Viscount's Betrayal

"HELP!!" Aria screamed while clinging to her horse.

The horse continued to sprint at breakneck speed.

Nikolai, who was hunting nearby, heard her distress. "Aria?" He spotted her horse racing wildly. "Aria!" he shouted, then swiftly followed.

.

.

"What? Aria's horse lost control?" Claudius asked.

"Yes, Your Grace. The knights are now looking for her." reported his attendant.

Claudius abandoned his hunt and began searching for her. Aria had suffered memory loss, rendering her unable to ride horses.

Aria's husbands also halted their hunting and joined the search. Napoleon, Ryu, and Valentine also ceased their activities to help find her.

"Who the fuck allowed her to ride a horse?" Napoleon fumed.

"I'll search here!" Ryu said, turning to other direction.

Xerxes jumped off from his horse and quickly disappeared.

.

.

NEIGHHH!!!

The horse jumped, causing Aria to grip the reins tighter.

"Why won't this horse stop?" Aria wondered aloud, spotting blood on the horse's hoof. Something was lodged there.

Don't tell me...

"AAAHHHHH!!!" Aria screamed as the horse made another frenzied leap, and she was thrown to the ground, tumbling perilously close to a cliff.

"H-HELP!" she screamed, clinging desperately to the roots at the cliff's edge. Fear gripped her as she looked down, realizing the height was terrifying. "H-Help me, please! I don't want to die!"

"Aria!" a familiar voice reached her ears.

"I-I'm here!" she shouted, relief washing over her when she saw Nikolai.

"What the hell? How did you end up here?" he asked.

"I…I can-t explain..p-please help me!" she begged, her hand slowly slipping.

He stared at her.

"H-Help.."

Nikolai stood up and left, leaving her stunned.

Her eyes widened. Did he just abandon her?

.

.

Nikolai clenched his fists while walking. Someone will come to save her, so it's all right if he leaves.

But…

He looked back in her direction again.

"Tch. I can't leave her!"

He ran back and grabbed her hand. "Damn! Grab my hand tightly!"

"I thought you left?" she said.

"I don't have time to explain. Just grab my hand, duckling!" he urged.

She grabbed his hand tightly, and he managed to pull her to safety. They were both panting.

"I-I'm sorry for earlier.." Nikolai said.

Aria punched him in his face. "D-Do you really want me to die?" she cried.

He looked away. "I'm sorry.."

She continued crying, pouring out her fear. "Don't you know how scared I am? I thought I would die!"

He felt a pang of guilt and embraced her. "S-Sorry... I'll never do that again."

"I'm really scared!" she cried.

He'd liked her since they were young, but she had feelings for her brother. Misguided pranks were his way of seeking her attention, though they often led to misunderstandings.

He realized he'd made a terrible mistake earlier. He was too foolish to think of leaving her.

Her body trembled with fear.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered to her.

"Your Highness!" William's voice broke the moment.

"W-William!" Aria stood up and hugged him tightly, trembling. "I-Im scared!" she cried.

"Sshh... everything is fine now," William reassured her and looked at Nikolai. "Thank you for saving her."

Nikolai looked away, grappling with his own guilt.

"Let's go back," William said, carrying her and placing her on his horse.

Nikolai also mounted his horse. They started to head back. However, a group of bandits blocked their path, surrounding them with drawn weapons.

"Who are you?" William demanded, drawing his sword.

"Haha, you don't need to know who we are. We're here for the Princess!" the leader sneered.

Aria knew this would happen. This was part of Viscount Milano's wicked plan. He had forced her to ride the injured horse, knowing she'd be vulnerable, and hired men to ambush her.

"You want to harm the Princess? Are you out of your minds?" Nikolai spoke with a firm resolve.

"Boss, he's the youngest brother of the Duke of the North."

"Tsk. Don't harm him, our only target is the Princess."

"I will not let you hurt the Princess," William declared.

The men attacked them, and chaos ensued.

"Your Highness, come here! We need to get out of here," Nikolai urgently urged Aria.

