2 | Blind Passion

"So have you finally thought about my proposal?" the sister of the emperor, who was formerly known as Princess Analize was now Duchess Orden, said to Arthur in the imperial palace who was currently sitting on the large chair as the emperor while she sat for the guest's seat

"Are you sure you want this? I think Duke Maxwell's eldest son Damon was against the idea of tying him up with my daughter knowing how he reacts when my daughter gets overly obsessive towards him" Arthur, the emperor, said worrying about his daughter's behavior

"Oh please let her be, Damon was just playing hard to get. What I want you to understand is about the proposal of the Morgan family, about their mining business" Duchess Analize cleared what she was saying earlier making the emperor's worried face wash instantly replacing a large grin

"Yes and consequently, because of the said evidence, they've been stripped out of their titles. We're currently claiming their properties through the process. I planned to put those to a charity foundation that does not exist in the first place. Just Call Julius to forge the evidence so the business will be on our family" Arthur said making the Duchess smirk in return

"Just remember my shares on it," she said as she fanned herself elegantly to have some fresh air

Just the thought of acquiring properties made my whole body thrill again another family in the nobles that came into ruins by my own hands

"Let's now talk about what you're talking about earlier, on Damon being engaged with Princess Monique," Analize said while teasing the emperor curious to what he'll be reacting

The emperor just sighed and his smirked had turned to worry again.

"Yeah, probably," Arthur said while putting his hands to his chin thinking about her spoiled daughter's obsession with duke Maxwell's son.

***

"Okay sister! Please be careful and don't try to mess things up there again for the 100th time" Grey, who's Iris' little brother, said seriously to her while waving his hands on the girl who was walking into the town to do her part-time job at the bakery

"Yes! You also have to behave and help mom in doing the house chores! I'll teach you something later!" Iris said smiling brightly while waving her hands after going out of their small house towards the market

The two siblings are close as their mother only stood silently smiling while watching the two talk far away from each other

"Mom I'm off! Take care of my little brother, okay!" Iris said stopping for a while to wave and smile at their mother as their mother did the same and nodded

"Yes, come home on time!" Olivia said to her child while waving at her left hand and holding his little son on the other

"Mmm," Iris replied with a smile as she turned to face the path and started walking again.

As Iris went to the market with her bag, she immediately entered the bakery and greet the owner

Starting her job at cleaning and helping the people assist the orders of their customers again

***

Meanwhile, on the Maxwell household

"Damon, aren't you going to the imperial palace now that the princess had requested you to come? She even invited you to the tea party!" Thesia, Damon's sister as well as Lucius half-sister said to Damon making him shrug with the thought

"I have a sword training today sister, besides I'm always on her afternoon tea lists every day making me go to the palace every single day! It's exhausting enough. Won't she just give me a break?!" Damon exclaimed enough making her sister sigh with that thought

"Alright, just send her a letter then saying you're not feeling better this day and next time. Just made excuses if you feel so, no need to shout at me, you're so short-tempered you know that Damon?" Thesia said while glaring at her brother that's been rude to her earlier this morning because of a certain someone

Thesia immediately went out of his room and go to hers as she held the letters that were meant for her for a later reading

After the scenario, Damon just sighed because of the princess that was crazily in love with her.

Just because he's gorgeous as his red hair was very evident, his ocean blue eyes, pointed nose, pale skin, and thin red lips, slim but muscular body that every girl's dream of, besides the crown prince that was also gorgeous

Who wouldn't even fantasize about him, right? The princess of the empire was adoring and proclaiming her love for the guy just because of his looks

He just can't believe how he's that gorgeous but in reality, when Lucius only had red hair like him, they can be considered identical twins which looked alike unlike that of Lucius dark hair

He immediately made a letter and rang the bell on his table from his bed as their family butler entered

"Send this to the imperial palace right now addressed to Princess Monique. It's urgent and it should be sent now" Damon said seriously making the butler surprised but nodded respectfully later on

"Understood young master," the butler said, immediately walking out of the room and doing what he was told to do, handing the letter to the courier of their family to send it to the imperial palace

