Summer festival was always the joyful event everyone waited for. Not only the citizen of Hakumei, but also many visitors from other kingdoms, crowded the capital. For a week there would be held many events. The royal family would attend the festival on the first day to open it and on the last day to close it officially. And now that the royalty from Seiryoku were also present, the main stage had been built bigger and the security around them tightened significantly.

It was the first time for Mirai to appear before Hakumei’s citizens as the second prince’s wife since her wedding day. She was nervous, yet struggling to act properly. Taking a side glance, she saw Ryosuke was conversing with Keito. Unconsciously, she was absorbing the comfort of his presence beside her.

Just don’t spill your drink on me.

That was what Ryosuke said when noticing her wary awhile ago. She smiled remembering the scene. He said just that, yet to her, it sounded like he was saying, It’s alright to be nervous, but don’t you make a fool of yourself. She wondered, since when she started to read between the lines of Ryosuke’s words.

Her thought interrupted by the sirens rang out, the sign that the opening ceremony would be started.

**********

Ryunosuke sat beside his father, on the left side of King Shohei and Queen Yumi while Hakumei’s princes and their wives were on the other side. He stole a glance at Ryosuke and his wife once in a while. He saw how Mirai’s eyes sometimes looked at Ryosuke with yearning, yet Ryosuke did not pay attention to her, instead busying himself by conversing with Keito.

Somehow Ryosuke’s ignorance toward Mirai angered him. Ryosuke did not deserve Mirai’s attention just as much as Ryosuke did not deserve Mariya’s love.

“Just call me Mariya, Sir,” her smile warmed his heart.

“I am Ryun… Ryu. Call me Ryu, without Sir.”

She let out a short giggle, “Alright, Ryu without Sir.”

He caught up with her humor, “Just call me Ryu, Lady Mariya.”

“Just Mariya. I am not a lady.”

He eyed her briefly. He was sure that with her manner and gestures, she was not an uneducated woman, though she wore a peasant dress. The way she angled her jaw confidently and the subtle fierce in her eyes told him that she was more likely a lady from a noble clan. Yet, if she did not want to be acknowledged as a noble, then he would not mind to go along.

“Alright, Mariya. Are you a native here?”

“No, I am a traveler. Speaking of that, I have to go now. My friends would be worry looking for me.”

“Wait! Is there any chance we could meet again?”

She halted in her steps and turned around to face him, still with her dazzling smile, “If fate want us to meet, then nothing will prevent that.”

He tailed her. In front of a local inn, he saw she was heading to a group of young men. Judging from the horses and the way they bring themselves, he was sure they were also nobles. He saw them mounted their horses, including Mariya, and left the village.

He had dismissed the feeling arose that time and thought that it was only an infatuation that would fade with the course of time. Yet, as he did another solo travel to Hakumei a year later, he just realized that the feeling never disappeared.

He could not help being curious whether he could meet Mariya during his trip. He deliberately wandered to the capital where most of the nobles resided, though his initial destination was the forests in the outskirt of Hakumei.

Fate was being kind to him. When he took a rest in a riverbank, the lady he had been searching for were striding toward his direction. She had grown. And now, as she wore high-quality attire, he was sure that indeed she was a noble. He smirked in his mind. Yet, he was disappointed when he saw her smile faltered after seeing him.

“Oh, forgive me. I thought you were my friend. Please, excuse me,” she just started to walk away.

“If fate wants us to meet, then nothing will prevent that.” He chanted her words from their first encounter.

She turned around immediately, eyes questioning.

“You don’t recognize me?” He said with playful tone.

She observed him for a moment before her eyes widened and glinted with joy, “Ah, it’s you!”

“Yeah, it’s me, Ryu. It’s pleasure to meet you again, Lady Mariya.”

She realized the use of the title and suddenly a light blush appeared on her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean bad to lie to you.”

“So, you’re indeed a lady, right?”

“Yes. I am Nishiuchi Mariya. Please forgive my past action.”

“Forgiveness should be earned, my lady.”

Her eyes told him she was confused.

“How if you give me a tour around your capital since it is my first visit?” He requested.

She smiled and he realized that it was the same dazzling smile he saw a year ago.

“Alright.” She said.

And that was how they spent about two hours to tour around. He found out that she had cheerful personality though a bit reserved. She was quick-witted and easily-trusting. He wondered how he could be enjoying her company so much when they were only talking. He had many encounter with women, knew so many kind of them. Yet, he felt that Mariya was different. She could make him feel, not only because of the physical attraction, but also all the things he never considered he could feel.

She was everything he wanted a woman to be.

And as she bid him good bye that day, he realized that he had fallen in love with her.

Returning to Seiryoku, he had planned to make another trip to Hakumei a couple months later, intended to meet her and if possible, court her. Yet, as the duties of his position demanded more time beyond his estimation, the time flew and without he realized a half year had passed.

When he was finally able to make a trip to Hakumei, his excitement to meet Mariya reversed into wrath. He just found out that she had already dead.

He never realized how violent he could be until that time. He literally killed men dared to mess with him along his way back to Seiryoku. He stormed back to his kingdom, barking order to his servants to call their Head of Intelligent. He ordered them to make a secret investigation regarding Mariya’s death.

And when he found out about the truth… he swore that he would make everyone caused Mariya’s death to pay for their sins. They had taken his