\u201cLord Cezar, it\u2019s dangerous to stand on the back of the ship like that! Please go back inside!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was on the deck, leaning on the railing and looking out at the sea. I sighed, taking care not to be heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sorci\u00e9 had lent us this ship, and it was much better than the battered, flimsy ones from our country. Even the railing at the back was solid. I could lean against it all I wanted and it wouldn\u2019t be dangerous… But what would they<\/em> know? These people had never seen any country but theirs, and knew nothing about the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, pointing that out would have just created needless friction, so I obliged and went back to the room that had been prepared for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWelcome back, Lord Cezar,\u201d Janne, my servant and childhood friend, told me as soon as I stepped inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome on, Janne, don\u2019t call me that when it\u2019s just the two of us. You know what I think about that kind of formality,\u201d I told him, annoyed, and his stiff expression turned back into his usual grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know, sure, but I\u2019d better practice. You don\u2019t want me screwing up in public, do you?\u201d he said with the informal register I was so used to hearing him use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re not the type to screw up anyway,\u201d I rebutted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As someone who\u2019d known him for years, I had to think he was joking. I was biased because we were childhood friends, but even ignoring that bias, I still considered him an extremely talented man. I couldn\u2019t recall a single time he had ever screwed up something. He was probably acting like a humble servant just to make fun of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got a point. I, the great Lord Janne, know nothing but success,\u201d he said with a grin, confirming my theory. He made himself sound insufferable, but he was right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s great. Incidentally, wouldn\u2019t the great Lord Janne pretend to be a Dahl? Bearing that surname is too burdensome for me,\u201d I said jokingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy liege,\u201d he said, going back to his ridiculously formal speech while theatrically dropping his shoulders, \u201cI could never. That most blessed of names belongs to the royal family, and as such, you shall be the one bearing it, O Lord Cezar Dahl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was expecting that sort of reply, so I just sighed and forgot about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, that was my name: Cezar Dahl, Prince of Ethenell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I still wasn\u2019t used to it, though. Just a few months ago I was still just Cezar the mercenary, wandering from one country to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My destiny changed when Ethenell\u2019s lewd king became interested in my mom, who was part of a foreign traveling company of entertainers, and forced her to live in the palace. He eventually got bored with her, but by that point, she was already pregnant with me and therefore couldn\u2019t afford to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite being alone in a country she didn\u2019t even know that well, Mom did her best to bring me up by herself. \u201cWhen you grow up, let\u2019s leave this place and travel the world together,\u201d<\/em> she always used to say. As a former traveling entertainer, she still hadn\u2019t given up on seeing the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wondered if life in that unfamiliar country was what weakened her. Disease took her away from me when I was still six years old, and then I was alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The palace was full of women and children, and nobody cared about a little orphan like me. I was at the epicenter of the country\u2019s nobility, and yet I risked starving to death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet despite everything, someone helped me: my half-brother, who is now the King of Ethenell. He was nine years older than me, and had therefore just become an adult \u2014 a young but talented one. His mother was a very well-known noble, and he was already one of the best candidates for succeeding his father as king. He was like someone from a completely different world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One day, when I still didn\u2019t even know that he existed, I was passed out from hunger on the street in front of the palace. He found me and started taking care of me. His mother disapproved, but he insisted on becoming my guardian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He entrusted me to his loyal governess, hired an instructor to teach me all that I would need to thrive as royalty, and sometimes even tutored me himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He told me that he didn\u2019t have any brothers from his mother, and he\u2019d had few opportunities to spend time with his half-brothers, which is why he treated me so well. \u201cI\u2019m so happy to have you with me, Cezar,\u201d he\u2019d always say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once I came of age, I arrogantly said that I wanted to leave the palace, where I didn\u2019t feel at home. He supported me even then, saying that it was my life and that I was free to do what I pleased with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, at the age of fifteen, I left behind the palace and the title of prince, traveling the world simply as Cezar. The youngest son of the governess who brought me up, Janne, came with me. Allegedly it was to look after me but, knowing him, it was just to have fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was harsh out there, but everything was new and interesting. I had some money with me, but it eventually ran out. So I became a mercenary, because the pay was good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My brother had taught me how to fight with the sword back at the palace, and I had a natural knack for it to begin with. I quickly made a name for myself as Cezar the mercenary, and was able to earn enough to live freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than ten years passed, and I thought I\u2019d just be a mercenary until the day I died. But one day, while on a trivial mission back in Ethenell, I heard the news that the brother who had saved me had now become king.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So he finally did it,<\/em> I thought and, curious, went to visit him… Little did I know that doing so would change my life once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My brother had become king, yes, but all around him were nothing but foes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He wanted to do something about the terrible conditions in which our father had left the kingdom, but in doing so, he had ended up antagonizing the siblings who wanted the crown, the nobles\u2019 concubines, and even his own mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After seeing that, I couldn\u2019t go back to being a mercenary. He had saved me, and now I wanted to return the favor. I would become his best, most loyal ally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My brother seemed sorry to see me renounce my freedom to help him, but he made me work day and night until I could fit back into my role as prince. I was planning to stay by his side as nothing more than a vassal, so that felt like too big of a burden for me. However he insisted, saying that having that title would \u201cmake all the difference,\u201d and I begrudgingly accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how I ended up participating in the International Assembly, held in Sorci\u00e9, as the prince representing Ethenell. Rumors had it that Sorci\u00e9 had flourished even more since the crowning of the current king, so I looked forward to learning all I could from my experience in the kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll have to play my part, fool everyone, and take in as much information as possible. All for Brother.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUgh, I\u2019m so bored!\u201d I said while lazily stretching out in my room within the castle. \u201cThe weather\u2019s so nice. I really want to go for a walk…\u201d I muttered while looking out the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou cannot,\u201d Anne immediately replied. \u201cDignitaries from other countries are visiting the castle, and you have been told not to walk around needlessly for the duration of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be precise, the Assembly was going to start on the next day. But since many of the participants were coming from so far away, the castle started accepting them as guests this morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of us were supposed to welcome the foreign representatives, and those who weren\u2019t were told to simply wait in their rooms. In particular, Jeord and Keith had told me not to leave my room for any reason, to avoid running into \u2014 or causing \u2014 any problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would have been happy to read indoors if it were raining, but the clear blue sky I could see through the window looked too beautiful to stay indoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can\u2019t see any important-looking people from the window, so I don\u2019t think anybody would notice if I just went to the nearby garden for a bit. Anne is so strict about this kind of stuff though…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I couldn\u2019t come up with any good excuse to leave the room, so I just read a book for a while. Anne was eventually convinced that I wouldn\u2019t do anything stupid, and went to have lunch early. She had lunch by herself, before me, so that she could accompany me when it was time for me to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will call another maid to look after you while I am away,\u201d she said, but I quickly refused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll be fine by myself. Everyone\u2019s probably busy preparing for the Assembly right now anyway. I\u2019ll just be here reading,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will be back as soon as possible,\u201d she said, looking a bit worried as she left for the servants\u2019 dining hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is my chance! I can go to the garden! But if I walk out of the door, someone will probably see me…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So naturally, I jumped out of the window. It was a piece of cake, since my room was on the ground floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m just going to take a little stroll under the sun. I\u2019ll go back to my room in no time and Anne will be none the wiser.