26

I am staring at my blanket, still shocked that Duke Theron and I make out when we are having a wine night.

A good thing that he stopped when I felt that theres a large bulge between his thighs and left, leaving me alone at the library.

He's running away from me after that, and I am all alone at the room.

Today, I woke up late and he didn't even say goodbye to me. What's happening to the Duke? Does he hate when he kissed me, or regret it?

Or maybe he's disgusted by kissing me.

My whole body feels heavy while I am preparing to take a bath now.

"My lady? Are you awake now?" A knock of Lady Criseta makes me look at the door, and she open the door.

Holding my food and drinks. She already prepared my food.

"Good morning, you woke up late. That's why I bring your food here, and after we are done preparing, the carriage is being ready too. For the visit at the mines that is the Duke's property." I nod without showing some energy and didn't respond to Lady Criseta.

I just eat at my bed, still wondering or this is just a hangover fron yesterday.

"Why you look sad, my lady?" I look at Lady Criseta and took a deep sigh.

"Maybe, because of bad dreams I had before waking up." I reasoned out and continue to eat my breakfast at bed.

The hot chocolate drink makes my head feel light. My body is the only one that feels heavy now.

"I'm full." I said coldly before putting the tray at the side of bed, I removed my dress and walk to the bathroom.

Lady Critesa helped me to wash my body and my hair, after that I went to the changing room, pick the red fitted dress and Critesa just let my hair dry.

Putting some small amount of light make up, and comb my hair after that.

"You look amazing, her highness." My reflection at the mirror, I look presentable now.

I walk out of the room and went to the place where the carriage is located.

All of the servants looked worried about me, because I am not that approachable now and my energy is not the same at my normal days.

"This way, your highness." I followed the coachman, and Lady Criseta is behind me. With two servants and five knights.

"I bring the books that you insisted to bring." I get the book before entering my carriage. I am alone here and Lady Criseta is with the two servants. Maybe she feel that I want to have my alone time.

The travel time would be two to three hours. So I can read some political books to the whole journey.

I hope that the affairs there become better. Because I want to have a break after this. Maybe I am mentally exhausted now, and I badly need some rest after traveling for many hours.

...

"The bandits are the reason why we can't communicate well, and they are guarding us, getting all of the golds, and now we stoped the mining." I nod and my one knight. I insisted that he need to go back to the Villa, to report the happenings at the mining land.

"We will take care of it, don't worry. I'm sorry if the bandits terrorized you and your families." They look relief when I said that, and I'll take care of them now.

"I will take care of this now, so rest assured now. Make sure that your family is safe, before the bandits will be here anytime." The people agreed on what I said and they go back to their houses.

The four knights with me, they are looking around the place, even I feel that there's something wrong at the place.

I feel the aura of many people, around the place where the houses of miners are located.

"My lady, what will happened if we are surrounded by the bandits?" Lady Critesa asked, and one of the knights gave the sword to me.

"Listen, hide with the two servants there, maybe I can apply my sword lessons here." I said before removing the hem of my gown, because I wear a removable lower part of my gown, but I have pants.

So I can move freely, just in case that the bandits appear, I can fight and move freely.

"Go, hide." I pushed Lady Criseta lightly, and twenty bandits appears now.

"There's a woman, she looks like a noble." The bandit said and showed his knife and sword.

"We can use that woman, and make fun while she is our hostage." One by one is attacking now. The knights are killing each of it easily, the one tried to stab me, but I effortlessly dodge it, slicing the back of the bandit.

But when someone successfully removed my eye silk, and looked at my eyes directly. But when I commanded kneel, he kneel instantly.

When one bandit tried to hold me, and look at my eyes, I command kneel, and he also kneel when I said it.

The other bandits and the knights stopped when they noticed that each of the bandits are kneeling now.

But a new idea came into my mind.

"Kill your your own kind." They moved and kill each of the bandits that is not under my curse.

The knights are watching the bandits to kill each of their own kind.

"Y-your highness, they are increasing now." I saw fear in their eyes, but still manage to look me through my eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best to reduce them, until the very last one. As long that my mana is not running out, I will do my all." I said while smiling to them.

They look relief when I said it.

Wow, I can use my power at this situation, at this time where I thought they can outnumbered us.

I am still controlling and commanding the other bandits all at a time, when I kneel and feel dizziness now.

