Chapter 21

I didn't know how to react.

Seeing him show up at this very moment I wanted to run towards him and complain to him how much I feel wronged and how much I was hurting.

I was just standing there staring at him staring back at me.

He gave me a weak smile when I felt Blaze's presence approaching.

My forehead creased when I saw Cool walk away.

'Don't worry. I'm just around you. All the time.'

I figured that he was hiding from Blaze or probably from the whole Flamis. I didn't know his reason but I somehow trust him. No, I completely trust him. I know he has a good reason why he's into hiding.

"Princess—"

"Didn't I told you to stay away from me?" I said without sparing him a glance and just continued walking.

"But I just want to explain my side." He reasoned out, frustrated with how uninterested I am to hear his story.

"Are you done?" I inquired a few moments later.

"You just really don't care about me, do you?" he asked in a bitter tone.

I turned around to face him this time, my left brow rising in a questioning manner.

"You just realized that?"

"What should I do for you to believe that I have clear intentions?!"

"Try stopping hovering over my life. Maybe we could even be friends because of that." I said sarcastically before walking passed him to go back to my room.

I'll just rest for a while.

I need to rest for a while.

"You mean he was just around?" Hailec asked in disbelief when I told him that Cool showed up in front of me a few days ago.

"Yeah. He said he's just around, all the time." I said and stared at my bedroom's lanai.

"And you said that he looks like he was hiding?" He asked with his brows furrowing.

I nodded at him remembering how Cool immediately hid after we felt Blaze's presence.

After that day, I haven't seen him again. He's not even responding when I called out to him.

"What if he was really imprisoned, and he was just able to escape? Maybe that was his reason for hiding?" Hailec suggested which I find very plausible.

"That can be." I agreed.

We stayed silent for a while.

"You look sad." He pointed out, out of the blue.

I tried to give him a chuckle but it turned out to be a lifeless one.

"My grandmother wants me to marry a guy I barely knew. The person who was supposed to stay beside me and protect me was sent to hiding. No, I'm not sad." I said in a sarcastic voice.

"Do you want to come by at my house?" he asked and I immediately understood what he was trying to say.

He wanted to ask if I wanted to see Sassy. I pondered for a while and nodded but I halted when I remembered something.

"But the queen would throw a fit once again if I disappeared," I said worriedly.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of that." He said and gave me an assuring smile.

"And besides, that brat misses you too." I wanted to tease him but stopped myself when we got interrupted with a knock on my door.

"Come in, Ignis," I called out and soon the door opened revealing Ignis.

"What was it?" I asked her warmly.

She just smiled at me and cautiously stared at Hailec. With that action of hers, I realized that she's about to say something confidential.

"It's alright, he's a friend," I said assuring her, she stared at Hailec for a while before she took out a small envelope in her pocket and hand it over to me.

I was confused as to what was the paper about. I stared at her, questioning but she just slightly shook her head and smiled.

"Don't worry about him, he's doing good. He asked me to hand this over to you." She said and gestured me to take the small envelope in her hands.

I turned to look at Hailec who was curiously eyeing the envelope as well.

I took the envelope and Ignis excused herself out before I can even ask anything.

"Is it just me or was she really talking about Cool?" he asked. I shrugged my shoulders with his question.

I scanned the plane white envelope in my hands before opening it.

'Don't worry. I just have something to look into. I'll be back beside you when I'm done with this. For now, stick with the Baylan. - CK'

"Who was CK?" Hailec asked as we read the card inside the envelope.

"Cool Kenneth," I said with a smile.

"Do you still want to meet Sassy?" he inquired. I turned to look at him, confused with his question.

"You already look happy." He said that left my mouth hanging.

I didn't know how Hailec did it but he was able to get consent from the queen to take me out of the palace for a few days with the condition of bringing Ignis with me.

Now, I need to mentally prepare her for seeing a mundane in the Punong Baylan's house.

"Where does your loyalty lay, Ignis? " I ask her while we were preparing the things we are about to bring for tomorrow's trip to Hailec's house.

She suddenly stopped packing and turned around to face me.

"My loyalty lies where your happiness is, Fhyra." She was staring directly into my eyes as she was saying this. I felt how she meant the words that just left her mouth.

"You may not know about this but my mother is Api, your mother's personal muranda. Since I was young she told me stories about your mom, how she treated her as a friend, and not just a servant that we were." I already saw her mother Api while watching my parent's story before but I never thought that she was Ignis' mother.

"My mother was the one who helped your parents escaped here. I wouldn't do anything that can discredit what my mom did. Besides, you're my friend. I wouldn't cause you any harm. I can even lay down my life just to save you. Just like what my mother did." She continued.

I felt warmth after hearing her words. I went near her and embrace her taking her by surprise.

"I'm so glad I get to meet you. I'm sure your mom's so proud of you." I said sincerely as I was embracing her.

A few moments later she hugged me back and gently tapped my back.

"I'm glad to meet you too." She whispered.

We separated after a few more minutes.

"You know, you don't need to sacrifice your life for me, Ignis. I don't want that. I'll never want that, okay?" she just gave me a smile and continued packing my things in a suitcase-like container.

"Ignis," I called out after watching her close the container containing my stuffs.

"Yes?"

"You're going to meet a friend of mine tomorrow at the Punong Baylan's house," I said scanning her face for any reaction.

"That would be alright." She said as if wondering why I had to tell her about that.

"But she's not ahmm—quite normal?" I said struggling with the right words to use.

"What do you mean?" she asked, completely confused with my words.

"My friend is a mundane."