"Little one, you know how to fight?" Peter, who remembered the brawl in front of their store earlier, asked Adira in doubt.

She was such a frail and weak-looking girl, who would seem to break at the slightest force exerted, and yet, she was actually that good with fighting?

Adira bashfully scratched her cheeks. Truth be told, ever since she woke up from her death at the previous life, she figured she needed to build her strength and skill-set so she had been smuggling a trainer into their castle to teach her how to fight.

It was also due to that decision of hers which led her to disguise as a boy sometimes since girls were viewed as weaker and not suitable to be taught how to fight—only need to be taught how to sit still and look pretty.

The lessons stopped when she reached twelve years old and almost perfected all the moves already. A rare prodigy or a remnant from the pains of her past life—we may never know. From then on, she was training herself in secret every chance she got.

So far, she got by undetected.

"I only know how to dodge and throw a few kicks."

"Who the heck only knows how to dodge and throw a few kicks?" The man who experienced everything first hand whined, feeling very wronged and humiliated by this woman—a seemingly fragile girl of all people!

Adira casted him a sharp glance and he immediately shut his mouth up. His instincts were telling him not to cross this woman if he wanted to live.

"Anyway, I wanted to explain what happened that day so I came here. You're not that busy right?"

She let her eyes roam around the store that changed drastically over the years. From a simple bakery, it had evolved into something that resembled a cafe where coffees, teas and all sorts of cakes were sold.

"Of course. Shall we talk inside?" Hyacinth offered and stepped aside to let Adira pass.

She nodded her head and stood up, leaving the man to himself and enjoy his meal alone. Seeing that Adira was leaving with the couple who owned the store, he thrust out his hand and grabbed Adira's arm.

"What?" Adira, with an annoyed look, turned to the man.

"Are you leaving me here?"

"Why? Can't this big prince fend for himself? Or is this big prince afraid of being lonely?"

The blush that finally subsided, once again rose to his face as he sputtered out a retort, "Wh-Who said about being lonely?! Go for all I care!"

And with that, he let Adira's arm go and they went inside.

Adira explained her identity and how she was the person the knights were looking for that day—basically, she recounted how she created a big mess that disturbed the whole Sylveris Dukedom nine years ago.

"So I'm very sorry if I vanished without a word back then."

"No, my lady—"

"Please. You don't need to use those stuffy formalities with me. I'm still that little girl you fed that morning. I'm still that simple little Adira."

Hyacinth and Peter looked at each other before letting go and engulfed her in a tight embrace. They had missed her so much. They didn't know what happened to her after that day and it haunted them so much.

As they were relishing in that warm moment, the door pushed open and in came a nine year old boy.

"Dad? Mom?"

They broke their hug at the sound of the boy's voice and they all turned to him.

He had Hyacinth's raven glossy hair and dark deep onyx orbs paired with Peter's smile and tall build. Even at his age, he came up to Adira's chin. In other words, he was a tall and beautiful boy.

He will surely be a lady's charmer when he grows up.

"This is?" He asked after they didn't answer him and just stared.

"Oh, this is Adira. Adira, this is our son, Owen. We had him a year after that incident so he's nine this year." Hyacinth kindly introduced them.

"Hello, Owen. My name's Adira. A pleasure to meet you." Adira smiled sweetly at the child and offered a hand to shake.

Owen was taken off guard with this big sister's beauty that he hesitated to hand out his hand but grabbed the opportunity anyway. There was rarely anyone as beautiful as this big sister in their city.

"H-Hi! I-I'm Owen! Son of Peter and Hyacinth! O-Owner of the A-Argento Cafe!" He stiffly introduced himself and shook Adira's soft and warm hands.

Adira giggled at Owen's cuteness and briefly wondered if she ever had a little brother, would it be as cute as Owen?

"Can I stay for dinner?" Adira asked Peter and Hyacinth.

Before they could even answer though, Owen was already exclaiming, "Of course! You're very welcome to stay for dinner! Even forever! Big sister!"

The parents both looked at their son before turning to each other, already knowing what was going on without even saying the words.

Their son was infatuated with the Lady Adira!

Man, that's one tough wall to climb, my son.

Peter lamented and shook his head with a sigh. But, he couldn't blame his son entirely though. Adira was indeed charming, lovable and very beautiful. Everything about her was dazzling—both inside and out.

Any man that lays their eyes on her would definitely fall prey to her beauty. No one can escape it.

"Thank you, Owen. That makes me very happy." Adira smiled and patted the little boy's head to which he dodged after a few seconds of blanking out from her pretty smile.

"Do-Don't treat me like a kid, big sister! I'm only a few years behind but I'm not a kid! And I will definitely marry you someday, big sister!" He complained which made him even more cute to Adira's eyes.

The way he stood and puffed his chest proudly and very manly was just too cute for her to take his words seriously.

"Then Owen has to grow strong to protect big sister, right?"

Although aware that Adira wasn't taking him seriously and still treating him like a child, he still promised and pledged to her, "Of course! I will grow up fast and become a knight that will protect you!"

"I look forward to that then."

Hyacinth and Peter listened to the two converse and it felt like they were a pair of very close siblings. A dependable big sister that pampers her little brother and a little brother that adores his big sister too much.

If Adira became my child, our family will always be like this.

...

After speaking with them, Adira walked out to help tend the store before dinner and found the man still seating on the table where she left him.

"Hey, you're still here?"

"You're done?"

"Uh, well yeah. What are you still doing here?"

"I needed to make sure you'll pay for my meal!"

The man exclaimed and stood up to at least get to Adira's eye level although he was much taller. Adira only rolled her eyes and dryly said, "Really?"

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as if struggling to say something before he finally swallowed down his incredibly large pride and murmured, "I wanted to know your name."

"What? I can't hear you. What was it?" It wasn't that Adira was purposely pissing him off but.. mm, you could also say that. His arrogance was simply too much for her that she couldn't let it go yet.

"I said! I wanted to. Know. Your. Name!" He cried, enunciating every word so that it was clear to the lady and to avoid himself from having to repeat it again.

"What? Why would you want to know my name? Could it be—" Adira trailed off and took a half step back.

The man's heart was drumming so loudly inside his chest as he anticipated what the lady has to say when she continued,

"—you want revenge and track me down? Is that it?"

Seriously woman?!

"NO!! Why would I do that? Do I look like someone who would do that?!" He asked, offended at her thoughts of him, when he was met with her look that said, "Yep."

"What the—all this for a simple name woman?!" He whined and stomped out the store.

Adira, not wanting Peter and Hyacinth's store to get a bad review because of her conduct, sighed and shouted to his angry retreating back.

"Adira, your highness. My name is Adira."

The man stopped on his tracks and turned to the girl who stood by the store entrance with a hand to her waist, looking so high and mighty but it oddly suited her so damn well.

"I'm Stefan. It was a pleasure to meet you, Adira. I'll see you soon."

He, now, had a new favorite place he would visit often.

Notes:
Hello! Oh my God! I was very surprised by the amount of notifications I had this morning! Thank you so much! For the many votes that you gave this story!

Thanks to Kana_Harutine, TunaJeju and charsom5 for the comments that I always get to enjoy every morning! Lovelove!