CHAPTER XXVII: UNFORESEEN

"Your Highness!" hurriedly called by his servant, Gaston, after seeing his arrival. "We've been looking for you for so long. Please don't go out without our knowledge where would you be and without any knight."

"....blah blah blah"

It was a scolding time. His servant, Gaston, never stopped berating him while walking in the corridor going to the Edmoria palace, the crown prince's palace.

Gaston is already in his thirties going to forty. It was the one who served him since he was just a little kid, so it was not surprising that they were closed to each other to be able to scold him.

For him, Gaston was not just a mere servant. Through the years, it became like his true father than the king himself, who was always too busy. If there is a chance that they would meet in the castle, those days were picked like looking for a one needle in a haystack.

"I practice my hunting skills at the Grande Forest." He replied while still walking.

"You know that outside is not a safe place for you the crown prin— You are soaked, Your Highness." Gaston noticed and immediately turned to the maids behind them.

"All of you. Ready a warm bath of Your Highness."

The maids bowed and immediately walked away from them. Gaston continued his sermon on him while on their walks.

"Your Highness, you should learn to properly care yourself. If anything happens to you, the King will— "

"Gaston. Please gather information about the daughter of Marquees Croix." He said interrupting the anxious servant.

"Your Highness. Don't change the topic. You should— "

He stopped walking, and turned to face his servant following him behind. He put his hand on its both shoulder. "I am counting on you. Look any information about her."

"Your Highness. Please learn to listen to what— "

"Okay. Then, I'll be heading to my bath. I am going to wait for your prompt report, Gaston." He said with a smile and ran immediately.

"Your Highness!!!"

Beatrice Delavine Croix. His eyes glimmered when the image of the lady popped out in his thought.

****-------****

Beatrice was walking in the deep forest of their estate. It was the day that she and Rose agreed to meet again. As her promise, she brought with her a basket full of snacks and sandwiches. It was engraved in her mind that all secret guards (or what she thought from her favorite anime, called "anbu" or "assassins") had a horrible past. She thought that only a person, who experienced of love ones being killed, has a courage to kill too without any mercy. It was a cliché.

It is also one of the main reasons that she has had a great sympathy towards the man, even they just met recently. It was a mere assumption, but she couldn't just take her head turned back from him. It is a pity for those characters that she stored from reading novels or watching series/movies.

Although, subconsciously, she knew that she was attracted by those red eyes as red as rose. A real crimson eyes. But she turned off the idea, attraction is too much to define it. She thought that it might be due to the fact about the original Beatrice fallen in love with the male lead with crimson eyes. "Is this a curse?"

When she reached the place, she looked around. "No one is around. Did he forget about our meeting?", she said while talking to herself. "or, maybe, he's hiding?"

"Rose? Rose?", she called loudly. She walked around calling the name.

Until suddenly, someone gently prodded her shoulder from behind. When she turned, it was Rose. He was holding a dried branch.

"Wait."

"Did he just poke me using that branch? Does he have problems with physical contact?"

"Sigh."

Nevertheless, she decided not to say a thing about it. She thought that maybe, Rose was just shy. Instead, she greeted it with a bright smile. "You came."

Rose just nodded in response.

She couldn't help to stare with his crimson cold eyes. Rose, who noticed, tilted his head giving a hint of confusion from her deep stare. She snapped when she saw that the man was perturbed. Though, she was also confused with her own sudden behavior.

"It really is a curse." She felt embarrassed by her own doings.

The body could not forget its habit. She really was attracted with those eyes. She had thought the worst if she would act the same way when she and the male lead meet. "No.no no." She shook her head in mind.

"???"

"Ah I brought snacks and sandwiches." She said changing the awkward atmosphere. She walked towards the log that they sat at their first meeting, and also, placed the basket. She gently tapped it with her right hand. "As my promise."

Rose approached her and sat down beside the basket. It was in between them. He started then to use the dried branch to write on the ground.

["Thank you."]

"I am happy to hear that. You can eat now.", she said encouragingly.

But instead to eat, he continued writing. [But I can't eat here. I don't want you to see my whole face.]

"Oh. Ah Is that so? It's alright. Then, you can bring this home." What a waste? I wanted to see his face. How would that crimson eyes be seen— She was trailed off. Just what would I am going to say? Crimson eyes is a cursed, is it a cursed made to attract? Is this how the villainess fell in love with him?

But looking back, she still could not say anything more. She had no courage to ask for it, and it would be rude to insist as it was not that long when they knew each other. To sum up, it would be natural that Rose felt embarrassed showing his face. She only knew that he has no ability to speak. She assumed that he was hiding something like a scar behind the mask. Yet, she couldn't brazenly ask if he has a hideous scar on his face. It will be too discourteous towards him, and she doesn't want to earn a bad impression to him.

In addition, if it is true that it was horrible, how could she say that it was not that bad. She was not good at coaxing things. She could go with a line, "It was not that bad. You still look good on me." or telling the truth, "It is scary, a big scar, but it is just a scar. It wouldn't change that you are a good person." But she was unable to do so. Horrible past will never be obliterated by mere sympathy using words.

Rose focused on the ground again, and erased the other words. He remained the words, "thank you". It his response from her by saying that he could bring the food to his home.

Her curiosity loosed. She couldn't help to ask too much "Anyway, what are your duties? And why are you here? Were you assigned here in the forest?" I guess this is not too much to ask.

[It was a secret. I am sorry.]

"Ah. it saddened to know that, but don't worry. I understand." Their eyes met again.

"It really is beautiful—"

"..."

She shook her head and hands. "I am sorry. It a slipped of a tongue. Actually, it just that—"

"..."

"It just that your eyes are real beauty." She felt her cheeks heating up.

Rose' eyes widened hearing the sincerity in her voice, when she said beautiful. He automatically lowered his head with inexplicable reaction.

"Anyway, maybe, it is because my first love has the same color of your eyes." She tried to sway again from the awkward situation that she got herself into.

He immediately turned his head to face the lady. It was a gentle smile came into his view.

"Actually, the one and only love of the original Beatrice.", she commented inwardly.

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