“Hyce.”

“…….”

“Stop. Please.”

“I refuse.”

“Then I’ll command you. Stop right there, Hyacinth Hener.”

Hyacinth halted abruptly. Fortunately or unfortunately, there was no one around to see or hear them. She turned sharply, glaring at her cousin.

“Hyce.”

“You didn’t have to go this far.”

As the Crown Prince, she knew she should show him respect even in private. But it was incredibly difficult.

Her resentment was greater than she thought. It was overflowing.

“Who tipped you off? Caleb? I admit I acted impulsively, but for just that one thing!”

“I was at the training grounds that dawn too.”

At Arthur’s explanation, Hyacinth took a deep breath.

“I was with the Duke.”

The following words made her eyes twitch. In her blurry vision, Arthur shrugged slowly.

“I won’t mention the Duke’s reaction. But… Hyce, I’m your family and I want you to be happy. I wanted to make sure you gave up on him.”

“I would have given up if Their Majesties and my brothers had wanted that. Do you think I would have been stubborn?”

“We didn’t want you to just comply. We wanted you to completely give up. It would hurt less that way.”

He wanted her heart to break completely. Hyacinth felt a surge of anger.

No matter what, it’s my choice, my feelings. Why go this far? Do you have to go this far? I know giving up is the wiser choice!

Her pride was hurt. She was sad.

To be honest, she was also frustrated.

She knew the reality well. The scales were already tipped, and her feelings were obviously heavier than his.

Had she ever felt this pathetic?

It was miserable enough to have unrequited feelings, but to have that fact exposed so easily. It was all so frustrating that her cheeks burned.

“Loving Ethan Erentis will only hurt you more.”

I know.

“Do you think that arrogant man will ever deeply love someone?”

I get it.

“Believe me, Hyce. It’s an unrequited feeling.”

My ears are going to bleed. How long are you going to nag? This isn’t concern anymore; it’s just nagging!

Hyacinth clenched her teeth. Having been mostly pampered, she was starting to get really angry. Her long-suppressed rebelliousness was about to break free.

“I understand why you chose him, but.”

“Enough. Arthur.”

“Not that the Duke is lacking, but.”

“Stop it. I get it.”

“There are better men out there.”

“I under…… No, that sounds like an insult to the Duke. Take it back.”

“Hyacinth Hener.”

Her cousin’s voice suddenly turned stern.

It was a voice filled with the authority of a ruler. Hyacinth reflected on her attitude, wondering if she had been too rude.

A sharp gaze bore down on her from above. Hyacinth quickly lowered her head and muttered softly.

“I’m not saying I won’t give up.”

“Good, that’s a good girl. You’ll give up, right?”

Of course, I will. I’m not a fool.

Has there ever been a happy ending for someone who chose love over their family? Does she have the courage to turn the world against her for the sake of love?

Besides, a love like that requires mutual feelings. No matter how much Hyacinth wanted to run away from Tyche for romance—not that she did—the knight wouldn’t come to rescue her.

What is Hyacinth Hener to Ethan Erentis?

Even Hyacinth herself acknowledged it.

“Hyce?”

So, all she had to do was confidently say she would give up. But the declaration of giving up was unexpectedly stuck in her throat.

Lingering feelings were like embers. The more you poked them, the larger they grew.

Hyacinth unconsciously clutched the hem of her bliaut. It felt like she was going back to the first moment she was with the man.

He intruded into her room without permission.

And then, he tried to leave without even apologizing. Despite being such an insolent man, what made her give him her heart? What made her wish to be in the midst of those isolated, lonely gray eyes?

The audience chamber. The dim garden.

She clearly remembered the warmth of the cat they petted together and the fresh scent of dawn. The lonely atmosphere, the mischievous eyebrow raise, and the incredulous chuckle.

The more she reminisced, the more vivid it became.

Hyacinth slowly released her grip. She had clenched her hand so tightly that each knuckle had turned white. Pathetic, she thought, recalling the word she had been repeating to herself recently.

Ever since meeting that man, Hyacinth Hener had only become more pathetic……

Why did she reminisce? She wasn’t planning to change her answer anyway.

The air filling her nostrils was stuffy. She didn’t want to gauge the heavy weight pressing down on her heart.

“No. Arthur, listen.”

“Yes.”

“I acknowledge that you went to great lengths for me. I am very grateful. But what I’m saying is, you didn’t have to go this far. It’s not like I fell for some knight without a title. That’s not the case.”

Before Arthur could say anything, Hyacinth cut him off.