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is great!\u201d I said to myself after filling my lungs with the fresh outdoor air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was pleasantly warm, and the garden (as expected, since this was the castle) was wonderfully cared for. There were no flowers, but the lawn was neatly trimmed and framed by rows of beautiful trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I crouched and touched the ground, rejoicing at how good the grass felt to the touch. How could I resist the temptation of this lush greenery after all that time spent studying in the castle?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And luckily, there was nobody around. I laid down with my back on the grass to better enjoy its softness and smell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So cozy…<\/em> I thought to myself as I stretched out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the warm sun shone over me, I started getting sleepy and eventually closed my eyes…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I heard a voice coming from above. As I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar man looking perplexedly at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY-Yes, I am,\u201d I replied, still half asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, so you aren\u2019t unconscious. That\u2019s good. How do you feel? Do you think you can walk?\u201d he asked me in a worried tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He probably thinks I fell down because I was feeling sick! I was just taking a nap, but I ended up making someone worry…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, yes, but I think you\u2019re misunderstanding something. The grass was so soft that I just wanted to lie down on it, and when I did, it felt so pleasant that I fell asleep… I\u2019m feeling perfectly fine!\u201d I said, shaking my fists to emphasize my point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was visibly shocked. \u201cSo you didn\u2019t pass out or anything. You were just… sleeping?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExactly!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnless I\u2019m mistaken, you\u2019re in the castle\u2019s garden, though…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know that, of course! But I couldn\u2019t resist this wonderful grassy turf,\u201d I explained, and he started laughing without restraint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This time, I was the one visibly shocked. I wonder what\u2019s so funny.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once I had regained my composure, I looked at the man more carefully and realized how handsome he was. He was tanned and muscular, and had black hair and eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, the wild and handsome type. That\u2019s rare around these parts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At first I thought he was scary, but now, as his slightly crooked teeth showed through while he laughed, he looked like a youthful, approachable person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I kept observing him, and he eventually stopped laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry, sorry, I shouldn\u2019t have laughed that much. There I was thinking that you had lost consciousness or something, and then I hear you explain that you were just sleeping, and for the funniest reason too! Hahaha!\u201d he said, breaking into laughter again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was no wonder he was surprised \u2014 the average person doesn\u2019t really sleep in the castle\u2019s garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Don\u2019t worry. If anything, I\u2019m sorry for choosing a place to sleep that could cause misunderstandings,\u201d I apologized, and he laughed again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnyway, you are from this country, right? Are you one of the castle\u2019s servants?\u201d he asked while looking at my clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I wasn\u2019t supposed to leave my room today, I was wearing a very simple, comfortable dress, not too different from what a servant would wear. And now it was also covered in grass to boot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for him, he didn\u2019t look like anyone I\u2019d ever seen in Sorci\u00e9, so he was probably from another country. The last thing I wanted was for foreigners to think that the noble ladies of this kingdom wear clothes this plain and sleep on the ground, so I decided to lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY-Yes, I am!\u201d I said, and only then realized that this could get me into trouble if we ran into each other during the Assembly. \u201cAnd who may you be?\u201d I asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m Cezar, a servant from Ethenell,\u201d he replied with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great! He\u2019s a servant too. Well, he actually is a servant. I\u2019m not. But still, this means that he probably won\u2019t take part in the actual Assembly, since that\u2019s only for nobles and Sorci\u00e9 servants, or so I heard.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy name is Katarina,\u201d I told him, relieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNice to meet you, Katarina,\u201d he said, giving me his hand. I took it, and we exchanged a firm handshake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His hand is so tough. He must do a lot of manual labor.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just reached the castle and was taking a look around. I must say I\u2019m impressed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, really?\u201d I said. I had never been outside of Sorci\u00e9, and this was the only castle I\u2019d ever seen in my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow\u2019s the work here?\u201d he asked with a grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was surprised by his question, until I remembered that I was pretending to be a servant. \u201cIt\u2019s not bad,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t know what the actual servants thought about working here, but I\u2019d heard Anne mention that it seemed like a good workplace, so I guess I technically wasn\u2019t lying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs work tough where you are from?\u201d I asked, noticing the jealous look on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou bet,\u201d he said with a laugh. \u201cA new king just took the throne in Ethenell, and the whole place is as busy as it\u2019s ever been. It\u2019s not an easy job, but I hope things will get better for everyone eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I remembered hearing something about the recently crowned king, and how much that had shaken up the country, during the seminar. This must have been hard for a servant like Cezar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you rest on the grass too? It feels really good,\u201d I suggested, thinking that he may be tired, but he started laughing once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat sounds wonderful, but if I got covered in grass minutes after reaching the castle, I wouldn\u2019t hear the end of it from my friends,\u201d he said, looking at how dirty my dress had become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He had a point, and I realized that if I didn\u2019t clean myself up before going back, I wouldn\u2019t hear the end of it from Anne either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re right… I should do something about these clothes too,\u201d I said, and started brushing off the grass as best as I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This made him laugh again. He really laughs a lot, this Cezar.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But he helped me clean up, even asking permission before touching my clothes. He didn\u2019t look the part, but he had a gentlemanly side to him. All in all, he was a mysterious guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCezar!\u201d I heard someone shout when we were almost finished with my dress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I guess I spent too much time relaxing. Someone\u2019s come for me,\u201d he said, and his shoulders dropped a little bit. \u201cSee you around, Katarina,\u201d he said with a smile before walking away, waving at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He had left a deep impression on me, maybe because of how unique he was, or maybe because he was from another country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, even though he said he\u2019d \u201csee me around,\u201d I figured that we wouldn\u2019t see each other again. After all, starting the next day, I\u2019d be busy attending the Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was a good guy, so I was sad about that. I finished cleaning up and started walking back to my room, and that was when I noticed someone standing beyond the rows of trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a familiar someone \u2014 someone who shouldn\u2019t have been there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That dream I had… was that more than just a dream?