“Wow! This place is beautiful.” I said. We sat down on the edge of the river and we continued to talk and admire the beauty of nature. Back in my old life, you could rarely see a sight like this. Most of the cities that I’ve been to had been industrialized so much that you could rarely see the color green anywhere. I’m glad I got the chance to witness something this magnificent. We stayed there for a while until we realized that it was getting really late. Prince Shiro took me back to the lab. He told me that he would be camping outside of the lab to ensure my safety. I told him it was unnecessary but he insisted so I had no choice but to say yes. We said our goodnights and I went inside the lab.
When morning arrived, I continued to prepare the antibiotics while patiently waiting for Empress Yukina. We agreed to meet today so that I could discuss the details with her. I was ex
“We’ve administered the medicine yesterday and we’re still doing it until this very moment since the medicine needs to be administered multiple times a day. So far, the doctors haven’t reported anything unusual with the patients and most of them are getting better. There were reports about how the patients were finally able to talk and sit up without needing any help.” I told them. The Emperor listened intently to my words and the Empress just looked at me with a smile on her face.“You’ve done well, young lady. On behalf of this Empire, I would like to sincerely show you my gratitude for helping my citizens.” The Emperor lowered his head at me and the Empress followed. I panicked and I didn’t know what to do. The two ruling leaders of this Empire just bowed their heads to me.“Please, your
We bid our goodbyes to the people of the Taiyou Empire. The Emperor and Empress even came to see us off. I was overwhelmed by the lavish goodbye, it was as if someone important was leaving. I looked over at Prince Shiro and I noticed that he was already looking at me with a warm smile on his face. I couldn’t understand why the people of the Taiyou Empire would see me off like this, I only helped them once. It wasn’t really a big deal. I leaned in close to Prince Shiro and I whispered in his ear.“I don’t deserve to be seen off like this, I feel bad for making them go out of their way like that.” It was true. I wasn’t used to being treated like this. Back in my old life, when we were stationed in a location where there were a lot of injured people, after a long day of saving and treating them, everyone wouldn't even bat an eye. You’ll get an occasional thank y
It’ll take us a few days before we can reach the outskirts of the Nanto Empire. We will be camping outside for a few days since there aren’t any towns nearby. The land we’ll be traversing for at least 2 days belongs to the Taiyou Empire. Although it is their land, it is uninhabited. It’s just mainly forests and flatlands and many wild animals roam the area. This is probably the reason why a lot of people from the Nanto Empire refuse to travel north.“Are you okay?” I looked over at Prince Shiro to confirm that he was talking to me. When I realized that I was the one he was talking to, I nodded my head and told him that I was feeling fine. We’ve only been traveling for 2 hours so this much isn’t tiring for me.“I’ll be fine. I travelled all the way from Nanto to Taiyou all by myself. I think
“Did you hear it from the knights?” He asked with a sly smile on his face. I was suddenly taken aback by his question. I was just thinking about that as an excuse but he already said it. Could it be that he already knows that it was me? That wouldn’t be possible. There’s no way he’d find out it was me. I even covered my face and I didn’t give out my name to anyone. I decided to play it cool and answer him.“Yes, I heard from the knights about what you did in the town on the outskirts of our Empire.” I said casually. I don’t think he knows anything about what I did. I looked over at him as he bent down to wash his hands on the pond.
