Nera turned when she heard Oliver's question and sighed visibly. Arthur might be imagining it, but her eyes lingered on him when she looked his way.
'Is it because of what happened with Caleb?' Arthur wondered.
"I'm applying too, Oliver," Nera said with a smile. "Let's help each other."
"Oh, Oh!" Oliver nodded his head as his mouth gaped. "What about the Royal Academy?"
"I've skipped a year."
As the two spoke to each other, Arthur noticed that Emma was glancing his way every once in a while. Did she suspect something? Was there anything familiar about him?
"Stop being so nosy, Belford. We have a registration to finish." Reinhold walked past them and bumped into Arthur.
Glaring at him, Arthur felt his shadow move and Reinhold tripped over himself and fell to the ground. Then, someone stepped on his hand by accident. As he screamed about, Nera turned to face Oliver and Arthur awkwardly.
"I'm sorry for that, Oliver," Nera said sincerely. "Do you want to go to the archery range with us today?"
Arthur was stunned when Nera invited Oliver out. Maybe he had misunderstood her expressions all along. He thought that she was annoyed by Oliver's chatter, but maybe she was bothered by the people around her?
"Of course, we would! Right, Alexie?" Oliver pounded his chest as he turned to Arthur.
"Huh? No, I…"
"It's set then!" Nera clapped her hands. "Sister Emma, you should come along too."
"No, I…"
"You can't keep shutting yourself in your house like that. It's not going to change what happened." Princess Nera said sympathetically.
"It's not like that. I have work to do." Emma furrowed her brows.
"You've seen the footage…" Nera said weakly.
Arthur realized they were talking about him. Did Emma keep looking into his death after he was gone? Was that the reason that she looked so tired?
"Excuse me, Miss Emma." Arthur stepped out. "I'm Alexie Linan, the son of Peter Linan, the runes' master." He introduced himself casually. Emma turned to face him but Arthur continued before she could respond. "I've heard many things about your family. Would you give me the time to exchange knowledge?"
Arthur didn't want to interact with her lest she finds out some oddities about him. However, he couldn't sit still as she tormented herself with his fake-death. Motivated by guilt, he tried to distract her from that.
"I'm sorry, Count Linan." Emma shook her head. "I truly have important work to do."
"Futile work," Nera grabbed her hand. "You've been working nonstop since the Runes Apprentices Cup. This is not good for your health."
As he heard this, Arthur was more committed to getting her to agree. He racked his brain as he looked for a possible thing that Emma can be interested in.
"I've seen that Runes Cup." The words left his mouth and Emma turned to him, looking at him with her large green eyes studying him. "It's unfortunate that we lost such a person."
"He's not dead." Emma cut him off coldly. Arthur was stunned by her reaction and stammered for words.
"Why do you think so?"
Emma's eyes turned round at his question and Nera looked at him strangely. Truly, it wasn't a question that should be asked to a grieving person in denial. However, Arthur was curious why she was so stubborn about this.
Well, this is the first time someone didn't treat me as a crazy person." Emma smiled at Arthur for the first time. "I have my reasons to believe so."
"Then, how about we'd look into it together? I have several reports about the fallen ones myself. We might be able to unearth something together." Arthur said briskly.
His intentions of getting close to her were obvious. However, Nera seemed to be approving of getting Emma out of her house too, so she pushed in that direction too.
With a smile, Emma agreed. Sadly, Reinhold inserted himself into their plans too. In the end, their registration was completed with Oliver and Reinhold bickering toward each other.
"How's your father, Count Linan?" Emma asked him as she fell back to walk beside him behind Nera and the other two. Arthur paused before sighing.
"Other than staring at empty space, there isn't much." Arthur sighed. "I've finally found my dad, but turns out my dad has already left this world."
"I'm sorry for asking." Emma sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, he was a great man with a great mind. He worked with my father a couple of times to develop the runic train."
