Aurora (Eun-Kyung)'s POV

For the first time in a while, the stuff I tried to hide inside my mind finally came free when I talked all about my problem with Irene.

We all were in a bad situation not much better or worse than each other. I really pitied her that she couldn't go and visit her mother even if she wanted to.

But for me, the chance of me going back to earth was already none when I chose to come into this world.historical

"Aurora, let's go through all of these together."

Ah...

Those words from her made me teary and emotional but Irene whose eyes could see soul couldn't see the screen between her and I.

The pressure started dropping and weighing on my shoulder every second, I hated all of these. I loved my friend like they were family to me but I also cherished my life as well.

What did I have to do?? I had no idea anymore.

[Kill your friend or die. Time remaining 5X days.]

Why??? Why did it drop from three months to two??!!! Why???

I didn't want to kill Sun-hee. I regretted it to accept the type of mission. If I ever killed her, I could live happily but at what cost???

I knew too damn well who Sun-hee was already, but to imagine I could raise the dagger to kill her was so hard to imagine.

[Critical Mission: Save Tristan. Duration: six days.]

But I also didn't want to continue all of these missions either...

What should I do??

At that time I could only hide my face sobbing on Irene's chest as she patted my pink hair calming me down. I was really pathetic.

We talked with each other till the dawn finally came, to our surprise, we found Herod and Aurora's cousin sleeping in front of the door.

I thought my swollen eyes were fooling me but they weren't. With my superstrength, I picked up Aurora's cousin inside the carriage with one hand taking him home, and then went back to Herod.

"Wake up, Herod. It's already dawn." she woke up rubbing his eyes and stretching her back and hands since she was sit-sleeping the whole night.

With the same clothes, I wasn't brave enough to go back to Madeline's duchy to change my clothes, I really didn't want to see the mother and son.

But thanks to the butler of Aurora's father, he brought me the clothes I needed when I thought of him.

I gave him some orders for him to do while I'm gone, if I ever came back alive, then I could have more routes for me to take back the marquess's title.

I only needed to come with Tristan for six days then I'll come back to the capital as soon as possible.

"Let me escort you to the imperial palace, Aurora." she talked in a friendlier manner now since we really talked a lot last night...and I found some unexpected twist hearing her secret last night.

It was unbelievable to think she of all people loved ******.

I shook my head denying her kind request since she will have a lot of works to do with her followers to reform the church.

She was brave and impressive to fool all citizens of the capital of her being the new priestess. Usually, the priest was selected by the oracle of God. But as Marinette suggested, we decided to fake the oracle and sent it to the emperor for the seal of approval before announcing it to the public.

I hugged Irene fully in my arm then glanced at Herod who was standing with her messy hair all the way over there. I reached out my hands for her as well.

Spending some time with her, although she was a little bit rude sometimes, she was kind of reminded me of Marinette.

"Take care, you guys." I waved my hands saying farewell to both of them, Herod chose not to come with me, and it was logical for her to do that. I didn't want to risk the life of someone Marinette cared about.

She stayed inside the capital while watching over Irene and doing some of her stuff.

On the carriage from the church to the imperial palace, the army was already crowded in front of the royal gate with the white-haired commander riding on a horse in front of a thousand army.

It was Tristan. My life depended on him, no matter what I couldn't let him die during the six days at all cost.

I then climbed onto the horse they prepared for me, I looked quite elegant there with the designer clothes the butler prepared for me.

I glanced at the people over the gate seeing us off, there were the crown prince and the knight he sent to Marinette, Flynn.

That guy Flynn must be worrying about his lady right at that moment seeing his emotionless face again. That guy only showed expression when he was with his lady.

Kinda remind me of Ye-Joon.

"I'm happy you finally can walk again, my lady." Tristan was like a nonexistent person to me, I finally noticed him when he said those.

I turned my head to him with a smile, "It thanks to god."

"Is that really god's doing?" this guy really caught on real quick, I couldn't deny the fact and chose to change the topic instead.

"Don't die." I turned my head to the other side after finishing that embarrassing sentence, I knew it won't help him or give him a chance of survival but I really didn't want to fail my mission.

"You too. This time, I'll protect you."

Hmm...these guys could also say some nice words.

At that time, was it really the mission that I didn't want him to die or...it was something else?

+++

On the wall of the royal gate,

As Richard and Flynn watched the army led by Tristan and Aurora set off to the north, Richard murmured to Flynn behind him, "I have a mission for you."

"Yes, your royal highness." Flynn replied in a well-behaved manner.

Flynn could have guessed what will be his mission, as the opportunity really came by, the possible mission was to send him along with the royal army to the north to make sure Tristan is killed but to his surprise, that wasn't the mission.