She dismounted from her horse and rode with Nikolai.

William noticed a man aiming an arrow at Aria. Fear surged through him.

"ARIA!!!" William shouted.

Aria looked at him, bewildered, and then horror struck her face as William courageously took the arrow meant for her.

"William!" she screamed.

The arrow pierced into his stomach.

The men were about to attack her when the Crimson Blades arrived, eliminating the attackers.

"Your Highness!" Ryu rushed to them.

"R-Ryu! W-William is..." Aria couldn't finish her sentence, laying William on her legs.

"Y-Your Highness…" blood oozed from William's mouth.

She cried. "W-William, why did you do that?"

He forces a smile. "I..I told you..I..w-will protect you..

"But this isn't right!" she cried.

They heard approaching horses.

Ryu signaled the Crimson Blades to retreat.

"Aria!"

It was her husbands and the Crown Prince's knights.

Blood kept coming out of William's mouth, his face turned pale.

"He was poisoned." Xerxes diagnosed.

"N-No..W-William please…don't..please! Don't die! You promised me you would stay at my side forever, right? So.. So don't leave me!" Aria begged, clutching his hands.

She looked at Valentine. "Y-You can heal people, right? P-Please save him! I-I'm begging you! Please help him!!!"

I think I'm going crazy!

"PLEASE SAVE WILLIAM!!!"

I don't know what I'm going to do if he dies.

She bawled.

"Please take the Princess away." Valentine ordered.

Rasheen took her away from William.

"P-Please..s-save him.." She collapsed.

"Aria!" Rasheen carried her to his horse.

Valentine removed the arrow from William's stomach and examined the wound. The poison was spreading rapidly.

He placed his hand on the wound, a soft glow emanating. He closed his eyes, focusing on purging the poison. He knew how much William meant to Aria and was determined to save him. She had pleaded desperately for his life, collapsing from anguish.

"We need to take him back to the palace now," Valentine commanded.

The knights carried William, racing against time to save him.

.

.

....

The Emperor seethed with fury upon hearing the grim events.

"When we arrived, the bandits were already dead," reported the knight.

"What? Who killed them?" Viscount Milano inquired nervously.

Mikhail stared at him intently.

"U-Uhm, if they were all dead, no one would identify their mastermind," Viscount Milano stammered, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"We have no idea who killed them. But someone is still breathing, so Master Xerxes healed him and is now being questioned," Philip explained.

"W-What?" Viscount Milano's face drained of color.

"Where are they? It would be faster if I was the one who would interrogate him," Mikhail proposed.

"He's in the tent. They tied him tightly so he wouldn't be able to escape," Philip disclosed.

"Let's go there," Mikhail urged, making his way to the tent.

Viscount Milano nervously bit his fingernail, realizing the Crown Prince would be part of the interrogation.

"Whoever did this to the Princess, I'm going to cut that traitor's head off myself!" the Emperor declared.

Viscount Milano gulped, "I... I will go see the other participants," he stammered, desperately seeking an exit.

He needed to leave this place immediately.

"Yo!" Napoleon blocked his way. "Where are you going, Viscount Milano?"

"I'm going to see the participants," he replied, beads of sweat now trickling down his face.

"Ohh? Is that really what you're going to do?" Napoleon raised an eyebrow. "Everyone is not allowed to leave this place until they find out who the culprit is."

"And why are you looking at me like that? Are you accusing me?" Viscount Milano snapped defensively.

"I didn't say that I am accusing you. Why are you so defensive?" Napoleon scoffed, leaving him flustered and anxious.

Tsss...

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.

The emperor ordered everyone not to leave the camp until the interrogation ended.

"Brother, I heard what happened. Is the Princess all right?" Hadrian asked.

"You don't have to worry about her, stay in the tent for a while." Duke Wolfsbane said.

His butler pushed his wheelchair to their tent.

They can hear the bandit's cry while he was being interrogated by the Crown Prince.

.

.

