The next day, Anya was awake during class.

Yes, we're all shocked.

But only because this was classical languages which, for some reason, Anya had a natural affinity towards. 'And luckily, no one else did. 'It was the complete opposite of every one of Anya's classes. It was one of the rare classes that Anya didn't need to cheat to pass, either.

"

Nomen 'meum 'Anya 'est 'et 'ventus 'color roseus est.

" She recited proudly.

Around her, she heard scoffs and could see eyes rolled. She didn't even need to read their minds to know that the kids were making fun of her.

"Ms 'Know-It-All all of a sudden..." One of them giggled.

"What a show-off!"

"Better than being a dummy!" Becky shot back, then turned back to Anya, "They're just jealous."

Anya huffed, knowing Becky was right. Some may say she's being smug, but honestly, how often did she get to feel smart? She knew she wasn't bright, but at least for a brief shining moment, she could really feel like she wasn't a complete dummy.

"I think you did a good job, Anya." Charles smiled at her.

Once again, the Little Prince sat next to Anya in the front row. Damian watched from a distance as she saw Anya's cheeks turn pink at his compliment.

'Pff. What a stupid head.'

Damian glared at Charles.

Immediately, Anya turned around, eyes full of surprise. They locked eyes for no more than a second before Damian turned away, his own cheeks turning pink. How on earth did she always do that? She always seemed to know when he was thinking about her.

Er, thinking about how

annoying

she is!

How annoying she and stupid Charles are. How gross they're all lovey 'dovey. How stupid they would look when they get married and have kids and then their stupid kids would go to Eden too and where would that leave Damian?

'

Get ahold of yourself.'

Damian ordered.

'So what if she ends up marrying the Prince and living happily ever after. Whatever! I'm so much cooler than the Prince anyway.'

Much, much cooler. So really, Damian couldn't really tell you why he felt like grabbing his pencil case and throwing it at Charles' stupid clown hair.

"Charles, it's your turn." The teacher said.

"

N

omen

meum 'Charles 'est 'et color meus 'ventus 'caeruleus est."

Charles recited perfectly.

This was followed by a round of applause and a wave of impressed sighs around the classroom, which left both Damian and Anya confused. Why did everyone love Charles when he was being smart but when it's Anya, everyone says she's a show-off?

"That's so cool! I can't believe you know this stuff!" One of the boys said behind Charles.

"Of course. 'Charletons 'have to learn classical languages from an early age." The Little Prince says, as if he wasn't an 'early age' himself.

Damian resisted the urge to roll his eyes,

'Yeah, yeah, you can speak dead languages, everyone likes you, and you're the best thing to walk in Eden since the founder himself, we get it.'

For no reason at all, Damian 'hmphed' and crossed his arms. He decided he didn't want to listen to this dumb class anymore. Not if everyone was just going to kiss Charles' butt the whole time.

Meanwhile, Anya just tuned out during the class, lost in her thoughts. 'Lately, Anya's been confused with the stuff she hears from Damian's mind. It really did seem like he disliked Charles a lot, but even he couldn't really figure out why. Well, Anya certainly couldn't guess. Charles was so nice and cute and smart! Why would anyone dislike him? In fact, out of everyone in Eden, it seemed that Damian was the only one to dislike Charles.

But one thing she did notice was everytime Damian thought about how much he hated Charles, somehow, him being friends with Anya ' was always involved. Why, though?

She wasn't sure, but for the rest of the class, she blanked out. All she could think of was how she wished Damian and Charles could be friends so then they could all be friends. But how could that be when even Damian didn't know why he disliked Charles?

Lunch came and she ordered the usual 'omurice. Charles came by with his usual sushi, but today he had a particularly wide grin on his face.

"Hi, Charles!" she greeted brightly.

"Hi, Anya!" Charles smiled. "Y'know Anya, I really like you."

It seemed to come out of nowhere. But even though he was smart, Charles was, after all, a six-year-old. So, he was sometimes prone to saying what he wanted out of nowhere.

Despite coming out of the boys' toilet at the time and being nowhere near the cafeteria, somewhere in Eden, Damian Desmond suddenly felt annoyed for no reason.

'Huh. How odd.'

He thought at the time.

Back in the cafeteria, Anya just smiled, "Anya really likes you, too, Charles!"

Of course, being children, the two didn't really know what that meant. Still, they were glad to hear it. As far as Charles was concerned, this was basically Anya telling him he has a crush on her, too.

"I wanted to bring you something. A present." He said as he took a small box out of his bag.

Excited, Anya immediately took the present and peaked inside.

"Cupcakes?!" Anya squealed, beginning to jump up and down.

Waku 'waku!

Four small cupcakes, no bigger than the palm of her hand, in two perfect rows, all of different pastel 'colours. One was sky blue, the other was a pretty pink, one was a vibrant yellow and the other a minty green, all decorated with different sprinkles and glitters.

"They're mini cupcakes. We call them fairy cakes!" He says. "Father says if you really like someone, you should give them something to show it."

Unable to contain her excitement, Anya immediately got up from her seat, ran to Charles and gave him a big hug, "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"'

The little Charleton boy couldn't have been happier. She was hugging him! The gifts worked! He wasn't sure what to give her, but his Father simply gave him a box of cupcakes and told him she would love them. He also said Anya seemed like the kind of girl who would be glad just because he thought of her, which was certainly true.

As Anya hugged him, Damian finally entered the cafeteria and cringed at the sight.

