A/n: So, to whoever still reads this book, thank you so much. Without you, I couldn't have reached it until now. Thanks!

Kaori was definitely surprised at the time she saw Watari Ryota and Tsubaki Sawabe visit her in her home in the Empire of Atlantis. She's living in West Greenfield City. It's a beautiful flower city, and lead by Mayor Jude Blackwood. It is near a garden of violet lavender. It's the house that her grandfather gave her in the empire. She's mostly alone with only the servants cleaning and making food for her. Crown Prince Kousei rarely visits him in her home outside the Royal Palace as he's always busy in his royal responsibilities and royal studies in the Royal Knight Academy and Royal University of Atlantis.

"Why are all of you here?" she asked them. She couldn't help it but cry after she had Tsubaki hug her.

"Why are you crying, Kaori? Aren't you happy here with Kousei?" Tsubaki immediately had her fist high up. "I'll talk to him if he's hurting you."

Kaori dried her tears and answered her, "No. No. He's not hurting me. It's just that, I feel like he's too different from the boy I had fallen in love with."

"Different? How different? It's been three years that we didn't talk to him directly," Watari Ryota asked her. "We want to know how he is right now."

"Well, he's not the innocent Arima Kousei we all knew," she answered them. "He has a very strong aura and he's a treacherous boy."

"All guys who needed to act like that is weak and soft to someone they love and care about," spoke Tsubaki. "I'm sure he still cares about you even if he had already adjusted here."

Kaori smiled. She's happy that they're her friends. They were able to calm her worries. "Does Prince Kousei know you're here?"

"He doesn't know," answered Tsubaki.

"Do you plan to go there today?" Kaori asked them. "I can take you there."

"We want to but we don't know where he'll be in the Phoenix Walls. As his friends, we were allowed access inside," spoke Watari Ryota. "We tried our best to ask where he could be but we're not sure if he'll really be in the Phoenix Royal Palace today."

"For one, how did you know where I live?" Kaori asked them. "Who told you about my location?"

"Well, Seto Hiroko informed us where you could be here. She told us how to find you," Tsubaki answered her. "With Kousei though... Just like what Watari said, he can be anywhere."

Kaori took a deep breath. She knew ever since she had chosen to return in her home in West Greenfield City, Kousei would be busy staying inside the Phoenix Royal Palace. "You came to me since you are looking for him, isn't it?"

Tsubaki chose to be honest. "You're our friend and we believe you probably know where he will be."

"It's true that I know," she said as she rang the small bell she has inside the Living Room where they are.

A servant wearing a blue maid uniform took a bow to her. Kaori immediately muttered while her friends watch her, "Call Matthew Davidson. Tell him to ready the car. I'm going back at the Phoenix Royal Palace."

The female servant nodded and obeyed her quickly. She stood up from the couch and went inside her room to change clothes. She got out of her room several minutes later with a light pink gown with ruffles that fits her curves completely.

Watari Ryota was definitely awed by how beautiful she is, most especially when Kaori chose to raise it and ponytail her hair. "I know for sure why Kousei's so in love with you. You're so beautiful."

Kaori blushed. "Thanks."

...

Upon the time Kaori and her friends arrived in front of the Silver Throne Building inside the Phoenix Royal Palace, Kousei's Personal Butler, Eugene Adams faced them. "Crown Prince Kousei is not here. He's busy."

"Where is he, Eugene?" she asked him with Watari and Tsubaki behind her.

"You've always exhibited culture shock and surprise by how much the prince use his power. You're still not used to the changes he had after three years," Eugene said to her. "If you promise me that you will still accept him despite what he's doing right now, I will tell you where he is."

Tsubaki held on Kaori's right shoulder and answered for her. "He's still our friend no matter how changed he is."

Eugene Adams inhaled. "You've seen Frank Damian Edwards here, correct? The crown prince had ordered Chief Daniel Peterson to take him at the dungeons."

"Dungeons, sir?" asked Watari Ryota. "Why would he be in the dungeons?"

"He's inflicting punishment to him," he informed them. "The Crown Prince and the Emperor are only two of the officials here in the Empire that are allowed to give punishment without any trial."

Kaori was definitely surprised when she learned that Kousei's doing it again. He had always used his power ever since the first time someone hurt his older sister, Princess Brianna. He was only sixteen at that time when he gave his first punishment. The man tried drugging his sister and rape her but he was able to stop him before he's able to put his dirty hands to his older sister. He immediately gave that man the most severe punishment. The man was slashed with a whip several times with his hands bound and is forced to kneel. No one bothered to stop him. He was actually about to order death penalty but it was only his sister who stopped him and advised him that death penalty wasn't needed. She's happy to see the man that tried to rape her locked up at the Cold Northern Prison.

"We have to go," Kaori said after Eugene Adams left them. "I have to see him."

