King of Anything
Act 2, Chapter 3
In which Celena's face is perfect.
Dilandau woke in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat. He was disturbed, confused, and disoriented. As if he'd been sleeping for years. As if somebody had paused his life and stored it in the depths of a computer to let it rot there, and then suddenly injected him with life.
But now he was wide awake and ready to piece together the past few hours of his life. He'd dreamed of being lost in the forest at night. It was a dream that repeated itself often. Too often, considering that he spent zero time in the forest. Maybe that's why the thought of being out there vexed him so.
Anytime he woke from one of those dreams, his muscles were cramping and he had a tough time commanding his own limbs.
Dilandau untangled the sheets from his limbs and got out of bed. No point in just staying there now. There was a glass of stale water on the dresser near his private bathroom. Opening the mirror cabinet, he found a vial of Intensified Luck. Normally, the drug came in pill form but he figured out that if he dissolved it in water and used only a fraction of the dose, it was useful in calming him after a panic attack.
He uncorked the vial and counted several drops into the glass of water nearby. After downing the contents in one long gulp, he laid back down in his bed. Staring at the ceiling, he thought tall glass of water. And immediately the annoying blonde, Celena, came to his mind.
How she'd forced him to dance and so easily captivated his attention. It irritated and intrigued him at the same time. There had to be a way to gain the upper hand next time she crossed his path again. And it no doubt would happen, because what kind of story would this be if it didn't?
Dilandau stared at the ceiling until he began to feel the effects of the drug and eventually fell back asleep. It was only a couple of hours later that Adelphus Gain ripped him out of his slumber.
"We have work to do!" the man yelled from the other side of the bedroom door while knocking on it demandingly.
Since the King was currently not in the city, it was their opportunity to get closer to Princess Merle and plant a few seeds of distrust. At least that was Gain's plan. Dilandau was skeptical. Sure, he wanted to be part of causing chaos but he wasn't stupid enough to think they could ever put a wedge between the royal siblings.
He knew Merle and Van too well for that. After all, he had done a bit of growing up together with the king when they both took sword lessons from Balgus.
Also, Princess Merle wasn't fond of him. So he would have to be the one to entertain her blonde, sorry excuse for a wannabe bodyguard they left behind since Escaflowne wasn't in the palace. Balgus was never far away, but Celena was practically glued to Merle since the Asturians arrived in Fanelia.
It was no surprise to find out that they had left her with Merle when the party departed on their spontaneous trip to Freid.
Both Zaibachians got ready before meeting in the kitchen and drank their coffee black. Black like their souls. "Don't forget to take your anti-psychotics. We don't want any incidences at the palace," Gain reminded Dilandau.
It was only due to the medication that Dilandau's episodes didn't spill over in the daytime. When he was taking them as prescribed anyway. The anti-psychotics kept the dreams contained and the Intensified Luck drug kept the side effects of the anti-psychotics in check.
When the medication did its thing, he was like paralyzed. He then could hardly move and his heart always threatened to burst out of his chest. The Intensified Luck took the edge off those symptoms and relaxed him to the point where he wasn't fighting the effects of the meds.
"Let's go," Gain said and left his empty mug on the counter before heading out.
It was a long day of meetings at the palace and around lunchtime, Adelphus finally spotted the pink hair he'd been looking for. Princess Merle was with a group of reporters- the serious kind- and finishing up a conversation.
"You know what to do," he nodded towards Dilandau.
"Aye," the silver-haired man said.
Dilandau could already see Celena glance at him from behind the princess. If only she knew what he had in store for her.
"Princess, a word please," Gain caught up with Merle as she passed them in the hallway.
Dilandau then was ready to jump in for his part. He caught Celena's attention and motioned for her to come to him, a few feet away from the other people.
She beamed at him genuinely, "Hey! How is your cheek?"
The thick bandage had been replaced with a long band-aid that covered most of it. Angry, pink lines were visible on both ends where the wound was more shallow.
"Well, I won't win any beauty contests anymore," he quipped, "but it's healing alright."