"Ew." He says as his body automatically approached his usual table with Ewen and Emile. It was gross to see, yet he couldn 't stop staring at them.

"Hey, Boss, you're just in time." Emile said.

"The Prince gave Anya a bunch of cupcakes." Ewen explained.

"Hmph. So, what, now she loves him?" Damian asks.

Both Emile and Ewen's heads whipped at their boss, confused at his reaction. "Huh? I don't know. Probably? Everyone says they're secretly in love."

" I heard they're going to get married." Ewen added.

"Ooh, that's true! I heard Anya's going to be a princess." Emile chimed in again.

"And live in the castle with him."

"ALRIGHT!" Damian said loudly, "I get it! She likes him and he's perfect, I know!"

Ewen and Emile cowered. Once again, very confused at their boss' reaction. Then again, when it came to Anya Forger, they were often confused at Damian's reactions.

"Erm, Boss, is everything okay-?" Emile asked.

"Everything's fine! Peachy! Great! Why wouldn't it be? This is dumb. Why are we still talking about stupid Forger and her stupid boyfriend? Man, you're all obsessed!" Damian burst before crossing his arms and grumbling.

"But Boss, you're the one who-" Ewen began, but when Emile nudged him, he understood that perhaps it wasn't the best time.

After all, Damian looked like he was about to burst into flames.

"Okay. Anyways..." Ewen began, trying to think of something that would take his beloved leader's mind off the whole Prince and future Princess situation. "Here's something: you know the big oak tree near the playground we go during recess?"

Damian sighed, relieved. He could feel his face still hot for some reason, but decided he couldn't stand to watch the lovefest anymore. "Yeah?"

"We heard Becky saying there's a magical patch of grass near the oak tree and during winter, there's a bunch of four-leaf clovers that appear!" Emile exclaimed excitedly.

"Four-leaf clovers?" Damian's eyes widened. Everyone always said those clovers were magic and that if you found one, you were guaranteed a Stella. "We could go look for them! During recess!"

"The whole class will be looking, too." Ewen informed, "Everyone's set to find them...but don't worry, Boss! We'll make sure you get that clover!"

Damian smiled. With newfound resolve, his whole energy was suddenly focused on getting those clovers.

An hour or two went by and absolutely no one learned anything in class that day. No, they were all too busy staring at the clock, eagerly awaiting for recess.

Becky and Anya grinned at each other, little feet tapping and hands fidgeting in anticipation.

"Do you really think we'll get the clovers?" Becky asked, "It's kind of a long shot. We might not find anything."

"We will!" Anya said. "We have to!"

She smiled. Her friend's excitement was also contagious. She always found it so admirable that despite everything, Anya never seemed to be down for too long. Honestly, Becky's not quite sure how she does it.

She knew it would be a race, though. The whole class is going to be looking for those clovers and even though Becky imagined even if there was more than one, there certainly wouldn't be enough for everyone and everyone wanted it just as much as the other.

So, of course, as soon as the bell rang for their recess, they were all off to the races.

"Children, no running! I SAID NO RUNNING, I-Ah, why bother." The teacher sighed, taking a flask out of his blazer coat and drinking his 'funny juice'.

They all rushed, putting on their little designer baby coats, fluffy mittens and snowboots. Unsurprisingly, everyone made their way to the big oak tree and got on their knees, shovelling snow around and carefully inspecting the ground.

Damian's eyes trailed over to Anya (surprise, surprise). Her red coat and red earmuffs were easy to spot in the crowd (well, that and her pink hair...and the fact that she was the smallest).

Now, everyone was already on their knees looking for it, but none looked as feral as Anya, who took off her mittens, was on all fours and carefully staring at each blade of grass.

"Anya thought green grass only comes when it's hot." Anya said.

"Father says Eden has special dirt. We have the same in my castle." Charles answered.

"'

Meh, meh, meh. Look at me, I'm Prince Charles, I have a castle.'

" Damian mimicked quietly so that only Emile and Ewen heard.

"Don't you have a castle, Boss?" Ewen asks.

"Well, yeah, but it's not a

castle

castle. Charleton's castle is probably magic or something." Emile said.

"Shut up, there's no such thing as magic!" Damian cried.

He said it loud enough for Anya to hear and she curiously looked at him, "If magic isn't real, why are we all looking for a magical plant?"

Every kid who heard that exchange blinked, 'realising 'she had a point.

"Okay, maybe

some

magic exists." Damian grumbles, hating to admit that she may be kind of right. "But his castle isn't magic!"

"I don't think it's magical, but it's still nice." Charles quipped.

"NOBODY ASKED YOU, CHARLES!" Damian said.

"Geez, what's he so mad about?" Becky asked, "I bet he's just-AHHHHHHH! I FOUND ONE!"

"Huh?"

"What?"

"No way!"

Everyone looked in awe as Becky Blackwell found the very first four-leaf clover that day, "I did it! I'm 'gonna 'get a Stella!"

"Wow!" Anya said in awe, "So they do exist!"

Two seconds later, "I found one!"

Becky and Anya looked at each other with excitement, "That means there's more! I'll help you look, Anya!"

"You will?" Anya's eyes sparkled, "Thank you!"

Of course, Becky couldn't believe that Anya thought she was just going to leave her like that.

A minute later, someone yelled out, "There it is!"

"I got one!" Someone says five minutes later.

"We got two!" Ewen and Emile would say ten minutes later, holding one clover each.

