░13░ The Forbidden Book

'She's the very first friend that made me feel alive for a moment. I could never forget you, Iris'

Damon thought as he walked happily towards their duchy. But when he suddenly remembered that he forgot to buy a sword for his training he immediately shrugged his dismay. Thinking the first meeting he had with Iris

'It's better that I've forgotten about buying a sword than not meeting Iris at all. She made me feel light and be myself than always pretending to like something even if I never did'

Damon unconsciously smiled again after thinking about Iris. There he continued walking towards their duchy until he went on the back of the place and climb through the wall. Firstly, he was observing if there were knights around. Upon knowing that there weren't any in the place, he immediately step down on the ground and act like a spy or something just to get to the inside of the duchy. Without getting noticed that he sneaked out of the place, he successfully went inside

With that, he immediately climbed the wall again of his room's large window. He opened it because it was unlocked from the beginning. Then, he immediately jumped to his room and closed the window afterward

'Phew that's a lot of effort to work on now'

Damon thought wiping some of the sweats forming from his forehead as he sighed. Now he was walking to his bed and sitting there trying to rest for the events that had happened within the day

'If I hadn't sneaked out of the duchy, I would probably be in the imperial palace with that annoying princess always inviting me to tea parties – that’s the main reason I’m always postponing the sword training - and I would miss a chance to meet my commoner friend, Iris'

With that thought, he laid his head on the bed laughed like there's no tomorrow. He was reminiscing the moment he had with Iris and his fake identity as El

'I could never get enough with her. This time, I felt like I wanted to see her smile again'

Shaking his head with that thought, he continued smiling after laughing so hard

***

"Alright, that's all for the day, your highness the crown prince Wilhelm I hope you read all of these books tonight. We'll be having our recall tomorrow morning," Sebastian – the private tutor of the crown prince for academics and etiquettes - said seriously. Sebastian, as the private tutor was not only intelligent that’s why he’s teaching the crown prince but he was the person that the empress had recommended. He teaches Wilhelm for academics, history of the empire and etiquettes while Killium, the emperor’s first rank imperial knight, conducted his sword training

"Yes sir, I'm grateful for the lessons today," Wilhelm said respectfully to Sebastian. Though Sebastian only smiled at him as he bowed respectfully and walked out of the room

'At last, the day was finished again and became night'

Wilhelm thought as he looked outside from the room's large window to see the moon illuminating its light on the surrounding. There he saw the knights rounding in the vast palace

'There was never a time that the palace had run out of knights around. I wonder if I became someone that our father never expected to, would he be disappointed in me, or would he abandon me in the end?'

That thought made him serious while looking outside as ideas suddenly come into his mind making him smirk all of a sudden

'If I became a tyrant emperor, no one can ever stop my reign. Yes, just wait for everyone and it'll be my turn to govern this empire'

That thought made him decide what he'll eventually do in the future. Just for tonight, he already know the course he'll be taking - to be powerful that no one can stepped on him

'No one dared to understand me. So no one must stay alive unless they’re useful, that’s only when my time to reign comes'

Laughing evilly with that thought he averted his gaze from the outside. Then, he started walking out of the room until he remembered the book that he found earlier before his lesson started

It was a book containing the olden structure of the empire of Mestia, the long-forgotten empire that was ruined thousands of years ago. Many people that knew the empire wrote their knowledge in a book. Other books were already destroyed, as it was a forbidden book. A forbidden book that was destined to destroy an empire with the knowledge it gives. But because some of them were not found, those that were not found were either brought to another empire or either mixed in all of the books there been inside an empire's library

Upon remembering it, he turned again facing the shelves inside the room. He went to the end shelf and picks the old book that had no title on the cover. It was only covered by a brown colored that was seen on the outside

'This is one of my treasures for now. This night made me realize what I wanted to become after seeking so thinking hard. After seeking so much love and comfort from others that I never received then, I might have to be a tyrant to let them feel what I felt throughout the years I've been used to'

With that thought, Wilhelm smirked suddenly while gripping the book tightly enough for the cover to be slightly crumpled. After staying long enough in the place, he immediately walked out of the room and placed the book in his secret pocket inside his clothes