Damon as soon as he sent his letter to the butler thought of something while sitting on his seat in his room

What if for today only, I'll sneak out of the household and go to the market to see the swords they're selling

With that thought he immediately prepared himself to sneak out of the house observing the outside for the knights rounding inside the Maxwell's household

After looking that no one was in the spot he's looking outside, he immediately sneaked out of his room through the window

Pretending to be a lost cat imitating a cat's sound to avoid being suspicious

There Damon immediately made his way out of the household and went to the back of it walking towards the market easily

This time, I'll do whatever I want not being restricted to something I want to do. Tsk, just because of that stupid princess that I was not able to enjoy my freedom

With that, he decided to head towards the swords shop and buy some swords for his training

***

"So you send another invitation on the Maxwell Duchy for their eldest son to attend to your tea parties again, Monique?" Gretha, Monique's second sister, said worrying about Damon and not with Monique at all as she sat on Monique's bed in her room

"Why not? We're engaged anyway so it's only right. What's the problem with that?" Monique said defensively to her sister making Gretha sighed thinking that her sister is obsessed with the guy

This sister of mine was dangerously in love with Duke Maxwell's eldest son. This can't be good but what can I do? She's always the favorite daughter unless Wilhelm talked to father but that won't be the case at all

"Alright but let me just remind you that too much will never be good to other people, remember that Monique," Gretha said while standing up from her sister's bed and walking out of the room

Tsk, that's what you're saying because you haven't yet known how to love and experience it Gretha

Monique thought proceeding with her usual routine of being a princess in the empire that her father only stole to someone more worthy

***

"Iris, I have something for you to do, you see we're out of flour and other ingredients," the son of the bakery owner said to Iris making her nod and smiling even though she's just there to clean

She also makes sure to help the bakery with its errand more likely now that there are only two workers a cleaner and a cashier on the bakery

Iris had a pretty good relationship with the son of the owner, as best friends, so the boy was always friendly with her

"Anything for my besty, ey!" Iris said teasing Selby as he just slightly patted the shoulder of Iris chuckling as his response

"Okay, okay. Here's the list and better be back early for today, I don't have anyone to tease here if you're that slow" Iris' best friend Selby said smiling while teasing her.

Instead of answering back, Iris just smirked at him as she proceeded to buy the things she was ordered to buy walking out of the bakery immediately like a soldier who's on the run

Making Selby laugh at her actions more

You've never failed to make me laugh every single time of your actions, Iris. I hope that attitude of yours never changes

Selby thought looking at Iris' back as she disappeared from his sight

Iris was about to cross the street to buy some groceries she was handed to when some carriages were about to bump into her until some guy who was wearing a black coat all over his body pulled her into a narrow street and cover her mouth

Nobody saw the scenario because they're busy with the things they're doing

Iris was nervous and confused at the same time but that did not overrule her when she was about to bite the guy's hand, he immediately removed it from her lips to avoid her sudden bite though even he didn't see this his sharp instinct told him

"What are you doing and who are you?!" Iris exclaimed shocked about what had happened earlier but instead of answering, he just looked at her for a moment then left her immediately just like that

Only for Iris to see the same pendant that the guy he bumped yesterday

Could they be the same person or could they just have the same pendant? Either way, how could that guy be rude! Goodness! I was about to say thank you if he only answered my questions but he just left like that? Alright Mr. Mystery guy

I couldn't even say thank you to him even though he all covered

Iris instead of staying shocked at what had just happened decided to shrug that thought off and was about to get out of the narrow place that the mysterious guy had pulled her into until she heard a crack of paper that she stepped on only to find a piece of crumpled paper lying in the ground

She hesitated to pick it but because of her cleanliness motto she had no choice but decided to pick it only to notice some familiar drawings or rather some familiar symbol that she had seen when she was still a child

But she can't remember where it was as she looked closely for the paper, she saw one thing that she's sure of

The symbol belongs to noble families she knew of it and she's sure of it

But where did this paper come from? Don't tell me it's from him?!