A pinky promise was made.
Between two friends, in a field of dandelions, beneath the cherry weeping tree.
But that promise wasn't just for Amelyn.
It was a promise to all four of us—to the two who ran wildly through the field, sending white dandelion petals swirling into the sky, where they drifted with the wind.
After my conversation with Amelyn, we joined Seifer and Tata.
We played for hours.
Something I had always watched from afar, something I had only imagined, something I had always wished for.
By the time we stopped, our clothes were streaked with dirt and smudged with green, and tiny white petals clung to our skin. Even our faces bore faint traces of dust.
The sky had begun to change. Shades of orange and gold stretched across the horizon, streaked with soft pink clouds.
The sight was breathtaking.
The warm glow of sunset blended perfectly with the cherry weeping tree, its branches swaying gently in the wind.
For a while, none of us spoke, captivated by the beauty before us.
Then—
"We should probably start going. It was a good day today." Seifer smiled warmly.
He was right. We had to leave before nightfall.
The tavern wasn't far, but if I walked too slowly, I'd arrive when the moon had already risen.
Fortunately, Amelyn lived nearby, so at least part of the way home, we'd be together.
"Y-Yeah, it was such a good d-day," Tata said softly.
"All righty, let's head back!" Amelyn exclaimed.
As the others started moving, I lingered a few seconds longer, my eyes fixed on the cherry weeping tree, the golden hues of the sunset behind it.
But I wasn't just admiring the scenery.
I was picturing the children who once played here with Laith.
Sir Exios's son.
A boy who, in the photos, radiated such warmth and joy. And somehow, I could feel that same warmth in the glow of the setting sun.
-
"We played every day.
He was caring, sweet, and funny.
You would have liked him too.
He would make the most embarrassing jokes and never regret saying them."
-
'Yeah… if we had met, I think I would have liked him.'
I turned away from the cherry weeping tree and hurried after the others.
As we walked, the trees and open fields faded behind us, replaced by the familiar sight of houses.
Street lamps flickered to life, though the last rays of sunlight still bathed the village in golden light.
I started recognizing the path back to the tavern.
Yeah, just fifteen more minutes. We go straight for a while, then turn right.
"See you all tomorrow!" Seifer called as he and Tata turned in the opposite direction.
"See… you." Tata gave a small wave.
"They seem really close," I said to Amelyn as we waved back.
She turned to me with a sly grin.
"Oh-ho, they're inseparable. They've known each other since they were babies! Sei and Tata aren't related, but their parents are best friends, so they grew up together."
She laughed lightly.
"Sei doesn't realize it, but he's ridiculously protective of Tata."
We continued walking.
"It's nice," I murmured, mostly to myself. "Having someone who cares about you."
Amelyn glanced at me.
"Isn't someone already taking care of you?"
I looked at her, puzzled.
She smirked. "Mr. Einar."
"Who?" I blinked in confusion.
"Mr. Exios."
She sighed. "I'm talking about Mr. Exios Einar."
"Oh." That was all I could say.
I had never even thought to ask Sir Exios for his full name. No one at the tavern had ever called him by it.
For a while, I walked in silence, lost in thought.
I barely noticed Amelyn talking beside me—her words had become muffled, as if I were hearing them from far away.
Then—
Bap!
I stumbled into something—or rather, someone.
I nearly lost my balance—
"Whoa there."
A firm hand caught my arm, steadying me.
I looked up.
Short, wavy red hair. Piercing yellow eyes.
For a moment, I thought— 'Ms. Crimson?'
But no.
This person was taller, more muscular. His armor, tinged with light purple, clinked slightly as he moved. His voice was deeper.
He wasn't Crimson.
But he looked so much like her.
"Be careful."
The man straightened me but didn't let go of my arm.
He studied me closely, his sharp gaze unwavering.
A strange tension filled the air.
It was… unsettling.
His grip wasn't painful, but he held on as if reluctant to let go.
I wasn't sure what to do.
Something about this moment felt eerily familiar.
"Oh, you almost fell down! Thank you, sir, for saving her!" Amelyn bowed, and I quickly dipped my head in gratitude as well.
"But… do you need anything else, sir?" Amelyn's smile remained, but I could hear the slight unease in her voice.
"You've been holding her arm for quite a bit."
The man ignored Amelyn completely.