Tsubaki and Watari accompanied her. They followed her walk at the palace and roam around it. While walking around the palace, they knew how huge the Royal Phoenix House is. There are some separate buildings, a lot of foyers, single staircases, floors and rooms. They've also seen how elegant and enormous the buildings are. They have also observed that there are hundreds of servants working in the palace changing carpets, cleaning the paintings and gardening. It was at the south wing of the Royal Palace when they saw a staircase going underground. They could also hear someone's screams asking for mercy.

"Is he really down there?" asked Tsubaki. They looked around again where the dungeon is and they've noticed that it's near two rooms. It's near the Royal Library and the Weaponry Room.

"I'm sure he's here," spoke Kaori.

They were about to go down when in their surprise, Princess Jasmine saw her and her friends. "What are you doing?"

"Can we go down there?" Kaori asked her. "I heard that Prince Kousei's in the dungeon."

"You won't be able to stomach the punishment, Lady Kaori. It was just this morning that he learned more of Frank Damian Edwards' crimes. He's very angry right now," she said to her. "Even so, if you think you're strong enough, you can go."

At the same moment, they thanked her before they stepped down to go where Kousei could be.

...

"Your Highness! Please forgive me!" cried Frank. "I'm sorry for disrespecting a lot of Royal Members!"

Frank's already bloody and have a lot of bruises all over his body after Igor and Mark kicked and punched him repeatedly. They have also used wooden paddles to torture his right hand.

Prince Kousei had ordered Igor and Mark to whip him and lock him inside the dungeon with chains in each of his wrists. "You sexually harassed Lady Kaori and I have also heard that you punched the youngest member of the Royal Family. Why did you hurt Prince Ben? He's only six years old! Didn't you think that one day, someone will know what you did to my cousin? Now, I do understand why he's so afraid of people he doesn't know."

Frank stared down the cold floor of the jail where he is locked up. "He's... He bumped into me. I lost my phone when he bumped me. When I saw him, I punched him. I didn't know he's a prince. I wasn't punished that time. I thought no one will know."

Watari, Tsubaki and Kaori heard Frank at that moment. That's how they found where Kousei is. They looked at the three men inside the jail at those times who were staring back at the prisoner. Of course, they saw Kousei standing at the center.

Prince Kousei, who's wearing his black royal clothes with silver embroidery stepped closer to Frank. He asked for the whip and he's the one that whipped Frank's torso.

When his friends saw that he's torturing someone, they knew that they have to back away for a while. It totally made them surprised that Kousei could do something drastic. They all couldn't believe that he's torturing a boy the same age as him. They chose to stay and wait for him to finish his job.

"It was very wrong of you to have stumbled to me. Uncle Prince Augustus could have always wished he has power like me and my father after what you have done!" he screamed. "My father had already approved of my decision."

He gave the bloody whip back to Igor and ordered them after he passed the silver- colored envelope to Mark, "Take him off the chains. He would need his hands to read the document."

Mark gave it to him and Frank read it quickly. He begged for his mercy more. "Your Highness! Please don't do this! I know that I'm only a second child and just like you, I'm only seventeen! Please don't send me to become a servant at the Northern Royal Palace where Prince Christopher lives!"

"My direct uncle, my father's brother, is in need to have a servant who would help him manage the Northern Royal Palace," he said to him. "My father's seal is on that document. Your father, Lord Robert, had witnessed my father seal that decision. From here, you will be brought in the Northern Palace."

Igor Forester had opened the door of the jail at that point. Kousei's friends and Kaori waited for him meters away from Frank's prison. When he got out of Frank's jail, he left him still begging on his knees but he didn't care. He only stared at him sharply. Mark locked the door after he got out of it. It was at that time that he saw his friends standing at the entrance of the Prison Dungeon. He was happy to see his Japanese friends again with Lady Kaori Miyazono behind him but he knew so well that he doesn't have time to do chitchat. He stopped in front of them before he completely leave the dungeon. He chose not to delve deep why his woman's in the dungeon to wait for him.

"Lady Kaori, I don't have time to do small talk right now. Can you bring them at the Silver Throne Room? I'm glad to see them again but I have lots of responsibilities to tend to right now," he asked her. "You may have seen my business here and it had been a long time I noticed that you seem to walk away from me due to how I act right now. I hope you understand my position and my power. You are my weakness. Seeing you sad because of what I'm doing softens me. I can't be too soft or I'll end up like my brother. Don't stay away from me."

"Forgive me. I'll do my best to be your lady. I know you still need me since I am your light," Kaori said to him.

"Thank you, Kaori," he said to her after he kissed her hand.

He left the dungeon afterwards, followed by Mark and Igor.

Watari Ryota and Tsubaki Sawabe looked at Kaori. They were shocked that Kousei's very different but they knew him so well, too.

"I told you that he's soft with you," Tsubaki said to him. "Being tough is required for someone like him."

"You have to be strong for him. He can't be soft, Kaori. He's the Crown Prince. A lot of people would want their positions and they need to show the people around them that they cannot mess with them," Watari Ryota told her.

"You really are his friends," Kaori said to them. "Thank you for advising me."

...

A/n: I hope you like this new chapter! So, how do you think of this chapter? Votes and comments are very much appreciated! Thank you.