"Yuu-chan, you continue to make me utterly awestruck with your stunning appearance, whether you're in a women's clothing or not." The captivating prince's sapphire eyes gazed serenely at him.

Yuu quickly denied the statement out of embarrassment. "A-are you blind? Clearly, you're the better-looking one here."

Mika chuckled softly."How kind of you to say so. Although our opinions still differ, I doubt I will be able to change your mind, nor will you be able to mine." The blonde knelt in front of him and extended his arm, looking up at the other as though he was his world. "May I have this dance, Yuu-chan?"

"O-of course!" Yuu gratefully took his hand, pulling him up and drawing him closer.

Unfortunately, the boy's dream shifted to haunt him with a dreadful memory that he couldn't help but recall ever since its occurrence.

Akane had been playing with the other children as Yuu read a novel by the window. Sunlight illuminated the pages, and the white paper gave off a soft, almost ethereal glow. There was a sharp knock on the orphanage door.

"Hello? Is there anyone home?" An unidentified individual hollered in a sing-song voice. Somehow, Yuu could sense something sinister and malicious hidden beneath its seemingly harmless exterior.

The orphanage manager, face twisted into a baffled expression, slowly trotted out of the kitchen and answered the door, revealing a man of seemingly high status with long, silver hair in a ponytail and piercing, scarlet eyes that radiated with mischief and a hint of condescendence, followed by several soldiers.

"Good afternoon, madam. I am General Ferid Bathory. It is a pleasure meeting you." The man beamed at the elderly woman.

"The pleasure is all mine," She replied, unable to process the fact that Queen Krul's young, but able general was visiting her orphanage. "But may I ask what business you have with me?"

"I'm not sure if you've heard, but Queen Krul Tepes is planning to adopt a child, so she has appointed me to search for candidates. So, if you don't mind, may I come in and meet the orphans you have here?"

"O-of course!" The orphanage manager stuttered, hoping she could be of service to the queen.

"Thank you for your cooperation!" He beamed at them once again.

She stepped out of the way, permitting the general and his men to enter. The children, after realizing what was occurring, obediently arranged into single file line. Yuu was the only one impatiently glaring at the guests. The soldiers walked past them slowly, analyzing them thoroughly to confirm whether they were worthy of their monarch. Ultimately, they found no suitable match for her. General Ferid's eyes furrowed, clearly disappointed.

"It appears that none of the children here are fitting for Queen Krul. I guess we are left with no other choice than to dispose of all of you." He proclaimed, sighing sadly with a sadistic smile spread across his face.

All of the children were paralyzed, eyes filled with horror, even Yuu and the orphanage director. General Ferid merely wore an amused expression, eager to eliminate the innocent people before him.

"H-how dare you! I won't let you do that to my family!" Yuu retorted, extracting the remains of what courage was left within himself.

All he received was a guffaw from the wicked man, resulting in the young boy backing away in fear. The general pointed forwards at the trembling peasants, no longer trying to hide how immensely entertained he was. "Kill them all, no one here shan't perish. I expect no mercy. After all, they're simply wasting our resources anyway if they continue to live without being of use to our queen."

Yuu was awoken abruptly by someone aggressively shaking him.

"Couldn't you just have told me to wake up?" He groaned as he opened his eyes, only to see Kimizuki. He gradually sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning to you too." The telephone pole hissed under his breath. "I tried that five times. And each time, you just rolled over to the opposite end and pulled your blanket over your head."

"You could have tried harder than." Yuu countered as he tried to fix his bedhead.

"I don't want to use too much energy on an idiot like you."

"Good, because I wouldn't use my energy on you either."

"I don't need you to use your energy on me."

"Well, I don't want you to use your energy on me."

"..."

"..."

"Yuu, work on your comebacks. They're lame."

"Shut up. Yours aren't that good either."

"Sure, keep on believing that. But right now, we need to get to work. I'm going ahead, so see you later."

"Are you fucking ditching me?!"

"You took so long to get up, and I cannot waste time waiting for you. Anyways, bye." And with that, Kimizuki turned away and strolled out the servants' quarters and towards the kitchen.