<\/em> I thought, and started running towards that person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCezar, you had me worried. You said you just wanted to take a quick look around, but you sure took your sweet time,\u201d Janne scolded me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was the one at fault, so I apologized. \u201cSorry, that was my plan, but I met someone so interesting that I ended up chatting for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou? Finding other people interesting? Now that\u2019s unusual. What made this person so interesting, anyway?\u201d he asked, staring at me curiously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I explained what I had just seen, and he laughed almost as much as I had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWow, sleeping in the castle\u2019s garden while there are foreign dignitaries all over the place? Talk about fearless,\u201d he said between laughs. \u201cThat guy is wasted as a servant in this peaceful castle. He should be a mercenary or something. Actually, you should have scouted him,\u201d he said half-jokingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnfortunately that was no guy \u2014 it was a girl. I\u2019m not so sure she\u2019d last long as a mercenary,\u201d I replied, and he looked back at me in disbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA girl?! That\u2019s even crazier,\u201d he commented. After thinking for a while, he said, \u201cThen you should have scouted her as your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why\u2019s he talking about wives all of a sudden?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI mean, it\u2019s the first time you\u2019ve ever shown any interest in a woman,\u201d he said casually. \u201cYou\u2019ve played around a lot, but you\u2019ve never had a proper fianc\u00e9e. That would be fine for a mercenary, but for a prince? You can\u2019t stay single forever. What would the people think?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He did have a point, but it was just annoying for him to say that out loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just said she was interesting,<\/em> not that I\u2019d fallen madly in love with her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe I can\u2019t stay single forever, but do I really have to find a wife here and now?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s go back now,\u201d Janne said, completely ignoring my displeasure, and headed towards the room that we\u2019d been assigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheesh, I was having so much fun and he had to go and ruin it. I wish I could speak with that Katarina girl again \u2014 that\u2019d make me laugh.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I wondered how surprised she\u2019d be once she saw me at the Assembly and found out that I\u2019d lied about being a servant like her… But then again, would they really choose a girl like her, who takes naps on the ground, to wait on nobles?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe I\u2019d run into her again if I went back to that garden. Just thinking about that possibility brought my smile back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Janne\u2019s talk of marriage was an exaggeration, but I guess that I really do feel interested in her, even after just chatting for a short while, <\/em>I thought to myself unconcernedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n I kept running towards the figure I saw behind the trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina?\u201d called out a familiar voice that was full of surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaria? What are you doing here?\u201d I asked her, surprised as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She wasn\u2019t supposed to be here, and I certainly didn\u2019t expect to see her in those clothes. She was dressed as a maid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid you quit the Magical Ministry to become a maid at the castle?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, not at all, this dress is borrowed… I am just here on a mission for the Ministry,\u201d she replied, lowering her voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA mission?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What kind of mission would require her to go to the castle dressed up as a maid?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell…\u201d she started to explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, newcomer, come here. And make it quick,\u201d an old maid called with a menacing voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, ma\u2019am!\u201d she replied nervously, before whispering \u201cI will see you later\u201d to me and quickly walking towards the maid that had called for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So she\u2019s working as a maid as part of a Ministry mission…<\/em> I thought, and then remembered what I recently saw while passed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In my dream I saw Maria, inside the game, say that she had to do her best at the Assembly. Since at the time she was nowhere near the castle, I assumed that it was just that: a dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But now she was here, and it looked like she would actually be working at the Assembly. This meant that this was part of the game\u2019s story, and the castle wasn\u2019t safe for me anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stood there for a while, shocked, before realizing that I\u2019d better get back to my room. However, I was so busy thinking about what had just happened that I forgot that I wasn\u2019t supposed to leave my room, and went back in by casually walking through the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apparently a lot more time had passed than I thought, because Anne was waiting to ambush me with a firm scolding. I was in my room, worrying about how the Assembly was actually part of the game, when Keith stopped by to check whether I had been staying inside as instructed. Anne promptly informed him that I had not, so despite my best efforts to fool him, I was scolded again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once he was done with that, I told him about seeing Maria in maid clothes, and that she had talked about a mission for the Ministry. I wanted the opinion of someone smart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wonder why the Ministry would ask her to work as a maid,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a theory,\u201d he said, furrowing his brow, \u201cbut I doubt that the Ministry asked her to actually work<\/em> as a maid. She is probably just supposed to pretend to do so in order to investigate something within the castle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith\u2019s theory sounded very convincing. Maybe when Maria talked about her \u201cwork at the Assembly\u201d in my dream, she meant this mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut if they chose a newcomer like Maria for a mission like this…\u201d Keith murmured by himself with a preoccupied expression on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d I asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s nothing. You just stay here and rest in preparation for tomorrow,\u201d he said, brushing off my question and then going back to his own room to prepare as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There only was one day left. The Assembly would take place with all nobles of the same rank gathered in separate open areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the relief of thinking that the Assembly had nothing to do with FL2, knowing that I had likely been wrong and that I would have to worry about the Catastrophic Bad Ends completely ruined my mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But just worrying about it without doing anything wouldn\u2019t solve my problems. It was time to call the Katarinas inside my head for a meeting. Please assemble for today\u2019s meeting of the Katarinas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meeting chairwoman: Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meeting representative: Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meeting secretary: Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe first and only item on today\u2019s agenda is the discussion of the International Assembly, and, in light of the fact that it is part of the scenario of the game known as Fortune Lover II,<\/em> whether it could include some game-relevant events.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. It could be a romantic spy story, for example. That would be nice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNice indeed! A change of scenery is the perfect occasion for love to blossom!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust imagine this: one of the love interests, made bolder by their unusual surroundings, looks at the protagonist and tells her \u2018I won\u2019t let you go back home by yourself. Not tonight.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut Fortune Lover<\/em> was rated for all ages, so I don\u2019t think they\u2019d go that far…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut this is the sequel! So maybe now it\u2019s rated M because of some new raunchy stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh my! I\u2019m still too pure for this kind of\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease, everyone! You are forgetting what we are actually supposed to discuss! How can you be so nonchalant about this whole matter? Our issue with the Assembly is not whether love is waiting for Maria, but whether doom is waiting for Katarina!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY-Yes, you are right…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m glad you understand. Now, let\u2019s think of how we should act once the Assembly starts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can\u2019t just not show up and go back home… right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDefinitely not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut we\u2019ve never played the sequel, so we don\u2019t even know what kind of events we should avoid if we don\u2019t want to run into the bad ends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnfortunately, that\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor the time being, I think we should try to stay close to the love interests and rival characters as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you mean that the only way for Katarina to end the Assembly without any problems is to get help from her friends?