The cold wind felt warm as I share a horse with the Ruivenfiere prince who offered to escort me to town. I sat in front of him, his arms giving me security as the horse galloped.

First, I stayed in the house of strangers to recover. Now, I'm being accompanied by a stranger.

Is Marrossi hospitable by culture, or did I just happen to meet some kind people? When I read Azriel eyes earlier, I didn't sense any hints of threat, and I know that he's true to his words.

They say that the eyes are the mirror of someone’s soul, and strangely, he seemed to be friendly to me even if we’re technically enemies. Still, I can’t let my speculations carry me away. People can change at the last minute.

On the contrary, his brother is suspicious all along, but I admit that I owe him something so I went with the flow.

"Your Highness, if you don't mind, I'd like to be dropped off at a pawn shop. Then I'll be good," I spoke, my voice unintentionally carrying a commanding tone rather than a request.

It was simply my natural way of speaking, though I hoped he wouldn't take notice. If I could at least observe his reaction from behind, I might be able to gauge his impressions of me.

"Alright. But if you'll exchange something for money, don't you think it'll be dangerous to come back alone? You might get robbed. Who knows what you'll encounter?" he said, and even if I don't know Marrossi yet, the fact that he said that means it's still a possibility.

"Please don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I don't want to bother you."

"I don't mind. I can give you a tour around the town if you wish. If you feel uncomfortable, just pretend that I'm not around," his words simply implied that he wants to watch me.

A typical royalty wouldn't give much interest in the lives of commoners, more so to fugitives like me. Perhaps he's being wary of what I'm here for? I can't blame him. He probably wants to make sure I won't do anything that will affect his dominion.

"Well, if you insist. But don't you think people will wonder who you're riding with? It can cause rumors. All eyes of the citizens look up to royalties, and not everyone who looks kind is kind. I know what nobles are like," I said, trying to discourage him from his plan of giving me a tour.

"Not in Marrossi. One of the things that made Marrossi different is, that it's full of Poudretteite Izavenes. Their main purpose is to be the eyes and ears of Marrossi. They're capable of transforming into animals, so even the cats or dogs you'll see around can be an Izavene, though not always. Whenever they find someone talking about anything against the laws or the royalties, they'll be imprisoned or executed. That's how strict Marrossi is. The crime rate here is low because most are afraid to be executed in public. As for me, I don't care about what people think of me. I know if what I'm doing is right or wrong, and I don't see anything wrong if I'll tour you around. If someone asks, I can simply say that you're a friend of mine. No big deal," he explained. No wonder why my horse turned into a person.

Estelle was a spy from the very beginning, and she was sent to watch what I'm doing. But how can someone be too sharp to spy on me that fast? It's not like I told anyone about me running away aside from Jarvis. More importantly ... who is her master?

Come to think of it, if Marrossi sees Eurhyia as a kingdom they can absorb to be a part of the Ruivenfiere Empire, it can mean that they're sending spies to keep an eye on us and know our weak points. That said, there's a high possibility that they've been watching even the ones in the palace.

However, I don't remember seeing any kind of animal in the palace when I was there. All the information I'm gathering between the two princes feels like puzzle pieces that need to be completed in my head.

"That means Poudretteite Izavenes can also serve as messenger birds, don't they? I actually need to send a message to a friend, just to inform him that I'm doing fine. Can you tell me how I can get a messenger bird, or hire an Izavene who can assist me?"

"You're catching on quick. Yes, Poudretteite Izavenes are normally hired to be messenger birds. But since you're not a local, someone might find it suspicious for an Izavene to send messages in an enemy kingdom. I think I can help you with that too. I have several Poudretteite Izavenes serving me, and it'll look like I'm the one sending the message. How about that?" he suggested, and I grit my teeth as I heard his suggestion. Damn it. I have to be honest here – I'll be needing his help for this. He's right. If I'm a fugitive who'll hire an Izavene to send messages, someone might see it suspicious.

I struggled to find the right words to express my need for his assistance. I had always been reluctant to rely on others, but having the prince himself warn me about the dangers of Marrossi felt like a significant advantage.

The prince's kindness seemed almost too good to be true. I couldn't help but wonder if he had ulterior motives or if he was genuinely kind and accommodating by nature.

Jarvis needs to wait a little longer.

──•~❉᯽❉~•──

The soft chiming sound from the door echoed the entrance of the pawn shop as I entered it. The prince remained outside while I made my way towards the owner of the shop.

"Good afternoon, sir. I'd like to exchange my ring for cash," I requested, and I brought out the ring that has a center of a radiant-cut purple sapphire, cradled with blue diamonds and two blue-green moissanites.

Though it's beautiful, I do have to sacrifice a little to have money. I don't want to exchange all of my jewelry just to have money all at once.

The shop owner's jaw dropped upon seeing the ring, his eyes stunned. Azriel seems to have noticed that things are taking too long, so he decided to enter the shop to check what was going on.

"Is there any problem here?" he asked me and looked at the shop owner. "Are you ... alright?"

"This is one of the most stunning jewelry pieces I've seen. I'm sorry for not responding, it's been a while since I saw something this special," the shop owner said, and he looked at me with disbelief, yet his expression was soft. "Are you sure you want to sell this?"

"That's exactly why I'm here, mister," my words showed no hints of hesitation, even if I know the ring's value.

"I can buy this at 80,740 Mereous. Will that work for you?" the man asked, and I didn't know what to say. Marrossi's currency is different from Eurhyian Bevquel. It's my first time hearing of the 'Mereous' currency, and I'm not sure if it's a fair price or not.

The prince, seeing me speechless, whispered into my ear. "That costs around 470,800 Eurhyian Bevquel," he smiled as he pulled away, confident with his words. He sure knows a lot about Eurhyia – even the exchange rates of the two. I don't want to admit it, but I'm beginning to be impressed.

I underestimated his knowledge since I keep on forgetting that he's one of the most powerful people in the empire. It didn't feel that way because he was acting differently for a royalty.

"It'll do for me," I said, and the shop owner grinned after hearing my answer, and left us to pay me, leaving the prince and I alone.

"You know even the equivalent rates of my kingdom's money? Not to mention it's oddly specific," he didn't comment, and I let out a sigh due to his silence. Even if he won’t say it, I already know the reason anyway.

I wonder if he already knows that I figured things out. If that was so, I’d say that he’s a pretty good mind reader. “Anyway, thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t know if I’m being cheated or not. I owe you there. If there’s anything I can do to help you, tell me.”

“Anything?” he held himself back from laughing, but he looked happy with the answer. “I’ll keep that in mind then.” he patted my head like a dog. “I have questions though. Do you plan on staying in Marrossi for long? If not, how long do you plan to be here? Lastly, can we be friends?” his eyes were filled with longing after saying the last question, and if he had no pride, he’ll probably add, ‘please.’

It sounded childish, but it feels like I can trust him more than Hervouet.

“You’re way too friendly to the point it’s unrealistic,” I chuckled, quite impressed. “I’m a fugitive. I have no home to return to, despite my past title. I plan to settle here if I feel safe." He looked at me with dissatisfaction, and it had me wondering if he was thinking if I'm telling him the truth.

“Gee, don’t give me that look. You’re giving me the creeps.” His eyes widened after realizing what I feel about his reaction.

“Oh, sorry about that. But you didn’t answer my last question, and that’s what I’ve been looking forward to.” Deafening silence followed, and I can’t come up with an answer without lying.

“We’ll see to that, Your Highness.”