6 | The promised

For months after Elyse's regression going back as Aniya — her old life, she went straight ahead and started her plan. In order for that to happen, she's planning on have a trip to The Ishtar Kingdom in the disguise of making a deal with the Crown Prince of Ishtar. It also another way to not let the past repeat itself again — the past where the Ishtar Kingdom refuses the secret deal with Olympia because of the greed they know about Duchess Vierra.

Vierra was the one who represented Olympia, because of that the Kings of each kingdom refuses its generous deals. However, there are many nobles lurking in the dark where they sided with her in each country and it made her political power stronger than the Emperor of Olympia.

And in order for that to happen, she needed to win the favor of Duchess Vierra. Her birthday is coming up, it is only three days away and it's her 10th birthday. She'll finally be freed from the prison and will be welcomed the huge and luxury walls of their mansion. But it's not just that, it's also "those" eyes of the family members.

But Elyse won't care. She had enough with their treatment. What's important for her now is the family who took care and loves her regardless the bloodline they have. She will save her family and if fate wanted to do it too, she will also save Tina from her misery.

For the remaining days, Elyse only stayed inside the cold room of the cold tower while waiting for her birthday to happen. In those days, she now finally succeeded in using The Owl's Eyes, an ability that took years in her past life to learn which gratefully earned a favor from Duchess Vierra. Afterall, Duchess Vierra wants the Owl's Eyes however she couldn't inherit it purely.

Now all the pieces in her chest board are finally complete, and it is only a matter of time before she can make the first move. The wind blew gently on her face as she sat down in the window looking at the beautiful snow moon, she closes her eyes for a moment when she heard a low voice calling out her name.

"Aniya!" The voice almost shouted at a low voice. Elyse slowly opens her eyes to see Chad below the window waving at her. Shocked, she quickly stood up and mouthed, "What are you doing here?"

"Come down." He signaled.

"Are you telling me to get hurt?" Elyse mouthed again, afraid that the guards might catch Chad walking in a lady's yard.

Chad gave her a sweet and reassuring smile while he whispered sweetly, "I will catch you, trust me."

In that moment, she felt like she could trust him. Her heart starts to race fast and the familiar scene made her remember a certain scenario. This felt like it happened before she come back in the past — she felt that he is "Chad" the one she met when she entered the Academy. His gorgeous red ruby eyes looking at her so gentle and his sweet smile, it made her heart throb at the same time felt the butterflies in her stomach.

She stood to the railings of the window and leaped down, she thought she would hit the ground but suddenly Chad used magic to let her slowly fall into his arms while her eyes couldn't take off to him.

"See? Told you I will catch you." He said in a low voice and it made her chuckled.

"I heard there's a festival going on nearby, let's go there and have some fun!" He suggested and for that moment, she remembered that it was the same night when Chad was first punished by Duchess Vierra due to kidnapping Aniya when they were little. The very reason was kidnapping when in truth, Aniya volunteered to go with him without Duchess Vierra's permission because she was sick getting locked up in that cold tower.

She also remembers that Chad said to her, it was a birthday gift for her upcoming 10th birthday. Their happiness didn't last because they got caught. This time, Elyse will not let that happen.

"No!" She said and Chad looked at her confused.

"Why? I thought you like festivals... Hmm, should we go to the city then? Where there's no festival —"

"No, let's go somewhere else. Someplace safe for you." Elyse told Chad and it made him taken aback.

"Safe? I am safe, Aniya." Elyse shakes off her head, looking down and worried for Chad. She doesn't want Chad to have the same scars as her.

'It's fine... Aniya. See these scars? They're like tattoos! They match exactly like how they are.' Chad once said with the smile on his lips but Elyse knows that the scar on his body is painful. She was beaten multiple times by her mother — it hurts to see her beloved getting hurt by the woman she calls her mother.

"Let's just stroll around our garden, Chad. I want to see the moon," Elyse said in a childish manner pretending that she's thinking like a child, Chad was mature in his young age after all. As her wish, they stroll in their own little garden. They talked for long hours and watch the moon as they laid down on the grass, they took care off.

"Oh! Right, I almost forgot." Chad spoke out of blue and quickly took something from his pocket. Elyse looked at him and saw a red box in his hand. He then gave it to her and felt curious to what's inside. It felt light yet something inside is jiggling.

She slowly opens the box; her eyes widen in amusement to see a beautiful gold laurel leaf ring.

"Supposed to be, your father should be giving you all these expensive things or a family member of yours but... I want to give you this," he said.

"Happy Birthday, Aniya." He whispered as the wind gently blew on them as they gently looked at each other. Elyse remembered; it is the same ring as the one he gifted to her when she turned 18 years old. It was an engagement ring yet it wasn't a diamond — but a laurel leaf that symbolizes wisdom as her title goes.

When they went on their separate ways, she didn't take off the laurel leaf ring instead the wedding ring. For her, the laurel leaf is closer to her than any other fancy gorgeous rings.

Chad should give the ring when she turns 18 but he gave it to her as a gift in her 10th birthday. Her smile widen and her heart were filled with joy.

Tears starts to stream down her eyes, "Thank you Thaddeus!"