Inside one of the rooms in the castle of the kingdom of Erela. Leal, the third prince of the kingdom of Erela was looking down and keeping his silence while listening to the person in front of him.

"We never taught you to do such a thing to anyone. I hope you reflect on what just happened and don't ever do it again, Leal." Queen Ayani gently said while standing in front of Leal sitting on his bed. "Lei is a very kind child, don't judge her just because other people told you so."

Very subtly, Leal clicked his tongue upon hearing the name again. "It's not that cursed child's name."

"Did you say something, Leal?"

Leal raised his head and smiled at Queen Ayani. "Yes, Mother. I have made a huge mistake... Please, forgive me for what I have done."

With a smile, Queen Ayani hugged Leal and gently rubbed his head. "As long as you understand what I am trying to say, everything is fine now. After all, you are a very kind child as well."

After a few minutes, Queen Ayani came out of Leal's room, followed by Leal who just watched her as she walked down the corridor.

"Tsch..." Leal walked forward with visible irritation on his young beautiful face.

He stopped right in front of a room just next to his room. He looked up at the wooden sign hanging on the wall and narrowed his eyes upon seeing the name written on it... 'Lei'. Leal opened the door and stared inside. It was a vacant room that somehow had complete types of furniture inside despite no one using it.

Leal closed the door and walked away from the room with his narrowed eyes. "That awful curse is not Lei. I refuse to accept it."

After a few seconds, Leal reached a certain room at the end of the corridor where the room of the king of the kingdom of Erela was located. Leal was about to knock on the door when he heard familiar voices talking inside, coming from the owners of the room. He slowly rotated the golden doorknob and listened to the voices inside.

"Forgive me that we have to talk about this in the middle of the celebration of your birthday."

"I don't mind. Tell me, is it about what happened earlier? Is it about our Leal?"

"No, I already talked to Leal about it and he seems quite regretful for what he did. The thing that I want to talk about is about Lei, My love. I saw her earlier, she looked... neglected." Queen Ayani's soft voice sounded in the room.

"That can't be true, I gave her a comfortable home to live in and have been providing rations of her necessities." King Asmit replied with audible confusion in his voice.

"Then what happened?"

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For a few seconds, the room remained silent.

"She would never end up just like what you're saying unless... she herself decided to reject the help I have been sending her. Perhaps, for some reason, she decided to leave the life I provided for her-"

Leal closed the door and ran away from the room while expressing hatred in his supposed to be a pair of innocent jade green eyes. Leal stood in front of the two wooden doors that the knights stationed outside immediately opened for him.

Leal marched inside and was greeted by the three people sitting on the platform. They smiled at him without even a trace of a surprise to their sudden visitor, as if they already expected Leal's arrival.

"Look who is here, the marvelous third prince of our great nation... Prince Leal." Farga commented with a wide smile on his perfectly sculpted beautiful face. "What may be the reason for your arrival, Young Prince?"

The door closed and Leal stomped as he walked forward while expressing great anger on his face. "Why do my father and mother favor that filthy curse so much!"

For a few seconds, The three members of the council remained silent while smiling subtly at each other.

Farga stood up. "Oh, Leal. Don't say such an inappropriate thing. It's not the cursed child's fault that your beloved mother and father have been quite fond of her. After all, they have been seeing her as their own child... but not more than they see you as their own, of course."

The anger on Leal's face increased. "No! You are wrong! It's her fault! I want her gone!"

Farga laughed. "My, my... you don't have to be that angry at us. We are on your side. However, we can't do anything about her, that child is one of the things that we have no power over."

"What do you mean? Isn't the Elder council the most powerful faction in this kingdom?"

Hargid slowly shook his head. "Unfortunately, there are lines that we can't cross, especially if it involves your father, the king himself."

Leal's face instantly filled with disappointment. "You can't help me?"

As if Farga just heard what he was wanting to hear, his ambiguous smile became much wider. "Of course, we can, to some extent, at least. After all, we can never afford to disappoint our most favored prince of Erela." Farga snapped his fingers. "The problem is, the cursed child has been under the protection of your father, the king. No one can touch her... none of the commoners, at least. But I don't think that protection would apply to a glorious prince like you are... as long as you want to, you can do anything."

Kalim stood up. "We can grant your wish to get rid of the cursed child. How can we do that? It all depends on you."

Instantly, a huge smile emerged on Leal's face. "What can I do?"

"If you are that eager to hear it, it can't be helped then." Farga leaned forward with his ambiguous smile still intact on his beautiful face. "Now, listen properly, glorious prince of Erela."

***

The meeting between the members of the Elder council and the third prince of Erela ended. And what was left inside the silent room were the members of the Elder council, silently staring at each other while expressing proud smiles on their faces.

Farga's loud laugh resonated throughout the room. "Go on, Leal. Make that cursed child's life miserable, until she wishes that she should not have been saved by your father." He stood up and walked toward the entrance located behind their seats. "And this is just the beginning... Asmit's suffering will start here."

On the other hand, Hargid and Kalim stared at each other with smiles on their faces while slowly nodding.