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf that is the case, making some major mistake as a normal noble lady would be even more likely than running into one of the game\u2019s bad ends…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnfortunately, that\u2019s also true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, what should we do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe a good, ladylike girl?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s the least specific idea I\u2019ve ever heard…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut that\u2019s all I can come up with!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThree heads should be better than one! Why can\u2019t we come up with any useful solutions?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTechnically we\u2019re all inside a single head though. And not a particularly brilliant one either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…You\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Excuse me, may I…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGo ahead, Katarina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wonder if Katarina even takes part in the Assembly at all in FL2\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAccording to what we know so far, Katarina is supposed to be infiltrating the Ministry undercover, but she\u2019s not a noble lady anymore. So why would she be at the Assembly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s right!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, I think that there are no Katarina-related events awaiting. We should just be concentrating on avoiding screw-ups.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKatarina… I didn\u2019t know you were so smart…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHehe, how do you think I survived FL1? I\u2019m a genius!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHaha, that\u2019s a bit much. So, in conclusion, even if the events at the Assembly are part of the game, they won\u2019t affect Katarina. We have nothing to fear! Let\u2019s do our best at the Assembly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes ma\u2019am!\u201d And thus, the meeting of the Katarinas was dismissed. I realized that, even if FL2-related stuff were to happen, it couldn\u2019t be a problem for me. And so I effortlessly fell asleep. \u201cYoung miss, please wake up. It is morning already.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like on most mornings, I woke up to Anne\u2019s voice. I had slept well and was feeling full of energy. I started preparing, ready to give 100% at the Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Specifically, I had to go to the gathering for nobles with the rank of count or higher from all the participating countries. On the surface, the purpose was to strengthen international bonds, but the real<\/em> purpose was searching for useful information about foreign powers and finding out what they thought of specific policies in order to get a diplomatic advantage. So I was told to only speak the bare minimum and be very careful not to do anything that may put my country at a disadvantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had always hated the gatherings of Sorci\u00e9 nobles greeting each other with fake smiles, so having to withstand it on a much bigger scale and for a whole day was just the worst… But it was my duty, so I had no choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thankfully, I had some reliable people to count on: Keith, Mary, Sophia, and Nicol. Jeord and Alan were at a different gathering reserved for royalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s do this!<\/em> I told myself, and together with Keith, I went to the hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was large and luxurious \u2014 even for the castle\u2019s standards \u2014 and a lot of people were already there. At a glance, it looked more or less like the princes\u2019 graduation party, but the attendees were completely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First of all, they looked<\/em> different. Sorci\u00e9 people all had white skin and, usually, slender bodies, but there were some guests with plump physiques and the same skin tone as the Japanese people from my previous life, and even some with brown skin and black hair, probably from the same country as Cezar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These traits made them unusual enough, but their clothes were very peculiar too. When attending a formal event such as this one, Sorci\u00e9 nobles would normally wear dresses similar to ones from European high society in the Middle Ages in my old world. But today, I could see all kinds of outfits throughout the hall. If I were to compare them to things that I\u2019d seen in my previous life, some looked like southeast Asian traditional clothing, and some like Japanese kimono.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was taken aback by the exotic scene in front of me. If this had been my old world I would have expected to hear lots of different languages, but it seemed that there only was a single one in use here, and nobody had trouble communicating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was extremely grateful for that. For someone who hates studying as much as I do, having to learn a foreign language would be downright hell. My first experiences barely avoiding catastrophe actually dated back to when I was a Japanese high school girl and had to take English tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was reminiscing about that when Keith pulled my arm. \u201cBig Sister, don your best smile. We\u2019re going for a round of greetings,\u201d he whispered to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I remembered that I was supposed to act like a perfect lady throughout the whole Assembly, so I pulled myself together, smiled, and followed my brother into the circle of people. Even with so many nobles from other countries, what we had to do was the same as always: smile, greet them, introduce ourselves, and chat for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had been told to be wary that some of them would try to use these little chats to gain sensitive information, but then again, I didn\u2019t really know much about the kingdom\u2019s policies. The more important thing was to be careful not to say too much about the Magical Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was rare for such a high-ranking noble to work there, but that fact wasn\u2019t confidential, and most of the guests here actually knew about it. I was surprised that people from other countries would know that about me, but Keith explained that it was normal for nobles to know things like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was asked several times about what kind of place the Ministry was, but I just smiled and replied with, \u201cI only help with some minor tasks, so I am not so sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I actually owned a Dark Familiar and was currently deciphering the Dark Covenant, but obviously I couldn\u2019t reveal those national secrets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone quickly believed me when I said that I didn\u2019t do much work there, as that made perfect sense for a noble. When I first entered the Ministry, the other employees thought that I was just there to kill the time until marriage, and the people that I was talking to now probably imagined something similar. Using this strategy, I was able to get through all conversations without any problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sophia and Mary, my beautiful friends, were on the receiving end of several advances. But since I wasn\u2019t anywhere near as beautiful as them, cursed as I was with the villainess look, I kept smiling and chatting, and eventually the day came to an end. I went back to my room and, absolutely exhausted, quickly changed into something more comfortable and jumped onto the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ugh, if I\u2019m so tired after just the first day, this is going to be really hard…<\/em> I thought with a sigh as I watched the trees outside the window turning red in the evening sun. Judging from my exhaustion I would have guessed that it was already late at night, but if the sun was still setting, that meant it was still earlier than when the seminar lessons usually finished. I thought those were hard, but this was on another level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hm?<\/em> As I looked outside the window, I noticed the person I\u2019d met on the previous day. My room was on the edge of the castle farthest from the entrance, so it was rare for people to come into the nearby garden. Seeing the same person there on two consecutive days was really weird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Could it be that he came all the way here just to see me again?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If that were the case, it\u2019d be rude not to go. Thankfully Anne had just left and I was alone in my room, so I could sneak out of the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I started walking towards Cezar, the handsome man I\u2019d met the day before. He noticed me and turned around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I still haven\u2019t said anything, and I wasn\u2019t that close to him, so how did he even notice me? Must be his wild survival instinct or something.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d really see you again,\u201d he told me with the same childish smile I\u2019d seen on him last time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid you come here just to see me?\u201d I said, surprised that he\u2019d really do something like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I was just taking a walk, and I figured that if I passed by this garden you\u2019d be here too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He hadn\u2019t come specifically to meet me, so there was no need for me to go out of the window to greet him. But now that I had, I couldn\u2019t just up and leave without at least exchanging a few words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you done with work for today?