//Please let yesterday just be a dream.//

Ah...I woke up.
That was one great dream, where I just rescued Leanne and Lana from being taken by bandits.
Ah... definitely a dream.

I slowly open my eyes, to see a mirror in front of me.
My silver hair flowing down were all a mess as it covers my face.
Moving it by my hands I slowly begin to wake up, to approach the mirror...

Still drowsy and weak...
I stood with my eyes barely open.

As I finally got close enough, massaging my eyes trying to wake myself up.

I open them as widely as I could.
I gaze at it...
Then felt disappointed and ashamed.
It's a coachman dress...
My hair is shining silver...
Along with the fact that it was also reflecting Leanne and Lana expressions both with an extremely bored look on their faces while drinking tea in their table.
Their eyes gazed at me deeply ready to scold me.

Without saying a word.
The phrase: *Explain yourself* was written on their faces.

I placed both my hands on my face telling myself.
[How on earth did it end up like this?
It wasn't supposed to be like this.
I swear this world feels like it's pushing me into one huge mess.]

I turned to them, and at that moment I prepared myself.
For the type of question, there were about to ask me...

But little did I knew...
There was a huge surprise, waiting for me...

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// Things that we did not expect. //

She gazed at them with a worried and tired expression.
Her clothes remained the same coachman dress which she stole from the driver of the carriage.

"Umm...." Estel tried to engage in a conversation with them.
The two silently gazed at her, causing her to look away.
As she glances back at them, their eyes still remained the bored look gazing deeply at her.

She felt pressured by their silence unable to speak properly.

But then Leanne and Lana exhaled deeply.
As Lana were the first to ask the question, not to Estel but to Leanne.

"So what do we intend to do now?
The fact that the demon-kin have come for her."

Leanne had a troubled expression on her face, but she soon turned to Estel in worry as she saw her pale expression. The moment she heard Lana said those words.

"What do you mean?
What about the demon-kin?"

Leanne wanted to avoid that topic, however, it was a good time to discuss it now.
"The demon-kin are here in this palace, Estel." She bluntly said.
As Lana stood to pull out an extra chair for her to a seat.
"It's best you take a seat..." She calmly said.

But Estel stood frozen still as she still tries to deny it.
"What are you talking about, I'm just a-" Leanne then swiftly interrupted her words.

"There is no way you're just a noble outcast of the demon-race!" she cried out.
"The fact they sent out the Shadow knights only means you are much higher than that!"

She then gazed at her with worry.

"My kingdom is in danger.
Please, Estel, tell me...
Who are you?"

"I...
I'm..." She felt difficulty in telling them,
while she slowly began to break down into tears.
 
It was something she didn't want to remember.
It was something she desired to erase.
She wanted a new life under a new name.

"I'm a nobody!" She yelled then rushed to Leanne's skirt as she kneeled grabbing it while sobbing.
"Please, don't let them take me away!" while begging to her.

Leanne expression was bitter, as she thought.
[Was her life there so harsh, to make her beg like this?
A part of her that she doesn't wish to return to...]

She then exhaled as she said...

"I owe you my life from what had recently happened...
I suppose...
I can at least help you get away from here."

Lana swiftly retorts.
"Leanne!
Are you sure about this!?
If those monsters find out,
Not only this city and but also your family might get destroyed!"

Leanne inhaled as retorts with anger...
"Estel is a friend!
You also owe your life to her!
That moment we were about to be thrown into that hellish situation.
If it were not for her swift action.
We wouldn't even be here right now!"

But Lana wasn't the tiny bit happy about it.
"Your willing to sacrifice hundreds,
No... perhaps thousands of innocent lives just to keep her safe?
Where did the ruthless princess who loved her country go?"

However, Leanne wasn't about to lose either.

"This isn't about this country!,
This is about Estel!
Are you telling me to sell her out to them just because they are threateningly powerful?"

As she paused for a few seconds to inhale, she then said.
"Then we are no different from the bandits that attacked us.
There is no way, in my mind.
I'll accept that such a thing!" She cried out.

Lana went silent as she heard it.
Her bitter expression was clearly visible to Estel and Leanne.

Estel then tugged both of their clothes.
"Stop... stop fighting. *Hic*
This wasn't what I wanted...
Why... why did it end up like this?
This isn't... *hic*"

As she began crying like a child in front of them using Leanne clothes as cloth.
"I'm so-sowwiee..." with an ugly expression while wiping her snot on Leanne.

The two then paused to soothe her.

