✎ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛ: ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱɪx

✇ 18:00 EST; District of Tvaru

Northwest of Aeternum | 3rd Samas: Year 1345

° ᴾʳᵉˢᵉⁿᵗ

[Count Stewarisès' residential villa; located near the founding rural areas of Tvaru]

At one point, my cheeks grew numb from smiling.

"Why did you agree to this gathering?" I whisper through gritted teeth.

It's Hwa Pyeongs turn to look at me in confusion.

"I agreed because Eren informed me you'd agreed."

We both stare at each other a while longer, neither of our fake smile dropping. The silent cogs and gears turning inside our head. Hwa Pyeong broke the silence first.

"We've been tricked haven't we?"

I nod along. "Very well in fact."

After Hwa Pyeongs grand entrance everyone stared at her in awe, gawking stupidly as if they had never witnessed water teleportation before. On the other hand, graciously accepting the exaggerated compliments for God knows what, Hwa Pyeong bashfully smiled; taking a seat beside mine, naturally ending all chatter as she linked our arms together. What was I? The remaining piece of her unfinished jigsaw puzzle? Oh well, this was way too comfortable to pass up either ways.

Our shameless acts of public affection was something that used to be the talk of gossip back before. A disgraceful action that was meant to be reprimanded. Ask us if we have two fucks? No we didn't. Now nobody even cares if our legs lay atop each other with no care or if her body is half prawled atop of mine. But that doesn't mean this was gone unnoticed.

Judgingly glancing at us, they all pretend to gaze curiosly. Faces devoid of emotions, making it seem like they were simply observing us. Only problem was, they needed to learn how to control the hate inside their eyes. Then everything would be perfect.

It took a while before conversation resumed once more.

"Eren stopped by," she had whispered. "He said you'd be here."

I clenched the fork in my hand.

That son of a demon had set us up.

Just wait till I got a hold of his neck and then-

"Your dress looks beautiful by the way." Hwa Pyeong murmured at present points, her nimble fingers playing with a lock of my hair.

I scrunched my nose in confusion, looking down to see what I was wearing.

It was an old dress of Katherine's, long forgotten inside her rotting closet. Red silk with intricate swirl designs and a perfectly sewn lace corset that made it easy for me to breathe in.

The outfit went nicely with my skin tone, slightly paler due to lack of sunlight and my silver blonde hair.

I smiled. I truly did look kind of pretty. Kind of like mom.

But unfortunately I didn't come to reminisce old memories. I came because a certain water nymph had valuable tea to spill. That was if she wanted to.

"So what did happen in the Eastern Mines?" I cautiously ask. Who knows what could upset Hwa Pyeong. In the end, I'll be on the recieving end of her tantrums anyways.

She has the audicity to smile. All sweet dimples and full blown cheeks. "You can relax, you know." Hwa Pyeong giggles. "I'm not going to bite."

I barely managed to prevent myself from saying 'Yet'.

Life wasn't going easy on me at the moment and I didn't need to complicate it furthermore by provoking the female-Kim. The rebels did enough of that for me.

"The Aristocasts bought it. More specifically, Count Alastair. The papers were signed legally day-before-yesterday. I think he's planning on making it official by the end of this month."

I made a face of disgust. My look of abhorrence, poorly hidden by the thick velvet glove on my hand made it seem like a piss excuse that I was busy coughing. It looked more like I was busy trying not to choke on the Royal Familys' Obsidian scepter.

Unsurprisingly, Hwa Pyeong looked neutral. Neither ecstatic nor disappointed. Nobody but Hwa Pyeong could possibly look so calm despite being surrounded by rats and roaches. It truly was a talent.

"Why?" The word slips out before I could stop it.

A bit too loudly as well.

Everyone stops what they are doing so that they could pay attention to the both of us. I sit still, contradictory to the panic settling in my bones. This is what it felt when you messed shit up in public. Kathleen is going to hate me.

She was going to sacrifice some precious time from her hectic schedule just so that she could see me suffer and writhe in pain for my stupid mistakes. God really has favourites and it honestly isn't me.

"Why would you think that Lady Emurade?" I smile nervously, praying with all the hope left in my soul. Desperately willing her to go with the flow. Thankfully, her eyes crinkle in pure childish amusement. She was having fun because of my little incident.

