4 'Transcending Memories': He who was suspicious.

After Azrael's failure of a first meeting with Eirian, it wasn't long until Adham came out of the room to inform him that the chefs were already preparing their best meals for him, which lightens Azrael's mood. 

Besides finally being able to taste some different kinds of food from the novel that he loves, he also learned something new about the original Azrael. 

He wore glasses.

Adham handed him a pair of glasses, mentioning that Azrael forgot to wear it before going out. Azrael stares at the object that he took from Adham's hand and inspected it. 

His glasses have an unusual "C" form that faces upwards and oval or circular frames in a classy black shade that resemble stems of flowers with tiny thorns. The upper glass is exposed when the top portion of the rims are absent, giving the design a unique and open aspect.

Azrael had no problem wearing them but he did find it odd though. He used to wear glasses in his original world as well, so he knew the feeling of having poor eyesight. 

However, Azrael did not have poor eyesight because his vision seems to be impeccable. So, it didn't make any sense. It wasn't a big deal, at first, but when he decided to wear the spectacles that were handed to him, Azrael felt something was definitely off. 

The glasses weren't graded. Meaning, they were just plain, old pairs of glasses. 

'Why on earth would Azrael wear these if it didn't have any use whatsoever?'

Azrael covered his face frustratedly. It was just another thing on his list to figure out because it might be important. The original Azrael didn't seem like the type of person who just does things for no reason at all. 

As of now, Azrael has other things to worry about. 

Yes. 

One of the most difficult challenges he's about to face is now in front of him. A day had already passed, it's already Monday...or in this world, it's called 'Frostday' 

It's supposed to be Azrael's fourth month of attending classes, but for Zak who is inside Azrael's body, it's his first day. 

His first day and he still knew so little about Azrael, he didn't even know what Azrael's magical abilities are. He could only assume it was Celestial magic because weak or not, he was still part of the imperial family.

Luckily, he knew what his classes were and his schedule, courtesy of Adham, but besides that he didn't know what to do. Azrael just hoped and prayed that none of the professors pay him any mind. 

The original Azrael didn't have any friends so he didn't have to worry about people approaching him, all any students did when he walked to Luminar Academy's main building were casual glances, some whispers, and a few bows. 

"Are you okay, your highness? You seem pale? Are you feeling sick?" Adham, who was walking beside him, spoke with a worried tone. Azrael waved his hand a bit and smiled softly. 

"No, no. I'm fine...Just nervous for some reason. It's nothing a few internal pep talk can't handle." 

"Are you sure? If you need anything, you can tell me."

"I promise I'll tell you when I do need anything. Right now, I just want to get to class." 

Adham tilted his head at him, he seemed to want to say something else but in Azrael's relief, he decided not to and just nodded his head. "Well, luckily...I have the same morning schedule with your highness." He smiled slightly as he spoke.

Azrael noticed that Adham seemed happy, he would occasionally glance at him and then breathe out in bliss, now this made him quite curious.

"You seem excited to go to class, Adham. Is there any particular reason for that?" 

"Mhm...Well, I've always had to stay far away from your highness during our classes together. Most of the other student servants would tell me how lucky I was that you didn't demand anything from me in between lectures but..."

Adham trails off as he scratches the back of his head bashfully. "...I'm glad I get to be needed by you now. As a student servant, I believe there's no greater duty than to satisfy our masters..."

"Satisfy?"

Azrael's eyes slowly grew when he heard a few students whisper all around them, his face reddens a bit. 

"Did you hear what that student servant said? He said he satisfies his master..."

"Isn't that the second imperial prince? I didn't expect him to be like...that."

Instinctively, Azrael looks at the direction of where he could hear the whispers and he could see a few students huddled up together, gazing at him judgingly. "T-That's not what he meant...It's just a misunderstanding." 

He fought the urge to cover his face because he was sure it was as red as a tomato.

The group were shocked to see Azrael look at them, and even more so when he spoke. In unison, all three of them took a step back. It seems like they weren't aware that Azrael could hear them. 

