Chapter 435: : Secrets


    ?


    Just like how Princess Paislee promised, she exined to everyone in details why I end up riding the same horse with her.


    I don''t mind what other people thinks though because in the end, I will still end up being on the other side of the fence. So, it doesn''t really matter to me if they don''t like me or not. All, I know is I need to do the work his majesty assigned to me.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    S came rushing to my room with a pile of documents on her arms. "Dame Csille, these are the list of people his majesty given to us. From there, you could pick any people you think would greatly help us."


    The eighth of us will not be the only one who will work in the Department of War and Welfare. We are here to act as a leader on each team his majesty assigned to us. Since I was assigned with the weaponry, I need to have people who will check the situation in the western region and those who will make sure that everything is okay with the batches produce.


    "Put that on my table. Also, can you sort this out for me?"


    S immediately take the order forms. Since the Vrawyth Kingdom already announces that we are officially selling weapons with Stozeterra''s weapon quality, we already received a couple of orders from the other Kingdoms and Cities. It''s a good thing that most of them only ordered.a hundred or fifty weapons. They are still probably skeptical about our weapons since it is sold in such a low princepared to the Stozeterra.


    I was busy reading some documents when I suddenly heard S gasp. I put the documents I am reading and look at her. Her eyes is staring widely to the order slip she is holding. She then stares at me.


    "Dame Csille, is it true? That they are ordering fifty weapons, some are even a hundred of weapons? Isn''t this too much?"


    I shake my head. "Too much? This is actually small. Most of them ordered such numbers because they want to see the quality of our weapons first. Once they realized that our weapons are top grade, you will see, they would rush here to order a thousands weapons from us."


    S''s eyes widen even more. She looks so utterly shock with what happened. "Dame Csille, are you telling the truth? Thousands of weapons? Wouldn''t the Vrawyth Kingdom bes rich because of that?" She then shakes her head. "No, no. Our Kingdom is already the richest among all. What I am trying to say is, wouldn''t we get richer because of it?"


    Richer? If she only knew that the Kingdom''s fund almost emptied because of the contagious diseases and the idents. If we made those thousands of orders, we might be able to recover all the funds we have lost these year.


    "We need money for the uing war so these will be saved for that."


    S nods her head and continue doing what I asked her to do. "Master Earnan and the others would probably bes busy again. Too bad I am not there to help."


    I nce at S. I heard from Mister Earnan that S is one if his students. If not because his majesty ask fot S, he wouldn''t have agree letting S go.


    "S, after you finish sorting that out. Can you do me a favor and check the old storage room near the Garden."


    "Dame Csille? What do you want me to check there? If you are looking for someone inside it, I am sorry to say these but they already threw out all the things inside the old storage room. I don''t think you ca-"


    I put the document I am reading and look at her. "No, I want you to see if there are still need for us to clean it. I need to make sure that everything is okay for the repair."


    S stops what she is doing and stares at me confusedly. "Repair? You are nning to repair that old storage room? But why for?"


    "It will be your workshop."


    S''s eyes widened when she heard what I said. "Dame Csille, may I know what workshop are you talking about?"


    "I already talk to his majesty today and he agreed to have a few forgers in the capital so if we ever need weapons, we don''t need to go to the western region to have one. Aside from the quality checkers and the shippers, there will be forger who will work in the department."


    S eyes immediately shines. "Dame Csille, then am I allowed to forge weapons too?"


    I nod my head and smile reassuringly at her. "Of course, how can I let your talent go to waste? You are allowed to forge weapons. However, you need to make sure that your job in my office is already done before you forge weapons. Is that clear?"


    "I understand, Dame Csille. I promised to finish all my work first before I forge weapons."


    The two of us then continue doing our own thing. I need to finished sorting the order reports and finding employees for the department. So, even if I wasn''t here, I can be assured that there our job is still doing great. I can not stay here for good because I still have a Foundation I need to run. Also, it is to avoid suspicion. No one should know that there is an assigned department on preparing for the war.


    After settling everything with the order form and the potential employees I need in my office. I decided to stroll around the department first to rx myself.


    Everything happening in a fast pace that I couldn''t keep up. I haven''t even get a chance to take a break.


    I look up the dark clouds and smile sadly. Things were about soon. Really soon.


    And it scares me. I was hoping to change everything but I am just fooling myself. How can I change my own faith if I am the one who wrote it?


    I was still thinking things over when I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. I immediately turn my head to see who is it.


    "Apologies, I thought no one is here. I didn''t mean to startle you."


    It''s Rufus... and he looks sad? What happened? Is it because of Princess Paislee?


