Alec huffed, seeing how Ella wasn't even paying attention to any of the studies that were given to her by their assigned teachers. "The Maedda kingdom... whether it be an emperor, empress, prince, or princess. We were all born cursed to wear a mask since our faces can kill anyone who sees us directly in the face with a single glance. My family has been told many times that those who look at us tend to die within a day at most. While the Gririth kingdom is almost like the Maedda kingdom with the emperor, empress, prince, and princess. The only thing different is that they will die by age forty like they fell asleep, but never woke up." Alec explained to Ella who was tightly holding her hands.

"You're telling me all of this is too much." She whined, looking at him since she did not like the topic of death a single bit. Talking about such a topic made her sad which made her think about Addis who she considered an aunt in her eyes.

"So, would you rather prefer that I die by age forty?" He looked at Ella who gasped.

"Don't say that!!! I won't allow it!" She yelled angrily looking at him almost in tears from such truthful words. "Why do you always say that? You are such a meanie to me!" Trying to stop her tears from coming out, but it was getting pointless at this moment.

"Why can't I say it? I'm the crown prince born with the curse. I must bear it till death, so there is no use in hiding it. You don't bear any curse now that you are free from the Mireraweth Kingdom." Alec looked at the girl with who he grew up. He had long known about her parent's background since many in the Maedda kingdom knew about their history. They had been playmates since birth which he found very amusing for some reason when they first met.

"It doesn't matter! I want to be able to stay by your side!" Ella said, changing her frown to smile at him while he had a paused look. Ella couldn't see his face, but he was blushing behind the mask to see a sudden change of face.

"Don't regret your words later." He said lastly with Ella confused, but smiling while taking a hold of his hand.

***

Watching the two children from outside the library, three women stood outside looking to see the two children who were far closer than they thought. "Aren't they both just meant for each other?" Ai was watching the two children who were like her niece and nephew, seeing how they were still young yet held hard feelings for one another.

"Well, they are both just children right now. No one can predict the future." Addis knew that childhood lovers could last, but it depended on how strong their love could last since it was hard to maintain childhood love.

"There is no way that we can interfere. If they are meant to be together then they will be together, but if not then they will no longer keep the memories of the past. It would be better to forget than to feel the pain of the past." Luce did not want either of them to feel any heartache from the separation of unrequited love.

"Let us all leave them for now. Luce, you will soon leave this kingdom. I would like to spend some time with you before you leave." Addis had gotten to know Luce over the past six years which made them more like sisters. Smiling to one another, they looked to Ai who felt singled out since they were always against her. She did not even have kids yet for her age, not even a lover was in mind which made them worried about her future.

"Why don't we try to start matchmaking as well?" Luce and Addis had the same thoughts, seeing how it was about time for Ai to start thinking about marriage.

'Why am I always singled out?' Ai did not know how to fight against them anymore since it was pointless in the end.

***

"Father, how long have you protected the young lady? She does not seem like any ordinary lady." Philbert was practicing swinging the wooden sword that was made and given to him by his father.

"Philbert, I've protected her ever since she was perhaps three or four years old. Just like your age, she was a very innocent young lady, but very clever. No one would ever think that she would be one for such brains in this world." Emmett smiled, seeing how his son chose to do well in swordsmanship. 'Hm, you make me think about the time when Mila was just about your age. Wanting to be able to learn swordsmanship, she ends up asking me all the time to judge her way of fighting.'

"Is that how you met your mother?" Philbert heard some stories from his mother about how his parents both met. In the end, the young lady was the one who brought them both together. Making him grateful to her, if it weren't for her then he would not exist as of today.

"Hmph, I suppose you're right. If it weren't for her, then I and your mother wouldn't be here as of right now with you." Emmett smiled, knowing how he abandoned his noble title for his family and friends. Although, he did not care about it since he was an illegitimate child from the beginning of his birth.

"Then, I'll be sure to fulfill my duties since you've done yours. I'll be sure to protect the lady who my father protected. I will surely not let you down, father." Philbert surprised his father who did not think that he would remind him of the time he vowed to protect Mila.

"I'll be looking forward to that day." Emmett patted his son's head. 'I suppose it runs in the family, or Mila just gives us that type of strength to be who we are.'

"Hey! Time to come eat!" Sara was calling them both inside to eat since it was around dinner time for them.