Yuu was about to dash over to him and give Kimizuki what he deserved when a maid tugged his shirt with pleading eyes that screamed, "Stop. The noise is unbearable and people are trying to be productive here."

He grunted in response, then proceeded towards the privy to change into the dreaded maid outfit.

Shinoa greeted him cheerfully as he exited the servants' quarters, staring self-consciously at the ground, unwilling to meet eyes with the Satan spawn before him.

"Well, someone sure took a while to get out of bed."

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just start doing cleaning shit or whatever and get it over with."

"Are you excited to possibly see Mikaela again?"

"It's not like I actually will. Don't expect to be able to report any of my encounters with Mika today."

"Yuu…..Is that what I think it is?" Shinoa gasped, raising her hand to her mouth to emphasize her shock.

"What's what you think it is?" Yuu gave her a baffled expression.

"Is that a nickname?! You're using a nickname on Prince Mikaela Tepes?!"

Oh shit. Why the fuck did I do that?! Yuu breathed a sigh that consisted of his immense regret.

"He told me to call him that."

"I never knew you two had gone so far in such a short amount of time!" Shinoa smirked demonically. "In no time, my precious cherry boy will lose his virginity!" She dramatically wiped an invisible tear away.

"Shinoa. That's not happening." Yuu countered. "He probably detests me anyways. After all, I betrayed him…." His voice gradually became less detectable as his face darkened.

Shinoa eyes softened since she seldom saw her friend so melancholic. "Yuu, I truly doubt that he hates you."

"Why would you even consider that? He said that he trusted me more than he did anyone else, then right after he told me that, I betrayed him-I revealed that I was his enemy. He probably thinks that I'll leak all his deepest secrets when he had faith that I wouldn't tell anyone!" He cried out in frustration, no longer wanting to conceal his inner thoughts.

"But you didn't tell anybody. You didn't betray his trust." Shinoa protested.

"And how is he supposed to know that?!"

"You can always tell him your feelings for him. And that you'd never betray him. "

"I'm not going to blow my cover again. I need to prioritize our mission, not be concerned with my fucked-up, practically nonexistent love life." Yuu's stated, aspiring to conclude the conversation.

"If you tell him, I think he'll understand. I don't think he would tell anybody about our mission. I think he just trusts you that much."

"Even after all that?" Yuu questioned uncertainly. He couldn't-wouldn't-believe it. Why in the world would a prince endanger his own country and not tell everyone about the mission?

Shinoa nodded, hoping that she had brightened her friend's mood. She skipped ahead before turning around. "Shall we get going then?"

Later on in another one of the identical hallways, the two "maids" collided heavily with the obnoxious head maid, who glared at them with revulsion, most likely plotting their executions. Horn was reluctantly forced to continue scheming at a later time since she needed to assign them their next fatal task.

"Good morning." The blonde addressed, sounding entirely superficial. "I have resolved that today, you two shall retreat to the Basement to sweep away the cobwebs, exterminate the pests within it, and get rid of all that dust!" She stifled a diabolical grin as she presented them each a broom. "I will summon someone to escort you to the entrance of the basement. Wait here, for she shall arrive shortly."

Horn gracefully continued down the hallway, nearly radiating sunshine and rainbows, reminiscing on what she had just accomplished, which was the duo's whitened faces, and how close they were to fainting. Shinoa had collapsed to her knees; Yuu was curled up in a ball, trying not to face the reality that the head maid was a bitch who was probably Satan herself and was even more so to them. The maid chosen to lead them to Hell found them in the same position. She even swore that she could hear them sobbing.

"So...I head Mistress Horn ordered you two to clean...the Basement." She darted her eyes anxiously, guiltily hoping that this would be the next big gossip topic.

"..."

"You guys have heard about the Basement, right?"

"I don't think we want to know," Yuu mumbled.

The maid ignored him and continued."Well, nobody has cleaned it in years. Some say that the people sent to clean it don't ever come back unscathed. They can no longer function properly and become insane. Some even have suicidal tendencies. In fact, all the maids believe there to be some sort of beast or other horrific, sinister creature dwelling in the Basement," she informed them in an eerie tone.

