The broom in Eustass's hands felt heavier than before, though he wasn't sure if it was from the strain in his arms or the sight before him. His chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, trained breathing holding back the tremor in his body.
The little girl hadn't moved—except for her mouth. She devoured the bread like a starving animal, as though every bite might be her last, crumbs scattering across her chin and the floor. Her small fingers clutched the crust with such desperation that the bread itself seemed like treasure.
Eustass lowered the broom an inch more. His eyes narrowed. A child. Not a thief. Not an assassin. A child.
He swallowed down the unease. Still, something didn't sit right.
"…How did you get inside?" His voice came out measured, calm, but the edge of suspicion lingered. "The door was locked."
The girl's chewing slowed. Her wide eyes flicked up toward him, then away. She wiped her lips with the back of her sleeve before mumbling, "I… know how to open doors."
Eustass tilted his head. "…Do you?"
She nodded quickly, clutching the bread tighter, as if he might take it from her. "Sometimes my brothers and sisters would lock me in my room… for fun. I learned how to get out. Easy."
A practiced excuse. Too smooth.
Eustass's mind sharpened. Why would a girl barge into a stranger's home just to eat bread? He tightened his grip on the broom again, his tone cutting closer.
"You didn't come alone, did you?"
The words froze her. She stopped mid-bite. For a heartbeat, her gaze lost that frantic hunger—and something else slipped through. A flicker of grief.
Before she could speak, footsteps echoed.
"Kairus?" Elizabeth's voice rang from the corridor. Then the door creaked wider, spilling light into the kitchen.
Elizabeth stopped dead at the threshold. Her eyes widened at the sight of the girl crouched on the floor.
"Oh heavens…" She rushed forward, skirts brushing against the tiles, and knelt beside the trembling child. Her hand hovered as if she dared not touch too roughly. "A child?"
The girl stiffened, shoulders tense as Elizabeth neared.
Elizabeth glanced at Eustass, her face tight with confusion. "Kairus—how did this girl get in here?"
"She barged inside," Eustass replied evenly, nodding toward the bread still clutched in the girl's hands. "Says she knows how to unlock doors. Same trick she used when her siblings locked her in a room."
Elizabeth blinked, then returned her gaze to the girl, her voice gentler now. "Did you come with someone, little one?"
The girl's lips trembled. She dropped the last crumb of bread to the floor. Then, like a dam bursting, tears welled in her eyes.
"I… I was with someone," she whispered. Her voice cracked, fragile. "We were going to Brasland. But then—then men came. Bandits."
Her breaths quickened. Her body shook.
"They attacked our carriages. We ran. I was with Anna—my maid. She held my hand as we tried to get away. But—" Her throat caught. "She was shot. An arrow. She bled so much. I tried—I tried—but she…"
Her little fists pressed against her eyes, sobs spilling free. "…she died. And I kept walking. Two days. I was so hungry. Then I saw this house. I thought… maybe food. Just food."
Her voice cracked on the last word, shattering into hiccupped sobs.
Elizabeth's face softened with heartbreak. She wrapped her arms around the girl, pulling her close against her chest.
"There, there," she whispered, stroking the child's tangled hair. "It's all right now. You're safe. No one will hurt you here."
The girl clung to her like a drowning soul to driftwood.
Elizabeth leaned back slightly, her voice low but kind. "Tell me, child. What is your name? Where are you from?"
The girl sniffled, cheeks wet with tears. "A… Alicia. I'm from Eurellia."
The name hit Eustass like cold steel. His eyes widened, flicker sharp and brief before he masked it.
Eurellia.
Of all places. The rival kingdom. Enemies of my Kingdom—Velria for half a century. A nation that had spilled Velrian blood across generations, that even in his past life as an advisor had remained their bitterest foe.
And now, a child of Eurellia sat crying in their home.
Elizabeth's arms only tightened. She gave Alicia a warm, steadying squeeze. "Alicia… you're safe. Whatever happened before, you are safe now."
