"As far as I know... yes." Raphaela turned her eyes away, studying the ground. I know she concealed something. The sisters have alienated me recently, and I don’t know if Rafela realizes that the difference has become so great. Once she becomes my wife, the situation will get worse.
Pack your luggage before the family. Always. But what defines these boundaries
I reached out and grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. Sooner or later she will tell me what happened between them. I am her partner. There can be no more secrets.
"let's go?"
The heavy rain slapped the windows violently. I imagined hundreds of frightened children and pets huddled in bed tonight. Sometimes I hope that I am young again, without mistakes and wrong transitions, with a new look, without history, without future, and without ruining my life. Those things that can never be undone plunged deeply into my skin, forming invisible scars, which can't be seen by anyone except me.
The royal guards put down their backpacks, took off their drenched jackets, and hung them on the hooks on the wall by the door. I threw my backpack on the floor. I'm soaked all over, so it doesn't matter to me. I have to wash all my clothes anyway. Most of my things may have been ruined.
It was still cold, and I held my frame and scanned his apartment. It is comfortable, warm, simple and live in. Although far from perfect, it is safe. This is the most important. I am used to the magnificent accommodation, but compared with the freezing rain outside, this place is simply my paradise. The walls and tables are full of photo frames with smiling faces. Two young boys who were obviously relatives grinned at the camera. There is only one official picture of a man and a woman standing proudly behind the two boys. Their smiles are sincere, and their faces are full of smiles.
I picked up the last frame and looked at it carefully. I have never seen such happiness in my parents. Although my sister and I have been loved and petted, I hardly remember that my parents once smiled with such joy and vitality. My fingers slid across the smooth wooden frame, and a wave of melancholy triumphed over my pain. This Jǐngwei grew up, very happy and very cared for. I don't know if he knows how much money he has compared to me.
"If you want, you can take a shower. The bathroom is on the right at the end of the corridor. The last door on the left. Here." He took out a dark green towel, a shirt and some shorts with elastic bands. He must have guessed that my things are soaked. I breathed a sigh of relief and didn't need to ask for anything, but there was a question lingering in my mind.
"Thank you," I whispered. He turned around and walked towards the room, ready to change his clothes. I think so. "and many more!"
He paused, turned around, waiting for my question. "What's the matter, ma'am?"
"Please don't call me that. Call me Lily or Liliana."
He pondered this question, his eyes showed a pensive look, but he didn't speak. I'm pretty sure that this is against everything deeply rooted in his soul calling my name. It's just not done in the palace.
"What's your name?" I asked.
His eyes widened, and a trace of uncertainty flickered behind him. In the dark apartment, I couldn't see his full face. I'm not sure if he was offended. I can't wait to see his face during the day.
"It's Everem." He continued to walk towards the room on the other side of the apartment, where he took off his shirt and threw it on the floor. I couldn't tear my eyes off him. Naturally, he glanced and found that I was looking at him. Very good.
He must know who I am. I don't know how he knew it. I'm far away from the camera. No one is interested in the low-level sister of the princess who belongs to the Werewolf Royal Family series. Regardless of my ancestry, he found that the way I stared at him made my face flush, as if I was a schoolgirl. I stood in the dark, my facial features were obscured by the dim light, which made me feel more relaxed than ever.
When he shifted his weight and turned to leave, a green light on his chest caught my attention.
"What is that?" I asked, desperately eager for him to stay a while longer.
"What?" Ephraim never looked down, but his jaw was tight. He knew what I was talking about, and now I am even more curious, because he gave me a reason to investigate further. He doesn't want to tell me directly what the amulet around his neck is, so whether he wants to provide information or not, I will squeeze it out of his mouth.
"You know... the pendant you wear. What is that?"
He reached for the necklace, his fingers wrapped around the emerald stone embedded in a dim platinum base, and some small runes were pressed on it. I have never seen it before, but it is strangely familiar.
"This is a gift from my mother." He searched before my eyes for a while. "Every family member of noble blood has one."
"What do these runes mean?"
