Kirin, Alaric and Freyja quietly waited in the mansion's living room, tension in the air, waiting for the butler's mistress to come out and greet them. After half an hour of waiting, finally, the butler announced his lady's appearance.
Freyja's jaw dropped. What came to greet them was a tall, gorgeous young woman with bright blonde curls and long, slim legs. She elegantly walked down the stairs in a purple velvet gown. With a radiant smile on her face, she ran to embrace Kirin. "Lord Kirin! I'm so happy!" But he shoved her off right away. Kirin suspiciously glared at her, more intensely than he usually does. "Now what are you planning? Reveal my location?" His voice was cautiously cold.
"Not a chance!" She exclaimed, teary eyed. "You know I will never ever betray you!"
Freyja can't help but stare at the picturesque lady. Noticing her, Kristril shifted her eyes to Freyja. "Is she your handmaid?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, and was even more agitated when Freyja reached for Kirin's sleeve out of reflex. "It's rude to get clingy to someone else's fiancé, you know."
"F-F-Fiance!?" She jumped away from Kirin, hands in the air.
Freyja was too shocked to even ask. "I'm sorry!"
"Why are you apologizing!?" Kirin gently hit her head with a chop.
"I'm her guardian. Don't speak that way to her." Kirin cautined before turning to Freyja once more. "She's lying, she's only calling herself my fiancé. And Kristril, just to let you know, I have severed my ties with the Aethelmaer clan. Go and marry Ahrin or Keon." Just as when Kirin was about to turn his back to her, Kristril ran to him and hugged him from behind. "I love you Kirin!"
Her bold confession rendered everyone in the room speechless—except Kirin. He sighed, and smirked.
"You 'love' me? Did you also say that to my father when you tried to seduce him?" He yanked her hands off him. But Kristril had a few more tricks under her sleeve. She refused to let go, and instead, whispered tempting words in his ear. "I know everything about the girl your father wants to kill." Kirin froze. "But I am sure you don't want her to hear the details. You know that my loyalty is with you and I can help you." She continued. "Just stay here for a couple of days, that's all I ask."
Kirin suppressed his trembling fists. He can tell she's up to something, but at the same time, the information bargain was too tempting to let go. After getting Aria, they are back to being clueless as to the location of the other Celestial guardians. "Let's talk in private." He whispered back.
"We're staying here for a couple of days." Kirin said before going up the stairs with Kristril.
Watching Kirin leave with Kristril worried Freyja that she tried to follow them. However, the butler stopped her. "Miss, Lord Kirin and Lady Kristril have something important to talk about. Let me lead you to your rooms." Freyja was about to protest when Alaric took her hand. "Kirin knows what he's doing, let's trust his plans." Alaric explained, calming the girl down. "You're right, he'll be fine."
The old butler smiled before interrupting. "Lady Kristril's devotion to Lord Kirin is undying. She won't do anything that will harm him. She loved him since they were children, please trust her."
"I see." Freyja forced herself to smile, but Alaric saw through it. They followed the old butler to the mansion's third floor and into the guest room. Knowing that despite the Lady's claim of loyalty to Kirin, they are still in the Aethelmaer clan's territory. Both Alaric and Freyja were well aware that Freyja is in an even greater danger than Kirin.
"Don't worry, Kirin will be alright." He said sitting next to Freyja on the bed. "I'm with you Freyja. Am I not good enough?" he jokingly asked, making Freyja laugh. "Thanks Alaric. Let's both take care of Kirin!" Seeing her usual energy back, he nodded with a smile. "Yeah, let's do that."
"I know!" Freyja jumped up, "How about we go around the town for a while! It'll be boring to stay here doing nothing." She ran to the windows and saw the town bustling with action. Alaric saw no difference in threat either way. He agreed. "You're right. Let's go! We may even learning something." Alaric winked.
Freyja ran to Kirin to tell him about their plan to go around town. "Kirin, we'll go around the town! Do you want to come?" But she was turned down right away. "I have something to discuss with Kristril, you and Alaric can go." He replied without even looking at her. Freyja can't believe what he just said. Though he often scolded her, he always ended up going with her no matter where she went. "I see. We'll see you later!" She forced a smile, feeling a piercing pain in her chest.
Alaric and Freyja wandered around the town, secretly gathering information about the Aethelmaer clan while still enjoying themselves. Alaric noticed that Freyja is way more cheery than usual. They checked out stores, ate quite a lot of desserts too. As they walked along the town's plaza, Freyja and Alaric witnessed a strange procession going on. "Alaric, what's that?" Freyja pointed to the hooded girls riding carts.
"Oh, that is the annual procession. You see, this is a very wealthy city, but in exchange, we have to send a couple of young girls as slaves to the Aethelmaer clan's manor." The man beside her answered, overhearing Freyja's question.
"The Aethelmaer clan!?"
"You must be foreigners... well, the girls are taken to the manor far to the north but no one knows what happens to them, I don't know. Good thing I'm normal and I'm a guy." The man shook his head before leaving.
"You heard that Alaric? They are sent as slaves! We have to stop them!" Freyja was about to jump in the middle and create a ruckus, But Alaric stopped her. "Don't. We'll only cause more trouble if we stop them now."
"But..."
"I understand what you mean Freyja, but remember, we are wanted in this place too. I feel the same. So how about this? I will follow them covertly and gather information on the way. Okay?"
"No! You're going to do it again Alaric, you'll get in trouble!"
Alaric smiled and pinched her cheek. "Don't worry, I won't attack or what, I'll just trail them and gather information. Then I'll be back right away."