\u201d I asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m all done. What about you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMe too. I\u2019m finally finished, and I am so exhausted,\u201d I replied, with so much tiredness in my voice that it was obvious I wasn\u2019t lying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe people of the host country all have it tough, huh? From nobles to servants,\u201d he said with a laugh of sympathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAren\u2019t you tired?\u201d I asked him, because, despite having had to work as a servant for a full day in a foreign country, he still looked full of energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA little, yeah, but nothing major. I\u2019m very resilient, and I\u2019ve done harder jobs in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat kind of job did you do before becoming a servant?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was a mercenary,\u201d he said casually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA mare scenery<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHm, I guess you aren\u2019t used to the concept here in your country. A mercenary is a soldier for hire. Sorci\u00e9 has a proper army, so it figures that there aren\u2019t any mercenaries, but in poorer countries a lot of people make a living like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right, mercenary. Of course.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d heard about them in manga and novels in my previous life, but I didn\u2019t think that they existed in this world, as I\u2019d never seen one before. Cezar was muscular enough that one could tell through his clothes, and that, together with the way he instinctively realized I was approaching him earlier, definitely made him seem like someone who fights for a living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was staring at him in awe, and he raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you scared of me now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHngh?\u201d I didn\u2019t understand what he meant, and the best response I could muster was a weird, meaningless sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI mean, now that you know that I\u2019ve made a living with a job as gruesome as that,\u201d he said with a slight grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I guess being a mercenary is gruesome, but…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo be honest, there are probably some details I don\u2019t understand… but I don\u2019t think that you are a scary person,\u201d I said, and this time he raised both his eyebrows in surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReally?\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t scared of him, but I did have one doubt. \u201cWhy did you decide to stop being a mercenary and become a servant?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe it was too personal of a question to ask someone that I didn\u2019t know that well, but he seemed candid enough not to care. Indeed, he replied without thinking twice about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy brother became the new head of his family, and since I owed him a lot, I decided to go help him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was expecting some deep, sad answer, but I was relieved to hear such a normal explanation. Still, the work of a mercenary and that of a servant were so different that changing jobs must have been tough, so I asked him about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah,\u201d he replied, \u201cI feel much more constrained right now. Being a mercenary was way easier,\u201d he said with a nostalgic look in his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut mercenaries fight in wars, right? Wouldn\u2019t that be much more dangerous than being a servant?\u201d I asked, cocking my head to one side. Even if changing jobs was difficult, being a servant sounded easier than having to fight while risking one\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He nodded and started explaining. \u201cIt\u2019s true that as a servant you\u2019re not risking your life, but there\u2019s less freedom. As a mercenary you may be killed any day, but you\u2019re free. You don\u2019t serve any specific country or master, so you can go wherever you want. There\u2019s nothing tying you down, and you can travel as far as you please. That way of living suited me better,\u201d he said, and I noticed that his eyes were sparkling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFreedom…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he talked about it, the concept sounded so fascinating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, freedom. I could decide what to do and where to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you\u2019ve been to a lot of different places?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, I\u2019ve always loved traveling, so I\u2019ve visited many countries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh? What kind of countries?\u201d I asked, leaning forward with curiosity, which seemed to amuse him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou want to know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll tell you a little bit,\u201d he said, and started telling me about the many places he had seen. A country whose capital had a harbor thriving with trade, one whose castles were built along a river… I had heard about other countries from Sora, but Cezar\u2019s stories were grander in scale and made even more interesting by his funny comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked him to go on so many times that, before I knew it, the sun had completely set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s late, you\u2019d better go back to your room to rest. You also have work tomorrow, don\u2019t you?\u201d he told me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut I wanted to hear more stories…\u201d I murmured to myself, and he grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m going to take a walk through this garden tomorrow too. Come see me, if you\u2019re free after work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We parted ways, and this time I remembered to sneak back in through the window. Since Anne had gone back to her room to sleep, I got back to my room without being noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having to be so careful all day long had drained me, but hearing Cezar\u2019s stories made me feel refreshed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cezar from Ethenell… He\u2019s a strange guy.<\/em> We barely knew each other, but he was so easy to talk to. It felt as if we\u2019d always been friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually, rather than friends, we felt like siblings. He kind of reminded me of my older brothers in my previous life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hope I\u2019ll be able to see him tomorrow too, and then I\u2019ll ask him to tell me more stories,<\/em> I thought as I lay in bed. I heard some kind of growling animal, but I was definitely too tired to care about that, and I immediately fell asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYoung miss, please wake up. It is morning already.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I woke up to Anne\u2019s voice, as usual. I had slept well, so I had no problem getting up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m going to do my best on the second day of the Assembly too!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Today I\u2019d be attending a tea party with the noblewomen from the participating countries. The first day was supposed to be for exchanging information between high-ranking nobles, and the second day was for exchanging information between ladies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The place and people would be different, but what I had to do was more or less the same, so I was told to stay careful and be proper at all times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since this gathering was only for women, my trusted ally and problem-solver Keith wouldn\u2019t be there. But I was going to have my dependable friends Mary and Sophia by my side. Together with them, I once again stepped inside that dizzying circle of people, where different nationalities and ways of dressing came together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite it being called a tea party, we weren\u2019t sitting down. Everyone had to eat and drink standing up so they could walk around and speak with more people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I recognized some faces from the previous day, but I also saw many new ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Will they all ask me about the Ministry again?<\/em> I feared, but after greeting one of the ladies, she asked me something completely different and completely unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs it true that your brother Keith is still not engaged?\u201d The one asking was a lady from a neighboring country who looked slightly younger than me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That really came out of nowhere! <\/em>I thought, surprised, but I replied honestly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. He still does not have a fianc\u00e9e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as I uttered these words, a swarm of foreign ladies surrounded me for some reason. In seconds, I was being aggressively interviewed, with questions such as, \u201cWhat kind of girl does he like?\u201d and \u201cAre there already any candidates?