"I…I didn\'t," lied Emelia while Elliot chuckles at her. Looking up the skies made him drowsy as he thought the day is long and the night is short. He closes his eyes and rested his head on Emelia\'s lap, who panicked. She asked, "What are you doing?"

"As you can see resting," answered Elliot as he kept his eyes shut. The past few days for him were much tiring than Emelia\'s. The eye bags under his eyes says it all. Then two days after, he couldn\'t see Emelia, and now was the only time he could recharge his energy.

"How are you?" asked Emelia out of nowhere.

"I\'m fine. Just tried from the things I need to do," Elliot answered and opened his eyes to meet her eyes. "You look tired as much as I am," said Elliot as he reached his hand out and cups Emelia on her face.

"But not as tired as you," Emelia shuts her eyes for a second and opens it back. His hands felt cold but refreshing since her face felt a bit hot from earlier.

"Why do you say so?" Elliot asked Emelia.

"What do you mean?" asked Emelia as she continues, "You came here despite your busy schedule."

Elliot smiled at her and lowers his hand back down. Of course he came all the way from the Vivan Empire just to see her. That was his intention from the beginning. But she is right his body could collapse any time now.

"Then should we take a break today and just go take a rest?" asked Elliot, which made her heart skip a beat.

"W-we can\'t take a break now," Emelia said as her cheeks flushed once more. She still couldn\'t get used to them acting like this. Usually her face doesn\'t show any expressions, but recently it has been a lot.

"You\'re right," sighed Elliot as she closes his eyes once again. The silence grew between them, but neither felt awkward but rather calming that they were there together. Seeing Elliot close his eyes, Emelia did the same thing.

When Elliot opens his eyes back again, he sees Emelia with her eyes close. "Emelia?" Elliot called her name, but she didn\'t respond. "Did she just fall asleep?" Elliot asked himself out loud. "I guess she did."

Elliot gently moves her head, leaning on his shoulder. He then locks in his fingers around hers and leans his head on hers. This was precious. Emelia wouldn\'t lower her guard even she was on the verge of collapsing, but if its Elliot, it\'s a different story.

The war ended peacefully, and new obstacles awaits them. Elliot wanted to focus on Emelia this time, but then his priorities as the emperor hinder it. He\'s waited long enough for her, and he wants to make her happier. Spoil her even if she doesn\'t need it.

"Emelia, you\'re going to catch a cold if you continue to sleep here," called Elliot, but Emelia didn\'t respond and kept sleeping. "I guess I\'ll need to carry you back in," said Elliot though he had intended to do so from the beginning.

Elliot gently pushed her head off his shoulder and stood up. He carried Emelia in his hands then walks into the palace. By the entrance of the gardens waited Air and Vanessa, who looks like they had gotten into an argument again.

"Why are you here?" Vanessa asked Air, who kept a smile on his face.

"What do you mean why? I\'m here with His Imperial Majesty," answered Air.

"You can stay somewhere. This is my usual waiting spot," argued Vanessa while Air yawns out loud, angering Vanessa all the more.

"You two stop arguing. You wouldn\'t want to wake Emelia up from her sleep," Elliot scolded the both of them who bowed their heads when they saw Elliot.

"It\'s his fault," muttered Vanessa.

"Did you say anything?" smiled Air and Vanessa shook her head.

"Vanessa, lead me to her room," orders Elliot.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."

The three of them walked to Emelia\'s room, and when they arrived, Elliot enters the room while the other two stays outside still arguing. No one knows why they are arguing, but it\'s going to be alright. Even if they don\'t show it, they\'re close to each other.

Elliot lays Emelia on the bed and pulls the blanket up, covering Emelia\'s body. She snuggles onto the blanket like a cat and turns to the other side. He walks to the other side of the bed where Emelia was facing and laid beside her.

He brings himself closer to her and wraps his arms around her shoulder. Elliot closed his eyes, telling himself it\'s just a nap but ended up sleeping for the whole night, skipping supper.

Out of the room stood Vanessa and Air, who were both silent. They didn\'t make any sound or look at each other.

"Do you think His Imperial Majesty fell asleep?" asked Vanessa, breaking the silence between them.

"Probably. After all, he only takes a two hour nap then starts working again," Air answered.

"Aren\'t you also tired?" Vanessa asked Air, trying not to sound worried at all.

"I\'m used to it. As the personal aide, secretary, and friend of Elliot, I\'m used to staying up all day long," answered Air as he smirked and asked, "Are you worried about me? How unlike you."

"I\'m not. Why should I be worried about you?" Vanessa rolled her eyes. She didn\'t have to be worried about him at all. She shouldn\'t have bothered asking him. It annoys her how he keeps putting up a smile even if things are hard.

"You don\'t need to hide it," said Air, "Just admit you\'re worried about me."

"Stop assuming, and for the last time, I am not worried about you. The only one who I will worry about is the princess," Vanessa crossed her arms together.

"You\'ve changed too much," mutters Air which Vanessa heard it.

"What do you mean? I have always been like this," answers back Vanessa.

A brief silence countered again while Vanessa still couldn\'t believe the little boy she met was standing beside her. She never thought that he was a rich nobleman from a known family. After the war, he inherited his family as the Viscount of the Deuson family.

They are one of the influential families in the Vivan empire. Not only that but also the family has been serving the Renaud royal family since from the beginning. This makes a reason why Air and Elliot are close friends.

If Vanessa knew it was the Air she met when she was younger, she wouldn\'t have acted impulsively in front of him. Her dreams of marrying a handsome, gentle, and kind man were gone because of him.

"But I\'m glad we met again," said Air breaking the silence this time.

"Why?" Vanessa asked as she is curious.

"I made a promise, you see, and I won\'t break that promise," Air smiled, but it was his usual fake smile but his genuine smile. Seeing his real smile, Vanessa thinks he looks better that way because there are times his fake smile makes her uncomfortable.

"What promise did you make?" asked Vanessa as she looks at Air who pointed his index finger with a shh position and teased, "That\'s a secret, of course."

"Of course it is. Why did I bother asking?" Vanessa muttered to herself.

"Once the two empires becomes one. You\'ll know. But not yet. Elliot doesn\'t want my plans to happen just yet."

"Even if he\'s the emperor, it doesn\'t mean he can control your life," said Vanessa then she smirked and asked, "Is it a girl you made a promise with?" Of course it is the gentle expression on his face says it all.

"It is," said Air not denying at all. "And why are you jealous?"

Vanessa chokes by her own saliva. She thought he would deny it, but he didn\'t. As every second passes he becomes even bolder. Does Air have no shame at all? Vanessa asked herself.

"Like I will be. Why I bother to be jealous of you own life when I have my own? And it\'s thanks to you not a single man had been approaching me. They saw an unladylike action and now things I\'m a real life monkey," Vanessa looks away from him and grumbles.

While Air softly laughs out loud at her. She glares at him then looks away again. Vanessa was saying the truth only if that didn\'t happen, then she would at least have a lover. But no it\'s because of him.

"It\'s your fault," grumbles Vanessa.

"I think they\'ve fallen asleep. I can stay here. You should go and eat," said Air as he brought out his pocket watch from his pocket and opens it.

"No, it\'s alright. I already ate, and why should I listen to you?"

"Or do you just want to stay by my side?" Air smiled while Vanessa this time, didn\'t hesitate to smack him on the shoulder.

"Like I want to," said Vanessa as she walks back to her original position.

"Just admit."

"Shut your mouth, please."