Chapter 2

It's been about 2 weeks since the incident and Kion has been behaving strangely. At first I thought he would submit to me completely but he has been behaving adamant and suspicious of me. Well, I can't really say I blame him since the Duke's only beloved daughter took him in like some kind of pet.

Much to Kyra's displeasure it took longer than expected to make Kion trust her fully. She had to play the role of a little girl being head over heels for him to perfection. But it wasn't going smoothly at first because he was suspicious of her intentions. But after a lot of effort he had finally succumbed to her and she hoped he would remain convinced that she had indeed fallen deeply in love with him.

Today was a day like every other. Kyra woke up and was attended to by her maids as usual. At breakfast with her family, everyone seemed oddly quiet. She could understand why her strict father wasn't speaking but her brother, Franc and her mother were too quiet. She did all she could to liven up the atmosphere but it remained awkwardly silent.

"Honey, I can't take it anymore. I think we need to get rid of that child," her mother said as she swirled the wine inside of her glass.

"Kyra adores him and he has been learning a bit of swordmanship from the estate knights so what exactly is the problem, my dear?" her father retorted.

Kyra's ears perked up because she knew exactly who they were talking about. She may have come from 10 years in the future but her memories during her early childhood were not that vivid, so there were a few issues with Kion misbehaving and getting under her mother's skin from time to time. You could practically say that all the servants liked him and it began to irk her mother more because even her only daughter liked him as well. Franc on the other hand didn't really seem to be bothered by the child.

"I just have a bad feeling about this. I've even asked the workers and that boy has been working for us for barely a year and no one can seem to tell me how he even started working at the estate to begin with," her mother said.

"My dear, it seems you are trying your best to ensure I end up with indigestion this morning. If you dislike the young lad so much, then give me a better reason to get rid of him," the Duke said coldly as he pushed his plate away from himself.

"But father, I really, really like Kion," Kyra said with gritted teeth and a sweet smile. She couldn't really remember why her mother didn't like Kion at some point, but she could recall that there would be a time where her mother started showing her hatred for him even more. She began to wonder if her mother might have found out that he was an illegitimate child between her husband and one of her maids from years ago. Kion was Kyra's age, just that she was a few months older than him. And worst of all, Kion had the same black hair as the Duke and her brother ,while she and her mother had silver hair. But it's not like the Duke is the only one in the entire kingdom or even the capital with black hair. The only family with such a unique trait found only in their bloodline would be the De Laton Duchy. Their ancestors all have golden blonde hair that actually looks like gold. I guess that must also be one of the many reasons why they are known as the De Laton Duchy of Gold. The main reason being the fact that they have enough gold mines to even rival that of the royal family.

"Kyra," her father said, "your birthday is coming up in just a month's time. I was thinking of throwing you a grander birthday party than the last and inviting the most high end nobles in the capital and their children. You ought to start making connections and preparing for your debutante even before you finish from the academy."

"Of course father, I would love that. Thank you very much. Will Kion be allowed to attend as well? As my escort perhaps, " Kyra asked with a sweet smile. She noticed the pause from her mother while her father showed no signs of being bothered and simply nodded.

She was watching him from a distance at the training grounds with a basket in hand. She had made it a habit of coming to watch him for a few minutes every training day. She would always bring a snack or a drink for him and dote on him so all the knights could see and be convinced that she was truly in love with him, even though she was quite young.

"Kion! Are you done with training?", she asked as she rushed over to him. He turned around and faced her and smiled as she approached.

"Yes, I am. You come here everyday Kyra. I'm sorry that you have to spend your precious time looking after a useless commoner like me even after you decided to take me in and show me so much kindness," he said.

"Oh! don't be like that. You know how much I like you, so spending a few minutes a day with you is never a waste. I brought a picnic basket with me today. Let's head over to the Rose garden and chat, I have very good news to tell you."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. They arrived at the spot that was already prepared for them as they sat and ate and laughed.

"You said you had good news for me. May I ask what it is?" Kion asked.

"Of course. You know that you're going to become the best swordsman one day right? And I'll be right by your side with you. So, my father wants to hold a ball for my coming birthday and I asked him for permission so you could be my escort ." She said while beaming from ear to ear.

"Are you sure that is what the young lady wants?" he asked her as his expression turned dim and he looked away. How sly of him to pretend to be sad when he would most likely be leaping for joy in his heart. She didn't say anything but simply assured him that he would be the best partner for her since she had chosen him herself.

"And since we are going to be together for a long time, I will give you something really 'special' when we make our debut together in the future. So you can be looking forward to that as well."

That gift would be the most perfect revenge she could ever give him and herself. Just you wait and see.