It had been a week ever since the emperor called for her. At first, Hera thought it was merely a day, but Miseok had filled her in with the details. She had been grimly warned by her nanny as well that no one else knew of what happened to her aside from her and an alchemist Miseok secretly snuck into the manor. She had been keeping everything under wraps under the pretense of Hera being unwell.
It was not entirely incorrect, and it was enough to evade the emperor's probing about her whereabouts.
While Hera was unconscious, the emperor stayed true to his words: the maids had been switched out by imperial servants, Miseok was overthrown as the headmistress, and a new butler from the imperial palace replaced her. Since Hera also just debuted in society, she no longer needed a nanny, and Miseok was ruled to leave for good. She could still feel the emperor's intense scorn while he kicked her out of the princess' life. He obviously hadn't moved on from their history.
But Miseok could not leave just yet. She was able to beg for a month more because of the man in front of her, whom she had never seen step in this manor until today.
"Greetings to the empire's moon, crown prince Hestia Felix Lanceforth Hrysos." Miseok bowed and curtsied lowly, especially making sure that she bowed exactly ninety degrees because it was the crown prince—the nit-picky, hot-headed perfectionist of the empire.
No one really knew him personally as he distanced himself from everyone, even to his own sister. He never, even once, visited her throughout the years, so why is he now sitting and impeccably sipping tea in the princess' drawing room?
His silver hair reflected the rays of light passing through the windows when he shifted slightly on his seat as he put down the cup of tea Miseok brewed for Hera. No one told her of the prince's presence as if no one actually knew. Thanks to Miseok's quick reflexes that she wasn't beheaded the moment she stepped into the room for not greeting the infamous cold prince of the empire within thirty seconds of arrival.
"Rise," he acknowledged her greeting with a frown. "Last I checked, you are no longer the headmistress of this manor. Why is it that you are the one greeting me?"
"Apologies, your highness. The servants are occupied with the princess as she just woke up." Miseok kept her gaze down as she spoke.
"Wasn't that your job?" he asked her. "I clearly remember agreeing to this… accord…in exchange of you looking after my sister." He leaned his head to the side. "Am I mistaken?"
"No, your highness. I apologize for my incompetence." Miseok bowed again as an apology. "Pardon our lack of preparations as well. We are all just surprised with your sudden visit."
"Hm." The prince rested his back on the sofa.
"Is this too sudden?" He muttered to himself.
"Pardon?"
He dismissed her with a flick of the wrist.
"Where is the princess?"
"She is on her way to the drawing room."
"And?" The prince lifted a brow.
"She shall be with us in a minute."
"Despite my not knowing how to enter properly through a door during a visit, best believe I know what 'on her way' means." He gave her a tight smile.
"Apolog—"
"Are you aware that you have apologized three times within a span of five minutes? Is that all you have to say?"
"No—"
"And apparently, you also know and use the word 'no' just as often," he cut her off, raising a finger to interrupt.
This time, Miseok did not respond.
The crown prince sighed and stood up. "It seems like you have lost your touch. Shame, I expected nothing less from you, dame."
He raised his fingers and snapped them in the air, invoking a swirl of wind that formed a circle around him. Soon, flames erupted with the wind and swallowed him whole, leaving only soot and ash on his wake.
———————————————
"What do you know about me?"
Hera looked behind her as she spoke, making her maid chase after her hair that she was braiding.
She was asking the knight who stood so quietly in the corner that she forgot he was always going to be everywhere. She had an idle thought that his job was boring, so she was engaging him in as many conversations as possible to pass the time, and, truthfully, to get what she wanted.
This man was the first one to know about her, and he let her in despite the emperor's royal decree and his position in the Royal Knights. He also recognized her after just a glance even though she—or Hera—had not left her manor all her life. How come he knew about her? Why did he let her in the party? Why did he say yes to an absurd order that can cost him his entire duchy and his life?
What is his connection to the real Hera? What is he hiding? She has to know. He might have the key to escaping the emperor's clutches.
"I do not understand what you mean, your highness." His gaze remained on the far distance as he answered monotonously.
Hera watched him through her vanity mirror, having felt pity for her struggling maid.
"I was merely asking a question, and you ought to answer it."
"Understood."
He remained silent.
Hera rolled her eyes and looked at him again. The maid moved to her side to continue braiding.
"And?"
Nothing.
"I'm waiting for an answer, Simon."