"As if! We can deal with a simple basement, right Shinoa? Shinoa?" Yuu no longer wanted to appear weak as he elbowed his companion.

She maintained her confident facade, but couldn't help but visualize the petrifying Basement. Yuu was comforted at first by her typical grin, but when he noticed her staggering slightly, he began to grow more horrified. Oh shit! If even Shinoa is terrified, we really might not make it! But if we don't do it now, that bitch will make us do even worse shit!

"Person whom I don't know the name of! Take us to the Basement!" Yuu squeezed his eyes shut as he attempted to seem courageous.

The maid saluted since it seemed like an appropriate time to do so. "Of course!"

Yuu chewed on the strands of his wig hair, which was a habit that he was sure that had died away a few days ago when Kimizuki had ridiculed him for it, but the habit had resurfaced due to the wicked Horn Skuld. He quivered with every tense step he took, gripping his feather duster, a bucket of water, and a washcloth. His teeth were practically chattering due to the icy waves sent from Horn's practically absent heart. He glanced at Shinoa, who was miraculously maintaining a confident demeanor as she carried their brooms and dustpans.

"Yuu, are you going to surrender to a fucking room and let it scare the shit out of you? Are you that much of a wimp?" Shinoa teased, hoping to distract him from the panic he was experiencing.

"Shut the fuck up! I'm not a coward!"

"Sure, of course you aren't. Of course you didn't piss your pants when us and the rest of the squad we're exchanging scary stories at night last year. Of course you didn't scream loud enough for people to start approaching us and complaining about how you wouldn't quiet the fuck down when you heard a bunny piss behind a bush and thought it was ferocious beast hissing. Of course you didn't-"

"Okay, you can fucking stop now! No need to continue saying nonsense!"

"But it's all true," Shinoa said innocently, as though she was simply the sweetest little angel in the entire universe, which Yuu knew the was not near the truth at all.

"We're almost at the Basement." The maid announced almost ecstatically. "I suggest that the two of you prepare yourselves mentally."

The duo remained silent for the remainder of the walk there. At last, the maid stopped in front of a set of stairs leading downwards and solemnly handed them each a lantern and a box of matches. Then, she gave Shinoa a minuscule, rusted, bronze key.

"Just head down these stairs. Use the key to unlock the door, but it has not been opened in a while, so I recommend that you kick the door inward as you push it open. I wish you both good luck." With that, they all went on their way-the maid back to continue her former duties and Shinoa and Yuu to Hell.

After hesitating for several moments, they trotted down the steps. Yuu held back a feminine yelp as Shinoa opened the door, which emitted a loud screech as she did.

"Ladies first~!" Shinoa joshed as she shoved him into the Basement.

"What the fuck?!" He protested as he regained his balance.

Shinoa sashayed casually into the ominous room, then proceeded to set down her lantern on the dusty floor. The Basement was filled with cobwebs, which wasn't particularly surprising, and bookshelves with ancient-looking novels arranged on them. The musty and suffocating air caused Yuu to pinch his nose, face displaying his aggravation.

Rolling her eyes, she said, "What are you waiting for, princess? Would you prefer to stay here all day?"

Yuu harrumphed, about to protest, then decided it would be best to get the cleaning over with so they could get the fuck out of the Basement. He began gathering together all the books and dusting them off one by one, occasionally reading the ones that had piqued his interest, as Shinoa used the feather duster to clean the shelves. He happened to stumble upon a journal containing a sketch of the palace, including some hidden passageways Yuu was sure wasn't there before. After skimming through several pages, he discovered it was a diary belonging to one of the maids.

March 12, XXXX

Diary,

Today is my first day working as a maid in the palace! I am so glad that man I met the other day offered me a job. He told me that he has a high rank at the palace and could pull some strings to have me begin working there. Hopefully, I will earn enough money to support my family. I will not tell them yet though, or else they'll get worried that I am overworking myself. So far, it's not so bad. I think I'm the youngest person here since I am just seven years old. The palace is so huge and elegant, it's hard to believe I'm serving only one person, although it is Queen Krul Tepes herself, the ruler of all of Sanguinem! I hope I will have the chance to see her in person someday. I feel as though just standing in the palace makes me royalty as well. Would that not be grand, to be a princess and no longer have to worry about affording simple necessities, like food, blankets, and clothes. I would no longer have to worry about getting medicine for when me or one of my family members when we get ill. A million of our problems would just...vanish! I have to wake up early tomorrow for work, so I'll be going now. Bye!

