"So, will you tell me the real reason why you came to Silveren?" Felix asked Lexus.

They had finished dinner and the three were chatting in the main room. Their meeting in Lexus hotel suite ended in such an unpleasant way that the Prince didn't even get to ask the question. In fact, he was very curious.

​​

What brings his busy cousin to this foreign country? He had come speculations but he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"I'm here in the General's order." Lexus started. "Last month, a decision was made to hold the joint training for the second time. I came here to discuss the details as the representative of the Edeladon Army."

Felix had already heard about the joint training but he was too occupied by other things to the point where he had completely forgotten about it.

After a great success of last year's joint training, the high ranking military officers and politicians were convinced that it should be held annually. Though the incident of the Peace Day troubled them, they still decided to have the joint training, hoping that it would serve as the mediator between the two countries.

"Does that mean that the joint training will take place soon?" Yelena curiously asked. Though Lexus was Felix's cousin, her voice remained respectful whenever she talked to him. After all, Lexus Jivaro was one of the superiors whom she truly respects.

"If the discussion went well, then yes." Lexus looked at Yelena. "Will you participate this year too?" He asked.

"I don't know. It's not up to me." Yelena smiled and continued, "But if I am given the chance, I will surely accept."

"I'm sure that you will be selected. Among the officers who participated last year, you're the best. Besides, I plan to recommend you to your superiors. You know, I really like you." Lexus said to her with a light chuckle.

"I know. That's why it was very tough to live up to your expectations." Yelena did the same.

Felix tilted his head to Lexus and then to Yelena. He repeated the same cycle for a few times until he felt utterly upset. Why did they always forget that he was also with them?

For the first time in his life, he felt unwanted.

His patience had finally reached its limit when he heard Lexus said 'I really like you.' He should remind his cousin that the woman he was talking to, was his woman.

"You shouldn't participate in such training." Felix's clear and serious voice interrupted the two soldiers. "You only started to regain your strength, why are you so thoughtless?" He scowled.

"I'm completely fine now." Yelena simply replied. "Besides, at least a month of preparation will be needed for the training to take place. So, there is still plenty of time." She added, leaving no room for argument as it was a very reasonable response.

"You got hurt?" Lexus raised a brow. He was not informed about that. He thought that the Captain was having a simple leave.

Yelena was about to answer the question but... Felix beat her at that.

"She was shot and she recently recovered. So, don't let her participate in the joint training." Felix bluntly replied as he glanced at his cousin.

"When did it happen?" Lexus asked, seeming to be worried.

"The Peace Day," Felix answered.

Lexus instantly figured out that the soldier who got shot that day was her. But for a soldier, it was not an uncommon thing. He too already got shot a few times, especially when he was in the Special Forces.

"Why make a fuss about it?" Yelena frowned as she looked at the Prince. "More than a month had passed and I'm already fine."

"Will you also think about yourself? Not participating in it for once won't harm you." Felix retorted, still strongly opposed the idea of letting her join such harsh training.

Yelena sighed. Just like her mother, he won't stop over worrying about her. But she really loved to participate in the training because it can't be compared to many other trainings which she had attended before. It was completely different.

"But this training is different. And I truly wished to -"

"Yelena." The sound of the Brigadier calling her name just once was enough to make her mouth shut and paused whatever she was trying to say.

Her gaze was instantly shifted to the man, waiting for what he wished to say.

"I think it's best for you to not participate for this year," Lexus said. "I don't know the details about your injury but if you need two months rest, it means that it was not a simple one."

He studied the expression on her face and continued, "You know the way how joint training was conducted. It cannot be taken lightly. If you push yourself too hard, it might take a toll on you in the future."

"So, you can skip this year and participate next year with good health." He calmly said to her.

With Yelena who seemed to be very downhearted, the room was very quiet for a while. The Brigadier was quietly waiting for her response while the Prince was staring at her with a worried face. Does she wish to participate that much?

The Captain finally spoke up after what seemed to be forever. She lifted her head which was lowered for a while and looked at the Brigadier. "I understand."

What?! The Prince couldn't believe what he just heard! Did she just listen to him obediently without a fight? Wasn't she always so stubborn?

He blinked an eye as he wondered just how much influence does his cousin had on her, to the point where he made her listen to him without even much effort. He should ask her about it later.

On the other hand, he was glad that she finally agreed to sit back for once. Or else, he would never stop worrying about her.

Lexus returned to the hotel after having a good chat with the couple and the moment they went inside the villa after they finished seeing him off, Felix immediately turned his attention to Yelena and keenly stared at her while sitting beside her.

The stare goes on for a minute which made her uncomfortable and finally speak up. "Do you have something to say?"

As soon as she said that, Felix bombarded her with questions after questions as if he was waiting for her to say that to him.

"Why are you so nice to Lexus?"

"Why did you smile when he said that he really like you?"

"I try to talk you out of that training so much and you didn't listen to me. But why did you agreed as soon as he told you not to?"

"Why do you keep on forgetting my existence when my cousin was here?"

"Do you really have some magic bond with him?"

He could hardly breathe after he said all his questions without a single paused but never once did he raised his voice at her.

His gaze fixated on her, waiting for her response. But the mood experience an unexpected turn when the woman chuckled. Feeling bewildered, he looked at her with a puzzled face.

"Are you jealous?" She asked but without waiting for his response, she continued, "Then I'll answer your questions."

"Should I say that it's a lingering effect of a training under his supervision or the feeling of being indebted to him?" Noticing the Prince who seemed to be more confused than before, she started explaining.

"For a soldier, our superior words are a command and we are ought to obey their every word. The same goes for that joint training a year ago when Brigadier Lexus was one of our instructors."

"Three long weeks and all we do is obeying our instructor's orders while learning many things from them. As I said before, your cousin was the role model of every officer in that camp. He is a perfectionist and above all, he is a man of his words."

Felix's paid full attention to her as she continued.

"After going through weeks of training under his tough and strict instruction, maybe I had grown accustomed to it. I mean, obeying his words and being submissive." She deliberately added 'submissive' to see the Prince's reaction and it was just as expected.

He doesn't seem to be so pleased. Sawing his displeased face, she laughed and said, "For a soldier, wherever we are, on duty or off duty, a superior is still a superior. Don't you know that?"

She took advantage of his jealousy which she rarely witnessed. She must have fun for now because the next thing she will say would probably wipe away whatever jealousy he felt. Instead, he might even be thankful towards the Brigadier.

"So, you mean that you will obey whatever he says just because he is of higher rank?" Felix scoffed. "Then what about me? I'm a future King and I'm way above him by status." He bluntly said to her. But just like before, the woman chuckled again. He wondered if she had gone crazy!

"You're really foolish. Do you think I'll agree on everything simply because of that?" She asked, feeling quite amused by how dumb he was these days. But she decided that he was more adorable this way!

"Then what?" He asked. He still wasn't feeling pleased and the tone of his voice was the proof.

"I admire and respect Brigadier Lexus not just because he is a great soldier and a superior but also because..." She made a deliberate paused and a slight smile appeared on her face. "I owe him my life."