The hours keep passing by, and before Ayva knows it, Aeana fell asleep while telling him he should stay awake to keep watch.

Micah taps Ayva's exasperated shoulder with a finger on his mouth.

"It is alright, I will keep watch. Aeana accompanies princess Aries the entire night, she is tired. The girl always tries to look her best in front of the princess, it is tiring."

Ayva looks at the knight and then back at Aeana. After a while, Ayva decided to forgive her just this one.

Ayva took out a canteen and drinks from it. For dinner, he has a light snack, he has dried fish.

After eating his snack and drinking his water, Micah suddenly speaks up.

"Ayva, you have been with the princess these last few days, she has been getting awfully close with the hero hasn't she?"

Ayva almost drops the water can, thinking about the incident that happened at night. A thought flashes his mind.

Jealousy.

Ayva realizes that he too, was a boy at heart. He has need too and some... baser instinct. Eliza was someone who he loved as a sister, princess Aries was a beautiful woman. In one night, both women was in Leonel's arms.

What he felt was jealousy. Even though Ayva kept telling himself that thinking that way will only make him out to be the typical cliche bad guy.

Thinking about that night, Ayva suddenly feels that cold settling in his body again. It was warm inside the carriage, but his entire body feels cold.

"... It is natural after all. The princess seems to be someone who fantasizes about a hero who will come to save her."

"So you realize it then?" Suddenly sir Micah says

"Princess Aries is someone who just wanted to live out her life like a storybook." Sir Micah stays quiet.

"Oh yeah, a knight on a white horse who will swoop into her life and takes her away and all that?" Ayva asks

Micah looks away as if to reminisce.

"You know Ayva, I used to ride a white horse. However, I have since changed it. It was a good horse too, sometime people say animals can understand you but my Hendry truly understands me.

But one day I have to put him down. I realize that a white horse is not for me.

However, you, do you want to be that knight in shining armor?"

Micah says diplomatically, causing Ayva to frown.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you want to be the person princess Aries will look up to? I can help you.

While polygamy is normal for the royal family, a princess of the nation and the saintess becoming the wives of the hero is just going to be a problem. If possible, I want you to seduce the princess, I can help you with it, I can tell you about her like and dislike."

Ayva stares at the knight

"Are you telling me to betray my friend?" The thought of jealousy again appears in Ayva's mind. However, that thought soon went away thinking about his friend.

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While it is enviable, he did wanted this for Leonel's life.

'Even if I could not be the all winning hero with a harem at my side, I'm happy for you.' Is what Ayva wanted to tell Leonel one day.

However, currently, a stranger is telling him to break that trust.

A slight correction, Micah was not a stranger, he has known the knight for a few years, however, that could not be compared to the friendship for 15 years.

Micah stares intently at Ayva, for a moment, Ayva could swear he could see his own reflection in the other's eyes. However, Aeana chose this moment to stir. Sir Micah stares away, as if disinterested.

However, before going, he has one last advice.

"If you want to be popular among the lady, pay attention to what you wear. The hero has the right idea, every piece of armors and weapon on his body exudes a sense of heroic."

'Excuse you, those are my armors and weapons. So what if I wanted those for my friends?'

"And-" sir Micah continues

"With your talents, you should take initiative more. You have the power and the right to do so. If you don't one day, you will just look back at all of this with regret."

----------------------------------------

They all exit the carriage and enter another carriage that was prepared and left behind on the road. The rider of their previous carriage will continue to ride, but to another location.

This is one of the decoy being laid for the would be ambusher that could be following them.

Ayva, Micah and Aeana are the decoys. Their carriage went first and acted all extravagant to pretend to be the princess's carriage.

However, the enemies could realize this too. They could call their bluff and realize that their carriage was the decoy.

That was why they have to act truthfully according to the script.

'If they were the decoy, they wouldn't bother changing their carriage to a more normal carriage mid way through. They wouldn't bother with switcheroo, they must be the princess!' is the second trick the knights from the capital played on the would be ambusher.

Furthermore, now there are two decoys carriage. One is the extravagant carriage, the second is the more reserve carriage Ayva will be taking.

While loading the necessary equipment and luggage onto the second carriage, Aeana found some off time while Micah was busy and gestured Ayva to follow her.

'Is she trying to challenge me right here right now?' Ayva nervously thought.

However, Aeana was not reckless. Instead, she drops another bomb

"I heard everything."

Nervously, she adds another bomb

"Micah, he probably sees his younger self in you."