March 23, XXXX

Diary,

I encountered the man who offered me the job today. He asked me how the castle has been so far and I told him it was fine, excluding how mean some of the servants here are. Although, I think they are acting like that only because they're a bit jealous of how it was the man that offered me the job. I think a lot of maids working at the palace believe him to be very handsome, which isn't entirely wrong. He chuckled in an amused way as I told him more about my day. After I was done, he asked me if I would like to meet a friend of his. I was a bit busy, so I declined, but he agreed to introduce us another day. His friend… I wonder, is he of high rank just like the man? What does he look like? How old is he? What's his personality like? Oh well, I guess these questions will have to be answered another day. Then, I asked him if he could tell me his name. He looked up thoughtfully, then said that it would be more interesting for me to find out myself. After an awkward silence, he told me goodbye and walked away. I wonder why he seems to have taken so much interest in me. After all, he doesn't seem to talk to anyone else, besides the queen. Right now, I have to go help some maids sweep up entrails in the dining hall. Bye, diary!

April 10, XXXX

Diary,

Just as the man promised, he introduced me to his friend. He brought him into the dining room while I was setting the table. His friend's braided hair was strangely dyed-his front bangs were dyed a dull shade of red while the rest of it was dark brown. He looked very muscular, so I think he's part of the army. He seemed a bit bored and unwilling to talk to me, but the man wasn't letting him get away. He mumbled a greeting to me, then sat down in one of the chairs. He asked the man why he was here, and the man answered that he had told already him. His friend sighed tiredly and told him that he still didn't understand. I tuned out of their further conversation for a bit as I laid out the plates and tableware, but caught small snippets of it. The man's friend asked if I was part of his "plans" (?), but the man seemed ignorant to what he was suggesting. Plans? What plans? Am I really part of them? How will these plans affect anything? Are they to benefit? Or will they do harm…? Hm… I'm having such dark thoughts nowadays. Of course the plans will benefit the kingdom if they were really created by the man or his friend. They both seem like such wonderful people, right, Diary? Besides, the man is so loyal to the queen, and the punishment for treason is a death sentence. Alright, it's nearly light's out for me. So, 'till next time!

Yuu skimmed through the next few entries since they were just documenting her daily life in the castle. He grinned triumphantly when the owner of the journal complained about that wretched Horn Skuld. He was beginning to think about putting the diary away until one caught his eye.

July 13, XXXX

Diary,

Today, I heard something extremely disturbing! A maid requested that I deliver a letter to the man, and it seemed to be quite urgent, so I agreed. When I reached the entrance to his office, I paused before knocking, since I heard him talking to someone from the inside. I decided to give them a bit of privacy. I thought they were just discussing military plans, but then I overheard them say something about the man's "plans" and immediately became interested in their conversation. The man's companion sounded shocked as he exclaimed that they would be arrested for treason. However, the man seemed to shrug it off, saying that he would dispose of anyone that discovered their "plans", so not to worry. I held back a gasp, knowing that they would, just as he had said, kill me if he found out that I was there. To not risk my life, I decided to walk away. Just then, the door swung open, revealing a young soldier that I did not recognize. He muttered an "excuse me" and rushed past me. After a minute or two, I decided that it was safe to enter, so I knocked on the door. He called for me to come in. The man was sitting at his fancy-looking desk, reading papers. I placed the letter on the desk and exited the room after he thanked me. I doubt that I will ever be able to look the man in the eye again.

