Esmeralda was, once again, doing absolutely nothing.
Which, in her opinion, was a skill she had perfected.
"…Peace at last," she murmured, reclining comfortably in the garden chair, a book resting open in her lap—unread, of course.
The breeze was gentle.
The sun was warm.
No obligations. No disasters. No crown princes—
"You seem relaxed."
She didn't even flinch.
"…And there it is," she sighed, closing the book without marking the page. "I was wondering when the peace would end."
Rael stood a few steps away, hands behind his back, looking entirely too composed for someone who had clearly come to ruin her afternoon.
"You're not surprised to see me."
"Should I be?" she replied, glancing at him lazily. "You have a habit of appearing uninvited."
"I was invited."
"By whom?"
"…Your father."
"Tragic," she said flatly.
A pause.
Then—
Rael stepped closer.
Not hurried.
Not aggressive.
But deliberate.
"I heard about the investment," he said.
There it was.
Straight to the point.
Esmeralda tilted her head slightly. "Which one? There are so many terribly thought-out proposals in the world."
"The maritime one," he replied. "The one you called a scam."
She hummed. "Ah. That one."
"You were very certain."
"I usually am."
His gaze sharpened. "Before any investigation was conducted."
She smiled faintly. "Some things don't require one."
Silence.
The air shifted—just slightly.
"…Explain."
She sighed, as if he had asked her something incredibly tedious.
"Fine," she said, sitting up properly. "Let's start with the obvious. The returns were absurd."
"That alone isn't proof of fraud."
"No," she agreed. "But it is a warning sign. Then there were the ports—half of which have restrictions or low activity."
Rael didn't interrupt.
So she continued.
"And the investors?" she added. "Unverified. No established records. No prior dealings. It's the kind of thing you notice when you stop looking at the promise and start looking at the details."
A pause.
Then she shrugged lightly.
"It wasn't difficult."
Rael watched her closely.
Too closely.
"…You expect me to believe that?"
"Yes," she said simply.
"That you uncovered all of that instantly?"
"I didn't say instantly," she replied. "I said it wasn't difficult."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
Their gazes locked.
Neither backing down.
Neither yielding.
"…You've changed," Rael said quietly.
"There it is again," she muttered. "You really need new material."
"You're avoiding the question."
"And you're asking the wrong one."
A flicker of irritation crossed his expression.
"Then enlighten me," he said. "What should I be asking?"
She leaned back slightly, crossing her legs.
"Not 'how did you know,'" she said.
A pause.
"Ask instead—why didn't you?"
Silence.
That—
Caught him off guard.
Only for a moment.
But it was enough.
"You rejected the proposal," she continued lightly. "Which means you did see something wrong with it."
"…It was suspicious."
"And yet you still entertained it," she said. "Enough for it to reach you."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"That is my responsibility."
"And avoiding obvious scams isn't?"
A beat.
Then—
"…You're deflecting."
"And you're stubborn," she shot back.
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then Rael exhaled slowly.
"…Fine," he said. "Let's approach this differently."
Esmeralda raised a brow. "Should I be concerned?"
"Yes."
She sighed. "How unfortunate."
He stepped closer again—just enough to close the distance between them.
"You analyzed a financial proposal with precision," he said. "You spoke with confidence. You were correct."
"…Yes?"
"That's not the part that concerns me."
"Then what does?"
Rael's gaze locked onto hers.
"The fact that you're acting like this is normal."
A pause.
Then—
"…It is normal," she said.
"No," he replied quietly. "It isn't. Not for you."
There it was again.
That line.
That expectation.
That version of her he refused to let go of.
Esmeralda's expression didn't change—but her tone cooled slightly.
"Then perhaps," she said, "you simply never paid attention before."
Silence.
Sharp.
Precise.
And for once—
Rael didn't have an immediate response.
Because that—
That might actually be true.
---
"…You're hiding something."
He said it plainly.
No accusation.
No anger.
Just certainty.
Esmeralda blinked.
Then smiled.
"Of course I am."
He stilled.
"…What?"
"I'm a noble," she said lightly. "We all hide things. Secrets, strategies, embarrassing childhood memories—"
"That's not what I meant."
"I know," she said.
And that was the problem.
Because she wasn't denying it.
She wasn't confirming it either.
She was simply… standing just outside the answer.
Untouchable.
"…You're frustrating," Rael muttered.
"And you're persistent," she replied.
A pause.
Then—
She stood.
"Now," she said, smoothing her dress, "if you're done interrogating me, I would very much like to return to doing nothing."
"You think I'm done?"
"Yes," she said confidently. "Because you have nothing concrete."
"Esme.. why can't you just tell? I apologize for being so neglectful before but—"
Esmeralda did not show but she wanted to roll her eyes at him the moment he used an endearment she allowed him to use before but never bothered using.
"Your Highness, just because we've spent quite a few moments together, does not mean I can completely trust you again."
She smiled faintly.
"I look forward to your efforts in uncovering my truths."
She then turned—
And walked past him.
Paused.
"And Your Highness, please, next time, do not use that name anymore. It was childish of me for allowing you to address me with that absurd nickname."
Continued walking.
Completely unbothered.
Completely composed.
Leaving him with nothing but answers that weren't quite answers—
And a growing certainty that—
Whatever game Esmeralda was playing—
She was already several steps ahead.