6 days had passed since the princess left the duchy and went to the palace. And as for James, he was now trying to accept the changes around him, as there was no point in trying to go back. The things which he mostly yearned for were taken from him, but now he had all those things once again.

He could start everything from scratch once again. It felt like he was impersonating Leonhart, but the man named Leonhart was not here anymore to tell him what to do. It was just James & he was trying his best to take the next step and, following his words; he was letting go of the past.

So he began his adventure towards new life by first talking to the family members. The duke, duchess, and Adeline. They were now his family. He was in no way forgetting his long gone family, but also couldn't hold on to the memories forever. Eventually, he had to move on and now was the time.

So here is the brief story of what happened recently.

"Mom..." said James with an awkward smile, looking towards the duchess who was sitting beside him at the dinner table. Others were also present, but he began from the person he once known as mother. He was Leonhart, their son, not James anymore, so he had to know this family a little better.

"Who is mom..." asked Melissia with a puzzled yet gentle expression.

"You..."

"Me... I am your mother."

"Yes... That's mom."

"So you are calling me mom."

"Yes." nodded James.

"Why?"

"Aaaa... Mother is Mom and Mom is Mother. Both mean the same thing. And I enjoy calling you mom." Honestly, James had no idea about the difference between Mother and mom. He was never taught about it or there was no explanation on internet as well. Calling her mother didn't sound good, so he was trying to call her mom.

"So you will call your father fat....?" This time asked the Duke, as it also piqued his interest about his son using weird names to call them.

"No.... That's dad..."

"How...?"

"..." Once again, James had no explanation for this question, still he tried.

"Dad means father & Father means Dad."

"Like how mom and mother are same thing & dad and Father are same." replied Adeline. She was honestly surprised by what her brother was attempting. Still, she supported him, as the words rhymed and were easy to use.

"I understand that but..." Heinrich wanted to object to both of his children's weird naming, as he had never heard those words before but couldn't, as his daughter started out voicing her thoughts once again.

"Come on Dad, it sounds cool." replied the girl with sapphire eyes with a cheerful grin.

"Whatever..." said the Duke, waving his hand off.

"But tell me, Leon, why you want to call us mom and dad...?" asked the Duchess in a questioning gaze. She could see the difference in her son's behaviour, like how he was gentle and kind towards others and ate veggies despite hating it. Still, she said nothing, as he was changing positively.

"I just feel like it." replied James with a smile as it was the only valid answer he had.

"Do whatever you want, but don't come up with more weird names than that."

"So, I can call you mom and dad...!"

"Me too...!" added Adeline.

"Yeah... You can." said the Duke with a smile. He was more than satisfied his son's recent behaviors and achievement, so it was just a minor sacrifice.

With that, the family continued their dinner time happily and James felt a little happy as they really felt like his own family with whom he could talk freely.

***

At Night time.

Inside an enormous room which was filled with luxurious items, lay down a beautiful girl with glossy black hair and black gem like eyes. From the very day of her return from the duchy, she was feeling restless for unknown reasons. First, she thought something was wrong with her health and then the royal physician said everything was fine.

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Second, she thought she was not eating properly & ate everything she could, which also didn't give any results, as it was not the reason to begin with. But one thing was common that throughout the days her brain was constantly replaying the moment spent with Leon. His teary eyes, handsome face which was lightened by the moonlight, and the faint smile. Every time with those thoughts, the symptoms of restlessness would also appear.

Her heart would beat like crazy, and chest would tighten. She also told these things to the physician, but he just smiled and told her it was something only she could figure out. But what that thing even was? And why it only happened only when she thought about Leon.

Soon a knock on the door was heard, and the maid named Cadilla entered the room.

"Did you need something, milady?" asked the maid, as she was here at the request of the princess.

"No... But stay there."

Elizabeth got up from her bed & went towards the maid and hugged her tightly to figure out what that thing was, but still nothing. She didn't feel restless, nor did her chest tightened. Then why it only happened when she hugged Leon? She had also tried embracing her father, mother and even Wil, who was not so happy with it. And soon both started arguing over why she did nothing in the duchy when that man was scaring him. It was a pointless exchange, so let's move on.

"Milady..." Cadilla was shocked as to why the princess was embracing for no apparent reason. Was she sad..?