He wasn't sure why she bothered to ask. Not like they knew each other well enough for her to care. But he guessed she liked being meddlesome.
Gain had no idea what Dilandau was about to tell Celena. But he knew that what the old fart was going to try and manipulate Merle with was not good enough. And he would rely on Celena to make sure Merle got a little more information through her.
After all, the princess trusted the blonde more than an old, creepy uncle with a mustache.
Dilandau didn't want Gain to know what he knew. It gave him a satisfying sense of superiority. Besides, when you do things right, people won't know you've done anything at all anyway.
"What brings you to the palace today?" Celena asked innocently. She was either the nicest person on this planet or incredibly gullible.
However, something kept Dilandau from thinking the latter. Every single interaction they'd had had somehow been….weird. But she certainly wasn't dumb. Not at all. Not even a little bit.
First, she'd seen him spike a drink with Intensified Luck at the Mystic Moon. Then, she'd caught him running from the training room with a bleeding face wound which she also tended to. Third, she had convinced him to dance with her at the ball and successfully gotten him to think about her in a certain way.
And lastly, she had, in every single interaction managed to read into his actions and words without any trouble. That's what got him to realize right here and now that the reason she irked him so was that she perhaps understood him more than he understood himself.
Last time Celena had come across Dilandau was when the paparazzi papers had printed the picture of the king kissing the short-haired woman at the Mystic Moon. The woman who was definitely not Princess Millerna, whom he was engaged to.
"Remember what you told me last time I saw you?" Dilandau asked Celena.
"Of course I do! I said that I understand why you enjoy drama so much and that I think you're suffering some immense pain on the inside. And that it'll overwhelm you eventually," she summed it up perfectly.
Dilandau's neck felt hot. "That's not what I meant," he deadpanned. "I meant the part where two different magazines published two different pictures of the king at the Mystic Moon with someone. And that you thought it was a digitally altered picture"
Celena looked disappointed. "Oh. What about it?"
Dilandau whipped out his cell phone and found the video. "It wasn't Princess Millerna. It was someone else and I know that, because I saw it all and took the video the picture was sourced from."
He shoved the phone under her nose and played the short video of Van and Hitomi together behind the diamond curtain.
Her displeasure visibly grew with each second. "Why are you showing this to me?"
Dilandau pocketed the phone and shrugged. "Because Princess Merle deserves to know what her brother is up to and I am not the one to show her. She's not very fond of me. So I was hoping you could help her out."
Celena looked him in the eyes and he saw some sadness in them. "You're doing this again to cause someone anguish so you can feel in control again, aren't you?"
Dilandau gulped slowly. She wasn't wrong but that wasn't the point of focus this time. At least not completely. He decided not to play into it.
"To make matters worse, that woman is currently with the king and the future queen. Maybe they're taking care of the problem in secret and disposing of her. I wouldn't know. But isn't it weird that they are doing this without including King Van's sister? After all, it's a family affair," he suggested.
"How can you be so sure that she doesn't know?" Celena asked provocatively.
Dilandau smirked. "You're not the only one who can read people."
Celena glanced at Merle who was still listening to the other zaibachian diplomat, then nodded. "She doesn't deserve to be kept in the dark."
Dilandau grinned on the inside. She had no idea this was just the beginning and he didn't even have to lie about anything or make up shit. The king was manipulating himself just fine without interference. All he had had to do was watch.
"When are you going to tell me what happened to you?" Celena changed the topic abruptly.
Dilandau took a step back and crossed his arms and she followed him to reduce the distance between them. "What are you talking about?"
She moved even closer and crossed her arms so that they were touching him, mirroring his body language.
Celena was so close Dilandau could smell her. She smelled of pine needles and artificial fresh air. Like a popular men's deodorant brand. Why was she wearing men's deodorant? He'd seen her in a dress before but sometimes she came off as a completely different person. A tomboy.
Today for instance, because she was dressed in dark blue slacks and a white blouse. No makeup, as far as he could tell. Not that she needed any because while she was here, in his personal space, she was close enough for him to see every pore on her face.
And her face was perfect.
