The child Ryosuke was playing in the garden.

His tiny feet run after the ball that rolled near the pool.

He heard someone warned him to stop. But he saw his ball kept rolling and he did not want to lose it.

He kept running. And then his hand reached the ball. He had been successful in stopping the ball from plunging into the water.

He hugged his ball tightly, smiling and happy.

He turned around but suddenly someone pushed him that he fell into the pool.

He lost his grip on the ball, flailing as his small body drowned into the deep water.

He could not breathe. He could not scream. He kept struggling to stay conscious.

Ryosuke massaged his temple as the dizziness came every time that piece of memories resurfaced. It happened more often lately, but he could not see the face of the person that pushed him. He was not even sure that it was really happened as he did not remember at all what happened after that. The scene always ended up with him drowning into the pool.

From where he stood, he observed the occurrence that triggered his memories. He had just seen Mirai fell into the ponds in the center of Outer Palace Garden after she tripped over her dress.

“Are you alright, my lady?” Yuto helped Mirai got out from the ponds.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you, Nakajima-kun.” She got up drenched.

“You should change your dress before you catch a cold.” Yuto adviced.

“Yes, I think I should.”

He saw Mirai bid Yuto good bye and walked to direction of her chamber followed by Miru while Yuto resuming his patrol to the other direction.

While watching Mirai’s retreating form, his mind went to the pile of draft on his work desk.

The sooner I finish it, the sooner we’ll free from this burden.

**********

Mirai had finished changing into a clean dress for the day. It was unfortunate that the dress she wore before ruined because of her clumsiness. She let out a sigh as she remembered what had caused her tripped over her dress and ended up fell into the ponds. She had been sulking over her past that she did not pay attention to her steps. Why should the past she wanted to forget have to be brought up again?

The young Mirai startled at the sudden appearance of another man. Fear crept up once again. The man stepped closer, a bow in his hand, and a sword dangling at his waist. He stood beside the body of her pursuers, observing them for awhile before turning to stare at her.

“Wh-who are you?” she stuttered.

He gave her a mocking smirk, “Who am I? Is that what you say to the one who just save your life?”

She trembled to stand, still shocked from the previous event.

“Th-thank you,” she eventually said. “But, who are you?”

He did not answer; instead he turned his back on her and started to walk away.

“W-wait!” She sprinted after him. And when she passed the dead bodies, she cringed.

He did not slower his step nor waited for her. As he had long step, Mirai had to push herself hard to not lose his back view.

Busy running after him, Mirai just realized that they had exited the forest. She saw a distance away the village she had run from awhile ago.

Her savior started to move again.

“Wait!” She called. “Please tell me how I can return your help.”

“As if you can give what I want,” he shrugged it off.

“No, please,” she jogged beside him. “Just tell me.”

“Why do you insist?” He gave her a bored look.

“I don’t want to owe you.”

At her statement, he halted and turned to face her. He just kept staring at her for a time, as though valuing what he would have as his payment for saving her.

Then all of a sudden, he pulled her toward him forcefully.

Mirai rubbed her sleeve harshly to . Tears brimmed in her eyes. She could not forget how he had stolen her kiss. It was rogue and it was her first kiss. As tomboyish as she was, she was just like any other girl that wanted her first kiss done with someone she loved.

When she had started to forget that incident happened two years ago, she had to see that man again! And she never guessed that he was the crown prince of Seiryoku: Kamiki Ryunosuke!

Why it should be him of all people!

Ryosuke had been suspicious of her, too. But, how could he not when she hardly acted normally around Ryunosuke?

I don’t like people lying to me and I will know if you lie.

I do not forgive any betrayal.

She had given him vague answers. Did it mean she lie to him? No, she did not lie. She only did not tell the entire truth. Moreover, how could she tell him about her encounter with Ryunosuke? It was impossible. No way would she tell Ryosuke about it. No way would she want Ryosuke to know. Then again… why should she strongly do not want him to know?

**********

Meanwhile, Yuto was patrolling around the Outer Palace. While walking, he also rewound his conversation with Ryosuke the day before. Ryosuke showed a side he never saw before. He had never heard Ryosuke made such a comment about one’s lineage, not even about the Okamoto. He did not say a word to insult Mariya long time ago even though she was a Nishiuchi, the ally of Okamoto, instead befriended her. So why should he judge Suzuka that way? He was being unfair.

“Yuto,” a sudden call startled him. He looked around but found no one.

“Up here,” the voice added.

He looked up and saw Yuri perched on a branch of the tree beside him. Yuri gestured him to the direction of warehouse before disappeared in a split of second. He followed where he was directed while making sure no one in his tail.

“What’s up?” he asked once Yuri came into the room.

Yuri opened his mask. He could see the wary line of Yuri’s lips and the uptight of his facial muscles. Something bad he felt coming.

“It’s drifting apart.” Yuri said shortly.

“What is it do you mean?”

“My bond with Ryosuke… it’s drifting apart.” Yuri’s voice was strained.

“What are you saying? Don’t joking around, Chii. You’re his shadow. The bond between you and him should be unshakeable.”

“I wish I’m wrong, but… Ryosuke… he started to doubt me.”

Yuto dumbfounded. How could that happened? After ten years of being together... No, Yuri had been with Ryosuke longer than him, so it had been more than ten years… Ryosuke and Yuri had been so close that he always envied them. Moreover, the fact that Yuri was Ryosuke’s shadow meant that they were like a body, inseparable… and now Ryosuke started to doubt Yuri?

“It’s getting serious, Yuto. He has changed significantly worse.”

 Yuri added, “I can’t forget his cynical laugh that day.”

He knew Yuri referred to the day when Ryosuke gave them the explanation of his reasons accepting the marriage. Honestly, he could not forget that laugh either. It sounded as if Ryosuke was……

“Broken,” he blurted it out.

His face grew terrified more and more by every realization came into his mind: he never saw Ryosuke’s genuine smile ever since the wedding; the moments he exchanged silly teasing with Ryosuke had grew slimmer lately, almost none; Ryosuke had almost never asked him to spar anymore, instead went training by himself; Ryosuke had been more than three months did not visit Keito which was