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those ladies were so intense that I had no choice but to reply reluctantly. \u201cI don\u2019t really know about his tastes, and I don\u2019t think there are any candidates right now,\u201d I faltered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This wasn\u2019t the first time someone had asked about Keith at a tea party, but the people asking usually did so much more calmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After they finished telling me their ranks and what made them especially attractive, the women finally let me go. Exhausted, I found Mary, who had been looking at me throughout the whole ordeal and sympathized with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow those were some frantic ladies,\u201d I said with a sigh, and Mary explained to me what was going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour brother is an extremely handsome youth after all. The people of our high society have become used to him, but for foreigners who see him for the first time, this reaction is not surprising. Our princes, Master Nicol, and others are getting a very similar treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReally? Yesterday I spent the whole day with Keith, but I didn\u2019t see that many girls approaching him,\u201d I said, remembering the first day of the Assembly, and Mary laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course, they were in a foreign country together with their fathers and partners \u2014 it is natural that they would restrain themselves. But today there are only women gathered here, so they have no reason to contain their excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I see.\u201d I also only talked about romantic stuff with girls, so it made sense. \u201cSpeaking of… where\u2019s Sophia?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She had come with us, but even after doing my best to look throughout the hall, I couldn\u2019t find her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe is there,\u201d Mary said sadly as she pointed towards a small crowd of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cInside that crowd?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. She is being surrounded and asked questions about her brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poor Sophia, through no fault of her own except having a handsome brother, was suffering the same fate as me, and with even more ladies asking her questions. I wanted to help her, but after seeing for myself how difficult it was to escape that circle of beasts, I couldn\u2019t find the courage to step inside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m sorry, Sophia. Just answer enough questions and they\u2019ll go away, I promise,<\/em> I apologized to her inside my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mary, judging from the way she was looking at that crowd, was probably feeling equally bad for not being able to help her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSay, Mary, did they also surround you to ask questions about Prince Alan?\u201d I asked her. She said that the foreign ladies had been crazy about the princes, so I figured that she also had to withstand their questions. But she shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey did seem to be envious of me for being engaged to such a wonderful prince, but they were not so brazen as to ask anything directly of his fianc\u00e9e. While they certainly seem to be a bit overexcited, all of these people still realize that they are here representing their own countries, so they would never cross the line with an engaged man. They asked you nothing about Prince Jeord, I assume.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re right. They had questions about Keith, but they only told me about how envious they were that I had Prince Jeord as a fianc\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSee? This is why they can\u2019t contain themselves when it comes to handsome men who happen not to be engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that I think about it, it\u2019s obvious that women who are looking to get married would be targeting all the single men.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut I\u2019m sure that there are a lot of handsome single men. Why\u2019re they all swarming around me and Sophia like that?\u201d I asked, furrowing my brow, and Mary laughed again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou are right. Our country is full of handsome people,\u201d she said, sipping her tea. Hearing that from a girl as beautiful as her made it that much more convincing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even for an otome game, this country had a ridiculous number of attractive people \u2014 especially in my vicinity (or rather, in Maria\u2019s, as she was the protagonist). No wonder the foreign ladies reacted like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have heard the opinions of most of the participants today, and it seems that Nicol and Keith are amongst the most popular at this year\u2019s Assembly,\u201d she said, taking another sip from her tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She looked so relaxed, drinking her tea in a corner, but she was actually always collecting information. Amazing. I should really learn to be more like her. <\/em>Nicol and Keith were amazing too, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s incredible, considering how many people are here. Isn\u2019t there anyone who\u2019s popular in the other countries?\u201d With all these participants, it would have surprised me if there wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHmm, well, the Prince of Ethenell is also enjoying a lot of popularity, but as he has no female relatives, there is nobody here to ask questions about him to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n How did she learn so much about everyone so fast? Also, Ethenell… That\u2019s the country where Cezar comes from. He\u2019s very handsome too. Maybe next time I see him I should ask him about the prince.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I spaced out while thinking to myself, and before I knew it, I was once again surrounded by ladies who wanted to ask me about Keith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a while, once the lines of people around me had gotten sparse enough for me to escape, I excused myself by saying that I needed to go to the toilet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I left the hall and rested in a corridor not far away, sighing deeply. I was so tired. They all asked me the same questions. I wished I could just write the answers on a piece of paper and post it on a wall. I didn\u2019t want to go back… but I had to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was looking at the garden outside when I heard the squealing voices of ladies in love. D-Did they chase me here to get more information about Keith?!<\/em> I braced myself and turned around, but I didn\u2019t find any noble ladies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I did find some female servants, though. Judging from their uniforms, they had come here from abroad. They were blushing just as much as their noble counterparts, and they were all staring at something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I followed their gazes and saw a handsome man with blue eyes and blue hair wearing the uniform typical of Sorci\u00e9 servants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs that Sora?\u201d I asked myself, but I was so surprised that I blurted it out so loudly that it caught his attention. As our eyes met, he looked agitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s up with that? Is that how you look at a colleague you haven\u2019t seen in a while?<\/em> I was thinking, disappointed, as he started walking towards me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMay I help you, miss?\u201d he said with an obviously fake smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you?\u201d I tried to ask him, but he immediately interrupted me in a whisper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t divulge anything,\u201d he said with that same smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I realized that I might have done something wrong, so I closed my mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, so you have become lost. I see. I would be most pleased to show you the way,\u201d he said all of a sudden, and guided me somewhere the group of female servants couldn\u2019t see us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once there, he let out a big sigh. \u201cYou already saw Maria, didn\u2019t you? So I\u2019d expect you to know why I\u2019m here,\u201d he said, and I remembered my encounter from the previous day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, Maria was dressed as a maid for a mission, and that was probably a secr… Ah!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo… You\u2019re investigating something, so it\u2019d be a problem if people found out you actually work for the Ministry, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExactly. You\u2019re a genius<\/em>,\u201d he said sarcastically. \u201cMy mission is classified, so pretend that you don\u2019t know me as long as I\u2019m here. Everyone here knows that you work for the Ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As he spoke to me with such a serious expression, all I could say was \u201cOkay.\u201d But then I couldn\u2019t resist asking, \u201cBut what kind of mission is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t need to know. Actually, don\u2019t stick your nose in this. You\u2019d just make everything more complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His reply stung a little; he was a newcomer in the department just like me, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m busy, so I\u2019ll be going now. You probably have your noble lady duties to attend to,\u201d he said before quickly walking away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the Assembly was part of the game, I guess it\u2019s natural for Sora to be here too.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Still knowing nothing about the Ministry\u2019s mission, I went back to the hall, where I was once again flooded with questions about Keith. I spent the rest of the day answering those ladies, which made me feel just as tired as yesterday, even if for a different reason. Sophia had it even worse than me, and she looked totally spent when we silently shook hands and parted ways for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I went back to my room and quickly changed, just as I had done on the previous day, and then ate some of the snacks that Anne had prepared for me. I\u2019d been so busy during the tea party that I hadn\u2019t even managed to eat properly, and I was starving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wonder if he\u2019ll come by today too.