I on the other hand am faced with the faces of numerous slimy snake whose eyes are filled with various level of fake interest. That's why Emurade uses this to our advantage.

"The market place, although it's a tab bit private, it has a way of attracting new customers." she smiles wickedly. " I figure they might be looking for new staff members here and there due to its sudden increase in number. What do you think?"

Quite ashamed to say this out loud, it takes me a whole thirty-second before realising what she's truly implying.

The inner circle of the Empires subjects all have hidden identities. Yet, they are the most respected out of all the Emperors minions. Everyone wants to join them. Even the Aristocrats. Lady Emurade is indirectly asking me to see how many imposters in this room might be interested in joining the elite crowd.

I consider disappearing into the imaginary hole on the floor in hopes of escaping the criticising stares of my companions. They are all waiting for me to say something.

Fuck.

I shouldn't have said anything.

Hwa Pyeong huffs. Enveloping my hand inside hers.

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" She speaks in my stead. Bless her and her big attention attracting mouth.

She purses her lips in a full pout. Everyone in the room melts. As do I.

"The market place is big. Of course they need helping hands if they want to manage the store. Especially if they want their latest plan to be successful."

Hwa Pyeong tilts her head, eyes blinking slowly.

"You do remember their most recent announcement, right?"

And that's all it takes before everyone is distracted. Jumping into a conversation about the market place, regardless whether they known the actual information or not. They were so fake I almost felt bad for them. Almost.

"You are such an instigator." I accuse, hissing into her ear.

"Yes I am!" she clenches her hand harder, smiling that one-sided dimpled smile that she knew made me soft. "But I'm your menace and you love me."

"And I ask myself every single time: Why?." I smile up at her from my lap.

"Ew," Emurade scrunches her nose. "You two are too cute."

I spare a glance towards the water nymph, leaning near her ear. "Stop trying to butter me up. What's the real deal?"

Instantly Hwa Pyeong frowns. But I knew her well enough to know it was fake.

"Can't I enjoy a lovely afternoon, drinking tea with my friends?"

"We are surrounded by roaches and wannabes."

"I enjoy tea, you know?"

"Duke Kim can buy you a whole factory if that's what you want him to."

"It's a beautiful sunny day!"

"It's raining?"

"Maybe, I just wanted to get out of the house."

All her previous excuses were dumb. But this one was on a whole another plane of dumbness that cannot be comprehended by someone consisting of a simple mind.

In other words, I quietly muttered "wtf" under my breathe.

I have known Hwa Pyeong ever since I was a child.

Since the moment she was born, she was engaged to my brother since then.

The funny thing was Hwa Pyeong is my brother's fiancé.

Almost 6 years younger than him and has yet to debut in society. A complete minor.

However, nobody batted an eye. This was a common affair between nobles. Children's are merely pawns used for parents benefits. Duke Kim was no special exception.

Nobody cared nor they ever will.

Killian's engagement to Hwa Pyeong caused us both to grow up together. A happy accident as the adults call it.

Always in each others presence, peacefully sharing the same toys, nursed by the same old, sweet nanny and taught basic education till we reached Grade:V. Hwa Pyeong felt more like a real sister to me than anyone else outside our family.

So it wasn't hard for me to understand her inner thoughts.

Heck it wasn't even hard for me to try to decipher her feelings based off of her face. Scrutinizing her droopy eyes, well bitten lips and the peeling flesh around the tips of her fingernails, it wasn't hard for me to guess she was nervous.

Nervous about what though, that's what I wanted to say.

While it might be conventional, I could never force an answer out of Hwa Pyeongs mouth. It seemed to have a mind of its own and a will made of pure steel.

So instead, I gently lean against her. Resting my head on her shoulder. "Don't be so tense, loosen up. It's a party after all."

I pressed the soft upper portion of my lips right on the juncture of her neck where the head and shoulder was connected. A silent message saying, 'Dont worry, I got you'.

I pull away after a few seconds, glanching at her above from below my lashes. She smiles. If you blinked, you would've missed the small quirk of her lips. Hwa Pyeong was trying very hard not to smirk and break her good girl facade.

Everyone was watching and waiting to see what we would do next. Especially the Aristocrats. Why?

Oh I forgot to mention.

Hwa Pyeong was a spy that infiltrated information from the Aristocrats for us. Basically, a double agent.