The whole room was silent. It was as if every soldier inside the dining hall felt the sizzling tension between Levi and Andromeda. Not even Hange spoke a word.

The soldiers tried to hide it but it was obvious how they sneaked glances toward the recently parted couple. They must be puzzled. Although short-tempered, Levi was relatively patient. What had happened between the two that, now, they were so eager to kick each other out of their lives?

Levi had already requested to transfer Andromeda to Hange's squad. Erwin already agreed and the vampiress was more than happy to comply. She didn't want to be near the Captain anymore. She wouldn't know how to act with him close to her. She needed distance.

Andromeda picked another piece of grape and placed it in her mouth. It was sour. She grimaced and then pushed the plate away. Immediately, she drank her coffee to wash away the unpleasant taste.

"Don't be a picky eater, Andy. Plenty of the people outside Mitras would kill for a plate of your food," Oluo's voice pierced the stillness. Good thing the soldier was as dense as he was an idiot. The awkward silence was putting Andromeda on edge.

"That is hardly food," the vampiress retorted. "That is trash. I haven't tasted a grape so sour it tasted rotten."

"Now you're just being rude. The people in the palace prepared our meals specially for us."

"I'm just telling the truth. The food while we were in the barracks was a lot better."

"That is because Captain Levi always taste-tested them."

At the mention of the man's name, Andromeda's back stiffened. She felt uncomfortable again. Oluo was about to prattle on about the Captain's impeccable taste when Proteus intervened in their conversation, steering the topic to something more tolerable.

"I am so excited to see the Smaragd Theater perform later! The soldiers say they're the best in Mitras." The vampire has always loved the arts. Something that he shared with Andromeda. However, Proteus loved performing arts more while the vampiress preferred visual arts. They both loved stories, though. Many times, they would sit in the library and read books together. They read a wide range of genres: fantasy, romance, drama, and thriller. They read them all.

Andromeda nodded her pretty head and decided she should retire to her chambers. The sour grapes took away her appetite. Maybe she would eat more later, hoping that lunch would taste better. "I'm sure it'll be fantastic," she said, referring to the play, and then stood up and started walking away. "I'll see you later--"

Her head must still be in the clouds because she failed to sense that someone was walking right behind her chair. She accidentally bumped the man. Who turned out to be Levi.

Her stupid heart leaped from her chest, the force so strong she feared it would jump straight to the cemented floor.

For quite a while, they looked at each other. Their eyes spoke words they both did not understand. Stay? Go? Linger? Fight? What did they want to tell each other? Or would they rather not communicate at all?

The dining hall became quiet once more, so noiseless that one could hear a pin drop.

Andromeda clenched her fists. Not so long ago, Levi had stared into her translucent gray orbs with so much love she almost drowned in it. Now, she had no idea what he thought of her.

No.

That was not true.

She was well aware that Levi hated her.

Because of her cruelty and gluttony. Because she betrayed and killed their friends. And she now regretted her heartless actions. But it was too late. No amount of regret could bring back James and Derek to life. She would carry this heavy guilt with her for the rest of her very long life.

And she would forever miss Levi.

She remembered the man's touch and his lips, his loving eyes, and how he dearly called the vampiress "An."

With all that happened, it was obvious that nothing could convince the Captain to go back to her. Andromeda would never feel his loving warmth anymore.

But she will not grovel.

She was still a royal and she had her pride. She loved the man, and she knew she was wrong, but she would bear her mistakes with her head up. She would part with the man she loved with dignity.

She would pretend that she was alright to be away from him.

Andromeda looked away from Levi's eyes and continued walking. She headed straight to the library to read. The play starts in the afternoon. She still had time.

+0+0+0+0+

"Have you seen him?"

"Yes. He's beautiful. But do you think?"

"I didn't know Commander Erwin prefers men. But maybe he was tempted."

"How scandalous!"

"I saw him get out of the Commander's bedroom. Early in the morning!"

"We should report this to the brass."

"Yes, a Commander should not participate in disreputable deeds."

Proteus heard the conversation by a couple of nobles loud and clear. He hid behind one pillar along the hallway and could not help himself from eavesdropping.

His heart sank and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

It seemed homosexuality was uncommon here just like in Aurum. Gay couples existed in their great kingdom but they were frowned upon, forced to become outcasts even. Proteus did not have a solid stand about the issue. He never cared about sexual preference, because he did not know what his was. He just didn't like it when the gays were treated negatively just because of who they loved.

Proteus didn't know he was gay. Just realized it when his world brightened at the mere sight of Erwin Smith. When he felt his heart beat double time when he was near the stoic Commander. He knew there and then that he was in love with the male soldier.

But he didn't know his love would bring a catastrophe to Erwin's life.

Just then, the library doors opened and Andromeda showed herself. The group of nobles instantly turned quiet and dispersed. If they saw Proteus, they didn't show it. Without looking at him, they strode away.

"I heard them," the vampire told the princess honestly.

"They were so loud the whole palace ought to hear their obnoxious conversation." She looked at him and then sighed. "Do not let their words get into you. People are so much more than the standards society sets. Love who you love and don't let him go."

