Being a princess was truly hard work. She honestly thought so. No, it was more than the fact that she had to attend all sorts of boring meetings, one after another. Classes about her "etiquette" and "fashion" to please men who all say the same thing no matter what she wore. If she was "as beautiful as always" then why did she have to go to so many lessons? No, she wasn't talking about the fact that she was constantly having to be mindful of her surroundings and the people she spoke with and the way she spoke with them. That was the small price she paid for the lavish lifestyle that she lived. She did end up learning some self-defense from the head captain, quite decent at it too, much to the captain's surprise. Nowhere near good enough to qualify as a knight of course. But enough to feel a bit more secure about herself.

No, it wasn't any of that. Angela always saw it as being hard because of the many things that have yet to happen. The things she still didn't know about the world because "she was a lady." The things that she should know yet won't until she has to learn it from some man or another. God forbid it to be coming from some arrogant prince sounding snobbish as he explains something he thinks is simple to her. And even worse, it is simple but she just never knew.

She knew not what other princesses had to deal with. She was sure that they dreaded the princes they met too. Or perhaps they had already met their prince charming. As for her, she was too busy stressing about every last detail about her potential suitors. She was glad that her personal butler Reinhardt was knowledgeable about them at least. He gave her more information that she could have ever gotten from anyone and anywhere else. Who else would dare say the absolute and unblemished truth about royalties of other kingdoms but the nation's strongest bodyguard? He may be an old retiree but he was once a champion on the frontline. He was her role model, a man who could read others' intention with a glance at their face and body. She's been practicing but … it's hard work.

It was hard preparing to be a good wife as well. So many meals to cook and so many ingredients to remember. She knew that she could just have the castle cook and maids to deal with it of course. However, she wanted to know what the full experience was like. What it would be like to go buy her own food and interact with people of the land. She had the castle mages cast an aura concealer to prevent normal people from recognizing her as the princess. At least there, she could feel relaxed and comfortable acting however she felt fit.

Ah, that being said, there was one hard thing in her life that she did not expect. It was suddenly finding her vision clouded and a heated sensation blossoming from her neck just before her knowledge about the world faded.

Which led her to where she was now. Back in the room of her castle. On her own bed, no less. She would have thought that it was a dream had it not been for the headache she had and the dull memory of the burn on her neck that left no mark as her hand brushed over it. She was still in her casual dress as well. Oh, and not to mention the young man in her room.

Angela's eyes widened as she scooted back up against the back of her bed, clutching the blanket to her body as she glanced between him and the shut door. Could she stall? Was this some sort of illusion of her room?

"Just kill me … I'd rather that than-"

The look he gave her made her cheeks flushed and all thoughts of death leave her mind. Never ever has everyone looked at her like that. A look of absolute disbelief and disappointment. She never backed down against anyone before, other than her parents, but this man. Just one gaze made her feel as if she was a little child and had said something stupid. It wasn't as if she was wrong. Even she knew about the atrocities that happened in this world. And she spoke the truth. So why was she curling up helplessly and covering her lips with her blanket like this? Was it his cold gaze? Or was it the way he held himself so self-assuredly? She couldn't see a weapon on him but at this rate, he didn't even need one.

When he did not speak, she slowly lowered the blanket and fixed her dress, glancing away before gathering her composure to speak to him more calmly. Like a diplomatic conference, similar to one that she had attended recently. Before she could speak, she recalled the events that had happened. A dark cloud that blocking her vision. A weapon against her neck. And yet …

"Did you .. save me?"

The young man finally nodded. Angela ventured onward, 'I … thank you. Is there anything .. I could do for you? I'm sure my father could reward you handsomely if you would like …"

The young man raised an eyebrow, "A peasant like me being rewarded? You must jest. I would sooner be tortured and interrogated about the happening of today than being rewarded."

