"Yuriel..." murmured the young lady, her delicate hands cradling a ceramic cup as she savored the fragrant aroma of the tea. She took a slow sip, her golden-blonde hair shimring in the light, matching the glint in her piercing gold eyes.
"Yes, my lady?" Yuriel responded, bowing respectfully from a asured distance. His expression remained calm, though he secretly wished to be anywhere else.
"Do you hate ?" she asked abruptly, setting the cup down with a soft clink and locking her gaze on him.
Yuriel hesitated but quickly composed himself. "I wouldn’t dare," he replied smoothly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
The corners of her lips curled upward, though her expression was anything but kind. "Yuriel... you do know that lying to a noble is treason, don’t you?" she said, her voice laced with mockery.
Yuriel’s gaze shifted montarily beyond her to the maid standing quietly at a distance—Sephina, the Lady Maria’s personal servant. The girl with green hair and soft blue eyes avoided his stare at first, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. When their eyes finally t, she offered a sweet, knowing smile and nodded.
"... Hating a royal is also treason, isn’t it?" Yuriel finally replied, his tone carefully neutral.
Her wicked grin widened. "It seems you do have a decent head on your shoulders."
This exchange was all too familiar to Yuriel.
It had been like this ever since the fateful day he’d rejected her—an affront she hadn’t forgiven. Since then, she had made it her mission to tornt him, often devising increasingly elaborate ways to end his life.
"Yuriel," she said casually, as though discussing the weather, "why are you still alive?"
His expression remained calm, though inwardly, he sighed. "Because Her Majesty herself assigned as my Lord’s personal servant," he replied without hesitation.
"Hmm, fair enough. Tell , Yuriel, have you ever seen a live dragon?" she asked, her tone as nonchalant as before.
He frowned slightly, wary of her intentions. "No, my lady."
"What about an orc? Have you ever seen one?" She took another delicate sip of tea, watching him closely.
"No, my lady," he replied carefully. "But I’ve seen illustrations in books."
She tilted her head thoughtfully. "And where exactly is the mana core of an orc located?"
’What the fuck is this bitch plotting now?’ Yuriel thought, his trademark polite smile slipping onto his face—a reflexive defense chanism that had saved his skin countless tis.
Maria suddenly frowned. "Yuriel, why do I get the distinct feeling that you just insulted in your mind?"
"Of course not, my lady," he replied smoothly, his expression calm and unwavering. "How could I possibly think to call my lady... a b—"
"Careful," Maria interrupted, her smile growing wider, unnervingly so. Yuriel took an involuntary step back.
"I see. You really think I can’t kill you, don’t you?" she said, her voice light but her intent chilling. She turned to Sephina, gesturing towards a shelf in the corner. The maid hesitated, her face going pale as she reluctantly obeyed.
"You should be grateful, Yuriel," the lady said with a smile that sent chills down his spine. "I’ve co up with the perfect punishnt for you. This way, we can kill two birds with one stone."
Sephina approached hesitantly, handing the scroll to Yuriel. He accepted it cautiously, his instincts screaming that whatever was inside spelled trouble.
"What do you an, Your Highness?" he asked, his voice steady, though his mind raced.
Her grin widened into sothing almost feral. "You’ll find out soon enough."
In that mont, Yuriel knew one thing for certain: he was absolutely fucked.
"Just this morning, a knight inford of a baby dragon spotted near Lymieo," she said casually, taking a sip of her tea. Then, without missing a beat, she added, "Go kill it."
Yuriel nearly choked on his breath.
"My Lady..." he began cautiously, forcing calm into his voice, "I think there’s been so mistake. I’m just a servant—not a swordsman or a mage. If I try to fight a dragon, I’ll die."
Her expression didn’t change. She simply repeated, "Yuriel."
"My Lady," he replied, trying to keep the growing dread out of his voice.
"Do I look like soone who wants you alive?" she asked, raising a sharp eyebrow.
He hesitated, then sighed. "You... do not."
"Exactly. So does your safety matter to ?"
"It doesn’t," he admitted.
"And why is that?"
"You want dead," he replied dryly.
Her lips curved into a satisfied smile. "Correct. Mandatory studies begin three months from now. If, by so miracle, you survive until then and earn your freedom, I give you express permission to slap in public." She grinned, her tone daring him. Yuriel had no doubt she would go to any lengths to ensure he didn’t live to see that day—even hiring assassins, if necessary.
He swallowed hard.
Heck, she might’ve already planned for this mission to be his last.
"I will make sure not to hold back on that day," he muttered, taking the scroll she offered and retreating toward the door.
"Yuriel," her voice stopped him just as he reached the threshold.
He turned, bracing himself. "My Lady?"
"I want the dragon’s core before sundown," she said, her tone deceptively soft. "Otherwise..." She didn’t finish the sentence, but the implication was clear enough.
He could only curse Lodric, the bastard who had volunteered him for this suicide mission.
...
...
Seven years, Yuriel thought with a sigh as he walked down the corridor, Seven years of dreams... no, mories. I’m sure they’re fragnts of my past life. But those girls I saw...
Lost in thought, he almost collided with soone at the corner of the hallway but managed to stop himself just in ti.
"Miss Kathrina?" he muttered, startled as he recognized the pink-haired woman with striking deep-blue eyes.
"Yuriel?" she said, her eyes widening before a sweet smile blood on her face.
"And Miss Vena as well," he added, nodding at Kathrina’s personal maid, who stood beside her. The maid returned the gesture with a polite smile.
"Oh, you’re here to see my lord, aren’t you? I’m afraid that’s not possible right now. He’s currently with His Majesty," he explained.
Kathrina shook her head. "No... I didn’t co here to see Prince Lodric."
Yuriel frowned. "Then why are you here?"
"Well, the thing is..." She hesitated, glancing away as a faint blush crept up her cheeks. "...Just co with ," she said, suddenly grabbing his hand.
Yuriel barely had ti to react before she began pulling him along, but they didn’t get far.
"I knew you were shaless, Kathrina, but I didn’t think you’d stoop this low," a sharp voice echoed down the corridor.
Yuriel stiffened. He recognized that voice all too well.
"Maria," he muttered, turning to face her with a frown.
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