"Words from the wise," Proteus said.

"Words from a fool."

"A fool in love, Your Highness." He watched the royal's eyes shine. She must've thought of the human Captain. Proteus wished with all his heart that the Princess and Captain Levi could put the past behind them and continue loving each other. It was so obvious that they were just holding back.

"Come," said Princess Andromeda, "the play will start soon. We don't want to miss it."

He walked just a few paces behind the royal until they reached outside the palace. Upon a wooden stage, a huge red velvet curtain was hanging as a background. There were props scattered on its floor.

There were plenty of people present. Because of Erwin's status, there were reserved seats for them right in front of the stage. Proteus immediately sat on Erwin's left. The royal placed herself on the other side of the vampire. A row of seats was still empty on her left.

Levi-san and Hange-san's squads appeared and to the others' horror, Oluo and Barbara were able to convince the Captain to sit beside Princess Andromeda.

"It's a good thing," he heard Erwin speak.

Proteus looked at him. "I guess you're right. I just hope they give each other a chance." Why can't the two just make up? Princess Andromeda could bring Levi-san back to Aurum and stay as a loving couple there together.

"I can hear you, you know." The royal had her arms crossed near her chest. "I'm right here."

The vampire smiled and said louder, "I just hope you give each other a chance, my lady." He knew that the Princess' situation was no laughing matter but he had the urge to make it seem lighter. Even only a little bit. A gamble. For the two.

Princess Andromeda huffed and looked at him like he did something impertinent. Which he did. A low-ranking servant vampire like him could never directly suggest an action to a royal princess. But they'd been so close to each other for years that sometimes they exchanged dialogues like this.

They heard the long sound of a blowing horn and looked at the stage. The play was about to start.

Memories of the times when Princess Andromeda would accompany him to theaters assailed his mind, making him smile widely. He missed these moments with the Princess.

He focused his attention on the play. The act was about a huntress looking for the mythical unicorn. If she succeeded and took its horn to the castle, she would become Queen.

During the intermission, Proteus and the Princess discussed the plot of the story.

"She is a fool if she doesn't hunt that unicorn down. Surely she'll not miss the chance to go down to history as the first to catch a mythical being," Princess Andromeda said with conviction.

"But it is for that very reason that she mustn't hurt the unicorn, my lady. The creature is mythical. It should be protected."

"It's a beast."

"It's a treasure."

The audience was noisy, so he and the royal inched their faces closer to hear each other talk.

"You must admit, Princess, she shouldn't go so far just to give something so precious to the King."

"Yes. Pleasing the patriarch and marrying him is not the only way to become Queen."

"I agree, my lady."

"If it were me, I would rather use my hunting skills to kill the heirs."

"I thought you were past that, Your Highness?"

"We're just talking about the play-- Argh!" she suddenly exclaimed. She looked accusingly at the male Captain beside her. "Did you jab my side? It was light but I am certain I felt your arm touch my side."

Levi-san ignored her and just continued pasting his eyes on the now-empty stage.

Proteus felt Erwin's hand over his forehead, let the Commander take his head, and place it near his chest. The vampire listened to the fast beating of Erwin's heart.

The Princess distanced herself from Proteus and when she spoke to him afterwards, she maintained a certain space between them. As they watched the rest of the play, he wondered when the Captain and the Princess would stop acting like they didn't care about each other anymore.

+0+0+0+0+

The play ended with a warm round of applause from the satisfied audience. Everyone was happy with the ending, except Andromeda.

The unicorn turned out to be a cursed magician, and in the end, the huntress married him, and together, they lived in the woods.

Preposterous!

Why would someone miss the opportunity to be queen? Ugh. These romantics.

She brushed imaginary dirt on her skirt and went back to her room with Nifa and Barbara. The two were still gushing over the actor who played the cursed unicorn.

"He was looking at you," Barbara said out of the blue.

"Me?" Andromeda did not notice that. She was busy plotting ways how to kill the king in the play.

"Yes," Nifa answered. "Guess he thinks you're pretty. Which you truly are, by the way."

The vampiress flipped her wolf-cut hair. She knew that of course. Both humans and vampires had killed others and themselves just for her attention. But she knew their feelings were only superficial so she didn't actually care.

"Oh my gosh!"

"Heavens!" The two exclaimed at the same time.

Andromeda looked behind her, at what they were looking at, and saw the unicorn actor heading their way, grinning at her.

She frowned and continued walking toward her bed chamber.

"Wait, beautiful miss!"

She rolled her eyes.

He grabbed her arm and said, "I'm Louis. I was in the play. Earlier? I saw you sitting in front and I... just-- Ahm. Well." He was nervous. Stuttering. His face was beet red. "May I know your name?"

"No." She flatly rejected him, took back her arm, and proceeded to walk away. If she was her past self, she would've indulged in the admiration. She would've flirted with the man and then took joy in breaking his frail heart. But, right now, she wasn't interested in doing so.

She didn't feel like meeting someone new and shamelessly flirting with them. She was tired and did not want to do something foolish.

Besides, she couldn't erase the memory of Levi's face when he caught her attention when she was too close to Proteus.