Stains.

Chapter 24.5: Stains.

Kein's POV

You know how I thought spending the day with her won't be bad?

She moves her white queen piece to corner my king.

Princess Cecilia smiles as she takes the tea from the other side of the table. "Checkmate, this has been your ninth time losing."

I groaned. "What the heck?! Again!"

I rearranged the chess pieces as I was fuming with smoke. I can't believe I got beaten by a twelve year old princess?!

"If you wish for a rematch I'll gladly provide one for the traveling artist." (Princess Cecilia) spoke, sipping the tea elegantly as she continued to give me that forsaken smile. "But do know, I won't show any mercy to any opponents I face even if it's one as adorable as you."

I shook my head, "Are you looking down on me?! Don't call me adorable. This time I will beat you for sure." I quickly rearranged the chess pieces as she set down her cup and rested her head in her hand.

"But you are adorable. Has no one ever told you that?" (Princess Cecilia) mutters giving me a weird look.

I sighed as I impatiently waited for her first move but it seems like she's not moving until I answer, "No one did. Now make your move, come on."

"You're a demanding one." she says as she moves her knight first. "Out of all the chess pieces, which one is your favorite, traveling artist?"

I looked up at her gaze. Her light gray eyes knew no bounds as she kept holding on to her golden embroidered fan. I look through our chess pieces and never really have thought of choosing a favorite piece before. "I don't know. I never really thought about it. To me every piece is important because every piece has its own worth."

I moved one of my pawns two steps forward as I took a cookie from the plate. Duchess Viviana swung by earlier with her maids giving us sweets and earl gray tea before leaving yet again. The taste of sugar lightened my mood as my feet couldn't stop dancing.

I hear someone giggle as to see it's still the princess acting really weird these hours, "You really are adorable."

"I swear when I grow up and become taller than you, I'll make you eat your words." I TALKED BACK TO THE FIRST PRINCESS-

I quickly stood up and was about to do my Asian apology bowing, "I'm sorry your highness- don't jail me-"

"I'll wait." She moves her queen eating my knight. It surprised me how she can be just so... carefree about someone just telling her, I'll make you eat your words?

"Pardon? You'll wait for what?" I ask feeling awkward than ever as I couldn't move any piece of my board feeling nervous and afraid that I'll be sent to jail-

"I'll wait for you to grow taller than me. I'll take back my words of calling you adorable." (Princess Cecilia) says smiling. "As long as I have an excuse to meet you again, it'll be wonderful."

I step back for a bit before stumbling over my seat, surprised. What the hell? How are you this smooth? Did I get trapped into a promise to meet her often?

I'm really not used to people making the move first on me but it seems fun so I'll play.

"And what if I end up becoming shorter than you?" I ask teasingly.

She rests her chin on her hand closing her eyes thinking it thoroughly- wow is me being shorter than you someday a big deal? "Hmm... I suppose you'll be the one leaning up then. I could work with that." (Princess Cecilia)

Leaning up? I hope it's not what she means or am I just overreacting.

"Agh wait enough small talk! You're just keeping me distracted from the chess game!" I tried changing the topic before my brain thought of other things.

I'm not into kids, I'm more into older women like Veronica! Yeah! People with big personalities!

"Oh dear, you've caught onto my masterplan. It seems I'll just be using my other tactic instead now." (Princess Cecilia)

After a few more minutes of quick touch moves, I... I lost. "Again?"

I looked over my blunders and realized I was too focused on her queen, the chess piece she uses the most that I've forgotten about her knight that she left untouched.

She led me like a rabbit into that box using her tricks. I sighed, mentally I already felt tired when I was just on my 10th match with her to which I have all lost.

"You're really scary ya know that, Princess Cecilia?" I laughed as the princess looked hurt for a bit.

She pouts for a moment as she takes the rim of her cup fiddling with the top of it. "I hope this will not stop you from ever playing chess with me, traveling artist. If you want to, I can be handicapped if you'd like our next game."

"Nah it wouldn't be fun and fair that way. Vincent and I were playing chess earlier as well and I got bored beating him up. It's nice to lose once and a while you know?" I took another cookie as I stared curiously at the first princess.

Now that I think about it, the first impression you'll ever think of her is this one perfect girl that's good in anything and I mean anything but is it really the case with her? "Has the first princess ever lost in a game of chess before?"

Princess Cecilia moves to rearrange the chess pieces herself this time. Somehow her gaze is nostalgic to the feeling, "Yes. I have, there is one person I cannot beat even after all these years." she mutters finally done arranging the pieces as I curiously leaned in.

"Who is it? I promise I won't tell." I told her excitedly.

