░2░ Blind Passion

"So have you finally thought about my proposal?" the sister of the emperor - who was formerly known, as Princess Analize was now a Duchess in the empire - said curiously to Arthur in the imperial palace.

He was currently sitting on the large chair as the emperor, while the duchess sat on the guest's seat

"Are you sure you want this? I think Duke Maxwell's eldest son Damon was against the idea of tying him up with my daughter. Knowing how he always reacts when my daughter gets overly obsessive towards him," Arthur, the emperor, said worrying about his daughter's behavior

"Oh please let her be, Damon was just playing hard to get. What I want you to understand is about the proposal of the Morgan family, about their mining business," Duchess Analize cleared what she was saying earlier. By those words, the emperor's worried face disappeared to form a large grin

"Yes and consequently, because of the said evidences, they've been stripped out of their titles. We are currently claiming their properties through the process. I planned to put those to a charity foundation that does not exist in the first place. So, just call Julius to forge the evidences so the business will be on our family" a greedy deep dangerous voice came out of Arthur’s mouth. Knowing Arthur’s attitude, the duchess only responded with a smirk

"Just remember my shares on it," she said fanning herself elegantly to have some fresh air

‘Just the thought of acquiring properties made my whole body thrill again. Another family in the nobles that came into ruins by my own hands’

"Let's now talk about what you're saying earlier, on Damon being engaged with Princess Monique," Analize said with a teasing voice to the emperor. She is curious to what he will be reacting afterward.

The emperor sighed and the smirk that was in his lips earlier had turned to worry again.

"Yeah, probably," Arthur said, putting his hands to his chin thinking about her spoiled daughter's obsession with duke Maxwell's son.

***

"Okay sister! Please be careful and don't try to mess things up there again for the 100th time," Grey, who's Iris' little brother, said seriously to her while waving his hands on Iris. She was already walking into the town to do her part-time job at the bakery while she waves back

"Yes! You also have to behave and help mom in doing the house chores! I'll teach you something later!" Iris said smiling brightly continuously waving her hand to her mother and little brother. Her father had already went to work earlier than his family so he wasn’t present at the moment to bid Iris goodbye.

"Mom I'm off! Take care of my little brother, okay!" Iris said stopping for a while to wave back again and smile at their mother.

"Yes, come home on time!" Olivia said to her child while waving at her left hand and holding his little son on the other

"Mmm," Iris replied with the same expression turning ahead to walk towards the town.

As Iris went to the market with her bag, she immediately entered the bakery and greets the owner – Selby, as well as her best friend – the owner’s son

She had started her job at cleaning and helping the people, like her usual routine every day. Assisting their orders of their customers again

***

Meanwhile, on the Maxwell household

"Damon, aren't you going to the imperial palace now? The princess had requested you to come again. She even invited you to the tea party!" Thesia, Damon's sister as well as Lucius half-sister said. Instead of immediately replying back, Damon shrugged the thought

"I have a sword training today sister, besides I'm always on her afternoon tea in her long lists making me go to the palace every single day! It is already exhausting enough to learn my lesson on the house and another exhausting event? Won't she just give me a break?!" Damon exclaimed enough to make her sister sigh with that thought

"Alright, just send her a letter then, saying you're not feeling better this day and for the next time that she’ll invite you again. Just make excuses if you feel so, no need to shout at me! You're so short-tempered you know that, Damon?" Thesia said, glaring at her brother that has been rude to her this morning. Because of a certain someone

Thesia immediately went out of his room and go to hers holding the letters that were meant for her

After that scenario, Damon sighed just thinking about the Princess who was crazily in love with him.

Just because he's gorgeous that’s why the Princess wanted him for herself. He had red hair that was very evident, his ocean blue eyes, pointed nose, pale skin, and thin red lips. Having slim but muscular body that every girl's dream of, besides the crown prince that was also gorgeous and his other friends

Who wouldn't even fantasize about him, right? The princess of the empire was adoring and proclaiming her love for the guy just because of his looks. It all started when they first met in the garden when they were still little kids

He just can't believe how he's that gorgeous but in reality, when Lucius only had red hair like him, they can be considered identical twins. They will looked alike If Lucius hair wasn’t dark. He immediately made a letter and rang the bell on his table. Immediately after, one of their family’s butlers entered

"Send this to the imperial palace right now addressed to Princess Monique. It's urgent and it should be sent now," Damon said seriously. Although the butler seemed surprised, he respectfully nodded afterward.