His gaze shifted to her from the distant horizon as his immaculate posture dropped slightly. His breath hitched and his gaze seemed shaken.
"What?" she asked him, confused by his sudden 'Oh My God' expression.
He opened his lips to respond only to let out a loud yelp as he was thrown across the room.
A strong force of winds filled the princess' room, but the harsh blows were only directed at Simon. He was trying to stand up from his sudden fall when a man materialized into thin air and flames in front of him. He slammed the knight back to the floor with a flick of his wrist. Simon's face was glued to the ground as his whole body fought against an invisible force that was pushing him through the depths of the Earth.
At this time, Hera had stood up from her chair with half-braided hair. She sent the maid running to inform the others of the intruder. She stood her ground, but she could feel the tremble coming from her veins.
"What did I just hear?" the silver-haired intruder asked, an amused grin on his face. "Simon? Did you just call him Simon?"
The man looked at her, waiting for a reply. His grin had widened when he noticed her demeanor shaken.
He took a couple of steps toward Hera. She stepped back.
The man noticed her hesitation and confusion, making him furrow his brows.
Hestia could admit that he was not appreciative of a lot of things in his life; he had always disliked everything on the same level. But seeing his sister look so shaken, disturbed, and even afraid of him topped it all off. Her expression right now takes the cake as the thing Hestia dislikes the most.
But he couldn't understand why. It was merely a month ago when they exchanged correspondence. Sure, he missed some of their schedules here and there, but does his absence merit such an expression? The Hera in front of him suddenly feels like a stranger.
Why did she not look for me in the Founding Ball? He thought to himself. She's acting as if—
"Who are you?" Hera spoke, making him stop on his tracks.
—she doesn't know me…?
He scoffed. "Who am I?" He pointed at himself.
"Is there any other jerk in here?" she remarked sarcastically while her hand was reaching for the handheld mirror on the vanity table behind her.
"You've got to be kidding." The man laughed wryly.
"As a matter of fact, I am not." She straightened her back and erased any presence of doubt and fear on her body. She is the princess of this kingdom—she has to act like one. Besides, she has a deadly amount of mana in her body. She can take him… can't she?
The man walked to her until they're only inches apart. "He—"
"I am not granting you permission to talk until you release my knight from your torture."
He looked at her incredulously, but she remained resolute. In the end, he chuckled mirthlessly before he snapped his fingers and Simon could breathe off the floor again.
"Now, get out." She commanded him.
"Else you're going to hit me with a mirror?"
She gripped the mirror behind her, suddenly feeling ashamed of her weapon of choice. And does he have an eye on the walls?
"Try a mirror on fire." She smiled at him, totally bluffing.
She knew that mana could grant Hera powers, but she wasn't Hera. She didn't know how. She could only hope this man knew what she was capable of and take the bait.
He chuckled soundly. This time, he sounded entertained. "Fire? You mean, this?" He opened his palm and orange-red flames erupted. He held his palm up while the flame hovered above his skin.
She would admit, that made her heart race. Not only because she was scared that this man was dangerous but because it was also cool.
Magic is real indeed! She gushed in her head.
In truth, she wanted to marvel at how bright the flames were, but she remembered she had to act tough in front of this man.
"Don't worry, my flames don't hurt you," he assured her. "You can touch it." He extended his hand to her. She flinched but didn't step away. "Go ahead and test my theory."
Hera found her hand itching to touch the flame, but Simon was quick to pull her back to reality when he put his blade on the man's neck and said, "I cannot let you hurt her highness, your majesty."
The man scoffed, ticked.
"Sheathe your sword."
"I'm afraid I cannot," Simon answered, equally upset. "I am meant to protect her highness."
"You are merely her knight, Claude. Watch your back." The man told him through gritted teeth.
"I can't remember stating otherwise," Hera interrupted. "What's the deal with calling him by his name?"
The man looked at her. "A lady calling a man by his name could only mean that she is intimate with him."
Hera was shocked and flabbergasted, to say the least. What the fuck is that?!
She came from a world where respect is honored through names and titles as well, but reserving first names for a lover sounds too much even for her.
The man's expression changed as he was hit by a thought. "Who are you?" He gravely asked her. She barely knew the guy but something in her told her that she should take him seriously now, especially at this moment.
She bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't know what to say. Should she just come clean?
She opened her mouth to speak, but the man's patience had run out.
"I'll receive your answer my way."
He smirked before her bed, walls, table, and dress were all set on fire.