His eyes swept to the window, watching the rain hit the window. He swallowed, cleared his throat, and exhaled. "It doesn't make any sense. It's just a gift."
It's a lie. He knew that I knew that every member of the royal family had a passionate amulet. It is not entirely without precedent that small royals like the king’s nephew or cousin join the ranks of the Royal Guard, but it is certainly unusual. Even so, their military rank can only make them captains, rather than patrolling around the court's territory. What is he hiding? I feel the pulse of my anger hit my face, and the most sure thing is to turn it into the shadow of eggplant purple. How dare he lie to me? I may be a spoiled royal, but I have the same feelings as everyone else. In fact, his deception burned into my heart like a soldering iron.
"Lily, where's your amulet?"
I stretched my hand to my neck, not feeling where the pendant metal should be placed. Without the necklace, I feel very fragile and weak.
"I have no idea."
I looked away and took a deep breath, so as not to get hotheaded by such a thing, but before long, when I heard his door click shut, I turned my gaze back to him. That bastard left me there and made me angry. The way the layer rises is different from that of the arc knight. They may have great respect for the royal family, but they are more mysterious than the Zhing Yāng Intelligence Bureau. But I will ask sooner or later. He has nothing to hide from me.
Damn it. If only I hadn't seen his well-developed, neat warrior body before he disappeared behind the door. He is in good condition, that's for sure. I am pretty sure that each of our soldiers is required to maintain a perfect body shape, but I have never seen a soldier without armor. The way it burned my body under my skin made me want to hide in the bathroom, and my anger dissipated.
When I got there, I leaned my back against the closed door and closed my eyes before turning on the light. This small space is a refuge. If all I have to do is deal with an introverted security guard, it will be a piece of cake. I just hate that I look like a bad guy now. My reaction was terrible, and I groaned as I stepped forward and waved a thin rope to the side, squeezing the water from my mane.
"It's really just a mess," I sighed. I averted my gaze, stared at the standard bathtub/shower combination, took a deep breath, and concentrated. The luxurious bathroom at home is gone forever. This is my life now. Yes, that was too bad, but now I have nothing, which is better than nothing. Beggars have no right to choose.
At least now I have Ephesus. No matter who this soldier is, I want to know more about my knight in shiny armor. Maybe he can become our ally. A comrade. Maybe he can help me find what was stolen and help me find my life.
Maybe he is exactly what I need. I can't wait to know.
I leaned against the door, grateful that there was a barrier between me and the princess. She is obviously used to giving orders in the crowd, especially in front of Jǐngwei. This makes me laugh. Anyway, this is not her territory, she is right, she is no longer the royal family here. I don't owe her anything, and she has no power over me.
After taking a breath, I began to peel off the remaining clothes sticking to my muscles. It was a long night, and under my care Lily, things became more complicated than before. I have never saved a royal family member before. For any soul, exile is as painful as death. Why must I stumble upon a royal family member tonight? It is one thing to save a member of my own tribe, a Mark Thiel, but in the Temple City, the opposing tribes are completely different. They have a bottomless pit full of possible problems.
If only another Jǐng Wei found her tonight.
I held my passionate amulet tightly and felt the magical buzzing sound between my fingers. The appearance of any wolf of noble blood always excites the stone. It constantly beats my skin and makes me dizzy. Not that I need more help. Liliana has her own unique way. From the brief spotlight I saw in the media, I knew very little about her, but from the moment I saw her for the first time a few years ago, I knew she was different from other members of the royal family, even her Sister Raphaela.
I threw the sword aside, and rolled my shoulders back before entering the main bathroom. I thought nothing but Lily, the wet water filled me again. I never thought I would see her again. She obviously does not remember me, because I was a member of the Royal Guard of our race a year ago.
When I was a little boy, I escorted the royal family members of the Marktier to the land dispute negotiation meeting, and I met Lily. The same meeting separated the two groups forever. They failed to reach an agreement on controlling part of the neutral land, and in the course of all the differences, our commitment as an engaged couple was cut off. If we get married, this will unite two competing kingdoms and satisfy an ancient peace prophecy. Even though she and I are both the second child of our family. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)