"More patience, m'lady. This is for your own well-being."

Avy was sprawled on a big couch looking as if she had run a marathon as her maid sat across where she was, holding a book.

"We've been at it for three hours, Marie." The poor noble lady groaned in exasperation. Her head was lying tiredly on the pillows, making her have the view of the unfamiliar, luxurious ceiling, a bit different from what she had back home.

It has been a week after the incident regarding Kill and everything had calmed down, and yet Avy could still remember how distraught the little beast child was when she scolded him the moment he woke up from his slumber. He did not cry, but he was apologetic to an extreme extent that it was evident on his face while his mother reprimanded him for following strangers in the middle of the night, getting into trouble, and making his aunt Emerald worry.

Although the said woman did not show any hint of anger, she instead hugged him tightly in relief as she was still his designated guardian while Avy was away.

Tertius, on the other hand, faced the tearful Missus Lewis when Ares and Avy walked him back home. The woman had not been able to bring herself to close her eyes after the boy had run away following their argument. She even considered getting the guards involved had the child not come back home that very night. Fortunately, just before she was getting ready to go out and alert the guards about the distressing situation, the missing boy burst through their doors with two known faces with him.

The night before was tiring for the lady, to say the least. Avy was not one for physical activities, much more if it is tracking down missing children in the middle of the night. Her stamina depleted a great deal that it was comparable to a balloon left alone without its ends tied, with all the air inside coming out quicker.

A week thereafter the exhausting night, the ducal princess found herself and her company in the imperial palace where she was summoned to stay during the summit. Having every single member of her family play a big role in the aforementioned event, she had no other person to be with in their mansion for at least two weeks. Even Ciel was tasked to humor the guests from foreign countries along with the Second Imperial Prince of the Kriseon Empire, Prince Light.

"We cannot break the rule, my lady, you must go alone." Avy was pulled out from her thoughts by the voice of her knight, Clerivan, standing a few distance away from her. She listlessly sat up from her unwilling position and threw a glare at the man standing upright as usual.

"Yeah, you and your rules," she muttered, rolling her eyes. Mariel, who saw the gesture, chuckled. However, she also received the same glare after.

"We really are not happy about it, my lady. Still, it is a custom to not let anyone except those who are invited to the summit enter the palace where the ball will be held, including personal servants and knights," the maid explained in a lugubrious manner. Avy had heard her apologize for it a few times already, so she just waved her hand, telling her to just continue the prior discussion they were having regarding the summit.

Unpleasantly, just like what her maid had said, Avy will need to thrive on her own during the aristocratic gathering since anyone who might be able to harm a guest––knights, servants, or whoever they may be––are banned from entering the premises. This precaution is due to the non-aggression pact that all the leaders of every country in their continent had agreed on. Since most of the guests that will be attending are royalties from allied kingdoms, their safety was to be prioritized. This is because the death of even a single guest could be doom for a whole kingdom.

"This will be the last royal you have to know, miss. He is one of the rising stars in the field of politics, being the ruler of his kingdom while being only nineteen years old," Mariel stated as she tidied up the books by the miniature table in front of her.

Avy did not budge from the achievement that was mentioned and only half-heartedly nodded her head to indicate that she was listening. Her attention was glued to her nails as if it was far more interesting than whatever was happening around her.

"King Cartal Liev Deronos, the one and only ruler of the Kingdom of Auxiviel, a country located in the South East. King Cartal was rumored to be the one to set his kingdom free from the tyranny of the former royal family," Mariel continued, reading aloud from the book she was holding.

"So, he murdered them? Scary," Avy noted with lack of emotion in contrast to her words. Mariel smiled at her disinterest but nevertheless, carried through.

"He can be distinguished from the other guests because of his hair color. The rumors say that he has ash-brown hair with different-colored strands."

"Weird."

"Auxiviel is home to mines where magic stones could be found, hence many older monarchs have their eyes on the young King Cartal, looking forward to his alliance," Mariel uttered, piquing the lady's interest enough that she shifted her eyes to her, brows raised. Her little projects have been doing good with the help of magic stones that she took a liking to the said magical item that seemingly costs quite a fortune.

It was then that she listened willingly to the discussion, but it was soon interrupted by knocks on the door. Imperial maids entered, some of them wary of the infamous temperament of the ducal lady inside.

"Apologies for the intrusion, Lady Avana, but it is time to prepare for the ball," one of the ladies voiced out, her tone respectful yet unwavering. She seemed to be of a higher standing lady-in-waiting because of the way she dressed, with it being different from the servants behind her.

With this, Mariel cleaned up the books that were on the table in front of them and stood on the side to give them space. Clerivan also excused himself and left to guard the door to give privacy to the ladies.