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked out of the window, but when I saw no one there, I disappointedly went back to my snacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe he\u2019s too busy today, <\/em>I thought as I looked around in my room, until my eyes fell upon the Dark Covenant, which I had carelessly left lying around. I was supposed to take good care of it, so I quickly put it back inside my bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then again, who would ever want to steal this? Nobody, except for a few select people at the Ministry, even knows it exists.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I felt like I was being watched, and I turned towards the windows, thinking that maybe Cezar had come. But he wasn\u2019t there. I must have imagined it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGrrrrr…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Did I just hear something like a growling animal? I looked towards the window again, and this time I found him there, facing away from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He came!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I stood up from my chair, stuffed some snacks in my pockets, and jumped out of the window and into the garden, forgetting everything about the growl I\u2019d heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once again, he noticed me coming before I could say anything, and turned to face me. He\u2019s definitely the real deal.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood evening, Cezar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood evening,\u201d he replied with a smile. \u201cYou look even more tired than yesterday. Are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before I knew it, I was venting to him. \u201cI\u2019ve spent the whole day replying to the questions from foreign ladies about one of our noblemen who still doesn\u2019t have a fianc\u00e9e, and it was exhausting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour country is full of attractive men and women. It figures that everybody would be head over heels about them,\u201d he said with a nod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople from your country are too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, of course. It\u2019s rare to see people this good-looking in Ethenell, and here there are so many,\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRare? But you\u2019re also very good-looking!\u201d I said, staring at his handsome face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a second he stared back at me, surprised, but then he started laughing again. \u201cHahaha, why thank you. But noble ladies tend to like a more refined type of guy, like the princes you have here in Sorci\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI guess that\u2019s true…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cezar didn\u2019t look like the fairy-tale Prince Jeord, but I was sure that some girls were into the ruggedly handsome type. Maybe there weren\u2019t a lot of those girls in Ethenell. Speaking of Ethenell…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy the way, I\u2019ve heard that Ethenell\u2019s prince is really popular too. What kind of person is he?\u201d I asked, remembering my earlier conversation with Mary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur prince? Uhm, well… he\u2019s… I guess it depends on who you ask,\u201d he replied in a very roundabout way while he scratched his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll the ladies say that he\u2019s really handsome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know, he got all prettied up for the occasion, so maybe he\u2019s looking a bit better than usual… Anyway, you wanted to hear more of my stories from yesterday, right? Let\u2019s stop talking about the prince.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t understand why he didn\u2019t want to talk about him, but it was also true that I wanted to hear about his stories from abroad, so I asked him to start telling them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, right,\u201d I said, taking the snacks out of my pockets. \u201cEating something sweet really helps when you\u2019re tired. Would you like one?\u201d I asked, and Cezar\u2019s eyes widened as he stared at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you… not like sweet things?\u201d I asked, and, after looking surprised at my question, he started laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI do like them. Thanks, I\u2019ll have one,\u201d he said, then took one of the snacks and ate it. \u201cWow, this is delicious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know, right?! It\u2019s from a famous shop downtown. They sell so fast it\u2019s hard to get hold of them… and, oh, try one of these cookies! They\u2019re so flaky and delicious!\u201d I said, getting excited about the sweets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cezar laughed yet again like a child, showing his teeth. \u201cThis also looks good, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We kept eating sweets as he told me his tales, and he actually must have liked sweet things quite a lot, since he kept complimenting the things I offered him. His stories were so fascinating that I didn\u2019t notice the time passing by until the sun was close to setting and he told me it was time to go back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSay, tomorrow…\u201d I started saying, but I remembered that, on the next day, I\u2019d be busy starting first thing in the morning with the preparations for the ball. Pretty much everyone was going to participate, and it\u2019d start in the evening and last until late at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before I could explain myself, Cezar intervened. \u201cI\u2019m a bit busy tomorrow,\u201d he said, smiling awkwardly. \u201cSo it\u2019ll have to be another day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were only two days left of the Assembly: one for the ball and then one for simple parting greetings. After that, all nobles would go back to their own countries, and their servants would obviously follow them. We had known each other for only a few days, but I really liked Cezar. I didn\u2019t want to part ways with him so soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWould you like to…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n …meet again before you have to leave?<\/em> I wanted to ask, but I only managed to get the first part out. The second part was drowned out by my scream of surprise, because, as I was trying to get closer to Cezar, I tripped over something and fell forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I braced for the impact, but instead of the hard ground I was expecting, I found myself falling into a pair of muscular arms \u2014 Cezar had caught me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTh-Thank you,\u201d I said, still held in his arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe careful, it\u2019s already dark,\u201d he said. Then he whispered something to himself, clearly panicking. \u201cOh no! It fell out!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat fell out?\u201d I asked, and, looking up, noticed that Cezar\u2019s face was very close to mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His face, although it was as handsome as always, had something different about it: his eyes. Minutes earlier his eyes had been black, but now his right eye was a sparkling gold color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCezar… what happened to your eye?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, this?\u201d he replied, looking troubled by the question. \u201cI usually have black pieces of glass in my eyes, but one fell out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo… does that mean that this is the real color of your eyes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy\u2019d you go through the trouble of hiding it though?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t see a lot of people with eyes like this around here, do you? Well, the same is true in Ethenell, too… My mother was born in a faraway country, where this was normal, but for me it\u2019s anything but. People would probably get scared of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was right that this color was rare. I\u2019d never seen anyone with beautiful golden eyes like that, sparkling so much despite the sun being close to setting and the garden getting dark. I couldn\u2019t help but stare at his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry… You\u2019re scared too, right? I\u2019ll be going. Be careful…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s so beautiful…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour eye. It sparkles like the sun…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as I praised his eyes, Cezar froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCezar?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of a sudden, he let me go and looked away from me. \u201cExcuse me…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried getting closer to see what had happened, but he moved farther away. Why is he doing this?<\/em> I thought, worried, and he started talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Aren\u2019t you scared of me?