Aaron's Side
Elda stood beside Aaron in his study, deep in thought.
Elda: "I think that unknown person is familiar with the guards."
"Otherwise, how could she enter and leave the palace so easily?" 🤔
Aaron: "Hmm..." ☹️
Elda glanced at him.
He seemed distracted, barely paying attention to their conversation.
Elda (thinking): What's wrong with him? 😶
Aaron looked away, his expression growing gloomy.
Aaron (thinking): I shouldn't have scolded her over such a small thing... ☹️
She was just being herself.
Why did I have to be so harsh?
Before he could sink any deeper into his thoughts—
Guard 3: "YOUR MAJESTY!!" 😱
A guard suddenly rushed into the study.
Elda: "How dare you enter the study without—" 😡
Guard 3: "I'M SORRY, MY QUEEN!"
"But I have an urgent message from the training ground!" 😱
Elda stopped mid-sentence.
Elda: "What happened?"
"Did that girl cause any proble—"
Guard 3: "NO!"
"She completed all three tests and passed them!"
Elda: "..."
Aaron: "..."
The guard swallowed nervously.
Guard 3: "But..." 😨
Aaron's lips curved into a small smirk.
Aaron: "I knew it." 😏
Elda immediately turned toward him.
Elda: "WHAT?!" 😱
Aaron: "She's stronger than she looks."
Elda: "THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" 😤
The guard cleared his throat.
Guard 3: "As a reward for completing the puzzle assessment..."
He hesitated before continuing.
Guard 3: "She received the Sword of King Asmodius." 😨
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then—
Aaron & Elda: "WHAT?!" 😱😱
Aaron shot to his feet.
His earlier guilt vanished, replaced by complete disbelief.
Aaron: "THE WHAT?!"
Guard 3: "The Sword of King Asmodius, Your Majesty!" 😭
Elda stared at the guard.
Elda (thinking): That sword?!
How in the world did Noel get her hands on it?! 😱
Aaron didn't waste another second.
He raised his hand, and a flash of magical light surrounded him.
WHOOSH!
He teleported straight to the training ground.
Elda: "AARON, WAIT—!"
Too late.
She stared at the empty space where he had been standing.
Elda: "..."
Elda (thinking): That man... 😑
---
Training Ground
WHOOSH!
Aaron appeared in the middle of the training ground.
Aaron: "..."
He froze.
Everyone was staring at the magnificent sword in Noel's hands.
Well...
Almost everyone.
Noel wasn't even looking at the sword.
Instead, she was sitting peacefully on a large stone, staring at the wall as if she'd discovered something fascinating about its construction. 🙂
Aaron: "..."
Everyone: "Your Majesty..." 😐
Nobody dared to move.
Aaron slowly turned his attention toward Noel.
Aaron (thinking): What is she doing now...? 😶
As if sensing his gaze, Noel turned her head.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to grow quiet.
Noel (thinking): ❤️❤️❤️
What is this feeling...?
Why does my heart feel strange whenever I look at him?
She quickly looked away.
Aaron walked toward her.
Aaron: "Give me the sword." 🙂
His voice was calm, but something in his expression had changed.
Noel didn't argue.
She silently stood up and handed him the sword.
Aaron took it.
The moment his fingers touched the hilt, his expression changed.
His eyes widened slightly.
He ran his fingers over the intricate design engraved on the handle.
Then he looked at the blade.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
And then—
A single tear slipped down his cheek.
Aaron: 🥲
The entire training ground fell silent.
Noel's smile disappeared.
Noel (thinking): 💔💔💔
Why...?
Why does seeing him cry hurt me so much?
She stared at him, unable to understand the strange ache in her chest.
Finally, she stepped closer.
Noel: "What happened, Your Majesty?" 😤
Her voice was unusually gentle.
Before Aaron could answer, a familiar voice interrupted them.
Commander: "That sword..."
The commander had just arrived.
He stared at the weapon in Aaron's hands, his face draining of colour.
Commander: "This sword belongs to King Aaron's father!" 😱
Noel: "WHAT?!" 😱
She looked from the commander to Aaron.
Then back at the sword.
Noel (thinking): WAIT A MINUTE!
I JUST WON SOMEONE'S FAMILY HEIRLOOM?! 😭
WHY WAS THAT EVEN A REWARD?!
Before she could ask anything, Elda arrived at the training ground.
Her gaze immediately fell on the sword.
Elda (thinking): Could it really be that sword...?
She slowly approached Aaron.
For a moment, she simply looked at him.
Then she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
Elda: "Aaron..."
But before she could say anything else—
Noel: "🔥🔥🔥"
Noel suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Elda's hand.
She promptly removed it from Aaron's shoulder.
Everyone: "😱😱😱"
Elda stared at Noel.
Aaron stared at Noel.
The commander stared at Noel.
Even the soldiers looked as though their souls had temporarily left their bodies.
Everyone (thinking): SHE JUST MOVED THE QUEEN'S HAND AWAY FROM THE KING?! 😱
Noel looked around at their shocked faces.
She blinked innocently.
Then she tilted her head toward Elda.
Noel: "Sis... what's happening here?" 🙂
Elda: "..."
She stared at Noel, completely speechless.
Elda (thinking): This girl...
Does she have any idea what she's doing?! 😶
Noel waited patiently for an answer.
Elda opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Then glanced at Aaron, who was still holding the sword.
There were too many things to explain.
The sword.
Aaron's father.
The tear in his eye.
And Noel's strange reaction to her touching him.
Finally, Elda sighed.
Elda: "It's..."
She paused, searching for the right words.
Elda: "...Come with me." 😶
Noel: "Huh? Where?" 🤔
Elda: "Somewhere we can talk without an entire army listening to us." 😑
Noel glanced at the surrounding soldiers.
Every single one of them immediately looked away.
Noel: "Ohhh." 🙂
She followed Elda.
But before leaving, she glanced back at Aaron one more time.
He was still holding the sword, his eyes fixed on the blade.
And for some reason, Noel couldn't stop thinking about that single tear.
Noel (thinking): Your Majesty... what happened to you? 💔
To be continued...