The car slows to a halt in front of a majestic ivory-white building. The guards occupying the driver and co-driver seats step out first, taking flanking positions on each side of the car. More guards also disembark from other vehicles in the convoy, moving around to secure the area and exchanging details with the Reichguards patrolling the building. You would think that such a security detail will be protecting someone of important, well, kinda. Their main job is to prevent the two VIPs inside from making an escape, their well-being is but a secondary objective.

"Elysia," I was taken out of my reverie when a hand landed on my shoulder. Turning to the right, I can see father looking at me worryingly. "We're here. How are you feeling?"

Though I really want to be the old-cheery me, all I manage to put up is a tired, wry smile. I answer with a shake of my head. "It would be a lie if I say that I'm well, father."

I watch as my father's green eyes pose into a light frown, finally, he settles for a heavy sigh. Gathering himself, he suggests. "It would do you no good if you head out now while feeling under the weather. Let me negotiate with the guard captain, maybe we can have the meeting adjourned until a later date."

It warms my heart to know that father is preparing to brave the unknown, just to keep me safe. The last few days have been an emotional roller coaster for both of us between the betrayal of my mother and the interrogation from the government. Father himself loses the vitality he used to have before our lives came crashing down while I was put through the wringer thanks to the Archive's knowledge. Such knowledge is everything I could have ever wished for as a High Elf, yet right now, I find my heart to be very unwilling to receive it. But I digress, I still have a more pressing issue at hand to address.

"Father, it's fine, you don't need to risk anything. The Princess has requested my present, alone, on this day. It would reflect on us badly if I turn back now, all the more so if I use the excuse that my health wasn't good. After all, the Princess lost her eye because of mother's meddling, and she is still up and running, not to mention me..."

Father looks into my eyes, taking in the sight of my supposed resolution. Once again, he let out a tired breath. At this rate, his hair will go gray, and I can't have that. If I survive the upcoming encounter with the Princess, I should pick myself up and not let my father worry about me too much.

"Then let's not keep Her Highness waiting." Father disembarks before moving to the other side of the car to open the door for me. "I can only accompany you to the waiting room. After that, you're on your own, my daughter."

I step out with a grateful smile, reassuring the pair of concerned eyes in front of me. "I will be fine, father. Though I can't say that our family will ever be the same ever again, I hope you can help me piece it back together once everything is done."

Although it will be hard, considering our family lost not a small number of resources and family members. Not to mention our family reputation is now at rock bottom. Nonetheless, if there's a will, there's a way, as long as I stay clear of the dirty path mother has treaded for me...

Mother, I miss you...

A glimmer of hope radiates from father, finally, he let out a small smile, preventing me from dwelling any further. "Thank you, you're too good of a daughter for the both of us. We have failed you."

I put both of my hands on his shoulders. "Don't say that, father. It's thanks to your upbringing that I've come to love and treasure this world and its inhabitants. I should be thanking you all instead."

We both smile, and silently agree to end the discussion here. Father then leads me into the guarded compound, our guards and watchers silently falling into steps behind us. I have no doubt there are also hidden soldiers stationed everywhere in the building. Such large security details further enforce the fact that I'm about to meet the now-famous Princess of Belka, the one mother wanted me to replace. 

Truthfully speaking, I am hella nervous. Not just because of my mother's past wrongdoings but also because I've been secretly a fangirl to Her Highness. Yeah, the daughter of the elf renowned for her racial discrimination is fangirling a human. Sue me!

It all starts around two to three years ago when I was led by my father to visit the Military Academy that the Princess was studying. There, I opted to leave my father alone to let him deal with official work while I headed out on a stroll. Walking across the sparsely populated hallways, it was a day off for the cadets there, I suddenly came across an occupied classroom. Curious, I peek inside the room with a sand table, and then, I see her.

At that time, the Princess was barely twelve years old, too young to be in the academy now that I think about it. Back then, her cold and calculating ruby eyes were staring down at the sand table with a holographic display, presumably made by her magic. I was deeply fascinated, both by her figure and the beautiful way she utilized her spell. The light the display gave out was pleasing to the eye and I knew for a fact back then her spell would have many utilizations. With vested interest, I made my presence known, only to receive a raised eyebrow in the process.