"Still, nothing..." replied the princess, leaving the maid and putting some distance between them.

"Anything wrong milady..."

"No, it's just this uneasiness I told you earlier... I can't figure out the reason behind it."

"Oh.. That" with that word spoken, a faint smile appeared on the maid's face as she what was going on, which didn't go unnoticed by Elizabeth.

"Why are you smiling...?"

"No... I wasn't smiling."

"You were... I saw it. Tell me why...?" asked the princess with a pout.

"It's simple, you know."

"How...?"

"You told me it happened because you hugged Lord Leon... Right?"

"Yes"

"Then hug him once more at you birthday and figure out if you are feeling restless or not...?"

"Then..."

"If you still feel restless, then it is his fault and ask him for a solution." Replied the maid with a wide grin plastered on her face. It was not a solution as it would confuse both of them, but it would be fun seeing the interaction.

"Do you think that will work...?" asked the princess with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, milady."

"If you say so..."

Saying that Elizabeth move to the balcony of her room from where the clear sky with sparkling stars was visible. From the day when Leon told her about the stars, her interest in them grew exponentially. She started gazing at the stars for hours regularly and it also shocked Cadilla, who was with her since they were little kids and had never seen her doing something like this.

"Hey Cadilla, do you know what that star is...?"

"That's the north star."

"Nope... That's Eli."

"But..."

"Leon told me we can name the stars however we want cause they are countless." Replied the princess with a lovely smile.

"Yes..." Cadilla could see the difference in Elizabeth after her visit to the duchy as she had become cheerful and easy to talk with. She still had that cold vibe, but not that sharp anymore and she would talk about how Leon showed her the stars and the moons and the world for hours without ever losing a breath. It had been clear that something had changed inside her, but no one knew how.

"And you know, those are called seven sisters... and that is Draco... and that is..."

Elizabeth kept talking about the stars with the same cheerful tone as before and the maid nodded with the same smile on her face, unbeknownst to the events transpiring in the dead of night.

***

A carriage was moving along the road surrounded by dozens of guards in horses wearing steel armour and another 50-60 guards were moving closely with other carriages carrying other stuff. A massive black flag in which a man carrying a sword and slaying a mighty dragon was embroided in golden colour flew on top of the carriage with its full glory. Anyone from this country could tell whose carriage it belonged to or who was inside it.

Inside the moving fortress sat 4 individual from which 3 were chatting happily with each other and one with deep blue eyes & black hair was looking through the window with a bored expression. And it was none other than James who was cursing his fate, remembering what the fuck he was supposed to do now?

Because of his exceptional social skills, he mostly avoided attending crowded places and meeting. The prime example was him abandoning his own congratulatory meeting. It was a very awkward moment for him we he reached the office the next day holding an Iced Coffee. That was thoroughly embarrassing, so let's not talk about it.

So now he had to attend a meeting with over hundred of people, which was beyond his capabilities. It was outright impossible for him. And even if he entered the hall, then what's next? He didn't know anyone except the princess and couldn't even talk to her, as she was the host here.

'Just what the fuck am I supposed to do here...?' this was James's inner voice shouting, which was shrouded by the bored expression. He couldn't talk with anyone, couldn't even hide anywhere, then why was he even here...? It really was going to be a shit show, and he knew it.

And suddenly the noisy atmosphere inside the carriage died down and Leon looked at the other people who were looking at him with questioning gazes.

"What...?"

"You didn't answer the question I asked earlier...?" replied Adeline, as her question about why he was in the same carriage as them was not answered. Wherever they had to go as a family, he always took another carriage or travelled alone, but now strangely, he was with them with no complaints.

"That... I just felt like it..." replied James with an awkward laugh as he didn't know about Leon's previous behavior and chose to travel with the group. And that led to Adel asking this question, which he was ignoring till this moment.

"You are feeling so many things..."

"What...?"

"I said you are feeling many things now." said the girl with blonde hair with a somewhat irritated tone.

"What...? I am not..."

"Ok... That's enough. You are with us, that's good. There is no point in discussing this useless matter. Right...?" said the Duke in a serious tone and that was more than enough to silent the two siblings.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"So, Leon, you prepared for the first dance...?" asked the Duchess.

"What Dance...?" asked James with a horrified expression.

"Dance with the princess & you are the one who will ask for the first dance."

"No... No... No..."