Recess was halfway over and by then, most kids seemed to have found a four-leaf clover to call their own. Yes, it appeared like the magical patch of grass was very generous this year.

To all except a certain Anya Forger, who was getting more and more desperate every second.

"Anya?" Charles said, growing a bit worried about his friend. At this point, her excitement seems to have disappeared, replaced by frustration and worry.

He had found his clover a few minutes ago and he noticed that at his point, only Damian Desmond and Anya didn't have a clover to call their own.

Damian was becoming just as desperate as Anya. Out of everyone in that class, they were the two who actually needed that clover (well, more so Anya, but still). It seems ironic that everyone had found one except for them.

Luckily, their friends were helping them look, but it seemed useless.

"I don't know, Boss, recess is almost over." Emile pointed out.

"Yeah, you too, Anya." Becky sighed, sad for her friend. "I mean...it's just a plant, right? It might not be magical."

"But it might be!" Anya says, her voice breaking a bit. Although she wasn't crying, she felt that she would probably end up crying by the end of this recess if she didn't find one. "And Bondman says that even if there's the tiniest chance of hope, we need to try!"

"Well, yeah, but-" Charles sighed, stopping himself. He wasn't sure what to say or do at this point. By now, it would surprise him if they found another one. Everyone's probably got the most of the clovers.

Damian's concentration kept breaking, noticing how Forger, who was so active and motivated at the beginning, now looked tired and desperate.

It made him...sad.

He also thought about how unfair it all was.

If you think about it, Anya needed it the most: she wasn't like everyone else. Everyone could probably buy tutors, the best school supplies, everything they needed to pass exams and get Stellas. But Anya didn't have those things.

Truth be told, he wasn't quite sure why she really wanted to do so well, anyway.

As wondered the reason for Anya's ambition, his eyes popped when he finally saw it. A single four-leaf clover standing amongst the three-leaf ones.

"I got one!" He said, carefully picking it up.

"I knew you would, Boss!" Ewen said, putting his fist in the air.

"Good job! Now we'll all get Stellas!" Emile said excitedly.

And for a while, Damian was excited, too, jumping with joy alongside his friends.

That's when they heard the bell ring.

That meant recess was over and there was no time to look. As he turned his head, he saw the look on Anya's face. His joy was short-lived.

She seemed even more upset, looking down at the patch of grass in front of her. There was a huge pile of snow around her and she had been digging and looking for so long that it looked like a thin patch of dirt around her. In fact, her white stockings were all covered in traces of mud.

Henderson would have a heart attack if he saw how dirty she was.

"Ha! Look how dirty she is. Fitting for a peasant piggy."

"Shut it." Damian said, a lot colder than he intended to say. But why kick the girl when she was down? "Let's just go."

He left without looking at the surprised look at his friends' face.

Walking away, although he doesn't turn around, he can hear Anya begin to sob.

"Anya, it's okay..." He hears Becky say.

"Really, I'm sure you can still get a Stella anyway!" Charles says.

But then he hears the sound of running footsteps. One of his favorite sounds was usually the sound of people stepping in snow. But then he watches as Anya practically flies ahead of him, keeping her head down and quickly running inside the school.

Suddenly, he doesn't like the sound so much.

"What a weirdo." He hears Emile say.

Instead of stopping him any further, Damian turns to his friends, "Hey, I need to go to the bathroom. Tell the teacher I'll be late."

Damian immediately began running before his friends could say anything.

He wasn't sure why. All he knew was that he had to find Anya. For some reason, he had the overwhelming urge to find out where she was and how she was doing.

'Because I want to make fun of her. Duh.'

He ran across Eden's great halls. After a few minutes, the kids have already gone to their classes and it was quiet, save for Damian's footsteps.

'Ugh. Teacher will be mad if I'm late. But Anya will be late too. Or she might never come to class. And...And I'd get in trouble for not looking for her! Yep, that's why I'm looking!'

Satisfied with his reasoning that made absolutely zero sense, Damian continued to search. But then he stopped as he sees the Hall of Imperials. There, he found a familiar face. The similar brown eyes and dark hair.

'I bet you were always in class on time.'

He thought to his oh-so-perfect brother.

Jealousy was not an unfamiliar feeling to Damian Desmond. But he had to admit, the jealousy he was feeling towards Charles was something else. But he couldn't explain why for the life of him and it was driving him crazy.

Suddenly, he finally heard it. The quiet sobs of a lonely girl.

He followed the sounds and that's when he saw her. Hidden behind one of the statues, sitting on the floor against the wall and her face buried in her arms and knees.

He always thought that Anya was a ball of energy. Always

waku

waku

-ing 'and unafraid to say what she thought. Well, okay, he could never tell if it was bravery or just her being really dumb. Either way, that's who she was. But right now, she 'looked so small and fragile.

Approaching her slowly, he cleared his throat, making his presence known.

Anya wasn't surprise to see him. She could hear his thoughts and how he probably thought she looked stupid being so small and fragile.

"Anya's sorry for being a crybaby." She said quietly, "I just really wanted that clover, so I could become a im-real schooler."

"You mean an Imperial Scholar." Damian said. Sighing, he sat right next to her. Not too close, but not far enough either. At any other time, he would have made fun of her for saying it so badly. But he couldn 't bring himself to be mean. "Why do you want to become an Imperial Scholar, anyway?"

