The carriage continued its steady path along the stone road; the muted sounds of the outside world filtered in through the narrow windows.
Across from Amber, the young prince of one of Loreua’s lesser kingdoms sat with a carefully composed posture, yet his eyes kept drifting toward her despite his best efforts.
It was not her beauty that drew his attention.
Even now, after three weeks of sharing the same confined space, the edges of her form remained slightly blurred, as though the world itself refused to hold her outline with perfect clarity.
Through that soft distortion he could still make out the typical features of someone from the Loria Empire—brown hair that fell in loose waves, brown eyes that rarely revealed more than they needed to.
And.... the combination left him quietly unsettled.
’Just why... would someone from the Empire take a post as a mere bodyguard?’
The question kept looping in his head, stubbornly refusing to give up an answer.
Still, no matter how much his curiosity clawed at him, he knew better than to question the actions of anyone tied to the Loria Empire.
The doubt lingered under his ribs, a steady, nagging tightness that wouldn’t let go.
At last, Amber turned her head, her brown eyes locking onto him with a definite frown, and when she spoke, her voice was flat and utterly unimpressed.
"Brat, why the hell do you keep staring?" she asked, as Amber had never been one to hold her tongue.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t just looking at her without a reason.
The strange thing was, no matter how much she tried to peer into his mind, she couldn’t find anything interesting.
’Maybe... because of the Loria Empire?’ she mused, realizing it was the only thing that could make sense.
The more she turned it over in her mind, the more certain she became.
’Yeah, that’s definitely it.’
Still, the certainty didn’t make her feel any better about the way he kept staring at her.
With a slight tilt of her head, she asked out again.
"Is there something you actually need to say?"
The prince’s shoulders tensed, a faint flush creeping up his neck as he gave a quick, almost sheepish shake of his head.
"No... It’s nothing like that."
He cleared his throat and smoothly steered the conversation elsewhere.
"I was just making sure of our schedule.... As you see, we must focus on the two events happening in the same week."
’Yeah, right... ’ Amber thought to herself.
She gave a brief nod to his words, already familiar with the general outline of the itinerary, yet still allowed him to continue speaking.
"There’s a political gathering for the younger generation from several kingdoms," he said, "along with an auction happening over the same week. Both events are set in the First City."
Amber closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the seat, the faint curve of her lips holding a private smile.
There was nothing about the political gathering that truly caught her interest, but what it might lead to... now that was something far more intriguing.
It hinted at a connection to matters much more exciting than the event itself.
And, truth be told, ever since she had left Dream Land, she couldn’t deny that she wanted to grow closer to Akasha.
From the moment she first laid eyes on him, he had captured her attention.
Yet, it seemed Akasha had always played hard to get.
He never outright rejected her, but he never acknowledged her in any meaningful way, and that was a challenge she was absolutely determined to overcome.
’The Auction, hm?’ Her thoughts drifted with quiet amusement. ’Maybe I should summon that pretty boy for some bonding time.’
Even though Amber and Liliana weren’t Akasha’s disciples, as members of the Pantheon they also carried badges that could summon him.
Just like with his disciples, he had made it clear to them not to summon him in the midst of chaos or for anything trivial.
Amber, however, couldn’t care less about either rule.
’Hehe... he’s strong, right?’ she mused to herself. ’Maybe I’ll have him swoop in and rescue me like some little damsel...’
The carriage continued its steady progress, the road unfurling ahead toward whatever the First City might hold in store.
-----
Two days later, the wheels finally slowed.
The First City of Loreua rose before them in layered tiers of ancientness.
All around were tall, weathered buildings of pale gray and deep ochre that had stood for eras beyond easy counting.
Narrow streets twisted between the buildings, and along every main path rose iron street poles crowned with eternal white candles.
Their flames never wavered, casting a clean, steady glow that illuminated the way even under the bright light of day.
Creak!
As they came to a complete stop, the carriage door opened.
Amber stepped down onto a random sidewalk of worn stone, the prince following a half-step behind.
From what she already had gathered herself about this place, flying was forbidden within the city limits; every visitor, no matter their rank, traveled on foot.
The instant her sandals met the ground, anyone attuned to her real presence reacted without hesitation.
Their conversations stumbled into awkward silences, eyes widening in shock before darting away in hurried, almost panicked glances.
People, upon catching sight of her, instinctively shifted their course without even realizing it, forming a quiet yet undeniable ring of space that set her apart from everyone else.
Most just veered away, eyes downcast, as if staying too close for too long might invite something they weren’t ready... or willing—to deal with.
The prince, as if anticipating the moment, swallowed hard, his throat moving in a visible gulp as he cast a sideways glance, searching for her reaction.
Amber merely lifted one eyebrow, the motion unhurried and tinged with faint amusement.
"Hmmm."
She began walking without saying another word, her steps steady and unhurried.
After a short distance, she glanced back over her shoulder, without speaking loudly.
"Go on with what you need to do. I’ll be right with you the whole way."
The prince nodded once, still clearly unsettled by the way the crowd parted around them and began leading the way deeper into the First City.
Amber kept walking at a leisurely pace, her mind already busy crafting a personal itinerary.
’Well, I suppose the Loria Empire will have to be at the very top of my to-do list,’ she mused to herself.
’But before that... I’ll take some time to enjoy myself.’
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