Here you go guys.  I have used all my English knowledge to make it better than the previous chapters. Hope you all like it and motivate me to translate more chapters :D.

Illuminated by the light of the full Moon, I felt a little regret.

I could forgive myself for having escaped from the ballroom and having stretched out in the garden with such little elegance. And yes, even for sprawling on the bench like that.

However, I realized that I should have avoided laughing so loudly.

If they would have discovered me sitting in the garden with such a clumsy pose, I would have been forgiven – or perhaps they would have found it almost cute, a little whim – but bursting into laughter so loudly… that was just not right. Not that I was ashamed of the way I laughed, but the only ones from which I may accept to be heard were my family, servants and Mariywa.

That’s right.

[…]

Suddenly I realized, with great disappointment, that a child who I had never seen before was staring at me in silence.

Hidden as I was, I felt free to vent: the music which could be heard coming from the ballroom were covering my laughter, but by no means could afford me to be complacent. If someone would have approached, in fact, I would be discovered, since I am the only person around. So I kept under control the main entrance of the hall but, apparently, it has been not enough: I got distracted.

As I repented, the damage was done: I got discovered.

Of course it would have been better if it had not happened, but I decided to invent a Plan B to save the situation.

After having recovered a little att.i.tude, I stood up and met the blue eyes of the child who kept looking at me bewildered.

< h.e.l.lo!="" my="" name="" is="" christina="" noir="">>.

Although he had seen me laughing like that, I preferred to compose and maintain a regal att.i.tude as I was addressing him for the first time.

My plan was simple. I was the daughter of the Duke and the gentleman in front of me had probably to be a young n.o.bleman son of Counts or Marquesses, pretty much the same age, but socially inferior.

In other words, I would a.s.sert my aristocratic superiority to keep him quiet.

< so,="" baby?="">>

I scrutinized him from head to toe. I thought he would have had a few years less than me and this gave me even more confidence: I had to show him which one of us were commander.

< you="" might="" not="" know,="" but="" my="" lineage,="" the="" noir="" is="" one="" of="" the="" three="" ducal="" families="" left="" in="" this="" country.="" i="" am="" christina="" noir,="" sole="" heir,="" and="" in="" my="" veins="" flows="" blue="" blood:="" show="" me="" respect="" and="" reverence!="">>.

> , I was so proud of my interpretation. The little boy gave me a sincere applause.

< eheheh,="" you’re="" very="" young,="" but="" i="" see="" that="" you="" understand="" quickly.="" good,="" very="" good,="" i="" like="" cute="" guys.="" but="" tell="" me,="" who="" are="" you?="">>.

< ah,="" well…="" i…="">>, intimidated by my presence, the child had forgot to show up.

You could see that he had not been educated properly and, in any case, nothing could stand against my genius.

< my="" name="" is="" charles="" eduard.="" my="" pleasure!="">>.

< ah!="">>, I gave him a nervous smile.

< and="" so="" you’d="" be="" charles="" eduard?="">>.

< yes="">>.

< how="" so…="" charles="" eduard…="">>, I kept smiling and repeating, nodding his name.

Suddenly I had an intuition, that little boy was a prince.

< ehmm..="" really..?="" a-are="" you="" charles="" eduard..?="" are="" you="" sure?="">>.

< absolutely="">>.

< …….="" ah…="" i-i="" understand…..="">>, I spoke those last words hesitantly, shocked by the discovery.

So, in summary: I was shown up by a prince in those att.i.tudes so unfeminine and, as if it was not been enough, I also had been arrogant with him. Never mind that he was only five years old, one day, he would sit on the throne. My stupid plan B was just a time bomb: the only thing to do was laugh about it.

Yeah. Too bad that I could not do that either.

「……」

I turned my eyes to the heavens for help: the Moon, which until then have lit up the night, was obscured by clouds.

< the="" moon="" is="" hidden="">>, said the child while following my gaze.

< yeah…="" i-it="" is..!="">>.

Across the country there is only one family which bores that name: hiring him without right would involve a rather serious punishment, so there were no doubts that the child was actually Charles Eduard, a member of the richest and most powerful family of the whole kingdom and heir of His Majesty the King Gillick, founding father of our country.

< well,="" charles="" eduard.="" so="" you="" are="" charles="" eduard="" …="">>.

< are="" you="" okay?="">>.

< yes="" yes…="" pretty="" much="">>.

Looking at him more carefully, you could have told right away that he was a prince with that blond hair and blue eyes, how could I have been so blind?

How immature I was, with my dumb behavior. By now I could have not been able to escape from this mess in which I had get into and, as Mariywa had taught me, I had to accept the bitter reality: my plan B has been a complete failure. The superiority with which I approached the child came back to me like a boomerang, hitting stronger.

