âThen what about the largest body of water an Anika can see?â Eugene probed, refusing to leave it at that. âSurely you must have an idea? Tell me, a lake? A river, perhaps?â
âJin, I already told you.â Kasser sighed, rather helplessly. âThere is a limit to what I know.â
Eugene frowned and sighed exasperatedly.
âI understand that I need to see the Sang-je if I want the answers to my questions. But I donât want to see him.â She murmured. âIs there really no other way?â she asked him, pleadingly.
Kasser frowned, shaking his head in utter defeat.
âI donât understand,â he said, âWhy donât you want to see the Sang-je?â
âTo see the Sang-je, I would need to go to the Holy City.â She answered, as if it was all the answer he needed.
âAnd you do not want to go to the Holy City?â he asked in confusion.
Eugene sighed. She didnât know how to express herself at the moment, nonetheless, she tried.
âIâm still getting used to my surroundings. I think leaving the kingdom and exploring new places will simply be too overwhelming.â She stated her reason.
Kasser found himself inwardly rejoicing at this fact. Instantaneously he nodded in approval, wracking his mind for ways in which she could seek the knowledge she wanted without having to meet the Sang-je, or going too far. One that would bring the least ramifications to his kingdom.
âHow about meeting another Anika?â Kasser suggested.
Eugene perked up.
It was perfect!
âWho?â She gasped, leaning forward in her eagerness.
âThe princess of the Kingdom of Sloan.â Kasser replied.
Eugene nodded enthusiastically, suddenly remembering a specific man.
Yes, she remembered now! When she wrote her story, there was a character in his fifties, much older than most kings in her story. He was the King of Sloan, King Richard.
King Richard was wise and gentle yet firm. It was because of this character that she was able to further her story, otherwise all the five kings would have only wanted to fight one another, and then her story would be just about wars.
The thing that set King Richard apart, was that he refused to take part in any conflict. He was older than them, and thus saw the younger kingsâ clashes akin to children quarreling over toys.
As for the other five kings, they held great respect for the wizened old king, even seeking out his wisdom, heeding to his advice, especially when it came to their petty squabbles. He was the sole reason none of the fights between the other kings ever turned into war.
Honestly speaking, itâs King Richard who should be hailed as the hero of Mahar. Eugene felt, the more she thought about the story she wrote.
Richard had a grown-up son, but princes could not take part in the battle with the Larks. The princeâs Praz would only fully develop when the preceding king died and theyâd finally ascended the throne. Until then, their powers would never reach their full potential, and thus be useless in the battlefield.
Should the prince die, the Kingdom of Sloan would be in grave danger.
Thatâs why the prince would always assume his fatherâs throne whenever the king would be out for battle. She remembered never giving any of the kings any formal role in the story, theyâre only ever mentioned in passing.
Richardâs son would be a good man, without a doubt.
âIf I do agree to meet them, does that mean I have to visit the Kingdom of Sloan, myself?â she asked.
Kasser nodded. The Kingdom of Sloan was not far from Hashi, so he didnât find it a hassle.
âYou may go and visit them,â said he, âOr, you could invite them over to Hashi.â He suggested.
âI think Iâd rather invite them over.â Seeing him nod in agreement, she asked out of curiosity, âWhen did the Prince of Sloan get married?â
âLast year.â
âThen, the princessâs ageâŚ?â
âShe is two years younger than you.â
Eugene said nothing else, still looking a bit lost as her brows furrowed.
âIs there a problem?â Kasser carefully asked.
âI think⌠I might know her. I mean obviously, I donât remember clearly,â Eugene said nervously, backtracking a little.
Anikas were known to be born every couple of years. But there was a period when no Anikas were born for a long time. The first Anika to be born after that period was Jin. So Jin and the Anika born before her were 10 years apart.
The Holy City held a huge celebration in the year Jin was born, after all it had been many years without the birth of one. Moreover, in the year Jin was born, another Anika was born, making that two Anikas within a year.
Those two Anikas were Jin and Flora.
Flora, the protagonist. What does she look like? Eugene couldnât help but muse.
And though Anikas have always been treated with utmost respect and care, none received as much love and interest like Jin and Flora did. It was even rumoured that even the Sang-je would send them his regards every morning before starting with his morning duties, which was very different to the treatment the succeeding Anikasâ received. Theyâd been easily neglected and not much care nor love was given.
If the princess was two years younger than Jin, the two would have spent their childhood together in the Holy City.
âWere you two friends?â Kasser asked curiously.
Jin wasnât your average wicked woman, she was the wicked woman. She would have spent her days in the Holy City as the queen bee and enjoyed harassing others, even in her youth, even when the said victims would be fellow Anikas.
Flora wasnât someone that Jin could bully easily, so an Anika two years younger than her would have been the perfect target for Jin to torment.
âI donât think she would accept the invitation. We⌠didnât exactly get along, at least thatâs what I remember.â She told him weakly, Kasser nodded in understanding.
âWell⌠I-I think I could have been mean to the Princess of Sloan back in the days in the Holy City.â She finally blurted the truth.
Kasser chuckled. âHow bad could you have been? The princess is also an Anika, just like you.â He pointed out.
Eugene shrugged. âI donât know. Maybe gossip, or bullying.â She mumbled as she thought. When she looked up, she could still see the amusement glistening in the kingâs eye. A sudden realization befell her.
He wasnât taking me seriously!
Wow, he really doesnât have any tact, does he? She huffed in thought. He may have a tough exterior, but he wasnât cruel. He was practically caring. He didnât talk as any  lover would, didnât treat her how husbands should, but he hadnât done anything untoward either.
Upon that note, she found herself smiling.
In her novel, Kasser had as many flaws as much as he had strengths. Whenever he opened his mouth, heâd spit out harsh remarks that made others uncomfortable. Heâd simply tear down their pride like paper walls, and would feel no remorse, especially when they were wrong.
But the Kasser in front of her wasnât offensive at all. He wasnât that kind of person right now.
The character in her novel and the man that sat across the dining table were very different. So different, that suddenly, she felt like Kasser was much farther than he actually was.
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Ying and Livyâs current translations (from left to right)