“Giving up. I’m not saying I won’t. I don’t want to stubbornly hold onto my feelings against everyone’s opposition. It’s a light infatuation…… just a fleeting emotion.”

Doesn’t everyone have a first love that’s more like an admiration?

For Hyacinth, that was Ethan Erentis. At least, that’s what she believed. She wasn’t so madly in love with him that if Ethan Erentis asked her to run away with him, she wouldn’t scorn him for being out of his mind.

She just hoped to be the one to comfort the Duke’s loneliness. Yes. Just that much.

“So there was no need to involve Prince Michael from another country. Arthur, you went too far.”

“Don’t misunderstand. He’s the one who brought you up first. He asked me to arrange a meeting with you.”

“What?”

“No matter the country, we can’t just order a foreign prince around.”

Well, that’s true.

Hyacinth humbly acknowledged her lack of understanding.

“I did want to strongly recommend Michael to you. I admit that.”

“…….”

“A marriage based on unrequited love and a marriage with no mutual affection. Which do you think is better, Hyce? I believe the latter.”

Sorry, but I believe in the former.

At least with the former, you gain something.

Hyacinth only argued in her mind.

The reason she didn’t insist on her opinion was simple. It wasn’t because she feared the long northern nights, nor because she was worn out by the man’s harshness.

She believed that she should follow her family’s wishes, the family that raised her, when it came to marriage. Yes. That’s why. Even if she was dwelling on pathetic lingering feelings, she wasn’t abandoning her duty.

“I’m glad you’re not being stubborn.”

“…….”

“Then let’s go back to Michael. Okay?”

“Arthur. Can I ask you one last question?”

Arthur shrugged. It was a gesture of permission to ask anything. With that affectionate gesture, Hyacinth narrowed her eyes.

“Making the Duke wait in that place. That was your plan, wasn’t it?”

“…….”

“It was, wasn’t it?”

Arthur, caught off guard, began to roll his eyes around in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction.

“If I must explain, Hyce…….”

Hyacinth poked her cousin’s side to shut him up.

“I sincerely appreciate your concern, Arthur. But.”

“…….”

“Did you consider the position of His Highness the Prince standing over there?”

Arthur’s face turned an honest shade of red. It was the color of embarrassment.

Seeing his whole body exuding discomfort, Hyacinth rolled her eyes upwards. She wanted to scold her much taller and more mature cousin.

When will you stop recklessly meddling in everything?

“Did you ever imagine what it feels like to be someone’s third wheel?”

“…….”

“Did you ever think that our relationship could start off on the wrong foot because of this?”

“Michael is…… well, he’s not stupid…….”

“If he’s not stupid, then he might have noticed!”

“Ugh.”

Arthur was always like this.

Pretending to be meticulous while making critical mistakes on his own. How should I deal with this stubborn person?

“What if His Highness the Prince noticed?”

“I’ll take responsibility.”

“Of course you will!”

“But Hyce, you know well. Such a trivial thing won’t ruin a marriage proposal.”

“…….”

“……I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through.”

His Highness the Crown Prince was apologizing sincerely.

Hyacinth debated whether to punch him in the shoulder or stomp on his foot again but barely held back. Not because she shouldn’t treat the future monarch recklessly, but……

I should have stomped harder.

I should have punished him more when I had the chance!

Before accepting Arthur’s escort, Hyacinth pinched her cousin’s side with all her might. She pinched him three times with all her strength, but Arthur endured it without a single groan. Although he did look a bit sullen.

It was the posture of someone acknowledging his mistake.

So, when she finally returned to Benjamin and Michael, the two princes were standing side by side, looking up at the sky. Whatever conversation they had in her absence, Benjamin looked extremely serious, while Michael had a cheerful and friendly expression.

“You’ve returned, lady?”

“Sorry for leaving for a moment.”

“Don’t mention it. I just hope you had a pleasant conversation.”

Hyacinth smiled politely and switched her escort from her brother to Michael. As she took the prince’s offered arm, she quickly gauged his mood.

Did he notice earlier?

Why did he suddenly pick a fight with the Duke in the first place?

“Shall we all go to the garden together? I’ve been looking forward to seeing Tyche’s famous summer garden.”

“Sure.”

Arthur answered casually, and Benjamin nodded vaguely. He wasn’t fully focused on the situation, but he seemed determined to participate.

As she started walking with the prince, Hyacinth glanced at her second cousin again. What had the prince said to make him look so complicated?

She was inwardly tense.