"I think you're confusing me with my friend." Amelia said. "The one who stopped that fight wasn't me but my friend. I was just standing there."
Hearing her words, Leon looked at her with a faceful of realization. He stayed silent for a second, as he didn't know how to react, so he just said. "ohh. Sorry."
Amelia nodded her, head not minding his disappointed expression, as she ignored him and started leaving. But she stopped as she found Leon following behind her. "What are you doing?"
"Actually, I, I don't know my way back and there's no one here whom I can ask, so can I _." Leon said, stuttering in his answer, clearly not confident that she'll agree to let him follow her.
Amelia looked at him carefully, and said "I'll take you to the main hall, but you better not stick behind me after that." She said and started walking away, while warning him "Or I'll have my brother beat you more bad than those guys did. My brother's the strongest."
"Of course." Leon first was happy, hearing her words, thinking maybe he could ask her help in finding the princess too. Since she's roaming in this giant palace without any worries, she's definitely someone who knows about her. But his thoughts were broken when he heard her warning. The way she spoke with certainty made him believe her words, even though they didn't sound scary from her mouth.
'I'll just look for her myself.'
That's how Amelia and Leon were supposed to meet in the story. Amelia guided Leon to the main hall and said her goodbyes.
Many around the hall recognized Leon as the guy who just got beaten an hour before, but no one came forward to make fun of him or bully him. They've all seen princess save him before and just now he was talking with Amelia Blake. So no one wanted to take risks of angering the 2 stars of 2 most powerful families in the empire.
This gave Leon the chance to look around carefully, but since the poor protagonist didn't know anybody, and he didn't actually have the brains to ask anybody, he kept looking around like a fool. Thinking he'd meet and find the princess, whom he never met, never seen, and identify her by some gut feeling.
After a while of wasting time looking around and not finding anyone who looked like the princess, Leon just gave up on the party and went out in his depressed mood. He was sitting in the garden, when he heard someone's voice.
"I thought guards were supposed to take you to a guest room, and not in an open garden." Rebecca said, looking at the boy she saved some time ago, looking lost in his thoughts.
She was going towards her room, thinking about the engagement announcement that her parents were about to share with the world. Her engagement with the heir of Blake's and her friend Rio.
Though not quite knowledgeable about all marriage stuff, she was still a little excited and nervous about it now. She had heard everyone in the main hall talking about the rumors of alliance between both families and how it would benefit them. But she also heard many people being jealous of it or talking against it.
She just came out to take a breather, before she had to go back, and be present there for the engagement announcement.
She didn't want to look worried or nervous in front of everyone. She didn't want anyone to think that her parents forced this decision on her, or that she wasn't happy.
Apparently the whole of Schilla would be watching this announcement, and she needed to maintain her appearance.
That's when she saw him.
"Did they let you go, or did something happen?" She asked, thinking maybe those kids from before must have troubled him again. Even though this time the guards shouldn't leave him be, but then why was he here.
"Ahh" Leon turned to look at the girl and his brain stopped working as he just kept looking at her. She was just perfect.
"I asked you a question?" Rebecca said, thinking this guy's like everyone else too.
Only then did Leon got out of his thoughts and answered in a rush - "No, I was fine. So I left."
"Hmm" Rebecca nodded and decided to leave, but stopped when she heard him speak again.
"Were you the one who saved me?" Leon said, thinking maybe it was this pretty girl who saved him. That's why she knew him. Well, the last pretty girl knew him too, but she didn't save him, so he was hoping it's her, so he can thank his savior.
Rebecca didn't reply and nodded her head.
"Ahh thank you for helping me there. I don't know how to repay you." Leon said, bowing his head. "I'm Leonard.. "
"Just don't pick fights with them again and go inside. Instead of standing out here alone." She said, stopping his introduction, and turned around to leave. But her steps halted again as she heard him call her.
"Do you know where the princess is?" He asked.
Rebecca looked at the boy carefully, her mind thinking what kind of idiot he is. The whole empire knew the golden hair which were sign of royalty and about her blue eyes, sign of her connection to her mother. She should be easy to be found, but was this boy joking.
"What do you want with the princess?" So instead of answering him, she asked.
Hearing her words Leon smiled as this probably meant she knew princess, or atleast where she was. So he happily told her everything. How he came here looking for princess, and ask her help in saving his mother.
Listening to everything Rebecca had a sympathic expression, she liked the determination and how he was willing to do everything himself to save his mother.
In their conversation she also noticed, the boy in front of her, really didn't know who she was and started talking to her normally, just like he'd talk to anyone else. This was the first for her, as everyone she met till now always considered her lineage and title for everything.
It felt nice, not being recognized, and experiencing how it feels to have a normal talk. So she decided to keep it that way, thinking maybe she can talk to him like that again, maybe she'll have a new friend beside Amelia. Or maybe it'll be fun to see his face when he realises she's the princess.
So she let the misunderstanding be, and agreed to ask the princess to help him instead. She also promised that she'll pray to gods that her mother wakes up soon.
After learning that he won't be meeting the princess, because she'll be surrounded by guests and everyone in the main hall. Leon reluctantly agreed to what Rebecca said, and let her talk to princess in his stead. He also gave her the gift he prepared for princeaa's birthday so she can pass it to her.
After that Rebecca left the garden, a little less nervous about the engagement,but more worried about the boy's mother, whom she just met. After she left, Leon sat back in garden, with a hopeful smile, he believed her words with all his heart, and thanked the gods for their help.
That's how the first meeting between the hero and heroine was supposed to go in the novel. And even though Rio had changed some stuff, like how Amelia was never with Rebecca, how Amelia never gets a chance to meet the protagonist, but listening to Rebecca's stupid words in their little argument, he couldn't be sure if that was enough.
'Will she still believe his words and everything he said, cause she's a fool.' Rio thought.
There was a high possibility that Rebecca would still meet Leon and have that talk. He wasn't sure what she'd do now, after everything he told her, but he was curious to know.
He needed to know if his efforts were working or not. If Rebecca couldn't see the difference between naivety and reality, then there was no point for him to waste his time on her other events.
There were many other people, many other events, probably happening simentenously around the world, he couldn't just sit back and be stuck on her, hoping she'd change. When there were other more viable options for him to change his and Amelia's endings.
So he decided to not interfere again and let Rebecca be, he wanted to see what she'll choose now.
She wasn't engaged to him, he wasn't tied to her, so even if she got close to Leon, it won't matter to him.
Neither the hero nor this heroine were a threat to him, for a whole lot of years. And if something out of hand did happen, he'll just have to take drastic measures. He could just pull forward the events that would put Royals on the line, and leave no room for them to grow into a nuisance.
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A/N - This event will be over soon, and then the much awaited time skip is coming. Until then please drop a review wherever you're reading it & join my discord server. (If u join now, u might be the OG 100 of the server) lucky chance
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