Angela opened her mouth to defend her family with some anger in her voice, only to stop as she closed her lips once more. It was … probably true. Her father was powerful and kind, yes, but if anything were to happen to her, she doubted that anyone would escape his grasp. Even if this young man did save her, she was sure that he would be treated nicely in her presence, then mysteriously disappear or "had returned to his normal life" never to be heard from again. Just so the guards could verify the truth of his words and find out all they could about the event. To prevent anyone from finding out. And to find the person who attempted to kill her in the first place.

"Did you see who did it?" she asked softly. The young man shook his head. "How did you know who I was?" There was a pause this time before he responded evenly, "Your illusion faded as he attacked you. I shouted and he dropped you to run. I figured that I would take you back here, since no one else knew who you were."

She took this moment to look him over. He did not seem overwhelmingly special, seeming like any other commoner found on the streets of the market she used to roam. Other than the cloak whose hood he had dropped down behind his head and the soft green hair he had, there was nothing about him that said he was a hero. Anyone could have green hair and bring her back to the castle. And yet ...

"Well, I've overstayed my welcome. I'll be seeing you then."

Angela got out of bed in a single motion, with swiftness that surprised even the young man as he began to climb out the open window. His hand quickly went to his other side, only to pause as he met her eyes as she held onto his cloak.

She held him there, simply meeting his eyes and not sure about what she wanted to say. She knew she could only say one more thing before he disappeared. And yet, there was only one thing she wanted to ask him, despite it being a completely senseless and strange question.

"You will be seeing me again, right?"

The young man let out a soft chuckle before smiling at her and nodding. "I did say that, yes." And with that, he disappeared into the night.

They would meet like that, night after night. Well, not regularly. She did not see him for 3 days afterward. Angela found herself with more work than ever before, but that may just be a result of her mind being distracted by the thoughts of the strange young man in her room after the potential end of her life. Just when she began to give hope on ever seeing him again, she found him in her room once again. Simply sitting in the chair by the window as before, as if he had always been there ever since the first night. Right after she had just finished her shower.

The young man met her eyes and she saw them go down the length of her wet hair and over her similarly damp towel. Hell, he didn't even stop there. The fact that he continued all the way down to her legs before going up to meet her eyes again had her frozen in place, before she finally pulled herself back into the restroom to put on a bathrobe.

"Pervert."

He didn't respond to that.

"You're the absolute worst."

He didn't respond to that either.

"You do realize I'm the princess right?"

"And I'm the random peasant breaking into the princess' room through her window late at night. It's not as if my punishment could be any worse if your guards or family caught me."

That was true. It frustrated her that it was true and she wanted to retort, but she couldn't. But at least she got a reply out of him.

"Could you not have at least waited or have the decency to look away like a proper gentleman?"

Ah wait, that was a stupid thing to say and he definitely did not miss his chance to give her a gaze to confirm that very fact. It was their second time interacting and she has already been treated to that look twice. She definitely never wanted it to come back anymore. But at this rate, that was out of her control.

And then, they talked. Not about the weather. Not about the events three days prior. He somehow got her started on the topic of her fashion starting from his critique about her choice of bedwear on the bed. She ended up showing him her closet even while he continued to sit there. Hell, she even went to the restroom to put on a nightdress for the night, her way of getting out of talking to him in only a bathrobe. This time, he only gave her one look before expressing his distaste for it.

And eventually, it was time for him to leave once more, just in time as she let out a soft yawn covered by her hand. She gave him a small wave before he paused at the window, meeting her eyes to speak before leaving.

"I think the green nightdress would fit you better."

It was not until much later in the night that she would wake up and find herself trying it on before drifting off once more. Perhaps she should ask to have more of it made. It wasn't very pretty. It covered her body quite thoroughly, so much that she could even do without a blanket. There was absolutely no appeal to them. That young man truly was an idiot with no taste after all.

But if nothing else, it was comfortable. Yes, that's why she was going to sleep with them, not because he recommended it. That would be silly.

He returned two days after, then three, then the next night after that. She knew not whether he simply wanted to be unpredictable or whether he did have other things to do. He would come and they would find things to talk about. A new meal she learned. Her lesson. Her stupid suitors. How her father was gaining weight from meeting with so and so kings and ambassadors. How to judge fruits at the market.