His eyes remained fixed on me.
Then, out of nowhere, he asked—
"Did you go to the local market a few days ago?"
I blinked at the unexpected question.
I thought about it for a moment.
"I go to the shops almost every day," I answered truthfully.
Sir Exios and I often visited the market, so I wasn't sure what he meant by "a few days ago."
The man smirked slightly, then crouched down to my height.
Now that I saw him up close, his resemblance to Crimson was even more striking.
They could be siblings.
"Mhm," he murmured, still studying me.
"Then… did you happen to meet a little boy? Golden hair, green eyes?"
That boy.
I immediately recalled the moment I saw him.
His golden hair had shone in the sunlight, and his striking green eyes had reminded me of emeralds.
"Ah, I—"
Before I could respond, Amelyn grabbed my hand.
"We have to go home," she cut in, her voice unnaturally light. "It's late. Our parents must be worried."
I glanced at her, surprised by her sudden urgency.
The man finally shifted his gaze to Amelyn.
Then he smiled.
"Well, look at the time. You're right—you should get home before your parents get too worried."
"Yes! Thank you again for saving my friend! We'll be going now—"
"How about I accompany you?"
Amelyn stiffened beside me.
The man's smile remained, but something about his offer felt… off.
"To make sure you two get home safely," he added.
Neither of us responded.
I wasn't sure why Amelyn was so tense.
'He's a knight, isn't he?
Knights were supposed to be good people. Weren't they?'
But something about him felt different.
"They are with me."
A familiar voice interrupted the silence.
I turned, and my eyes widened.
Two figures.
One in armor, one in a long red leather coat.
'Ms. Crimson.'
I looked between her and the man.
They were nearly identical.
Amelyn must have noticed, too, because she kept glancing back and forth between them, just as I was.
Crimson stopped in front of us, her gaze fixed on the man.
"You don't need to do that," she said coldly. "They were with me this whole time. You can go back to whatever you were doing."
I was dumbfounded by her words.
But the man, whose smile had quickly faded at the sight of Crimson, simply stared at her, his golden eyes narrowing into a glare.
Slowly, he straightened and adjusted his attire.
"Ah, is that so?" His voice held an amused edge.
"Yes. Sorry to have disturbed you. We'll be on our way now."
I felt Crimson's hand press gently against my back, guiding me and Amelyn forward.
The man didn't move.
"Is that all you have to say?" His voice was lighter now, almost mocking. "Not even a 'hello' after all this time?"
Crimson came to a halt and let out a sigh.
"We can catch up another time."
"Oh, but I have all the time in the world right now." He stepped forward, keeping in pace with her. "How about we talk while I accompany you?"
Crimson shot him a severe look, as if she wanted nothing more than for him to disappear.
"That's very kind of you, but really, we don't need an escort." Her voice was edged with irritation. "You must be quite busy. I saw plenty of royal guards roaming around town, yet strangely enough, here you are, wasting time with children instead of working."
"Ensuring your safety is part of my job," he countered smoothly. "This still counts as work."
Crimson scoffed, but didn't argue. Instead, she tightened her grip on my and Amelyn's hands and picked up the pace.
The man easily kept stride beside her, clearly not planning to leave anytime soon.
It was then, seeing them side by side, that any lingering doubt was erased.
They were twins.
"Suit yourself." Crimson's tone was dismissive.
He hummed in amusement, then tilted his head toward me.
"Is she yours? No, that can't be. You'd be a terrible mother. A terrible wife, too. No one would actually want to have kids with you." He smirked.
"And what if she is?" Crimson's voice was laced with irritation.
"I know she isn't. And even if she were, you wouldn't want that to be the case." His golden eyes flickered toward me, his smirk never fading.
"You talk a lot for someone who's supposed to be a knight." She rolled her eyes. "Are you this insufferable at the Imperial Palace, too?"
"At least I have a well-paid job," he shot back. "What about you? Where have you been all this time?"
Crimson's jaw tightened, but she didn't answer.
Meanwhile, Amelyn kept glancing between me and the two of them, her face full of confusion. But all I could do was return the same bewildered look.
"How about you act like a proper knight and not some disrespectful brute?" Crimson finally bit back.
"To you? Never." He scoffed.
The tension between them was heavy, their conversation filled with sharp remarks that neither seemed to take lightly.
