A sense of dismay washed over her.

Ideally, she would have liked to avoid crossing paths with Kreset altogether, or at least have him walk past without noticing her.

But things rarely turned out the way one hoped.

“Your Highness.”

Lianna greeted him as naturally as possible.

Ideally, she would have liked to make it look as though she had just arrived at the training grounds.

Unfortunately, that wish was dashed once again.

Looking at her with gloomy eyes, Kreset asked.

“Did you happen to hear everything?”

“Well…”

Lianna hesitated for a moment before deciding to answer honestly.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.”

In the end, she chose the truth.

“It’s fine. Don’t concern yourself with it.”

Kreset replied with a bitter smile.

As though deliberately steering the conversation elsewhere, he asked.

“But what brings you here? Do you have business at the training grounds?”

“Actually, I’m looking for the kitten.”

“You lost a kitten?”

Kreset asked, visibly surprised.

Lianna nodded.

“Have you happened to see a kitten around here?”

“No, I don’t think I have.”

Kreset shook his head.

His expression clearly conveyed his regret at being unable to help.

“If you don’t mind, I can help you look for it.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I couldn’t possibly ask Your Highness to trouble yourself with something like that.”

“It’s fine. After all, I was the one who found the little fellow in the first place.”

Once Kreset had put it that way, Lianna found that she couldn’t refuse.

After all, they had rescued a kitten together before.

The two of them therefore joined forces and set off in search of the runaway troublemaker.

Despite the cold numbing their hands and stinging their skin, neither of them was willing to give up.

After a long, exhausting search, they finally tracked down the culprit.

Kreset deserved all the credit for this.

He had found the little furball curled up, fast asleep and completely unconcerned, inside the training ground’s weapon storage shed.

At last, the tiny creature responsible for all the unexpected commotion was safely returned to Lianna’s arms.

Several logs were added to the fireplace.

As the dry wood caught fire, the fading embers sprang back to life, spreading warmth through the room.

Lianna wrapped the kitten in a blanket and held it close to her chest.

Completely oblivious to the worry and chaos it had caused, the kitten blinked its innocent eyes and let out a soft, affectionate meow.

Watching the scene from across the room, Kreset couldn’t help but smile.

“That’s a relief. You must have been terribly worried about losing it.”

He was right.

Had she not found the kitten, she probably wouldn’t have slept at all that night.

She couldn’t exactly turn the entire palace upside down just for a cat.

Instead, she would have spent the whole night pacing around helplessly, not knowing what to do.

“It’s thanks to Your Highness that we found it.”

Perhaps because the kitten had been found safely, Kreset seemed much more relaxed than before.

Lianna was glad.

For the moment, at least, it seemed that he had forgotten what had happened at the training ground.

Just as she was thinking this, Kreset spoke up.

“Now that we’ve found the kitten, I should be going.”

He rose to his feet rather abruptly.

The movement was so unnatural that Lianna immediately realized why he was trying to leave.

Even in his absence, the man in question seemed to have an overwhelming presence.

In more ways than one.

Last time, Kreset had never had the chance to spend any proper time with the kitten because Calix had appeared so suddenly.

Although she had rescued it, Kreset had found it first.

Today, however, he had willingly set aside his time to help search for it.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced Lianna became that Kreset genuinely cared about the little creature.

With this realization, Lianna looked up at him and spoke.

“Aren’t you curious about how the kitten has been doing?”

As though she had guessed correctly, Kreset froze.

But a moment later, he lowered his gaze somewhat timidly and replied,

“But Calix wouldn’t like seeing me with you.”

Lianna was not unaware of the delicate political relationship between Calix and Kreset.

Still, she couldn’t help worrying a little about Kreset, who seemed like a lonely island drifting by itself, with no one to truly confide in.

“His Grace isn’t in the palace right now. He’s gone away for a few days.”

Even after finding out that Calix was away, Kreset still seemed uneasy.

If he was that uncomfortable, Lianna couldn’t insist that he stay.

Perhaps it was because she had once cared for Joel, who had spent much of his childhood alone due to an illness that prevented him from playing with other children.

Seeing Kreset standing there by himself stirred something familiar in her, making her want to talk to him for a little while longer.

But just as she began to wonder whether she had overstepped the mark—

The kitten suddenly stirred.

Its ears twitched, and a moment later it leapt gracefully from her lap.

Padding across the room, it made a beeline for Kreset.

The little creature let out a sweet, cheerful meow and began acting affectionately.

As though pleading with him not to leave, it rubbed itself against his leg and circled his feet, purring softly.

“Ah…”

Though Kreset looked somewhat troubled, he still reached down and stroked the kitten.

“I think it wants to play with Your Highness too.”

Lianna had always thought that causing trouble was the kitten’s greatest talent.

But it seemed that its true gift was its irresistible charm.

The little creature flopped onto its back, shamelessly exposing its belly and inviting attention with no hint of hesitation.

When Kreset gently scratched its stomach, the kitten immediately began to purr with contentment.

The sight was unexpectedly endearing.

