(From Blue''s Perspective)


    Before I could even breathe after the shower, it was time for lunch. I was more nervous than I thought I would be. Ruby knew that I was notfortable with Mother these days since she heard some of our conversations. So, she kept telling me that it would be alright.


    "Your Highness, it''s just a simple lunch. You don''t have to worry so much," Ruby said as she was making a low bun with my hair.


    "I am not worrying. You are the one who is making me nervous by talking as if it''s a big deal," I said.


    "It''s because Your Highness is biting your upper lip a lot. You do this when you are anxious about something," she pointed out.


    Was this why Dem always knew whenever I was anxious? And I was wondering how he always knew every time I was nervous or worried.


    I wore the ck chiffon dress that Dem had chosen for me more than a month ago. I did not get the chance to wear this one before. The dress had a sweetheart neckline and it was split from the side with a flowy downer part. The waistline was decorated with a golden thick belt with little chains. The border was made of ck silk. I wore the golden royal cloak over it.


    It was too much just for a lunch. But since I was the Queen, I always was supposed to wear extravagant things even though it was not muchfortable.


    Ruby decorated my bun with a gold pin matching my golden cloak. It was shaped like a hoatzin''s tail. The style was unique, but it was beautiful.


    Perita escorted me to the dining room. Mother was already there. She smiled at me the moment I entered. She was standing there for me toe since she could not sit down before me. I sat down at one corner of the table and she sat on my right side. If it was me and Dem, we would have sat at two corners of the table.


    But Mother was not supposed to sit there since it was Dem''s ce and only he had the right to sit there.


    There was another dining room where I had lunch with Dem''s family for the first time. It was more like a ce for informal meetings. So, no one maintained their sitting ces there.


    "Thank you for epting my invitation," Mother said with a smile. "I know you are busy. But I still wanted to spend some time with you since we could not do so for a long time."


    "That''s right. The workload is increasing more and more, but I had some time today in hand," I said. "By the way, Mother, you look beautiful today. The scent is different as well today."


    "Yes, I used basil oil today. I had a cold. It was flu. Not so serious, but it was giving me trouble. Besides, I had been facing e problems as well. One of my maids suggested that using basil oil might help.


    It did! I have been using it for two weeks now."


    ''But I heard that basil oil can''t cure e, but it can reduce this skin issue...''


    "I see..."


    "I can''t get your scent. So, I don''t know... Don''t you use any scented oils?"


    "Not often. Sometimes if I feel like it, I use rose oil."


    "Ah, I see... Is it because you don''t like it?"


    "It''s not like that. Dem doesn''t like the scent of oils much... And besides, since it''s not like I have to use them, I rarely use scented oils," I said.


    Our small talk did not seem awkward at all. It was moving wlessly. For my part, it waspletely an act. Because from the inside, I was very nervous. Perhaps I was getting better and better at acting. I did not know if it was the same for Mother.


    It felt like she was not acting, rather all of these were pure. But I could not say anything for sure. Everything was confusing after all.


    The food was served. The items were asvish as always. But no matter how great the food was, I never could eat to my heart''s content, or perhaps the content of my heart had turned smaller after having so little food for so many years. These foods did not excite me as much as I thought they would. Every single day, I was served amazing food items here. I could have anything I wanted.


    But I never could enjoy them. They were sometimes average and sometimes tasteless. It was like I was eating only because I need to eat in order to live.


    "Isn''t the food to your liking?" she asked.


    "No, it''s great," I said, faking a smile. "My throat hurts a bit. That''s why it''s a bit hard to swallow..."


    "Oh my, how unfortunate! Should I tell the maids to bring hot tea for you?"


    "No, that''s alright. I had some this morning as well. I don''t really drink tea more than two times a day. Since I will be having tea with Evelyn this afternoon, it''s better not to have tea now."


    It was a lie that my throat was hurting. But since I blurted it out, I needed to y it right. Or she might suspect.


    "Then make sure to have some warm honey waterter at least," she said.


    "Yes, I will. Thank you for worrying about me," I smiled.


    "You need to take care of your health now. You were sick even a few days ago. So, make sure to stay healthy. The full moon is near as well. After all, the full moon night is very important for Dem and you. For that time, you need to keep yourself healthy," she said.


    "Yes, I know...," I mumbled.


    I knew clearly what I needed to do for the full moon night. Was it not why I was nning to have my power awaken just enough so I could at least take pregnancy-preventing pills?


    But why was she telling me this? She did not have anything to gain from this, right? Or was I missing something?


    The rest of the lunch was just like the beginning. It was full of little and not so important chats. She did not get in too deep into any questions. She asked about my sickness as well, but when I said it was because I was too tired and I had a bad fever, she did not ask anything further. Her normal behavior was confusing me even more. I had no idea what to do now.


    I was about to return to the bedroom when I thought of something else. I wondered if Dem came back. He had gone out to break the duke''s nose. At least, that was what he said he was going to do. He talked like that a lot. I stopped asking him what he meant as well because every time I asked him, he would smile like a maniac as if he meant what he was saying.


    But it could not be true, right? How could he break the duke''s nose? Or could he?


    "Oh, Your Highness," the beta, Kenzo bowed as he got out of Demetrius''s office.


    "Is Demetrius inside?" I asked.


    "Yes, His Highness hase back just now," he said, a bit tiredly.


    "His Highness is in a very bad mood," he added in a low voice.


    "I see... Thank you for letting me know," I smiled.


    "Your Highness is too gentle and humble..."


    I wondered if it was alright to go in right now. Kenzo said Dem was angry. He was quite scary when he was angry. Should I return to my room now and meet himter after he had calmed down?


    After a few seconds of pondering about it in my head, I decided to go back to my room for now.


    ''Yeah, that''s a better thing to do.''


    The moment I tried to move away, I heard a loud noise. It was the sound of breaking sses.


    ''Is he hurt?''


    I could not stop myself. I quickly pushed the door open and ran inside, only to find the ss of the window broken and continuous drops of blood falling on the floor from Demetrius''s right fist. Between the middle and index fingers of his left hand, he was holding a cigar.


    I was shocked to see the sight. I quickly ran to him and held his bleeding fist with both of my hands. The wound was deeper than I thought it was.


    "Why? Why would you do that?" I asked desperately. "I understand you are angry. But what''s with hurting yourself? If you want to break the ss, break it with something else, not your fist!"