When they all heard the strange woman say the King's name, they were all shocked. They thought about when her death would be, and whether she would be burned alive or her head would be chopped, just like the other people who had offended the ruthless King.
"Why did you call His Highness by his name?" Princess Rija asked, "Do you want to be beheaded?!"
"Eh? Why?" Ely was totally clueless. "I am very close with him."
"That is the rule here. Anyone who offends His Highness will say goodbye to their heads!"
"Ely is a special woman to me," The King suddenly said, then tucked some hair strands at the back of her left ear, "She is the only one I allow to call me by my first name."
Everyone in the room couldn't believe what they witnessed, but now they were sure. Their King really was treating Ely differently, and seeing how he acted towards her, there would be a big chance she would be their new Queen someday.
Princess Rija excused herself and dragged her husband Prince Kaio towards the other guests, embarrassed that she had offended someone who was treated special by His Highness.
"What was that about?" The King asked Ely, who was giggling for some unknown reason.
The two of them went to the balcony facing the beach, to get some fresh air.
"She might have thought I'd be punished for calling you your precious name," said Ely.
"Back then, if you did not tell me you were the Queen of Ballad, I might have beheaded you."
A short laugh escaped from Ely's mouth, thinking about how the King misinterpreted her singer title. "What if I am a spy or an assassin? You should not believe someone that easily," she uttered as she remembered a distant memory, "I have experienced betrayal from a friend of mine before. She stole my song and got the top rank for a week-"
"Stole your song? Top rank? What do you mean?"
"Ooops," she realized that she was not allowed to say anything about her world. Nevermind… What I meant was, she stole something important to me even though she was my best friend. So as the King of this nation, you shouldn't trust someone easily, even if it's someone close to you!"
"I don't trust someone that easily," he replied, stroking Ely's head, "You're just an exception. It's because I think you're harmless."
"Geez, you really don't get me, Maro," she sighed, "Even the cutest little doggy can bite his own owner if not taken care of properly."
"You are saying some unusual things." the King uttered, "Don't worry, I will take care of you properly."
"Eh?" Ely pouted, "But I'm not a doggy! That sentence is only a-"
He suddenly took her hand and placed it in his arm. "Let us greet some guests. You should come with me."
The two of them also walked around to greet the other guests inside the wide hall. As the King of the nation, he was obligated to converse with them, even though it was his brother's birthday. But even though he discussed politics and other topics with them, he did not give them a chance to meet his beloved Elizabeth. He felt like it was his way of protecting her, but the truth was, he just gets jealous that easily. He did not want Ely to become close to other people but himself.
Ely just listened to all of their conversations quietly, noticing that no one ever attempted to ask King Maro about her. 'Why is Maro not introducing me to them? I mean, it's a common social etiquette when you have a partner at a party.' Ely thought. She was feeling like she was invisible as the night deepened. She excused herself and told the King that she would only be at one corner of the hall, to eat and taste all the dishes served. And that killed her boredom right away!
When the party was about to come to an end, Ely asked King Maro if it would be alright to visit the beach that could be seen from the balcony. She felt stuffed eating all those seafood that she needed fresh air. He agreed to accompany her.
The King's guards were asked to stand at a slightly further distance to give the two privacy. As the two of them walked at a slow pace, Ely was glancing at the side to see the beautiful moon. The full moon was so identical to the moon she saw on the day her husband died.
King Maro suddenly stopped walking, and because of that, Ely turned around and asked him what the problem was.
"Ely, I know it has been only a week ever since you came here," King Maro said in a low voice, "But I have never felt this way before. It is an unfamiliar feeling, yet I know that I shouldn't hold myself back. After all, I am the King of this nation. Why should I stay afraid of your answer?"
"Huh? Answer?" Ely raised her brow, confused about what the King meant. She felt that he spoke too fast. "What is the question?"
"I take it back. There is no question." He then went nearer to her and cupped her chin. When their eyes met, he told her:
"Be my Queen, Ely... You're not allowed to say no."