Seeing how stoic the Princess was back then, I chuckled. "For such a cute doll, it's a shame that you don't have the personality to back it up."

What I said back then, in a way, would have been insulting had the opposite party was not the Princess herself. Yet, funnily enough, it was a correct assessment. I was both shocked and intrigued by how a person could even admit to being one. This was why to sate my curiosity, we decided to talk.

It was at that moment that I was enraptured by a human girl.

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*Knock* *Knock*

"Princess, your guest has arrived." Announced Erika, now a Lieutenant with a few more badges and medals. Surprisingly, she is content with being the personal guard of Yuki, despite the Princess keeps persuading her to move up the rank.

Yuki, who has been scribbling a few lines on a file, looks up. "Ah, yes! Please, let her in, I will be done shortly."

The Princess returns to her work, ignoring the opening of the door. Erika guides Elysia inside alongside Lola, her second-in-command. Hearing the approaching footsteps, Yuki speaks up with her eyes still on a paper. "At ease, I have no need for salutation when I'm drowning in work here. Just give me a few moments."

Yuki doesn't want to hear a 'Hail Princess' right now, not when her work requires deep concentration. Having been the bodyguard of Yuki for quite some time, Erika knows better than to interrupt Yuki in her work. She politely directs Elysia to her seat which is a couch, and a tea table in the corner of the office. Nonetheless, hidden behind the calm gaze of Erika is a trace of wariness. After what happened last time around, Erika has taken it upon herself to always be vigilant. Whenever she looks at Yuki's eyepatch, she is always reminded of her failure in her task. Hence she will stop at nothing to ensure such a thing won't happen a second time. Even if that includes the disposal of the harmless guest in front of her.

With Elysia situated, Erika positions herself to stand behind Yuki, yet, far enough to not get a glimpse of any secret documents. As for Elysia, the girl has a touch of surprise on her weary face. Despite the light makeup she has on, Erika can still see the lass is tired. She can sympathize with her, if only for a bit.

Lola, who has moved to a side room, returns with a tray of biscuits and warm tea. She lays it on the table for Elysia to refresh herself, before moving behind Yuki, just like Erika. Only this time, the dwarf pulls out her C96 and deftly plays with it. Elysia can only sweatdrop at her audacity while Erika and Yuki are used to it by now.

"Ningyo! I'm done with this batch!" Suddenly, Yuki called out a name.

A door is opened from the side, and from there it reveals a girl with black hair. Suddenly, Elysia's heart skip a beat from seeing the new arrival. '...Mother?'

She watches in muted shock as the black hair girl, barely 10 years of age, skips to the wooden desk where Yuki's. Even though the girl has no trace of her mother Avera, physically at least, Elysia can somehow still feel the minute trace of her familiar aura. Being a high elf has its perk and Elysia won't mistake her mother's signature for someone else, ever. And here is the interesting part, according to the Archive, the girl shouldn't be up and running! Meaning, the black-hair girl is involved in her mother's death, somehow.

Feeling a bit dizzy from the sudden surprise, Elysia massages her temple, opting to watch the situation unfold first. She would rather not rashly jump to a conclusion, lest she makes a bad impression on the Princess.

The girl, Ningyo, moves to the front of the desk, picking up the neatly stacked pile of documents that Yuki placed to the side. "Big sis, is this all of them?" Her voice contains the cheeriness a girl her age would have when speaking to her loved one. It's a stark improvement from when she first woke up.

It seems like her new family has taken care of her very well these last few days.

"Yup! I can finally take a rest from all the paperwork, hurray!" Seeing Yuki leaning back onto her chair, arms throwing high into the air, Ningyo giggles.

"Hey, big sis, just who is the little sis here with you acting like that?" Ningyo said with a smile before checking the documents in her hands. "So black goes to Agent while red goes to mama, right sis?"

