The morning sunlight pierced through the gaps in the bedroom curtains. Aldes opened his eyes.
"It's morning," Aldes muttered softly.
He pulled back his thick blanket and got out of bed. He stretched both his arms upward and slowly rolled his neck. The sound of bones cracking was heard, breaking the silence of the room.
Aldes walked towards the large mirror in the corner of the room. He stared at his own reflection. His neck muscles looked slightly tense.
What happened last night?
It turns out there is such power in this world.
What should I do now? My life will probably not be that simple. Tominus. Vilavia. They are terrifying.
Tominus. He doesn't seem to be afraid of Vilavia's crazy power to the point he dared to reject him like that.
Tch. What does he know to act like that?
Aldes lowered his gaze from the mirror. He took a prone position on the cold marble floor and started doing push-ups. The muscles of his arms and chest went up and down supporting his body weight.
The main point to note is that Vilavia knows I am not Aldes. Then why didn't he tell the others? What does he mean by he knows? Why? What is he planning?
After finishing his routine, Aldes stood up and did squats. His breath began to go in and out faster. A thin layer of sweat appeared on his temples.
What will he do after Tominus rejected him outright?
It seems I have to look into the problems in the dragon kingdom so I can see the clear picture.
Aldes returned to the floor and held his body in a plank position. The veins in his arms bulged supporting the stance.
Tominus has probably prepared the next step. There's no way he would do something stupid like that without a plan, right?
I have to do something. Tominus's rejection will definitely have a huge impact on the relationship between the two kingdoms. Right now I am still relatively weak. I don't have enough knowledge and I don't have power. Even though I am sure Tominus has a plan, I still cannot stay calm.
Here I am just a trash prince. Ascending the throne is also impossible. My political influence is not good. Should I build my own power?
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of knocking on wood was heard from the direction of the door.
"It is time for breakfast, Master Aldes," Fiena's voice sounded soft behind the door.
"Ah, yes, yes," Aldes answered.
He released his plank position and stood up. Aldes took a small towel, wiped the sweat off his face, then walked over to open the wooden door.
Fiena stood behind the door. The girl looked beautiful as usual. Her white hair was neatly styled. Her blue eyes stared at Aldes and her lips curved into a gentle smile. Seeing the maid's face made Aldes's heartbeat a little calmer.
"Fiena," Aldes greeted softly.
Aldes lowered his gaze to the wooden tray in Fiena's hands. On top of it were two thick slices of wheat bread sandwiching a piece of roasted meat, some pieces of fresh fruit, and a glass of white milk.
"Morning, Master Aldes." Fiena greeted with a cheerful tone of voice. "I am the one who cooked your meal today, Sir."
The girl slightly lowered her head. "I hope you like it, Sir."
"I will definitely like it," Aldes replied.
He reached out both his hands and slowly took over the wooden tray from Fiena's hands.
Aldes stared at the arrangement of food on the tray. His gaze was blank. He stood silent for quite a long time, daydreaming in the doorway.
On earth I cooked for myself. Ate by myself. Or sometimes ordered delivery and went to a restaurant. Why did I suddenly remember that?
"Is something wrong, Master?" Fiena asked. Her blue eyes stared at Aldes's face with a confused expression.
Aldes raised his face. He stared straight into Fiena's eyes. The prince's face looked very flat.
"Fiena."
"Yes."
"Have you eaten? Answer honestly," Aldes asked.
Fiena tilted her head slightly. "To be honest, not yet, Master. I will eat after my break time in three hours."
Aldes nodded his head. He stepped his body back a pace, giving room in the door area, then looked at the maid again.
"Do you want to eat together?"