"Stand down." The princess stood to her feet and dusted her dress. "This was my mistake."
The guards gripped their weapons. "Your highness, please step away from this boy. In the name of the empress, he shall be slain."
The princess stared at the guards with a blank expression. "You would disobey me? Is that not treason?"
The guards clenched their jaws. I watched as they shifted their gaze from her to me and back again.
Then with a heavy breath, they sheathed their blades. "As you command, it shall be done, Your Highness."
The princess turned her eyes towards me. The blue hue in her irises began to fade. Immediately, I felt a flood of water tightly embrace my core.
The chaos receded deep.
I let a long breath of relief escape me as I looked down and gripped my tunic over my heart.
The princess approached me. I looked up with narrow eyes.
Before I could say anything, she bowed deeply. "Please, accept my humblest of apologies. I didn't act out of malice, but mere curiosity."
My jaw dropped.
Never in a million years would I have expected that.
"It's no problem, I felt exposed, that's all."
The princess kept her head low. "That was not my intention. If you'll allow me a second chance, I'll prove myself as a friend."
What is this? Why is she bowing to me? I thought nobles were supposed to be cocky know-it-alls? Had I overreacted?
Now I feel like shit.
I placed my hands on her shoulders and guided her to stand. "It's okay, really. I should've told you I didn't like it. I'm sorry too."
I averted my gaze.
The princess smiled softly. "I forgive you, do you forgive me?" She placed a hand under my chin and turned my head until we locked eyes.
My cheeks flushed. "Uhm, yeah."
The guards stood dumbfounded.
"I'm Melissa Vi Creation."
"Lafayette," I choked out, my voice cracking. "Lafayette Dumica Tide."
Melissa's eyes flickered with recognition.
"You're from the Dumica branch? Ha, that explains a lot." She giggled and looped her arm with mine. "I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to stay with you during this funeral."
Look at me moving up in the world. I went from having zero luck to getting a princess.
All those dating sims have finally paid off!
The dragon grumbled deeply. "And the spark fades as fast as it's born. I'm going back to sleep."
Melissa and I walked past the bristling guards.
They turned in a single motion and marched behind us in lockstep. The four of us exited the garden and entered the estate.
Inside, it was a cavernous space with a polished marble vaulted ceiling painted to look like the sea.
Dozens of nobles were standing about. They conversed about anything but the dead guy.
"Really? You'd support Darya? She's not a warrior, she can't even summon a beast." One noble whispered into a cup of wine.
"If we were nothing but a family of barbarians then you'd have a point." Another replied.
The conversation paused when they noticed me walking down the central aisle. I was as stiff as a board and that probably made me look more confident than I was.
My biggest concern was accidentally bumping into Melissa and getting arrested for harassment.
We turned into the main room where the highest-ranked nobles stood around a closed casket. The center of attention was a woman who looked exactly like Malissa, just older.
She was flanked by Darya and a man. That man was built like a Spartan warrior. Muscles on muscles, with a scar that ran from his forehead to his neck.
That had to be Ren.
"Your Majesty, I believe that should this family fall into Darya's hands, we will never know victory again," Ren spoke calmly with his arms crossed.
Darya frowned but maintained her composure. "Is that so? And I assume you know what to do with all the debts Triton has accumulated?"
Ren didn't hesitate. "You'll solve them, I will not worry myself with such things. I am a warrior, but I am not a fool."
"Oh, so you think I'll fix all our problems while you run around with all the benefits of high lord?" Darya asked.
"I don't just think, I know it," Ren replied. "You're tied to this family and its success, whether you're head or not."
While Ren and Darya bickered, the empress turned her gaze towards us. Melissa walked to the back of the room and kept to ourselves.
I looked around the room and spotted Lilith slumped in a chair with a bottle of wine and a bored expression. "Ugh…" she tilted her head in my direction.
She looked hammered, yet her eyes still held a sharp recognition. "Lafayette?" She mumbled and stood on her feet.
Her eyes moved between Melissa and me as a grin crossed her lips. "You little womanizer, I left you alone for what, 30 minutes?"
She squatted in front of us, wine bottle still in hand.
I scratched behind my neck. "It's not like that, mother. We're just friends."
Lilith grinned wide enough to reveal her teeth. "Right, Lafayette, do your mother a favor and cut the bullshit." She turned her gaze toward Melissa and touched her cheek. "And you, what interest do you have in my son?"
Melissa blinked at her touch. "Excuse me?"
Lilith wrapped her fingers around the back of Melissa's head and pulled the girl closer.
"You heard me. I bet you sensed how special he was. That's what little whores as you do, leech on the best to stay above the rest. Just like your mother."
The air grew heavy with silence.
The royal guards behind us reached for their weapons, but were halted by the empress. She raised a palm as she slowly stepped forward.
Lilith either didn't notice or didn't care. She kept her attention focused solely on Melissa, with a firm grip on her hair.
"Come on kid, answer me. You can go around flirting but not explain why? Speak up." She pushed her head around.
Melissa kept a blank expression. Her eyes tracked Lilith not with hatred, but curiosity. That same curiosity she had with me.
The empress stepped behind Lilith with a small smile. "Lilith dear, care to explain your handling of my daughter?" Her tone was gentle and genuine.
Lilith glanced over her shoulder. "Just curious why she's clinging to my son. You know how jealous I can be, so if anything it's your fault."
Darya looked horrified.
Ren barked with laughter.
And me, I just stood there.
Do I defend Melissa? I mean she's top-tier waifu potential. The classic Kuudere with a striking appearance to boot.
But Lilith, she's my mom. I mean sure she's nuts and has the moral compass of a rock, but still.
This is such a hard decision.
"You want to know why your son interests me?" Melissa finally asked. "It's quite simple, there's something in him. And I want to know what it is."
I tensed.
Lilith raised an eyebrow as she stopped shaking Melissa's head. "So you sensed it too? His potential? I knew you wanted nothing more than to get your claws into him."
She tossed the girl aside. A guard rushed to catch her. "Princess!"
Lilith stood and approached me. I stepped back, but she snatched me up by the collar. She raised me to meet her face-to-face. My heart hammered in my chest as I dangled in her grasp.
What the hell was happening?
Lilith glanced over her shoulder at Melissa. "I'm only gonna tell you this once, this boy is mine." She turned her eyes back on me and leaned in for a kiss.
Time slowed to a crawl.
Lilith's lips puckered and primed for me. Her own damn son. I could smell her breath. The scent of wine and copper.
This was it. I was gonna be known as the kid who kissed his mom on the lips.
But honestly…
…I wasn't complaining.
Or I wouldn't be, if the kiss ever landed.
"Cease this madness." The command was soft spoken, but it hit like a truck.
Crunch!
Lilith was pushed into the ground hard enough to make it crack. Yet she stayed standing with trembling shoulders.
The empress had blue iris to suppress water, and gray pupils to mimic gravity manipulation.
Lilith's grin grew as she locked eyes with the empress, "Aw, is this your attempt to spare your daughter's feelings? And here I thought you sold your heart a long time ago."
The empress simply smiled. "Lilith, you're drunk. It's time you and your son take leave, there is nothing more for you here."
Lilith laughed. "That's good old Charlotte for you. You'd rather clean the slate than accept reality. But fine, I'll go. Just keep your daughter away from my son."
The empress nodded as her eyes returned to a milky white.