"He just didn't word it properly, so please do not think maliciously. I would never...uh, take advantage of someone like that." He says with an awkward smile on his face.

By this time, a few other students were looking at them as well, curious as to what Azrael and the group were talking about. Adham was just standing there confused as to what was happening. 

Much to Azrael's relief, one of the boys spoke. It was a student with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes, his body was quite muscular for a student, so Azrael assumed he was probably a knight in training. "Of...course, your highness. We apologize for thinking such thoughts." 

As soon as their friend spoke, the other two nodded. 'They seem flustered. Is it because I'm a prince?' 

"We're sorry, your highness." 

"Y-Yeah, it won't happen again. It was an error on our part..."

'No...I don't think that's the case. They're way too calm. Adham and Eirian acted like I was about to stab them for a simple miscommunication yesterday...'

After their apology, Azrael just nods. "Alright, thank you." It was all okay now. A minor hiccup on his first day in the academy, but it was settled almost immediately. Even the students who were looking at them had minded their own business. 

All was good. He just needed to actually get to his class now. 

That's what he thought but... 

"Uhm, your highness?"

It was Adham who whispered beside him. 

"What is it, Adham?" 

"They're still looking at you." 

'Huh?' Azrael thought as he glanced at his student servant. "Who?" Adham didn't speak, all he did was point in a certain direction which Azrael's eyes followed. 

It was them. It was still the same three boys. Weirdly, they were still staring at Azrael in awe, their eyes following his every move. 

'Why are they still looking at me?'

He was about to say his thoughts out loud but Adham beat him to it. "Excuse me. I don't mean to be rude, but why are you staring at his highness? It's quite rude, you know." 

All three of them seemed to snap out of their trance as soon as they were called out, their cheeks turned a bright shade of pink as one of them, now a student with gray hair, said "This is our first time seeing the second imperial prince smile...and hearing him speak."

The other two behind him nod. 

"He usually keeps to himself, even when others would attempt to speak to him...."

"And he would always have a blank expression or frown."

"It's quite...nice seeing him smile and hearing him speak for the first time."

'That's a pretty strange reason, isn't it?' Azrael thought to himself, raising an eyebrow at them.

'I get that Azrael would've been pretty famous seeing as he was Valerian's brother, and Valerian was pretty popular, but I don't understand why it seems like an honor to them that I said anything...Is it because I'm royalty? No...No matter how much I think about it, it just seems so weird.'

To Azrael's surprise, Adham nods in understanding. "I understand, but please refrain from staring. The imperial prince was feeling down for quite some time but he's feeling better now, I don't want anything that could cause him to feel uncomfortable. Please understand." 

"Eh?" Azrael couldn't help but vocalize his confusion. 

"We understand. We're sorry for staring." 

"We apologize."

After the three apologized again, they bowed their heads towards Azrael and then walked away, leaving Azrael even more confused. 

It didn't help that Adham just turned to him and nonchalantly said. "Shall we head to class now, your highness?" 

"Eh??" Azrael repeats as both he and Adham begin walking again. "Adham...What just happened there? I'm confused."

"What do you mean, your highness?" 

"Why were they so flustered when I smiled or spoke? What's the big deal? Is it because I'm an imperial prince? And...Why does it seem like you understood their feelings?" 

"Ah." Adham laughed a bit as he scratched his cheek. "May I speak bluntly with you, your highness?" 

"Oh...Uh, sure?" 

Adham smiles a bit then turns to him, and Azrael looks back, curious to know what he was going to say. "I'm sure you were already aware but your highness, you know that you look unique, right?"

"Unique?" 

"Yes. Your highness is...quite beautiful."

"Oh...Oh!" Azrael was taken aback by Adham's words, this time he had to cover his face. Though he wasn't really the real Azrael by soul, it was still his body now, and Adham's words were directed towards him. 

"Mhm. Though you have not officially attended any events with the imperial family, I heard from my father that when you were born, word spread across the land that it was actually a princess that was born." 

"Me? A princess? This is the first time I've heard of this."

'And I'm pretty sure the real Azrael wouldn't have heard of this as well.'