Avy knew it would be a dreadful experience.

~~~

The sun had already started to set, with pink hues fighting and merging with orange lights illuminating the sky that was being slowly swallowed by darkness. It was once again a busy day for the Arkwright men as they were one of the few who were tasked by the emperor to lend a helping hand in the summit.

They are loyal allies, not servants to the crown, hence they were the family that the Imperial blood entrusted the protection of the empire to. From the oldest to the youngest, they gathered inside the palace solely given to them by the imperial house. It almost looked like a formal meeting. Perhaps, it really was.

"The royals from Kingdom Hevance made a commotion earlier, it seems. You did great handling their affairs, Alistair." The former duke, Alcasser, sitting on the end of the long table lifted his tea cup and brought it closer to his lips. The whole Arkwright Family—Avy excluded—sat around the table with silence engulfing the hall.

"Ashton was quick to negotiate, Father. They do not seem to pose harm to us. More like a barking dog afraid to be seen as weak," Alistair responded, his attention temporarily taken away from the document at hand.

Alcasser hummed in acknowledgement. "It should not be a reason to let your guard down. Dying from a mutt's rabies is shameful. Keep that in mind."

"Auxiviel's little hound seems to be sharpening his fangs day by day. We must keep an eye on that one or it might gather enough guts to bite." It was Duke Alton’s turn to speak.

"I heard from the maids that he is searching for a wife in this summit. How unprofessional," Ciel added to the information, causing the atmosphere to drop. The temperature became colder, and as if the men inside the hall understood each other, they stopped everything they were doing and looked at their youngest.

"Ashton," the current duke called, his blood-red eyes sharpened with a cold glint apparent in his piercing gaze.

"Avy will be going to the ball with me, Father. Rest assured." Ashton put down his tea cup on the table to glance at the duke who showed a bit of bewilderment on his face that seldom showed any emotion. Even the old lord and the youngest master were taken aback by his unexpected statement. The only one who was not familiar with the news was his uncle, Alistair, who just nodded as if confirming his words.

"That child agreed to be escorted? How surprising," Lord Alcasser asserted, quite amused by the information.

"Agreeing to attend the ball is a miracle itself. I was prepared to search for ways for either His Imperial Highness or young Zach to agree to be her escort," Alistair commented, a small smile making its way to his lips as he remembered how the conversation with his niece went earlier.

Alistair walked silently along the halls of the palace that the emperor permitted them to use while they stayed inside the imperial premises. The maids bowed as he walked, most of them too afraid to make a sound as he passed by them.

It was not a surprise considering every citizen of the empire knows what their family is capable of. Many looked up to them with admiration, but there are an equal number of people who fear them to a great extent.

The knight commander did not care for things like those as it was in their family's teachings to not be a slave to their emotions. It is not as if he felt anything at all. He did not. As strange as it was, emotions are rare unless one had already found their muse to protect.

Well, that is a story for another time.

A familiar figure emerged from the other side of the hall, with the same jet-black hair and a tall stature, the same menacing aura and an uptight walk. It was no other than his nephew, Ashton.

Alistair just gave him a nod of recognition, which the younger man responded with a look as they were close enough to greet each other in that way. Some might say that their family is too cold to be called family at all.

However, it was something that none of them could refute since it was partly true. After all, it was in their nature to behave that way, and fulfilling their job of serving the honor of their blood is their own way of being family.

"Hide it, quick! Ashton will nag me again if he sees that!" came the voice of the girl that was the reason for their visit. The two men stood in front of the door where the lady was staying, and unfortunately, the door was not thick enough to conceal the noises inside.

The Arkwright heir cleared his throat to announce his arrival which was followed by a series of panicked sounds, as if the people within the room were running around. It was only seconds after that the door opened, revealing Avy's maid.

Mariel bowed her head as a greeting and stepped aside to let the two men in. The first thing that Alistair saw the moment he stepped inside the room was his niece sitting on the couch a few meters away from her bed, with her knight standing next to her.

"What brings you here?" she asked, but it did not distract the swordsman from noticing something that was poorly hidden underneath the pillow lying on her side. A brow card that gamblers use to play.

Although Alistair himself never played such a game, he was familiar with how it looked. His little niece seemed to be more knowledgeable of it than he was. How bizarre.

He gestured for the maid and the knight to leave them. The two followed without any complaints. Avy did not seem to mind that, although her eyes followed her maid as the woman vacated the room with Clerivan.

She was comfortable around them enough to sport such expressions. Another piece of information that astonished Alistair. His niece seems to have undergone some changes during the brief time he was absent.

"Noble ladies do not let their knights inside their chambers, Avy." Ashton reprimanded, eyebrows subtly furrowing.

Alistair almost sighed because of his nephew's words. He agreed with him, of course, but his straightforward nature was one of the reasons why his sister always built a wall between them. The young lad was simply unaccustomed to speak in a much gentler manner with evident care in his tone.

"He looks so awkward standing in front of my door, you know? Besides, isn't this the first time we see each other again after a few weeks? Live a little or you won't be able to marry," Avy pointed out, her language had become more informal than the last time Alistair conversed with her. Nevertheless, the man welcomed the light atmosphere that she brought upon the room.

Before Ashton could answer his sister, their uncle let out a short chuckle and spoke, "Let us not criticize Avy. We are here to discuss about finding a suitable gentleman to accompany her to the ball tonight," he announced, earning a puzzled look from his niece.

"Isn't it too late to be looking for an escort now?" she said in a matter-of-fact manner. Even so, Alistair just smiled at her warmly. It was a gesture only reserved for the little princess of the family.

"His Imperial Highness does not live far away, Avy. Say the word, and I can persuade him to be your escort for you. It is also possible to request for that Harrington heir if it is your desire." Alistair was confident that he could make at least one of them agree, knowing the power that he holds as the commander of the Kriseon Imperial Knights.

It was through this feat that he earned the respect of almost every young lord in the empire, adding to their admiration to his exceptional talent and mastery in swordsmanship.

The fact that he was pertaining to the two of the most powerful young mages in the empire did not bother him. However, he was more surprised when he heard the report about Avy attending an event where a number of people will be going.

He was not letting their little girl's night be ruined. Everything has to go the way that was to her liking.

"That would be troublesome. Can I not be escorted by Ashton? He's right here," the lady casually dismissed her uncle’s words as she then pointed towards her brother.

"Yes, I will make sure-" Alistair cut himself when his niece’s words registered fully in his mind.

Silence. The room was swallowed by complete silence because of Avy's proclamation. The two men in front of her were astounded, and it wasn’t without proper reason as the Avy they knew would never utter such words.

"Excuse me?" Ashton was the first one to break the quietness that would make a pin dropping on the floor heard.

"We have available men in our family, and not even one could accompany me? You must be so busy."

Alistair shook his head, still recovering from the astonishing statement he had heard. "That is true. However, do you truly not want your fiancé to be the one escorting you, Avy?"

The noble lady in question raised a brow before she looked like she remembered something before answering, "I just don't want to trouble His Imperial Highness, that's all."

Oh. She was just looking after the crown prince's well-being.

Alistair promptly pushed the thought aside. It was still progress, and it brought him joy. Avy was growing up and acting more rational than she was for years. He should not dread over the fact that she still prioritized the first prince's comfort over herself.

Surprisingly, the conversation went like a breeze. The black-haired lass talked to the two men willingly, her tone lacking the hostility it used to have. She teased Ashton occasionally, which the older let go like the matured brother he was.

Alistair was not pointing out the veins that showed on the boy's temple whenever his sister made fun of him. Nevertheless, it was like a normal conversation between a family.