The scent of forest pine crept into his sinus cavities and it triggered something in his brain. Memories of the dream from the previous night were still too fresh on his mind. Fuck. He had only just taken his medication after the last meeting.
The old fart had reminded him this morning but he'd not immediately taken the pill out of pure spite. The daily dose hadn't made its way through his system yet. He held his breath for a moment while Celena stared him down.
"Are you alright?" she finally asked him in a hushed voice, sensible enough to realize he wouldn't want her to draw any attention.
Dilandau quickly brushed past her and hurried down the hall, so quickly she couldn't follow him unless she was alright with abandoning the princess. He had to get away FAST.
Merle hadn't been this aggravated in a while. The zaibachian seriously thought he could seed distrust in her brother. He'd have to do better if he wanted to fool her. The mediocre middle-aged dude's chokehold on success made men so delusional in their abilities.
She blew a big bubble with the fresh piece of gum she'd popped into her mouth a few minutes ago and let it pop audibly, which reflected her annoyance.
Just because Van up and left to go to Freid, and took not just Millerna with him but also the blonde woman from the Mystic Moon, was no reason to feel any different toward him.
At least not until Celena had joined her and told her what Dilandau had proved to her. Van had indeed kissed the woman at the club and was trying to keep it a secret from her. Even when there was printed evidence for it in the press. Although several magazines had done a good job of circulating different versions of the picture where the woman looked like Millerna.
What was he up to? Good thing it didn't annoy her AT. ALL. that he hadn't confided in her. After they became so close when their family passed, they were nearly inseparable and to keep secrets from her was not normal.
That ruffled her more than anything.
"You arrived with very little luggage and will find it has already been brought to your guest rooms," Chid stated. "I will have you escorted there and dinner shall be served soon."
It was then that each of the visitors realized how long they had spent in this underground hall without windows. Their stomachs collectively growled in response to the realization.
A servant girl dressed in silks brought Hitomi to a large door. It was the only door in that hallway. "I will be nearby and happy to make sure you find your way to the dining room when you have freshened up," the woman gave a friendly nod.
"Thank you," Hitomi smiled back and pushed the door open.
Of course, the guest room was bigger than the trio's apartment. She had already been mentally prepared for it since the hallways in this palace were twice as wide as in the hospital. Figures.
Marble, tassels, gold thread, and heavy fabrics covered the large room. Where there would normally be a wall with windows or a balcony door to the outside, there were only pillars supporting the structure. No glass. There was no need for glass or walls because the temperatures in Freid were perfect year-round. And if it rained, there was plenty of space between the furniture and the ceiling for it to not get wet.
Beyond the pillars, the room became a wide balcony. One that reminded her of a childhood movie she'd seen where a prince swept away a princess on a flying carpet. Now all she needed was a genie to grant her three wishes to make everything go back to normal.
Hitomi found her travel bag on a chaise lounge next to a white coffee table with a bowl of fresh, exotic fruit native to Freid. Beside her travel bag, a black cardboard box with an elegant, red bow sat waiting for her.
Only she hadn't packed a cardboard box. Intrigued, she untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Her eyebrows raised when she moved aside the white silk paper and recognized the fabric in an instant. It was the red cocktail dress she'd tried on in the fancy store during her date with Allen.
It was no small surprise when she picked up the note card on top and read Please wear this tonight. -Allen written in perfect cursive.
She hadn't wanted the dress when they were in the store. It was pretty, of course, but she had refused his offer of buying it for her. And because he had ignored her decision, she was slightly miffed now.
But he was probably right. They were in a royal palace and she couldn't just show up in her travel clothes. Although Van had told her that it didn't matter what she packed to wear. Then again, this was a king who had no issues with wearing jeans and sweatpants in public.
The bathroom had a shower twice as big as a normal apartment one and everything was stocked with personal care products down to brand-new plastic-wrapped toothbrushes. All of the appliances were plated in gold. Plated, surely. Not solid gold. Although, she wasn't too sure.
The bath products were all floral scented and Hitomi loved it. She could have spent hours in there, but her stomach disagreed. She was feeling a bit apprehensive about taking part in a royal dinner. Duke Chid brought the number of royals in one room to three.