Truly, the question she expected was about what she had done in the carriage.
She never expected her own kin to come and search for her in a mere month.
Now things have become complicated as the three were wracking their heads on what they should do next.

Moments simply passed by...
Estel has finally calmed down.
Leanne had changed her clothes after Estel had drooled on it.
The two reconciled to think of a plan.

Lana then calmly said.
"We can't just sacrifice the kingdom, just for her."

"And we can't just abandon her either." Leanne who gazed back in retort.

The two then turn to Estel with a worried expression.
But she then said.
"If... only my sister was here.
She would at least understand." while rubbing her eyes that left signs of crying.

"Your sister?" Leanne asked.

"To tell the both of you the truth...
I'm actually..."

________________________________________________________________________________

// A Father's Plan. //
 
"They are my daughters!"
The demon-king cried out while using a magical device that produced a sphere revealing his figure.

"Yes... dad.
We are totally your daughters." Esla said while rolling her eyes.

The rest of the shadow knights who didn't know,
Eyes grew open the moment they heard it.

"Hmfp! what took you guys so long to make contact."

The knight captain then stood towards the device, as he said.
"We were tracked, as you said.
Looks like the plan is going quite well... isn't it?"

The demon-king smiled in response to him.
"Indeed, it's only a matter of time now...
So... any news about Estel?"

The knight captain turned to Esla while pointing out the jewel she held.
She gently handed it to him to show to her father.

It's broken cracks were still visible however there was another function inside it aside from protecting Estel.

"The jewel is still shining brightly in white.
It was also designed to determine her life force.
If I am not mistaken?"

The Demon-king then gave a sigh of relief the moment he heard it.

"This is good.
But any news of where she is?"

The knight captain then deeply exhaled.
"That will be the tough part of this mission.
We have no clue on where she is..." He then turned to Esla.

"It's time to use you as bait." Esla then said.

"Eh?..."

"What do you mean?" She asks.

Then explained.

"Estel won't come out as long as her sister isn't in sight,
The fact she was treated poorly by our people.
It's more likely she will hide, Instead."

"Which is why..." he pointed out at Esla.

"You must dress appropriately as a visitor of the demon-kingdom."

He then brought out her dress.
It was a dark dress with lines flowery red designs.
Fitting the ruby eyes she had along with her dark scales and hair.

"You've got to be kidding me?
Can't I just show myself in my armor?
Also why on earth is a knight-captain bringing such a dress in an important mission like this!?"
Esla complained with logic in mind.

But the knight captain then said.
"Your mother told me to bring it to you.
She also told me to bring the dress fitting for Estel."
As he also pulled out.
A dark blue dress with azure flower designs on it.

Esla smacks her face, as she complained once again.
"What kind of Knight-Captain are you!
Are you mother's butler or something!?"

But he rolled his eyes as he said.
"This is a direct order of your superior.
Also, this is your only chance to show off to people outside our kingdom." with a wide smile.

As Esla deeply inhaled and exhaled in irritation.
But for the sake of her own sister she was willing to do anything.

________________________________________________________________________________

 // What the heck! //

[She's the freaking demon-king's daughter?
All this time?

Bu-but how... how the heck did it end up like this!?] She screamed in his thoughts.

[I even turned her into my maid!
If they find out about this...
Isn't my kingdom completely screwed?

No... they will likely take me as punishment and torment me in their lands.]
Were her thoughts as it sprawled into a disorderly panic.

She then pretended to be composed as she said.
"As-as expected...
Now it ex-explains a bit more why the sha-shadow-knights were se-sent."
Leanne said the tea on her hand shook.

Lana who was sitting calmly on the table was also shocked.
Her hand shaking as she raised her tea while observing her figure.
She then said.
"How can someone this cute and frail, be his daughter?
Are you perhaps an experimental doll he had created?"  while gazing at Estel with pity.

As her own sense of reality was fading away.

While Leanne and Lana were suffering from shock.
Estel could only give them a brief moment to recover.
Her armlet then whispered to her in worry...

"Is this wise?" it asked.

[Yes, as long as they don't know about me being a white dragon, right?]

"I would take precaution, but these people seem to care for you.
Aside from all that, there is another thing troubling me."

[What is it?]

"I can sense three powerful individual presents here.
The kind I rather avoid."

[Powerful? is it possible...] as her expression turned to worry.

She then turns to Leanne to tell her about Esla's appearance.
As they soon prepared themselves to visit the queen who is currently ill.
The reason of their return.

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