Mikhail stepped hard on the bandit's hand. "Tell me who ordered you to harm the Princess?"

"I..I..r-really don't know!" the bandit cried, fear in his eyes.

"Ohh? Then..." Mikhail grabbed the axe. "I have no choice but to cut your hands. These hands tried to kill the Princess."

The bandit's eyes widened, terror gripping him. "N-No, please don't!"

"Huh? Why? You didn't know who your master was, right? Too bad you're the only one who survived, so you will be the one to receive the punishment," Mikhail declared coldly, pointing the axe threateningly. "But if we catch your master, I will cut off his hands instead of yours."

"I…I will tell you!" the bandit stammered.

He smiled wickedly. "Who is he?"

.

.

"Catch him!" Philip ordered.

The knights captured Viscount Milano.

"L-Let go of me! W-Why are you grabbing me?" the Viscount complained.

The people around were surprised and began murmuring, unsure of what was happening.

"What's going on here?" the Emperor demanded, confusion in his expression.

"Father.." Mikhail walked towards them. "That bastard ordered those bandits to kill the Princess."

"What?" the Emperor glared at the Viscount.

Everyone gasped, and whispers spread through the crowd.

"You! How dare you! Take him to prison!" the Emperor ordered.

"Y-Your Highness! You're mistaken! They set me up!" the Viscount shouted, desperation in his voice.

Ignoring his protests, the knights took him away.

"I had no idea that he was planning evil against my niece. Make sure he is tortured to death," The Emperor added.

The event finally ended, and the participants were allowed to leave the hunting ground.

.

.

....

Aria slowly opened her eyes.

"Your Highness…" Cedrik said, worry etched on his face.

"William!" she exclaimed, trying to rise. Pain shot through her head.

"Your Highness, please calm down." Cedrik urged.

"Don't worry, he's fine now. His Grace Valentine has already removed the poison from his body. His wounds are being treated in the hospital, but he's still unconscious. The doctor said he would wake up soon," Cedrik explained.

She heaved a sigh of relief. She's glad he's alive.

"How about the others?"

"No one won the hunting event due to the things that happened, but they have already caught the mastermind."

"Who?"

"It's Viscount Milano."

She knew it! "I'm glad he's caught."

"They also searched their household and found a mask inside the room of his son, Lord Francois. We believe that he was the masked guy. They are now both accused of treason. His Majesty ordered to remove the title from his family, and their family members were expelled from the empire."

So, Francois is really the masked guy?

"They deserved it." she said.

But she still wanted to know why they had done this.

"You made me so worried, Your Highness. I thought the accident from the past might repeat again. I was so scared," Cedrik confessed, wiping away his tears.

She hugged him. "I'm sorry for making you worried."

A knock interrupted their moment.

Cedrik opened the door, revealing Lord Claudius.

She looked away, avoiding his gaze. Cedrik bowed and then left them alone. Claudius approached her and gently held her hand. "How are you? When I heard what happened, I immediately looked for you. I saw you pass out. You made me so worried."

"Why are you here?"

"Aria, let me explain first. Listen, I'm sorry that I yelled at you earlier. I didn't mean it. Please believe me."

"You don't have to explain, I know that you still love her." She said without looking at him.

"That's not true, I don't love her anymore."

"Why are you doing this to me Claudius?" she finally looked at him.

"Because I love you…"

"But I told you already I can't love you!"

"Why? What's the reason?"

Tears welled in her eyes. "B-Because..."

"Aria, please tell me why you can't love me?"

She closed her eyes. "Because I am not Aria!"

She finally confessed.

Claudius furrowed his brows.

"I'm not the real Princess! I was accidentally trapped inside her body…I'm a fake, so I don't have the right to love anyone here." She sobbed.

Claudius smiled and caressed her face. "I know.."

She was surprised when she heard it. "W-What do you mean?"

"When you told me before that you are no longer the Aria I knew from the past, that you and Aria from the past are completely different people, I thought that you might be hiding something. I also realized that there's no reason for Aria to change even if she lost her memories. I am thinking that maybe you are really a different person and you're not her. But I wanted to confirm it from you, and I am right. You are not really her."