Freyja crossed her arms. "No, I won't let you go."
Alaric held both of her shoulders. "Listen Freyja, I'll be fine, trust me. I'll come back right away. Have a little more faith in me! This time, I won't get some monster eat me or something. Kay?" He laughed and Freyja nodded. "Alright, be careful Alaric."
"Give me until tomorrow, at least. That should be enough." Alaric started checking out the supplies in his belt bag. He smiled, looking at the fully-loaded illusion crystals he can use to escape, should anything happens. "But you know Freyja, I'm more worried about you. If that Kristril bullies you, just let me know and I'll beat her for you." He smile with a thumbs up. Freyja grinned, relieved. "Alright then! Make sure you come back right away and save me from her!"
Freyja returned to Kristril's mansion by herself. The first thing she did was to head straight Kirin's room to report, only to find him and Kristril talking about her. She couldn't go inside, unintentionally eavesdropping on their conversation.
"I know that girl. She's the Lenfiare. I'll keep quiet about her too but I want you to answer me honestly Lord Kirin. Who is she to you and why are you helping her this much?" Kirin didn't reply.
"By any chance, you're not in love with her, are you?"
There was a long pause, before he chuckled. Finally, he replied. "Of course not. I'm keeping her to foil father's plans." Freyja heard Kristril giggle in relief. "I will never let father get what he wants. Never."
"And then you'll take over the Aethelmaer. Just as I predicted. I've always sensed that in you ever since we were children."
Freyja felt like her heart just stopped for a couple of seconds. At first, her brain desperately denied what she just heard. But it came from Kirin. She knows she heard them right. Tears welled up. "So that's it..." She thought "...Kirin is protecting me to defeat his father. I am no more than a valuable hostage to him." She quietly turned back and headed straight to her room.
As Freyja stared out at the window, waiting for Alaric, her mind couldn't help but repeat what she just overheard. Ever since Kirin left with Kristril, he has never even checked up on her. Then, a sudden knock on the door lit her up. She jumped out of the bed, almost rushing to open it. "Kirin?"
It wasn't Kirin. It was Kristril.
"You do know that Kirin and I are engaged right?" She frankly started. "Ever since we were children, we're already together. We shared memories and happy times together. In his painful days, I stood by his side and he did the same with me." Tears fell from Kristril's eyes and Freyja started to panic. "W-wait, wh-why are you crying?"
"You see, I love Lord Kirin deeply. But he's conflicted. He wanted to come back, he wanted to stay here but he said that... that... he was worried about you. So..."
Freyja looked down. "So, Kirin wanted to stay here but he can't because of me?" She thought.
"Please, please set Kirin free! As long as you're here he'll never get over his vengeance! Can't you see he's conflicted and suffering!? Don't drag him any more in you issues, I'm begging you!"
Freyja can't respond. Not a single word. What she heard from him, what Kristril just said, they all made sense. She was the one who stubbornly clung to him like a newly-hatched chick. She wanted to ask Kirin and confirm if Kristril was telling the truth. But, recalling what she just overheard, she's even more afraid for Kirin to say it's all true. She can't bear to hear those come out of Kirin's mouth.
"So," Krisitril continued, "If you still have the slightest care for Kirin, please leave his side at once!"
Freyja was left in the room, standing, speechless.
Feeling a strange fluctuation in her aura, Astrid from inside the medallion called out to her.
"Lenfiare, wh-"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She even shut Astrid out. Freyja wanted to be alone more than ever. She can't even tell what she's really feeling and it's frustrating her so much. Feeling extremely suffocated in that mansion, Freyja climbed out of the window, and jumped down, cushioning her fall with aura. She ran away, as fast as she could.
Sitting on the town's outskirts just after sunset, Freyja gazed at the stars. "Astrid, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I didn't mean it, I'm really sorry." Astrid went out of the medallion in his human form, and sat beside her. "You don't need to apologize for something so trivial, Lenfiare." He assured. "What is troubling you, Lenfiare? We are especially born to help you, you know."
"I am worried about Alaric. Though he said he'd be back tomorrow."
"I don't sense immediate danger, and he's a capable fighter, he should be fine."
"That's right, maybe I'll just wait for him here."
"Where is Kirin? I'm surprised he isn't with you."
Freyja fell silent. "Astrid, in your opinion, do you think it's alright to get outsiders involved with the issue in Celestia? I mean, people like Alaric and Kirin, do you think they should keep being with me on this?"
"Frankly I don't." Astrid sternly replied. "But they did help you Lenfiare. And I don't think it's easy to do things against your will."
"You're right." She sighed. "You know what Astrid, I just heard from Kirin himself, that he's keeping me alive and helping me only because he wants to foil his father's plans."
"Do you want me to kill him?" Astrid bluntly asked, seriously thinking that Freyja might be pleased with that. Trying to hold her laughter after hearing Astrid's innocently disturbing words, she took a deep breath and smiled. "I appreciate the offer Astrid, but don't that." Astrid finally felt Freyja's heart calm down. "I see."
From not so far away, she spotted little lights and loud music playing in town. She stood up, about to get a closer look, when she suddenly sensed a familiar aura nearby. "WHO's THERE!?" She pulled a dagger from her belt and stood on guard. Although she sensed it, Freyja's reaction was still too slow compared to the lurker. Everything happened so fast that even before she could summon her celestial guardians, she found herself immobilized by an aura-chain wrapped around her body.
"What are you doing here?" The lurker's voice was awfully familiar. "Freyja, what are you doing here?" He was just as surprised as her.
"I...It's you." Freyja cleared her throat before continuing, "Keon Aethelmaer."
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