Adham nods. "My father only told me when he found out I'd be serving under your highness, but even before he said that, I'd already heard about other rumors..."

"Other rumors?" Azrael asked slowly, he was becoming interested now in the topic because he was learning more things about the original Azrael and how people saw him. 

"Before I tell you, please do keep in mind that they are only whispers, of course you're the only one who knows the truth, and if you deny them, I will fully believe you, your highness."

'Hate to break it to you, Adham, but I'm as clueless as you are.' Azrael had to fake a grateful smile and nod. "Alright."

Smiling back, Adham continued to speak. "The rumors are about why your highness doesn't attend any public events with the imperial family or make your debut before you attend Luminar academy."

Azrael continued to nod as he walked slowly, taking in everything Adham was telling him. 'So Azrael never had his debut?' Though, in most novels that contain anything about royalty, princesses or any female noble would be the only ones making their debut at the age of eighteen. 

In Destiny Awaits You, any royal or noble who is about to attend Luminar Academy, has to have a debut. It is to celebrate the start of their journey, as someday they will also contribute to the empire. 

Eirian, in the novel, had bad memories of his debut. Due to the nature of their birth, the emperor decided to let Eirian and Caelum debut together. So, a ball was hosted in their honor. 

However, none of the females who attended wanted to dance with him, and most of the attention went to Caelum. 

'I just KNOW that Caelum had something to do with it. Caelum has everyone eating from the palm of his hands.' Azrael thought begrudgingly. 

"I heard from some people before applying as your student servant, and even from some students when I entered Luminar that...The emperor was furious at the fact that his son looked female. Though he allegedly wanted a daughter, it was said that he didn't want a son who looked like a daughter. They said he was ashamed so he hid his son, which is you..."

Adham sighs in relief as he glances at Azrael. "But since your highness told me you were homesick, it seems that's not the case, which I'm glad about." 

Azrael felt a bit stupid and almost horrified now because he didn't know about that fact. If he did, he wouldn't even had made that lame excuse that he was homesick. 

Knowing about the rumor now, Azrael felt like there was some truth to it. Why else would the original Azrael be so depressed and closed off? And why else wouldn't he have his debut?

Everything was slowly making sense now but...

"Hold on, what does this have to do with the fact that those students earlier acted strange?" 

"Oh! Well, before you arrived at Luminar Academy, since I was your student servant, I had to be here early. When I arrived, I heard that a lot of students were curious to see what you looked like so they waited at the entrance of the academy."

"And? I still can't see how that's relevant. There are rumors about me, people were curious, and now they see I'm beautiful...So what?"

"A lot of people are...physically attracted to you, your highness." 

"Pardon?" Azrael stops dead in his tracks, wondering if he heard it right. This makes Adham also stop as he awkwardly smiles at him and repeats his words.

"A lot of people are attracted to you, your highness. I hear some students say that your looks are lovelier and can't even be compared to a princesses' face." 

"B-But...But I'm a male?" 

"Some students do not care. I believe that's also why those three misunderstood what I had said earlier, they probably assumed some things." 

Azrael didn't know how to respond now, it also started to make sense why Eirian assumed he was a princess yesterday. So, that was it? He knew Azrael's face was pretty, but he didn't think it was enough to have other male students be attracted to him. 

"I actually heard people refer to you as the living crown of thorns, your highness."

"What? A crown of thorns...What is that--" Azrael stops talking, rather abruptly, as he was conversing with Adham, he saw someone familiar from the corners of his eyes. 

'Was that...'

He turned his head to confirm whether or not he was correct, and indeed, he was. A familiar lock of black hair was walking amidst the crowd of students, his head hung low as if to avoid anyone's gaze. 

'It's Eirian.'

Azrael bit his bottom lip, deciding whether or not he should follow him. After their conversation yesterday, he really didn't feel right. He wanted to speak to Eirian again. 

'I'm still not sure what to say to him but...' Azrael also wasn't sure when he'll get the chance to bump into him again. 

Though Azrael's and Eirian's rooms were next to each other, he was certain that Eirian would be wary of him if he suddenly just knocked on his door. 