"Because I-" Anya stopped herself. She had a sudden urge to tell Damian everything: the whole truth and what was at stake if she didn't get to be an Imperial Scholar. And more importantly, if she didn't get to be his friend. But of course, she didn't tell him, so she told him another big reason she wanted it. In fact, she suspects that even if her Papa and Mama weren't spies and assassins, she still would have been motivated to be an Imperial Scholar for this reason. "I just want Mama and Papa to be happy."

Damian was quiet. 'His chest felt heavy all of a sudden as he realised that maybe they had more in common than they thought, something he didn't think was possible. In fact, he didn't think he could ever have anything in common with her.

He sighed, feeling the clover in his hand.

"Here." He said. He wasn't sure if he was already regretting it or not, but he held the clover by the stem and held it out to Anya.

Anya didn't really understand what was happening.

"F-For Anya?" She asked, ready for him to joke and say of course not.

"Yes, for Anya." Damian said, not wanting to look at her or those hopeful green eyes of hers that actually matched the green of the clover, "Just take it."

Carefully, she took the clover by its stem. She didn't really know why he was doing this and as she read his thoughts, even then, his mind seemed jumbled, as it always seemed to be lately.

"Why is Sy-On Boy doing this?"

"Because...I don't believe in dumb magical leaves. And if it'll shut you up from crying, that's better."

"...Thank you." He heard her whisper.

Still sitting, Anya stared at Damian, still in disbelief of what just happened. Damian could feel her eyes on him and his face began to burn.

"You're being stupid." He finally said. "You got the first Stella. Fastest one in Eden history to get it. Come on, get a grip. Aren't you 'Starlight Anya'?"

"Yeah...yeah, I am." She sniffled, her frown slowly disappearing as she slowly began to feel that little spark of hope again.

As he stared at the girl beside him, seeing how lost she was and how the simple gesture made her so happy, he was wondering why he hesitated in the first place.

'I guess I don't actually hate you, Short Legs.'

Damian thought.

Anya looked at him, surprised at the thought. Unexpectedly, she gave a soft smile. It's one Damian hasn't seen before, far from her smug grin or her overly excited smile. She didn't even see him smile at Charles like that. The way she looked at him was...

Before he could even begin to acknowledge his thoughts, Damian stood up, clearing his throat, hands in his pockets and hoping that Anya wouldn't see that look on his face. "Come on, Starlight, we'll be late for class. You probably got me in trouble."

Realising 'they were late, Anya nodded and quickly ran with him back to their classroom. Their teacher scolded them, but nothing too bad. No one thought much of them entering together, thinking they probably just came back from the bathroom at the same time.

Later that day, Anya would come home with a certain pep in her step.

To her delight, Papa was there, waiting for her with a small afternoon snack.

"So, how was school?" He asked.

"Great! Fantastic! Amazing!" She said, spinning around excitedly as she tended to do.

"Oh?" Loid asked, amused at just how happy he was. "What happened?"

"I have a magical four-leaf clover that'll make everything better, Papa! Just you wait! I'm going to be an im-real, I mean, Imperial Scholar!"

He laughed softly. It is quite an improvement she could finally say the word. Of course, the concept of some magical leaf was merely child's tales, but if it encouraged her or had a placebo effect, then why not?

"I'm proud of you, Anya." He said, ruffling her hair as she giggled excitedly. "Keep it safe, then."

"I will!" She promised as she ran off to her room.

When all is said and done, she's still surprised at what happened earlier. Sy-On Boy was becoming increasingly difficult to read every day and she didn't really see this happening in anyone else.

Well, except for Papa sometimes. Mostly when he thought of Mama.

How strange.

In any case, Anya wanted to preserve the clover as much as possible.

So, she gently tapes the clover to her binder. Later that night, she would go on to have dreams of winning like five Stellas in a single day because she had the highest score ever. She dreams of a proud Papa and Mama and finally, Papa will meet Sy-On Boy's dad and convince him not to go to war. She dreams that world peace will be achieved and everyone will say she's a hero, like Bondman. Not just some 'freak orphan', a 'creepy girl' or an 'annoying burden' like every adult in her life before Papa found her had always thought.

Whatever happens, she was Starlight Anya and that she could do anything.

The Westerling Palace was one of the more modern castles: a large mix of Victorian and Regency architecture, its great walls the color of subtle gold and a large courtyard covered in a blanket of snow at in the winter, rare and beautiful flowers in the spring.

The path from its black and golden gates to the actual castle was so long that it was necessary to ride a vehicle in order to get there without being exhausted.

William insisted in Yor coming with him that morning. To his surprise, Yor didn't seem all that unfamiliar with such a grand environment. In fact, her eyes were like that of a hawk, carefully looking at every detail. In particular, he noticed that she was surveying the number of guards.

"Don't worry." He reassured her, "We're very safe here. There are over 200 guards all over the palace. You don't need to worry."

"That's a relief." Yor lies, knowing that the only reason she stared at the guards was so she could gauge how much effort she would need to put in case things got out of hand or if this was a trap. She was also on the lookout for peculiar 'behaviour, like one of a fellow assassin.

As far as she knows, there's no reason to attach the Royal Family. Although people of very high status, from what Yor's learned through Garden, the reality is the real power lied in the heads of government. Every once in a while, of course, the King was consulted with important plans but historically, the King just when along with what the sovereign head of government would say.

This is how it's been for years. Basically, the Royal Family only had 'power' in the eyes of the public, but no actual political power or influence on the outcome of society. Any assassin worth their salt would know this, so no one really went after them.

