"How are your wounds?" the princess asked as we were walking. I kept myself behind her for courtesy.
"All going well, Your Highness. I think I will be fully healed in a week," I replied.
"Good to hear," she said, her voice was more relaxed now that we were far from the training camp. "What will you do when you are healed?" she asked casually.
I thought for a moment and said, "I might try cooking. That sounds fun."
"Oh? How so?" she turned slightly to me with a curious tilt.
"I don't know. But I imagine it would be nice if I could see Ly Giai and Si's satisfied faces when eating my food," I said, imagining our warm moments having meals together.
"I see," she replied thoughtfully when hearing that.
She then stopped when we were at a pond. I was surprised to see such a naturally beautiful pond inside her palace.
The princess's gaze paused at the still water to take in the beauty of the peaceful setting. The gentle sound of rustling leaves, the soft chirping of crickets, the slight breeze of the air, and the light waves in the pond made the place ideal for relaxing the mind.
She then closed her eyes and took deep breaths, appreciating the fresh air. I stood behind her and did the same.
"I have observed the three of you closely since you were the only one left of the refugees," she continued speaking.
"I'm sorry for being a nuisance," I quickly said, afraid that we had somehow upset her.
She smiled and shook her head. "That's not what I meant," she assured me. Then her tone changed. "Can you tell me what you know about Ly Giai?" Her sudden shift to Ly Giai raised my defenses immediately.
"May I ask why you are interested in her?" I asked politely and cautiously.
The princess glanced at me as if asking how dare I question her. Her blue eyes were so sharp and intense that I felt they would penetrate me. Her sudden change from gentleness to overpowered made my spine shiver. How could a maiden be so terrifying?
I forcefully put out a smile but remained silent.
Seeing that pressure didn't work on me, she turned to face me directly.
"How am I compared to her?" she asked. Her question was so unexpected that any barrier I had in my mind couldn't predict it.
"Huh? What kind of question is this? Does she like me or something?" I questioned myself.
"Uhm… Your Highness, what do you mean by that? I don't know how to answer?" I responded.
"My face compares to her face," she clarified, but it raised more questions in me, to be honest.
"Does she like me? Like for real? I mean why would she like me? She sure is pretty. But compared to Ly Giai…" I suddenly stopped when a realization hit me.
"Sorry if I disrespect you in any way, but you and Ly Giai have very similar features," I carefully replied.
When you compare the two, besides the obvious fact that they both have blue eyes, Ly Giai also has naturally curled hair, with a small high bridge nose and thin lips. But although both have similar features, the princess looks more stern and strict while Ly Giai looks more loving and caring. One thing that was undeniable though, was that both had auras and demeanor, unlike commoners like me.
"So I am not the only one," the princess sighed. "A few days after I took all of you in. I noticed that too," she confessed. "Ly Giai might be related to our royal family."
The possibility hung in the air between us. "Should I ask her about it then?" I proposed, but the princess shook her head.
"No need to. We are still not certain if Ly Giai really is a royal or not. Does she even know herself? If she does, then why is she hiding her identity? There are too many uncertainties for you to ask her directly," the princess explained. "Now then, can you tell me what you know about her?"
I scratched my head. "Honestly, I don't know much besides that her family was rich and influential in the South city."
The princess looked at me suspiciously. "That's all. Really?" there was a slight coldness in that question.
"Yes. I'm honest," I quickly replied.
She stared at me but then relaxed and let out another sigh. "Since you are close to Ly Giai, can you observe her and report to me anything out of the ordinary?" she asked.
"Of course," I nodded. "But what will you do if Ly Giai is a royal?" I added.
"I'm also curious about Ly Giai's identity, but I need to see if the princess will harm her," I thought.
As though she could see through my intention, the princess smirked, "Opposite to what you think. If Ly Giai is indeed a royal, I couldn't be happier." Her face turned sad. "It's been pretty lonely by myself."
I was curious as to what she meant by that, but also a bit relieved hearing that she didn't mean to harm Ly Giai. But still, I was cautious. "Why should I trust you, Your Highness?" I asked.
"Because I opened the gates to save you and the other refugees," she replied swiftly, stating the obvious.
Her response struck me. It brought back memories of the desperate moments at the capital's gates. "That's true," I agreed. "Talking about that, what happened to the gates' commander?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Him? I killed him right then."
"You killed him?" I let my voice out loud, couldn't hide my shock.
"Of course. Don't you remember how many people died because of his stubbornness?" she said like killing a person was nothing for her.
"Yes," I clenched my fists. I was still very angry remembering all of that. "I still can't fathom why he didn't let the gates open despite how desperate we were begging him," I angrily said.
Just a hand of her on my shoulder was enough to calm me down.
"I questioned him the same when I threatened to kill him, he scaredly told me there could be spies hiding among the civilians," she calmly said. "Which was stupid beyond imagining."
"Is that really a good reason to let thousands of people die?" I almost yelled.
The princess went silent. Her not saying anything was a frightening answer.