"You really promise to keep this to yourself?" she asks and I nod.

"Mn! Mn! Mn! Spill the tea!"

"That's a strange metaphor for a tea traveling artist." Princess Cecilia giggles as she takes her time to answer, the private garden seemed so serene as the crystal lilies glowed behind her.

"It was my little twin sister. The second princess." she answered as she kept her gaze on her drink. "Isn't it surprising?"

I almost choked on my cookie but yeah- I was expecting some smart scholar of this kingdom or something but... I don't know but this feels a lot more heavy than I expected.

"Oh, I did hear you have a twin but I really wasn't expecting that." I awkwardly took a bite of my cookie as I waited for her to continue.

"My little sister acts like a fool. She thinks she has all the people in the castle fooled by her demeanor but I know she's more than that." (Princess Cecilia)

Her hands shivered as the cup spilled some of the tea over her dress. "This is why I always scold her. She has the potential to be the best light princess she could, but what does she do?! Fooling around in the-"

"Are you okay?" I asked her worriedly as I didn't notice I was already beside her holding her hand again trying to take the cup out of her hand. "You already spilled some on your dress, Princess Cecilia."

Princess Cecilia looks at her dress as her eyes widened face red, "M-My apologies. To have you seen that side of me- it's... it was inappropriate for a princess to have acted." she looks away from my gaze as I settle the cup back at the table.

"The tea was still warm, it didn't hurt you did it?" I look at her dress, the white dress now has some dark colored stains. "Do you need to change or anything? Surely the Duchess might have some other spare gowns or dresses inside?"

Princess Cecilia looks up to meet my gaze as she forces herself to smile, "It is no matter. A stain will not kill me."

I looked at her dress again feeling like it was a waste. What if she goes outside and gets questioned? I know one thing about people, they get curious and gossip about things that didn't even happen.

If they saw this stain who knows... what they'll say about her.

Hmm... the stain was a little near her waist. I wish I could do something... Oh!

"Hey Princess Cecilia, can you call the pixie that takes care of the garden here?"

"You mean... Mirabella?" (Princess Cecilia)

"Yeah I want to ask her something." I told her as I thought of a very great idea to temporarily hide the stain for now!

Princess Cecilia stands up from her seat, looking uncomfortable as she sighs. "I believe there's a [Flower Bell] near us. These are flowers commonly used to call the service of pixies and it should be... over here..."

She walks over behind a huge pot to find the [Flower Bell], it was huge. It was definitely similar to a normal bell but it had stems, leaves, and its color was pink. It was cute to me honestly but I wonder how she knew it was here? "Were you here often before?"

Princess Cecilia nods looking over the [Flower Bell] like it was an old friend of hers, "Upon the duties of the royalty is to build connections with other nobles. It was my duty to get to know the other noble children such as the son of Duke Wolford, that is Lord Vincent. So I often visited."

"So does that mean you and Vincent are close?"

Princess Cecilia slowly rings the flower bell as she smiles, "Not at all."

For a moment I thought to myself.

Your smile, why is it sad?

I couldn't understand nor was it my place to question it further.

The first princess confused me.

For the first time in a while I felt indecisive. I didn't know what I should do. "Mirabella should be here in a bit. So do you plan to tell me what you will do? Traveling artist? I'm a princess who doesn't like secrets after all." (Princess Cecilia)

I'll ask her another time but for now. I have to fix her stain, "It's not a secret but a surprise to your royal highness." My voice was playful. We waited for Mirabella as she landed on my head.

I almost didn't feel her going there. "Excuse me, but my head is not a nest you know."

Mirabella muttered some words I couldn't understand. Her voice was still on helium as I turned to Princess Cecilia waiting for translations. "She says... Why did you call me then?"

I put both of my palms together, raising them up leveled to my forehead as Mirabella sits on my hands. "Do you have any normal lilies? Or any other flowers that you grow here that's okay to take?"

Mirabella nods, her wings flutters as she motions us to follow her. She flew fast so I ran, but Princess Cecilia just stayed.

"I'm sorry but I cannot run. It is unfit for a princess to run." (Princess Cecilia)

"Oh! Okay stay there I'll be back!" I yelled as I excitedly went out for a run. I like running, I feel free whenever I do this.

I left her there all alone as I continued to follow the suit of Mirabella. She leads me to another different garden and holy shit is this place huge. Mirabella tugs on my sleeve adorably as she leads me to a batch of normal lilies. "Sorry for disturbing your work, Mirabella. I hope it's okay to really take this."

I took about three normal lilies, surely this is enough. The little pixie gave me a thumbs up as Mirabella and I went back to the first princess.

