DOUBLE

At the mansion.

"Rose?" Ao is surprised to find her at the kitchen. "I thought you are out today since it is your day off and your birthday."

"Yeah," she smiled. "Well, I kind of done what I had to do. Since I finished early I decided to just return and help you out with the chores. I really feel guilty leaving you alone."

"It is fine," Ao felt strange about her. She's being familiar with him when in fact they aren't really close.

"Anyways," Rose goes back to her chamber. "I'll go change then come help you."

"No need," Ao told her. "I am done here. And the young master said he will dine outside with his friends. So there is nothing to do today. You just laze around."

"Ah," Rose smiled. "Then I'll be cleaning the house again."

"It is already clean," Ao said watching her leave. "What's with her today? She sound different."

Ichiro meets up with Ryun and Hugo at the park.

"Someone is smiling strangely," Hugo noticed the grin on Ryun's face.

"What happened to you today?" Ichiro curiously asked.

"I just unveiled someone," Ryun replied.

"Oh?" Ichiro surprisingly asked. "Who could that be?"

"The lovely maiden behind the mask," Ryun gave him a clue.

"Who?" Hugo felt out of place. He has been out of the country to do some errands for Ryun the entire week.

"Seri Gomez?" Ichiro guessed.

"And Rose Silvers," Ryun added.

"So our guess was right!" Ichiro exclaimed.

"The maiden whom the young master danced that night?" Hugo frowned. "But who is Rose Silvers?"

"Same person," Ichiro explained. "The lady has been playing a game lately making the young master dig deep to uncover it all."

"Ah," Hugo nodded.

"But that was no fun," Ichiro sighed. "Just in a week? She's not a good pretender!"

"What was her goal?" Hugo asked.

"Don't know really," Ichiro turned to Ryun.

"That is the game we are playing now," Ryun told them.

"So the game continues huh?" Ichiro frowned.

"Kind of," Ryun giggled.

"Why are you giggling?" Ichiro suspiciously looked at him.

"What game are you playing now young master?" Hugo asked.

"I don't like the way he is smiling," Ichiro felt worried.

"You'll see," Ryun smiled. "Just play along."

"I don't like how he smiles," Hugo told Ichiro.

"I just said that," Ichiro glared at him. "Why do you have to repeat it?"

"It is what I wanted to say too," Hugo replied.

"Your orders sir," the waiter serves them their entre and drinks. Then he leaves to prepare the next course.

"This salmon sure is popular here," Ichiro commended it. "Everyone is going crazy about this dish. I wonder why."

"Why don't you try it now so you'll know why everyone like it so much?" Ryun suggested.

"Yeah," Ichiro took a bite and chewed on it slowly. Taking his time tasting the different flavors the dish offered. Salty yet sweet. Crunchy yet soft on the inside. Too many flavors but in a good balance.

"How does it taste?" Hugo asked.

"Just like what they say," Ichiro smiled. "It does not disappoint my taste buds."

"Then compliments to the chef!" Hugo happily said. "And thanks to the young master for the treat!"

"This is for doing a good job," Ryun replied.

"Speaking of a job," Ichiro can't keep it any longer. "Young master."

"Yes?" Ryun eagerly listened.

"About Regan Star," Ichiro said in a low tone. "I heard the guy only sticks to one person."

"Regan Star?" Hugo curiously asked. "The crown prince's trusted man?"

"Yes," Ichiro nodded. "He only sticks to the crown prince's daughter."

"Isn't the crown prince's daughter young master's betrothed?" Hugo recalled.

"That was a long time ago," Ichiro replied. "It has changed now…"

"Has it?" Hugo turned to Ryun nervously.

"It has," Ryun assured them. "But what are you saying about Regan Star?"

"Regan Star is Lucas," Ichiro told him. "The closest person to Rose Silvers whom you said to be Seri Gomez."

His ground shook. Lightning struck him making him speechless.

"Uh," Ichiro took out his phone and opened the gallery. He had taken a few screenshots of the evidence he had gathered. "Take a look at these documents I somehow acquired illegally."

"You hacked into the Alliance server?" Hugo almost screamed.

"Shh!" Ichiro hushed him down.

"Sorry," Hugo zipped his lips and turned to Ryun.

"I think our lady is not someone who she seems," Ichiro said.

Ryun's eyes scrutinized every picture and every document saved in Ichiro's phone. All comes from the Alliance server.

"The Alliance had kept it in one disk," Ichiro explained. "All information about Yue Sky and his family. The only one missing is Serenity's. But the link to her is Regan Star who quietly watches from the side lines."