September 21, XXXX

Diary

I have not really had time to record about my day in here recently, so I apologize for that. Since I "have more experience now", now that I have been here for three years, I have become responsible for even more duties and have to go to bed even later. Lately, I have accidentally listened in on even more conversations. After piecing everything together, I can guess that the man is betraying the queen and disobeying her orders. He's performing evil actions in the name of the queen. I think his friend whom he had introduced to me a few years ago is assisting him. I can not even believe that I used to trust him so much and was even grateful to him for helping me obtain a job to feed my family. I know I must prevent this somehow, but I do not have the ability to do so myself. But who would I tell? Could I really request an audience with the queen? After all, who knows how many people in the palace the man has recruited? And what would he do to me if he found out I knew? Certainly, I would die. How much am I willing to sacrifice to my queen?

January 16, XXXX

Diary,

I think I will inform the queen about the man. After I discovered that he is attempting to overthrow the queen, then I knew desperate measures must be taken. The problem is that he has not revealed his name to me. When I find out what it is, then I will tell her for sure.

February 29, XXXX

Diary,

I still have yet to identify him. I have not encountered him as of late. I have been avoiding him and he seems to be busy with his plans. I don't think telling the queen can wait any longer.

April 17, XXXX

Diary,

I think he has found me out. I have heard the maids whispering about how the man was searching for a certain, young maid. That is most certainly me. But I have found out his name, and I can tell the queen at any available time. In fact, I have requested to see her tomorrow. Tomorrow, I shall tell her that his name is

Dry, blackened blood was splattered across the page, causing the rest of the name to be undecipherable. Yuu's palms were sweating uncontrollably as he nervously set down the journal. Apparently, this man was extremely brutal and had disposed of the maid, just as he had promised. He shut the journal slowly but pocketed it out so he could take it back up with him later. He made a mental note to be wary of this man as he and the rest of the Imperial Demon Army proceeded with their revolt.

Meanwhile, Shinoa was finishing up with her cleaning. By now, the Basement looked spotless and had no possible sign of any hostile beasts. Their fear had faded away, causing them to wonder what possibly could've frightened the other maids. Yuu retrieved the journal before they made their way back upstairs. They were showered with questions from "fellow" maids. Shinoa decided to go along with the rumors, telling them that she was eternally traumatized and that she would rather die than return to the Basement. Yuu simply nodded, still brooding over the diary entries. He was remaining silent about it, planning to show them to Shinoa along with the others during their nightly meeting.

They were eventually confronted by Horn Skuld after they had stowed away the cleaning supplies. Since it was already the late afternoon, she demanded them to assist in the dinner preparations. Yuu groaned, aware that he would not be able to avoid contact with the prince. He glared at his smirking companion. She shaped her fingers into a heart and winked at him while smiling deviously.

"You have yet another chance to confess your undying love for the dashing Prince Mikaela! Hurry on, young child! You must not waste this precious opportunity laid before you!"

"Yeah, I can imagine that so vividly!" He exclaimed sarcastically.

"So can I! I'm imagining that after dinner, the prince will be sulking as he walks out of the dining room, thinking of the not-a-fair-maiden-but-actually-a-guy he met at the ball. Then, a bewitching "maid" catches his eye. The moment their eyes meet, they know that they have met before. He walks up to "her" and starts a conversation with "her". After a bit of small talk, "she" confesses that "she" is the guy that he had danced with at the ball. Eyes filled with shock, the prince embraces him, and they sneak away to his bedroom and-"

"Shinoa! Just shut the fuck up already!" Yuu flushed.

"Ah, what an adorable little cherry boy. I wonder what you could have possibly been envisioning." She cooed, eyeing him as though he was a tiny, cuddly puppy.

"Well, you were obviously implying something inappropriate!"

"So you admit that you were imagining Mika sucking your practically nonexistent dick."

"You know what? Screw you."

Shinoa giggled, quite pleased with herself, as well as Yuu's reaction.

As they were nearing the kitchen, Yuu growled, "Kimizuki is working in the kitchen, right?"

Shinoa nodded. "Don't start bickering, especially in front of all those servants. We don't want to attract any more attention than we already have."

