"Would you like to go and get a drink somewhere? Just, like.... I don't know, do you guys have cafes or something where you can get a drink and a small dessert?" Hedrik asked me as we walked out of the restaurant, passing a group of children who were playing with streamers.

"Not around here, no. Maybe in more modern places near the border, but not here. This place appreciates it's traditions over other things. Why do you ask?" I said as I suppressed memories of my mother's bakery.

"It feels strange to just leave the night like this, that's it," Hedrik responded as he watched the nearby kids.

"It's not exactly a date, it's more like we ate dinner and you insisted on paying," I said as I recalled our fight over the bill that happened just a few minutes before.

"You can't honestly expect me to make you pay the bill when you mentioned to me earlier that you don't even have the money for a hairpin, do you?" Hedrik said as he looked at me with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I do. It's customary for someone like me to pay the bill in this kind of meeting!"

"Is it really? Or is it customary to argue over paying the bill?" Hedrik jokes as we stop near a section of bamboo.

"Honestly, the latter, but you could at least let me pay my part of the bill. I don't enjoy being in debt to people," I said as an old couple walked by and looked at us disapprovingly.

"You're not in debt to me. Your payment was you spending time with me and potentially having to put up with an angry supervisor with how I treated her," Hedrik said as we started walking again.

"She'll be mad, yes, but she's always cranky. She can't be worse than she is," I said as we walked by the place selling the fish pastries from before as I stared at it hungrily, the smell taunting me.

"I can't feel like I didn't make it worse, though. Have you had those before? Are they any good?" Hedrik asked me as he notices my staring at the fried dough and red bean desserts.

"It depends. My mom once had some friends of her's over and they liked the taste, but not the texture of the filling," I answered truthfully as I remembered the one time my mother's old friends came to visit her.

"I think I'll try one, do you want one?" Hedrik asked as he went with me to stand in line.

"I don't have the money on me, so no."

"I can pay for it now and you can give me the money later," Hedrik asked again as the person in front of us ordered.

"I don't have the money to pay for this and dinner," I responded as the person in front of us got their dessert and left before we were told that they needed to make more and to wait five minutes.

"Consider this all on me since you wouldn't be here unless I took you, alright then?"

"No."

"... Alright. Well then, let's consider this a present from me to you, okay?" Hedrik says as he asked the stand attendant for two fish.

"Why are you so insistent on this?"

Hedrik paused for a moment as he seemingly thought over it before saying, "Guilt for things I did that I hope to repay once I retire. I did some not too pleasant things last year to end the war."

Suddenly having to deal with oddly impactful things, I was at a loss for words before saying, "I suppose I can't help you with that guilt...."

We stood in an awkward silence before we were handed a bag with the fish after Hedrik paid. We walked back to the palace before I stopped by a place I recognized and said, "There's a nice spot right here that we can eat at.

Hedrik complied as I lead him through a small path between the trees. I was almost wondering why he wasn't objecting to me taking him into a forest at night before I realized I'm the one who should be worried, not Hedrik, as he's most likely more than capable of protecting himself. In fact, he could crush me in an instant if I was planning anything.

"It's right here," I said as we stepped into a small clearing that had a pond reflecting the moon and a felled tree nearby that acted as a seat.

"This is actually nicer than what I was expecting. The bugs might be pesky, though," Hedrik said as he sat down next to me on a felled tree

"It's too cold. Maybe a month ago, but it's already turning into autumn," I answered as Hedrik took out one of the fish that was wrapped in a napkin before I thanked him.

"That makes sense, it's getting a little cold. Thankfully I brought a few coats," Hedrik said before he took a bite of his own fish.

I took a bite of my own fish and enjoyed the crunchy taste of the outer layer of dough as I watched the water in front of me. I looked at Hedrik to see that he seemed to actually be enjoying the snack. I sadly only noticed this now, but I realized how attractive he was with the moonlight hitting his blonde hair and blue eyes. Maybe I'd have a crush on him if I were still just a normal girl like I was at home. As for now, he's my only way out of this hell

We sit there in relative silence before we eventually walk to the palace and take a back entrance. Hedrik leaves me at the entrance and Jing opens the door for me, seeing Hedrik as he walks away before she pulls me into our room.

"You know who he is, right?" Jing asked as she looked at me, extremely panicky.

"No, why?"

"That's him, that's Hedrik Scholz."

"I still don't know what you mean."

"It's him. He was...."

"Jing?"

"He was.... He was the one who single-handedly committed the Tsunian Square Massacre."