"Y-You…"

"But... the one I love is not the real Aria but you. You set me free from her, you told me to live on my own and find my real happiness." He gently placed her hand on his face. "And I already found my happiness now, it's you."

"I…"

He wiped her tears. "Now that you already know that my love is for you and not the real Aria, can you accept me now?"

"C-Can I…r-really love you?""

He smiled and nodded.

She hugged him and cried again.

"Can you tell me your name?" he asked.

"My name is…Kaye.."

.

.

....

Mikhail kicked Francois, causing him to roll on the ground.

"Y-Your Highness, please don't hurt my son. He didn't know anything! H-He's innocent." Viscount Milano begged.

"Ha? Innocent? But the mask was found in his room. Why are you still denying it?" Mikhail retorted.

"P-Please believe me he's innocent!" the Viscount said.

Mikhail firmly grabbed the Viscount's chin. "I don't care if he's innocent or not. Just tell me the reason why you wanted to kill the Princess."

The Viscount gulped. "S-She's evil!"

"We all know she's evil, but that's not enough reason to kill her."

"Father, just tell him already!" Francois shouted.

"Shut up! They will kill us!" the Viscount snapped at his son.

"Who will kill you?" Mikhail demanded.

"The Princess! She knew their secret. That's why she needed to die! Hahaha, if she had just minded her own business, she would never have become our target!"

"What do you mean? Who are they?"

"Hahaha, why would I tell you?"

Mikhail tightened his grip on the Viscount's neck. "Just tell me, you motherfucker!"

But the Viscount remained silent, even as he choked.

"Tsk, if you don't want to tell me, fine." Mikhail stood up. "Break the Viscount's legs." He ordered.

The two trembled in fear.

Mikhail left them, walking outside and wiping the blood off his hand.

"How's the Princess?" he asked.

"She's already awake, Lord Claudius came to visit her," Philip replied.

"Ohh? That bastard is still pursuing her? He's just wasting his time and energy on her." he said.

.

.

After Claudius left, her other husbands came to visit her.

"Tsk. I can't believe that Viscount planned to kill you! If I had only known it earlier, I would have beheaded him myself." Rasheen exclaimed.

"Though we still don't know the reason why he tried to kill you, he will surely rot in prison now," Xerxes added.

"Why not just behead him?" Rasheen complained.

"He's still under interrogation, they won't execute him until he tells us his real intention," Gawain explained.

"Xerxes, why don't you use magic to make him tell the truth?" Rasheen suggested.

"I already offered that to the Crown Prince. Tomorrow morning I'll go there to interrogate him." Xerxes stated.

Gawain began peeling a fruit. "How are you now?"

"I am fine now, I'm sorry for making you all worried." She said.

"Nah, you don't have to apologize. Of course, we would be worried. We are your husbands," Rasheen reassured her.

She smiled.

"I saw Lord Claudius earlier. Did he come to visit you?" Gawain asked.

They looked at her intently.

"A-Ah, yes," she stammered, scratching her face. "He is worried as well."

"Are you planning to marry him again?"" Xerxes asked.

Ack!

"WHAT???" echoed throughout the room.

"W-What are you saying?" Aria blushed.

"Yeah! What the hell are you saying? She has already divorced him!" Rasheen exclaimed.

"I saw him smiling on his way to his carriage. I thought something good happened to him," Xerxes observed.

"Did you two already reconcile?" Gawain questioned.

"Yes, but marrying him hasn't crossed my mind." She replied.

The men all heaved a sigh of relief.

.

.

....

The next morning, Aria went to visit William.

"He's still unconscious, the wound is too deep. He's lucky the poison was immediately removed from his body, or else he would have died," the doctor explained.

"How long will he stay unconscious?" she asked.

"Don't worry, he will wake up soon. But it will take a month for his full recovery." the doctor reassured her.

"I understand. Please take care of him. I will come here again tomorrow." Aria said appreciatively.