    I want to ask him but what right do I have if I already broke my ties with him?


    Rufus smile sadly at me. "You don''t need to look at me like that, Csille."


    I frown. Look at him like what? I was too preupied with my thoughts that I forgot to control my facial expressions.


    "Apologies, I... I better leave you alone then. If you''ll excuse me, your highness."


    It''s better to leave than to say things that could both hurt us. I don''t want to hurt him anymore. I already inflicted too much pain on him and I don''t want to add on it.


    I was about to leave but he suddenly grab my arms and made me face him. My eyes widen in shock when I see the tears falling on his eyes.


    He is crying? But why? Did I hurt him again? This is the reason why I want to avoid him. Because I don''t want to see him like this.


    "Your highness, why are you-"


    I wasn''t able to continue what I want to say because he suddenly hug me tightly. I can feel


    his cold tears starting to wet my clothes but that is not what I am worried about.


    Rufus is crying. Although this is not the first time I see him like this, it still made me


    worried.


    "Csille, can we stay like this for a while? I just need someone right now. I know you already don''t want to be friends with me but you are the only I can think of that could help ease the pain I am feeling right now. So, I hope you could allow me to hug you. Even just for a few


    minutes. Please, purny."


    How can I say no? I may act like I don''t care about him anymore but it doesn''t mean that is true. How can I forget all the things he did for me when we were younger? He was the only one who is always there at my lowest. So, how can I bear to push him away when he needed me the


    most?


    I heave a sigh and gently caress his back. I want tofort him by saying encouraging words to him but if I do that, wouldn''t I be crossing the line that I already put between us? So, I just caress his back. This is the only thing I can do for him.


    "Purny, what should I do? I don''t know what to do anymore." He then hugs me tighter. I can even hear helplessness in his voice.


    What could have happened that made him act like this? I was too busy with my work that I forgot the current status between the leads.


    I continue caressing his back. I want to ask him questions but if I do, wouldn''t he misunderstand things? That we are friends again.


    "Purny, I know you don''t want anything to do with me anymore. But can you please set it


    aside for now?" He paused for a few seconds. "I need you. I need my friend. Haven''t we promised each other that we will have each other''s back in the future?" he said in a small voice. A sign of how helpless he is right now.


    We did make that promise but that was years ago. When things aren''t messed up like this. How can I still do that promise if I already cut the ties between us?


    I just continue caressing his back. I don''t know what to do. I want to be with him but my mind is telling not to. That I should stick with the script for everyone''s sake. But how am I supposed to leave Rufus like this?


    I heave a sigh. Forget it. I think it wouldn''t hurt if I stop following the script for today,


    right?


    "What happened, Rufus? Why do you sound so heartbroken?"


    Rufusughs bitterly. He then burried his head in the crook of my neck. "Purny, I am losing again. Why do I always lose when ites to Fraser? I have tolerated everything since we were young. I didn''tin when he takes the toys I like, or the food that I want. Hell, I didn''t evenin when he receives all the praises even if my achievements were far greater than his. But why?" I can feel tears starts to roll my neck. I could also hear the tiny cracks in his voice. "But why does he need to take the person I love the most?" Takes the person he loves the most? What does he mean? Is Princess Paislee starting to fall in love with Prince Fraser? Is it the reason why Rufus is acting like this? "Does she have made a decision already?"


    I feel him genly shakes his head. "She hasn''t but I can already feel it. She doesn''t like me,


    Csille. And that makes me mad. I have kept her secret from everyone even if it might endanger the whole Kingdom. Yet she still doesn''t loves me? What did I do wrong?"


    I know that he is already aware that Sir Farren is a woman. But how much does he knows?


    Does he knows that it is Princess Paislee in disguise?


    "You didn''t do anything wrong, Rufus. So stop torturing yourself. But let me ask you something. Did you tell her that you already knows her secrets?"


    He shakes his head. "I couldn''t because I am well aware that if he-she knows about it, I am


    sure she will leave the Vrawyth Kingdom and that is not what I want. I don''t want to lose her, Csille. For the first time in my whole life, I don''t want to lose something. I want to be selfish. I don''t want to give her up for Fraser. I couldn''t do that."


    Princess Paislee isn''t aware that he already knows her secret? Is it the reason why she is still


    here?"


    "Rufus, as long as she still haven''t make her decision then thepetition isn''t over. So,


    don''t lose hope, okay?"


    He can not give up. Rufus has a big part in helping Prince Fraser fight for his feelings. So, I couldn''t let him give up no matter what.