Hey guys, since my exam is starting, I am not going to update as frequently as I usually do. And for those reading Under The White, I'll put that story on hold since the stress of the exam is just... too much. You have my word that I am not abandoning that story, though, and I will come back to that as soon as this exam-monster has been dealt with!

ToOH: yeah, you got me there. Pink is my personal favourite colour. Plus, I think it's a fresh mix to have a tomboy pinkette since in HM games the pinkettes tend to be feminine (maybe Luna can be an exception, but then again, she is not exactly tomboy herself)

teamBLAZE: HAHAHA I won't end the story in such a rushed note despite being in exam! ^^

ScipioPB: Thanks! I was worried whether my description was not good enough, actually hahahaha

Rod gazed at Reine with guilt permeating his heart. He could see her disappointment clear as day, but Neil had ordered everyone in the castle to be silent about the ball last night, and the sternness in his voice rendered no one dared to go against him.

"Is there… anything I could do?" Rod really hoped that Reine would ask him to fetch something for her, or sing, or do anything to lift her mood—but the lady just shook her head, "Nothing." She said curtly.

"Did you… have a bad dream…?"

"No." Reine replied almost immediately, "Not a bad dream…"

Reine took her bow and quiver and headed to the range. She was grateful when she found the range to be empty, and immediately took her position at one of the lanes. Reine loaded the bow and tried to focus her aim at the centre of the board, but the images of that golden-haired, violet-eyed young man kept flashing back into her head that she didn't even realize she had released the string—and the arrow was way off the target.

Reine took a deep breath and tried to shoot one more time. This time, the song invaded her head:

Just a little change

Small to say the least

Both a little scared

Neither one prepared

Beauty and the Beast

She inadvertently released the arrow, and it didn't even reach the target board. The third and fourth arrows, too, met the same fate. She didn't hit the perimeter of the round target board, much less a bull's eye. Reine finally threw her bow aside in frustration.

"How could a dream be so annoyingly real?!" she groaned.

She glanced back at the castle. It was still covered in overgrown vines and dead leaves and all the windows are tinted black—but she could easily picture the very same building now with polished walls and clear glass window.

Taking a deep breath, feeling the chilling air entering her lungs, Reine finally was calm enough to pick up her bow and walked back into the castle. However, instead of going to her room, Reine decided to go for a tour around the castle—this time, a solo tour. Only then she realized that she had stayed in the castle long enough for her legs to remember the ways in this grand castle.

Reine finally reached the grand stairs, and somehow, she could visualize clearly, the golden-haired young man walking down from the western side of the stairs, dressed in a rich dark purple coat.

Yes, it was too real to be a dream, Reine concluded. Either I suddenly have a very wild imagination… or it was indeed real.

It was then The Beast appeared from the western side of the grand stairs. He looked down and saw Reine looking up, right into his eyes. He descended the stairs in silence and approached her. "You have stayed long enough—the wolves wouldn't catch your scent by now."

"What do you mean?"

"Go away." He said coldly, "You are not needed here."

"If you are really curious about the magic I'm talking about, wait until I am in a… more proper form."

"You mean… human form?"

"Yes."

"Why so?"

"So that the magic effect does not wear off prematurely."

"But what if we never meet again?"

"We will. Trust me, we will."

There was something in his voice that made Gwen wanted to believe in his words. Was it the soothing tone? Or the confidence that he exuded?

Gwen sighed and she continued reading the invitation she held in her hand. Despite Lindell being classified as a provincial town, there was an old wealthy spinster who loved to throw parties, inviting the whole town. Gwen was unsure whether these parties were her way of showing how different she was from the rest of the townsfolk, or simply as a show of generosity since these parties were really considered as one of the "fashionable" social events in the small town. Despite the irony, many unattached people of marriageable age used this party as an opportunity to look for prospective partner.

"You should go, Gwen," her mother said calmly.

"But I am not interested…"

"We have been invited. It is rude to turn it down."

Gwen exhaled deeply. "You are right." She said, "I just hope Zach would not be there."

