Elysia hesitated, the weight of the moment pressing down on her. This was her only chance —the only moment she could demand answers without fear of rejection. If she let it slip, she might never ask again.
She took a quiet breath, steadying herself. Her voice, when it came, was carefully measured.
"When did we first meet? How did our relationship began?"
Alric's gaze lifted slightly. His sharp purple eyes flickered with something unreadable —an emotion buried deep beneath layers of composure.
He had expected her to ask something else, something more immediate.
Yet, this question ... it struck somewhere deeper.
"The first time we met, I knew I would never forget it."
His voice was steady, carrying the weight of memories long kept close. He leaned back slightly in his chair, his violet gaze settling on Elysia as he spoke.
"It was September 4th. My birthday, though I doubt you know that.
Almeida's capital, Vogue, was as lively as ever —merchants calling out their wares, children weaving through the streets, the scent of roasted chestnuts mixing with fresh bread from the bakeries.
I had arrived at Vogue days prior, but my presence had yet to be formally announced.
So, I used that anonymity to my advantage, wandering the city dressed as an adventurer."
A pause. His lips curved slightly, as if amused by the memory.
"That was when I saw you."
Elysia sat still, watching him closely. She did not interrupt, though a flicker of something —curiosity, perhaps —crossed her face.
"You were running."
Alric's fingers idly traced the rim of the glass, his voice taking on a distant, thoughtful quality.
"Your Highness had done a rather commendable job of shaking off your guards. I was merely standing near a fruit stall when you came barreling through the crowd. The next thing I knew, you collided into me."
A breath of silence passed before he exhaled a soft chuckle. She was surprised by his sudden comedic tone.
"You scowled at me like I had personally wronged you."
Elysia's lips parted slightly, as if to protest, but he continued before she could say anything.
"Then, just as swiftly, you grabbed my wrist and told me to come with you, as protection and insurance."
He watched her closely, gauging her reaction. Her brows furrowed slightly, though her expression remained unreadable.
"I was... intrigued, to say the least."
Alric tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing as if recalling the moment in finer detail.
"You were still dressed in your engineer's uniform, and though your face was partially concealed by your hood, you stood out to me immediately.
Not in the way a noble does among commoners, but in the way someone who doesn't belong still carries themselves as if they do."
His fingers tapped against the table in a slow rhythm.
"You didn't wait for my response. You simply dragged me through the streets, and I—" he let out a breath "—I followed."
Elysia remained silent, though her eyes held a quiet intensity.
"Upon entering a modest inn tucked away in the backstreets, you swiftly booked a room and instructed me to stand guard for a while. When you emerged, now dressed in comfortable trousers and a simple shirt, the hood no longer concealed your auburn hair —confirming my suspicions."
Elysia marveled at the extent of his perceptiveness, wondering how he had been able to recognize her as the princess with nothing more than a single glance.
"Leaving there, we arrived at an orphanage on the quieter side of the capital. The moment you stepped through the worn wooden gates, a chorus of delighted voices rang out, tiny feet pattering against the stone path as the children rushed toward you.
Their laughter was bright, unrestrained, as if welcoming home a beloved elder sibling rather than a noble princess.
You knelt down without hesitation, arms open as they flung themselves at you. I stood back, watching as you called each of them by name, your voice warm and familiar, as if you had known them all your life. And perhaps, in some way, you had.
When a little girl tugged at your sleeve, holding out a toy with a missing wheel, you took it into your hands with effortless grace —your fingers moving with the precision of an engineer, not a noble.
Within moments, you had it fixed, handing it back with a proud smile, and the girl beamed up at you as though you had performed a miracle.
From your sling bag, you produced gifts —small, simple things, yet each one carefully chosen. A carved wooden whistle, a bundle of colored ribbons, a tiny clockwork bird that fluttered its wings when wound.
The children gasped in awe, crowding around you with shining eyes, their excitement contagious.
You didn't simply bestow charity upon them. You knelt at their level, spoke to them as equals —no, more than that. The way you laughed with them, tousled their hair, wiped away a smudge of dirt from a boy's cheek with gentle fingers ... it was clear.
You saw them not as orphans, not as those beneath you, but as family.
And as you conversed with the caretakers, your voice full of warmth and familiarity, I found myself watching you more closely.
The ease with which you belonged here, the light in your eyes as you sat among them, the unguarded joy in your smile —
For a fleeting moment, I almost believed you truly did."
Alric's expression softened, but there was something guarded in his gaze —something unreadable.
"You were different, Elysia." The way he said her name was careful, deliberate.
"The way you looked at the world, the way you laughed, the way you never once hesitated to argue with me. I could tell you had been raised in a cage, but you never let it break you."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the table.
"At first, I introduced myself as 'Al'—a simple traveler passing through. But you weren't a fool. You didn't believe I was just some common adventurer. You named yourself as 'Liz,' and we both knew that THAT wasn't a complete name."