Watching the man and the kitten get along so naturally, Lianna found herself smiling softly.

For a moment, the room felt warmer and lighter than before.

Then her gaze suddenly dropped to Kreset’s hand.

A strip of cloth was wrapped around his palm.

The smile faded from her face as concern flickered in her eyes.

“Did you injure your hand?”

When she asked with concern, Kreset answered awkwardly,

“I hurt it while practicing swordsmanship. But it’s almost healed now, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Although Kreset spoke reassuringly, Lianna’s expression only darkened.

“You were holding a sword even though it hasn’t fully healed yet? If you push yourself like that, you could make the injury worse.”

“My uncle doesn’t consider something like this an injury.”

A bitter smile touched his lips.

“Ah, but please don’t think badly of him. He spent many years on the battlefield…”

Lianna immediately recalled the nobleman she had seen at the training ground earlier that day.

At the time, she had wondered who could speak to the Crown Prince so harshly and without restraint.

Now, she finally knew.

It was his uncle.

Even if they were family, his words had been far too cruel.

There were limits that should never be crossed, and boundaries of courtesy that should always be respected, no matter how close the relationship.

To Lianna, Kreset’s uncle seemed excessively strict.

Still, she couldn’t openly voice that opinion.

She was afraid it might seem as though she were criticizing a member of his family.

Even so, there was one thing she couldn’t simply ignore.

She had been thinking about it ever since she left the training ground and had finally decided to speak up.

“Even so, I don’t think it’s right to compare Your Highness to the Grand Duke.”

Adopting an objective stance, Lianna concluded that Calix and Kreset simply excelled in different areas.

“Your Highness is as knowledgeable as the finest scholars at court, and you have a remarkable talent for simplifying difficult subjects. I don’t think you should torment yourself by comparing yourself to others.”

Lianna spoke with complete sincerity, holding his gaze as she said those words.

For a moment, Kreset said nothing.

He simply looked back at her, seemingly unsure how to respond.

The silence lingered between them.

As it stretched on, a faint sense of embarrassment began to creep over Lianna.

She had only spoken because she wanted to comfort him.

But perhaps her words hadn’t reached him at all.

“If I’ve spoken out of turn, I’m sorry.”

“Ah, no! It’s not that…”

As if eager to correct her misunderstanding, Kreset hurriedly shook his head.

Lowering his gaze slightly, he spoke with a trace of shyness.

“Thank you.”

After a brief hesitation, he added.

“You are truly kind… and gentle. More than anyone I’ve ever met.”

The unexpected praise widened Lianna’s eyes.

Misreading her reaction, Kreset quickly continued.

“I-I don’t mean that as empty flattery.”

“Of course. I’ll take it as an honor, Your Highness.”

Lianna responded with a small smile.

She was simply relieved that her words had not been seen as unwelcome interference, whether or not the compliment had been too generous.

At that moment, a maid arrived with a pot of freshly brewed tea.

The rich, comforting aroma soon filled the room, adding to its peaceful atmosphere.

As they sipped their tea, Lianna began to share stories about the kitten’s recent mischief.

She told Calix how it had ruined a piece of embroidery that she had spent hours working on.

Then she recounted how it had raced wildly around the room in the middle of the night, knocking things over and waking Calix from a sound sleep.

One story led to another.

Before long, she found herself laughing as she told Kreset about the time Calix, exhausted and irritable from lack of sleep, had threatened to throw the troublesome kitten out.

Fortunately, she had managed to stop him before he could do anything.

The memory still amused her, and the warmth in her voice made it clear how fond she had become of the little troublemaker.

Kreset listened to every story with genuine interest and quiet amusement.

As he sat there, he found himself experiencing an entirely different feeling to the usual frustration and pressure weighing on his heart.

It was as if a fresh breeze had swept into a closed room, enabling him to breathe freely for the first time in a long time.

Being with Lianna often made him feel that way.

Only now did he fully realize it.

He couldn’t explain why.

But he liked this feeling — the calm, the warmth, and the rare sense of peace that came over him whenever he was with her.

Eventually, after Lianna had told him all the stories she wanted to, Kreset said he should be on his way.

Throughout their entire conversation, the kitten had remained comfortably curled up in his arms, seeming as content and at ease as if it belonged there.

“Here, little one. Time to return to your owner.”

After gently stroking the kitten a few times, Kreset carefully handed it back to Lianna.

Lianna stepped forward to receive it.

Her long silver hair swayed softly as she moved, releasing a delicate fragrance reminiscent of fresh flowers.

As she reached out, her pale fingers brushed lightly against his.

In that instant, a strange sensation shot through him.

It was as though every nerve in his body had suddenly come alive, sending a sharp shiver racing down his spine.

This unfamiliar feeling caught him completely off guard.

His hand faltered and he almost dropped the kitten.

Fortunately, Lianna reacted more quickly.

She swiftly gathered the kitten into her arms before anything could happen.

Cradling the startled little creature against her chest, she looked up at Kreset immediately; concern was evident in her eyes.

“Your Highness, are you all right?”