Chapter 4

“You look great in Princess Jade’s training outfit when she was still young… I wonder if you’re a noble?” the maid that has always been with me said.

“May I ask for your name?” I said, while she’s tying my hair in a ponytail.

“Please be less formal towards me, my lady… I am Lucy,” she replied.

“Then please be informal to me too because I’m nothing, but just a petty commoner,” I replied, then I stood up.

“Please guide me towards the training area,” I said.

“Please pardon me my lady, but I won’t be able to escort you as the head maid ordered me to do something, but sir Grey will lead you towards the training grounds,” she said as she opened the door for me.

“Greeting my lady… I am Cole Grey, the prince’s imperial guard commander,” the man with brown hair said while bowing in front of me.

“Please do not bow in front of me for I am just a commoner,” I said.

“Pardon me, but let me at least do this as part of my job and if I will not bow to you, I might be punished, so shall we head to the training grounds now, my lady?” he asked. I nodded, then we started to head towards the training ground.

“Why are you guarding me if you’re the Prince’s personal knight?” I asked while we’re walking.

“Because you’re someone precious to him that he sent his strongest knight to your side,” he replied.

“But I’m just a commoner so I don’t deserve to have a guard nor do I deserve to be in that luxurious room,” I said.

“My lady… whether you are a commoner or not, since you’re someone precious to my master, it is my duty to protect you and to follow his orders… I know that in this world, your social status matters, but for someone like Prince Lucas, he will disregard your status,” he replied.

“I like how positive you are,” I said while smiling.

“Because that’s how you will be able to get over those dark past or the challenges that you’re currently experiencing or will experience in the future,” he replied.

“Clementine!” we heard Lucas’ voice.

“Good job on coping up with your mastere,” I said as I pat sir Gray’s right shoulder, then walked towards Lucas’ position.

“Are you ready?” I asked Lucas

“Always ready,” he replied.

—

“That’s a great match,” sister Jade complimented our duel.

“Thank you!” I replied as I got the small towel to wipe my sweats.

“I’ve never seen my little brother beaten that much,” she said, while we’re looking at Lucas who’s lying on the ground while sir Gray handed him his towel.

“I never wanted him to be beaten that much,” I said, then I went near Lucas. I sat on the ground, then held his hand.

“I’m sorry… It wasn’t my intention to beat you up this much… I never thought that you did not train while I was kidnapped for 3 years,” I said as I healed him.

“It’s my fault that I did not train for those years and focused on finding you,” he speaked.

“If you put it that way, it was my fault because I was kidnapped,” I said as I let go of his hand. He sat up, then looked at me. I saw from my peripheral vision that he took the towel that Gray handed him, then wiped his sweats.

“Go and get change, we will visit our guild early in the morning tomorrow… and don’t worry about it,” he said as he stood up, then pulled me up slightly.

“Gray, escort the lady to her room,” Lucas ordered, then left us.

“Don’t worry about that child… and do not mention the day that you were kidnapped because everytime that you’re going to mention that, you will have the same treatment,” sister Jade said as she walked towards us.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because he’s still blaming himself for what happened to you,” she replied. I did not reply, then looked at Lucas who walked towards his palace.

“Shall we go? I’ll help you whange to your clothes… I always wanted to have a little sister, but I ended up having a brother,” she said while smiling at me. I forced a smile, then looked at her.

“Thank you, sister Jade,” I said, then we started to walk.

—

“You will never believe that he was badly beaten up by this young lady, father,” sister Jade told her father while we’re having our feast.

“Really? Have you been trained by someone, Clementine?” her father asked.

“Yes, your majesty… I was trained by Pi,” I answered.

“We told you to call us uncle and auntie, right?” he said.

“I’m sorry… it’s just disrespectful to your majes- I mean to you, uncle and auntie if I address you in such words… I might get a huge punishment if I ever address you informally,” I said while looking at the table.

“Dear… look at me,” the empress said and as a commoner, I followed what she had said.

“We allowed you to address us like your family… there’s a lot of witnesses here… the butler, the maids, even our knights witnesses that we gave you our permission to address us like that, so you don’t have to worry if you’re going to be punished or not,” she continued. I sighed, then looked at everyone inside the dining room. I saw them all nod.

“Okay auntie… I will try my best,” I replied while smiling a little bit.

I felt someone’s hand on my left shoulder. I looked to my left side, but he’s not there. That's why I looked on the other side and saw Lucas.

“Are you done eating?” he asked me.

“Yes,” I said, then I stood up.

“Please pardon us… we will leave now and rest,” Lucas told them as he bowed down a little to show his respect to his parents. I did the same thing then slipped my left arm on his right arm that he offered to escort me.

“See you both tomorrow,” uncle said. I was about to answer, but Lucas started to walk out of the dining room.

This disrespectful basta– I mean prince!

“You know that you’re being disrespectful, right?” I asked as we walked.

“So?” he asked.

“Are you really asking me that? Do you want me to train you again?” I asked him back.

“I mean, I did bow down to them and told them that we were going to leave before leaving that room,” he replied. I sighed.

