I'm holding my shoulder where I was shot! To my surprise, I'm not wounded or hurt and found a piece of flower on my hand instead. Venji took cover. Some policemen fell on the floor. Harrison is gone. The officer is aiming his gun at Haris and all I could do is pull him to me. 

"No!! Ah!" Instead of bullets, the gun fired confetti. He pulled out his baton but it waggled like a jelly, in frustration, the officer cussed. Haris stamped the cane like a car gear and tilted it to the right, then the officers—only—slipped and rolled to the right corner of the floor. Later on, another group of policemen raided to arrest the officer. 

They have the insignia of Beaumont. 

All this time, the building is being surrounded by the Beaumont force. The wounded policemen are being assisted by the medics. Also, I've been gripping Haris' uniform and he's been holding me on my waist, other than that, he's been mischievously smirking at me. "Aww, so you do care?" he teased.

I push his chest away and remove his arm from me. "Care your ass… I'll send you to 'daycare.'"

He's still smiling at me. "You're crazy…"

"What? Were you astonished? Go ahead, I accept praise."

He rested his elbow on the handle of the cane and leaned down his jaw. "That was… lovely," he softly uttered that violated my normal heartbeat again but no! Of all his tricks, I will not be fooled for this one. 

"Don't tell me that's how easy it is to seduce you?"

"Just like cats, eating and sleeping all day yet effortlessly cute."

"I'm not that lazy!"

"You didn't get my point, pretty idiot."

"Because it's 'pointless', jerk."

"You're too complicated to flirt."

"Do you have to?"

He's grinning even more. When I diverted my sight of him, I found the policemen and Venji had been silently watching us. I moved away from the man and restored my poise, clearing my throat.

And that was how the Harrison Larkspur case was solved.

This is their job. 

And because I'm stuck with them, there's more coming for me.