Yukari would implode when she found out. Hitomi had to just play it cool. It couldn't be that hard to pretend like the situation was normal for her. Besides, she'd been around Van and Millerna long enough now. And there was always Allen too.
Allen, who was starting to get under her skin with the way he treated her. She wasn't sure what it was about this place that intensified the feeling.
Hitomi did her best to make her hair look as sophisticated as possible and blow-dried it to lay flat against her head. Short as it was, that was an easy thing to accomplish.
As promised, the silk-clad servant was right around the corner when she exited the guest room. The woman beamed at her. "What a beautiful dress! This must have come from one of the Fanelian designer boutiques."
Hitomi smoothed the fabric across her thighs and nodded. "How can you tell?"
The kind woman explained it to her. "The boat neck cut and the way the dress hugs your body tightly. Fanelian designers are known to create more form-fitting garments that show off a tasteful amount of skin around the shoulders without being too low cut in the front. Your collarbones are very exposed, which draws attention to your neck, especially in combination with your short hair. You look regal, if I may say so."
Hitomi's cheeks went bright red. She'd never considered her neck and shoulders to be a focus before. She'd also never worn a designer dress before. So maybe she didn't hate having the dress. But she still hadn't asked to own it.
"You look amazing," Hitomi heard Allen's voice approach from behind them as the servant dropped her off by the dining room.
She turned to see him in his trademark navy suit. He didn't need to dress up, since he was already in a suit most of the time. So maybe that's why he liked dressing her up? So she could match him better than with what she normally wore?
"Thank you for the dress," Hitomi said, despite her thoughts, and folded both hands in front of her as she waited for him to catch up.
Allen offered her his arm, which she accepted, and led her into the dining room. Millerna and Chid were already there, along with Van and Escaflowne. The sentinel was standing by the wall since he obviously could not partake in the meal. Dryden was already seated at a long tableside. Perhaps his usual place.
Van's eyes met Hitomi's for a long moment as Allen and her approached the table and she held his gaze, curious about what he was thinking.
"You look like a born noblewoman, Hitomi!" Millerna exclaimed. The Princess was in a pink dress once again herself. Hitomi knew that Millerna was giving her an honest compliment with those words but the comparison felt odd.
Dryden, who she was now seated next to, affirmed the princess' words. "Indeed you do! What a well-chosen garment." Across from them, Van was now also finding his seat but focused on Chid, who was at the head of the table.
Some polite conversation picked up among the people seated next to each other. There was more food than they could ever finish. Everything from succulent fruit, meats, and salads made from Freid's native grains and vegetables.
Hitomi thoroughly enjoyed the meal despite her worries earlier. She wasn't used to such a variety of healthy foods. Her days of working and studying more often than not necessitated one or the other cup of ramen to satisfy her stomach.
She was especially excited about the dessert in the center of the table. A platter stacked high with macarons in various colors. She glanced at it longingly and then shifted the focus to Van, who was directly on the other side of the sweets. He was still in a deep conversation with the Duke.
This gave Hitomi a moment to take in his face. She fondly remembered slapping the cheek that was currently facing her. What a satisfying moment it had been then. But she also remembered caressing that same cheek not too long after, out of pity for him.
Sure, he had everything he could wish for in the form of material things. He had a sister who loved him and a prosperous country. But he had also agreed to a faux engagement for the sake of his country's economy and his friend's desires.
What he was getting out of this deal with Millerna were only things that would benefit his country. She was getting so much more. She was getting freedom.
"Seeing a spread like this makes me wish I could eat," Escaflowne stated longingly from the side of the room "but my hollow core couldn't do anything with the food."
Hollow. Hollow? HOLLOW!
"I know what it means!" Dryden announced, jumping out of his chair, and bracing his hands on the tabletop. "To command from the safest place. Which is INSIDE of Escaflowne. Escaflowne is not a robot. He is, in fact, an armor."
The machine's eye slits glowed intensely. "I AM?!"
Dryden raised the palm of one hand upward in the air toward Escaflowne. "You just said it yourself. You're hollow!"