But one could never be too careful.

As she ruminated this, her thoughts broke when she got closer to the palace and noticed that the clean blanket of snow seemed to be more touched, filled with footprints and surprisingly, snowmen.

"That's adorable!" She smiled, remembering Yuri's snowmen as a child. Well, he wasn't very good at it, but still cute.

William smiled proudly, "My son's handiwork. Rather impressive for a six-year-old, I'd say."

Yor couldn't deny that: little Charles' snowmen seemed much more detailed than Yuri's tall lumps of snow with a carrot stuck on the heads.

"You must have had so much fun making them." She said, looking back at him.

She only caught his proud smile for a brief moment before it slowly disappeared into a smile of guilt.

"Unfortunately, I never have enough time to make them with him..." He admitted.

"Oh...well, I'm sure he knows it's because you're busy."

"Does he? He's a child, after all." William sighed, "Even if he did understand, he's probably feeling neglected but putting up a face for me. It's not right to ask a child to do something so unfairly mature."

Yor's heart sank for him. Mostly because the look in his eyes was one she saw sometimes in Loid's. Although he tried to be as present as he could, working late nights could sometimes take a toll.

Sometimes, Yor would hear Loid coming home from work past midnight. Every night, she always heard Anya's door open and for a few seconds, she knew that Loid was sighing in relief that his daughter was safe and happy.

To her surprise, after the first three weeks that she's lived with them, he's been doing the same with Yor's room, making sure she was there.

In those moments, it's difficult for Yor not to reach out. She never knew where the boundaries were. Although she didn't want to admit it, she wanted to wrap her arms around Loid and tell him it's alright. Anya loves him and she feels loved.

But she couldn't do that. So instead, she occasionally tries to tell him with words.

She supposed there was no harm in telling William the same thing.

"Well, I've only seen Charles for a few minutes. But from what I've seen, he didn't seem sad. He seemed like a perfectly normal boy happy to see his father who came to see him on his first day despite a busy schedule. That's more than what I can say for the children I see at Eden." She says.

It slowly starts to sink in that she had a point. William smiled to himself and closed his eyes, thinking back at his son's face.

"Thank you, Yor." He tells her. "Hiring you was probably the best decision I've ever made."

Rarely hearing this much praise, Yor blushed.

Once in the palace, William insisted on giving a tour.

It was a beautiful palace, of course. Marble floors, large staircases, Renaissance paintings and portraits everywhere, beautiful furniture, chandelier lights. The only reason Yor didn't have much of a reaction was because she was no stranger to these kinds of places. She did, after all, have many jobs in beautiful places. She felt kind of bad for coating said buildings in blood.

To be fair, she did clean up sometimes. Let it never be said that she wasn't a polite killer.

Although she will say, the palace was one of the more beautiful ones she's seen.

Finally, William showed her the study. It had burgundy walls (which Yor loved) and two intricate desks filled with paperwork.

"This is where we'll be working." He says, "I might work with you from time to time, but most of my time will be spent in meetings."

"That's alright. I'm just surprised that you'd want to work alongside an ordinary clerk. I wouldn't be offended if you wanted your own space." Yor said.

"Not at all. I appreciate the company." William smiled at her and suddenly, Yor felt butterflies in her stomach.

For but a few seconds, William and Yor stared at each other. There was a certain something in the air, like both were waiting for something more to happen. Yor always knew that the King was handsome, but as she looked at him, she could appreciate just how much more handsome he is up close. A sharp jawline. Soft looking lips. Grey eyes that had flecks of green in them.

As William stared, he 'realised 'that this was the first time he saw Yor without a coat on. He couldn't help but admire her...physique. She was rather busty, something that even her uniform couldn't conceal. For a simple clerk, she had perfect posture, carrying herself with a certain class and elegance that he had only seen in other nobles.

It was only then they both 'realised 'that they were a bit

too

close.

"Oh! I completely forgot! I got you a present. Just a little 'thank you' for accepting my offer." He said as he swiftly walked to his desk, grabbing a small box from a shelf.

"You shouldn't have troubled yourself!" Yor quickly said, a bit embarrassed.

"Nonsense. I'm a King and don't tell anyone, but one of my secret pleasures is giving people presents. Even my guards get a Christmas present every year." He said, playfully putting a finger on his lips in a 'shush' motion.

Yor laughed a bit. He could see him doing that.

"Well, thank you very much." She said, carefully taking the velvet blue box in her hands.

When she opened it, she saw a simple silver bracelet, with a few diamonds on it. Against the velvet box, it looked like a string of bright stars against a midnight blue box. She gasped, 'marvelling 'at the present. She expected a lot, but not this.

"No, I can't accept this, it's too much!" She said.

"Consider it a command from your King to accept it, then." He teased and both smiled at his light-hearted joke. '"I noticed that you wear gold jewellry, but I couldn't help but think that silver would look best on you. But you don't have to wear it. After all, you look just as beautiful without it."

"Oh, um..." She began. Before she could finish, the King took the bracelet in his hands and gently gestured towards her right hand.

"May I?" He asked. All Yor could do was gently nod.

He wrapped the silver bracelet around her. It felt cold against her skin. Trying to close the clasp, she felt his skin on her hand and she immediately felt herself burning.

It was not an unfamiliar sensation. She felt the same whenever Loid touched her. But this was different. Loid wasn't a real husband. His touch was merely for appearances.

At least, that's what she thinks.