There, began to walk outside of the room like nothing special had ever happened

After closing the door of the room he walked towards his room for some night res. The more he walked towards it the more he remembered the past and the more hurt he felt just by remembering those. Because it was already night, he can't avoid feeling lonely and depressed about his childhood memories, as well as his responsibility as a crown prince in the empire nation

Afterward, he already entered his room and immediately pull out the book that was secretly hidden inside his clothes. There, he placed it on his table beside his bed. For a moment he sat on his bed and sighed while portraying such a sad expression on his face

Every night, it was his usual emotion to feel sad and depressed because of the silence and coldness it gives him. However, because he had already decided what he'll do, that this current night made him. He’s determined to not give in with loneliness. He needs to be the one that'll give loneliness to others

He stood from his bed and removed the clothes he had as he proceeded to his large closet to change to his nightclothes. Upon choosing his nightclothes in the closet he went again towards his bed and there he removed all his clothes and changed

Having the light of the moon as his guide in his room, he easily changed his clothes. Considering that he never wanted to light his room when night arrives. Not known to others but Wilhelm's back had a small tattoo about a little dragon and that was the symbol of the olden empire of Gordon – the Mestia, he was the one who’ll inherit the throne but because he was shown negative emotions he'll most likely destroy it then build it to be better

Little did he know that the characteristic he’s been showing up until the night was the characteristics that the emperor wanted except from destroying the empire his ancestors stole so hard

After he changed to nightclothes, he gently sat at his bed and picked the book from the bedside table.he started reading the third page from where he left to read earlier.

'The olden empire of Mestia was consist of the four known places, the Grundio which symbolizes the north, the Yragi which symbolizes the south, the Thripathi which symbolizes the east, and the Lervida which symbolizes the west in all of the places the Thripathi was blessed with...'

He continued reading the book where he left previously, until he found some information that could lead to danger in the empire

'So after all, this land was called Mestia from the start, I just can't believe I'm learning different information from what was written by the history of this empire as well as the teachings of Sebastian. All were different from what this book conveys'

Wilhelm was surprised upon knowing some information. Though, he thought again that it was possible considering that it doesn’t have any genre and the symbol on the back of the book seems real to him.

But what they don't know was the information it held are all true compared to the information about the histories of every nation that was never true to begin

'This could lead to something unexpected to occur'

***

"We're home! Iris, are you there? Seems the lights were not turned off when we went outside Victor," Olivia said concerned in front of her husband who was holding Grey on his shoulders – who was eating an apple candy

"No Olivia, Iris was already here and if I might add she was with someone in the house,"

"What?!"

'Uh-oh, dad always has a very sharp sense!'

Upon hearing her parent's voice, she knew that she can't avoid such a situation. So she immediately went towards them smiling shyly with a sudden urge to explain to them

"I-I can explain, mom and dad. Do leave Grey out of this," Iris unconsciously blurted out. She was about to directly say the words to explain but different words came out of her mouth instead

Her father, Victor went inside not wanting to hear his daughter explain. He looked immediately who the person was only to be surprised that he knew who it was. He knew very well who the person was laying on their sofa with a band around his back. The soft clothes were around its bleeding, bruised body

'So it was him after all. He never did avoid his father's hard treatment against him, Lucius'

Victor thought as he sighed turning his head towards his family. Now he was smiling warmly at them. He pretends to understand the situation even if he knew very well what was happening

"Olivia, it seems that Iris just helped some passerby who was deeply injured by a sudden accident that he encountered on the road. Iris, you never disappoints me by helping other people. Continue that trait and never change, okay?" Victor said to his family making the two together with Grey, who was still eating the candy apple, near him. Iris in response only smiled genuinely at her parents

"Hmmm. Very well noted dad!" Iris said who was now hugging his father tightly while tears started to stream down her face

"Remember to be always strong, and for you also Olivia - to Grey our little son, all of you come here and let's hug for the moment," Victor said making the other two come to where he is and gave a group hug

Laughing to each other afterward

"Oh! I suddenly forgot, Ellie! I need to go back to find a little bird we--- I saved earlier from its wounded wings!" Iris suddenly remembered making their hug break

But in return, she only heard chuckles

"That's why we saw a little bird in the path we thought it was already abandoned so we brought it to our house. It was placed on the outside of the door. Especially that Grey was so eager to want it," Olivia said chuckling making Iris calm down

Then afterward she hugged her family again

'This is home with Ellie now'