The girl buried her face in Elizabeth's shoulder, sobbing still.
Elizabeth stroked her hair again, then glanced up at Eustass. "She needs food. Real food. And rest. Her clothes are filthy, she must have walked for miles." She turned back to Alicia with a tender smile. "Come with me, dear. We'll find you something proper to eat. And a dress. Something clean and warm."
Elizabeth rose to her feet, guiding Alicia gently up with her. Then she glanced at Eustass again. "my son, would you fetch the belongings from the carriage? I'll help her get settled."
He gave a short nod. "Of course."
As Elizabeth led the girl out, Eustass's eyes lingered on her small frame, on the way she leaned against Elizabeth for support. A child, broken, clinging to the last shred of safety.
And yet… from Eurellia.
---
The air outside the carriage was cool, carrying the faint scent of earth after rain. Eustass carried bags inside, mind replaying every word Alicia had spoken.
Her tears were too raw to be false. The hunger too genuine. No thief or spy would risk exposure just for a crust of bread. A child's first instinct was survival, not deception.
So perhaps she told the truth…
He set the bags down in the corridor, jaw tight. But what truth, exactly?
---
Later, as the house quieted, Elizabeth stayed with Alicia in her chambers, gently coaxing her to eat. The little girl's hands shook as she lifted the spoon, overwhelmed by kindness after days of fear. Elizabeth adjusted her dress, combed the tangles from her hair, and tucked her into fresh bedding.
"Rest, Alicia," Elizabeth whispered, brushing her forehead softly. "You are safe here."
The girl's eyes fluttered closed, exhaustion pulling her under.
---
Meanwhile, Eustass moved through the room meant to be Alicia's, tidying the corners. Dust swept into neat piles, blankets smoothed, furniture shifted back in order. His movements were mechanical, but his thoughts… razor-sharp.
As he bent to move a small satchel that had slipped from the bed, his eyes caught the glint of something inside.
A pouch. Leather. Well-crafted. Too fine for a servant or even a minor noble.
And within it—something golden shimmered as sunlight struck it.
Curiosity flared. He hesitated, then unfastened the pouch and drew the object free.
A coin? No… larger, heavier. A medallion, its surface etched with fine patterns, set onto a bracelet clasp. The symbol engraved upon it was unmistakable.
A royal sigil.
His breath stilled. His hand tightened around the cold gold.
Not just any sigil. The crest of Eurellia's royal family.
His mind raced. He knew this object. He had one himself—a Velrian sigil, proof of his standing in the royal house. A mark of bloodline, of privilege, of power.
Which meant only one thing.
The girl… Alicia… was no commoner. No orphan.
She was Eurellian royalty.
Eustass's reflection stared back at him from the polished surface of the gold. His lips curved into something sharp.
A royal of Eurellia. In Velria's home. In my grasp.
He slid the sigil back into the pouch, his pulse steady, calm, deliberate. His mind churned with the force of revelation.
A war that had lasted fifty years. Generations locked in bloodshed. And now—fate had delivered to him a piece of that royal family.
Perhaps the key to peace. Perhaps the leverage to something greater.
A slow smile pulled at his mouth. Dark, knowing, edged with ambition.
"…Maybe," he whispered under his breath, voice curling like smoke, "I can end the war myself. Not with blood. Not with treaties."
His gaze sharpened, cold and gleaming.
"But by holding Eurellia's jewel in my hand."
He exhaled, the thought settling like iron in his chest.
"Perhaps…" His eyes flicked toward the hall where Elizabeth and Alicia rested. His voice dropped to a murmur, darker still.
"…perhaps I can claim this kingdom for myself."
The words hung in the air, quiet but venomous. Not a shout. Not a vow. A seed—planted deep in the soil of his heart, waiting to grow.
And for the first time in a long while, Eustass allowed the corner of his lips to curl into something dangerous.
A smile fit not for a boy.
Not for a son.
But for a king.