Chapter 3

It’s already been a month since his highness gave me the order to protect this young lady. She looks decent and her physical features are quite familiar. I am Cole Grey, the personal knight of his highness, but currently assigned as this lady’s knight.

She looks so lifeless. You can see in her eyes that it’s not her, that her mind and body are separated. We are currently taking a stroll in the garden. We are with the maid that his highness also assigned for her. His highness is in the guild that he’s working for, but I don’t know what kind of work he is doing there. I'm his knight so it is a must that I should know where he’s going.

I felt that someone’s watching us so I became alert. The lady might have also felt it because she stood up, then looked at her left side and she’s looking at the tree in that direction. I drew out my sword, then planned to catch that person, but I was shocked because this lady held my sword, then lifted her left hand, then something came out her palm, then something fell off the tree. I think she used her power again because the person on the tree branch a while ago is now in front of us.

“My lady, please let go of my sword… your hand is bleeding,” I said, then she let go of my sword.

“I will call for the physician,” the maid said, then ran away from where we were to fetch the physician.

I signalled the guards, then after a few seconds, they arrived and sent that person to our dungeon. I used my handkerchief to clean the lady’s wound and stop the bleeding.

“My lady, please stop doing something so recklessly… I know that you separated your mind to your body, but please refrain from hurting yourself, or else his highness will go mad,” I said while looking at her, but it seems like I’m just talking to a lifeless doll. I sighed, then I saw the physician together with the maid and their majesties running towards us. I kneeled down when they got here, then the physician started to heal the lady’s wound.

“What happened here?” her majesty asked.

“Someone’s trying to target the lady… I was about to capture that person, but the lady used her hand and held my sword… it was my negligence, your majesty… I failed the young lord’s order not to get her any more wounds,” I explained.

“Stand up, and escort the lady to her room,” his majesty said.

“Right away, your majesty,” I said, then I escorted the lady to her room.

“I will contact his highness about what happened today,” I told the maid.

“But if you do so, you will be punished by him,” she said.

“I deserved to be punished as I increased her wound,” I said, then left the room and assigned someone to guard the room of the lady.

—

“Run another 10 laps, Cole,” I said. I know that it is not his fault, but knowing this guy’s personality, he will not stop bothering me if I do not punish him for his mistake.

As I watched Cole run around the training ground, my eyes caught Clementine. I ran towards her direction, then I hugged her.

“Are you here to see me?” I said, but she did not answer. I sighed, then forced a smile.

“Let’s go for a walk, shall we?” I said, then asked for her hand. She put her hand on top of mine, that's why I escorted her towards the garden.

“Leave us for a moment,” I ordered the maid, then she bowed down and left us.

“You know, I already miss the old you, can’t you bring your old self back? I already miss the Clementine that I met,” I started as we walked in the garden.

“I know that it is hard to bring your mind and body together again, but I hope for your recovery soon… I already punished the Baron’s family, but I did not kill their children… I know that you don’t want them to be involved in this mess, that’s why I pardoned them and they are now in the custody of one of the nobles in the northern region,” I continued, then I helped her to sit on the chair here in the garden for tea time. I kneeled in front of her, looked in her eyes and held both of her hands.

“I am willing to wait for your recovery, but I can’t really take it anymore… is it selfish of me to wish for your fast recovery? Is it a selfish decision to force you to bring your mind and body into one again? I don't want to force you, but I also want to see your true self,” I said, while shaking, then I looked down and I held her hand closer to my forehead for her to not see my face.

“I’m sorry if I wasn’t able to protect you at that time… I should have followed you and been by your side until you reached the orphanage that day… it was my mistake to leave you and thought that nothing would happen… it’s my mistake, please forgive me,” I said without looking at her.

“It’s not your fault,” I heard Clementine’s voice. Wait, her voice? I looked at her, then she smiled at me. I hugged her tightly and tears ran down to my cheeks.She also hugged me, then she pushed me a little, then wiped off my tears.

“I didn’t know that you’re such a cry baby,” she teased me.

“It’s because you made me worried,” I replied.

“Hahaha, I know what's been happening since a week ago, but I don’t know how to connect my mind and body again, that’s why it’s only been up to this day that I was able to bring it back to where it should be,” she explained.

“That doesn’t matter anymore, what’s more important is that you’re okay now,” I said, then kissed the back of her right hand.

“So I was right that you’re a prince, right Dash? Or should I say Prince Lucas Aidan from the kingdom of Aidan, that specialises with the power of fire,” I said.