"You're not able to verify?" Van asked, now also out of his chair.
"Negative, Ghostrider," Escaflowne confirmed.
Van abandoned his food and his chair and immediately moved over to his guardian.
"If there was a mechanism or a button to open you up, I would know. I've been around you since I was a child," Van slowly walked around Escaflowne, still scanning every inch of his metal surface. "I know you like the back of my hand! How is this possible?"
He ran his fingers over several big and small panels on the machine's body, pushing here and there. Escaflowne looked like he was fidgeting where he stood, which looked comical for such a large machine.
"Sire, could you please refrain from touching me like that? Everybody is looking!"
Van sweatdropped and retracted his hand. "Are you aware of any voice commands for this function?"
"I'm afraid my programming prohibits me from suggesting any commands my handler doesn't already know. It's a safety feature," the robot said apologetically "but they should be listed in the manual."
The manual which written in technical terms in ancient Atlantean that Hitomi and Dryden had had one hell of a time deciphering.
"We're leaving tomorrow, and I'll deal with this back in Fanelia. I can't leave Merle alone with the sharks for too long," Van decided.
Time-wise, it was two hours earlier back in Fanelia, and that's why Hitomi wasn't ready to settle in for the night. Besides, it was probably the only chance she'd ever get to explore the palace of Godashim.
Allen, being the only member of the security detail here stayed with Millerna. However, he was filled with regret when he bade Hitomi good night after the meal. Millerna was going to spend time with her nephew, whom she so rarely saw.
This gave Hitomi all the freedom to roam around, with the duke's invitation to do so of course.
Dryden was no doubt on his way back to the library and King Van had disappeared too; Escaflowne with him. Maybe he wasn't ready to give up on finding the mechanism. Although it wasn't like the machine was going anywhere.
Hitomi wandered aimlessly through the hallways. Each one of her steps was cushioned by soft, beautiful carpet with a filigree pattern in striking colors. She noticed that lots of the hallways were constructed like her room.
Few had windows on either side and heavy curtains hung on either side of large pillars to frame the scene of a setting sun beyond. Some stars were already beginning to twinkle in the sky. She exhaled a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
The serene scene took away some of the stress of the day. The past few weeks of her life had been nuts. And stuff just kept getting crazier. One moment she was spilling coffee behind the counter of the coffee shop she worked in. Next, she was surrounded by royalty and kissing the King of Fanelia and dating bodyguards.
Another exhale. Allen. There was nothing to be done about her slowly developing apprehension about going out with him again.
Hitomi left her thoughts right there with the sun disappearing behind the horizon. On the other end of the walkway was a wide-open salon. She didn't know what else to compare it to. Thick, velvet pillows and chaise lounges were arranged around the room.
She ran her fingers over the fabrics and came to stand in front of a set of lounge chairs that were positioned directly in front of a large painting- the painting of a stunning, blonde woman. She bore a striking resemblance with Princess Millerna Aston.
Hitomi sank into one of the chairs, captivated by the painting and the woman's melancholic gaze. She looked content but….sad.
"Absolutely beautiful, wasn't she?"
Hitomi jumped out of her seat, startled. With a hand on her chest, she exhaled for the third time in twenty minutes. Like she hadn't calmed herself enough lately.
"Dryden. I thought you went back to your studies."
He chuckled. "Even I get sleepy and inattentive after a big meal. I'm done working for the night. Besides, after solving the Escaflowne riddle, I especially deserve a break."
"Agreed," Hitomi nodded and sat back in the chair, then made a slight nod towards the painting. "Who is she?"
"That," Dryden pushed his half-moon spectacles higher up on his nose, "WAS Millerna's sister Marlene. The wife of the late Duke of Freid. She passed a few years ago, sadly."
"So that's Chid's mother," Hitomi immediately saw the resemblance. "What happened to her husband? Why is a six-year-old the leader of this country?" She should probably know since it was recent history. Hitomi bet Yukari would know.