A small smirk ghosted his lips.
"You doubted me from the very beginning. My mannerisms, the way I spoke, the way I carried myself —it all betrayed me - which I expressed intentionally of course.
And though you never confronted me directly, I could see it in your eyes. You were trying to place me. To fit me into a rank."
His voice dropped slightly, a shade more thoughtful.
"At the very least, you had decided I was a noble. A Baron's son, perhaps, or someone who had grown up in a world of etiquette and expectations. But for some reason, you never asked me who I truly was."
He let those words settle between them, studying her reaction.
"And in turn, I never asked why you spent your days visiting places that had nothing to do with you."
"We met in front of the fruit stall daily and you always departed to your home, which you never exposed to me, close to dusk."
A pause.
"For three days, we simply let it be."
Alric's voice remained steady, though there was an undercurrent of something unspoken in his tone.
"The fourth day came, and you arrived at the fruit stall like always."
He watched her closely as he continued, gauging every shift in her expression.
"You waited."
A pause.
"Ten minutes. Half an hour. An hour."
The weight of those words hung between them.
"But I never came."
Elysia's fingers twitched slightly at her side, but she said nothing.
"I wonder now if you were angry, or simply disappointed."
Alric leaned back in his chair, his violet gaze darkening slightly.
"At some point, you must have decided to go on without me. You turned on your heel, ready to slip away as you always did, but before you could take more than a few steps —"
A slow exhale.
"Your guards found you."
Elysia's lips parted slightly, but she remained silent, listening.
"They surrounded you, their stances firm yet respectful. 'Your Highness, please return to the palace,' said they. I imagine you considered escaping again."
The corners of his mouth lifted, but the smile did not quite reach his eyes.
"But then, your brother appeared."
He tilted his head slightly, watching her reaction.
"I wasn't there to see your expression, but I can picture it clearly —the way your posture stiffened, the way your fingers twitched ever so slightly as you abandoned your thoughts of running. You knew there was no avoiding it now. So, you followed him back to the palace."
He let out a slow breath, his gaze distant.
"There, your father was waiting."
A pause.
"King Louise de Almeida —the man I would later make my father-in-law —had summoned you with a single request: to prepare yourself."
His fingers traced the edge of the table, as if lost in thought.
"The Grand Duke of Arzest had requested an audience. And not just with the King —but with the entire royal family."
Elysia blinked, her jaw tightening slightly.
"You were definitely not pleased."
A small chuckle left Alric's lips, though it was devoid of amusement.
"You were forced to abandon your day, your freedom, for a noble you had no interest in meeting. Instead of research, instead of wandering the city you loved so much, you had to sit through a luncheon —one arranged specifically to entertain a man you assumed was arrogant, demanding, and insufferable."
" 'Grand Duke Alric Rihett Arzest' —his name, his titles, his supposed brilliance in both Alchemy and Magic Engineering —none of it mattered to you in that moment. I could almost see the thought forming behind your eyes, the barely restrained exasperation. If he was this insufferably stubborn, then no achievement of his would impress you."
He let the silence stretch between them for a moment before speaking again, softer this time.
"And so, you did what was required. You dressed in the finest garments your attendants prepared, you composed yourself with the grace expected of you, and you prepared to fulfill your duty as the princess of Almeida."
Alric's voice carried something unreadable in it, something just shy of bittersweet.
"You prepared yourself to meet a man you had already met."
And with that, he fell silent, watching as realization flickered in Elysia's eyes.
He leaned back in his seat, a soft chuckle escaping his lips before he continued, his voice carrying a mixture of amusement and nostalgia.
Alric regarded her for a moment, his violet gaze steady, searching. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, measured —each word carrying a distinct weight.
"You arrived late to the dining hall that day —though only just. A deliberate choice, I suspect. If you were to be made to entertain an arrogant noble, then surely, he could afford to wait on you."
A flicker of amusement passed through his eyes, as if daring her to deny it. Elysia did not, though her fingers curled slightly against her lap.
Alric allowed a knowing smirk to form at the corner of his lips before continuing.
"And yet, upon arriving, you discovered that the supposed noble had not deigned to appear at all. Ah, how infuriating that must have been. 'What nerve they have to make this drag on,' I believe that would have been your immediate thought."
His words carried an effortless charm, as if he could still see the scene unfolding before him.
Elysia's face betrayed the faintest trace of exasperation, though she did not interrupt.
Then, Alric's tone shifted.
"And that was when it happened,"
A silence stretched between them before he spoke again, quieter now, more deliberate.
"A presence —one vast and unfathomable, pressing against the edges of the room with an authority that was not merely seen but felt. You did not know why it unsettled you, only that it did. Your hands clenched against the table, your posture stiffened ever so slightly. It was instinct, was it not? A forewarning that something ... someone ... had arrived."
