I Prefer To Have One Woman

Yuina following Hayden from behind and check on the training at the courtyard with him. When she went there, Alya who is at the infirmary tent knit her eyebrow upon seeing Hayden with Yuina.

She approaching Hayden and Yuina. "Hayden.." She calls his name before she glances at Yuina beside him. Obviously, want to ask why he brings her here.

Hayden glance at her before he says. "She's my guest. So she doesn't have to do the chores. After all, we'll be leaving tomorrow morning." He explains to her.

"Mm. I thought you were gonna stay here longer. Why do you need to go in a rush?" She looked up at him, showing her concern eyes. Her voice sounded a bit sad and frustrated. Yuina at the side can see it, she can sense that Alya longs for him when she first met her, and now she can sense that she is now a bit disappointed with Hayden's decision.

"I had a job to do." He replies in his casual tone. He can't stay there. Soon, if the news spread and if they knew he was here, a battalion of the soldier will come after him and Yuina.

"Is it regarding the princess again?"

Yuina look at her then divert her eyes to Hayden. She is still silent. One side of her wants Hayden to say 'yes' but one side of her start to feel sorry for Alya.

Hayden nods his head firmly.

Seeing him nod his head, Alya lowered her head. She tried to suck all of her sadness and jealousy. She knows it is his job to protect that spoiled princess and she hopes that spoiled princess will release him from his post soon. In the meantime, she hopes she can win the favor to Lord Mathias and maybe he can see her as a perfect life companion to General Hayden.

She put on a smile on her face and says. "I see. Well, it is your job. I can't be selfish and I will support you from here. I will be waiting for your next visit then."

Hearing she say 'it is your job' make Yuina's heart sink a little. She is no longer a princess. He also did not bond with any kind of her instruction and her father is also has been killed. Which means, any order from her father, he can disobey it and abandon it. No one will be questioning his action if he does that. Including her.

"Thank you, Alya." He pats on her shoulder. Not long after, Hades approaching them as well. They talk about something that Yuina did not understand at all, however, she keeps on the ground and smile at them. This is how a princess handles it each time she's in a banquet.

She normally will be approached by many lords and the lady from a rich family, then after another one comes, the direction of the conversation will start to change from her knowledge and it goes to something that she had no idea at all. However, she still needs to maintain her position and not embarrass herself, so she still keeps smiling on her face and nods her head if she needs.

…

In the dining hall,

Lord Mathias request Yuina to sit beside him and Alya take the position next to Hayden. Lord Mathias know Yuina is a princess, he is the previous General and he had been seeing her, Hayden and Prince Hans growing up. He actually has been assuming her as his own daughter.

He never marries in his life. The love that he had has been killed years ago on his battlefield days. Thus, he never marries and raises so many orphan kids to be his adopted child.

He makes his castle as an orphanage. Any child who lost their family during the war and had nowhere to go is very welcome to his castle. This also his lover's dream. To ensure the orphan has a right to stay alive and stay healthy without being abandon at the alleys.

When he takes control of this tribe, he seeding a good virtue among the citizen. He makes sure everyone in town is educated and ready to help each other. This is also what he pass to Hayden. His first adopted child that he rescues in a big war when his lover dies.

While eating dinner, he keeps on asking her many things. Of course, he still hides her identity from others in the dining room. Hayden did not interrupt them. He also a bit occupied with Hades's prank and answering Alya's so many questions to him.

After having dinner, they start singing and partying, for younger kids, they went to bed early. Lord Mathias did not join them after 9, he also needs to return back to his room.

Feeling a bit tired, Yuina rubs her eyes a few times. Her action caught Hayden's eyes. He went to her and whisper "It's better if we return to our room. We need to leave early tomorrow."

Yuina nod her head, agree with him. Alya caught the word 'our room' so, she grabs Hayden's arm with sudden.

"Hayden, are you gonna sleep in the same room with her?" Her voice sounds a bit feeble.

Yuina did not understand her meaning, for her, Hayden always stays in her bedroom until she was asleep and only return to his room next to her inside the castle. That is how much protective his father toward her and Hayden itself very protective toward her. So, there are no awkward means if he says 'our room' at all.

Hayden knows well what Alya thought, he silent for a moment, thinking the best word to her since others of their brothers and sister also look at him with a questioning face.

"Aren't I too, have a needs that need to be dissolved?" He smiles at Alya and wrapped his hand around Yuina's shoulder. Ready to go to their room.

Hearing it, she was dumbstruck and tremble a bit. She releases her hand from grabbing his sleeves. 'Huu..it's okay Alya, he's a general. Of course, he can do that. Not only him, but most of the man will do that. She just here to fulfill his need, that's all.'

"Are you okay, Alya?" Hades asks. He also a bit shocked to hear that from Hayden. He never brings any woman to this castle, he also never heard of him get his need to be dissolved by a random girl. In fact, he never heard anything besides he just guarding the spoiled princess in the Zirconia castle. Every time he returns here when he was younger, all that he talks is about that princess. From there, he knows Hayden had a crush to that princess.

"Erm..yeah." She lowered her head a bit. Sneakily she wipes her tears and only sees them two from afar.

…

Tugging Yuina's comforter to her neck, he says "Now, go to sleep. We have a long way to go tomorrow."

"Erm...Hayden, where are we going tomorrow?" She asks.

"That old man told me there's an ex-researcher named Kaji. He might know what can we do to obtain back your position as a princess, or what can we do to our next purpose." He looks at her gently.

Pull out her hand from the comforter, she holds Hayden's hand. "Hayden, you don't need to go with me if you don't want to. You see, your tribe might need you to spend more time with them. I don't want to hold you back."

He scrunches his eyebrow a bit. "What are you talking about?"

"I..I mean, I can go on my own. With this, it'll be hard for them to capture us, right?" She stuttered a bit.

Chuckles, he raises his brow. "Uh huh? Can you protect yourself?" He asks mockingly.

"Well, I can just hide when I bump with them."

"What do you do if you hungry?"

"I..I..can begs at the street."

"Are you sure you'd be able to sleep at night outside without anyone beside you?"

"I..I..don't need to sleep. I just stay awake then." She diverts her eyes when seeing Hayden already squinted his eyes try to hold the urge to laugh.

Swallow back his laugh, he pokes her tips of the nose a bit and says. "You totally can't survive without me. So just accept the fact that you need me."

Yuina puffs her cheek. Well inside her heart, she's a bit overjoyed. At least, she doesn't need to suffer so much when he's around.

"Okay, enough with this. Now, you need to sleep." He tugs back her hand inside the comforter.

"Hayden."

"Hm?"

"Thanks for always staying beside me." She said honestly.

Looking at her pretty face, he smiles a bit. "I told you didn't I? I'll protect you no matter what."

"Hmm.. when I'm able to pay you back, I'll make sure you'll get a mountain of gold and woman if you want though."

"A mountain of gold sounds nice, but I prefer to have one woman though."

"Oh? I'll make sure to get you that." She said with confidence.

Chuckles seeing her clueless, he stands up and leaves the bed. He takes the couch to sleep tonight.

"Make sure you get me that." He mutters slowly.