“I only heard that you arrived in the town and you immediately knew where the slave traders were operating and where they kept the women and children that they kidnapped. The knights said they saw it with their own eyes how magnificent you were as a leader.” I said, flustered. I tried my best to sound coherent even when I was saying everything from the top of my head. Prince Shiro didn’t say anything for a while. I saw him nodding his head a bit but he didn’t say a word.“It’s a bit strange…” He said. I raised my eyebrows and asked him to repeat what he said. I couldn’t hear it, probably since I wasn’t paying much attention. He repeated it and I got confused.“What’s strange?” I asked. He looked back at me as he was standing up. He walked closer to me and he had a big smi
As Prince Shiro had said, we reached a small clearing which was perfect as a campsite. We arrived just in time too, the sun was already setting and it was getting dark. As soon as we stopped, the knights did most of the work by collecting firewood, setting up some tents and hunting small animals for food. Prince Shiro was the one who made the fire, he put down a log close to the fire pit and he told me to sit on it.“It gets really cold here at night so stay close to the fire.” He said. I nodded and I sat down on that little log. I put my hands near the fire to feel the heat. The night breeze was a bit cold and I was only wearing light clothing. I looked around and observed the knights that were working. They seem to all have a great relationship with one another. I used to think that knights would often just ignore each other and just talk to each other when needed but now I’m starting t
The following morning, Prince Shiro gave the men his go signal to start moving. As much as I want to continue sightseeing, we have a bigger issue on hand. That sabotage attempt back at the Taiyou Empire was a warning. They shouldn’t have been able to touch me from all the way in Taiyou but somehow they managed to follow me and they even managed to get past the guards. Something tells me that it wasn’t just that woman who came to Taiyou. Plus coincidentally, she was killed in her cell. Someone must’ve come to silence her before she could spill everything. “You’re thinking so deeply that I worry about you falling out of your horse.” Prince Shiro said. I quickly snapped out of my momentary trance and I focused on guiding my horse. It’s not like she was straying far but she was starting to wander on her own. I held the reins and made her go at a steady pace. I couldn’t stop thinking about what’s in stor
“Why are you smiling?” He asked. I shook my head and told him that it was nothing and that I just remembered something that made me smile. He didn’t seem to believe what I said so I just ignored him and continued to move. We reached the end of the forest and decided to set up camp for the night. It wasn’t that dark yet but it would be dangerous to keep moving inside a dense forest in the dark so we might as well wait for sunrise. While I was preparing the tent where I was going to sleep, I suddenly heard weird rustling noises by the forest. I thought it was just a small animal rustling and moving around but I had this strange feeling that somebody was watching me. I looked over at the forest where I heard the rustling sound coming from. I stared at the empty forest hoping I could see something. That’s when a rabbit jumped out from one of the bushes and startled me.
“Miss, here are the papers that need your signature for the finalization of the Spring Collection that will be featured in our fashion show.” My assistant came into my office and handed me a stack of papers. My name is Nagatsuka Akina, I’m the Founder and CEO of Hanazu Couture. Although my company hasn’t been around for as long as the other famous brands out there, we’ve become a household name in the fashion industry. I’ve worked tirelessly for the last 15 years to make this company what it is today.“Miss, I’ve received a call from...your father.” My assistant reluctantly told me. I had instructed her before that any business with regards to my family, I will not accept. I’ve told her that if anyone called saying they were my immediate family, disregard what they say and blacklist their number so they won’t be able to call again. She
I walked towards the shadow guard who called for me. When I was finally in front of him, he slowly lowered his mask, revealing his face. This was considered taboo for a shadow guard. No one, not even their master should see their faces. That was the only secret they were allowed to keep from their masters. I was surprised when he pulled down his mask."What are you doing?" I asked him frantically. I didn't want him to get into trouble. He shook his head and sat down on the windowsill. He was calm and it didn't seem like he was going to cause trouble. I relaxed my shoulders a bit and I took a step back from him."Why did you do that?" I asked. He was looking down on the floor when I asked that question. He turned his head towards me and shrugged."All this time, I believed that the master that I was serving was a good person. I knew of his story yet I couldn't understand the decision he made." He answered. I wasn't able to recall any memories fr
“Miss, here are the papers that need your signature for the finalization of the Spring Collection that will be featured in our fashion show.” My assistant came into my office and handed me a stack of papers. My name is Nagatsuka Akina, I’m the Founder and CEO of Hanazu Couture. Although my company hasn’t been around for as long as the other famous brands out there, we’ve become a household name in the fashion industry. I’ve worked tirelessly for the last 15 years to make this company what it is today.“Miss, I’ve received a call from...your father.” My assistant reluctantly told me. I had instructed her before that any business with regards to my family, I will not accept. I’ve told her that if anyone called saying they were my immediate family, disregard what they say and blacklist their number so they won’t be able to call again. She
We arrived at the Imperial Palace and all of the guards weren't present outside. This was really unusual since guards were supposed to be stationed all over the Palace to ensure the safety of his Majesty. Whatever is happening must be big for all of these changes to happen. Prince Shiro held my hand as we ran towards the audience chamber of the Palace. There were guards sprawled all over the place, thankfully there was no blood which means the guards are only unconscious and not dead. When we arrived at the audience chamber, I was shocked to see the chancellor, on his knees in front of the Emperor. Imperial guards and Shadow guards were scattered all over the whole room, all of them were unconscious. "Father!" I instinctively called out.