"Understood young master," the butler said with such respectful voice. Then he immediately walked out of the room and does what he was told to do. Handing the letter to the courier of their family to send it to the imperial palace

Damon, on the other hand, as soon as he sent his letter to the butler thought of something while sitting on his seat inside his room

'What if only for today, I'll sneak out of the household and go to the market to see the swords they're selling? Besides, I don’t have any sword training today either. So I have nothing to lose here’

With that thought, he immediately prepared himself to sneak out of the house observing the outside for the knights who were rounding inside the Maxwell's household. After looking that no one was in a certain spot that he's looking outside, he immediately sneaked out of his room through the window. He was wearing a coat that he had put on earlier after thing those thoughts. In case he’ll be notice, he had already the right clothes to disguise

Pretending to be a lost cat imitating a cat's sound to avoid being suspicious. He had landed on that spot. There, Damon immediately made his way out of the household and went to the back of it. That made him easily started walking towards the market easily

'This time, I'll do whatever I want. I will not be restricted to something I want to do. Tsk, just because of that stupid Princess, I was not able to enjoy my freedom'

With that, he decided to head towards the swords shop and to buy some swords for his training for the next few days

***

"So you send another invitation on the Maxwell Duchy for their eldest son to attend your tea parties again, Monique?" Gretha, Monique's second sister – the youngest one - said worrying about Damon and not with her sister at all. She sat on Monique's bed in her room and looked seriously at her

"Why not? We're engaged anyway so it's only right. What's the problem with that, Gretha?" Monique said defensively to her sister. With that kind of attitude, Gretha only heaved a sigh thinking that her sister is truly obsess with Damon

'This sister of mine was dangerously in love with Duke Maxwell's eldest son. This can't be good but I can’t do anything for now? She's always the favorite daughter unless Wilhelm talked to father but that won't be the case at all'

"Alright but let me just remind you that too much will never be good to other people too, remember that Monique," Gretha said, standing up from her sister's bed and walking out of the room

'Tsk, that's what you're saying because you haven't yet known how to love and experience it Gretha'

Monique thought proceeding with her usual routine of being a Princess in the empire that her father only stole to someone more worthy

***

"Iris, I have something for you to do. See, we're out of flour and other ingredients," Selby - the son of the bakery owner as well as her best friend - said to Iris making her nod and smile

"Anything for my besty, ey!" Iris said with a teasing voice to Selby making him slightly pat Iris’ shoulder and chuckles in response

"Okay, okay. Here's the list and better be back early for today, I don't have anyone to tease here if you're that slow" Iris' best friend Selby said smiling with a following tease

Instead of answering back, Iris smirked at him in response. Then, she proceeded to buy the things she was ordered to buy walking out of the bakery immediately like a soldier who's on duty. That actions ofher always makes Selby laugh easily in his lonely life

'You've never failed to make me laugh every single time with your actions, Iris. I hope that attitude of yours never changes'

With a smile, Selby thought looking at Iris’ back that had already disappeared from his sight

On the other hand, Iris was about to cross the street to buy the ingredients that she was handed when some carriages were about to bump into her. That was, until some mysterious guy behind her, who was wearing a black coat all over his body, pulled her into a narrow street covering her mouth

Nobody saw the scenario because they're too busy with the things they're doing

However, Iris was nervous and confused at the same time but that did not overrule her. She had strategies to escape from him so when she was about to bite the guy's hand, he immediately removed it from her lips. He immediately avoided her sudden bite though even if he didn't see this his sharp instincts always told him what to do. That is why he had saved her immediately from the moving carriages

"What are you doing and who are you?!" Iris exclaimed shocked about what had happened earlier. Instead of answering back, he looked at her for a moment then left her immediately just like that

Only for Iris to see the same pendant that the guy he bumped yesterday

'Could they be the same person or could they just have the same pendant? Either way, how could that guy be rude! Goodness! I was about to say thank you if he only answered my questions but he just left like that? Alright, Mr. Mystery guy. I couldn't even say thank you to him even though he was all covered in creepy black clothes'

Iris, instead of staying shocked at what had just happened decided to shrug those thoughts off. With that, she was about to get out of the narrow place where the mysterious guy had pulled her into. Until, she heard a crack of paper that she stepped on only to find a piece of crumpled paper lying in the ground

She hesitated to pick it but because of her cleanliness motto she had no choice but decided to pick it. Only to notice some familiar drawings or rather some familiar symbol that she had seen was all too familiar to her. Though, she can't remember where it was as she looked closely at the paper. All know was, she saw one thing that she's sure of

The symbol belongs to noble families she knew of it and she's sure of it

'But where did this paper come from? Don't tell me it's from him?!'