"So the survivors of the Sky family is in the Alliance?" Hugo confirms.

"Yes," Ichiro nodded. "Young master Kai already has this information. In fact he is already investigating Aki Frost."

"Aki Frost?" Ryun asked.

"Aki Frost," Ichiro repeated. "Aki is short for Akihito the adopted son of Prince Yue."

"So you are saying that the reports many years ago were all fake?" Ryun analyzes.

"It is faked," Ichiro nodded. "To ensure the safety and survival of the bloodline of Sky. They are indeed the rightful heirs of the throne."

"King Nabu is a royal," Hugo said thinking. "Right?"

"King Nabu is a royal but an outsider," Ichiro replied. "His kingdom has been destroyed a long time ago before Sky come into power. His motives behind the death of the late king Zen Sky with his son Crown Prince Claire and the banishment of the two princes Yue and Marcus is still unclear. The Alliance is still in the process of digging info about this King Nabu."

"Prince Marcus was the first to leave the continent," Hugo remembered that day. "There was a fight between him and Prince Yue over this one girl. Prince Marcus is defeated and is banished."

"No," Ichiro shook his head. "That was a lie. Prince Marcus left voluntarily because he couldn't bear to see his beloved taken from him. To think that it is his own brother."

"So it was a love triangle?" Hugo sees it clearly now.

"But there is this tale going around the castle walls about these three," Ichiro continued. "Prince Yue never loved Lady Mely but Prince Marcus does. But Lady Mely wanted Prince Yue because she wanted to be on the top knowing Prince Yue will inherit the throne and not Prince Marcus. However, Prince Yue did not look at her because his heart longs for his one love who bore him a daughter."

"How is this connected to Seri Gomez?" Ryun asked.

"Seri Gomez is Serenity Sky," Ichiro confidently said. "You said Rose is Seri thus this girl is also Serenity."

"I am having a bad feeling about this," Hugo worriedly looked at Ryun. "If that is true then the motive behind her pretending to be a maid could be to make the young master pay for dumping her?"

"That," Ichiro cut Hugo there. "She doesn't know Ryun is Prince Ryuichi."

"What if she had known?" Hugo curiously glanced at the two.

"There is no way she would have known," Ichiro confidently said.

"What proof do you have about Serenity to be Seri?" Ryun asked him.

"Regan Star who is always hanging around with her," Ichiro confidently replied.

Ryun could not believe what he is hearing. He wanted this to be just a misunderstanding. For him, there is no way Seri is Serenity. But Seri and Rose he is sure this is one person. Yet Ichiro is sure about these things that is confusing him.

Evening came in a blink of an eye. Ryun comes home with his two best buddies, Ichiro and Hugo.

"Rose?" Ichiro is surprised to see her standing next to Ao.

"Greetings to the young master," Rose bowed to greet him mimicking Ao.

"You are still here?" Ryun's voice shattered them.

Confused. Rose frowned at Ryun's reaction.

"What do you mean by that young master?" Rose asked. "This servant does not understand."

"Didn't we agree on something earlier this morning?" Ryun reminded her.

"I am sorry but I have not seen the young master this morning," Rose replied shaking her head.

Ryun stared deep into her eyes to break her pretenses. Yet what he sees is a confused maid who is asking for an explanation of what she had done.

"Young master?" Ichiro sensed something.

"Come with me to my study," Ryun told Rose. "You and I have something important to discuss."

Hesitant. She watched him climb the stairs. Her heart leaped nervously.

"Don't make him say it twice," Ichiro told her. "Go."

"Okay," Rose nervously followed him.

Ryun stood there by his desk and waited for her to enter.

"Have I done something that angered young master?" Rose asked nervously.

"Strip," Ryun replied.

Shocked. Rose froze in front of him.

"Strip the mask you are wearing," Ryun said it again. "Seri Gomez."

"Seri Gomez?" she frowned. "Young master I do not understand."

"We talked earlier," Ryun told her. "We played a game and you lost. The deal was you are not to show yourself to me as Rose Silvers but Seri Gomez."

"Young master," Rose bowed. "I am Rose Silvers. Why would I be deceiving the young master? That would be a crime!"

"Don't make me say it again," Ryun told her firmly.

"Young master," Rose showed him. "I am not wearing a mask! This is my real face."

"You are wearing lenses and a wig," Ryun said.

"No," Rose cried and kneeled showing him she is not lying. "Why don't you touch my iris and see if you can remove it? And pull my hair so you'd be convinced I am not wearing any wig."

