Vasilias wore the clothes that Arcane chose for him, The knights too wore common clothes and were blending in the surroundings. Arcane FOllowed Vasilas closely, He looked around at the stalls with keen expression and studied every object closely. 

“Sigh! How can he look like that even when he is wearing those shabby clothes.” Arcane mumbled. “The sun sure does shine differently on the main characters.” she clicked her tongue.

“Look at this,” He pointed at a hairpin at a stall.

“It is pretty, YOur Grace,” Arcane said without looking at what he was pointing to. 

“I will buy it for you then,” 

‘Huh?’ Arcane’s eye twitched. ‘For me?’ While she was skeptical of his words. Vasilias leisurely tossed a gold coin at the vendor and picked up the hair clip. He looked in Arcane’s direction and stared at her for a long time before walking up to her. “We should put it here,” He lifted his hands and touched Arcane’s hair. She was startled but when she felt his hand on her head her chest filled with a warm feeling. Vasilis was doing an odd thing but it didn’t make Arcane feel bad and her fear of him cutting off her hands decreased fairly. 

He tucked her hair behind her ear and pinned it up. He then looked Arcane in the eyes and spoke. “It looks pretty because of you.” 

The words came out of his mouth so fluently that Arcane melted. He then patted her head gently and then grabbed her hand before walking again.

‘Did he just say that I looked pretty? Did...did I hear it right?’

Arcane felt like she could fly after getting a compliment from Vasilias, she joyfully skipped while walking. After spending hours at the marketplace, Arcane noticed that Vasilias was headed towards a restaurant. And that is a luxurious one. It looked like the owner of the restaurant knew of the arrival of the prince because most of the staff was currently standing in the doorway with their heads bowed down, Vasilias ignored them and followed one of the knights in plainclothes to the second floor. Arcane naturally followed because Vasilias hadn’t let go of her hand this entire time. The second floor was an entirely new place. It resembled nothing like the first floor. This place was pleasing to the eyes. The knights pulled the chairs for them, THey got seated and Arcane felt a little odd because her wrist was still in Vasilias’s hand who was sitting across her.

“That...Your Grace,” She pointed at her hand. Vasilis turned his head where she was pointing and stared at his hand with a block face. “You can let go now, I won’t get lost while I am sitting in front of you,” she forced a smile. Vasilis blinked a few times and loosened his grip around her hand. Arcane smiled with courtesy and started to pull out her hand and just then she noticed a very odd scene. Vasilia’s eyebrows twitched slightly. ‘Wait? Did I see it right?’ She looked closely but now his face was just like always; Expressionless. ‘No! That can’t be! How can he have any expressions...WAsn’t he cursed to be a cold block of ice forever?’ Arcane tried to erase her misunderstanding and waited for the food to arrive. 

“You…?” Vasilias muttered, Arcane was looking around but she suddenly looked at him when he called out. “Huh?”

“Would you go back to Ridewell if you get a chance?” 

Arcane sat there trying to process those words, She had completely forgotten about the fact that she came for Ridawell as a peacemaker between the two countries, After thinking for a while she realized what he was saying. “Going back? WOuldn’t war break out between the countries?”

“Would you take the risk?” He asked.

“If I think of myself I sure will be happy after running away…” Arcane paused as she had blurred out her plan to Vasilias, She looked at him with a horrified face but he sat there like he had heard nothing. ‘Why is he asking that all of a sudden/’

“Would you go?”

“Why are you asking me that? Do you suspect that I will run away?” Arcane felt her stomach feel uncomfortable.

“If I tell you something that might change your mind, and if you insist on going back...what are the chances that you will come back.” HE elaborated, Arcane swallowed her saliva because she felt uncomfortable. “ It depends upon the news you give me.” 

“An envoy from Ridavell arrived at the palace yesterday. According to him, the Duke isn’t in the best of his health, The King of Ridavell requested your immediate return...what is your answer.” Vasilis asked.

Arcane dumbfoundedly stared at Vasilias. ‘My immediate return? Why would the duke want me back? Is it some kind of a trap to develop the plot of the story?’ 

“I…” Arcane was unable to answer. 

“You think it’s a trap...Right!” Vasilias leisurely added Arcane’s eyes flashed at him. “How?”

“You are thinking why would a father want to see his stepdaughter who he never wanted to see when she was right beside him?”

In the novel, nobody knew that Arcane wasn’t the real princess of Ridawell but just a poor orphan girl that was living in the duke’s palace. Vasilias, who was already acting out of character, knew something that his character shouldn’t have known. Arcane felt uneasy in her chair, especially in front of VAsilais. Her throat started to dry up when she calculated the outcomes of this conversation in her head. 

“So? Now what? Are you going to kill me for deceiving you?” Arcane held the cushion of the chair tightly and spoke. 

“...” HE didn’t answer. HE slowly placed his hand in his pocket. Arcane tried to wet her mouth with her dry tongue. ‘Is he going to ask me to drink the poison he brought with himself? Did he bring me all the way here so that he could quietly end my life without anyone knowing?’ Arcane chest banged harshly. 

“Take this!” he placed a violet velvet box on the table.

“What…” Arcane didn’t understand the situation. 

“Stay safe on your journey,” He mumbled calmly, “Father is planning on sending you back for a while, He doesn’t know that the King of Ridavell is planning a war...You might not be safe, so keep this close to you.” He patted the box.

‘I...Why? Why did he not sentence me to death? Why is he concerned about my safety?’ Arcane felt a warm feeling in her chest that made her want to hug Vasilias tightly. She felt like crying all of a sudden. 

“People cry when they get hurt...Did I hurt you just now?” He asked. While his eyes looking straight into hers.

Arcane breathed in harshly. “If you knew that I was not the real princess, why are you being nice to me?” Arcane wanted to understand the story and where it was headed to. For that, she had to make a conversation with the characters because it was way too tedious to try understanding people just by their actions.

“Before the Night of the ball...” Vasilias mumbled.

Hi!! I hope you are well, if you like the story please leave me a comment and let me know how you feel about it.”