~~~

The maid who helped Avy dress up finally set her free after four hours of torture. She was dressed in an elegant wine-colored gown that leaned towards the darker side; it could be mistaken as a shade of black. It was decorated with expensive rubies that matched her eyes along with the accessories that came with it.

"You did great, m'lady." Mariel smiled at the almost passed out girl leaning on her chair––she was forbidden from lying down lest she ruin her dress––who looked like she would melt down any minute.

"Kill me," she verbalized dramatically, which prompted her maid to giggle.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, it was a maid from the main palace as she announced herself. Avy told her to come in which she obliged.

"What's that?" The lady watched as the maid handed Mariel a bouquet of edelweiss. In her opinion, it looked like a flower one would give in a funeral, though it was still beautifully arranged with a couple of other flowers to make it stand out even more.

"It was from His Imperial Highness, the crown prince, my lady," the maid answered with a bow. Avy gestured to her that she could leave before looking at the flowers that Mariel gave her after receiving it from the maid.

Her servant did not look too happy with the gift. She figured it was because other flowers are usually sent to noble ladies by their partners. One more appealing to the eye. However, the crown prince, oh, her dear fiancé, sent an odd one.

It did not bother her one bit. The book mentioned that Prince Lucifer, the Crown Prince, loved plants, something no one would know aside from his closest aides. And people might not be too familiar with the language of flowers at this time, but Avy was. At least, the new Avy was interested in botany enough to know the meaning of the flower she received.

Devotion.

~~~

The moon shone in the sky as the stars twinkled brightly. The breeze touched Avy's bare arms as she walked down the stairs towards the carriages where her family was waiting for her to arrive so that they could go to the main palace together where the ball will be held.

Clerivan was the only one to follow behind closely as Mariel was asked to stay home since servants are not allowed to accompany their masters. Knights, on the other hand, will be the ones to guard the outside of the palace during the formal gathering.

"You look beautiful, Sister," Ciel praised her with a genuine smile plastered on his face. Avy almost snickered to herself knowing too well that the young child among the Arkwright men was the only one who could muster a decent compliment.

"I wouldn't belong to this family if I didn't look as pleasant, would I?" She jested, grinning back at the boy.

Her grandfather cleared his throat and spoke, "You do take after me, if I may say.” Alacasser got a small cheerful huff from Avy.

"We shall go." The duke put a halt to their conversation, but he did give Avy an acknowledging nod before going inside the carriage followed by Ashton. She did not miss the frown visible on her father's face.

"What's up with them?" she whispered to her little brother, who scoffed pridefully.

"They were unlucky," he answered before offering his hand. "You will ride the carriage with me and Grandfather, Sister," the young lord added enthusiastically.

Avy just raised her brows and looked back at her uncle who was the only one riding on a horse. Oh, well, at least, she would not be stuck inside a carriage with Ashton and her father. The best option would be the ones she would be with.

She just hoped the ball would not be as eventful as some might expect.