The King's touch felt different. 'For a few seconds, when the clasp was closed, his hand rested on top of hers.

It felt...overwhelming.

Hoping that the King wouldn't take it the wrong way, Yor found herself taking her hand back and the King immediately snapped back into reality.

"Forgive me, that was inappropriate. Given that you are a married woman, after all." He backed off. William wanted to smack himself. What on earth was he doing?

"It's fine, William. I didn't take it badly. Sh-Shall we get to work?" She stammered, still flustered at the touch.

"Yes, good idea." He agreed, relieved that she didn't seem to mind at all.

With that, they both went to work. Each at their own desks, every once in a while, the King snuck a peak at the woman across his desk. If she was beautiful before, she was even more so when she concentrated on her work. To his surprise, she was completely absorbed, not getting distracted as he was.

He took a deep breath, telling himself to calm down and start his work.

First things first.

He took the folder in front of him, entitled 'Loid Forger'.

'Let's see who you really are, 'Mr 'Forger...'

As for Loid, he suddenly sensed a disturbance in the force.

He was out on a fairly simple job: just gathering intel regarding weapons. He had finished it earlier than expected, which was a good thing. When he could finish earlier, he liked to get a head start on preparing dinner for his family.

Besides, when Anya came home, she was in a very good mood, which was always nice to see. It was a breath of fresh air compared to her usual school frustrations.

To his surprise, his wife came a little later than usual.

After 10 minutes, he began to worry.

'

Did something happen to her?'

He wondered.

'It's possible someone found me and decided to get her as a hostage...she could be in danger right now because of me...'

He thought of Yor, taken off guard, unconscious, hands and legs tied and a thick tape around her mouth. He thought of how people could easily hurt her. Or even, what if it wasn't even a rival out for revenge? What if she was in danger from a random person? A human trafficker?

Horrible possibilities raced through his mind and he quickly decided he needed to act now.

Luckily, moments before he went into his room and prepare to leave, he could hear keys and familiar footsteps.

"I'm home!" Yor announced, followed by the excited cries of Anya.

God, he never felt more relieved in his life.

"Mama!" She said, running up to Yor.

With a certain excitement in her face, Yor took Anya in her arms and spun her around, "How's my daughter?"

Loid sighed in relief. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and smiling. She was glowing today. "How are you, my dear?"

"L-Loid!" She sputtered nervously.

"But you love it when he calls you that!" Anya says.

She's not quite sure how Anya knows, but either way, Yor wanted to change the subject as soon as possible. "Anyways, how was your day?"

Giggling, Anya told her the same story she told Loid. He watched as his wife listened intensely to Anya's tale of magical plants. He had to admit, one of his favorite sights was seeing his daughter in his wife's arms.

...Anya in Yor's arms. Not his real daughter. Not his real wife. Everything about this whole thing was fake.

None of this was real.

Suddenly, it was as if all energy had depleted from Anya. She began to frown and her head slowly turned to her Papa.

Loid panicked. Did he do something?

"You're a jerk, Papa!" She cried out, "No wonder Mama's in love with the King!"

Both of her parents' jaws dropped. Anya began to wriggle out of Yor's grasp and quickly ran into her room.

"Anya!" Loid called out, but the slammed door already spoke volumes.

He quickly stomped on her door and knocked. However, she didn't answer.

Although he could just as easily open her door, he opted against it. He decided it was probably just a childish tantrum out of nowhere, nothing too serious.

Still, no one likes having a child angry at them.

"Loid?" Yor called out carefully.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a bit more comfort. Perhaps he had grown to see Yor as a partner. Erm, a work one, he means. After all, she was on his side and did things that helped him with his mission. Of course it made sense for him to know someone was always there to help.

"It's okay. She'll come out when she wants to. Come, I'll make you some tea." Yor offers, gently reaching out and putting her hand on his shoulder.

What was it about this woman's touch that felt so calming? Her hand wasn't even on his skin, really, just over his sweater. Yet he felt instantly more relaxed and hopeful that everything was going to be okay.

"You're right. Forgive me, I'm being 'sil-" he stopped when he noticed the glint on Yor's wrist.

Surprised, he turned to her, "That's a lovely bracelet."

A lovely bracelet indeed, but it seemed a bit out of place. Yor liked gold. He could tell from her earrings that would sometimes brighten both sides of her face, her gold headband which looked divine contrasted with her obsidian hair, and her gold-rimmed watch against her left wrist. It complimented her skin tone more.

That's when Yor looked surprised, "Oh, I have so much to tell you!"

"Would this have anything to do with the King and how you're in love with him?" He asked.

He really, really, really hoped that he didn't come across as too bitter when he said it.

"Oh, um...I'm not sure where Anya got that idea. I think she's at that age where if a man talks to a woman, they're automatically in love." Yor reasoned.

But he saw the way Yor looked away. The faint pink blush on her face. He also noticed the dreamy look she had in her face when she first came in.

Could it be...?

"Sounds plausible." Loid said, although knowing what he knew, he wasn't totally convinced, "So, what did you want to tell me?"

Yor nodded excitedly. They sat on the couch as she made tea and Yor told him all about the King's job offer.

Of course, it was exactly what Loid expected. After all, she came home with a dreamy smile on her face. Knowing what he did of Yor's dating history, he doesn't doubt that this was probably the first time a suitor probably gifted her something as expensive as a diamond bracelet.

