At the same time, inside Liora Palace.

After Eula's bold declaration last night, the king refused to meet her eyes. He had not even looked in her direction since then.

Clearly, he had not expected her to act that way. The only thing he said to her was a single cold line.

"You are walking the same path as her. It is not too late yet."

That was all he said.

No matter how much he tried to act normal, or unhappy, or unbothered, Eula already knew the real him. She knew the kind of devil he truly was.

As Eula sat in her room reading her favorite author's book, she knew very well that her father was already plotting something behind the walls. He would do whatever he could to make sure she and Leon were separated.

Eula doubted he would try to kill Leon immediately, he would first attempt to persuade him again.

But she could not say the same for herself. If he found out she remembered everything from six years ago, he would not hesitate for a second.

She closed the book after finishing the last page and leaned back in her chair. Her eyes drifted toward the window beside her desk.

A single thought kept circling her mind.

'How long can we keep hiding this?'

The Twilight Order had been active for years, moving quietly across borders and gaining attention worldwide by participating in key events. It was not only Eula's doing. Her other eight heads at the Twilight Order were talented enough to stand on their own. And their shadows had already spread through almost every kingdom.

Information was always easy for Eula to get. She had eyes everywhere, but there were still a few places her influence could not reach.

Authority was one of them. They had been quiet for a long time now, but ever since Headmaster Raizen rejoined the palace administration, they had been getting on her nerves again.

At least the Tiara incident bought them enough time to strengthen their defense.

"Haahhh…" she sighed, stretching both arms as a yawn slipped out.

"I am sleepy." She rubbed her eyes lazily.

No doubt she was tired. After last night she had barely slept, too many things had changed in a matter of hours. And she had to make preparations beforehand.

The biggest issue was influence. Now that the word about a light affinity user had spread across borders, and now that she had taken a stance for him, the political pressure would increase by several folds around her.

Leon's face crossed her mind. That smug expression and those calculating eyes.

"Heh…" she sneered softly.

'He looked confident. As if all of this were nothing but a casual game to him.'

Her eyes shifted to the red curtains tied neatly with a ribbon. She stared at it for a moment.

"Red ribbon huh…" she murmured.

Her gaze lowered to her own hands. She touched her soft fingertips gently as the memory of last night flashed faintly in her mind.

"..."

Leon didn't even flinch when she touched his cheeks. Though she did it subconsciously, it still amazed her to see him not flushed the slightest.

A small smile formed on her lips. It was an amusing smile. If she had done the same thing with any other noble boy, they would be floating in the clouds by now. Blushing, and helpless like a lovesick maniac.

But Leon didn't even shake his eyes off of her.

Eula knew very well what the nobles would think of them now. And Leon probably knew it too.

Both Eula and Leon didn't seem to be bothered by it. If the nobles believed Eula and Leon would be politically tied in the future, then so be it.

They wouldn't care less.

Because Eula knew one thing clearly.

No matter what happened, neither her goal nor Leon's goal would change, they both had a vision of certain future, a future which the king wouldn't get to see.

Knock. Knock.

A sudden knock broke her thoughts.

"Hm?"

Eula turned her head lazily and saw her door open just a little. Rinna slipped inside with her usual face.

"Oh, Rinna? Feeling bored?" Eula asked, spotting her.

Rinna walked straight to her bed and flopped on it face first.

Her voice came out muffled. "Fuaaa… why do we even have to be in separate rooms, sister… can't I live with you again like before?"

She pushed her face deeper into the pillow, and her voice turned into a confused pout.

Eula sighed. "You have grown up now. It is a rule of the royal house that after fifteen you must stay in your own room."

"That is so stupid. Who even made this stupid rule," Rinna groaned.

"Our ancestors."

Rinna flipped over and puffed her cheeks at her sister. "Those ancestors could rot for all I care."

Eula shrugged. "Well they are dead now, so yeah."

Rinna kept staring at her, sulking even more. "Tomorrow we have to live in different dorms too."

"We will still be in the same campus," Eula replied.

"Huh, your dorm is way far from the first years. And I rarely even see you on campus. Sister, what are you even doing these days? Are you skipping classes?"

Eula answered calmly, "Me, skip? Sometimes."

"Aha, I knew it," Rinna said, pointing at her dramatically. "What do you even do by skipping classes… Wait… did you find a man for yourself?"

"No way," Eula replied instantly.

"Hmmm. Is that so," Rinna muttered.

To Eula, it was obvious her little sister did not come here just to complain about rooms or dorms. Rinna was hesitating about something, looking at her with that same restless expression she used to have as a child when she hid something from her.

Eula closed her book slowly and gave her a small push.

"Go on. Ask what you really want to ask. I know you came here for a reason."

Rinna crawled closer to the edge of the bed until her face was only a short distance from Eula's. Her ocean blue eyes were filled with quiet worry as she whispered.