"He was killed in an accident. There was a discovery during an excavation not far from the city. The duke went to inspect a long-lost relic that had been found and during the visit, the mine shaft collapsed. Some other people died too. Chid was just five years old."
"That's horrible! To have lost both parents. He is very mature for his age and conducts himself so gracefully," Hitomi's empathy kicked in again.
"Yes indeed," Dryden stated. "Good thing he gets to spend some time with his aunt tonight, and…Allen."
"Not a fan?" Hitomi raised an eyebrow curiously. She liked Dryden. He didn't seem to adhere to the diplomatic practice of keeping up a farce when it came to his personal opinions.
Dryden pursed his lips and said "I noticed the way Allen and you interacted earlier. I'm sure you already know he is very interested in you."
Hitomi nodded "Sure do."
"You don't sound thrilled," he mused.
Hitomi shrugged "I'm not certain."
"Well, let me show you something that might make it easier for you to figure that out. But it's something you should keep to yourself."
She shrugged again. "I'm not the gossiping type."
"I can tell," Dryden stated.
He pulled out a cellular phone and tapped around on the screen, then angled it toward her. It was a picture of the Duke and Duchess of Freid. Marlene was clearly very, very pregnant. One hand was resting on her belly and Hitomi noticed that her facial expression matched the one on the painting.
"Why does she look so sad in this picture and the painting too?" Hitomi asked.
"Probably has something to do with the baby," Dryden said.
"The baby?" Hitomi scrunched up her brows.
Dryden zoomed in on the duke's face. He had been a handsome man with thick, dark hair and beard, and brown eyes. "Did you know that blonde hair and blue eyes are recessive traits?"
"I probably should. I'm in nursing school," Hitomi didn't follow his intended train of thought and immediately derailed, wondering if she had maybe missed something in school.
Dryden chuckled "Don't think genetics is necessarily a part of nursing school, but that's not my area of expertise either. Anyway…"
"What does this have to do with the baby?" Hitomi brought herself back on topic.
"Think about it. The chances of Chid inheriting all of Marlene's recessive traits are extremely low." Dryden nudged her verbally.
"Are you saying, the Duke of Freid is not Chid's real father?" Hitomi gasped.
"Winner winner, chicken dinner," Dryden extinguished the picture on his phone. "Marlene was not a happy person. She suffered from depression until she met a certain someone. Someone with very blonde hair and very blue eyes."
"NO. WAY." Hitomi's eyes went wide as saucers and the dinner in her stomach made an aggressive move back toward her esophagus.
She couldn't believe it. The audacity! She didn't know where he'd found it but he needed to put it back. The thought of Allen's face suddenly provoked severe heartburn.
Dryden simply nodded.
"How did you come to find this out? Hitomi asked, shock on her face evident.
Dryden shrugged. "I've seen a thing or two, so I know a thing or two."
"How doesn't everyone know about this?" Hitomi exclaimed.
"There's only one thing reporters love more than a good story. Loads and loads of money." Dryden explained. "Nothing was ever officially leaked. But people in the right places made sure any kind of rumor about Chid's parentage stayed contained. The duke himself never doubted his wife and wouldn't hear of any rumors. Chid was his son."
"Does he know?" Hitomi asked.
"Chid or Allen?" Dryden asked.
Hitomi gesticulated into the empty air "EITHER!"
"Allen does, of course. Chid does not," Dryden explained.
"Millerna does, too because she went through Marlene's diaries. That's why they are currently spending some time together. Chid will never know, but it gets Allen close to him and gives him a chance to spend just a bit of time with the child he was part of creating."
Hitomi was raging inside. The insufferable bastard had fathered an illegitimate child with the DUCHESS of a country! A married woman! That was the nail in the coffin for him.
She shuddered at the thought of it all.
"I'm sure I don't need to remind you to keep this to yourself," Dryden looked at her intently.
Hitomi's eyes snapped toward his from where she'd been zoned out in anger. "Of course not. I'm so glad you told me, and it absolutely helped me make up my mind. I'm in your debt."
A debt she could likely never repay him.
"Welp, here we are. Two fools in love with people we can't have," Dryden leaned back in his chair and touched his fingertips together.
