The Another Chance To Live

A Book To Deceive Humans

Francis's POV

"After lunch with the emperor, His Highness has a meeting with the ministry people to discuss the upcoming Sun Festival. Because, you know, priorities." I stretched my arms wide, sauntering down the hallway with a casual air, one that Aiden clearly didn’t share. He was frantically scribbling notes, sweat dripping down his face like he was auditioning for Royal Attendant of the Year—the ‘Most Overworked’ category, no doubt.

"Aiden, relax. I’ve already memorized everything. It’s practically the same as yesterday. Nothing new has been added." I cooed at him, trying to soothe the poor man.

Honestly, the guy has zero chill for a royal attendant.

I smell rotten.

The pungent aroma of sweat clung to me like an unwelcome cloak after the morning’s sparring session with the guards. A long bath was in my immediate future, and I craved it more than I craved an afternoon free from royal duties.

"Your Highness, it’s my duty to assist you in the best possible way!" Aiden declared with a kind of doomsday seriousness that made me wonder if he thought the entire empire would crumble if a memo went missing. "In fact, the future of the empire partly rests on my shoulders."

He clenched his right fist and raised it dramatically in the air, eyes blazing with the kind of determination you’d expect from someone about to charge into battle—armed with a notepad as his shield, of course.

I sighed, turning around to face him, doing my best to ignore his overly heroic delusions. He continued babbling on about schedules and responsibilities while I pretended to listen, tossing in a strategic nod every now and then to keep him from imploding under the weight of his duty.

Oh, how I wished Father had assigned me a normal person—someone who didn’t break into a cold sweat over their humble duty.

As we continued walking, I suddenly froze. A familiar figure up on the balcony overlooking the knights’ training grounds caught my attention. A flash of fiery red hair—just great.

"Why is she here again, this early in the morning?" I muttered to myself, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach. I signaled Aiden to stay put and not follow me, which was risky, considering his tendency to hover like a mother hen on steroids.

Edith stood on the balcony, leaning over the railing, her gaze fixed downward with the intensity of someone trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while blindfolded. Curiosity got the better of me, so I drew closer and followed her line of sight to the training grounds below, where the knights of the First Unit were... well, training. Shirtless, of course, because apparently armor is overrated before noon.

I glanced back at Edith. The unmistakable look of fascination on her face made it clear she wasn’t exactly admiring their technique.

This was the third time this week.

"Wipe your mouth. You’re drooling," I said flatly, watching as she visibly froze at the sound of my voice. A soft, embarrassed “Shit” escaped her lips before she quickly spun around to face me, cheeks as red as her hair.

"Oh! A very good morning to His Highness!" she stammered, attempting a stiff curtsy while plastering on a smile that looked more like she was enduring dental work without anesthesia.

I rolled my eyes, thoroughly unimpressed. "A morning never turns good if the first person I see is you," I remarked, making sure my tone was dripping with disdain, just to drive the point home.

Her smile faltered, but only for a moment. Then she quickly recovered, her eyes flicking back to the knights for a split second before locking onto me again.