Was the whole time she had been with him was an imaginary? Or was it a farce? He seems different. It's uncouth for. She was not supposed to think like this. But here she was.

Dumbfounded.

For the first time ever.

"He looks normal, heh, behaves like a normal person too," Lily whispered to her when their parents were busy chit-chatting with her instructor. "I heard he had some haywire personality, maybe just a rumor?"

"I don't know," replied Stella.

Lily chuckled. "Such an interesting person."

Stella was staring at her half-eaten mashed potatoes. She had been stirring the now mixed mashed potatoes and brown gravy with her fork. At times, she glanced at the clock nailed at the wall adjacent to the dining table. She had a promise to get to.

"Why dear?" her mother asked, noticed that she had been kept on looking above their heads. "Is there something wrong?"

Stella shook her head.

"Then is it the potatoes not to your liking?"

The whole occupants of the table were looking at her.

"No," she answered. "I don't want to keep our guest long and it's already eight."

Both her parents startled. They looked at the clock and let out a small laugh. "My, look at the time," Mrs. Ghotham said.

"It seems it's a signal for me to get going," said Effan and rose from his seat. He had finished his plate for the past 30 minutes and he did not look like he had any intention to get back home any sooner. Stella had to interrupt.

Her family rose too. While her parents were keeping him company until the front door, Lily busied herself on clearing the tables and cleaning the dishes.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked when Stella stood beside her with other wares on both of her hands.

"Helping you," Stella replied in monotone.

Lily let out an awkward laugh. "What? No, you should go to the front. You need to see him off," her little sister nagged her.

"There's mother and father."

"He's your guest is he not?"

"Father the one who invited him."

"Yet, you're the one who's escorted him here and not to forget, he's your instructor is he not?"

To be honest, she did not understand how these formalities work. When it all depends on rationality and quick-witted understanding, she needed help from her family and Gitto to guide her. Especially, this kind of occasion was first to her.

She looked at Lily's soft smile. "Should I?"

"Go. I can handle this," her little said. "Don't make him wait any longer."

"I'm starting to wonder when you would be here," Mr. Ghotham turned to face her when she appeared behind her parents. They—her parents, and Effan, were standing in the hallway and really looked like they were actually waiting for her.

"I was trying to help Lily cleaning the kitchen," she told them. "And Lily's the one who told me that I should be the one to escort our guest out."

Her parents chuckled at her explanation and her father instinctively patted her head. Then her mother spoke, "I should go check your sister. Be careful on your way out, Sir Knight."

"I will," he responded.

The three of them watched Mrs. Ghotham retreating body until she fully disappeared from their vision that they resumed the send-off.

There was nothing else for her to do other than standing beside her father and listening to both of the men exchanging pleasantries. Her father then suddenly pushed her back after Effan stepped outside of their house.

"Walk him out until the gate, please dear?"

"Is this how people do to their guests?"

"You learn a new thing every day."

Effan was waiting for her when she was outside. "I'm almost disappointed if you didn't come out, miss."

Stella tilted her head wondering the meaning of his words but it did not warrant enough reason for her to be inquisitive like she always does. She showed him the way to the gate which was not that far.

"I thought that you're a shy person, miss but you turned out to be a girl of few words. Maybe because of that 'fringe'?" he said with his right hand demonstrate the way her front hair was covering her whole face.

"I'm not really good with new people," Stella said honestly. They were walking at the speed of a turtle.

Was it supposed to be this kind of pace to escort guests back home?

"I don't say it was a bad thing. For starters, people like you are the ones who are good at keeping secret, miss."

Stella blinked her eyes. "I do?"

Effan shrugged his shoulders. His smile never wavered. "Who knows?"

Even if she does, as far as she can remember, there was nothing for her to keep. Her whole life had been known to this city. Adults did not really encourage their children to play with her thus resulted in her having only a friend who basically a talking drum. Her best friend never shared a secret nor that he had any; if he had any.

"Was it a good thing?"

"People would find you trustworthy and reliable at the same time."