Although, if you asked him, it's 'highly impractical and inconsiderate. Yor uses her hands a lot, writes a lot and the bracelet would make it trickier to write. She couldn't even put it on her left wrist instead because she already wears a watch on her left wrist at all times. So, what did William want? For Yor 'not being able to tell the time? So she won't notice the time fly by and not spend time with him and Anya?

He cleared his throat, "It is a nice gesture, I suppose."

Now, anyone with eyes could see that clearly, Loid was not happy. However, as Loid Forger was about as emotionally self-awareness as Anya was good at academics and Yor Forger couldn't read social queues at all despite being able to sense dangerous people from a mile away, none of them were willing to admit or see it.

To Yor, she knew that Loid approved of the gesture. Perhaps he knew that there was something between her and the King forming, but he probably didn't mind. After all, this was a sham marriage. Despite this, she liked to think that Loid had become her friend and friends always supported each other during times like these, right?

So, she ignored the fact that she was oddly disappointed at Loid's reaction. In fact, she could swear that for a second, something in her chest suddenly didn't feel quite right. She didn't expect him to be okay with it. She expected some sort of disapproval over it. Instead, as she heard his voice and most importantly, listened to his words, he seemed fine with it.

"I'm happy for you. I can see you really enjoyed his gift." He said.

Well, that certainly 'cemented 'Yor's perception.

What she didn't know is that for some reason, Loid found himself making more of an effort than usual to act normal and control his facial expressions.

Yor nodded, "I did..."

That's when suddenly, she couldn't really hide how upset she was. Was it the fear that she wouldn't do so well and that the King would regret his decision to hire her because she was incapable 'or was it because Loid wasn't upset? Was the euphoria leaving and the sudden realisations she had, all her insecurities building up?

"What's wrong?" Loid asks. He could be wrong, but it seemed that Yor and Anya had the same facial expression when they want from complete joy to sadness.

Yor panicked. She couldn't tell him the other reason she was suddenly upset, so she opted for the easier truth.

"What if it doesn't go well?" She whispered.

"What do you mean?" Loid asked, confused.

That's when Yor took a deep breath. She was about to say something that she had never said out loud before because no one ever asked. The fact that it was Loid made it oddly comforting to say the truth.

"I may be a clerk, but that's it. I'm not a particularly good one and that's because I never really went to school." She admitted, suddenly ashamed of herself. "I know what everyone thinks of me. They think I'm a bit na 've and...well, unintelligent. And I can't even be angry because I know they're right. I'm not very useful at most things."

Now, Loid rarely felt genuine sadness. He locked that emotion away as a child, believing he had cried enough tears and somehow he was now incapable of even feeling sad. But he had to admit: during Operation Strix, he did feel a bit sad from time to time. He 'rationalised 'it to the fact that ordinary and innocent people like Anya and Yor were involved in his scheme and every single time they were upset, he would wonder if it's because Operation Strix is hurting them.

If

he

is hurting them.

"Yor-" he began.

"Loid, please." She stopped him. Rarely was she one to interrupt, so Loid listened. "I wish I was more academic. I know it makes me a terrible person, but...sometimes I do get upset that we could only afford education for Yuri. In fact, I feel like I get jealous about it. I don't regret it and I would have never done it any other way because it meant my brother would be happy. I could never blame him. But I often wonder 'what if'. Perhaps if I had been able to go to school, I wouldn't be so useless or...selfish."

She looked down to her lap, unable to meet Loid's gaze. He probably judged her. He probably thinks that she's a horrible person. How could someone resent her brother even if she claimed to love him so? She did love him. But she also felt guilty that she felt this way.

But it didn't help that she was never good at anything and she honestly thinks her lack of education had something to do with it.

It was then that she suddenly felt a warm touch on her chin. It was Loid's fingers. The feeling of his skin on hers made her feel butterflies in her stomach, but at the same time, she felt calm from it. His touch ' was so tender and gentle that she was wondering if it was more of a caress.

Surprisingly, although she felt surprised, she didn't feel like pulling away from his touch.

Slowly, she felt Loid's hand slowly guide her towards him. He was leaning in and his eyes (those

damned

blue eyes with a rainbow of grey, green and darker blue that simultaneously made her nervous and serene) were gazing intensely into hers.

He refused to break eye contact for what he was about to say. She needed to hear his words.

"You are many things, Yor Forger, but you could never be useless or selfish." He said with such a firm conviction that Yor believed that he would fight any person who said otherwise.

And despite Yor thinking that she was probably reading too much into it, Loid meant it.

"I don't understand how you could say that you're useless or dumb. I think you often forget that even being a clerk at City Hall is a highly coveted position. I don't know if you've noticed, but your coworkers are, excuse me for saying this, lazy and incompetent. It's obvious they got their jobs through connections, either with through powerful families, friends with connections or even their husbands. You were working there before Yuri even began his career. Surely, your boss saw something in you. So did the King."

"But I have no scholarly qualifications. Even if I did, I'm sure I wouldn't have been good. I'm not very good at academics..." Yor said.

"I disagree. You work hard and even if you weren't naturally gifted when it comes to school, I know you would have worked harder than anyone and be a top student." He said, honestly believing it. "And that's what you need to realise: no qualifications, no education, no important connections, yet you managed to secure one of the most sought after positions. Not to mention, you were still able to find a way to sustain yourself and Yuri even when you were a child. I don't believe anyone like that could ever be unintelligent."