"Go to duke Asher's manor. Find many pieces of information as much as you can."

"Duke Asher??" the prince nodded and walked down the stair back to the royal palace muttered to Flynn, "That guy must be doing something crazy right now, so I want you to check, Flynn. Do not fail me."

Flynn vanished to the air as he confirmed his mission and ran from one block to one block to duke Asher's manor.

Flynn hid in the tree to hide his presence while checking the security before disguising himself to break inside the household.

As he expected, the security was always tight since the day duke Asher didn't participate in any gathering, even the birthday of Tristan.

Flynn gulped then put on the white-haired wig and then knocked out one of the knights stealing his uniform from shirt to pants.

Flynn disguised himself looking similar to the knight he knocked out, he looked at his reflection inside the lake to confirm if his disguise was already perfect.

Wearing the sleeveless shirt with the sword on one of his hands and then the tight jeans, Asher's knight uniform was really fancy. He giggled a little, but when he did that, he suddenly felt like something was missing.

But not something, it was someone who was far and far away. The one who made him smile, he wanted to meet her.

He really wanted to spend the rest of his life by her side, but fate already carved a path for him to follow. His path was dark and thorny, but her path was filled with light, at the end of her path, she will finally meet her happiness but for his path, it was still unclear.

Looking at the lake, really reminded him of the day when he first laughed with her. His chest felt tight when the memory which was so memorable turned to hurt him instead.

'I miss you, my lady.'

//Flashback

"You'll be serving lady Marinette from now on." the mission given to him was different from the other mission he used to get. His usual mission was to kill or steal but now he had to protect a fragile lady while watching over her too.

Flynn felt irritated somehow when he was given that ridiculous mission, but Richard's eyes already said everything.

The next day, he was sent to the Mortel duchy. Nothing really amazed him about that place since he always snuck in here to steal the information for Richard like a routine back then.

He waited and waiter downstairs for the lady he was assigned to, to finish the knight's ritual with him but she never ever set her feet outside.

He was furious, the other knights in the household mocked him. If that wasn't bad enough, the dorm of the knight there was much worse.

It was really crampy, sleeping on the tree was definitely better than that. The pillow wasn't soft as the pillow he brought with him.

The next day, he stood there waiting without rest, a break, watching and waiting for the door to open. Even when another person was walking downstairs, he turned in happiness but ended up in disappointment.

The next day, the day after day, the rainy day, the sunny day, she really didn't come out.

It was as if she didn't even eat anything, the head of the Mortel, duke Jellal came by many times but never once told him at that time that his daughter chose to stay inside the basement for a while, and here he was so stupid waiting for someone to come out of the room upstairs.

He couldn't keep his image as the compose knight any longer, he stormed in with anger and resentment of that lady whose audacity rivaled even his master, Richard.

Flynn slammed the door of the basement, again no one was there.

He couldn't help but be mad at the household for lying to him. The first thing in his mind at that moment was to abandon that stupid mission.

Then the rock dropped from the wall behind the bookshelf, he chose to enter the room filled with dust and spider web.

He really didn't understand someone like the noble lady to stay at that place, since most of the time, he always investigated Diana who was sweet and elegant.

The tea on the floor was still hot, so he knew that the lady was here. He moved the bookshelf and found a hole outside. Without hesitation, he crawled out of that hole just to find the backyard of the Mortel duchy and the lady he was waiting for like forever under the cherry blossom tree sitting on the swing throwing rock inside the small lake.

"You should give up, why are you so stubborn??" instead of apologizing, that lady wearing the mask walked to him with her white hair flattered along the wind saying in a harsh tone to him.

"If I could, I would do that long ago." he finally lost it to say something like that to his target.

Then under the sunlight and the blue sky, that lady with purple eyes threw the letter at him.

"This is my letter to the crown prince, you can accept it and leave your job."

But Flynn couldn't accept the arrogance of that woman, he folded the letter and threw it inside the lake.

He pointed at her with his finger, his vein could be seen at that moment as he was furious at her and had the audacity to do as she please just because she was a noble daughter.

"You know what!! Lady Marinette, I will serve you for the rest of my life!!!! I will annoy the hell out of you from now on. I will let you beg on your knees to ask me to leave so I will leave you!!!"

"Oho? Really??? I could go and whine to the crown prince right now if I want to fire you."

"Aha!!! Guess what, the crown prince wasn't someone who changed his mind easily. Just wait and see, lady!!!" he walked with smoke coming out of his red hair, Marinette giggled seeing him the same as ever...just like the way he was in the past life.

'I guess I'm stuck with you now...my beloved knight.'

To be continued....!