"Your Highness , what are you doing here?"Angel quickly added before Ophelia noticed it. Only three people call her name without calling her 'princess' or 'your highness', is him, Ilex and King Gervis. Ilex and King Gervis are not here and he is calling out her name spontaneously. If he gets caught, his plan will fall apart.

She looked side to side making sure there was no one other than the two of them there. She looked at the man in front of him while thinking.

"What should I do? If he shout or reports to the guards then I will get caught." The black sword in his belt gave her an idea. Even though she rarely practiced with sword, but she often watching Angel and Ilex practicing. Besides Reinheart's blood flowing in her body was the blood of a sword fighter, she should be able to do something.

She dashed towards him and tried to take his sword. Angel was about to hold her hand, but he realized that if they were too close. Ophelia could have realized that it was him, so he finally let his sword be taken and backed away.

Once the sword was in her hand she immediately pointed it at him.

"If you shout or do anything I will kill you," she threated.

Angel almost laughed when he heard her words, he could see Ophelia's hand trembling even though the alley was lack of light.

"She didn't even dare to kill an insect. How could she dare to kill someone?"

"I understand, Your Highness."

"If you call me 'Your Highness' once again. I will cut off your tongue, " said Ophelia as she bringing the sword closer to him.

A slight laughter slipped out of his mouth but he immediately covered it up by pretending to cough before he finally asked her again.

"So what should I call you?"

"Call me miss," she said curtly.

"Alright, miss," he replied casually. "May I have my sword returned?" He extended his hand asking her to return it.

She stared at his hand for a moment and noticed a severe scar there.

"Can he hold a sword with a severe wound like that? "

"What happened to your hand?" she said, pointing his scar with her eyes.

Angel turned his gaze to Ilex's stab scar five years ago on his hand and clenched it as he pulled his hand.

"I was reckless when I practiced so I accidentally stabbed myself."

Ophelia focused her eyes, try to pay close attention to his face. He quickly looked down to cover it.

"Then why are you covering your face with a hood?" she said suspiciously.

"My face is scary and full of scars like my hands. If I don't wear a hood, people will be afraid of me."

She looked at him suspiciously and approached slowly intending to open his hood. But Angel quickly asked her.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"What would a princess like you do in a city like this? Where is your knight?" he added quickly.

She stopped in her tracks and turned her gaze in the other direction, her other hand pulling her hood.

"None of your business."

"Did she just had a quarrel with King Gervis and Ilex?" Actually he wanted to know what had happened, but if he was with her too long the chances of getting caught would be even higher.

"Miss, return my sword, " he said while extended his hand again.

"If I return it, he could have attacked me with this." she thought.

"No."

"That sword is my father's only legacy." he reasoned. It was actually very easy for him to take the sword from her but he did not want to fight Ophelia. She saw him practicing for years, she could have recognized him from his fighting style.

Meanwhile, once Ophelia heard his words, she thought of Angel. She remembered how much he loved Loyalty, the only sword left by his father. But her brother said he broke the sword before his eyes before killing him.

"I shouldn't have taken this sword from him ..."

She looked at him for a moment and then another idea crossed her mind.

"If you want to help me get out of here, I'll give it back to you."

"Kidnapping a members of the royal family is a heavy crime. The king will sentence me to death."

"You must help me! If not ... I will take your sword!" she insisted.

"Why does she insist on running away?"

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

Ophelia was silent, she hadn't thought about where she was going. Finally, a city which is often talked about by people crossed her mind.

"Pearl Gate City ... I want to go to Euphorion."

"Asteria and Euphorion are at war. Father and brother would never think I was in an enemy place. Likewise with Euphorion, they would not have thought an Asterian princess would take refuge in their place, " she thought.

"Is she doesn't know that Asteria and Euphorion are at war? If she goes there, is the same as hand over her life. Or does she already know that I'm still alive? But according to the memories of General Helias, King Gervis ordered to keep a secret about me from Ophelia."

"Why do you want to go there?" he asked.

"None of your business. Take me there, I will return your sword."

"I can't, I don't want to be involved in crime with the royal family, " he answered with emphatic tone.

"If you don't want to help me, I'll scream and say you kidnapped me." she threatened.

"Miss, I'm just an commoner-"

"I'll scream now, " she said again.

"Miss-"

"Hel-"

Angel immediately covered her mouth, his eyes sweeping around, making sure there was no one hear her.

"I'll help you, " he said.

Ophelia struggled and released his hand from her mouth.

"You! How dare you!"

He backed away and looked down. An opposite sex commoner holding a princess without permission is only allowed in an case of emergency or it can be considered as a harassment.

"Forgive me. I really didn't mean it..."

Ophelia's voice screams caught several passing guards' attention.

"What are you doing here?!"

Both of them turned their gaze towards the guards.

The guards saw Ophelia pointing the sword at Angel, finally they concluded that she was trying to rob him. The guards pulled out their swords.

"Robber, put down your weapon!" they said as they pointing their sword to her.

She slowly retreated while glancing at Angel.

"This is bad... He will definitely revealed my identity soon."

Angel lowered his head.

"I can't let us be caught. I also cannot carelessly use my power or fight them with my sword." Finally, he grabbed Ophelia's hand and took her away.

The guards immediately chased after them.

"Stop!!!"