(Third person POV- Omniscient)

Rose wasn't eating or sleeping well after their argument that day.

She had been feeling unwell due to the trauma that she finally said what was in her mind all these time. But she was heart broken because she didn't want to say those hurtful words to Daichi.

But the last words he said made her feel unsettling.

The determined eyes of Daichi when he said he had never touched Akio, came to her mind.

Did she misunderstand him?

She recalled that Akio looked at her that day with a smirk as she was trying to hide her hickeys on her neck. She had looked at Rose as if to tell that she own Daichi now.

And each time, she came out of the room, every maids and soldiers gossiped about it. They didn't mind since everyone knew Akio was favoured by the empress.

They were all happy if Kohoshi get Akio instead of Rose who was a foreign princess with no lands anymore.

They even started to spread rumours about Rose that she couldn't get pregnant so Prince Daichi was now favouring Princess Akio. It hurt her because Daichi never had touched her or claimed her.

She thought he had claimed Akio but it wasn't the case.

What was going on?

But either way, she wasn't feeling her appetite.

There was a knock and she knew it was probably the maids came with her food.

She said, "I'm not feeling well. Go back with the food."

Instead of going back, she heard a man's voice, "Err... Princess Rose, it is me. Mr Hijikata."

Rose sat up quickly and looked at the closed doors with wide eyes. It was the painter brother Arashi and sister Bianka had appointed for her. What was he doing here?

She wasn't wearing her gown as she was in her night gown. She said, "Mr Hijikata, please give me a moment."

She immediately wore her gown and combed her hair. The maids had come before to prepare her but she told them to go away. Now she had to do it herself.

Somehow she managed to wear the kimono and tied up her hair as she said, "Please, come in."

The man came inside as he smiled and asked, "How are you? I heard you have went back to your castle."

She gave him a nervous chuckle and nodded. "That I did. I'm sorry for not telling this beforehand..."

The man gently shook his head and said, "No. It is okay. Princess Bianka has told me to come give you all of your equipments so you can finish the surprise you were planning for her and Prince Rian."

And then he brought out all the colours and the large canvas. She had forgotten all about it.

She felt bad because she wanted to gift it but now with all the things happened, she had forgotten everything about it.

She said, "I apologise, I'm afraid I can no longer paint..."

He asked, "Why is that?"

She looked away. Her heart wasn't in any place at the moment and even if she tried to rush the painting, she knew it would be a bad one. And she didn't want to give an half hearted gift.

"Because Prince Daichi might not agree to it and I hadn't talked it with him. Can you give me a few days so I can ask if he would like me to continue painting?" She asked with a smile but inside, she knew he wouldn't agree.

He might even mock her and moreover he might despise the idea of giving anything to Princess Bianka since he hated her.

The man pushed back his glasses on his nose and said, "But it was Prince Daichi who asked me to come and continue your painting..."

Rose's head snapped at him as she looked him with surprised eyes. Why would he do that?

The painter smiled and said, "Oh! I get it. You are angry on him because of something, aren't you?"

He laughed and added, "Well, my wife always gets angry about something all the time and sometimes I don't even know what I did..."

He smiled smugly at himself as he said, "So, each time she gets angry, I give her a painting."

She asked, "So her anger subsides?"

He said, "Not quietly..."

Rose chuckled as Mr Hijikata said, "But she gets that I'm trying to know what she was angry about. And then she tells it herself."

Then she muttered, "But shouldn't he do something about it when I'm the one who is angry?"

The man said, "I guess that's why he gave me a royal permit to enter his highness's chamber. Otherwise, I am not sure if a peasant like me is welcomed in your room."

And it made Rose more shocked.

Certainly... It takes a person who wasn't from a royalty or from their own military heads to get permits. And if the permit was from the prince himself, they were allowed to enter their rooms. But it had to be a royal permit.

Her eyes went to Mr Hijikata's chest pockets where the permit was peeking out of it. It was a silver one.

Her heart took a pace and she didn't know why would Prince Daichi do this. Wasn't he the one who told her a few months back that he didn't need her anymore?

Then why was he trying to make her stay here? Giving her permission to paint all she wanted meant he wanted her to stay here.

She didn't reveal much as she nodded and started to paint under Mr Hijikata's guidance.

In the evening, when Rose was still painting, she heard the doors being opened. She looked at them and saw it was Prince Daichi with his usual serious demeanor.

She stopped what she was doing and waited for him to ask something. But instead he just peeked at him and went away.

"Wait!" Rose said and he stopped.

She went near and asked, her heart pumping in her ears, "Why did you give him the permit?"

He asked back, "Didn't you want to strengthen your back? Become a good painter so one day, you can leave this hellish place."

Rose's brows twitched. Wasn't he the one who made this place a hell for her? Why was he complaining now?

But what did he mean by Rose wanting to leave...

Did she want to leave?

She asked, "Do you want me to leave then?"

Her heart was now thundering inside her ribcage... At first, he wanted to eliminate her but now he wanted her to go away...

He said, "I never said that."

"Then what are you saying?" Rose kept persuading because she wanted to know his intentions but Daichi himself was so confused that he didn't know what he was doing and why?

Did he get insane?

He clicked his tongue and looked at her annoyingly, "You said you liked to pain in that witc—princess Bianka's wings, so there, I appointed the same person you had been training under. Now! Go paint!"

And he dashed away, closing the door on her face.

Rose blinked at the place where Daichi was a moment ago.

Then she got angry. "Just what was his point!?"

She huffed in anger as Daichi was becoming a confusing person that she couldn't understand anymore. Had he gone insane or what?

Either way, she still won't forgive him and she went to resume her painting but couldn't.

Then she took out a new canvas and looked at it with anger, frustration and sadness. And suddenly her fingers started to move as she painted on it.

The whole two days, she didn't eat well, sleep well but she painted what was inside of her heart.

And finally when Mr Hijikata saw it, he said, "I'm speechless, Princess Rose... It is an amazing painting... It feels like you have shown your sadness and anger together. The colours are portraying the deep meaning of it."

And Rose certainly was angry and sad. That painting just showed what she was feeling inside of her. As Mr Hijikata was praising, another person came inside.

It was Prince Daichi and as soon as Mr Hijikata saw him, he bowed and said, "Your Highness, your wife certainly has a great talent for painting..."

He was praising her but Daichi's eyes were on the painting because even he got the anger and sadness of her through her painting.

Prince Daichi didn't say anything as Mr Hijikata took his leave and told to come back again after three days.

Now, it was only them who were in the room.

Rose was silent and so was Daichi. He came near and stood just behind her.

Guilt, sadness and regrets making whirlwind inside of Daichi's chest.

He couldn't even find his words to say anything. So, Rose said, "This is what I am feeling now, Prince Daichi. Do you understand this?"

Daichi hummed as he took a breath. He understood it. He knew Rose wasn't going to forgive him. Even if he try to do everything to make her happy now.

It was just too late for that.

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24th January, 23
1532