The doctor nodded. She left the hospital, her mind filled with worry and hope for William's fast recovery.

.

.

Mikhail and his knights quickly headed to the prison. They found the Viscount and his son dead.

"Who did this?" Mikhail demanded, his tone filled with frustration and anger.

"I found the guards sleeping. It seems someone used sleeping magic on them," Philip reported.

"Your Highness!!!" they heard one of the knights running towards them.

"What happened?" Mikhail asked.

"T-The Milano family… someone killed the entire family while they were on their way to leave the empire," the knight reported, breathless from the haste.

"What?" Mikhail felt a sinking feeling, suspecting that the same assailants who targeted Aria were behind this.

He clenched his fists, determined to find those responsible. "Find out who killed the Viscount and his family!"

"Yes, Your Highness!!!" the knight responded promptly and left to execute the order.

"Philip, don't let Aria know about this. Let her believe that everything is fine for now," Mikhail instructed.

"Yes, Your Highness." Philip bowed.

He was on his way when he saw Xerxes.

"Greetings, Your Highness." He bowed.

"About the interrogation, there's no need for you to do it." he said.

Xerxes smelled the blood inside. "Then what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to investigate all the mages in the empire, especially those who are using sleeping magic." He ordered.

"I understand, I will leave now." Xerxes bowed, then disappeared.

"What's the Princess doing right now?" he asked the other knight.

"I heard she went to the hospital to visit Sir William." the knight answered.

.

.

Aria returned to Ruby Palace and immediately looked for Ryu, who was temporarily residing in the palace to guard her

Knock! Knock!

"Ryu, are you there?" she called out.

The door opened.

Her face turned red when she saw him wearing only a bath towel. She quickly covered her eyes and turned around. "Waahhh! I'm sorry!"

"It's all right, Your Highness. Please get inside." He said.

She went inside while covering her eyes. She almost bumped into the wall.

"C-Can you put your clothes on?"

Ryu was drying his hair with a towel. "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"

"I came here to thank you for saving me. If you hadn't come I might be dead by now."

"It's my job to protect you.. Actually, I want to apologize. If I had arrived earlier, Sir William might not have been shot by the poisoned arrow," Ryu admitted.

"No it's not your fault!" she finally looked at him.

He was now wearing a robe, but he's still showing his abs.

Oh my! My innocent eyes!

He walked towards her and gently stroked her hair. "Everything is fine now, Your Highness."

She smiled, grateful for his reassurance. "You're right, the masked guy is already captured, and the Viscount and his son will soon face justice. Thanks to you, Ryu."

He smiled.

"And as a reward I want to give you this.." she said, mustering courage.

He looked a bit puzzled, but before he could react, she leaned in and planted a thankful kiss on his cheek.

His eyes widened, and his face turned red in surprise and delight.

"Thank you for protecting me." she expressed her gratitude.

Wait a minute…

Is he crying?

For real?

Ryu found himself feeling an overwhelming surge of emotions, tears welling up in his eyes. These tears were not of sadness, but of joy and gratitude for being acknowledged and appreciated. And also because she kissed him.

.

.

....

"I haven't thanked Valentine for saving William's life. I wonder where he is?"

Aria searched the whole palace but she couldn't find Valentine.

"Jenny!" she called out.

"Good morning Your Highness, how may I assist you?" Jenny asked.

"Have you seen Valentine?" Aria asked.

"Uhmm, I think I saw him heading towards the chapel," Jenny recalled.

They have a small chapel here.

"I'll go there. Thank you!" she smiled, then left.

.

.

"I want nobody, nobody, but you~ I want nobody, nobody, but you~"

Aria is singing happily while on her way to the chapel.

"Duckling!"

She stopped. Duckling?

Only one person has the nerve to call her that. She turned around and saw Nikolai.

"Seriously, why is it hard to find you? I went to the hospital yesterday but they said that you had already returned to the palace." He complained.

"Why are you looking for me?" she asked, genuinely curious.