"Let's end training for today." Emmett was in a good mood and carried his son who was still young, but mature for his young age. Sara held a smile to see her husband and son both returning to their little home.

***

"Ahh!!!"

"Jane?!" Entering inside their room that was filled with herbs and medicine. They saw their daughter on the side, then saw a jar cracked open with a mess of spilled liquid.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Jane started crying while Thelma rushed to her, making sure that Jane was not injured in any way.

"Silly, we're not upset or mad at you. Why did you try to get this jar?" Thelma carried Jane up to avoid her from stepping or getting close to the broken glass jar. Tim went ahead casting a few spells to get the mess cleaned up quickly and safer so that no one got hurt.

"I was trying to see if I could make something nice for the lady who saved you, mother." Jane started feeling tears well up to know that she failed again at what she did. Feeling ashamed that she was nothing like her parents who could always do things perfectly without any trouble or mess made.

"Jane, you don't need to do that. The lady who saved your mother would never wish for you to repay her in any way. She does it out of her pure heart. She would never allow you to go that far as to hurting yourself just to please her. Maybe, you can find another solution?" Thelma did not want her daughter to try and hurt herself just to make something that was not needed.

"Hmm... then... I'll be her healer and doctor!" Jane held determination to be good in both subjects of a healer and doctor altogether. "I'll be the first doctor and healer combined. Working alongside her as mother and father did!" Jane held both of her hands in a fist with her eyes burning with determination to fulfill that goal.

"Hahaha!!!" Tim and Thelma couldn't help, but see how adorable their daughter was.

"Alright, then be ready to learn," Tim said, looking at Jane who smiled while nodding her head rapidly. Both Thelma and Tim looked at each other with the only question in their head. 'How were we blessed to have such a child?'

***

ZH didn't know when he fell asleep, but he woke up seeing Mila sound asleep with him on the couch in his arms. It had been a few days since they had last slept together on the couch, but he had been in his office trying to finish a few cases given to him to resolve. 'Why is she sleeping here?!' He didn't know why she entered his office since he decided to take a nap on the couch, then wake up after to finish the cases. 'A grown woman with a grown man is not appropriate!' He then remembered when Mila said it wasn't appropriate for unmarried people of the opposite gender to be in the same room when she had finished bathing. He felt his face turn red remembering that she had nothing that time but now was different since she had grown. Mila had mumbled and snuggled closer to him which made him worry about what he could do to her since he was a grown man at this point. 'Does she not know what could happen?!' He felt like it was karma from years back that came back to bite him.

Ignoring everything, he sighed seeing that there was no point in arguing to himself since he might as well take advantage of the time he had with her before things got too busy between them.

"Z... H..." She mumbled with ZH hearing his nickname that she said in her sleep.

'You know how to drive me nuts." He held his head feeling as though he could take advantage of her at any time. 'It makes me feel like a monster ready to ravish her.' Sighing, he didn't want to make Mila upset or mad at him. He truly had to hold himself back from jumping onto her. 'We are no longer young children like back then. We grow and get married to the one that we wish to marry, but I do not truly know if your heart holds me in there. I do not wish to take advantage of your feelings just for my selfish attitude.'

***

Mila felt herself once again sleeping in her bed, ZH likely took her back to the bedroom which she figured was busy since he was close to the royal family. Getting out of bed, she decided to have a look around the mansion while she was there. She still needed to figure out if she was going to meet up with her family, or they were going to meet up with her. 'Hm... should I meet up with them, or they meet up with me? Or... should we meet up halfway? No, meeting up halfway can expose us to any Mireraweth citizens that could pass by or any spies who could still be searching for us.' Knowing that it was going to take some planning once more, she needed to be extra cautious about all of it.

Seeing the maids and servants who were busy as usual, she walked around to the corridors to see a portrait of a woman who wore a similar mask design that was exactly like ZH's. 'Who is this woman? She has the same lavender grey hair as ZH.' Mila was looking at the portrait which was beautiful like a glass painting. 'Could she be related to him?' There was still so much that she wanted to ask ZH, but being persistent would hurt both of them in the end.

"That's a portrait of his mother." Mila turned to see an elderly man who looked like a servant.

"She's beautiful," Mila said, looking at the portrait once again seeing how it looked unique.