He also didn't know when he'd get the chance to bump into Eirian again, especially because they were in different years, meaning Eirian's classes are in a different part of Luminar Academy's building. 

There's little to no certainty when their next conversation will be, so with that in mind, Azrael was already determined. He was going to follow Eirian before their classes officially started. 

"Your highness? What are you looking at?" 

Azrael was snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at Adham. 'Right. I can't let Adhan know that I plan on following Eirian...' As much as he knew Adham wasn't the type of person to discriminate against Eirian, he'd still be afraid of him. 

And he had no time to explain why he had to speak with Eirian. 

"I'm fine...I just remembered that I needed to do something."

"What do you need to do? Is it not something I could do for you instead?"

Azrael shook his head. "No, no. I can't really explain it now but it's just something I need to do on my own really quickly." 

Adham seemed hesitant, though Azrael was confident that he would not be questioned because, at the end of the day, he was technically the master. He became nervous, especially when Adham glanced at the direction where Azrael was looking. 

Azrael was getting concerned by Adham's silence but unexpectedly, his eyes softened in understanding. "I see." Adham then bows towards Azrael's direction. "I'll be waiting for you outside the halls near our classroom, your highness."

"Oh? Uh okay. Yeah." 

'That was...strangely easy.' Azrael was quite shocked but he didn't have time to contemplate it. The more time he wastes, the less likely he'll be able to catch up with Erian, so he just gives Adham a grateful smile then runs off. 

Azrael had to be careful since there were quite a lot of students walking to their classes now, so he had to carefully maneuver his body so as to not hit anyone. It's fortunate that Azrael's body was smaller compared to most students in the academy. He was able to move past quite a lot of students as he murmured a few apologies and 'excuse me's'

He could see that he was catching up to Eirian a bit, not enough to be able to say his name without getting the attention of other students though. Azrael had to pick up the pace because Eirian was a fast walker. 

Maybe it was because his legs were longer compared to Azrael's but he was already cursing profanities inside his head because this body was not built for any physical activity. 

Azrael doesn't know if it's because he was getting tired or if it's the fact that he's way too focused on not losing sight of Eirian, he ended up not being able to pay attention to every student that was in his path. 

It was a huge mistake on his part and he didn't realize it until he felt his chest hit the back of someone who was much taller than him, the same exact situation as what happened with Eirian the other day.

The only difference was there was much force with hitting the person now, it seemed to not affect the person, which is great...but it affected Azrael. 

His whole body abruptly stops and recoils, making him take a step back to balance himself before he falls on his bum. 

"I-I'm so sorry! I was in such a hurry, I didn't..." Azrael freezes when he looks up to check who he hits, it wasn't a voluntary freeze. No, his body for the first time since he's possessed it, felt like it was acting on its own. 

'Red hair.'

Azrael took another step back, his breath hitched as if he was about to have a panic attack.

'A tall frame, and an aura that exudes regality.'

The red-haired student let out a low groan as he turned his head to look at him. In Azrael's point of view, everything was happening in slow motion, it was so slow that he almost felt dizzy. 

"You." Once he fully turned around and his eyes glowered down at Azrael, he spoke in a cold tone.

So cold that Azrael felt chills down his spine. His heart was beating loudly inside his chest.

It was Azrael's older brother. The imperial crown prince of the empire, and one of the few people that the current Azrael did not want to see. 

He didn't know how to act. Despite it being mentioned in the novel that Valerian did not care for Azrael, he still was the one who knew him the best. It would not be easy to lie his way out of it if Valerian would call him out for acting strangely. 

But he knew nothing about the full nature of the original Azrael's relationship with Valerian, hence there was nothing he could do.

He initially kept his head down to avoid his gaze, but Azrael figured that since they were brothers, it'd be natural to look him in the eyes. 

But he was a bit frightened. Not because he wanted to be frightened, but Azrael's body seemed to be afraid. 

Still though, he mustered up the courage to look up, maybe if he could apologize again and pretend he was late for class and run away, he wouldn't have to converse with Valerian. 

Yeah. That was a good plan, right?