This is it, my limit.

Because I am controlling ten people, and their numbers are still growing, and one knight helped me to stand up.

"My lady, your mana is decreasing." I am about to talk, when all of the bandits lost their consciousness, and it's just the five of us who's standing now.

"You're the one who is controlling them," a voice of a man, walking from the forest and he reveal himself.

A man, wearing a hood and reveal himself. A blue eyes, he's looking at my eyes and it seems he's trying to know my identity.

"The only person who has red eyes at the empire is the daughter of emperor." My knights surround him.

"D-don't harm that man, don't do anything." I said while catching my breath, my nose bleed and he kneel.

"Here, I will replenish your mana." He place his hand at my head, and my body becomes lighter in an instant now.

Even though, my head hurts.

He's about to talk again, when a bandit showed. He look straight to my eyes, and I command to kill himself.

He stab himself not once, but many times until he's dead.

"Wow, what a terrifying power of yours." He helped me to stand up, and Lady Criseta showed up.

"T-the Sage of Drivike. Lord Azriel." They bowed their heads, and he just smile at the knights and waved his hand.

"Come on, you don't need to bow." He said while it seems he feel awkward when someone is bowing their heads.

"You're missing, what are you doing here?" He asked and I look around.

"We can talk about it, at my Villa. Can you accept my invitation at my villa?" I asked and he smile widely.

"It's my pleasure." He walk beside me, all of my servants and knights look worried with me now, but I am actually fine.

I know that they are all concerned.

As what I read from the report, the sage is always away from the empire, because of the missions that my father is giving to him.

He is kind of close to my father, but his relationship status with my father is unknown, but I am hoping that he has a bad relation with my father, but I don't know how to deceive him now.

I drink some water, and I gave some to him.

He's still looking at my face, and I find it uncomfortable, when people are checking you out.

"It's uncomfortable, when you're watching every move that I made." I said and put down the water container.

He chuckled and drink for a while.

"I am just amazed, because how people describe you, a very different person now, in front of me, and I am not affected by your so called curse. I don't believe that it's a curse." He lean and still looking at me.

"You're sophisticated, even when you're fighting with the bandits." He complimented me, and I just shrugged my shoulder.

"I didn't notice your presence."

"Because I don't want to be noticed, I just showed up, when your mana is almost draining." He responded and I nod from what he said.

"You don't look scary at all, you have unique features, you don't have the features of royal family, but I can tell that it's you. Because you're the only person at the empire who had red eyes. I believe that it's my father, who suggested you to wear an eye protection," he continued and I nod.

So he is the son of the legendary sage of Drivike.

"I just came back from my mission, but I didn't expect to see you, because my mission is to find you, but now. It seems that the emperor will become happy that I found his daughter—"

"No, you can't tell that I am here, I am actually avoiding him," I said after I cut him talking.

I took a deep breath and start to explain.

"You can't because I don't want to be seen, I need more time to fix what my father is creating. He's making a chaos that even him, can't fix it. And I am just thinking for the betterment of the empire of Drivike. So I am begging you, please don't report that I am here." I bowed my head, and he's looking at me.

When I look at him, he looked surprised.

"I will do anything that I can, for your silence." I tried to find something at my bag, but he talked.

"You actually don't have too, I am interested to hear what are your plans, or if it is not possible to be told, then just the small details." My face glow and smile genuinely.

"Thank you so much, Lord Azriel." I said in high pitched tuned and hold his hand.

"I actually ran away from Gribe, because I don't want to marry the emperor Kier. It's a blessing in disguise that the emperor Blake died on the wedding day, and I took the opportunity to ran away, because I don't want to be there, at the empire of my father is plotting something terrific that will cause an all out war to the other nation." He nod, seems that he get my point.

"I totally understand your insights, I also think of it. But I know that you knew how your father think and move, right?" He asked me and I nod. As a sign of agreeing.

"Now, I am the fiance of the Duke Theron, and I need to study and learn for the six months, before we reveal our political relationship," I explained and he seemed happy.

"What a sneaky man, reasoning and offering a political marriage, what the heck Theron." He laughed hard and I feel the sarcasm to his statement. What does he mean.

"He's really sneaky, right?" I look clueless, and that's the reason why he laugh more harder.

"I hope he will survive you."