Duty-Bound: Chapter 5
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She wouldn't tell him that she was shocked. What surprised her most was how he called her by her long forgotten name without any honorifics. Why she was brought back to this land, she didn't want to know. Ten years ago, she was cast aside, and she had lived by herself ever since. Hoping to forget her past, she had travelled far away from the land she hated for the painful memories. After closing her eyes, she looked away from the love of her life. She wouldn't voice out the fact that she was happy to see him again. He was the only one she had loved since she was five.
"I am not a princess anymore, Natsume," she muttered quietly.
He became quiet.
"Everyone in this land knows why I was disowned ten years ago."
"…"
"Tell me a good reason why I should stay here."
"Lady Yuka will tell you the reason."
She glanced at him. "I don't want to see her."
"…"
"Unless…"
"Unless…?"
His piqued curiosity was obvious. After gazing at him for a moment, she finally told him, "Unless you call me by my name from now on."
She knew that he understood the meaning of her request. If he agreed, he would unofficially claim her as his betrothed. When he stayed silent, she sighed mentally as it was too good to be true for him to agree with her request. In her mind, she concluded he was betrothed to another. Moreover, she was not a princess anymore and couldn't force him to obey her. She sighed. "Forget about it. Tell her I would not want to see her even if she came here herself."
She casually walked to the futon and lay down. "I'm going to escape from this place one of these days."