Right. 

Nothing could go wrong. 

But something did, as soon as Azrael's eyes met with Valerian's bright pink eyes, his chest started to hurt, it was similar to how he felt when he had his heart attack. 

It's as if someone was squeezing his heart. He took another step back, tearing his eyes away from Valerian's because it seemed it was what caused it, but the pain didn't stop. 

Instead, it hurt even more. The pain was unbearable, and he was about to ask Valerian or anyone for help but as he blinked his eyes repeatedly, his surroundings started to change. 

Azrael, who had just turned seven a few days ago, smiled as he walked to the palace garden owned by his brother, Valerian.

It was Valerian's birthday today and Azrael wanted to do something nice for him.

Him and his brother used to be close, but lately they haven't been talking at all. He didn't really understand why, but he assumed it was because his big brother has been busy with his training as the crown prince, and he's also been required to spend a lot of time with the so-called 'saint' of the empire.

So, Azrael devised a plan to get his brother a really nice gift, and show it to him before his birthday party. 

'It's still sad that mother said that I couldn't attend the party...but father said it was for my sake. I just have to do my best to make my big brother happy then go to bed early like mother said.' He giggles joyfully.

"Your highness, I was told by the imperial crown prince's maid that he'll be coming down to meet you shortly." Beatriz, Azrael's maid, spoke softly. 

Azrael's eyes sparkled in delight. "Thank you, Beatriz!" He exclaims happily. There was a brief look of concern that could be seen in the maid's eyes, but Azrael was too young and ignorant to notice it. 

Beatriz could only smile back as she stepped aside to let the second prince do what he wanted. 

"Big brother is coming, big brother is coming!" Azrael sang happily as he affectionately looked at the object that was in his hands. There was a reason that Azrael chose to meet with Valerian inside his garden, it was to give him a new kind of flower to add. 

Valerian was what most people called an 'Anthophile.' He loved flowers and would dedicate at least an hour a day to personally tend to his garden. He would not let even the gardener touch any of his flowers. 

Most of the maids, and even Azrael, found it endearing that their crown prince, one who was considered gifted and powerful, had such a soft spot for flowers. 

But there was one thing people noticed, it was that the flowers Valerian took care of in his garden were quite...ugly. They were unique, yes, Azrael heard that a lot of them were also quite expensive and rare. 

Still, Azrael thought that Valerian would appreciate it if Azrael gave him a new type of flower to add to his garden. 

So, he decided to look for flowers that were beautiful but he didn't want ones that would overshadow the flowers that Valerian grew himself.

They searched through countless books, Azrael interviewed a few of Valerian's maids, and even asked their gardener and botanist for advice on what could be good.

When the gardener asked him to describe what kind of flower he was looking for, he answered with:

"Small, beautiful, it should have a good meaning...and something red." To match Valerian's hair.

Almost immediately, the gardener suggests a flower called 'baby's breath.' Azrael was intrigued and asked the gardener to bring him some.

The gardener, with a knowing smile, presented him with a carefully arranged bouquet of small, red baby's breath flowers. Delicate and unassuming, the tiny blooms whispered elegance.

As Azrael gazed upon the arrangement, he couldn't help but be captivated by their subtle beauty. The gardener explained that these flowers, though small, possessed a unique charm that would harmonize with the grandeur of the more exotic flora in the garden.

Grateful for the thoughtful gesture, Azrael asked Beatriz to reward the gardener as marveled at how the baby's breaths added a touch of grace to the vibrant tapestry of colors surrounding him.

After a few moments of staring at the arrangement, the young prince remembered something and got curious.

"What do these flowers mean?" Azrael asked, tilting his head a bit, he knew from his maid that flowers have different meanings and symbolisms. 

"Ah. I believe they symbolize everlasting love, your highness."

"Ever...lasting love?" 

"Yes, though one might give these flowers to a spouse, it could also be given to a family member, much like the crown prince." 

After that, Azrael asked the gardener to provide him seeds but also another bouquet arrangement so he can show Valerian what the baby's breaths look like, then give him the seeds that he could use to plant it in his garden. 

