"Oh my goodness, someone is injured!" Cecelia covered her mouth seeing that a man had fallen under the shrubberies.

Sterne bit her lip hard regretting her clumsiness. If she had known there would be a person over here then, she shouldn't have carelessly tossed the orc head. And by the looks of it, the injury was not light. Being the oldest, what kind of example is she teaching these two?

The unconscious Toad has no idea that three little heads are now staring at him with varied expressions. One is panicking, the other is remorseful while the third is secretly smirking, obviously enjoying his predicament. Fortunately, there were patrolling soldiers nearby. The silver haired dolly trotted on her two little legs to where the soldiers stood and blinked her big beautiful eyes.

"Big brother knight, there is a bad man over there!" She pointed at the unconscious Toad.

The men who were on high alert the whole time because of the news about missing children rushed to the scene without a second thought and found the culprit. 

"Milady?" the guards asked. 

Sterne was in a fluster. "We, we accidentally knocked the person with an orc head." 

She was feeling sorry for hurting a passerby when one of the guards who came exclaimed. 

"Accident— wait! Isn't this the person on the wanted poster?" After saying so, he took out the sketch inside the placket of his coat and showed it to everyone. 

"Yeah, it's Toad, the illegal trader. No doubt about it!" 

Cecelia shivered when she finally recognized the man. "Milady, this was the bad guy this morning!"  

Sterne looked again and frowned. Goodness, what a coincidence. 

"Arrest him." She ordered.

"Yes, milady!" 

Four tall guards lift the passed out criminal and deliver him right to the garrison cell. In less than an hour, the news of Toad's arrest spread in the entire city. He had done too many atrocities that those who feared his name could finally breathe a sigh of relief. 

Back at the square, the three children had more or less calmed down from the shock. 

The city of Freesia is the center of commerce in all of Nachtwald's territory. A thriving land with new buildings, beautiful parks and business establishments. There is a lot to see for just one day.  

The silver haired dolly in particular enjoyed walking around. 

"Would you like to play hide and seek?" She asked smilingly. 

Sterne and Cecelia are still keen on finding her parents. 

"You hide. I seek."

"You still want to play?" Cecelia grumbled.

Sensing their hesitation, the little girl used her ultimate weapon. Crying miserably: 

 ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚

"Big sister doesn't want to play with me!" She sobbed. "Am I not a good child?" 

For a quick moment, Sterne saw a flash of loneliness in those eyes and her heart squeezed. It reminded her of those days when she was not allowed to come out because of her illness. She gave a helpless smile and eventually consented seeing that she is really dying to have fun. Sterne pitied the little girl so much she made up an entire heart wrenching scenario about a neglected baby girl. Because of her mother's death, her father left her to the care of nannies   and never went to visit her again. 

If the little girl heard her internal monologue, she might just die laughing because the script she imagined was actually the opposite in real life. 

Little Girl: Lady, having a rich imagination is also a talent. 

Sterne glanced at Cecelia who had long tossed her earlier animosity. It seems hide and seek was a good enough distraction.

"W-Well, since you wanted to play, we can only agree." She said shyly. "Am I right, milady?"

"Fine. However, this is the last one and you are not allowed to hide far away. After this we will find your family." Sterne said firmly. 

"Yes." the little girl brightened up abruptly and pounced on her for a hug. "Thank you big sister!" 

There is still half an hour before lunch. The little girl looked up and smiled faintly.  

"Hehehe... alright then! You and Cecelia better find a good hiding place." 

With a flutter of her frilly clothes, she went to the nearest pillar to cover her eyes. When the countdown begins, the two other girls scamper to different directions of the garden, and hide themselves nicely before the number reaches one. 

Looking at the empty space they left behind, the little girl could not help but lose her smile. The earlier glee has melted as if it was never there. 'Her' expression returned to what was deemed usual faster than the blink of an eye.

The bright excited expression Sterne found so irresistible is gone. What remained is a look stiffer than lifeless porcelain.

To play a game with such fervour. To laugh with innocence from the depths of one's soul. When was the last time 'she' felt the urge to?

"Young Lord." The call broke 'her' reverie.

Jewel-like eyes continue to stare at the distance where the girl disappeared.

"Is it time?" 

"Your guardian will be arriving soon." 

"I see…" 

The little girl took her hat off, pulled out the pins from her curls and let his long hair loose.  

