The prince merely looked at her with indifference. "You're right, I didn't have to, but it wouldn't have been as interesting either."

Kareena felt a sudden urge to punch him, but in her current position, she knew it wouldn't be a good idea.

The young man in front of her had a striking appearance, contrasting with his apparent detachment from life. His dark hair fell smoothly over his forehead, giving him an air of elegance. Kareena recalled that in the last two times she had seen him, he never appeared disheveled or neglected. She thought that perhaps he already saw himself as an emperor mentally.

"Why were your henchmen following me?" Kareena had decided to run away a few hours earlier, but she had barely distanced herself from the circus when two men grabbed her, dragging her into a carriage. The carriage started moving immediately, and she experienced the darkest moments of her life before they arrived at the small palace in the city center.

When she entered, the familiar figure of Lysander was revealed. At the moment, Kareena thought her brief life would end then and there, but instead of eliminating her, Lysander invited her for tea.

Tea. Kareena could feel her left eye twitching involuntarily from nervousness.

"I mentioned earlier that I would keep an eye on you," his voice was calm, more focused on his teacup than the conversation itself.

"But you didn't need to hire watchers."

"I think I did need to, after all, you were running away."

It still wasn't clear to Kareena how those henchmen knew she intended to escape and had a carriage at their disposal.

Calmly, she took a sip of the tea. "I wasn't planning to run away."

Lysander gave her a questioning look. "Then what are all those belongings for?" He pointed directly at Kareena's bag, filled with clothes on the floor.

She shrugged indifferently. "I never liked living in a circus, and I thought a wealthy and influential prince like you could cover my expenses in an inn until I could live in the palace. I wasn't running away." She lied, but it was a lie even she could believe in the future.

"I'm not your guarantor. How would I find you if you left the circus?"

"You're a prince. I trust your ability to find a person who wants to be found."

He looked deep into her eyes. "I don't understand why I'm wasting my time with you."

Kareena finished the tea and stared back at him. "Because you want to be the emperor."

"I can achieve that on my own."

"If Your Highness believes that, you can try. But I assure you, eliminating me from your plans would be an irreversible mistake."

"You thought I was going to kill you, didn't you?" he said at last, after a moment of silence.

"Yes. Exactly!" she thought.

"Your Highness promised to return in a few days, but you didn't. What did you expect me to think? You don't trust me. I have the right not to put my hands in the fire for you."

"You're right. I don't trust anyone, especially someone as peculiar as you."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who views you with suspicion, Your Highness. But I'm not deserving of such suspicion. I would never seek out the king to disclose your plans against the crown."

With an empty expression, he responded, "You'll be found with your throat cut in some alley before you reach my father."

Kareena shuddered. It didn't seem like an empty promise.

"Your Highness wouldn't kill me. I'm the only daughter of destiny alive. The weight of the stars would fall upon your life," she ventured.

"Are you challenging me?" She didn't dare to answer. There was a legend that said the Children of Destiny couldn't be assassins because it would mean humanity was denying the assistance of the stars on Earth.

No one knew if an Oracle had ever been truly murdered throughout history, but it was common belief that the assassin would suffer the wrath of the stars in their own flesh. But Lysander didn't seem like someone who cared about such unfounded legends.

"I hope this was your last jest, Kareena. The next time you try to escape, either succeed or bear the consequences."

Daughter of destiny or not, Kareena didn't believe the fury of the stars would fall upon the future emperor if he killed a poor orphan. "Understood, no need for so many threats." Kareena didn't want to continue on this dangerous topic, so she simply asked, "Shall we go to the palace now, or do you need more time?"

Lysander leaned against the armrest of his chair and crossed his arms. "I wish I had more time, but due to your unpredictability, it's better to go now."