He looked away. "I... I just wanted to check on how you are doing. I didn't get the chance to visit you because your husbands and my brother are always with you."

"Oh? But you can come with your brother," Aria suggested, surprised by his unexpected concern.

"I can't. My brother would only think that I'm trying to pick a fight with you," Nikolai admitted, showing a vulnerable side.

"Hmm.." she stared at him. From head to toe.

"C'mon! don't look at me like that! I…I came here..to reconcile!" he blushed.

Ehh? Nikolai wants to reconcile with her? Did he bump his head when the bandits attacked them?

"I want to apologize for all the bad things I've done to you in the past, especially the time when I left you hanging at the cliff. I'm truly sorry!" he genuinely expressed his remorse.

"Hmph. You almost killed me that time. But since you came back and helped me, I will accept your apology." she replied.

"R-Really? Then..does it mean we're friends now?" he asked.

"Yup." She responded, offering a warm smile.

"Thank you!" Nikolai couldn't contain his happiness, hugging her in a burst of gratitude.

Aria blushed, surprised by the sudden embrace.

"S-Sorry..hehe" Nikolai scratched his head and looked away. He's blushing.

Their relationship had taken an unexpected turn, paving the way for a newfound friendship.

.

.

After her conversation with Nikolai, Aria made her way to the chapel, where she found Valentine sitting alone.

He smiled when he saw her. She took a seat beside him.

"I came here to thank you for saving William's life." she expressed her gratitude.

"It's nothing. He's your knight, and he's very special to you. Saving someone you love is the least I can do for you." he responded.

"Thank you…" she said, genuinely appreciative of his selflessness.

They both stared at the altar.

"Are you planning to return to the temple now?" she asked.

"Why? Do you want me to stay for a few more days?" Valentine asked, showing a willingness to extend his stay.

"Too many things have happened. I didn't get the chance to spend a day with you. I want to know you more.." she explained.

"Too bad that you lost your memories." he said.

"Why did you choose to be a priest again?" she asked again.

"It was decided since the day I was born. The God of Light had chosen me." he smiled.

"That's cool," Aria remarked.

"Haha, do you think so? I can still remember when we were young, you always got yourself hurt. I'm the one who always healed your wounds." Valentine fondly reminisced.

"I bet I gave you too much trouble back then."

"It's all right, I promised you that I will heal all your wounds, no matter how deep they are."

"Thank you, Val…"

He stared at her. "I hope you can also heal my wound too."

"Huh?"

She was surprised when Valentine kissed her on her lips.

Valentine has been in love with her since they were young, but he can't marry her. When he heard that Aria had been married he was hurt.

It was a sin to harbor such feelings, but for Aria, he was willing to commit a sin…even if he does it repeatedly.

.

.

....

Aria was in her room, lost in contemplation while watching the birds outside.

Now that the Princess is finally safe, will the Crown Prince set her free? He doesn't need to protect her anymore.

The burden of pretending to be someone she's not weighed on her, and she didn't want to deceive them any longer.

"Now that I think about it, I am really afraid that they will hate me if they find out that I am not the real Princess. I will leave this palace in the future."

Claudius suddenly crossed her mind.

"Claudius…he said he loved me for who I am. Can't I just run away with him?"

No, he's the Duke of the North. His father would curse her to death if she would take him away.

Knock! Knock!

A sudden knock on the door disrupted her thoughts, and she opened it to find Maximilian standing there. He bowed.

.

.

"You want to be my temporary knight?" Aria asked, astonished by the unexpected proposal.

"Yes, Your Highness. I heard that your knight was still in the hospital. You can't walk around without your escort knight, so I am asking you to accept me as your temporary knight. I can protect you too, Your Highness," he earnestly insisted.

This handsome Prince wants to be her knight? She can't do that to him! He's a prince!

What if one day his men take revenge and if they find out that she made him a knight, they will surely kill her!

Besides, Ryu is also secretly guarding her.

"I don't think I can make you a knight." she said.

"Why?" he questioned, seemingly unfazed.