“Haha, you really are the boss of our information guild. You may seem young, but you know almost everything in this world,” I replied.

“Should I curtsy?” she asked.

“Don’t do that, please,” I said.

“Haha, okay, then shall we head back to the guild?” she asked me.

“Let’s eat lunch first,” I said, then I escorted her towards the dining hall.

“Greetings to the Empire’s Flame, Emperor and Empress of the Aidan Empire, and also greetings to the Princess of Aidan Empire… please pardon my intrusion in your lovely palace,” she greeted everyone.

“It seems like you’re back to normal now,” mom said to Clementine.

“I am sorry for the trouble that I may have caused for a month… and for the trouble that I have caused a while ago,” Clementine said as she bowed down. I sighed, then made it so that she would stop bowing. She looked at me confusedly.

“Don’t bow,” I said.

“Why should I not bow?” she asked.

“Because you shouldn’t,” I told her.

She looked at me in disbelief and I saw her eyes change their colour to slightly red.

“Have you gone mad?! They are your parents… I would have accepted your request a while ago because you’re my friend, but that doesn’t mean that I should not greet your parents who are the monarchs of this empire with respect!” Clementine said while trying to grab one of my ears. I dodged her hand, but unfortunately, she was able to catch my ears, then twist it and it hurt so much. Aish, she really had a good grip. She then made me bow down too.

“Please pardon us for what you have just seen a moment ago, and also please pardon your son for his rude behaviour,” she said while we’re bowing in front of them.

“Bid your forgiveness, Lucas,” she told me.

“I don’t wa~ah,” I shouted in pain.

“Okay, okay… please let go of my ears first or it might~ahh!!” I shouted again.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry for my rudeness!” I shouted so that she would let go of my ears. After saying sorry, she let go of my ear now.

“Hahahahaha what an amusing play, I’d never seen my little brother follow someone and stop being so high and mighty… by the way, my clothes look great on you,” my older sister, Princess Jade said while smiling.

“Thank you, your highness,” Clementine replied.

“Call me sister Jade, that would be much more comfortable,” sister replied.

“But your highness~” Clementine tried to change my sister’s mind, but my sister cut off her words.

“That’s an order then… you should call me sister Jade because I don’t like to be addressed as ‘your highness’ or as ‘princess’ by someone like you,”  older sister Jade said while smiling at Clementine

“If it won’t be a bother, then please pardon me, sister Jade,” Clementine said.

“Then you should call us uncle and auntie too,” mom said. Clementine’s eyes turned white and that means that she was shocked. I saw the side of my dad’s mouth rise a little bit and I looked at mom who’s still smiling, but she cannot hide the fact that she was also shocked.

“What do you think, Clementine… would you mind calling us uncle and auntie?” dad asked to fill the silence.

“I-If it is not a bother to your majesty too, then I-I think that I-I shall have no rights to refuse,” Clementine said, still having her white eyes.

“By the way dear, do your eyes always do that?” mom asked as I escorted Clementine to her seat, which is next to mine.

“What do you mean, auntie?” she asked mother.

“Nothing, you just have beautiful golden brown eyes,” mom lied, then we saw Clementine’s eyes turn to pink.

“Haha.. come on, let’s start eating,” mom continued, then we started eating.

—

While we’re having our meal, Clementine speaks.

“Auntie, uncle… May I use the training ground? And if I may also use your weapons?” she hesitantly asked. I tried not to laugh because this is the first time that I saw her like that. She’s always at the top and never speaks with someone like this for those years that we have been together.

“Yes, you may,” dad gave him her permission. Clementine looks happy because her eyes turn to yellow, then it immediately turns back to her usual and calm golden brown eyes, while smirking a little.

Wait– Calm eyes and smirking? No!

“Ehem… if you may excuse me for a bit,” I said, then stood up, but Clementine put her left hand on my right shoulder and smiled calmly and sweetly to me, but with authority.

“No! I’m sorry, okay? I did not laugh,” I said, trying not to get myself killed.

“Did I say that you laughed?” she asked, acting so innocent.

“If you may excuse us… since the Prince already finished his meal, we will now go straight to the training grounds,” she told everyone.

“I’ll go there once I’m finished,  sister,” sister Jade said.

“Go ahead dear, but don’t push yourself too much,” mom said, then we left the dining room.

“Change into your training outfit and meet me at the training grounds… see yah, Lucas,” she said before she went to her room together with the maid that I assigned to her.

Aish, I just wish that I would still be alive after our match.