Would you dance with me my lord?

Ashite looked at the big, round table that was in front of her. Not a single thing was fancy in the dining room, but the round table was made of high-quality wood with curved patterns and covered with a golden tablecloth. On top of it, various kinds of seafood, steaming dishes, and other colorful foods were there. They were all mouth-watering, but not for her. It was obvious that she would be dragged into the king’s bedroom after supper.

A night with the king. She was not able to hold her laughter after looking at the dresses the servants suggested to her. Their purpose was so clear. Although they were long enough to cover her wrists and ankles, her skin could be seen through them and her shoulders would be exposed. Though they may have been moderate in this country, they bore an obvious purpose.

Then there was the king…

A servant declared the king’s entrance. Without even noticing, Ashite-Ploka lowered her head. There was the sound of calm and heavy steps. The princess greeted the king in her culture’s manner.

“Nice to meet you. The third princess of Skara, Allo Lizdeika Rabri Ashite-Ploca Joanena Pescara Van Squirina greets the heir of the dragon, the owner of the gray castle, the ruler of the Ottoinette, the leader of the continent, the black knife: Del Monte the Third.”

“I assume you heard my words. Welcome to Monterobis.”

The voice disappeared without even echoing. Although it was their first meeting, it seemed like neither the princess nor the king wanted it — it was a very dry greeting. The king did not say anything else, and the princess rose her head up again. They looked at each other. With her dark, pumpkin-colored eyes, she quickly looked through the king.

A young gentleman. His sharp, red eyes were the first thing she noticed. His purple hair with a hint of blue blew gently around the scar on his cheek. Although his dark skin and tall height were intimidating, she was surprised that he looked more normal than she expected. The reason was quite simple.

For someone who was known as a devilish murderer not just in Skara, but in the entire Marycury continent, he looked like a regular human being, much unlike what she expected him to be: a disgusting, rough monster. Thinking about her own assumptions, she almost laughed out loud, but she held onto herself.

The king sat down. Under his bright red cape, she saw the sheath that protected his knife. Looking at his sheath, the princess also sat down.

Even the princess who barely left her castle knew of the merciless acts of cruelty performed by that very knife. That infamous king was now in front of her, with his knife on his waist.

As she was looking at his knife more and more, her heart was beating faster and faster. Trying to quench her thirst, she took a sip of her water. Her mouth was so dry that she did not know if she was swallowing the water or her spit, but whatever she took was making her hands sweat and her stomach feel cold as ice.

Ashite looked at the spoon in front of her. She took a glance at the king, and he was already holding his spoon up.

<>

Countless thoughts were stirring up her head. All she could hear was some buzzing.

<>

Ashite put her hands on the table lightly as she tried to push her thoughts away.

It was time for her to do something that she had never done as a princess who lived in an elegant castle for 20 years. Although this was her first-time meeting with the king and they barely had a conversation, she believed in all the stories of his murderous tendencies. She truly did. It would be a lie to say that she was not afraid of death, but her peace was more important than that. She believed she could find her peace if she died here.

Ashite pushed her dish against the soup bowl, sighing. Although it did not make any noise, it was not good manners during supper, and the servants looked at her.

“Does she not like the dish?”

“Then why wouldn’t she say anything?”

“I don’t understand.”

They whispered as they made confused faces.

However, none of the looks she was getting were from the king. She took a glance at him, then she put the spoon diagonally on top of the soup dish. This time, the spoon made the sound of metal hitting a ceramic bowl.

It meant she was finished with the meal.

A cold look hit her. Bright red eyes contacted pumpkin yellow eyes. The king’s look did not contain any reproof or curiosity. It was a look of unconcern, just a reaction to the sound. He did not seem to be angry; he did not seem to feel anything. Before turning her look away, the princess calmly opened her mouth.

“I do not have an appetite.”

“Eat.”

Just like a lion, his voice was low, intimidating, and scary — but Ashite was not the kind of person to fear this. Once again, she looked straight into his strange red eyes.

“Your highness, why should I eat? What good do I get from this? I would rather die than be treated like trash.”

Tangled with a look of annoyance, resentment, and criticism, she spoke in an overdone, high-toned voice. It was for a better, more effective result. The more the king thought she was arrogant and rude, the better for her.

However, her actions were real.

As if she wanted to break all the dishes on the table, Ashite threw her spoon. Right after, she did the same with the chopsticks, forks, and dish knife that were in front of her.

A beautifully-crafted bowl made a rough sound as it hit the ground. The spoon bounced off a few more dishes and made a sharp sound. The other dishes and utensils followed suit.

The fork and the dish knife hit the dish right in front of the king, and few others fell into the food, making a small splash everywhere. Droplets of soup and sauce stained the tablecloth. Soon after the spoon fell off the table.

The servants were all in shook, and their whispering filled the silenced dining room. The princess of Skara, an area known for people of gentle and elegant attitude, had just done something unbelievably rude. All these trained servants had never seen such a disrespectful display.

They soon became frightened. They knew no one was safe in this place. A few young servants who recently started working were shaking in fear.

In the world of Latrice and the kingdoms in it — Skara, Monterobis, and Khan — there was no place where such ill-mannered behavior was acceptable. This was obvious. Even someone from a working-class family in a small country like Khan would have behaved better than the princess had just now.

The action of the princess throwing the spoon clearly meant that she was refusing the meal. Still, it was definitely not the proper way to do so.

The servants thought of the prestige of the king during his coronation and during the war. The merciless king would not take even the most courteous refusal. They expected that he would punish the princess in no time.

However, the king stared at the princess for a moment and simply turned away, unbothered. He continued his meal. It was the same calmness the king usually showed during his meal. This was how the king showed composure, rather than exposing his true personality.

Ashite tried not to be flustered.

<>

Ashite could not hide her confusion as she looked at the king. He appeared to be truly enjoying his meal.

At that moment, she finally realized she was wrong. It should have been obvious. He was known as the ruler of the continent. He was someone who did not want to, or need to, hurry; he went at his own pace. The king would not kill her just from this boring incident.

As just a captive from the enemy country causing a small incident, the king would barely be bothered by her. He could just get his knife out after he enjoyed his meal — maybe not even on his own. He could make one of his servants do the job.

The princess swallowed down her sigh. What should she do now? She could not think straight with death on her mind. All she could think of was the knife. Perhaps it wouldn’t be the knife… No, she could not think of any other way.

As the princess was rethinking her plan, the king was almost done eating. Although he was the ruler of the continent, he seemed to keep the habit of eating quickly from the war.

The servants brought desserts such as fresh fruits as he finished the meal. The princess did not touch a single thing as expected, but the king seemed to enjoy every bite of it. After he finished a calm, relaxing dinner, the princess hesitated, wondering if she needed to stay or leave.

“Princess, please follow me.”