Although it began slowly, Yor was starting to believe him. Everything he said made sense and it was all true. Granted, even though he has no idea she sustained her family because she was an assassin, she had to admit that she was good at her job. The Shopkeeper saw potential in her and told her that she was the best of the best.

It was then that Loid's hand pulled away from her face, only to slide down to her shoulders, then her arms, and finally, over her hands. 'At that moment, nothing else mattered. Everything felt different, for both of them. The world could disappear and all that mattered was that they were there and their hands were touching.

"You are something that very few people are: brave. You may not be an obvious type of bravery, but you're the kind of person who, despite knowing a child for less than week, seemed murderous when someone made her cry. Not just someone, people who you knew were of higher social status than you. Most people would keep their mouths shut. Some might even agree to appease them. You didn't. Even then, you try your best to make us happy. You cook for us even though you're insecure about your abilities. You do whatever it takes to improve yourself if it meant helping us. A woman like that could never be selfish."

He was right. Yor couldn't believe it, but she never thought of herself as 'brave'. It seemed like second nature, wanting to protect Anya so soon despite her being a 'fake' daughter. It could have blown her cover as an assassin, but she didn't care. She was really willing to murder than man for making her cry. She wouldn't have hesitated and she wouldn't have 'regretted 'it.

Loid leaned in even further, to the point where if someone pushed him, he swears that his lips would have found hers. "I know you have your insecurities and I never want you to feel like you cannot tell me. Because 'I will tell you this a thousand times if needed: you could never be useless or selfish. Everyone in this family adores you." Including him. But he didn't want to say it. "And please, believe me when I say that we all do for a reason."

Speechless, Yor found herself looking at his face. The face she had grown to know over the past few months. They weren't a real couple. They weren't anything more than friends. But how could he be so comforting? How could he inspire her even when she believed the absolute worst in herself?

As for Loid, he knew this was dangerous territory. He knew how the simple touch of her hand seemed to make him lose all logic. He also knew, very, very, deep down, even if he couldn't say it out loud, that even if there was the tiniest risk of hinting at who he really was, he would do it all over again and again if it meant that she could finally believe and feel his words.

Yor couldn't find the right words to say. It all meant so much to her. She had told something she had always been afraid to tell. But here he was, this wonderful man, calling her brave and smart. No judgement. No pretending. No ulterior motive. Just pure honesty.

Someone believed in her. That alone made her feel invincible.

So, she simply said how she felt in the only words she could muster. "Loid...thank you."

Loid panted, 'realising 'that he was so impassioned in his words that he was actually breathing heavily. He had never said so many words to someone outside of briefing them for a mission or training them. He never cared if someone believed in themselves or not as long as they got the job done.

Oh, Yor Forger. You truly are dangerous.

"I would know. After all..." He began to say, without realising that his thumb was gently stroking her hand. Then with a grin, he said, "I did marry you."

Yor laughed at his teasing voice. She never thought in a million years that after revealing such a great shame that she'd be capable of laughing and feeling happy so quickly.

As for Loid, he felt like he couldn't stop here. She was feeling so many emotions right now and he could tell. But he wanted her to feel as calm as she made him. He wanted her to rest knowing that everything he said was true.

Of course, he couldn't say it. So, instead, he suddenly thought of a way that he could do this.

And, of course, benefit the mission.

"You know, we have that event coming up soon." He reminded her.

She nods, "The City Hall party."

"We did better last time but I still think some of your colleagues 'still have doubts. Would you mind I try something?"

Yor nodded. It wasn't even a question.

She trusted him.

The hands that held hers left. For a brief second, she almost felt like she missed it, but then one hand slid behind across her shoulder and gently pulled her in, guiding her towards his chest. She 'released 'the breath that she was holding in, 'realising 'that he wanted her to rest against him.

She could feel his heart beating...

Loid swore once that he would never let anyone get close to his chest. It was, after all, very vulnerable. In fact, his instinct would be to push people who got too close and point his gun at them.

Feeling Yor against his chest, it was the first time that not only did he willingly had her close to him, but he didn't have his usual instinct to be on his guard.

In fact, he felt calm.

At the same time, his heart was beating faster. He believed it was because this was usually where his fighting instinct kicked on.

Of course, that was a lie.

"So, do you think your colleagues will believe we're a couple?" He asked, refusing to acknowledge the simultaneous seduction and softness in his voice.

"I think so..." Yor breathed.

Both of them could have easily pulled away from each other. After all, it was just an example and a quick test, right?

But neither moved. They couldn't.

They didn't want to.

A few minutes pass and Yor began to feel her eyes get heavier. She often had trouble going to sleep, staying up a bit later than the average person. In fact, she knew that sometimes, Loid would come in her room to check on her after a late night and she would easily pretend to be asleep. Even long after he would sleep himself, she'd stay awake.

But right now, she felt so comfortable and at ease that she slept almost immediately.

Without 'realising 'it, Loid began to feel his own eyes get heavier.

He was about to get up and perhaps make some decaf coffee, but then he noticed Yor had fallen asleep.

Naturally, he couldn't 'bear 'to wake her up.

So, he just let her rest. He had no idea when she would actually wake up, but he absolutely refused to move until she did.

In the meantime, his eyes then trailed to his coat that hung by the door. Specifically, the coat's pocket with a little red velvet box slipping out.

"Guess I'll give that to you another time..."

But that was okay. Without knowing it, Loid had given her the greatest present of all.

The 'realisation 'that whatever happens, she was Yor Forger and that she could do anything.