Before she knew it, life didn't feel so hard anymore. Even though he hardly gave her credit for anything she did, he was there to talk with her. He never complained or talked about his own life, she simply accepted that as a given in their talks. He did give her his name, Genji. She tried to tease him back, saying that she could call the guards to have a hunt across the city for him. And yet again, she was met with that disappointed gaze that she has been forced to get used to every time they met. Well, he was right in saying that there wasn't a chance in hell the guards would ever find someone as nondescript as him.

She even told him about the patrol routes and interesting facts about the castle. It wasn't as if he was going to break in or anything, hell he was already breaking in every other night to talk to her. All he did was constantly harass her. Telling her that her taste in men was absolute hot garbage. Making faces at her choice of fruits to throw into the soup. Continually, though decreasing, about her various clothing choices for various occasions. He corrected her on various things about the world that she said incorrectly but never offering anything that she doesn't mention first.

Genji was strange. And cold. Mysterious and strong. She could tell that from the way he held himself and spoke to her. It was not just because he had no reservation about what he said to her despite her status. He seemed strong. She had seen how fast he could move that first night when she had stopped him. He was knowledgeable too, there wasn't a thing she could bring up that he didn't have a reply for. Well, unless it was something technical about politics or running a kingdom, in which case he would yawn and give her some variation of "sounds like lots of fun" or "sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of how disinterested I am."

She did not know how or when but one day she knew something was wrong. Her mind could hardly think about anything but what they should talk about for the night. Should she show off her new outfit? No, that couldn't possibly impress him. He had seen her practically naked and didn't even bat an eye. Perhaps she could ask him to show her around town? That sounds … quite pleasant.

She was found humming happily in the hallways between her errands and generally nicer to everyone, even the suitors she had to meet, during that day. While they probably thought they had a good chance with her, they couldn't be further from the truth. Even as she listened to their wondrous tales and compliments, there was only one person on her mind.

Yet, she never got to ask him. When she returned to her room, she found him with a cut on his side and a piece of cloth wrapped loosely around it. Without a single moment of hesitation, she was by his side with the small first aid kit she had and a towel.

Not a word was spoken between them during the process. Not a wince or sound of discomfort came from his lips. All she could remember was how sad his eyes looked. They refused to meet hers as if they would find something terrible there. As if he thought that after this moment, they could never see each other again.

He was probably right. She probably should not. She could not afford to be in company with someone who gets in this sort of danger. Not someone that would just bring themselves bleeding to her like this, on the verge of death. Not someone she knew close to nothing about.

But she had shared so many things with him. And in return, he had never once treated her like she was some sort of deity. He never once yelled at her yet he was never sugar-coating his words either. Maybe she was delusional for thinking that he treated only her like this. This could just be how he treated everyone else. To get them to lower their guard. After all, that's how he survived right?

"You're an assassin, aren't you?"

Genji pursed his lips for a moment before nodding.

"I figured as much. The way you held yourself. The way moved. The way you spoke. The way you can come to my room at ease despite all the guards. Even while you're injured, no less."

"I … had nowhere else to go. Being a peasant is pretty close. No home. No money. No friends. Invisible in society. Well, it's not quite as murdery I suppose. Though if I really were a peasant, I would probably be dead."

Angela let out a soft smile and chuckle at that. "Is that so? Do you do this a lot?"

"Do I come here often? Of course I do, you can find me here every other da- Ow." He seemed to have gotten the message after that particularly tight pull on the bandaging. His shirt was off, revealing his toned body that did nothing more to confirm what she already knew about his profession. She held her gaze steady and tried to keep her mind clear but … that could only go so far. Inappropriate for the state they were in but if he was well enough to joke around then she could afford that much luxury for herself too.

"I take contracts here and there. Enough to make a living. Well, that's a lie too. I'm sorry, I told myself I wouldn't lie to you anymore after pretending to be a peasant. It's a half-truth, really. I make more than enough to live, I'm practically a professional in the underground business. You could ask your butler probably, no one else would know. A good assassin is one that isn't well-known except to the right people, else they would be taken out."