"I pride myself in being forever a kid, in spirit at least," Yuki answered the first question, even showing a V-sign to emphasize her point. "And yeah, same at last time. Thanks for the help, Ningyo, you helping me with all the secretary work, helped immensely. Once you're done, head back here to relax, yeah?"

"Yes, big sis!" Ningyo smiled, carrying the files back to where she came from.

Overlooking her departure with a warm gaze, Yuki then stands up to address the pink-hair girl ahead of her. "You would have to excuse me for my tardiness, Miss Elysia. To uphold our national interest, my duty seldom ceases to let me take a break."

Yuki moves across to the tea table, while Elysia stands up to greet her. "It's fine, Princess, I understand that after recent events, you would be swarming with work right now. I should be the one to say sorry, considering that I'm occupying a portion of your time."

Yuki looks into Elysia's eyes which hold no grain of dishonesty, her lips curving upward. Pointing at the sofa, Yuki says. "Have a seat, Elysia, and don't be too formal with me, yeah? After all, it's not like we are mere acquaintances, I thought we went past that back at the Academy."

Elysia smiles lightly at Yuki's words, somewhat relieved that Yuki is still being cordial to her, especially after what had happened.

They both sit down while Erika moves forth to pour them some tea. Thanking Erika, Yuki picks up her porcelain cup and takes a drink, prompting Elysia to also do the same. With refreshment out of the way, Yuki leans back on her chair, nursing the warm cup in her hands. Yet, she doesn't say anything, only looking at Elysia with a mysterious glint in her eye.

Sensing Yuki's gaze, Elysia puts down her cup, feeling the need to sit upright with her hands put on top of each other. To say that Elysia is feeling nervous right now would be an understatement. After all, Yuki being silenced and looking at her like that wasn't part of any plan she thought up with. So, to avoid extending the strange silence any further, Elysia decides to start with some small talk. Perhaps after that, she can get an idea of why her presence is needed here.

"How to say this... You've changed, Yuki."

The girl in question, chuckles. "How so, Elysia? I can say the same to you, however." Yuki takes a look at Elysia's new hairstyle.

Elysia leans back slightly, twirling a strand of her pink hair. With a small smile, she says. "Do you like it? The color matches my eyes, that's why I changed it at once when learned a new spell." Yuki nods, her eye trailing the loose hair that Elysia puts behind her shoulder. A sudden feeling of pride wells up inside Elysia for successfully captivating the Princess.

"You used to be much colder, and your cute face wasn't as expressive as now. Even though, before, your actions betrayed your true feelings, you rarely broke that mask of yours. If you don't mind me asking, what changed?"

"Well... To put it lightly, I've come to terms with a few things. Being near Death, twice, brought a few things into perspective." Yuki leans back, a trace of melancholy surface in her eye. "I've come to see that the world is a myriad of colors, not just cold unchanging numbers."

Raising a hand, Yuki touches her medical eyepatch. "And I've come to cherish my family, more so after everything that had happened. So believe me when I say that I will stop at nothing to ensure the well-being of everything I've grown to love. Nothing has the right to do that." The conviction lacing every word that Yuki said, stumped Elysia.

Yuki's sudden assertation of her authority has pried opened the lid that has been covering Elysia's negative emotions. The feeling of envy, for Yuki, can boldly exclaim such words and has the power to back them up. Hatred, for she is the reason why her mother was executed, even though Yuki and many other children were the victims here. It was the Princess in front of her that became the trigger for her mother's death. And lastly, bitterness, for she had been so blind to everything that had happened in her name.

Elysia knows that she is being a hypocrite right now for feeling just that. Yet, logic can't determine emotion and vice versa. She is being unfair to Yuki but what can she do? The love she received from her mother was very real and that was robbed away from her in one night.

Yuki knows that she has touched a sore spot of the girl in front of her. Nonetheless, it's a must-do because if Elysia keeps bottling up her negative thoughts, she will self-destruct one day. Yuki can't have that because she has the memories and feelings of having treated Elysia as a close friend. That and she, herself, knows that she's responsible for the death of Avera, Elysia's mother, in one way or another. Yuki won't deny that she has caused the girl to lose a precious part of her life, family is everything to a girl like Elysia after all. So, if the situation permits, Yuki will try to atone for the damage she caused.