The gardener also provided instructions on how to plant them and maintain their growth. Everything was perfect. 

Azrael was happy and excited. He couldn't wait to see his brother's reaction. 

Everything was supposed to go well. 

But...

"Prince Azrael, the imperial crown prince...he's heading towards us right now." Azrael was snapped out from his thoughts as he looked at the entrance of the garden. Indeed, there was Valerian, walking over to them, behind him were his own maid and butler. 

"Ah! Big brother!" Azrael, without thinking, exclaimed happily as he ran to Valerian. He knew he'd probably get scolded by Beatriz because princes aren't supposed to run or act undignified.

He couldn't care less though because this was the first time he's seen his brother in weeks, or even months. 

Azrael didn't notice it at that time, but both of Valerian's aides had horrified expressions on their faces, while Valerian didn't seem amused. 

As he ran, the young prince began speaking in an excited manner. "Big brother! I'm glad you're here...I-I have a gift for you, look, look!" 

When he was starting to get closer to Valerian, he had all intent to hug him, but before he could Valerian, with a cold expression, raised his hand. 

A few tiny stars appeared around Valerian's hand and suddenly Azrael couldn't move. His body was frozen in place, just a few distance from Valerian. 

"W-What...brother? Big brother, I can't...move."

Valerian narrowed his eyes down at Azrael. Though their age gap was only two years, Valerian was much taller than Azrael, who was short for his age. 

"Prince Azrael!" Beatriz called out as she ran to Azrael's side, her hands flailing in panic as she saw Azrael's frozen state. "Are you, are you okay?" 

"He's fine." Valerian answered with no emotion whatsoever. "I learned a new skill from our father the other day, it's called Stellar restraint. I manipulated his celestial energies to temporarily freeze his movements...Setting that aside, were you not informed that I specifically said that this garden was off limits to everyone?" 

Azrael, who still couldn't move, used his peripheral vision to look at Beatriz who seemed afraid. "B-But...Your highness, I didn't think that it applied to the young prince!"

"I made my aides tell you that information to keep HIM out." 

'Huh?'

'What?'

'What does big brother mean?'

"But your highness..."

"If you aren't going to tell him yourself then I will." Valerian turned his gaze from Beatriz to Azrael, if he could move, he would've flinched by how frightening his gaze was. It confused Azrael so much. 

"B-Big brother...I..."

"Quiet." Valerian sighed as he walked closer to Azrael and snapped his fingers, when he did Azrael, who was frozen in a running position, fell on the ground. 

"Young prince!" Beatriz calls out worriedly as she drops to her knees and wraps her arms around Azrael, who was now teary-eyed. He couldn't understand what was happening, one moment he was happily waiting for Valerian, the next he was hearing things that made his chest hurt. 

"With all due respect, Prince Valerian, what you are doing is too much. Though you are not that much older than the young prince, he is still younger. All he wanted was to give you a--"

"Quiet." Valerian repeated as he turned his attention to Azrael who was quietly looking up at him, he noticed that his younger brother was holding something in his arms, and recognized them. "Baby's breaths?"

The young prince's ears perked up as he heard Valerian mention the flowers he was holding, a spark of hope ignited inside his heart as he hurriedly tried to get up and show the bouquet to Valerian. 

"Y-Yes! They're baby's breaths...I was thinking of a gift to give you because...because mother and father told me I couldn't go to your party. I-I know you love flowers so I decided to look for small flowers..." Azrael rambled on with a small smile on his face, completely forgetting about the prior conversation that happened between his brother and his maid. 

"I really, really wanted to find a flower that won't overshadow the ones in your garden! Then I saw this...and it has a great meaning too! The gardener said that it means everlasting love...and I love big brother! It's also red like your hair, too!" 

"..."

After Azrael spoke, there was no answer from Valerian, there wasn't even any expression on his face. The maid and butler behind him, on the other hand seemed to pity Azrael, who was basically kneeling in front of his brother, offering an arrangement of flowers only to be met with silence. 

Well, it would've been better if he'd just kept on being met with silence, because the next words Valerian would say haunted Azrael for years on end. 