Yuu nonchalantly told her to "shut the fuck up" as he entered the kitchen, which was bustling with activity. Servants were scattered about, performing different tasks, such as washing dishes, cooking the meals, and plating the food. Others had been sent to the dining room to set the table. Kimizuki was one of the cooks. There was to be a grand feast, for there were several guests that were attending supper with the queen and her son that night. That evening's menu was comprised of an enormous, stuffed boar head of epic proportions as the main course as well as an equally impressive roast chicken. The appetizers included an exotic salad with a combination of tossed fresh spinach leaves, parsley, a handful of wild strawberries, and oil and vinegar, pumpes, and assorted fruits. The feast was to be concluded with poached pears and almond pudding for dessert.

They located Kimizuki rinsing fresh fruit near the back. As they made their way over to him, they were stopped by the chef.

"What are you two doing?" The chef had his hands on his hips and wore an intimidating expression.

"We just got here, sir. We were sent by the head maid to assist with the dinner preparations." Shinoa explained.
"Then, please head over to the dining room to help set up the table. After you do so, then return here and wait until it is time to serve supper."

The chef promptly strode away to continue monitoring the other servants. Yuu groaned, although it could barely be heard over all the commotion.

"Seriously? We had to walk all the way here, just to leave right when we got there. Inconsiderate much?!"

"Wow, you should really get the grand prize for complaining so fucking much." Shinoa mused. "It has crossed my mind before, but after these past few days, you have become an even better candidate. Do not fret, you can guarantee that I'll vote for you. Oh, but you're an even better nominee for the biggest cherry boy in the universe. Oh dear, which one should I vote you for? Well, the more the merrier, so I suppose both."

"Shinoa, remind me as to why we are even friends."

"Because you wouldn't be able to survive without such an astounding, awe-inspiring, sensational person in your life, of course. Go ahead-worship me all you like." She looked at him haughtily.

"You better not actually be expecting me to fucking get down on my knees and praise undeserving midget like you."

And that's when Yuichiro Amane knew ...he fucked up.

Shinoa's eyes glimmered a shade of demonic red, slowly creeping closer to the damned Yuichiro Amane. She hissed menacingly, prepared to torment her target until he was so traumatized, that he would be paralyzed for days. Horn Skuld was currently a mere insect compared to the lilac-haired girl, despite their height differences. Yuu repeatedly asked for forgiveness, but it was too late. He was a goner. He could already envision his gravestone, in which Shinoa would personally carve into his gravestone using a machete:

R.I.P Yuichiro Amane. The wife of Mikaela Tepes and a treasured member of the Imperial Demon Army. Slain by a fucking savage midget and couldn't do anything to stop her. #bitchmeetshisfate He shall be dearly missed. Slightly. I mean, it would have been nice if he could have found his inner chill while he was alive. And if knew the boundaries of his pitiful insults. But he didn't. So that's why this little bitch died.

We all are aware that he did not actually die, although he came quite close. After he was ruthlessly tortured, they eventually made their way to the dining room. However, the table was already set and the room looked spotless for the royal family and their guests. They had to return back to the kitchen once again, for the diners were beginning to settle into their seats, merely awaiting the food's arrival.

Mikaela took his usual, superior-seeming strides to the dining room. Maids not-so-subtly swooned over him, eying how well his outfit suited him, for they were fashioned exclusively for him. He ignored them as usual, wanting to get supper over with. He mentally groaned as he recalled of that night's guests. There was a despicable one in particular that he absolutely despised. He always exerted a large quantity of effort to avoid him, but this was one those times in which he couldn't, no matter how many excuses he used or how much he pleaded. As he reached out to push open the door, the guards surpassed his speed, dutifully opening it for him. They bowed respectfully as he grudgingly passed through, although he concealed how irritated he was. He took a seat near the queen, who seemed to have arrived quite early. The guests appeared one by one after Mikaela's entrance and were guided to their seats by the servants around the perimeter of the room. After several minutes, servants began entering with the first course.

"Where is my general?" Queen Krul questioned to the servants, voice radiating with authority.

"He has requested that we inform you that he is performing duties in another village, and will not be able to arrive on time. However, he will still come to the feast."

Queen Krul frowned and waved away the servant that had responded, who bowed and continued with his duties.

