✎ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛ: ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ

✇ 20:00 EST; District of Tvaru

Northwest of Aeternum | 3rd Samas: Year 1345

° ᴾʳᵉˢᵉⁿᵗ

Needless to say, it was very, very, very late by the time I got back to the mansion.

And by the time I was back, I felt ready to mascarade an entire city. Today was so not my day.

I remained impassive.

Even when the butler looked at me with worry.

Even when I practically ripped my outdoor clothings off in haste to wear something more comfortable.

Even when I refused dining with Kathleen tonight despite my need to inform her of today's events and occurings.

Even when Killian taunted me about something from across the room. My only response was to flip him off before shouting out loud that he broke the vase.

Which I might have accidentally tipped forward when walking up the stairs away from him.

The crash was loud enough to ricochet halfway around the mansion.

I mean, it was a large, fatass, antique vase.

His shouts of protests weren't exactly music to my ears but it did bring me a natural sense of joy to see him panicking.

Extra training was the perfect punishment for him.

Especially since our hardass trainer thought it was his personal duty to make life a living hell for my brother while father was away.

Groaning, I slam my face against the pillows scattered across the cushion inside my room. The silk felt cool against my flaming skin and with no maids or servants supervising me, I felt the days tension slowly seep out of my bones as I truly relaxed for the first time this entire day.

There was too much going on in my plate.

Not to mention the grand scene I caused today.

π

"I heard that the Emperor decided to announce something the day of the Royal Masquerade ball."

My breathe hitched. Even Hwa Pyeong looked shocked next to me. "What?"

Furrowing her eyebrows, Lady Emuraude looks at us.

"The Emperor." She repeats. "He would like to announce something on the day of the Ball before New Year's Fest. Is there something wrong?"

The question was so innocent that I almost wanted to lurch out at her. Yes there was something wrong. This changes everything we worked and believed for. This shook the core of our foundation and everything standing with it.

Almost trembling in rage, I hesitantly ask. "Didn't the Empress sort out the invitations?"

It was Lady Idris's turn to sneer.

"Why would the Empress invite everyone to a Ball the Emperor is hosting. Everyone knows how bad their relationship is."

This was bad. "Then what's the Ball about?"

Very bad. "The Emperor's next chosen heir."

That was all it took for me to tip over.

Every glass in the greenhouse shattered because of my emotions.

π

First the Royal mutt was back from wherever the tyrant sent him to.

Second the Queen was full-filling her job as the Palaces' Royal Bitch, throwing a party at the exact time people would have to attend by force.

Third, the so-called sun-of-the-nation has been ghosting us for weeks straight with no reasons why, only for us to find out he was the mastermind behind the whole Masquerade Ball.

Oh.

And apparently Eren and Hwa Pyeong knew all these beforehand. Even before Kathleen did.

So basically everyone was keeping secrets from us.

Nice.

At least Father is coming back soon.

But I don't know whether that's a good thing or not.

I just hope Kathleen isn't too mad about my abilities getting out of control.

If she was, I could kiss goodbye to all my human rights.

•••••••••••

To my luck, it turns out her anger wasn't directed towards. Instead, all the intensity of her glare was solely placed upon my unfortunate brothers soul who sat trembling under the weigh of her gaze.

Sucks to be him, I guess.

Gathered here in the library, we all sat respectively on a certain couch facing each other. The tension almost tangible in the air. It was suffocating to say the least.

It was a silent game of 'who had the guts to speak first'.

Even though it was crystal clear who was going to be the winner.

"Father's coming back."

I cursed my own mouth sometimes.

Eyes narrowed, finger nails digging into her palm and sporting an expression of distaste, Kathleen looked -to put in lack of better terms- constipated.

I forget there was someone else in this mansion who hated my father's guts more than I ever did.

"Yes," she agreed. "He most certainly and unfortunately is."

From the corner of my eye, I watched as Killian clenched his jaw before exhaling gently through his mouth. Father was a sore topic for him, considering the fact Killian would most certainly kiss the ground father walked upon.

This was definitely a topic we all avoided as long as we could to minimise the casualties that it migh cause. However, I guess its time to cross the bridge we all have been ignoring.

"Can we please get to the point."

My voice sounded meek and quiet to my own ears.

I can't imagine how pathetic I must sound to them.

"This can wait," Killian interjected. "Father will probably here by tomorrow noon and then we can-"

"We can what Killian?" I whisper. "Wait for him to use us as pawns again? Wait for him to leave at first light without so much as a note? Wait till we finally get newd of his death on the field, thousands of miles from home?"

I stare at his eyes that radiates anger as much as my own.

"What exactly do we wait what for?"

If he was angry before, Killian was certainly angry now.

"This was under the Emperor's order." He grits out. "He had no say in the matter."

The sound of a something heavy landing atop the tea table interrupted our heated conversation. It was a thin pile of scrolls that Kathleen decided to lay atop the white polished board, hardly containing more than four or five sheets of paper.

"Did he now?" The question arises. "The reports say otherwise."

There was concrete proof and evidence in that file.

The very same file I had looked into weeks back and made me support my theory.

The very same file that Killian refused to look at.

Just like now as he stormed out of the room.

When was he ever going to accept the reality of things?

I stood up; aiming towards the door in hopes of convincing the sometimes-immature brat to come back and for the love of God, to review the file.

That was the plan. Until the she-devils voice rang out once again through the room.

"Sit." She had spat. "We still haven't talked about the scene you caused today. Quite a debacle might I say."

At this moment I wish the anger directed towards Killian earlier had been on me. The fear of father's return and the argument had only fueled her flames into something much larger. The glare she gave Killian seemed like feathers grazing ones arm unlike the knife sharp fiery orbs that were currently directed towards me.

I should have confessed my sins when I had the chance.