[Music Recommendation: Breathe ~ Lee Hi]

Adric tilted his head to the side as he watched the skittish movement of the small Princess, like she was caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to. He shook his head slightly; the girl was always full of energy, which sometimes worried him, but not for the wrong reasons. Adric raised his brows, an evil grin playing on his lips.

"What did you do to her?" Adric’s attention was called back by Nicholas’s question.

"Hm?" His brows arched by default as he turned to meet the stern look from the Prime Minister.

Nicholas ruffled his hair as if trying to suppress something. "She’s clearly scared of you. What have you done to her? You can’t keep her here against her will and still be a tyrant. She’s shaken and scared."

Adric turned his head to look at Oriana’s door, then back at Nicholas. He chuckled. "I did something to scare her? Me?" His voice sounded so innocent, like someone who would never hurt a fly or kill it.

"I know you’re a good man. We’ve been friends in the past. I don’t know you to force yourself on a woman. Whatever the reason, let the princess go," Nicholas now spoke with a calm voice.

Adric nodded, feigning a look of pity and sadness. "Have you decided to leave your position as a Prime Minister and be my personal aide? Rowan wouldn’t mind switching positions. I mean, he’s been on my neck to move up his title." He paused with a faint grin on his face. If looked closely, one would see the frown that now replaced it.

"Nicholas, to each their own. Dear friend, to each their own. The Princess didn’t bring you from Orion as her spokesperson. On second thought, I brought her," Adric spoke with total calmness that chilled the bone. His eyes moved to look behind Nicholas when he noticed a person’s movement in the dark.

The Prime Minister nodded. "You did, but are you ready to protect her? You know what happened today wasn’t a mistake and how evil your family—"

Adric sucked his teeth. "If you want to know how a tyrant reigns, complete that statement about my family, and I shall have your entire family until sixth generation punished for treachery. Go on, I dare you." As he spoke, he casually searched his pocket to retrieve a box of cigarettes. He lit one and nodded, encouraging Nicholas to speak.

"Go on, I’m listening," he said with the cigarette between his teeth as he dragged in a smoke.

Nicholas bowed. "I must have lost my mind for a moment, Your Highness." He bowed again.

"That’s what I thought. You should see a physician before it gets worse." Adric grinned, looking at his hand that was bandaged with a white piece. He puffed a smoke before leaving the passage. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Nicholas stood there alone in the passage, his fist clenched. He turned to hit the wall but stopped when he saw someone now standing in front of him.

"When did you get here?" He bowed. "Princess Adelaide."

Adelaide smiled. "When was it? Something about a tyrant king or not?" She tapped her finger on her lips, deep in thought.

Nicholas wiped his face with his good hand. "You heard that?" He sighed.

Adelaide waved her hand. "Don’t worry too much about everything Brother Adric says. Though he means every word, he says, but I’m just trying to comfort you." She chuckled softly.

Nicholas smiled with a small nod. "Thank you, Princess Adelaide." He turned to look at Oriana’s room before turning back.

"If you’re worried about the Princess, I can let you know how she is at all times," Adelaide suggested, following the Prime Minister’s eyes, which led back to Oriana’s room.

Nicholas shook his head. "No, you don’t need to get into trouble because of me. It’s okay."

Adelaide walked closer to hold his hand. "Have you forgotten? How you got into trouble when we were growing up because I always enjoyed swimming outside the palace?"

Nicholas threw his head back and laughed at the memory he had almost forgotten. "I remember. One time you cried all day because you almost touched a jellyfish."

The memory had the two of them laughing as they reminisced about their past times playing together in the palace.

Adelaide stopped laughing, her hand on her chest. "I miss the days you were really close with Brother Adric. Things used to be better around here. You know, even the horse race."

Nicholas nodded in agreement. "I know, right..." His voice trailed off. The days when they were growing up only to fall apart at some point in life to become more than enemies.

"You’re sleeping in the palace tonight, right?" Adelaide asked as they started walking outside together. "It’ll be nice to see your face during breakfast." The princess remarked, holding her gown up properly when she came down the steps.

Nicholas turned to reply when they were stopped by Caspar, Jasmine’s husband.

"Lord Nicholas," Caspar bowed on seeing the Prime Minister before he turned his face to look at Adelaide with a small smile.

Nicholas noticed this exchange. "Princess Adelaide, I should go and rest. See you tomorrow during breakfast." He bowed to Caspar before leaving them alone.

Adelaide fumed, her eyes closed. She turned to look at the man standing in front of her.

"The Prime Minister is someone I call very wise. He knows when to leave," Caspar said, walking closer to Adelaide and stretching his hand forward to hold her, but the princess took a step back, leading to a frown on his face.

"What are you doing?" Adelaide’s anger was now seething as she glared at the man.

Caspar scratched his brows. "What do you mean, what am I doing? I’ve been looking for you. Do you know how much I’ve missed you—"

Adelaide pushed him back, stopping him from coming any closer. "Caspar, I’ve told you to stay away from me. I asked you to do one thing, just one thing, and you couldn’t even get it right. Don’t show up in front of me. Your face gets on my last nerve."

Caspar touched his face. "How?" He asked, looking at himself, but before he could say anything more, Adelaide walked away.

"That idiot!" Adelaide muttered to herself while walking towards the room she had seen Nicholas walk into. She knocked twice on the door before bringing her hand down.

Nicholas appeared in front of the door, wearing just his trousers and no shirt. "Princess Adelaide..." He tried to close the door to get a shirt on, but Adelaide put her leg forward.

"I was hoping to help you clean the wound. I know it’ll be difficult for you," she said with a sly smile, entering the room and closing the door.