V

Vance was reading the state affairs and he was cross checking the nation's accounts. It was a languid and rather lazy afternoon. His side aides were quietly standing by his side and Lei was just seated right in front of him. She had been showing up at his residence quite a bit.

I'm really worried about Scarlet. It's as though she has disappeared into thin air," Lei began and she clasped and unclasped her hands worriedly.

"You don't happen to know where she is, do you?" Lei asked and Vance looked at her.

"Why would you ask that?" he questioned and stopped his markings. His eyes peered up at her. Vance had a very straight posture and his writing was exceptionally neat.

Growing up, he always had been the perfect one. The perfect son, the perfect brother, the perfect Crown Prince. He was the nation's darling and he did everything so damn perfectly that sometimes, Lei wondered if he was even real.

He also felt very much aloof. There was often a wall between his emotions and the world. It was as though he knew what he needed to say and he often did just that because it was right.

But, Lei often felt a sense that that facade wasn't all that genuine. It was as though Vance was functioning like a role, instead of a person.

"Nothing, I just thought you might have been more concerned since she's first girl that you've ever mentioned on your lips," Lei responded and Vance paused for a while. His expression lightened.

"She is indeed the first," Vance nodded and Lei tilted her head to look at her brother. What was up with that smile?

"Nonetheless, we're all concerned for her! I am, Sam is too! He's been trying to find some traces of her. Apparently, he knows something about her that I don't," Lei mentioned and Vance stopped writing altogether.

Lei noticed that he had written really hard on the paper that it had a hole and his brush had snapped.

Vance threw away the book and got up slowly. His expressions were composed, "Lei, I'll make a move first. Got some matters to attend to, see yourself out later."

He almost fled and Lei was perplexed. What was wrong with Vance?

-

How many times has this happened? Scarlet has already lost count. She was a prisoner, through and through. She was trying her best to feel anguish, some sort of emotions but the truth was, she was tired. Tired of the nightly routines, tired of how she should behave, tired of having any sort of emotions.

All she wanted was to go home. Her real home. Was it that difficult? Without warning, a tear escaped from the side of her eye. She laughed a little at the fact that she was crying now. Why did she even cry over this?

Vance noticed that and he placed a finger on the side of her cheeks. Slowly, he wiped it away, "I've already fallen, so maybe I should really just fall all the way," Vance murmured just as he held Scarlet's waist and leaned against it. He was visibly upset by something but he was also distracted by Scarlet's tears.

However, he refused to be moved. He was driven over by the possible fact that Scarlet was crying over Sam. Something knotted inside him and he could feel whatever shred of sensibility leaving him.

"Who are you crying for?"

"Myself," Scarlet murmured, "at the sheer ludacrity of things."

Vance looked at her, "We're not ludicrous. This isn't. I'm just crazy over you."