Elysia's breath hitched ever so slightly. She could not remember it, and yet, she felt the truth in his words.
Alric's gaze darkened, his voice growing silkier, more amused.
"And then the doors opened."
He leaned back in his seat, his expression unreadable.
"Baron Fitzroy was the first to enter —ever the picture of grace and nobility. But you hardly spared him a glance."
His violet eyes held hers, gleaming with something between mischief and nostalgia.
"No, because behind him stood a man you had already met."
A pause, just long enough to let the memory settle in her mind.
"Your 'Al'—the common traveler you had dragged through the capital, the adventurer you had pulled into your little escapades —stood before you, now adorned in the attire befitting his rank. And then, your father spoke my name."
He allowed the words to settle, his gaze keenly watching for the shift in her expression.
"'Grand Duke Alric Rihett Arzest, Greetings.' said your father."
Elysia tensed, her breath caught between realization and disbelief.
Alric chuckled softly. It was a rich, warm sound —one laced with undeniable amusement.
"You did not listen to anything that came next. I still recall your expression with perfect clarity. The way your eyes widened, the way your posture went rigid as though struck by lightning. I do believe you may have stopped breathing entirely."
His smirk deepened slightly, the memory seemingly bringing him genuine delight.
"And then, of course, came the matter of your greeting"
He gave a small, elegant gesture with his hand before reciting, with perfect mimicry:
"'G-Grand Du —Your Grrrace, um—m-my lord, no —I mean, welcome?!'"
Elysia's face turned an unmistakable shade of pink. Her posture stiffened as she shot him a sharp glare, her voice low but seething. "Your Grace —!" she hissed, the barely restrained indignation in her tone enough to set fire to the room.
Her glare was immediate, sharp enough to cut, but Alric merely lifted his hands in mock surrender, his expression as smooth as ever.
"I shall refrain from laughter ... for now."
He gave a slight pause, letting the moment pass before he continued, his voice dipping into something softer.
"But even after that ... even after your initial shock, your confusion, you sought me out."
The teasing glint in his eyes faded, replaced by something quieter, something genuine.
"That evening, you sent word for a private meeting. I knew why, of course, but I still chose to come."
His voice carried a rare gentleness now, as if he were speaking not to the Elysia of the present, but to the one from his memories.
"You apologized. You wished to atone for treating me as a mere commoner, for dragging me through the streets as if I were some nameless wanderer. I found it rather endearing, truth be told —because I never once resented it."
A faint smile ghosted his lips.
"And so, I offered a proposal. 'Spend time with me instead,' I told you. 'Since I remain here until the wedding, even after the delegation leaves, let us use this time wisely' And you agreed."
His words carried a quiet finality, as though that moment had sealed something neither of them had quite understood at the time.
Then, he exhaled lightly, his gaze growing distant, as if lost in the past.
"From then on, it became our routine."
A slow breath.
"Every day, without fail, we met. In the palace gardens, in the city streets, in the quiet villages beyond the capital. You showed me the world as you saw it —through the eyes of a woman unshackled by titles, untamed by the weight of duty."
His expression grew thoughtful, almost wistful.
"You took me to orphanages, to schools, to the workshops where your presence was not merely known, but cherished. You were not a distant noble bestowing charity from above —you were one of them, hands in the dirt, sleeves rolled up, laughing as you worked alongside them."
Elysia's fingers trembled slightly, her heart tightening in a way she did not understand.
His voice dropped lower.
"And I watched."
His gaze was unwavering now, holding hers with something she could not name.
"I watched as you spoke of your dreams with such brilliance, as your eyes lit up over the smallest of discoveries. I watched as you argued, as you defied me at every turn, as you never once treated me as someone above you, but as an equal, more like your own blood."
His next words came softer, more deliberate.
"I watched, and I knew."
Her breath hitched, but she did not look away.
Alric's fingers traced the rim of the glass, as if grounding himself before he spoke again.
"It was not love at first sight, nor was it some grand revelation. No, it was something quieter. Something that crept in slowly, unnoticed, settling deep before either of us thought to name it."
His voice, usually so composed, wavered ever so slightly.
"And for those few days, Elysia... we were happy."
Silence stretched between them. A silence heavy with all that was unspoken, with all that had been lost.
Then, he exhaled, a slow, measured breath.
"I would have given anything for it to last forever."
His eyes met hers, and for the first time since he had begun speaking, there was no amusement, no careful detachment —only something raw, something unguarded.
And deep within her chest, something ached.
She believed him.
Not because she remembered. Not because she had any proof.
But because every word, every description, every fragment of herself that he painted was too perfect, too right to be a fabrication.
She had lived those days.
Even if she could not recall them.
And for the first time, as she met the eyes of the man who had once been her everything, she felt the weight of that loss settle into her bones.
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