Erika and Lola notice the strange air surrounding Elysia, and they tense up to prepare for any action coming from the girl. Yet, Yuki signals them to wait and see first.

"Elysia, you're smart and you know what I meant by saying that outright. Do you still want to continue this dialogue?"

Elysia, who has been looking down all this time, raises her head. Biting her lower lip, Elysia answers. "So what, you want to be my therapist now?" Her snarkiness didn't escape Yuki's notice, yet, the Princess ignored it.

"In a way, yes, but as a matter of fact, no. I don't think that's what you want to hear right now. I am here with you today, mainly as a listener. If you don't want to talk then we can just sit back and enjoy the tea." Yuki said dismissively. The choice is up to Elysia herself.

Regardless, Yuki's way of talking has managed to tick off Elysia. "Why... Just why are you so calm!? My mother plotted against you, assassinated you! You killed her, and I hate you for that!  This is not an equivalent exchange! So why are you here, acting as if nothing has happened between us!?" Elysia broke down, her eyes turned red as she said her heart out. "It hurts... It hurts so much."

Elysia slumps down, her hands moving up to hold her head as she tries to muffle her crying. "Why is it so unfair...? My mother was so good to me..."

Erika and Lola share a look as the spectators. They silently agree that the girl shouldn't be a threat, in fact, they pity her. Everyone in her place would feel the same as she is. I mean could you put yourself in Elysia's place and not sympathize with her? To put this into perspective, a mother stops at nothing to give the best to her daughter, and a girl only retaliates when she is harmed by said mother. This result in an innocent bystander losing her dearest person, so, who is right or wrong in this case?

Each side knows that what they've been doing is correct, they hold no remorse for what they did. Yet, in this case, what would the bystander think?

Yuki has long lost her smile, she is now sporting a sympathetic look. She stands up, moving past the tea table before crouching down in front of Elysia. Using her hands, Yuki fixes the disheveled strands of hair for Elysia before pulling her into a hug. Yuki slowly strokes Elysia's back, feeling each and every time the girl shakes in emotional pain. Offering words to her now would be meaningless.

Amidst her sniffle, Elysia says. "Just why... I hate you... You hurt me. But I can't seem to hurt you back... What's wrong with me!? What the hell should I do for me to stop this pain!?" Elysia screamed the last part.

Again, Yuki decides not to say anything, letting Elysia work through the pain on her own. The best she can do right now is to offer her a warm embrace. Her action will speak for herself. Slowly, seconds turn into minutes, and minutes turn into hours. The tea has long been replaced two times by Lola and Erika, it's now on the cusp of being changed a third time when Elysia slowly moves.

The girl in question cried a lot, though she tried her best to stifle the majority of it. Right now, Elysia is slowly raising her hands, Erika watches on warily to see what the girl would do, only for them to see Elysia slowly returning Yuki's embrace.

Now calming down a lot, Elysia speaks up more coherently. "I'm sorry."

"Umu, me too." Yuki replied, her hands still stroking Elysia.

"Does it still hurt?" Elysia's voice quivered at the last second.

"Not anymore." Yuki said reassuringly.

"I will take responsibility for you. I will be your eye whenever you go. That's my way of repaying my mother's debt to you." Elysia asserted her opinion by holding Yuki tighter.

"I accept your pledge." Yuki calmly agreed.

"Then will you take responsibility? A life for a life, will you take care of me in my mother's stead, for the rest of your life?" Elysia gently pulls Yuki away, looking straight into her ruby eye while her hand is caressing the eye patch. Yuki's upcoming answer will determine her fate, to say that she is anxious would be an understatement.

Feeling Elysia's inner turmoil, Yuki shows an innocent smile to ease her anxiety before saying. "If that's what has to be done, then yes, you will be in my care for eternity."

As expected, Yuki's answer doesn't disappoint Elysia. In a bid to stem the tide of overwhelming positive emotions, Elysia does the only thing that comes to her mind at that time.

And that is to kiss Yuki. An action the Princess reciprocates gently.