"The Emperor knew of the Empress' schemes however he was unable to stop her. The fight for the throne was a battle that your mother shouldn't have been a part of yet she was killed because of it. The Chancellor was blinded by his grief and anger over the loss of your mother. Ever since then, in his heart, he blamed the Emperor for the death of his wife." The shadow guard finished his story. I couldn't believe what I heard. How could something like this happen to Himawari's family? Is this the price the chancellor had to pay by being so close to the Imperial Family? "But it wasn't because the Emperor didn't do anything for the Chancellor, he was unable to do anything for fear of the people's reaction towards the Imperial Family. He had to keep everything in secret and so the crimes of the Empress were never investigated and she was never found guilty for all the people she killed and all the crimes she committed. Until recently, when you exposed her crimes for the whole
I walked towards the shadow guard who called for me. When I was finally in front of him, he slowly lowered his mask, revealing his face. This was considered taboo for a shadow guard. No one, not even their master should see their faces. That was the only secret they were allowed to keep from their masters. I was surprised when he pulled down his mask. "What are you doing?" I asked him frantically. I didn't want him to get into trouble. He shook his head and sat down on the windowsill. He was calm and it didn't seem like he was going to cause trouble. I relaxed my shoulders a bit and I took a step back from him. "Why did you do that?" I asked. He was looking down on the floor when I asked that question. He turned his head towards me and shrugged. "All this time, I believed that the master that I was serving was a good person. I knew of his story yet I couldn't understand the decision he made." He answered. I wasn't able to recall any memories
I didn't know how long I was trapped in my room but it felt like forever. The shadow guards would put water and food down by my door during meal time. I tried talking to them but they were silent as usual. The maids never came around to my room either. Even Mei, who would usually be with me, never came to visit. Did father do something to her? DId she leave or is she just following my father's orders? Either way, I really have to get out of here. All my windows had shadow guards under them. I couldn't even try to escape through them. There was no other way for me to contact the outside world. I was locked up and trapped inside my room. It's been a few days and maybe Prince Shiro will figure something out. Unless my father talked to him about my whereabouts, he would surely try to look for me. "Hima..." I heard father's voice on the other side of the door. I walked closer hoping to hear what he had to say. "I hope you're not putting your fait
I was in front of the door to my father's office. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was unsure of whether or not I should confront him directly or investigate further before I jump to conclusions. I trust my father but it was just too suspicious of him to be in contact with the First Prince all this time. My gut is telling me that I should get to the bottom of it. After all, I know he wouldn't hurt me. If he really wanted to hurt me, he could've done so long ago. I took a deep breath before I knocked on my father's door. I slid it open when I heard his voice calling for me. He was standing by his desk, a cup of tea in his hand. He was looking out the window when I came in. He turned his head towards me and smiled. When I saw my father like that, I felt guilty for concluding that he was a bad guy when I haven't even heard of his side yet. Maybe it was all just my own misunderstanding. "You called for me, father?" I asked. He nodded and pointed towards the
I had to know more. I had to be sure that my father was innocent and that he wasn't involved in any way. There was an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach and I didn't like it. I didn't know how to go about with my day knowing that my father could be an accomplice. But I couldn't understand anything. If it was true, why would he do that? Why would he work with the first prince to kill the Emperor? If I was right that the First Prince was the one behind the assassination attempt on me and Prince Shiro, that wouldn't make any sense. He's my father, he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. "Miss? Are you still awake?" Mei knocked on my door. I quickly composed myself as to not seem too suspicious. I told her that I was still awake and she slowly opened the door and peeked her head through. "The master is calling for you." She said. I felt my heart drop to my stomach. This is such a coincidence. My father calling me right when I was being suspicious of him.