After they registered and left the association, the group headed toward the archery range. It was a circular shape building in the middle of the city.
A contest ensued between Oliver and Reinhold in archery. The thing is that both of them sucked at it. Nera, on the other hand, was truly a divine archer.
As he stood there holding his bow, Arthur was clueless. He had never held such a weapon before and could only try to slip the arrow into the string and pull hard.
Sadly, his arrow didn't go by far before deviating. The rest were busy so they didn't see his failure, making Arthur sigh in relief.
"Pft," A laugh came from behind him and Arthur turned to find Emma standing there, watching him.
"Well," Arthur scratched his cheek. "I've never done this before."
"Really? I couldn't tell." She answered sarcastically and Arthur snorted.
"Why don't you try too?"
"I've never done archery."
"And you still laugh at me."
"I wouldn't fail that miserably."
"I believe you, one hundred percent."
"Give me the bow." Emma rolled her sleeve in annoyance as she grabbed the bow from him. She nocked the arrow as she aimed at a target. As she straightened her back, she pulled on the string until the bow became a full circle.
"Wait, is that a bug on your shoulder?" Arthur said aloud and Emma flinched, releasing the arrow in her fright. The arrow landed next to Arthur's as Emma turned to her shoulder, which was spotlessly clean.
"You sore loser," Emma said in anger and Arthur laughed. He took the bow from her and nocked an arrow.
As his finger touched the arrow, it glowed slightly before being released. Arthur used his telekinesis rune to adjust the arrow's direction. The arrow, despite not hitting the bullseye, managed to make it to the target.
"Heh." Arthur grinned smugly as Emma watched him, speechless.
"Hah," She sighed suddenly. Looking at the target, she muttered. "You remind me of my friend." Her mood turned gloomy suddenly.
Arthur didn't know what to say. As he stood there looking at Emma, who was immersed in her thoughts, he asked.
"What was he like?"
Emma turned to face him as Oliver's and Reinhold's bickering grew louder. With sad eyes, she told him.
"He was a good person and a great friend," Emma said before continuing. "I couldn't imagine that he'd be gone so suddenly. I was so proud of him when he stood there on top of a generation of runes' apprentices."
"I'm sure he would have loved it if you moved on," Arthur said with guilt in his heart. "No one wants their friends to be sad."
"Maybe," Emma said curtly. "But I don't believe that he died."
Arthur was speechless again. He was tempted to tell her but was hesitant as well. He wouldn't only endanger himself through this, but also his family.
Emma might be trusted, but what would happen in a moment of danger? Wouldn't she rush forward to rescue him, despite the odds, if she knew who he was? What about the King's mind-reading ability? The moment she meets the king, he would know of his disguise.
Then again, what was he doing here with her? Was he motivated by guilt to make up to her? Arthur hated his weakness. He hated that he needed to hide, to begin with, and hated that he was unable to make the decision that he needed to make.
Everything would be better if he simply walked away from here. He can start acting cold toward her and distant himself from her. This way, he would guarantee her safety as well as his secret. That was the logical thing to do.
"Want to grab some food?" Emma asked. "You must be hungry." It was the same as the first time they met.
'Say no, it's simple.'
"I," Arthur opened his mouth.
'She might be hurt now, but it's for the best.'
"Would love to."
He couldn't bring himself to do it. Emma gave him a thin smile just like the first time they met before starting to walk toward the restaurant at the edge of the archery field they rented.
"You're different from other nobles, Alexie Linan," Emma said as Arthur looked at her back. "You're a lot less arrogant."
"Well, I'm a bastard." Arthur heard himself say as if it wasn't him. "Arrogant bastards get beaten more than normal bastards." He began walking behind her as she laughed.
"It must be tough to become a noble." She said as Arthur smiled. It truly was. "You'll get used to it."
"Heavens, I hope not," Arthur said dramatically and she laughed again. As he looked at her, Arthur thought to himself as his stomach turned in regret.
'I'm a fool.'