"Who do you think you are?"

"W-What?"

"I asked you, who do you think you are? Who are you to decide what kind of flowers I should put in MY garden?" 

"I...I just thought...I just..."

"You just what, hm?" Valerian asked harshly as he grabbed the bouquet from Azrael's hands and used his abilities to destroy it, leaving no traces of petals or stem behind. 

Azrael gasps, tears are now flowing out from his eyes. He couldn't understand why his brother was being so mean to him. "Why...Why....I just wanted to do something nice for big brother because..." He hiccupped, he was vigorously wiping his eyes with his arm sleeves. 

"Big brother has been so busy...I missed playing with you! I...just wanted to make you happy..."

"You want to make me happy?" 

"Y-Yes..."

Valerian laughs bitterly then crosses his arms against his chest. "Then do me a favor and leave me alone. Do not show yourself in front of me, do not speak to me, and do not go to my garden. That's how you'll make me happy."

Something inside Azrael broke. He didn't know what. He was too young to know what, but something did. His eyes were wide as he stared down at the ground, refusing to look at his older brother's cold gaze. 

Tears kept falling, no matter what he did, it just poured out. 

"Your highness, I believe your party is about to start." Valerian's maid whispered beside him. 

Is that why Azrael wasn't invited? Was it because Valerian had asked his parents to not let Azrael attend? 

"Let's go." Valerian said as he turned around to walk out, not giving Azrael a second glance. 

"But what about the young prince, your highness?" This time, it was Valerian's butler who asked.

"I'll handle him. We will...be out of here shortly." Beatriz answered forcefully, she seemed to be trying so hard to act respectful. Azrael could feel Beatriz squeeze him gently as if to comfort him, but to no avail. 

Valerian ignores her and speaks to his butler. "See to it that he is escorted out here now, and also...replace his maid."

Both Azrael and Beatriz's heads snapped up. "What?" They said in unison. 

"Brother, no, no please. Why...I don't want Beatriz to be replaced." Azrael pushes his maid away a bit to get away from her embrace as he scrambled to get up and approach Valerian, this time the butler stops him by blocking his way. 

Again, Valerian ignored both of them and just continued speaking to his aides as he slowly walked away. "Have her out of here by the end of the party, if not, all of you will get fired. I will personally pick his new maid, someone who can actually follow my orders."

"Brother! No! Please...I'm begging you, please!" 

""Your highness, this is too much!"

"...."

"Brother! Listen to me, I'm sorry. I won't upset you again, please don't take Beatriz away from me!"

"...."

"Big brother!"

"...."

"VALER..."

"...ian!" Azrael gasps in surprise, his breathing unstable as the vision abruptly stops. 'What was that?' He thinks to himself. 'A vision? No...A memory?' The original Azrael's memory to be in fact.

A very depressing memory.

Azrael could still feel hints of pain inside his chest, but this time it wasn't physical, it was emotional. 'When the novel said that Valerian was cold when it came to his brother's death, I didn't think he'd be that cold...Valerian he's...'

A terrible brother. 

It was unexpected, and even disappointing because Zak originally loved Valerian's character. He was one of the few people that did not bother Eirian, and he was the first person to support Eirian when he found out about the truth. 

If Azrael didn't see it himself, he would never believe that a nine-year-old Valerian would be capable of saying such hurtful things to his little brother, and even firing his beloved maid. 

But the feelings were too real to dismiss, so he had to face that reality on the spot.

'So, Azrael seemed to really like Valerian...but Valerian seemed to dislike him a lot to the point where he even fired Azrael's maid...Why is that?' 

Instinctively, Azrael pulls on a strand of his hair, twirling it around his finger as he thought to himself. 

'Before that, how was I even able to see Azrael's memory? Are they just stored in his body? What triggered it? Wait, no, I think what triggered it was...Oh shit.'

He almost forgot.

"You, are you just gonna stand there like a complete moron or are you going to tell me why exactly did you decide to just ram into me? Have you already completely lost your mind?" 

Valerian was still right in front of him.