FINGERS TWIDDLED Elise's ears on their way to Vesfrost Kingdom. The nervousness was not due to the flying carriage but her mind kept on drifting to the library.

Her remaining days could be counted on one hand and she was not even halfway. Her schedule was a mess, full of changed and slashed-out plans. She was trying to organize herself but ever since she arrived here, her heart and brain had become a contradiction.

Medicine was her sole focus before and it was the only thing that could make her heart thump but the man in front of her was not merely a passion that strummed her blood. Instead, he was her whole heart.

Her brain kept telling her that she had to complete her work but her heart could not refuse when it came to Aricson. If her mom ever knew this, she would throw a party on how her daughter could finally relate to the struggle of her main characters.

She breathed in a sigh. Several more days and she could see her family at last but another heavy breath broke free knowing that wish came with an exchange. She glanced at the slumbering man on her lap.

Even in his sleep, his face remained impassive. If not for the warmth and signs of breathing, Aricson could pass as a sculpture.

Elise let go of her ear and found a new fascination. She traced his brows, eyelids, thick lashes, and high-bridged nose. Her forefinger momentarily stopped when it reached his cupid's bow but she was tempted. Her touch stalled for seconds on the plumpness of those curved lips.

She was about to lift her hand away when another hand covered hers and brought it to his mouth. A peck alighted on her palm and Aricson was staring at her, eyes filled with emotions that his face lacked.

"When did you wake up? Don't tell me you're pretending all this time?" she quipped, hiding the embarrassment of the fact that she was caught taking advantage of him.

Instead of answering, Aricson got up and hovered at the window.

"We're disembarking," he said.

The smooth sailing route gradually went down diagonally until the carriage's wheels rumbled. The door opened and they got out.

Looking at her surroundings, there was an open lawn with men and women sparring around. It appeared like an army camp, only that some of them held weapons that were glowing with magic.

No one minded their arrival with the chaos coming from the different fights but there was one pair that stood out.

One silver and one gold scuffled on the ground. Their shouts of vulgarity resounded, overlapping with other noises the nearer they went. However, what was more appalling was the man and woman were pulling each other's hair as if it was a catfight.

Even a stupid person could grasp they were not merely practicing but no one stopped them.

A certain scene crossed her mind, overlapping with the current one she was witnessing. Elise was not even surprised when she had a glimpse of the woman as she bared her teeth.

"Damn it! Not my neck!" the man screamed.

But Faylinn bit it hard, almost comparable to chomping off meat. The man pushed her back but Faylinn's head remained on his shoulders.

It was an ambiguous state with their entanglement but no one would sense any romance when both had clothes covered with dirt and irritation glinting on their irises.

"Ferios." Elise heard Aricson's mumble string of words and the two separated.

"Brother!"

"Rei!"

"Faylinn. You were just assigned yesterday as in charge of the Vesfris training but here you are again causing trouble."

"It's his fault! I was the first one here but he came! You stalker!" Faylinn spat.

Elise mentally shook her head. She really could not reconcile that the cheerful woman she knew could be the same fierce person as this one. It was like having a hundred-eighty switch.

"You must be kidding. I'm not insane to follow an ape," the man replied.

"Ape, ape, ape! Is that all you can say, you bastard?! How boring!"

"If I lash my tongue, I'm only afraid you'll cry yourself to death."

"Hmph! You're not even worth a single tear. Just admit that you're too stupid to come up with an insult."

"Faylinn. Third Prince."

Both of them shut up at once.

"The two of you had already grown at such mature age but you are still the same as when you are children. The Flamions and the Aerlocks had always been on good terms but how come you two can never reconcile after all these years?"

The two only glared at each other and Aricson exhaled.

"Faylinn, go get Elise and tell Arc Master Jhad I'm here. As for the Third Prince, when the opportunity permits, it is better to get away from my sister."

Elise did not hear the man's reply as Faylinn took her away.

"That selfish jerk better has an earful from Brother. Anyhow, I'm glad you're here, Elise," Faylinn said as they strolled down the corridor.

Her lips curled. "So am I. But I'm curious what relationsh—"

"Oh please. Don't ever link me with that idiot."

"Okay, then who is he?"

"I'd rather not waste my time talking about him. By the way, I heard from Elder Sis, you've got Eldest Brother's Ink Plume..."

With that, the gossip ensued.