Angela listened intently. She had never heard him speak so much before. His voice was mellow and sad, as she thought she had sensed in his eyes. She was so used to hearing it either being calming as he explained things or teasing as he bullies her that she never expected this side of him.

They sat in silence for a while after she finished patching him up, wondering what they would do now.

"I … should leave. In truth, I … had told myself that I would stay here to get information from you about the castle. To take money or sell such information to others. But now … I don't know what I should do with myself."

Genji chuckled to himself, prompting Angela to look up and find his sad but steady eyes. "In truth, I abandoned the contract because when I found you, another assassin had already found you. But when he tried to kill you, a bright light burned him and made him drop his weapon before it even reached your neck. I simply took you back as an excuse to gain your trust, to see whether I could kill you somehow. I tried many times. While your back was turned, while you were unconscious, poisoning your drink and food. None of it worked somehow. And that was only the second time we met, that's why I took so long to come back. Procuring poison is difficult, you know."

"Yet … I never could leave. I keep making up excuses day by day and you keep giving more excuses every day. And so … here we are."

They did not speak any more until Genji finally began to gather up his clothes and equipment. When he picked up his knife, Angela pressed her lips tightly together and lunged forward, grabbing his hand with the knife and bringing them toward her. The blade pressed against her neck, drawing a beaded line of blood and putting a wide-eyed expression on Genji's face. As for herself, Angela met his eyes evenly for a moment before giving him a sweet smile.

"If this is really what you came for, then I will repay you with this much at the very least. That day, you saved more than my life or my dignity. Who knows how much more that magic could protect me and what it protected me from. And yet, instead of taking me somewhere far away to test its limit or to do unspeakable things to me, you brought me back here. Hell, you could have even thrown me in the river and that might have drowned me."

The look on Genji's face told her that he actually didn't think of that but this wasn't the time to dwell on something like that. She continued on.

"Genji … you gave my life more purpose and happiness than anything or anyone has ever done to me in all my life. So if … if you were the one who thinks that the contract is worth this much, then I will believe in you and give it to you."

Oh god, she loved him. She loved him so much. Here she was, confessing to him and forcing him to answer with a blade to her neck. It was a pure yes or no answer, he could end her life right then and never look back, perhaps never caring about her. It was selfish for her to do this, to ask for an answer that would never require her to deal with any repercussions if she was rejected. She was a selfish selfish princess but just for this once, she wanted someone else to make the hard decision. Even if it was her killer.

Genji simply gazed at her, his hand steady yet she could feel his heartbeat through the back of it from the tight grip he had. Eventually, he pulled the blade away and looked away from her, leaving Angela with her hand still reaching out toward him even as he sheathed his blade.

After a moment of silence, he stood up and walked quietly toward the window. Before he exited, he stopped, looking back over his shoulder to speak softly.

"I'll kill you another day, ok?"

Angela blinked at him before laughing softly and nodding. "Of course."

And with that, he disappeared again. She let out a soft sigh, a princess with a shadowy lover that refused to give her an answer. Well, she should have known better than to think that she could get the upper hand on him today. For now, she'll just have to clean up the best she could and explain that it was that time of the month. Hopefully the wound on her neck it not too visible. She supposed that she might have to use some concealer for a few days after all. It was not until she was almost finished that she noticed a thing green scarf left behind on the ground, untouched by blood. Really, he must have a thing for the color green. Perhaps she should dye her hair that color, that might finally get a proper reaction out of him.

Until he gave her his answer and until he returned to kill her, she shall await in the soft green nightdress that he had so kindly recommended for her and clutching his scarf to her chest. She really was spoiled and selfish, wanting so many things from someone who had so little to give.

With him by her side, there's nothing more that she could want or fear. Something told her that no matter what happened, even if he came close to death, he would never let anyone come close to killing her except for himself. After all, he was one of the best right? She should ask Reinhardt about it later.

She just hoped that he would take her out for a walk in town to kill her.