Vespera scoffed. "Impossible. First of all, you two are demons, and demons live in Rudaheim. Second of all, Crown Prince Zerath is our Crown Prince. He has nothing to do with the Human Realm, so he especially cannot leave. Also, you should address the Crown Prince as 'my lord.' Calling his name is utterly disrespectful."
Eurus gave her a blank stare until tears welled in his eyes. Vespera's words fueled his protectiveness even further, and he held onto her Vivia even tighter than before.
"I go with you!"
"Don't be stubborn. This is how it is."
Vassago fumed. "You're too harsh! He's attached to the Princess. What's wrong with it if he wants to stay with her?"
"He can wish all he wants, but will that wish come true?" She scoffed.
"You…!"
A pair of footsteps echoed and stopped near the group.
"What is happening?"
Everyone bowed immediately. "My lord."
Azarael, who had been following Zerath, slightly gasped at the scene before her.
"Princess, are you hurt?" She asked, kneeling to her side.
"I'm fine, Azarael. It's just that Eurus…"
Zerath understood the situation at one glance.
"I heard that Eurus was in the kitchen, so I came here to fetch him. I need to talk to him. Come with me, Eurus."
Eurus vehemently dismissed his request.
"It's not a request."
Eurus looked up, frowning heavily at Zerath and silently complaining with dissatisfaction that he should be talking to Vivia instead of him.
"I understand what you might be thinking, but I still need to talk to you."
Vivia said, "You should go with him. It must be important."
Seeing the hesitation in his eyes, she softly bumped her forehead against his. "I won't leave until I see you again."
Eventually agreeing with a huff, he dragged his feet towards Zerath while throwing displeased daggers at him.
Zerath's gaze flew to Vivia's back, which ever-so-faintly trembled. Staying still for a long moment, he exhaled a quiet breath.
Vespera slightly jumped when his golden eyes suddenly tracked her. Apprehension crawled on her skin despite no visible betrayal in his expression. Her choked breath was only relieved when Zerath's footsteps faded away. By then, Azarael already had her hands on her waist.
"Sometimes you should speak less, Vespera. You didn't have to be so harsh with Eurus!"
"We agree," Ronove and Vassago agreed unanimously. "You don't get any pudding!"
Vespera's face blackened. "I wasn't dying for it anyway. Have it all you want, you pigs!"
She stormed off without another word.
"Always so troublesome," Azarael muttered with a sigh.
She bowed before Vivia. "Apologies for her behavior, Princess. Vespera is sometimes…too unnecessarily direct."
"Oh no, it's okay. Don't apologize. I just want this to be a happy day for everyone."
Azarael clasped her hands together, eyes faintly tearing up. "If you don't mind, will you accept a small present from me, Princess?"
"Of course! I feel honored that demons gave me such heartfelt presents today. I'll always cherish them…" her cheeks ached with an overwhelming joy that she struggled to contain in her heart.
"Princess has to eat the pudding before it goes bad, not cherish it," Andras frowned.
"...Princess knows that Chef Andras," she threw him an unblinking stare, gripping him with eternal embarrassment.
Azarael eagerly handed her a small, silver-bordered mirror.
"I bought this yesterday at the festival. That's why I couldn't accompany you, Princess. I wanted it to be a surprise. I had it specially made of silver border, so that you feel happy thinking about Eurus," she scratched her chin, slightly abashed.
"Azarael…"
Touched by her gesture and thought, they shared a warm hug.
"Thank you. This means so much to me," she bit her lower lip. "It's just getting harder and harder for me to leave."
The sous chefs sniffled in response as well and whispered to each other.
"That's why Azarael is the best! First the rare honey for Chef and now such a thoughtful gift for Princess," they nodded with tearful appreciation.
"Chef Andras, when will you confess to her?" They tugged at him, and he jabbed a sharp elbow to their chests, making them cough blood.
Azarael looked at them, puzzled. "What's wrong with you two?"
"Nothing. They must get back to work. NOW," Andras ruthlessly kicked them away.
"Princess," Xaviston stood before her and bowed. "The carriage is ready. It's time for us to leave."
"So soon?" Her eyes slightly stretched wide.
"That's upon His Highness's command. He wants to set forth for the return journey as soon as possible."
But I wanted to meet Zerath one last time!
He read the next question in her eyes and answered before she could ask. "I'm afraid we cannot wait any longer, Princess. It'll also get darker on our way out, and the forest can get dangerous at that time."
Since convincing Xaviston was pointless, Vivia rushed to the entrance where their carriage was all set to leave. Despite her numerous attempts to speak, Elvin's mood remained cold and unperturbed.
