CROWN PRINCE Allistair's eerie cerulean eyes crashed into the glistening red eyes of Tori right after she turned to the corner of the King's palace, where her feet led her. Tori's falling body was immediately grasped by the crown prince. "Lady Tori? What are you doing here? I thought you are with that arrogant prince?"

"Hey, what's wrong? Damn! Did that bastard do something?"

His firm hands cupped her cheeks. Prince Allistair's cool eyes like the calm sea darkened when he saw her tear-stricken eyes. "How dare he!" He tried to leave her for a goddess –knows-where, maybe to commit treason against a fellow royal, but Tori immediately stopped his arm before he could leave her.

"Don't. I need to talk with Yei Lin. Take me to him, Alice." Tori disregarded all etiquettes since the man before her did not give a two-fucks about it after seeing her state. But her state was the last thing for Tori. She wanted to confirm something.

Her desperate plea shook the proud crown prince of the Kingdom of Monakre. He nodded his head as he clasped Tori's right hand. "Let's go." Their strides were fast as they took every turn of the King's palace. And when they arrived at the guest room that was for any foreign royalties, Crown Prince Allistair opened the door without knocking which astounded Tori. "Shouldn't we knock first?"

"Screw knocking. Yei Lin is just reading or writing."

Crown Prince Allistair was right. The crown prince of Ming Country was just reading at his study table. His eyebrows knotted when they did not even knock. But when his eyes glanced at their connected hands, a frown formed on his thin lips which made Tori pry her hands from the prince of Monakre Kingdom.

"What's with all the fuss?" Crown Prince Yei Lin set his book down and closed it. He also set his eyeglass down before standing up to welcome them.

"I saw her crying. That fucker needed some serious lesson, let's go, Yei Lin!"

Tori rolled her eyes at how Crown Prince Allistair acted like a common criminal from the capital's back alley than a graceful prince charming. "I did not cry. You were just imagining it, Alice."

Gone was the caste system. In this room, where no one else was looking, the two future kings of the Monakre Kingdom and Ming Country bowed to one person, Lady Victoria Rozenreff.

Tori looked dead straight at Crown Prince Yei Lin. "You failed. I saw Tessa on his bed."

"We were ambushed. Someone leaked the information. Prince Corean's knights attacked the envoy. My greatest apologies, Lady Tori."

I knew it. That silhouette belongs to Tessa.

"But I got some good news for you. I was able to build a connection to the Arin Tribe's chieftain."

AT THAT very same night, Tori went out of the Rozenreff estate under the disguised of her infamous coat. Her hood covered her determined red eyes as she trotted away from the home that she would be leaving for a while.

Under the shade of a pine tree a few meters away from the Rozenreff estate's main gate, Tori turned to look back once again. She felt it in her heart that it would be a little while before she could taste chef Elmond's éclair or head maid Teresa's hot chocolate.

Tori pulled her hood more to cover her face and continued walking away. Seconds later, footsteps followed her which she did not mind at all. The figure in her right spoke, "The carriage is this way, Lady Tori."

The young duke's warm hands guided Tori towards the darkest part of the street where the rented carriage awaited. "You did not wear your gloves, I see." Though his voice was distant, the concern behind those words could not be denied.

"Lily has it," Tori replied with her nonchalant attitude. The young duke glanced at the person walking at Tori's left side who only nodded at him as confirmation. His grip on her right hand tightened as he let Tori go inside the carriage first. He also guided Lily before he went it.

The ride towards the port was silent and awkward for Lily. She could swear that the tension thickened every kilometer that they traveled but no one dared to break the silence. Lily could not blame the young duke. She knew that he was only worried about their mistress who made the abrupt decision after the commotion in the northern castle.

Prince Corean is still hopeless, right now. With Tessa's appearance, I need to reevaluate my plan. There's a snake among my beasts and I need to know who that traitor is.

The chieftain of the Arin Tribe will meet me in the port beyond the great cliff where the nomadic tribes were using for trade to the empire. With the approval of one of the chieftains, I can get a free pass inside this Ming Country's ship.

I need to get the mine and use that as leverage for the king. With the way things are, the second prince will not cooperate with me. I can't trust him to wait for him to change his mind. I don't have the luxury of time.

I am meant to die at the age of sixteen. I still have a few months before I reach that wretched part of my life according to the original plot.

With a traitor in the midst, I have only myself to trust like before. It always goes down to trust and I won't give anyone that permission to break me down.

Tori felt the carriage stop which meant that they already arrived at the port where Crown Prince Yei Lin and Crown Prince Allistair were waiting. She did not wait for Duke Rowan to escort her down as she went on ahead. She immediately saw the two princes who welcomed her by kissing both of her hands.

"Are you sure about this?" Crown Prince Yei Lin's calculating raven eyes met hers as soon as she took off her hood.

Nodding her head as she reply, Tori looked up to the gigantic wooden ship. "Tessa's escape will be dealt with by the king. By now, my letter must have reached him from Lady M of the aristocratic faction. King Elphaim will cover my absence."

After all, I am the first empire's noble to be able to talk to a chieftain from the northern region. The king will grab this opportunity to control me by making me owe him a favor.

Crown Prince Yei Lin's right hand delicately cupped Tori's cheek as if he was afraid she would shatter. Prying his hand away from her, Tori smiled. "Are you empathizing with me, Yei Lin? You dare mock me, huh."

You foolish, Kpop prince.

"Does it hurt to ask for our help?" The crown prince was agitated for a reason beyond Tori's comprehension. She shrugged, not bothering to answer which made the crown prince of Ming Country angrier. He was about to grasp her shoulder when the young duke stopped his left hand midway as Crown Prince Allistair stopped his right hand.

"Respect Lady Tori's decision. We have to support her as her vassal," uttered Duke Rowan with his distant voice. He was also against his mistress' plan but the young duke chose to protect her no matter what path she chose. He could not say that he did not understand Crown Prince Yei Lin's outburst. They were all worried. Even the bratty prince of Monakre Kingdom was silent the whole time while Lily was crying but she chose to protect her mistress' seat in the Rozenreff Duchy. They all had battles to win and monsters to slay. And all of these were for their mistress who would voyage into unchartered territory alone.

Tori knew but she chose to ignore their act of loyalty. She dared not to open her heart. Turning her back on them, Tori faced the dark sea. The salty crisp sea breeze blew her golden ringlets.

"If I stay here and do nothing, I will die easily in the future."

For the first time that night, Crown Prince Allistair spoke. His words were not harsh like usual but frustrated. "You are not doing 'nothing'. We told you, we are at your disposal. So please use us as you wish, Tori. For goddess' sake, you are one stubborn woman!" He pulled his blonde hair from frustration before his pleading cerulean eyes met hers the moment he spun her around. "Enough, Alice." Crown Prince Yei Lin interfered by tapping Crown Prince Allistair's shoulder.

"Please reconsider, Lady Tori." Lily's crying face made Tori feel bad only for a split second but the memories of her life as Talia and the original Victoria's memories stopped all her lingering emotions.

I need to live in this lifetime like Talia and Victoria. I want to live against this sick plot. I will not die like the original Victoria who clung to happiness. This time, I will only rely on myself. So I need to do this, not them, but me.

"I am sorry," Tori whispered to them before she grabbed her medium-sized luggage as she stepped forward to the ship that would take her to the northern region.

I am sorry but I can't trust you. No matter how I pondered, helping me will not benefit you. And if it will not benefit you then I can't trust you enough. Trust is a term for two individuals who perform the equivalent exchange. After all, there is no such thing as true born loyalty in this wretched world of power play.