Vernon watched as Mera ran away from the chamber brimming with tears. Seeing how that young child looked, he began to pity her. This was just a mere test, but to think that Mera would break down this much from this — he could see the great impact it had on her clearly.

He didn’t expect she would end up being that way. Vernon realized he should have understood Mera more before agreeing with this. Even so, perhaps this was for the best. From the way Vernon saw it, Mera was assured to be safe now.

However, he was not the judge. The one to judge was the one who came up with this plan. A plan that Vernon thought first wouldn’t shatter someone but only damage them at best. And this judge called it a mere little plan. A plan to target the emotional core of a person.

He turned towards that judge that was hiding behind her, she too was in tears. But seeing her, he got cold feet. Why was it? He couldn’t understand why.

This was a mere plan, but why did the princess look so genuinely saddened? Was it perhaps she was truly suspecting that Mera was a traitor and not a mere test? Was she testing everyone that he never realized?

Was I ever tested?

When? When was it? If the princess was willing to do this much, then there was no way she never tested him. It was then he recalled that night when the princess snuck out of the palace to meet him.

It can’t be…. Am I overthinking this?

Vernon had a hard time wrapping his head around this. Perhaps he was just indeed overthinking things. As he didn’t expect things would end up to this level, the princess surely also never expected it.

“Your highness.”

The princess didn’t reply as she rubbed her eyes, and yet her tears wouldn’t stop.

Hm, it seems it’s genuine emotions after all.

In the end, he was just overthinking things.

“I hurt h-her…”

Hearing her regretful words, Vernon somehow felt relieved. What was he afraid of?

“Should we go after her now?”

Vernon pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to the princess. She accepted and gently rubbed off her tears.

“We’ll… we’ll take it slow…”

Vernon’s eyes widened. Even seeing her personal maid obviously broken apart, she still decided on keeping it slow. Shouldn’t they rush since the damage would only worsen?

She’s willing to go this far…?

How much did she harden her heart for this? Vernon never imagined the princess was capable of this. And this method of hers… it was somewhat cruel…

However… that thought was terrible to think of the princess, and this must be done.

But he needed to make sure of something.

“Your highness, how much of that is within your expectations?”

“...Um…” she looked down. “I… I didn’t expect it would affect her that much…”

Vernon wondered if that was the truth. But there was no way the princess would lie like that. She was never a liar, nor a good one at that.

But her words brought relief within him.

“It must have been hard.”

The princess had a remorseful expression.

“She wouldn’t be able to forgive me after this…”

Vernon himself also wasn’t sure how things would end now. However, there was a need to ask a crucial question.

“So, your highness, what is your judgement?”

The princess looked at the handkerchief in her hand as the tears had finally stopped.

“It is not over yet.”

What?

Was she not satisfied yet?

Vernon was pitying Mera even more, and he got colder feet hearing the princess say this. Could there be something more within the princess than he ever thought?

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First was the thing with the kitchen and that girl cook now chef, then that action with that knight named Rogan, and now this. Vernon couldn’t understand nor read the princess anymore.

“How long do we have to wait?”

“It won’t be long before news spreads in the palace. Therefore, we’ll only walk there slowly. We can’t afford to wait a whole day, I don’t want to damage and humiliate her further.”

Her manner of talking was the usual princess, however, her words seemed more calculated than Vernon expected to ever hear from the Pure Princess. No, there had been actions that seemed to be calculated if one looked deeply enough. But he couldn’t figure out what the goal specifically was.

“Let’s go.”

The princess said as she held her own hands, apparently nervous herself.

Vernon followed behind her, their speed was awfully slow, way slower than normal walking.

“Where do you think she will be?” Vernon asked.

“I’m not sure, but let’s check the maids’ quarters first.”

They headed towards the maid’s quarters and arrived after a whole lot of several minutes. At his point, Vernon was starting to feel guilty for what he did to that young girl.

The door was slightly opened and they could hear voices.

“What are we going to do?” A somewhat panicking voice.

“Stop panicking Macey, the hell. I’m telling you, it’s impossible.”

“Yeah? Well, things have been quiet, the knights are surely preparing. They will no doubt take Mera away at any moment.”

When Vernon and the princess approached the door, the former opened it and they saw two additional maids. One was walking around uneasily, while the other was on the bed where a lone girl was sitting down on the floor with her back on the foot of the bed.

Mera…

Mera, the princess’s personal maid sat there lifelessly. She already looked terribly depressed, as though everything she ever had was all taken away in an instant. Vernon felt even more guilty.

