Oriana ran her hand through her hair as she studied her face at the gold-plated mirror in front of her. Soft, light makeup that covered her light freckles, curly light blonde hair, and pinkish lips. It was simple but eye-catching. The two maids smiled as they observed her being fascinated by everything. “Thank you so much for your efforts.” She said, smiling at them.
“We are pleased to do this to you, young mistress. We hope you enjoy your night.” They smiled and giggled at her kindness. Their attention transferred to the door that banged open. Leon entered without prior notice. His fitted white long sleeves that highlight his broad shoulders and toned body and his well-groomed hair made him look like a different person. He is often in his uniform, so seeing small changed like this is rare. The two maids bowed down as respect to him before walking out of the room, leaving the two of them.
“Use my car and get your butt off here. Mom and Oriana are waiting for you.” Olive chuckled and tossed her keys to Leon, tapping his shoulders, and jogged to catch up with Ashriel, who is now outside the meeting room. Leon hurriedly went to the parking area and drove back to the restaurant. As the servants opened the door, her mother’s smiley face and a sleeping Oriana greeted him. Her body was covered with a blanket, and her face rested on the table while his mother calmly took a sip from her wine glass. “She just drank one glass. I didn’t know her tolerance was that weak.” She laughed softly. “Take her to the villa, or do you want me to ask the servants to carry her back?” “I’ll do it myself, Mom. You should have sent her to the villa without waiting for me if you planned on asking the servants.” She just shrugged her
“Five years ago, a Great Bloodshed happened at Aparctias. At the main city, Austere City, to be exact. Aside from the Quislings, everyone who was connected to the Quislings - nobles or commoners, was killed. Mother said that there was someone that he failed to protect. They were his close friends, but he could not disobey the high orders of The Ruler. He was so guilty that he could not take it, so he killed himself.”He tried to control his voice. Oriana observed him. He was speaking softly like he was not the cold person she had known for a while now. His eyes were shut, and his breathing was a little heavy. He did not seem to know that there were faint tear marks on his cheeks. “Done with the bedtime stories. Sleep now.” He said without removing the back of his hand from his eyes. “Tomorrow, Raith, Kate, and I wil
Oriana woke up alone in the bed. Realizing she was in Leon’s room, she hurriedly fixed the bed and left. After eating breakfast, she went beside the lake as per instruction. She sat at the stone bench and observed the lake that shone as the sun spread its lights towards it. Besides, I can’t keep myself safe when I am with you. “What do those words mean?” she asked herself. “What words?” Her heart almost jumped out of her ribs when she saw Olive sitting beside her. “What’s with the face?” “L-lady Olive?! Since when did you sit beside me?” She asked her hand on her chest. “Just a moment ago. You seemed lost in your thoughts. Are you thinking about my twin?” She grinned mischievously. Oriana felt heat rising on her cheeks.
“Call the Elders!” The young man shouted in fear. But Nathan grabbed his collar and pushed him on the river, causing him to drown. Nathan’s eyes were fiery as he started to feel bloodlust. “Nathan, don’t-“ Natsuki tried to grab him, but he easily pushed him aside that caused him to fell into the cold river. Chaster quickly grabbed Natsuki’s arms and pulled him up. Countless people started to gather around them. “Nathan… please… stop that.” Amber cried, but he did not listen. She tried to come near him, but Chaster pulled her away. “Don’t go near. You’ll hurt yourself.” He then saw people who tried to go near and stop Nathan, who is currently going berserk. “Step back if you want to live.”
“After that night, I became her secretary.” Olive giggled and chummed her sandwich. “That was the first time all of us ate together and enjoyed each other’s company.” Xieaniel laughed and put his chin on top of Olive’s head. “Her Highness used to smile and frequently laugh back then.” He drew a deep sigh. “I admire her a lot. All of us do.” Olive released a deep breath. “She carried a heavyweight on her shoulders at such a young age. As the Leader, she has the responsibility to take care of thousands of members, including us. She doesn’t show it, but she doesn’t want to lose anyone. Pressure… She has to feel that every day. That’s what she went through to become who she is now.” She clos
The partial darkness started when they arrived at the City of Korahzin. Ashriel glanced from the window of the helicopter. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but black smoke and dying orange fire. The people successfully killed the fire, but approximately 30% of the city was burned to ashes. "Boss, shall we spend the night here?" Olive asked. By this time, hundreds of people probably lost their houses. Spending the night at Korahzin will take the slot for eight people to sleep comfortably. "No. Let's go back to Austere." The helicopter slipped to the side and flew faster. The airspeed was a hundred and forty kilometers per hour, causing them to reach the Austere City quickly. It is already past midnight, but no news about the three came to them. Impossi
When Ashriel opened her eyes, the early morning light that always greeted her did not seem to be noticeable. Not because of the thick curtains but because the light was cast around a black silhouette in the shape of a human. “Sorry, did I wake you up?” Ashriel couldn’t clearly see his features, but it was no doubt, Nathan. He was sitting at the edge of the very huge bed. Ashriel shook her head and sat down. “It’s still night, not dawn. Lie down again and sleep more.” Ashriel blinked a couple of times more to adjust her eyes to the darkness. Nathan’s features were becoming more and more visible. “You know I can’t. Paper works are waiting for me.” She chuckled and slid herself out the bed, but Nathan moved faster, reached out, and gently stroked her cheeks as he star
The meeting ended late than expected. Oriana stretched her sore body that stiffened from sitting still. Though her chair with engraved red panda has a soft cushion, being in the same position for more than five hours is no joke. Everyone left the meeting room in ranks. And as the member with the lowest position, she was the last one to leave. She walked at a slow pace while stretching her back. When she reached the lift, her phone rang. Unregistered number. She looked up the elevator and down her phone. She clicked the loudspeaker. “Who’s this?” She asked with a tired voice. “Why didn’t you escape?!”The man