Yet, I could still save the situation: my genius was preparing a plan C.

< look,="" charles…="">>.

< tell="" me,="" lady="" christina="">>.

Arghh…!

A prince had just addressed to me with such extreme courtesy even calling me “lady”.

Why? Where was the deception?

< i="" wanted="" to="" tell="" you="" something,="" but="" i’ll="" leave="" it="" aside="" for="" a="" moment:="" rather,="" why="" have="" you="" just="" called="" me="" “lady”?="">>.

I preferred to speak to him with the same arrogant tone as before: a sudden change of att.i.tude would have caused suspicion.

< i’m="" sorry,="" but="" you’re="" the="" one="" telling="" me="" to="" treat="" you="" “with="" respect="" and="" reverence”…="">>, he answered with an amazed expression.

< ah="" yes,="" true,="" i="" did="">>.

In fact it was true.

That little boy kept to amaze me: he was still remembering perhaps the most impertinent words ever p.r.o.nounced by me during my short life (seven years) and was even dropping to behave as I ordered. Was it a tactic to trick me? Still, it seemed so honest and pure.

I was afraid about my future.

The only one in front of which I had felt defeated after a brief exchange of words was, until now, just Mariywa.

< yes…="" yes="" it’s="" true,="" i="" did="">>.

< yes,="" you="" did="">>.

After Charles offensive I began to gnash my teeth: it was the second time after Mariywa in which I felt a bit in trouble, but I was not used to surrender at once. I remembered that I was good to receive the strokes and to defend myself.

Once having focused again my mind to the present, I embraced courage and looked at my enemy with confidence:

< look,="" charles…="">>.

< yes,="" lady="" christina?="">>.

Stop it!!!

Although I was ready to retort sharply, from my mouth came a calm tone of voice.

< even="" if="" i’ve="" told="" you="" to="" do="" so="" before,="" could="" you="" please="" stop="" calling="" me="" “lady”?="">>.

< why?="">>.

Why? A simple question. I could still turn the game to my advantage. This formidable opponent never looks so unbeatable anymore!

…… May it not be a trap?

In front of his questioning look I felt some suspicion arising in me, but I forced myself to keep calm:

< how="" why,="" charles!!!="" in="" short,="" we’re="" friends,="" right?="">> I replied, smiling innocently.

< friends?="">>.

< of="" course!="">>.

Charles had the reaction I was hoping for: he showed interested in what I had just said, and seemed to like the idea, although the last word was already to be said.

< we="" are="" friends.="" or="" rather,="" now="" we’ll="" become="">>.

< we’ll="" become?="">>.

< of="" course!="" being="" friends="" is="" a="" very="" beautiful="" thing,="" isn’t="" it?="" between="" friends="" there="" are="" no="" differences="" in="" rank="" or="" age,="" you="" and="" i="" are="" equal,="" we="" are="" friends!="">>.

>.

I said these words opening my arms to emphasize the wonders of friends.h.i.+p, while Charles was watching with admiring eyes.

Excellent: I had his full attention. Now it was time to deliver the final blow:

< if="" you="" agree,="" stop="" calling="" me="" lady.="" in="" fact,="" call="" me="" cris!="">>.

< okay,="" cris!="">>.

Charles was such a pure child.

Inside of me I was already savoring the victory, watching how Charles was enthusiastic of the idea that he had just made a friend. My strategy had proved a success: having declared friend of the prince, I couldn’t be accused of treason! At last, one last thing to do was remaining:

< and..="" one="" more="" thing,="" charles="" …="">>.

< what,="" cris?="">>.

I put my finger to my lips, as if to indicate him to keep quiet:

< what="" has="" just="" happened="" will="" be="" our="" secret!="">>.

< ……="" secret?="">>.

< yes,="" a="" secret.="" that="" we="" met="" here="" and="" everything="" else,="" it’s="" a="" secret="">>.

< even="" the="" way="" you="" laugh="" before?="">>.

< that="" is="" top="" secret="" !!!="">>.

He had just turned over the knife.

< then,="" do="" you="" agree?="" you="" must="" not="" tell="" anyone="" that="" we="" met="" here="" tonight="">>.

< ……="" and="" why?="">>.

Charles lips were clamped.

I thought he was so doubtful because he really wanted to share with someone what had just happened: not mainly the witnessing of my awkward laugh, but rather to have made friends.h.i.+p with me.

By perfectly understanding the heart of the child, I winked:

< how="" why?="" as="" a="" memory="" of="" our="" first="" meeting,="" right?="" only="" you="" and="" i="" will="" guard="" this="" secret!="">>.

At these words the eyes of Charles shone approval:

< okay!="" it="" will="" be="" our="" secret!="">>.

Victory!!! Inside of my heart I silently applauded to myself and to the excellent performance just accomplished.