She looked like she was bored the time she was waiting there, a frown on her face as her hands poked the stains on her dress.

"We're back!" I yelled as I went up the small stairs to get inside.

Princess Cecilia stands up from her seat, "Welcome back, and I see you've brought some flowers with you."

"Yes, and can you close your eyes for a second?"

"What for?" (Princess Cecilia)

"Trust me! I'll be fine!"

"You won't stab me with those flowers right?" she says seriously and I have noticed her trust issues with people who might stab her it seems.

"No?! I wouldn't even dare to!" I defended myself. The royal family really have some issues but then again considering how many assassination attempts they must've had. I see why she made me drink a truth potion the first time we met.

"I was only teasing. I will close my eyes then."

The first princess did close her eyes as I began my work. Mirabella watched carefully as I took out some white ribbons that I've bought before in the market from my [Storage Ring].

These days I buy anything that catches my eye, I think its called hoarding. You know that feeling when you just want something even if you won't use it at the moment?

Add to cart, add to cart, then let it sit there for weeks and then buy and then realize oh I don't need it. Online shopping is convenient but it hurts my wallet so much.

My daughter has called me out on my online shopping addiction telling me we don't need another frog or another aquarium for them. Pain peko.

My hands stopped working as I successfully tied the ribbon with the flower into a beautiful knot. Now I just need a pin- or something. Ah thanks to my hoarding issues- I also had them for art reasons.

I stood in front of the first princess, as her eyes still closed. She was a really beautiful princess that's for sure but I knew she wasn't my type.

"Alright, please don't move for a moment and keep your eyes closed." She hesitates for a moment as my words indeed sounded suspicious but she nods in the end, taking my cue to pin this flower ribbon on her dress.

I moved quickly as I felt her body stiffened for a moment but slowly relaxed once she realized I didn't do anything inappropriate. Mirabella watched curiously as I finished pinning it into her dress. "You can open them up now."

Her eyes landed on mine for a moment before looking down at her dress to where the stain was supposed to be. "You made this?" (Princess Cecilia)

"I couldn't believe it either." I told her as I remembered the first time I accidentally made this with my daughter having her school picture day and there were juice stains on her clothes.

She was 4th grade at the time and she cried so hard, scared the other kids would make fun of her. I panicked and tried wiping it off instead but it was no use so I stole some flowers from the school garden and some ribbons on the art classroom.

Being a mother was hard, but I guess you would definitely do anything for your children. Even if it meant stealing from the school's garden. It was worth it. Everyone thought it was a pretty accessory and she smiled so much that day.

"It's... beautiful. Thank you." (Princess Cecilia) mutters as her hands gently grazes the lilies. Smiling so warmly... it was different from the smile she always forces to make.

"Now no one would see the stain, besides a beautiful person like you needs a beautiful dress. Well to be fair you were looking really uncomfortable even if you kept on smiling at me to hide it." I scratched my cheek as I embarrassingly looked at my work, the white lilies suited her white dress perfectly as well as the ribbon.

"You know I think you'd still look beautiful even if there's a thousand stains on your clothes because you're just that alluring to me, your highness."

I'm glad this would temporarily fix her problem. Her moves are pretty graceful so I think the flowers will last for hours. "I should probably thank Mirabella again for her help. I wouldn't have been able to help if it weren't for you, thanks Mirabella."

Mirabella the small little pixie covers her mouth with her face, as she waves her hands dismissively. "Mirabella says, you flatter her. You're very most welcome."

Whew I'm glad that's over with. Mirabella flies over the first princess as Princess Cecilia lifts her index finger for the little pixie to land on. "Oh? You have something to say to me too?" (Princess Cecilia)

Mirabella nods as the next words were more like whispers now. Princess Cecilia laughs softly as she turns to me, "I very much like the traveling artist too."

"Aw thank you." she probably means it as a friend.

That day went back like a flash as Mirabella joined our little playtime together. I wish I could invite Vincent but I think he locked himself inside his room by now.

What a traitor but well, I guess if it weren't for him I wouldn't see this side of the first princess.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

When it was time for the first princess to leave, her personal maid handed me over almost a stack of paper, two bottles of inks, and one very expensive looking quill. "I have prepared things you'll need to write me a letter often. Tell me where your permanent address is next time. I will be looking forward to it."

Oh wow. She really went all out, I have no excuses to not write to her then. I'll just put these in my [Storage Ring] at the moment.

I hope we meet again soon.

The royal carriage looked so regal as she stepped inside, the lion crest of her family was intricated in gold as dozens of guards walked alongside her carriage to protect her.

Without thinking, I waved farewell to her and she did the same.