Maybe Gitto does have shared a secret or two with her. It was just that she never knew that it was supposed to be a secret. 

Wait... there is one.

Though it was more a secret of theirs rather him alone.

"I'm glad, miss."

"About?" To suddenly change his topic, Stella cannot comprehend this man in front of her.

"You lived with a very warm family, miss." His voice turned soft and the way he looked at her was different than he had before. It was as if he really meant it. It was strange for someone like him to talk about something like this with her. Even before, he talked about his family. Was it only with her that he talked this way? Did her body exude some kind of inviting aura for people to open up with her?

To think back, even the way he talked was different compared to when he talked to her parents. Well, he did retain his eccentric way at the institute but it was because he was in the same class as her. She did not know if with other students though there was a rumor of his eccentricity.

She saw him went his way down the slope, carrying his two bags of his shopping then she turned her head toward Gitto's room. The lights spilled out from the windows and she can saw his shadow reflected on the curtain before the owner of the shadow revealed his self.

Their eyes met.

That cheerful boy waved at her and she reciprocated him. Though it was not as enthusiastic as him. That boy, the first time she met him was not like this. If anyone who barely knew him to meet the old Gitto, they would say that he had changed 180 degrees. For better or worse.

She signaled him to wait a bit more. There were 30 minutes left before their promise time when she peeked at the small clock on the desk in the hallway when she went to escort Effan out.

She had a date tonight. A weekly secret date. And it was with her best friend.

FOR EIGHTEEN YEARS of his life, there were only three things that he knew. That he was an orphan, that Mrs. Kelsy is his guardian and that Stella is his responsibilities. Nothing else.

He grew up with these three things and he forevermore thought that it would be. It was a midsummer dream that he thought he can prolong but he knew as his eyes met those pair of dark irises, that his dream has come to near end. The end that he dreaded.

Before he met Stella, he never questioned his parentage or how he came to be an orphan or how on that cold night he was abandoned on the street until Mrs. Kelsy stumbled upon him and took him home. She let him stay in one of her rented apartment rooms. Yet when the dreamlike memories came to him one night ten years ago, he started to question himself, 'is this his purpose to live?'

Yet why... why did it have to come to an end? To lose his purpose in front of his very own eyes and to not able to do anything?

Sitting on his bed, his face was facing that girl's house. From here he could see that girl's little sister darkened-room and if he lifts his face a little he could see that girl's loft room. From here he could faintly hear voices spoke in hushed tones. Then it became quiet not because there wasn't anyone there anymore instead of the number of people talking in front of that house reduced.

He stood up and he saw from the shift of his curtains. Two figures walking as slowly as they could. They were talking animatedly. No, it was a grand word for someone as Stella to associate with and she was not showing any big gesture as her partner (he sure lived up to his rumor).

Effan Knight.

That name continued to echo inside of his head. Who? Where? When? These three questions repeated again and again because deep inside his heart, at the bottom floor of it, he knew that man. That moment he laid eyes on him a few days ago he knew that not only his midsummer dream will come to an end but his whole being as if had known that man for years that he could feel chilled ran down his spine.

He stepped forward enough that once again he and that man were staring at each other. It was an awkward moment for him. Scarily awkward because that colour of that man's eyes turned black as an abyss. Like a soulless man was standing there and he was inviting him to jump together in that abyss. A pulled so tantalizingly strong that he backed away that he almost lost his step and tripped.

"The hell was that?"

Why was it, someone like that man was being so close to Stella? Why was it that the end of his life purpose, the proud of his life has to be someone like Effan Knight? That kind of darkness was dangerous.

He collected himself back. Staggering to stand straight.

As he braced himself for the next possible staring contest, he was met with a different stare. That man was nowhere to be seen. Automatically the shiver he felt went away and his warm wide smile formed on his lips. His hand was waving enthusiastically to her way. It used to be a mystery for him to get this kind of reaction that he never would imagine he could produce. That girl made it possible though. Not that he complains and he already has the answer for that.

It was simply because of Stella.

His lovely princess. 

His first love.