The last few hours of adventure were new to him. When was the last time he voluntarily sought someone's attention? A little more and he could have grasped what it was that he once lost. His intention was made purely out of the mischief of wanting to test her patience. He even mockingly assumed she wouldn't be able to stand his temper at all but strangely enough, he did not find the usual antipathy he feels when interacting with people. 

Poor boy, what he did not know was that the moment he made the decision to approach her and stay, he was already drawn to her. 

"Did you have a pleasant experience, milord?" 

"Huh?" 

The time spent was surprisingly enjoyable, though short.

He even found her cluelessness refreshing rather than annoying.

Sterne's blind attempt to cheer him up by awkwardly receiving the so-called presents when in actuality, he intended to see how she would lose her patience and cry to his deliberate teasing. He wanted to see her perplexed but the time went and her enthusiasm did not vanish.

Instead, she seemed to have grown accustomed to his bearish temper and adjusted herself to it. Those impish eyes sparkled like starlights every time he playfully called her 'big sister'. He thought she'd be just another crying bag looking at her age but surprisingly, she was not.

No wonder that fox Manager Roux likes her a lot. 

"Pleasant…" he replied softly. "Not quite."  

Removing the feminine articles he put on himself earlier, he smiled ironically while looking at them, "These kinds of clothes would have looked better on that tomboy."

He remembered her simple dressing and snorted in disapproval. Humph. Not the least bit feminine at all.

Although he thought so, the perpetually flat line of his lips unconsciously pulled up into a smile. 

The last clasp on his hair came undone revealing a waterfall of long silver hair. As the breeze blew, the strands floated and glittered, almost transparent under the afternoon sun. The illusory 'little girl' is once again tucked safely.  

Fun times are always short-lived.

"The matter with regards to that man injured by the young lady," The black-clothed person beside him spoke. "He is a criminal from the royal capital. Both Lonely Maiden and Phantom are looking for him."

"Based on what you said, why is he not arrested yet? Those two organizations are the best this kingdom has. Don't tell me that is all just for show. The scum had been following us for an hour. It was revolting."

The black-clothed man ignored the cynicism in that young voice. They are used to it already. It's not as if hearing a boy using a dispassionate cold tone is something they are unaware of.

"Reports say that Lonely Maiden might have mistakenly clashed with the person from Phantom. It wasn't deliberate, it was only because they happen to cross paths at the most unlikely place with addition to the fact that the person Lonely Maiden sent is a rookie. The misunderstanding will resolve itself soon." 

"What of the thing I asked you to investigate?"

"The fugitive milord is after is indeed in the royal capital seeking refuge to his maternal family. There was no movement in his end but the people around him are acting strangely and somehow, this also connects with the Toad in prison."

The Young Lord narrowed his eyes. Whatever goes inside his head, only he knows.

"Three years ago when the heaven sent two Heralds, that person started acting differently. Because of that, he managed to escape even the heavily guarded Erebus, sneaking out of the empire only to end up here. Now I know why."

"The news came as a surprise even to your father as well. Who knew that the former Empr—"

The boy eyed him sharply. Dousing the guard in imaginary cold water enough to chill the bones.

"That woman was never an Empress. Not in this life nor in the next." The boy hissed in between clenched teeth. The tender face now florid with fury. "Seeking refuge? No, more like looking for pawns. According to what the warden in Erebus observed, that one has become more clever in his last days inside the prison. How did he manage to learn the teleportation matrix when he never studied them in the first place?"

"Could it be the legend of Singularity?"

"The Singularity is the person favoured by the Gods and Heralds bestowed with unlimited amounts of knowledge. For him to be that person is impossible."

"But that sigil in the sky three years ago was none of the recognized sigils we worship. That and the sudden change of that person."  

The boy's face turned grim. Though each country claimed that they saw the same sigil none of them can prove that it was genuine and not only a mirage of the original one. The large empires as well have no way of knowing which of those mirages are real. The enemy they are seeking could possibly turn out to be a Singularity, then this task has become many times more difficult than expected. 

"How do you plan to move from here on, Young Lord." 

"Start with his pawns little by little. Anything related to people around him, even those people he merely had a brush with must be keenly observed." He said resolutely then added, "That disgusting pervert inside the garrison prison. Get him out tonight or the whole city of Freesia will burn along with him." 

For some reason, he did not want to see that girl's sad face. 

"I hear and obey." Though he had no idea what else the Young Lord plans for that scum he is quite sure that it will not be as comfortable as the prison cell.