"Because you're a prince," Aria explained,

He chuckled at her response, dismissing his royal status. "Haha Princess, I am no longer a prince. I am now an ordinary person, besides, I am already yours. So you can do whatever you want with me." He walked towards her and stroked her hair, his face was too near to hers. He grinned when he saw her blushing.

"B-But I don't think it's right, I still respect you Maximilian.." she slightly pushed him.

His face turned serious. "Your Highness..please make me your knight."

Scary!

"Okay fine if that's what you want..be my temporary knight until Sir William returns." She looked away.

He smiled and kneeled before her, he held her hand. "I, Maximilian da Firenze, am willing to protect the Princess until my last breath." He then kissed her hand.

.

.

....

"I heard you had made the captive your knight. Are you really out of your mind?" Mikhail said. He had just finished his bath.

"He insisted on it, besides I know he won't harm me." Aria said while combing her hair, her eyes focused on her reflection in the mirror.

Mikhail threw the towel aside and pinned her against the dressing table. "How can you be so sure?"

She looked away, attempting to maintain her composure.

He couldn't help but grin at her reaction. "Why? Do you like him?" he pressed, thoroughly enjoying her discomfort.

"Of course not!" she blushed.

He smirked, then kneeled and spread her legs.

"W-What are you doing?" she was surprised.

"Sshhh.. I will make sure that you won't fall for him after this." he said.

She moaned.

Just how many times did they do it? It's almost every night.

The servants were now becoming curious why she always visited Mikhail at night.

But she can't help it. It's not only Mikhail but also her body.

She feels like she's cheating on her husbands…

"A-Ahhh.."

She tightened her grip on his shoulders.

.

.

....

The following day...

"Your Highness, why are you saving money?" Cedrik asked.

Both he and Jenny were confused.

Aria chuckled, secretly stashing away some coins into her hidden vault. "Ssshhh... I am saving this for future purposes."

"Future? Does Her Highness plan to travel?" Jenny chimed in, intrigued.

"Correct! I want to travel around the world, hehe."

"Can we join you, Your Highness?" Cedrik asked excitedly.

"Of course, I can't imagine the journey without you two. You're my dearest companions," Aria replied.

"Yay! We'll travel with the Princess!" they exclaimed.

"But let's keep this our little secret, just between the three of us, okay?" Aria added with a playful wink.

"Absolutely, Your Highness!" they nodded eagerly.

She smiled.

I will leave and be free…

.

.

....

Maximilian and Aria grew closer. He always finds ways to steal Aria's attention from her husbands and other men around her. He endeavored to win her heart and make her fall in love with him.

Aria's husbands noticed their budding closeness and couldn't help but to feel jealous.

Maximilian was now guarding the Princess, she is currently sitting under a tree while reading her book.

Maximilian picked a flower and placed it behind her ear. "This suits you."

"Thank you, Max," she said, appreciating the simple gesture.

He remained standing beside her, watching over her. Suddenly, he heard a bird's chirping. That sounds familiar. He looked around and saw a familiar bird. His eyes widened, that bird only exists in their country.

He glanced at the Princess, she was yawning.

He waited for her to close her eyes before he walked to the bird. The bird perched on his arm, there was a letter on its claw. He looked around to make sure that no one was watching.

He took the letter and read it.

"Orlando?"

He's alive..he successfully escaped.

He told him from the letter that he successfully found and gathered the other Firenzan. They saw a merchant who was on his way to the empire, they kidnapped him and took his permit. Orlando pretended to be a merchant and brought five men and sneaked into the capital. They are planning to save him.

He glanced again at the Princess. She was now sleeping soundly.

He hid the letter in his pocket and let the bird fly back to the tree. He went to Aria and watched her sleeping. He caressed her face.

Badump! Badump!

What the hell is this? Why is his heart beating so fast? He shook his head and carried her.

He couldn't afford to fall in love with her…he still needs to stick to the plan.

He will leave this empire and take revenge on the imperial family.

This was only the beginning…