Ryun quietly stood there. Sober. Angry. His fists clenched holding it all inside.

"This maid is telling the truth," Rose cried.

Outside. Hugo and Ichiro is on standby. Though they could not hear a word from behind the door they remain still.

"I wonder what they are doing inside," Hugo suspiciously turned to Ichiro.

"Investigation I guess," Ichiro replied.

"The young master looked at her angrily," Hugo recalled Ryun's reaction when he saw her.

"I would feel the same way after knowing everything," Ichiro said with a sigh. "That girl is really nice. Too bad she played fire with him."

Sobbing. Rose cried in front of him. She pleads for mercy.

"See that I am telling the truth!" Rose pricked her eyes and bleed.

"Enough!" Ryun could not bear it any longer. To see blood made him a bit guilty to have forced her further. His heart broke.

Ichiro's words echoed in his head. If Regan is Lucas then Rose could be Serenity. Since Lucas is closest to Rose. The guy has not been seen to be near Seri. So he hopes Seri and Rose are two different people. However, thinking so does not ease the pain in his chest.

"Young master," Rose sobbed. "Do you believe me now?"

Ryun heaves a sigh and took out a towel from his drawer.

"Here," Ryun gives it to her. "Sorry about that. Now wipe your face dry. I'll ask Hugo to call doctor Fin to treat your eye."

"No," Rose shook her head.

"What do you mean no?" Ryun angrily asked. "You'll be blind if that is left untreated!"

"I have an ophthalmologist," Rose replied. "Doctor Foster."

"Doctor Foster?" Ryun frowned. "I have not heard of him."

"He knows me well," Rose explained. "Whenever I got eye problems I go to him for checkup. So I'll go to him."

"Fine," Ryun agrees. "I'll ask Hugo to take you there."

"No," Rose shook her head. "He can come over. Is it alright?"

Ryun hesitates for a bit. But seeing her condition he agrees.

"But shouldn't that be treated at a hospital?" Ryun asked. "Or a clinic."

"This is just a minor thing," Rose managed to smile.

"You still can smile after that?" Ryun guiltily said.

"It is nothing," Rose bowed.

Rose sat there on the sofa waiting for Doctor Foster. Hugo had been sent to pick him up. While Ichiro stood there next to Ryun. They are talking in low voices.

'You just wounded her,' Ichiro reprimands him.

'She did it to herself,' Ryun replied.

'Yet you forced her to do it,' Ichiro continued.

'I am guilty alright,' Ryun sighed.

'So if this is a different girl,' Ichiro looked at her closely. 'Then my guess is right?'

'We don't have proof for that,' Ryun argues.

'Want me to investigate further?' Ichiro suggested. 'Looks like you aren't convinced of the ones I have shown you earlier.'

'Can we put this one on the shelves first?' Ryun asked almost pleading. 'I am not feeling well right now. I need space.'

'A day,' Ichiro agrees. 'You have to pull yourself together. Young master Kai is getting closer to it.'

'I don't care if my brother unveils it,' Ryun turned away. 'What does it have to do with me?'

'The promise made years ago cannot be broken,' Ichiro reminded him.

'Sky Continent has already lost its grip,' Ryun told Ichiro. 'If we are talking about the benefits for both sides, looks like Gaia will benefit nothing from them. So what's the purpose? It is best to be forgotten!'

'I understand how you feel,' Ichiro patted his shoulders. 'Go. Rest for tonight. I'll give you a day to think things over then we'll talk about this one.'

'Right,' Ryun nodded.

Hugo arrives with Doctor Foster. A tall middle aged man took the time to treat Rose's eye.

The gentlemen watched closely from behind as the doctor begins the medication. Standing quiet and observant.

"Done," Doctor Foster smiled at her. It only took him fifteen minutes to finish. He had covered with bandage her right eye.

"Now the young master's maid is handicapped," Ichiro is worried.

"She can rest until that eye heals," Ryun assured the doctor.

"She can still work," Doctor Foster told them. "But she's not allowed to overdo herself or it will affect her eye."

"Then it is best she go to rest," Hugo suggested. "If she stays then we feared she might feel guilty not working."

"I agree," Ichiro nodded. "So, Rose will be going back to Oceania, right young master?"

"Yeah," Ryun agrees.

Rose looked at them regretfully. She doesn't want to leave. She regretted pricking her eye that it bleed causing them trouble.

Ryun is determined to send her home. In fact, he has other plans in his head too.