As we walked, I started noticing more men dressed in the same armor as the man beside us. The further we went, the more of them appeared, patrolling the streets.
Some of the guards spotted him and immediately bowed in greeting.
Crimson seemed to notice as well.
"Say, why are there so many guards around town?" she asked, voicing the question I had been wondering about myself.
The man met my gaze before answering.
"It's classified information." He shrugged. "Not something I can disclose to anyone outside the Imperial Palace."
Then, after a brief pause, he added with a smile, "But… if you happen to see a little girl with long black hair, someone with an unusually high amount of energy… well, that would be very helpful."
Crimson stiffened slightly. I saw her glance at me from the corner of her eye before looking straight ahead again with a sigh.
"A little girl? How could a child possibly have that kind of energy?"
The man studied her for a moment before answering.
"That's exactly why we're looking for her. Maybe she has the answers we need." He flashed another smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Crimson suddenly stopped walking and turned to Amelyn.
"This is your street, right?"
Amelyn blinked, then nodded. "Yes, it is! Thank you!"
She turned to me and quickly pulled me into a hug.
"See you tomorrow, Liliana," she whispered.
After stepping back, she gave a polite bow to the man before heading toward one of the houses.
Just before she stepped inside, she hesitated and looked back at me.
I gave her a small wave and smiled.
She smiled in return, then disappeared into her home, closing the door behind her.
Silence settled for a brief moment.
Then the man turned back to Crimson.
"You didn't sense any strange energy when you returned here?"
"No," she replied flatly. "Nothing that stood out to me."
But her glare as she said it made it clear she wasn't amused by his questioning.
"I was aware of your presence, though," she added. "It's hard to miss a massive search party combing the streets for a child."
'Why do these two always seem like they're one second away from fighting…?' I thought to myself, exhausted from their constant bickering.
The man pressed on.
"So, who is this little girl, then?"
Crimson didn't hesitate.
"Just someone in my care. So don't bother."
We were nearing the tavern now, the familiar sight of it just a few steps away.
The man, however, didn't seem ready to drop the conversation.
"How can I not?" He glanced at me. "She looks just like the girl we're searching for."
Me?
We finally reached the entrance.
Crimson stopped in front of the door and turned to face him, gripping the handle firmly.
"And?" Her voice was sharp. "Have you grown weak or what? Can't you sense energy anymore?"
His expression remained unreadable.
"She doesn't have that much energy," Crimson continued. "She's as weak as a butterfly. There are plenty of kids who might look like the one you're after, but if you're really searching, then go after the energy itself. That should be your focus."
She narrowed her eyes at him.
"But I'm guessing you don't sense anything at all. Otherwise, you wouldn't be wasting time bothering us."
Without waiting for a response, she pulled the door open and nudged me inside first.
"Thank you for the pointless service." She shut the door.
The moment she did, she exhaled heavily, her shoulders slumping.
I turned to her in concern.
"M-Ms. Crimson?" I stepped closer, but before I could say anything else—
She collapsed.
My eyes widened.
I rushed to her side. "Ms. Crimson!"
She hugged her knees to her chest, covering her face with both hands.
"I'm okay… I just need a moment," she murmured.
But even though she said that, her fingers tangled into her hair in frustration.
'Why… why is he here? Of all people?' She sighed deeply.
"I can't believe I actually had the nerve to stand up to him…" she muttered under her breath. "He probably knows I was lying in some parts, but I tried my best…"
She finally looked up at me.
"Is Exios here?"
I glanced around. The tavern was oddly quiet for this time of night. Usually, it would be filled with customers.
But Exios was nowhere in sight.
I turned toward the staircase and called out.
"Sir Exios?"
Silence.
I frowned.
That's when I noticed something—a piece of paper lying on one of the tables.
I picked it up and read it.
My confusion grew.
I turned back to Crimson and handed it to her.
As her eyes skimmed the contents, they widened.
She abruptly stood up.
"You have got to be kidding me!" She yelled.
The letter read:
'Kid, give this to Lady Crimson.
Crimson, if you're reading this, take care of her while I'm gone.
I'll be back by tomorrow night.
Someone has requested my presence, and if I don't show up, they might come to the tavern and cause too much attention.
You already know who that someone is, so I ask for your understanding.'