39 Chapter 39 - A normal day

The next morning I woke up with a new found determination. After thinking all night I finally had a course of plan to escape.

Logically speaking, if I escaped suddenly I would have no idea of where to go or who to be. So to avoid having no knowledge I had to create a connection with the outside. Even a few people would be enough for me to plan a getaway.

I skipped breakfast that morning and was holed up in my room until the afternoon when I heard laughter coming from outside. I yawned as I straightened up and check the source.

It was Victor, he was laughing at something mother was saying it seemed. I almost gasped when I caught sight of another figure, bright blonde hair and that long majestic cape. Father seemed to be speaking with Mother and it didn't seem to be insults.

They seemed happy.

Somehow the fact I wasn't there dawned on me as a sense of loneliness came over me. I wasn't sure why or of what I was feeling was my emotions or Mallory's.

I noticed fathers warm smile towards his son and mother's hands that kept brushing her child's hair. They truly looked like a happy family.

Maybe father realised something at war. I wasn't sure what, but I looked back to my notebook of scribbles in English, a language not known in this universe.

This wouldn't ruin anything, would it?

A knock on my door sounded and I scrambled to pack away my unreadable plans in haste. When it finally looked normal enough in the room I relaxed.

"C-Come in!"

Edmund came in. His eyes avoided mine as he stepped inside with a bouquet of beautifully assorted camellias clenched in his hand. His face was downcast and seemed to emit little to no emotion.

"I bought you flowers as a congratulatory gift and… as an apology", he sounded uncertain as he looked up at me with shaking jewelled eyes. Nerves evident in his demeanour.

"Flowers?" I repeated stunned as I stared at them. He bought me flowers…

"Father said they suit these occasions", he replied almost bashfully as he held them out to me.

"They suit all occasions…" I muttered as I received them.

This was much more embarrassing then I thought it would be. I didn't know receiving flowers could be so… euphoric. I had never received flowers… from anyone…

My cheeks felt warm and so did my ears as I let out a strangled laugh.

"Why as an apology?" I looked up at him.

"Oh- I- didn't react greatly to your engagement so I wanted to apologies"

"Don't be silly! Anyone would be surprised if their friend suddenly got engaged. It's not your fault", I replied happily.

Truthfully, I had been hurt by his reaction, but the fact that he didn't hate me made it all go away.

"But it was rude of me"-

"As long as you don't hate me it's okay!" I laughed him off and placed the flowers in a vase.

He was silent as I placed the vase near my window, so much that I thought he left until I heard his voice.

"How… How could I ever hate you?" He asked in an almost pained voice.

It caught me by surprise and I turned to find him looking at me with a frown. He looked insulted and hurt.

"Edmund…"

"Sir Harlow doesn't even like you like that so why is it him? You could've just picked me, or that Brennus brat would've been better. That man won't treat you good- he's a monster", he was shaking as he spoke.

Somehow, despite the fact that his words came from a good place I found myself irked by his words.

"Raphael isn't a monster", I replied back.

"Yes he is! I've seen how he treats people in the palace. There's even rumours that hes beaten people badly over little faults!"

"Those are rumours", I protested. This angered Edmund even more.

"Why are you defending him?" He was heaving as he asked, holding himself back from hurling curses.

Why?

"Because he's my friend!" I retorted.

"He's your "friend"?! He hasn't shown his face around here for years", Edmunds voiced the matter as if it were a fact.

"It doesn't matter", i huffed in annoyance, "he's helped me in the past so I owe him a lot".

"And what about me?" He asked bitterly, "haven't I helped you plenty as well?"

I didn't know what to say. The fight we were having made no sense. The argument had no ground to it. What were we even fighting about?

"Of course you've helped me a lot. And for that I consider you my dear friend, but I couldn't risk harming Raphael's honour that night, just because I didn't want to be engaged. Because he was in the same situation, but he said yes to save me face", I felt a pang of guilt toward Raphael. He had changed a lot compared to who he was before, but he at least deserved to be treated like a normal person.

Edmund frowned at me. He had calmed down a lot compared to earlier, but he still didn't look satisfied.

"But just as you said, he didn't want to say yes. That's why I can't accept this".

At his words I understood what he was arguing about. He wasn't unreasonably annoyed. He was worried because Raphael didn't appreciate being engaged to me.

"Edmund, you don't need to worry about something like that", I approached him as o spoke and found myself impulsively hugging the brat. He was bigger than me, but somehow he felt so much smaller and cuter.

"H-Hey Mallory! You shouldn't hug people so suddenly"- he started to protest, but seemed to bite his lip after a moment when he sighed and clicked his tongue, "Fine. But this is the last time".

And with that tsundere answer he returned the hug awkwardly. Although it began with him being ridiculously stiff he eventually relaxed.

"Ha ha, you are so cute", I said, forgetting that I was much younger than him in a moment of weakness.

"C-Cute?! I'm not cute!", he pushed me away with a face full of embarrassment as he glared at me, "your the cute one!" He pointed at me.

"I- I am? You think I'm cute?" I blinked at him in owl like surprise.

Anger was replaced by equal surprise and he spoke almost uncertainly.

"Yes? You are cute?" It was almost a question.

"But- but you used to call me ugly?!"

"Eh? Did I?" He looked in thought. Trying to recall a time that he said such hurtful words to a growing girl.

It was literally a few chapter ago…

"It doesn't matter anymore, but you really forgot so I was kind of surprised. Thanks for changing your mind", I felt a strange warmness at the thought that Mallory and Edmunds were at least friends.

"It must've been a long time ago if I can't remember it. It's still strange how you remember it…" he suddenly gave me a very thoughtful look, as if he was unraveling a puzzle made by a Chinese artisan.

"What's with that look?" I furrowed a brow and threw a glance away consciously.

"You… you always talk like someone much older. You're still childish, but sometimes you act grown up", his words, spoken carefully and almost considerately, made my breath hitch.

"Oh… do I?" I couldn't even make direct eye contact anymore. Sweat built up around my nape as the tension in the room rose.

I felt him step closer and closer to me until he stood directly in front of me. It wasn't until he placed both of his small hands on my shoulders that I looked up to see a look of pity spread across his features.

"You don't have to pretend to be grown up around me. I know it was hard growing up here, but I'm your friend and you should never forget that", his words were spoken so genuinely that I wasn't even glad he had misunderstood. Instead, I felt guilt.

After that, he stayed a while longer and at some point Victor had caught us alone and demanded to play a game of charades with both of us. Somehow, it became so extremely competitive and loud that the King of Blackburn had to get in on what was happening.

He looked amusedly at the sight of children arguing whether Edmund was currently playing a mentally deranged squirrel or a horse and even made his own useless remarks.

"Why he's clearly a bear enslaved by the second commanders wife", he spoke such nonsense with enough confidence to gather a laugh from all of us.

Just as time went by I planned for my escape while enjoying moments like these maybe a bit too much.