Seraphine had been walking for a couple of hours. The forest path was rougher than the soft palace gardens she was used to, and her feet were starting to ache. She was focused on reading the thick, folded map—which was proving to be a challenge for her—trying to figure out if she was heading towards Hicardia or just deeper into the woods.
Her careless nature, once again, was her downfall.
She turned sharply around a huge, gnarled tree trunk, her eyes glued to the map, and slammed right into someone coming from the other direction.
WHUMPH!!!
Seraphine let out a surprised little yelp and stumbled backward. Her bag of herbs swung wildly, and the map fluttered to the dirt.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, idiot!" a harsh, deep voice barked.
Seraphine quickly looked up, rubbing her forehead. She was met with a fiercely handsome face. He was tall, muscular, and looked absolutely ready for a fight. He had long, messy hair and eyes that were both intense and annoyed. This was Lionel Kisaragi. He looked like the kind of person who argued just for fun.
"I beg your pardon!" Seraphine shot back, her annoyance flaring up. "You were walking right in the middle of the only path! Are you blind?"
Lionel frowned deeper. "I was here first! And you look like you just escaped from a doll shop. Why is a princess wandering around alone?" His bluntness was immediately irritating.
"I am not an idiot, and I'm traveling for my health!" she huffed, bending down to snatch her map before he could step on it.
Tsundere Territory
They argued for a full minute, Seraphine's soft face flushed pink with irritation, and Lionel's fierce expression fixed firmly on his face. He called her clumsy, and she called him a grumpy tree stump.
But then, Seraphine noticed something. Beneath his angry, fierce face, his eyes held a strange, sad tiredness. He, too, looked like he was running from something. She recalled her own reasons for escaping the golden cage.
Suddenly, her anger melted, replaced by her usual kind-hearted nature.
"Are you... alright?" she asked, her voice quiet.
Lionel stiffened, completely thrown by the question. His face, which was permanently set to 'annoyed,' softened for a brief second. He quickly looked away, a faint blush rising on his cheeks—the start of his famous unbelievably soft heart.
"Don't be stupid," he muttered, using his annoying voice again. "It's none of your business." He then revealed, hesitantly, that he was also leaving behind a life full of expectations he didn't want.
Seraphine smiled genuinely. "I am Lady Seraphine. And I have excellent Herbal & Medicine Skills. I can treat your injuries if you get into trouble."
"Fine," Lionel grumbled, still not looking at her. "Since you're going the same direction, you can tag along. Just try not to lose anything or trip on air."
Seraphine had found her first traveling companion: a fiercely loyal, argumentative tsundere who was already secretly attached.