"What?!" Hitomi exclaimed, flabbergasted.
Dryden smirked slyly. "Well, you're obviously in love with King Van. And I am obviously in love with Princess Millerna."
Hitomi's face went beet red. "It's not like that…"
Dryden waved her feeble attempt off with the flick of a wrist. "You're not fooling anybody. Maybe yourself but not me. The way you both were looking at each other the whole time in the library and during dinner- it's extremely obvious."
Hitomi started wringing her hands in her lap, too dumbfounded to speak.
So Dryden continued. " And it's obvious he has feelings for you too. Van was alternating between staring at you and glaring at Allen. Which actually annoys the piss out of me since his future wife was sitting right next to him, looking lovely as ever."
OH! OOOOH! Yes of course Dryden was upset about that. Here he was, in love with Millerna but she was about to marry King Van. A guy who had obviously no interest in her. Hitomi could only be thankful that Dryden's anger didn't extend toward her.
Luckily he was too clever to let his emotions run that far off. He must've realized that she had no control over what Van wanted, did, or felt toward her.
"I don't gossip," Hitomi said quietly. However, she knew how to immediately repay the debt she had been prepared to forever owe him.
Dryden raised an eyebrow. "Of course. That's why I confided in you and we don't need to speak of it ever again."
"I don't gossip, but…" Hitomi started again "What if I knew something that'd make your life a whole lot better, especially if you hold out for a few more months?"
Dryden's facial expression became very serious. "Go on"
"And really nobody will suffer from you knowing, either. As long as it stays between us," Hitomi looked directly at him, her mind made up.
Dryden cocked his head, indicating that he was listening intently. Afraid that any interruption might spook her.
Hitomi closed her eyes. Because at least if her eyes were closed, then she could pretend that she was quietly telling this secret into an empty room. "Van and Millerna's engagement is fake. They have no intent of actually going through with it."
When she opened her eyes, Hitomi saw that one corner of Dryden's lips was raised in a charming grin. She could definitely understand what Millerna saw in him. Dryden wasn't the only one who was good at observing people. She had noticed how the two of them greeted each other and how the princess also stole glances at the man when she thought he wasn't looking.
He was wicked smart and deviously handsome under the eccentric spectacles and clothing. But it seemed as though when it came to his own affairs, the guy was a bit dense. How lucky Hitomi and he complemented each other there. How lucky indeed.
Dryden chuckled. " What a smart creature she is. I'm sure she and the king came up with this spiel to enable her to get her way when it comes to her medical studies and her political future as Queen of Asturia."
Ah. There were his smarts. He was already making sense of the plan all by himself based on what Millerna had probably told him in the past. She basically only had to nudge him a bit toward it.
Really, she barely even gave anything away. He didn't need to know all the details she did, because that would definitely be considered gossip. This was enough to hold him over until Millerna was a free woman and then Dryden could swoop in and court her to his heart's content.
"Well, well," he said, with the air of a carefree guy instead of a fool whose hands were bound before. "Glad I happened to run into you. It was a pleasure before already, but now I think you may be my new best friend."
Dryden rose from his chair. "Alas, it is getting late and I think I need to get back to my apartment here in the palace and process the news."
Hitomi stood from where she was sitting and went to shake the hand Dryden had extended toward her. Instead of shaking it though, he turned her hand to plant a soft kiss on the back of it.
"I mean it. You are a bright, young woman and I'm happy to count you among people I hold in high regard. If I ever need help with more ancient texts, I might hit you up. Likewise, feel free to contact me if you require assistance with anything."
She laughed softly. "Sounds good. It was a pleasure working with you."
They turned away from each other and Hitomi noticed that during the end of their interaction, the anger toward Allen had nearly fully vanished. What did she care about his personal affairs anyway?
Now that she was certain that she wasn't interested, it didn't bother her how entangled he was with some other family's bullshit.
"Oh," Dryden said over his shoulder. "In case you are looking to get back to your room, you should take the long way through the gardens to your left."
Tbc…
A/N: If you got a notification about this story being updated and you got excited, you rock!