“What is it that you want? You wouldn’t escort me if you don’t have anything to say, right?” I said.

“We will talk when we get into your room,” he replied, then we continued to walk quietly.

After a few minutes, we arrived at my room. Lucas ordered his knight to ask a maid to bring us some refreshment, then we walked inside my room. We sat on the couch, then he looked seriously at me.

“The Duke of Whistleton hired someone from another branch of our guild to investigate our main guild’s master… Although they refused the Grand Duke’s request and a huge amount of money just to find out your identity, which is our information guild master, the duke sent out his men to look for you, our guild master,” he said.

“And did you manage to block them? Our guild is not that secure… even though our subordinates are staying in our inn all day and all night, they are still so vulnerable, especially the new recruits,” I said, being worried for my subordinates. The door opened, then sir. Gray entered my room. He put the cups and kettle on the table in the middle of me and Lucas.

Sir Gray is about to get out of my room, but I stopped him.

“You can stay here, sir. Gray… you knew what your master’s been up to and where he usually went… you can stay here and listen to our conversation,” I said.

“Know what?” Lucas confusedly asked.

“Sir. Gray, your knight and aide, knew that you’re working in our informant guild,” I replied.

“Sir. Gray?” Lucas menacingly said.

“Oh come on… you don’t have to be like that… it is your knight’s job to know where you’re going and to know what you’re doing,” I said.

“I’m sorry, my prince, if I hide the fact that I knew everything that you’re doing,” sir. Gray said, while kneeling.

“Rise… if Clementine told me not to be mad at you, then I won’t be mad,” Lucas said, then sir. Gray stood up and stood behind Lucas’ seat.

“I am curious as to why the Grand Duke of the Northern Westernian Empire is so eager to know who the guild master was?” I asked as I drank my tea.

“All we know is that he wants to make a deal with you personally, that's why he’s so fixated on finding you,” Lucas replied.

“Why? What’s the difference between making a deal with me and making a deal with you, with Pi or with Prince Leo?” I still questioned, but instead of answering my question, he also thought of the reason why.

“I’m going to meet the Grand Duke next week,” I said, breaking the silence of this room, and it made him spit out his drink.

“What?! Why?!” he asked me.

“To know what’s his deal… to end this kind of hide and seek game… If we do not confront the Grand Duke, there might be a possibility that our subordinates will be in danger… you told me that he sent his men to find me or find an opportunity to meet me, and if he did sent his men to look for me, it would be dangerous for our subordinate because unlike our mercenaries, magicians, swordsmans, they are still not yet ready and not yet strong enough to fight face-to-face with the Grand Duke’s men, especially if he’s going to sent his special forces,” I replied.

The reason why I accepted the position as the guild’s master was because I wanted to protect everyone. I know that I possess a great amount of mana, great amount of power that no one can surpass, that’s why I accepted this position and as their guild master, it is my responsibility to keep them safe.

“If I may speak, your highness, and  my lady,” Sir. Gray asked for permission.

“What is it?” Lucas asked.

“Did you perhaps send a proxy? Someone who will be disguising as the guild master?” sir. Gray asked.

“We are always sending Pi as our proxy,” I answered.

“Who’s Pi? If you don’t mind me asking who that person is,” he asked again.

“Well… he’s the previous master of our guild and he’s now my proxy, my aide and my attendant,” I answered.

“If that’s the case, then why did Grand Duke Whistleton still want to see the real guild master? And how did he know that he’s just a proxy or a fake master?” he asked us once again.

“Because one of the Grand Duke’s hidden ability is to feel your mana flow, and as for Pi, even though he’s the previous master, he still doesn’t have the amount of mana flow that can represent that you are the master… apart from that ability, the Grand Duke is capable of knowing if you’re just a proxy or not,” I explained.

“It seems like you know a lot of things about a certain person,” sir Gray said.

“Cole, your manners,” Lucas butted in.

“Please pardon me if it may have sounded rude,” sir Gray said while bowing down.

“Come on, you can be less formal with me, don’t mind that master of yours since I’m also just a commoner,” I said, then glared at Lucas.

“Well it seems like you’re not just a commoner, my lady,” he said.

“Huh? What do you mean?” I asked him.

“Speak one more time and I will make sure that you’ll feel hell,” Lucas butted in as I feel a dark aura surrounding him and it’s making me suffocated.

“Lucas, your aura… it’s suffocating me,” I said.

“I’m sorry… and Cole, go to my parents and inform them that Clementine and I will leave early in the morning tomorrow,” Lucas said.

“Right away, your highness,” sir. Gray replied as he bowed down, then left us.

“You don’t have to be so… you know… I can’t stand feeling that dark aura… it’s suffocating me,” I said while looking at him in his eyes. He stood up, then kneeled in front of me. He held my hand, then looked at me.

“I already apologise… you should rest now… let’s call it a day, we will depart tomorrow before the sun rises,” he said while looking into my eyes.

“But I’m not yet sleepy,” I replied.

“You will sleep,” he said, then I think he used his power because my eyelids are slowly closing.

“Good night, my dear queen,” I heard him whisper before I lost consciousness.