Gwen walked to her room and opened her dresser, finally picking up a blue formal dress that seemed to be decent enough to be worn to such occasion, together with a royal blue bodice. Changing her dress and then putting her hair into a neat bun, Gwen didn't forget to slip the ring to her ring finger—after all, the blue sapphire matched her outfit nicely.

"Have fun, dearest," Mme Rousseau said while seeing her daughter off.

Along the way, Gwen noticed a group of young women walking towards the old spinster's manor. She quickly noticed these young women as the ones she referred to as the 'Bimbettes' in her conversation with Reine for their loud voices. She carefully adjusted her steps so that she was three to five steps behind them, but she still could clearly hear their conversation. Gwen tried to move further back, but one of the Bimbettes' words caught her interest.

"…have you seen that Renaissance Rousseau these days?"

"No! Maybe she is missing in the forest—ah, that foolish girl!"

"She is so… how to say it… improper!"

"Hey, but I heard Zach is pining for her!"

"Really?" the other two girls gasped.

"Oooh~ Zach is so dreamy! Imagine being held by his strong arms~"

The girl continued to giggle among themselves until their finally reached the manor, and they never noticed the presence of Guinevere Rousseau behind them since the latter immediately chose to conceal herself among the other attendees before the three young women learned that she had heard what they had talked about her sister. Gwen found it useless to argue with the likes of them, since she knew just how broad the kinds of them could think—they were only concerned about their looks and marriage prospect, and Gwen could not stop but wonder what kind of a life that kind of mindset would lead.

Just as Gwen stood still at the corner of the packed ballroom, one young man approached her and bowed politely. "How about one dance, mademoiselle?"

Gwen gasped in surprise, and covered her mouth with her hand. The young man glanced at the gleaming sapphire on her finger and shifted his position awkwardly. "I'm sorry if my offer makes you feel… uncomfortable."

Before Gwen could answer, the young man excused himself and talked to the other ladies.

What had just happened? Gwen asked herself, but finally decided to shrug it off for the better.

As Gwen walked across the ballroom, in hopes of finding the hostess to thank her for the invitation, Gwen noticed that some men looked at her with curious looks. What she failed to notice, however, was that all those men saw the gleaming sapphire ring around her finger. In the end, Gwen decided to go back once she managed to find the hostess and had a small friendly chat ("Oh! You are so polite! Why don't we talk for a bit over some tea, cherie?")

Party is really exhausting. Wonder why some people love it…

When she reached her farmhouse, she noticed that the lights were already out. Gwen walked inside the house and lighted a lantern before she changed back into her home clothes. Then, she heard the knockings.

Gwen quickly walked to the front door and opened it, and much to her surprise, she saw her sister stood at the other side of the door. "Reine? Why…?"

"He kicked me out." Reine said, "That damned bloody-fur-head told me he didn't need it anymore so he just kicked me out!"

"And you left?"

"Why should I stay?!"

Gwen looked carefully at her sister's face, trying to discern her. Her rage was apparent, of course, but there was something else lying beneath that fury. "Reine…" Gwen trailed off, unsure as to how to phrase her words, "Are you scared?"

"Scared? I'm not scared of him!"

"I didn't mean him." Gwen said, "Are you scared… of what might happen between the two of you if you stay… that's why you left?"

Reine gasped. "How could you—"

"Are you?" Gwen pressed insistently.

For the first time, Reine was speechless. She hung her head low. "How could I know… if he doesn't want to talk to me about it?"

"You drove her out?!" Allen asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "Are you a madman?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Listen—what more do you want from her? She is that dream girl of yours, right?!"

"Exactly!" Neil roared back, "It's exactly because she is that girl I have to let go. What if she learns that this whole castle was cursed because I wanted to give her, not the Witch, that rose?!"

Neil panted heavily, unable to hold his emotions back anymore. "She might stay—no, I'm sure she will stay, but only because she feels guilty."

Neil sighed and turned his back on his cousin, facing the tall glass window that gave him the view of the cursed forest. He casted his glance into the far distance at the direction of the farming town of Lindell. "She ought to be free… as free as she wanted to be."

Neil's unexpected move of letting Reine go,

and Reine uncharacteristic fear mixed with confusion over his silence...

Stay tuned for the next update!

Thanks for reading!

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