"Please, milady. Eat even just a bit," a servant pleaded as he stood beside the bed, carrying a tray of untouched food.

The lady of the house's condition have become worst after finding out her father's sickness. Being forbidden to come to save him has made it even more terrible.

She wasn't crying anymore. Probably already lost all her tears.

The master of the house had been away since yesterday's event and no one on the house knows where he was.

Another servant peeked inside the room and motioned the other one to come over.

The man nodded and turned to the mistress. "I'll leave this here, milady. Please eat even just a bit," he said as he laid the tray on the table.

He bowed to the woman and made his way out of the room.

Outside, the other servant dragged him away from the room.

After making sure they we're far enough from the master's bedroom, he stopped.

"Our flour supplies has depleted. We needed more," the servant informed the other man.

"Request some from the factory then," he said.

The other man shook his head. "The wheat field has dried up. The factory was almost empty. If we ask for more, the castle's supply will suffer. And we can't let that happen."

"Just what in the world is happening? This is the first time we experienced something this terrible," the other muttered.

"Rumors said it was because of Lady [y/n]'s failing health."

"What does the lady has to do with the lands?" the other man snorted thinking how stupid the rumor was.

"Well, they said that the moment she first sang and blessed the land with her song, the whole land becomes a part of her."

The other man sighed. "Then what to do to separate her from the land?" he questioned crossing his arms.

"Well, she needed to be away from the island for at least a month or..." he hesitated.

The other man glared impatiently. "Or what?!"

"Or she get killed."

[y/n] sat silently on her room. She wanted to cry but she had no more tears left.

She also felt weak from the lack of food and water. She won't eat unless she was sure her father was cured. That was what she swore to herself.

But if her older brother was asking for her, it was a sickness with no cure. No matter how many doctors they send, he won't be healed unless she sing for him.

The door of the room opened. The only one who would enter without knocking was Katakuri. Or so she thought.

"How are you doing? Nee-chan~?" a voice sounded. A voice which was not from Katakuri.

[y/n] turned and found Cracker and Brulee.

Among all of Katakuri's siblings, these two we're the ones who openly showed how lowly they think of her.

She was sure the others also thinks the same way as these two but none of them openly showed it probably in respect for their older brother. Heck, even the oldest Perospero was trying to act extra nice to her. It was only these two who acted differently.

"Wiwwiwwiwwi! We heard about your father, nee-chan. It seems that you're the only one who could heal him. Too bad you're not allowed to leave the island and there is no way mama would let him step on this island after of what he did." Brulee said with a laughter.

[y/n] looked down on her lap, biting her lip.

Cracker let a laugh. "Don't worry nee-chan, it's going to be fine. Even if your father dies, as long as you're here, your kingdom will be spared."

[y/n] looked up and was about to snapped at the two when another sibling came to interrupt. It was Compote, the eldest daughter.

"Here you guys are! Mama's calling for us! Idiots! Stop bothering Katakuri's wife!" she scolded the two.

"Alright."

"Coming."

The two walked out with a grin, passing their eldest sister.

"Sorry about them, deary." Compote apologized before leaving.

Now alone, [y/n] gritted her teeth as she looked down on her lap.

She needed to go back to Melodia. No matter what, she won't let her father die.

Looking up, she finally decided. She had to escape.

That night, she decided to escape through the window.

Katakuri probably thought she would attempt to escape and so, he assigned someone to stood guard in front of their room every night.

Tying the blankets, she used it to get down from the third floor.

She run through the forest and made her way to the nearest dock. It was the one where she led Byron at.

Remembering the child, she felt her heart breaking but steeled herself. It was no time for that. She needed to save her father.

The transport ship was still at the dock, luckily.

[y/n] hastily climbed up the ship and moved to pull the anchor up when someone grabbed her on the neck.

"Wiwwiwwiwwiwwi! You're right, nii-san. She really did try to escape."

[y/n] looked over the one holding her and found Brulee. She was a thin woman but her fingers we're long and for someone as thin as her, she was strong. She even managed to lift her up from the ground.

"I told you." Cracker chuckled as he stepped out from behind the post.

"What should we do? Should we report this to mama?" Brulee asked tightening her hold on [y/n]'s neck, preventing her from taking in some air.

Cracker grinned. "Nah. We could deal with her ourselves. She did something she wasn't supposed to do, we have the right to punish her."

"Wiwwiwwiwwi! Good! I'm going to slash her pretty face. Or maybe I'll pluck her eyes out. Seeing how pretty she is annoys me." Brulee sadistically said, looking at her with a wide grin.

"Go ahead. I'm sure brother won't even care," Cracker said.

[y/n]'s eyes widened as Brulee lifted her sharp nails.

As she prepared to disfigure [y/n]'s face, something hits her and Cracker, sending them sticking to the wall.

Brulee loses her hold on [y/n] in the process. Now free, [y/n] gasped for air and coughed.

She looked over the two and saw that something sticky was pinning them there.

"What do you two think you're doing?" a familiar voice said.

[y/n] turned to the voice in surprise. It was Katakuri. He was standing at the railings, hands up to his arms covered on something sticky and stretchy. Like a mochi. Or was it really a mochi?

"Nii-chan!"

"Brother!"

The two looked over their older brother wide-eyed.

Perospero walked in. It seems that Katakuri wasn't alone.

"You two we're doing something you weren't ordered to do again. Mama will be really really angry, perorin~" Perospero said, his eternal smile still painted on his lips.

"B-but she's trying to escape!" Cracker reasoned.

Brulee nodded. "Yeah! We're just trying to stop her!"

"She's not trying to escape." Katakuri said, jumping to the deck's floor. His mochi hand returned to normal.

He made his way to [y/n] and helped her up. "She has a permission to leave. I will accompany her and bring her back."

What Katakuri said made the two younger ones look at him in surprise. [y/n] as well. She was looking up to Katakuri with wide eyes.

"K-Katakuri-sama..."

"Katakuri got mama's permission. And while he's there, he'll collect flour and if possible, sweet flour," Perospero explained.

Katakuri looked down at [y/n]. "This is not the ship we we're going to use. It's the one on the main dock. The bigger one. It's faster," he said.

Tears of relief fell from [y/n] 's eyes as she smiled. "Thank you, Katakuri-sama."

Katakuri looked away. "My mission is to collect flour. I'm not really doing this to help you. It just happened that we're going to Melodia so why not bring you with me. But when we return, I want you to revive these dying fields and sweet flour trees."

[y/n] nodded. "I'll do anything. Just please bring me to my father."

"Alright. Let's head to the main dock," he said and led her down.

"Woah! Hey! Brother! Help us down!" Cracker whined.

Katakuri ignored them and keep going.

"Perospero nii-san~"

Perospero turned and walked away. "Get down yourself."

As the two whined and called out, [y/n] reached out and held onto Katakuri's arm.

Katakuri glanced at her just a bit but said nothing. He looked up and continued, letting her hold to him for support.

He wasn't the kindest of men but that was probably once he showed a bit of it, [y/n] couldn't help but to feel warm and to think how precious it was.

TO BE CONTINUED