Noir

Noir loves her alone time. As Blanc and her friends tend to go rowdy, she really appreciates quietness whenever it comes. Therefore, when the two princes come for their monthly visit - she almost giggles here, an extra thought of what ladies have to go through every month passes her mind - she always retreats. Whether to her room or to their yard doesn't matter as long as she can go about her business.

And her business is better carried alone considering it's poison.

Having left Blanc and her guests, Noir has locked herself up in her garden. She only has one purpose in mind: to study a new plant. A bunch of it was growing curiously around a dragon's corpse and contaminating its surrounding with poison. They assisted the affected villages and solved the heart of the problem, of course. But Noir managed to snuck a few of them back to their home, soil and all and potted them carefully.

And now, she has one more to add to her collection. This is why even Blanc doesn't carelessly visits her room.

"Lady Noir," a familiar voice called her from the other side of the door, followed by several knocks.

Well, except for these two boys. Just because they follow a long-time tradition of consuming poisons since young, Theodore seems to believe he'll be fine in her space and often hovers around during their visit. She worries that accidental poisoning towards a member of the royal family might happen one day. Hopefully it never will. 'How troublesome that would be,' she thought.

"Archie," she called. The spider perks up from one leafy plant at her call. "Archie, help me open the door."

The little beast swings towards the door and unlatches the lock easily. Theodore stands there with his unreadable face. "May I come in?" he asked.

"Then you may excuse yourself out now if you wish," she replied mindlessly, one hand reaching out to a pair of goggles and some masks "This one might spray poison so don't get too close."

"I understand." He obediently walks to a corner. There are some books stacked on a wooden desk, pages worn and yellowed. Archie comes swinging with a mask on one of its furry leg. Theodore accepts it with a small thank you. Quietly, he wears the mask then spends his time just standing there reading by himself.

"Why did you miss your visit last month?" Noir asked after some time.

"Oh, we didn't," he replied. "Some things came up but with how obse- concerned," he coughed a little here, "... with how concerned brother is over Lady Blanc, there's no way he'll ever miss a chance to see her."

"So?"

"He disappeared in the middle of a meeting for 5 minutes and came back... energised."

Noir gives a small laugh. "What a crown prince."

"I visited as well in the evening..." he mumbled.

"You did?" she asked with some surprise.

"But you guys weren't home."

"Ah, we were probably in town for dinner."

"I see," he said. The conversation gets cut off there, ending in a seemingly cold tone for both parties who are simply bad at carrying conversations. Feeling awkward, Noir decides to finish her work later. She clears away her desk, storing the poison she has extracted and locking the tubes away with magic. Once done, she takes off her equipment and looks at Theodore who is doing the same.

"Let's... have some more tea?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'd like to."

They sit down at her bedroom, the only space left apart from her garden.

"Sorry, it's a small house after all."

"Don't worry about it."

A minute of awkward silence passes over as they worry over what to say.

"Ah," Noir started in an epiphany. "You should send a letter if you can't visit next time."

"Should I?" he replied before realizing it didn't sound right. "No, I mean. Wouldn't it trouble you? But well, it's just a letter. Then I'll do it next time if something comes up again."

Noir nods. "Since you're, in a way, also my benefactor, it'd be good to get some news from you, especially since you're a prince... I mean, you know, the politics and all. Just... the dangers. You might die suddenly and we won't know anything at all. That's bad... Wait! I'm not saying you would die in the future! Well, you would but in the far future! But.. anyway, a letter would be good! Just in case!"

When she has finished talking, another silence happens to which Noir could only sigh hopelessly. "I'm sorry. Since I started travelling - even though it has only been five months, the only person I've been regularly talking to is Miss Blanc whom... you know, doesn't mind my sarcastic and morbid speech. The others are just a spider and a turtle."

And so her nonexistent social skills has been skydiving during this period, and will probably continue to do so.

Theodore chuckles in amusement. "You don't have to worry. I much prefer such manner of speaking."

"You do? We're not even close though," she asked, baffled.

"Yes, I do. It sounds more honest to me. So truly, you may speak as you wish with me," he reassured.

"If you say so..."

"You should also, if you don't mind, comb back your bangs. Or cut them?" he suggested.

"No," she replied curtly, a direct rejection to his idea. "It's easier this way. I don't have to deal with unwanted attention."

Theodore shrugs. "Well, it's just an idea."

They enjoy their tea and the silent company, the atmosphere much lighter hereafter. Well, it is mostly quiet except for the occasional screams and bangs from outside.

"I wonder what the old couples are doing outside," Noir spoke suddenly.

"Old?"

"Aren't they? A wife who runs away from house and a husband who humors his wife, ...to an extent."

He laughs. "I'm sure my brother will grant you a favor if he hears that. He's strange."

"That might be useful. The favor of a crown prince."

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