\u201d he asked, and his voice sounded very different from how it had sounded so far. He sounded cold and distant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy eyes, or the fact that I was a mercenary. Sorry, but I don\u2019t deserve anyone\u2019s approval. I don\u2019t have regrets, but I realize I\u2019m not someone that people should look up to either,\u201d he said, lifting one of the corners of his mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t the sharpest tool in the shed, but I got what he meant. As a mercenary, being feared must have been part of his job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut you aren\u2019t scary. And I really like your eyes,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I knew next to nothing about his past. I didn\u2019t know what kind of person he was. What I did know was that he was so kind as to entertain me with his stories despite being tired, and that he liked the sweets I gave him. In my book, that made for a good person, not a scary one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, he froze once again when he heard my words. His last statement had made it obvious that this was a sensitive topic for him, and maybe I should have chosen my words better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, all I was able to do was to honestly tell him how I felt. Maybe things would have been different if I were the game\u2019s protagonist, but I wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I waited for his answer. I was scared that I had hurt him, and that he wouldn\u2019t want to see me anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After remaining silent for a while, he spoke. \u201c…I can\u2019t meet you tomorrow, but the day after that, before leaving, I\u2019ll come by this garden. I\u2019d like you to come too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay!\u201d I said, and he ran away as quickly as a wild animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I still didn\u2019t know how what I\u2019d told him had made him feel, but at least I knew that we could see each other again, and that made me happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I went back to my room, careful not to trip over anything. The ball was awaiting me the next day, and it promised to be the most tiresome event so far. I lost no time in diving into my bed and falling asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n Janne was waiting for me outside of my room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, Cezar, where have you… What happened to your eyes?!\u201d he said as soon as he saw me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This guy has a talent for always appearing at the worst of times…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was going for a walk. I dropped one of the pieces of glass, but I have extras, so it\u2019s fine,\u201d I said, shoving him aside so I could get in my room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He had known me long enough to know that, when I acted that coldly, it meant that I didn\u2019t want to be talked to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSee you tomorrow,\u201d he said, and left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I sat down on the couch, gave a loud sigh, and drooped backwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I just couldn\u2019t calm down. I\u2019d been hiding the rare color of my eyes when in public back in Ethenell, and that went double for other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My mother used to tell me that I had beautiful eyes when I was little, but all the others who commented on them did so out of either fear or disgust. Eyes like these were regarded as a positive trait back in Mother\u2019s faraway country, but in this region, just by virtue of their uniqueness, they were seen as evil and scary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I remember being bullied about them for a long time, at the palace, after I became an orphan. My half-brothers and half-sisters, who couldn\u2019t stand me, would chase me around and call me a monster, an abomination with golden eyes. Often, they\u2019d get tired of throwing insults at me and start throwing rocks and sticks instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of that, I\u2019d come to hate the eyes that my mother liked so much. I was so embarrassed by them that, once I became a mercenary, I grew my hair long to hide them as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And on the occasions when I would accidentally show them to someone, they would become terrified of me. People are scared of those who are different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, it was a great way to instill fear into the hearts of my enemies. The name of the \u201cgolden-eyed wolf\u201d was enough to make soldiers tremble, and this feature of mine had become something of a weapon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I kept my eyes hidden from people I didn\u2019t want to scare, especially girls, since the last thing I wanted was for them to start crying. Every once in a while, though, a flirty girl came close enough to see them, and the next moment she\u2019d be running away with a horrified expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They were the ones approaching me at the beginning, which made it even worse. Ladies of the night, wouldn\u2019t go as far as to run away, as they were paid to be with me, but I could see the fear in their eyes as they looked at mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After spending years in the palace, surrounded by people who hated me, I had learned how to guess what someone was thinking just from their facial expression. I was so frustrated by the way girls reacted that I started wearing black pieces of glass when I was around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina, the girl I had recently met in the castle\u2019s garden, was different from the others. There was something childlike about her, and even someone much less skilled than me would be able to read what she was thinking just by her expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being with her was fun and pleasant, which is why I didn\u2019t want to see her face twisted with fear, much less fear of me<\/em>. So I did my best to avoid showing her my eyes… but fate likes to play the cruelest. The pieces of glass which I put in my eyes to hide their color almost never fell out, but they happened to do so at the worst of times. I tried not to show it, but I was extremely nervous at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I couldn\u2019t even look Katarina in the face. I didn\u2019t want to see that horrified expression that I had grown so accustomed to over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But her words surprised me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt sparkles like the sun…\u201d she told me. I was so surprised that I turned back around to see her, and sure enough, she glowed with the expression of someone who was looking at something beautiful. It reminded me of the way my mother used to look at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In that moment, I felt like I could honestly tell Katarina the things which I\u2019d kept hidden until that moment. I told her that I didn\u2019t deserve her praise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was a child with no experience when I left the palace, and there was no way I could find a proper job and make a living. I went from one dirty job to the next because I had no other choice. I never regretted that, but I felt that nobody would ever look at me with a gaze as warm as my mother\u2019s. I got used to being feared, and started avoiding clean and beautiful places, scared that I wouldn\u2019t fit in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And yet, that girl, who was obviously raised in the cleanest and most beautiful of environments, didn\u2019t reject me. She looked at me without any fear in her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It felt as if her gaze had pierced all the way into my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah, she\u2019s going to steal my heart…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But even if, unlikely as it was, she had accepted me \u2014 the Prince of Ethenell couldn\u2019t just go and fall in love with girls from other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My instinct told me that it was dangerous to stay there, and I ran away. But the fact that I almost unconsciously made a promise to meet again went to show how much I already cared for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I liked her from the beginning, but seeing the way she looked at my eyes, and what she told me after that, risked making me completely fall for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, unlike those ladies who were paid to be flattering and polite with me, she had nothing to gain from doing it. She just said what she had thought, and that\u2019s what made it so powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She was doing all the right things to bewitch me, without even meaning or realizing it… That was actually scary in a way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d thought I wouldn\u2019t have any problem parting ways with her, but now I was starting to feel greedy. I wasn\u2019t thinking of her as a potential wife, as Janne had said, but I would have liked to bring her back to Ethenell with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t as rich of a country as Sorci\u00e9, but thanks to my brother, it had become much better than before. Life in our castle would probably be close enough to what she enjoyed right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had the feeling that someone as interested in other countries as she was might actually agree to come with me, even if she hadn\u2019t known me for that long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then I could get to know her better, grow closer, and eventually…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, it seems that she\u2019s already stolen my heart.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cLord Cezar, it\u2019s dangerous to stand on the back of the ship like that! Please go back inside!\u201d I was on the deck, leaning on the railing and looking out at the sea. I sighed, taking care not to be heard. Sorci\u00e9 had lent us this ship, and it was much better than the battered, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tak-berkategori"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3471"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3472,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3471\/revisions\/3472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nunfortunately<\/s> luckily that didn\u2019t happen to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n