"We're leaving. Now."
If Elvin wasn't forced to put up with the kind elder brother act in front of the demons, he would have already forcibly dragged her inside without a second thought.
"No. I've promised Eurus that I won't leave without seeing him one last time."
His jaw faintly tightened in response, a tremble coursing through his palm. Her rebellious attitude proved harder and harder to accommodate without him flipping out of pure rage.
"Since when do we've to care about emotional farewells with demons?" His icy voice reflected his outrage of her last slap.
"You might not care, but I do," she answered equally coldly.
"Your insolence…"
Aeren stepped in between. "We can wait for some more time, Brother. After this," he threw a piercing but measured stare at Clairette. "She won't have anything to do with the demons again."
From the corner of her eye, Eurus came running towards her until he would knock every last breath out from his chest.
"Eurus!"
Eurus crashed into her chest breathlessly, her open arms now wrapping around his back. With tears that she couldn't stop from escaping down her cheeks, she hugged him, the weight of their farewell growing heavier and heavier upon her by every passing moment.
"Once again, I ask for your forgiveness, Eurus. It's all my fault. Perhaps more than hurting you, I…was afraid to accept it myself that my days here were over. I was so happy with you, Zerath and everyone else that I forgot where my real home was…"
Eurus raised his head from her chest and stared into her misty eyes. His little fingers gently pressed upon her cheeks, wiping her tears away.
"Don't cry. I not angry."
His mature gesture almost caused another flood of tears to gush out.
"No. You should be angry at me. It was unjust of me to hide it from you."
Eurus shook his head softly, "I will meet Vivia again," He whispered her real name like their well-guarded secret.
She smiled through her tears. "Really?"
His little fist clutched onto the hem of her dress. "I…I am not strong. I want to go with Vivia but I am not strong," his gaze fell downcast like monsoon clouds.
But a renewed hope and determination lifted his brooding spirits. "But I will be strong. I will learn my ice and get strong. Then I will come meet you!"
Dazzled by his silvery aura, the sweet dream of his overwhelming cuteness rapidly drowned the reality of her earlier prickly suffocation. With his soft hands in hers, a gentle smile curled her lips.
"Yes. Become the strongest demon out there, Eurus. Your ice is beautiful and wonderful magic. Learn how to use it wisely for the wellbeing of Rudaheim."
Though a beacon of hope lit his small heart, tears nevertheless wetted his lashes. No matter what the future held, the farewell at present, nevertheless, was painful.
Amidst their last conversation, a calm shadow loomed over them. Slowly lifting her gaze, their eyes met. Her emerald orbs reflected his handsome face, his gentle smile, which she wished would linger forever.
His lips parted, his voice soothing her troubled heart as always. "I'll take good care of Eurus, Princess. Rest assured."
A faint quiver passed her own lips. An urge to jump into his arms pounded her chest with a frenzy, yet that wish remained unrealized. Their first meeting revisited her memories with a bittersweet tug to her heart. Their first horse ride as they traveled through the Realm of Harmony together. The first time she crossed the border and stepped into the Demon Realm. The first time Zerath wrapped his coat over her shoulders. The first time she enjoyed the demons' cuisine. The first time she wore a demoness's attire. The first time she danced in a foreign land.
The first and the last time she ever fell in love…
Vivia rose and dropped a small curtsy, while tightly holding onto her little bubble of mixed emotions, afraid it would burst at a moment's notice.
"I've faith in you, Crown Prince. I know Eurus will have a happy time here."
Her gaze drifted past once to see the Order of the Council at the palace gates. Mostly everyone's presence was for mere formality's sake - except for Doloros whose eyes glimmered with a soft kindness.
At the far end, Ronove and Vassago waved their arms tirelessly, crying buckets of tears. Andras and Azarael accompanied them, though a respectable and polite distance stood between them.
Wish you good luck, Chef Andras.
The carriage door was wide open, waiting for the royal princess to enter. The steps, though raised to take her inside, looked as if they invited her down to the pits of hell instead. As an agonizing strain clutched her chest, her gaze moved to find Zerath again.
Love. Hope. Future.
Zerath didn't know what their fate held, but all he knew was a promise deeply etched into his heart. The promise to make Vivia his bride. The pain of today's failure stung hard, but this was just the beginning. His gaze mirrored the same sentiments as her.
Love. Hope. Future.
It'll be ours Vivia. One day for sure.
With a last flutter of her dress that danced in the wind, her figure disappeared into the carriage and the wheels churned forward, vanishing beyond the reach of Rudaheim.