The tall figure looked dark because of the light coming from behind him.  A sword was hanging down his waist belt, while his long boots crushed the grass underneath. He stopped the wind that was hitting Arcane, His crimson hair danced around with the breeze. It was William standing like an unfazed pillar before her. Arcane felt deep hatred boiling inside her chest, It made her feel uncomfortable in the warm jacket covering her frame. 

“PRincess! Why are you here? Why are you in this state?” He slowly crouched before her. Their eyes came to the same level, his expressions looked sad.

Arcane, who was already angry, gritted her teeth at his question. 

“Why? Am I not allowed here? Are you going to slice my neck because I was here?”

Her words were harsh and she was referring to the incident in the forest because she was mad at him ever since. She gripped around the jacket and pulled it away from her harshly. She stood up and threw it in William’s hands. She decided to walk away.

“Princess!!” 

A pair of hands holding the jacket wrapped around Arcane from behind. “PRincess! Your dress...YOu need the jacket.” Said William in a broken tone. He was still hugging Arcane with his huge body and Arcane almost disappeared in his embrace. 

Arcane frowned and looked down at her dress and realized that it was not suitable to wear for going out as she was still in her nightgown. She jerked off his hands and held the jacket tightly. “I...I will return to you.” Arcane felt her face warm up. She was embarrassed. 

Before she tried to run, William spoke.

“I owe you an apology...I hope the princess is kind enough to pardon this lowly subject.” He sat on one of his knees and held his head low. Arcane looked around at his sorry state. Though she was angry, she felt like she was being harsh on the wrong person.

“Why do you think I would accept an apology from you or your Master?Do you think I have the heart of a saint to let go of those who have planned to ruin my life just for their own sake?” Asked Arcane, “And why should I believe you that the words you say are true and not something your master has told you to say, just so I would not tell HIs Majesty about his foul games?” 

“Princess! That is not true!” 

Arcane knew that William was loyal to Iroas and it was useless to get herself entangled with him as she was sure that, if a day comes when Iroas thinks of Arcane as a thorn in his eyes he will just tell William to give an end to her. And she is sure that William will follow the orders without question. So why should she accept a mere apology from a person who can be her killer in the future.

William looked up in horror. Arcane saw his eyes tremble but she stared at him expressionlessly, WHen she was sure that William wasn’t able to give her a proper reason, Arcane clicked her tongue in an annoyed manner. 

“See! You are not sorry...and you don’t have to be, it's not like it was you who had placed the blade against my skin in the forest.”

She spoke sarcastically, before walking in the direction where Iroas and Soarsa were having a great time. 

‘Who cares if they are having a romantic moment? Do they expect me to shiver to death until they end their display of affection?” Arcane stomped her feet and walked through the pavement. She was trying hard to not look in their direction and treat them like a pair of trees but somehow Soarsa spotted Arcane. 

She hurriedly pulled herself away from Iroas. “Greetings your Highness!” She bowed lightly. Iroas frowned when he saw Soarsa pulling herself away from him. His hands felt empty all of a sudden. It made him look in the direction where Soarsa was looking.

His eyes spotted a girl in her nightgown, holding onto a familiar jacket. She walked swiftly trying to avoid everything that came in her way, But her steps paused when Soarsa called out to her. She looked in his direction, Their eyes met for nanoseconds before she looked at Soarsa. She had no expression on her face, But one could tell she was holding in too many negative emotions. Iroas knew those uninterested empty eyes,  but he wasn’t sure why she was in that state and why she acted as if she didn’t see him. His first thought was that she might expose his identity to Soarsa. His hand formed into a fist as he glanced at Soarsa. Coincidentally she too was looking at him,

“Hey...Bow down!! It’s her highness!!” She whispered. Iroas was surprised by her words, How could the war hero bow before a mere princess from another country?''

 Arcane felt like laughing, The Female LEad was too dumb. Arcane feared that if she stayed amongst them for a few more minutes she would lose the last few brain cells she was left with. She decided to get over the conversations as soon as possible. 

“Oh! Isn’t it Miss Soarsa…” Arcane spoke with a forced smile. She was just a few steps away from them, She looked back at Iroas, Soarsa noticed her gaze and stood in between them, 

“Princess! Please pardon him, he is just a new guard, He doesn’t know the customs of the palace.” She defended him. 

Arcane looked over Soarsa’s shoulder and into Iroas’s eyes, She was expecting any kind of reaction but Iroas had not a single drop of guilt. Even if he wasn’t Arcane’s real fiance he acted as if he had no idea who she was, 

‘Tsk, tsk, tsk! That is so shameless of you! Can you at least act like you know me?’ Arcane thought to herself.

“Hm...I see, A new guard.” Arcane looked at his face, which was conveying a very clear warning. Arcane wanted to play around with him a bit, but she was cold so it wasn’t the right time.

 “Okay! I Will let it slide this time as he is a new guard here, Be sure to teach him some proper etiquette, or I will not be as lenient the next time.'' She gave Iroas a meaningful look.  “YOu should know I hate people who are disrespectful towards me,” She added before looking away.

“Princess!!” Called out Soarsa, But Arcane had no interest in looking back at her doom. 

Iroas stared at her fading back, The distance between his eyebrows decreased, It was the second time Arcane had ignored his presence like something very trivial and had walked away.