As Mikaela was about to take a bite of his salad, a certain, familiar maid entered the room, pouting (quite adorably, if he did say so himself) at the small girl beside him. When he realized that it would be immensely troublesome if she caught him gaping at her, he ducked his head down, swallowing his food slightly too hastily. He nearly choked on it but gulped down a bit of his water before he could. He peeked up a bit, surprisingly finding the maid sneaking a glance at him this time. Although, he should have expected for her to do so. After all, he was accustomed to people staring at him. She was blushing furiously, scowling at her smirking friend. Mikaela mentally scolded himself for observing her for a second time and returned to his meal, determined to not distract himself once again. By the time the next two courses arrived, Mika was constantly twitching with anxiety as he attempted to concentrate on the feast and the conversation his mother and the guests were sharing. They were discussing dull topics, such as politics and the economy. He had observed that no official ever mentioned of the peasants' welfare, which concerned him and caused him to be alert with suspicion.

Yes, I'll just centralize my thoughts on the peasants. You must, and will, stop thinking about that maid. And Yuu-chan. Don't think about him. He is the enemy. He is erased from your memory, your mind… If only he was. He instinctively frowned intensely at his napkin, which resulted in stares from the other present individuals. He hid his face lower, staring down at his lap to prevent more baffled looks. He chose to request a glass of water as he noted that his glass was empty. Mika waved over the nearest servant, who rushed over quite ungracefully to his side.

"Y-yes, Your Highness? H-how may I be of your aid?" The servant mumbled, reciting the words his friend had gone over with him.

It took several seconds for the prince to realize exactly which servant he had called and regretted doing so instantly. It was the maid that he had been attempting to avoid.

He cleared his throat and summoned his courage. "It would be quite delightful if you could remain right here for the rest of the meal."

"U-um, I apologize, but that is not possible. I have...other responsibilities."

"I believe that your priority should be serving your kingdom's future king." Mika raised his eyebrows, causing the maid to look away shamefully.

"Well, if you would really prefer that…."

After an awkward silence, Mika asked, "You are the maid from the ballroom yesterday, am I correct?"

Too bashful to speak, the maid nodded.

"I noticed you staring at me earlier," Mika commented coolly.

"As if you weren't." The maid muttered, looking off to the side.

"Ah, so I was caught." The prince chuckled.

"You didn't seem like you were trying to hide it."

"I apologize then." He sounded quite genuine, which burned out any comebacks the maid had prepared.

The maid's eyes darted nervously at the spectators who were directing their attention to them specifically. Mika took notice and decided to abruptly conclude their conversation.

"Truthfully, all I called you over for was to simply request a glass of water. Would you kindly retrieve that for me?"

"Of course." The maid reached out for his glass, but Mika grasped it before she could and handed it to her. "Your Highness, that was… unnecessary. But thank you." The maid bowed, then walked away, nearly tripping over nothing but air on his way.

Shinoa giggled mischievously as Yuu struggled to walk properly to a cart that carried a pitcher of water. He shakily set down the glass and filled it close to the brim, spilling some water in the process.

"So, please report and elaborate as well- try not to miss even one, tiny detail, okay?"

"Are you planning to write a biography on my life or something?! He just asked me to fill his glass of water and so here I am, doing exactly that."

She groaned, unsatisfied. "I bet that you are leaving something out. I mean, you guys talked for quite a long time." She signed. "Well, you can tell me later. After all, you have to give Mika his glass of water."

He ignored her temporarily, deciding it was best to prioritize his responsibilities. He scrambled over there, trying his best not to spill any water. He swiftly placed it down in front of the heir to Sanguinem, bowed clumsily, and dashed back to his original position. As he glanced back at Mikaela, he found a minuscule grin on his face as he raised his glass to his lips.

Before she could make a comment, the doors suddenly opened, revealing a tall, slim nobleman. He brushed his bangs away from his face as he confidently sauntered towards his seat, long silver hair swaying with each step he took.

"I apologize for my tardiness, my queen." He bowed before sitting down on the scarlet, velvet cushion of his wooden chair.

The queen raised her eyebrows. "You were attending to your duties, so I excuse your delay, General Ferid Bathory."