The additional two maids froze in place the moment they saw the princess. The one on the bed immediately stood up and the one restlessly walking around stood straight with an intensely anxious expression.

“We greet her highness, the princess.”

The both of them said in unison in a forced tone, which prompted Mera to flinch, but she did not raise her head.

Then the princess spoke.

“Leave us two alone for a moment.”

The two maids looked at each other before going out of the room. Vernon glanced at the princess and she nodded at him. Then Vernon left the room and closed the door.

***

It felt like an eternity that she had been sitting on the floor. She had no life to do anything else. She didn’t want to see anyone. She didn’t want to see the world anymore. It truly felt like a long time had passed. Like in a second a day had passed, or a minute felt like a hundred hours or more.

She thought about her family and how this would impact them. All will fall. Everything she had worked for will be for nothing. But that was not all… her relationship with the princess was severed. She was so hurt about the princess that she struggled to determine the root cause of it, or was she only suppressing the reason and thus she couldn’t find it?

Her tears had mostly stopped, but her emotion... her heart was still in pieces.

It was then she heard her two maid friends greet someone. It was the person she never thought would visit her. She never imagined it. But she didn’t look up to look at her, she was afraid.

She heard footsteps going out of the room and the sound of the door closing. Gentle footsteps came moving towards her, then she heard her voice.

“Mera.”

A beautiful voice she was accustomed to. But she was afraid to answer the call.

Then she felt someone kneeling in front of her. A voice closely spoke in front of her.

“Mera, please look at me.”

Mera trembled.

“Mera…”

She wanted to look at her… and with her repeating call, Mera forced herself to look up. And what she saw first were those familiar and captivating eyes of crimson.

“M…” Mera tried to speak, but her throat was dry to even speak all of a sudden. No, she found it hard to speak to her.

“I’m sorry,” her lady sounded regretful.

Then, slowly tears also began to come out of her lady’s eyes, Mera didn’t expect this. She slowly reached out for Mera’s cheek and gently caressed her.

“I’m sorry,” she said again.

Then her lady slowly moved closer, and what happened left Mera shocked and confused. The princess wrapped her arms around her tightly. Mera could feel the softness of the princess’s body and her somehow comforting warmth.

“I am so sorry…”

Mera was no longer able to hold it back and tears welled up her eyes. But she couldn’t bring herself to embrace her back.

However, she forced herself to speak.

“Milady… I… I am not…”

“Not a traitor.”

The princess moved back and came face to face with Mera. She was smiling, full of relief and joy.

“And no one will be able to say otherwise... But I’m so sorry.”

The princess hugged her again.

“No one will be able to accuse you of such a crime ever again. Everyone will know, everyone will believe. None shall ever doubt you.”

“...M-Milady?”

The princess tightened her embrace.

“You will no longer be separated from me.”

The princess whispered in her ear that she could even feel her warm breath.

“W-What…?”

“Mera, I am happy, very happy… and I’m sorry, you may not be able to forgive me with this… but…” the princess paused. “I wanted to know if you’re loyal to me, that you wouldn’t betray me.”

“S-So, you mean…”

“I wanted to prove even for myself that you are truly loyal. And with this, I am now sure, and one witness will support that you are not a betrayer. This way, you will be safer.”

Safer?

That word stuck with Mera.

She did it for me?

“I’m sorry I hurt you…”

So, she did it so I would no longer be suspected…?

Mera slowly raised up her arms, then slowly wrapped them around the princess. Her tears began to well up once again and her heart was warming up.

“Milady d-doesn’t hate me?”

“No, I don’t. I want Mera to be by my side.”

Mera’s embrace to her lady involuntarily tightened. It was a warm and wonderful moment. Like a storm had finally passed by and the first light of the sun had finally graced her world once again.

“Now no one will be able to take you away from me.”

Those words resonated within Mera.

The princess was afraid for my sake, and so, she…

Mera was glad, so glad that what the princess said that she wanted Mera to stay away was not genuine. In fact, she wanted Mera to stay with her, by her side.

The princess moved back, her eyes brimming with tears gazed at Mera’s.

The maid’s heart raced.

“Mera.”

Estelia softly touched her cheek then asked...

“Will you stay by my side? Offer me your utmost devotion, and your heart?”

Then Mera spoke with resolve and certainty.

“Yes, I offer you everything that I am. My loyalty, my heart, and my soul.”