sɪxᴛʜ.

He stared at the rubies on his hand. He picked it up last night when he accidentally stepped on it while having a stroll with the Grand Duke. He knows to whom it belongs and this can be a reason for him to meet her once more. He will apologize to her for what he has done. The Grand Duke reminded him to be more careful of his actions. Pairs of eyes are always set upon him and waiting for him to make a mistake. 

Perhaps, he can visit her once it is the weekend. He put the rubies inside the music box and started changing his clothes. He has things to do but his mind is still preoccupied by a Lady named Fuyu. Right after the banquet, he will need to visit the Archduke for a conversation. The wedding preparations had started but this didn't stop the Countess from attending her Weaponry classes. 

"We already prepared the carriage, my Prince." The steward said, bowing his head before following the Prince outside the great hall. 

"I don't need the carriage. I will use one of the horses." He is in no rush, so the servants helped him to mount. 

Wherever he goes, he always has two servants accompanying him. While on their way to the archduchy, they passed by the university and he saw a glimpse of her. She is wearing a flower circlet. She got half of her hair slant braided with various flower hair pins with rubies. He remembered the rubies he picked up last night and since he is not carrying it, he didn't bother to talk to her. And also, he wants to talk to her alone and this time is not the right one. She is accompanying the Viscount and he is sure she will just avoid him. 

Everyone bowed their heads and did curtsy when the Prince passed by. She is wearing a long-sleeved gown, so no one could ever see the bruises she got last night. She smiled faintly when she went back to the conversation with the Viscount. She should not get distracted by another man while she's with him. It is a disrespect. She urged the Viscount to go back inside the premises already. The classes will start soon, so they need to go now to the classrooms. 

"Lady Fuyu!" She turned around when someone called her. It is Gia, so she smiled and looked at her from head to toe when they saw her wearing a black armor made for women. 

"Would you like to join me later? There will be a luncheon at the archduchy and I need to introduce you to the Archduke." The older one forced a smile when she mentioned her future husband. 

"And also, I need you there. You will not leave me alone with them, right?" She whispered and Fuyu nodded. Since it is an arranged marriage, the bride is forced to join any events with her groom. 

"Alright. Luncheon, right? My entire class will end thirty minutes before lunchtime. Are you inviting Lady Lauren as well?" She asked but Gia shook her head. 

"She is currently preparing to travel to another country. She said it will take a week." Gia explained. It is given that the Duchess is traveling to different countries because she chose to study different languages. 

Time passed by quickly but it felt like a whole day for Fuyu. The professor didn't make it today and the substitute professor was not that effective. She almost fell asleep during discussions. She heaved a sigh while hugging the books. She went to the library first because she needed to return them already and she will ask the librarian for a date extension. 

She met Gia at the pavilion and they went inside the carriage to travel to the archduchy. She knows the older one is still uncomfortable with the arranged marriage and she can't blame her for feeling like that. It is normal for them but they still prefer to marry the person they love. She listened to her rants and when they arrived, the first thing she saw was the horse that the Prince used earlier. 

"Gia, I didn't know that the Prince would also attend." She whispered and the older one looked outside the carriage to confirm it. 

"I also didn't know. Why? Did something happen between you and the Prince?" Gia also whispered and she looked away. 

"Something happened?" The older one repeated and she slowly nodded. She pulled the sleeve of her gown and showed her the bruises she got from the Prince's grasp. 

"The Prince did this to you?" Gia gasped while looking at her bruises because it looked painful. She hid it again but her cheeks started to turn red. 

"Also, he got my first kiss." She mumbled and Gia almost shrieked. She chuckled while shaking her. 

"I told you, he's interested in you." The two women were still talking inside the carriage but they decided to get out already since the luncheon will start soon. 

The steward brought them to the garden and they just realized that it is not really a luncheon but a simple lunch. The two men are talking about the wedding preparations but they stopped for a while to take a look. It was her first time to see and meet the Archduke, so the two men kissed their hands before offering the seats. She is now feeling uncomfortable because she is seated beside the Prince. She tried to ignore his presence but it was too strong. 

"We were talking about the food for our upcoming wedding." Reiki started and Gia nodded before looking at Fuyu. 

"Maybe we should ask one of our guests what food she will want to eat after the wedding." She said but Fuyu bit her lips lightly. She can feel that the Prince is staring at her, so she is trying her best to ignore him. 

"Anything will do." She plainly answered while the servants were serving the food on the table. Gia grinned widely and decided to tease her. 

"But you're picky, Fuyu. You're too picky. You like pastries, right?" She felt her cheeks heating up but she slowly nodded.