"Sister, you remember, the night of my birthday banquet? When we swapped places and you… went there to meet Leon in my place?"

"..."

Eula remained quiet for a second. She knows what she was referring to. Previously when Rinna asked this question after her birthday, Eula had told her that Leon won't be bothering her from now on. But after how he and Eula were interacting with each other, that must have given her second thoughts.

Rinna's eyes wavered as she saw her sister's silent expression. She swallowed lightly and continued.

"...did he say something to you? You never favored anyone before. But now… you always seem different when it comes to him. During the class allotment examination you were the one who was in charge of Leon and Alice, and now in the audience hall, you made such a bold declaration. Tell me… what are you hiding?"

Rinna's eyes made it clear that she did not come here only to hear a random excuse. It was a serious question for her, maybe even a frightening one too.

There was something else hidden behind her words, she wanted to ask her elder sister directly, but could not bring herself to say it.

Rinna's fingers curled lightly over the bedsheet. She hesitated for a long moment before lowering her gaze.

"Sister… I…" she whispered. "I feel like… something is going on between you and him."

Her voice muffled slightly, as if she was afraid Eula would snap or get offended by her.

Rinna had always been a little scared of pushing Eula too far, especially when it came to matters she did not understand.

Eula watched her quietly all this time.

And after mustering some strength Rinna finally said it in a smaller voice.

"Were you two… getting closer behind my back?"

There it was, the question she was afraid to ask.

Eula closed her eyes for a brief second, and thought for a few seconds, calmly.

She could not tell Rinna the truth. She could not say that Leon was recruited by her, and that he stepped into the shadows with her, that they were working together to kill the king.

She would never drag Rinna into that world. But even so, Eula didn't like the look in Rinna's eyes, she could see the fear on her face.

Her little sister genuinely thought she was being left behind.

Eula leaned back in her chair and looked at her calmly.

"So you believe something is going on between us," Eula said in a soft tone. "Is that right?"

Rinna flinched and nodded a little.

"…yes. Maybe. I mean… the way you look at him is different. And the way he listens to you is also different. And yesterday, the two of you stood side by side in front of the audience. You never do that with anyone… so I thought…"

Eula stared at her for a moment, then rested her cheek against her knuckles.

"You are not wrong," she said simply.

Rinna froze at Eula's words.

"Sister… so you… and him…"

Eula cut her gently, her voice steady and calm. "But you are overthinking this matter."

Rinna blinked. "What?"

"We are just in a mutual benefit agreement. That is all," Eula said, leaning back with composed expression. "There is nothing you need to worry about. Just know that everything I am doing is for the best, and I did not make any mistake."

Rinna looked at her quietly, trying to understand her words.

Eula continued. "And Leon is someone who will not harm us."

Rinna's shoulders relaxed a little. She lowered her gaze, and felt her heartbeat finally slowing down.

She was not sure if she felt relieved or more confused, but Eula's words eased something inside her. A gush of heat rushed in her body.

Rinna fell on her bed again, hugged her pillow closer and mumbled something under her breath. Her ears turned slightly pink, the blush spreading to her cheeks.

Eula noticed it. Her eyes widened slightly.

'No way in hell.'

Rinna's flustered face, the shy fingers clutching her pillow, and that faint blush.

Eula had never seen her blush because of a boy before. She gulped once and asked carefully.

"Rinna… you do not happen to still have that stress relieving pendant he gave you, right?"

Rinna perked up, confused. "Pendant?"

Eula held her breath.

There was no way she still had it. Rinna never had those feelings towards Leon. She especially told Eula herself to make sure he never approached her again. There was absolutely no chance she would hold onto something he had gifted—

"Oh, you mean this."

Rinna reached into the neckline of her dress and pulled out the pendant gently.

It was the very same pendant.

Eula stared at it, stunned. "Huh? You are wearing it."

Rinna blinked. "Um… yes. It is effective."

She held it up a little, flashing it toward Eula with a shy smile.

Eula blinked again. Her mind went blank for two seconds.

Then it snapped back.

'Wait wait wait… do not tell me she wore it to Eclipse.'

If someone else were to see it. No, if Leon were to see this…. If he noticed the pendant, and that faint blush on her ears.

If he were to realize his gift was still resting right against her chest all this time. Then with his intelligence, he would easily deduce what that meant.

Eula felt something in her stomach twist sharply.

Rinna tucked the locket back inside her clothes and said softly, "I have not removed it since then."

"…?!"

If he were to see the pendant. Then his mind would change. And that's not what Eula wanted.

Absolutely not.

This could turn into a disaster.

Eula pressed her fingers against her forehead.

'No way. No way in the world. When did she start to feel this way?!.'

Rinna watched her sister's expression shift between disbelief and irritation and confusion all at once.

"Sister?" Rinna asked quietly.

Eula slowly lowered her hand and smiled a little too calmly.

"…Rinna. We need to talk about that pendant."

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